The Matwijecs

Birthday Boy!

2012-02-12T19:43:00.001-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday to our sweet angel Cooper! He's seriously an angel and the happiest, sweetest boy I know. I think it really hit me yesterday at Callie's gymnastics that he was really turning one today. It was picture day at Let It Shine. I remember last year, mike took her to gymnastics since I was on bed rest. He texted me that morning when he got there to inform me it was picture day. I remember being so sad to miss it. I texted him back saying I wasn't feeling great. I had woke up that morning with a headache (which I had for about the last trimester of my pregnancy), upset stomach, pressure, shortness of breath, and I knew my BP was up. At this point at 34.5 weeks, I'd been on bed rest for about 4 weeks, in and out of the hospital 3 times, shots to stop contractions, shots in each hip of steroid to mature Cooper's lungs faster in case he came early. I had severe preeclampsia with Callie and all signs were pointing that way for Cooper but the protein in my urine was never high enough with each of them till right before they had to induce. So, it was a scary, helpless feeling of knowing something was really wrong but my body wasn't showing the doctors enough evidence to make a move either pregnancy until right before I had them. The main thing with preeclampsia is making sure I don't stroke and it's a balance between keeping baby "cooking" and keeping mom healthy. So, the morning of Coop's birthday I put a call into the doctor on call. I was pretty much a regular and I think they thought I'd come in and get checked out and go home. Well that upset me because I kept telling her I couldn't breathe and my BP was high and lil Coop wasn't moving much. All the pregnant people out there... You know your body! Do your kick counts and pay attention to your symptoms. Mike called after gymnastics and I told him to take Callie to my moms and come get me ASAP because something wasn't right. We lived 30 mins away so that was the longest hour waiting on Mike to get me and make it to the hospital. We got there and they checked me in. I was like, "it's me again". They were like "it's you again". Ha! The doctor checked me out and sampled my urine. I was so freaking tired of peeing in a container!!! She came back in the room. I was totally expecting more bed rest. She said I was dilated 3cm and my body was preparing for delivery. My urine was out of wack big time. I was relieved for a second thinking " I told you something wasn't right". But then she said, "I'm coming back in the room to break your water". Huh? Sh@t! Wha?! Major panic mode. I'm not sure what mike was thinking but he just followed my orders. "call my mom!" I needed my mom. I wasn't ready for Cooper. I just needed mom there to get me through it! Mike did great keeping me calm and taking care of me. He may have been secretly freaking out. They broke my water, started pitocin, magnesium, and my epidural as fast as they could. The magnesium is awful. Makes you hot and you can't get out of bed for 24 hrs. It was to prevent seizures and stroke. I had it for Callie too so I knew exactly how I was about to feel. Bring on the cold rags! I was about to sweat my ass off as well as experience contractions and birth a small watermelon. Awesome. The epidural was lovely once they actually got it in. It took two tries. Then the contractions came out of nowhere! Whoa! My nurse was amazing. She said I'm gonna step out (prob thinking it was gonna be a while longer). She told me to call if I felt pressure. The next think I know, I'm talking to mom and mike and I hit the call button. Pressure!!! 15 pushes and sweet Cooper James was here! That part was way easier than Callie. So my labor was from 11am to 5:24pm. Not bad! I never got to hold either kids when they were born. Callie's body temp was too low and Cooper had to go straight to the NICU. I knew Cal was ok. I remember seeing her for the first time thinking "I did all that work and she looks exactly like Mike!" that's not a bad thing though. It was sweet. Seeing Cooper for the first time was so scary. They showed him to me and I just wanted to reach out and hold him. But he wasn't breathing. His eyes were glazed. He barely looked alive. He wasn't moving much. Turns out the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and my uric acid was elevated. He was definitely in respiratory distress. They took him to the table. I couldn't see him. I could just see the NICU team around him and the looks on my mom and mikes faces. They wheeled him off. Shortly after we got a good report, he was fighting and doing great! We did it! Made it through and we were gonna be ok. It was heartbreaking to not be able to pick him up or breast feed him at first. Moving him around and trying to nurse burns lil babies calories up so it's crucial they don't have to fight to eat. It was heartbreaking to see him with cords and IVs but he kept progressing and didn't have to have those long. They told us he could be there till his due date March 22. But our lil Coop wouldn't settle for that! 9 days later, he was cleared to come home. I was so relieved he was healthy. No more trips to the NICU to feed my lil guy. No more pumping breast milk and hauling it up there. We would get to love on him finally! All the time! And Callie would finally get to meet him! It was hard to come home from the hospital without your baby but all the prayers brought him home in no time! Cal was so sweet with him and still is.

