The Things that are Saving my Life Right Now!

Well, I have blogged and complained and whined my way through this first trimester... and thankfully I believe it is coming to an end!  My bad days seem to be outnumbered by my good days, and that is a good thing!  Having company and staying busy seems to help, although it catches up with me and yesterday I was pretty exhausted and not feeling too hot.  But, I knew Chann and I needed some time alone, and we both seriously needed some clothes, so we went on a girl's day shopping in SA.  And there is NOTHING like a girl's day with my Ultimate Girl, Channing Grace!  I set no time limit for us, didn't rush her while she tried on outfit after outfit that "bothered" her because, well, "Can't you see MOM, there are buttons on the pockets!" or "No way... can't do this, look when I sit down.... these pants are a little tight around my knees!", or "NO- whoever said Gap panties are comfortable were LYING!".  She is a persnickety little thing.... but still so much fun when we get off on our own.  But my point to the "life saving" I mention in the title of this post.....  GAP is really WAY too expensive according to my budget, BUT, they have the most awesome non-maternity clothing for those of us not quite fitting into our normal wardrobe but also not ready for the ole maternity transition.  Their oversized t-shirts feel like HEAVEN, they have cute denim leggins, their lounge wear is just so soft and fits so good.... I was happy to spend the little extra $$ and it really cheered me up!  My 2nd splurge yesterday was on the Gabrielle Reese maternity workout video and a new exercise ball.  Only 15 minutes and is structured around how far you are along.  It was challenging enough to make me feel like I was getting something out of it, but not brutal.  And she is not a perky, cheesy aerobics instructor, which I really love.  So, between Gap and Gabrielle, I just might survive the next couple of weeks!

Schlitterbahn

Right now, I am just sitting her munching on some key lime pie (I just love to eat these days!), both kids asleep, thinking about what I need to catch up on.  This trip is one of them.  Although we didn't take a full blown family vacation this year, living where we do, it is easy to do a lot of fun things without a lot of traveling.  One of the best things we did for Chann and Jax was meeting Jeff, Ali, Heath, and Laurie (and Sadie, Tripp, and Kendall) at Shlitterbahn in July.  It was the weekend after we got back from Austria and I was worried about squeezing it all in, but it turned out to be so much fun.  The kiddie parks there were just perfect for the ages of our children, and watching them explore was fun.  Channing and Jaxson were so much braver than they have been in the past, and Paxton and I just had to monitor, versus walk them through everything.  They loved the lazy river and Jaxson didn't even want us to hold onto him.  He just floated along with those floaties in hog heaven.  I didn't take my camera to the park, but we got some fun snapshots of the kids playing in the condo.  Thanks for setting it all up Allyson!  And as I always say after spending time with them, we always have fun with the Whitt's and Gregory's.  We are going to make it a yearly thing.

chann entertaining the group

everyone except Tripp

Jaxson is always the lover boy on these gatherings!  

here we go again

and again!  she is pretty cute!  

pretty miss Kendall

my pretty girl!  

there's lover boy... scoping out his next victim!  

poor Tripp... left out of all the pics!  

August Visit From the Owens!

Although I have been feeling pretty icky still, having our sweet family in for a visit was an awesome distraction!  We made it into a little mini-vacation.... packing in A LOT of fun in just a few days.  Barrett, Paige, Jade, Cooper, and Macy arrived on Thursday at lunch and stayed through Sunday.   We went to the Magik Theatre to see Snow White and the 7 Amigos, to the Rain Forest cafe on the Riverwalk, to the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp (thank you to Stacie for the VIP sideline passes!), to sea world.... kind of... it was a MAD house and after driving all the way there and paying $15.00 for parking, we turned around and took the kids to Chuck E Cheese.  They really didn't care.... as long as it was fun.  We also bribed them to not becoming hysterical when we didn't go to Sea World by offering to turn our backyard into an amusement park.... we filled up the kiddie pools and put up the bounce house... they used up a lot of energy, and when bedtime rolled around, they were all ready!  Jaxson spent most of the time together loving on Macy, he called her "Pretty Girl" and held her and kissed her.  Channing and Jax are going to be great big sister and brother to our new baby!  

Jaxson LOVES his cousin Macy!  

Made due with fun in the yard.... sea world was TOOOO crowded!  

Best Buds and Cousins!  

Going in for the big kiss!  

He was so happy to be next to this sweet girl!  

Going into the training camp!  Thanks Stac! 

Channing was totally attached to Stacie! 

Sorry Jade!  Not really used to this lens :(

A Few Things I Have Been Meaning To Document......

I am working on pics for a client and getting distracted..... thinking of things that have happened over the past few weeks that I don't want to forget, so need to get them in the ole' blog!  The first, and probably most memorable, is the GUM incident.  Last Friday we were on our way to Kendal's party at Chuck E Cheese in SA, and of course I am such an excellent mom that I give my 2 year old gum (because usually he is pretty good with it!), and on this particular day, he takes it out of his mouth and stretches it from one side of his head to the other.  It was completely stuck in his bangs, dangling down into his face, and he was so proud..... just smiling away.  I was in total shock (because, you know, a 2 year old would NEVER get gum in their hair)... I pulled over, and tried to get it out to no avail.  Anyway, had to go into the party like that, tried ice, of course that didn't work.  Everyone was staring at us. Almost 3 hours later, when we got home, p-nut butter was my hero!  I couldn't bare to cut all of his curls off!  Something else funny was taking the kids to see Toy Story 3 with Paxto yesterday.... they were cracking me up with those "Blues Brothers" 3D glasses on.... both sitting there, so seriously.  I laughed every time I looked over at them.  And then some fast music started playing and Channing jumped up and started just breaking it down... she is just like her mama....  can't sit still when there is music playing!

One morning down....

Went to bed throwing up all my supper and with a mega headache, but woke up determined to start over.  So a nice healthy homemade breakfast taco and quick workout.  Only about 15 minutes... but it's a start!  Yay for goals!!!!

The good with the bad....

Okay.... I know that usually in these posts all my fellow mommy bloggers, myself included, are pretty positive, bright, and shiny with our posts about our hilarious kids, our beautiful decorations and parties, our fun vacations, blah, blah, blah.  And I love that.... I LOVE sharing ideas, seeing what everyone is up to, and sharing what we are up to, because let's face it, sometimes a woman's social life takes a backseat to sitting around the house in pj's cleaning up drip after splatter after spill.  But, all that being said, sometimes we all just have a bad day, bad week, heck, a bad month.  And USUALLY, like my case today for instance, our bad times really aren't that bad, especially when you compare them to someone who can't have children or loses a child, someone who is seriously ill, someone who is going through a divorce, someone who just lost a family member, etc....  so I think we hesitate to put our bad days in writing because we feel guilty for complaining when everything is really so perfect.  But I am going to do it anyway.... let the whining begin.
I am STRUGGLING right now.  I know morning sickness is nothing new, and that women do this everyday.  Heck, I have done it twice.  But I am having an emotional breakdown I think.  The pure exhaustion, the raiding the pantry for fattening sugary foods that are going to make me sick and bigger than a house later but taste so good right now, the loss of ability to play anything that requires any amount of energy with my children, the lack of interest in exercising, the lack in interest of even having a conversation on the phone....  you get the picture.  I am not sad about being pregnant, no anxiety about having another baby, nothing like that.... I am happy, I just want to feel like my old self again.  I think I need to listen to my body and sleep and eat and all of that, but at the same time, I cannot completely give into this because that is just making it worse.  If I force myself out of the house, I do so much better once I do it.  We went to San Antonio yesterday and had a great day.... I felt awesome until we got home.  But it's just doing it.  Today we stayed home all day, and I ate almost an entire box of pop tarts while the kids napped.  SERIOUSLY!
SO....... I cannot spend another day wallowing in this misery.  I am so blessed to have 2 healthy children and another beautiful baby on the way, and I have to do my best to enjoy the day and change my attitude.  Here are my goals, starting tomorrow, which I believe to be obtainable:
#1.  First hour of the day: light breakfast, glass of water, and exercise.
#2.  Gain a HEALTHY amount of weight and quit wild pantry raids by tracking meals on the iphone.
#3.  okay.... who am I kidding.... let's start with the first 2.

On a different note, went to do portraits of a few more mended hearts children on Sunday.  Took Paxton and the kids because we were near a park.  Was so mad at myself for not dressing the kids up in portrait appropriate clothing because after seeing the other kids pose, mine were ready to smile for the camera.  I am using one of the pics for Chann's invitation.  LOVE it!  Oh, I designed the invitation today, so that is something, right???

Happy 4th!!!

This year we had just gotten home from Vienna, and had the pleasure of being back home for the 4th.  We had a really relaxing time hanging out at M&M's, and Paxton spent much of the weekend helping his brother re-model the new home.  Jaxson and Channing were both SCARED to death of the fireworks!  Jaxson made Paxton take him to the car, and Channing stood in a corner and held her ears.  Poor babies!  We also got to see our good friends' Scott and Teri new baby girl, Greenly!