His birth story, like Callie's, was scary, beautiful, and unforgettable. More on his birth story on Valentines! Yes I had already had him by then. But there's more! The days that followed delivery were not so fun for me. I remember having a few family visitors and not being able to hold my head up. I was so dizzy. They sat me up in a chair and I couldn't stay up long. I was losing blood. It never clotted like it was supposed to. The night after delivery, I bled bad. They gave me suppositories to stop it, they had a table set up for my dr in case she had to go back in to stop bleeding. They finally got it stopped but I had lost so much blood. Feb 14th, I received a blood transfusion. Happy Valentines to me! I will always think of the color red for Valentines in a whole new way now! Ha! Blood transfusions on Valentines! Bank robberies! My life is random! I will write more about my transfusion on Valentines. It was super emotional.

Here we are a year later happy and healthy! Thank you God for my healthy baby boy, my Mom right there with me in the delivery room a second time, my Callie, Mike, and everyone who helped us through with prayers, dinner, encouragement, etc! Happy Birthday Cooper. We are loved!

Our loves

2012-01-20T06:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

Wow, 2011 is already over. I am even too exhausted to type about it. Ha! Here is a brief overview. It was filled with joys and heartache. My baby boy was born 5.5 weeks early. Two days later, I needed a blood transfusion (on Valentines Day I might add!) because I suffered a hemorrage after childbirth. He only spent 9 days in the NICU. He fought his hardest to make it into our arms. Mike is convinced he is an angel. I agree. He was originally due around March 22nd. The Lord knew we needed him here sooner. He knew it was the calm before the storm before my whole life would change. He knew my mom needed to be with me in the delivery room. He knew we needed this joy in the midst of chaos. Mom was diagnosed with stage IV gastric cancer March 4th. It went from the most incredible joy you could ever imagine to the most horrible heartache you could ever feel. My Lord, Mike, Callie, and Cooper have been my strength. Grandma and Grandpa, all my friends and everyone who helped out with my sweet kids this year so I could be at Dr appts, treatments, or just spend time with mom... Thank You! I could be with my Mom and not worry about my kids being taken care of. I am so thankful for all of the prayers for me and my family. There are times where I literally have this deep heartache, anxiety, choking feeling in the back of my throat trying to hold back tears. Mom, I am speechless. I see how you fight. I see how you love. I see your courage. I see your strength. I see your beauty. I see the love you have for the Lord. I see your faith in Him. You are amazing and such an inspiration. 2011 has taught be a lot about life... There are angels on earth. Slow down. Cherish moments with loved ones. Fight. Love. Take care of yourself. Pray. Listen. Let go of anger. And most importantly that God is good all the time. I have hopes for 2012... Miracles. Cure for cancer. Healing. Getting settled in our new house. Celebrating my sister Julie and Terry getting married. Loving my Mike, Callie, Cooper like there's no tomorrow. Writing. Spreading the word of God. Talking to my kids about Jesus. Praying together as a family. I'm ready. Here's a song by an artist I adore. Love the lyrics so I wanted to share. Happy New Year!

I Love My Man

2011-12-20T09:58:00.001-08:00

Look how cute he is! Yep thats my amazing husband! Thank you for our new house and working so hard to provide for our family. And for keeping me together, encouraging me, and praying for me. Our children are so lucky. You are an incredible teacher, playmate, dad. We are rich in love!

Santa at Raintree!

2011-12-18T11:12:00.001-08:00

Snow

2011-12-07T12:43:00.001-08:00

It snowed for a little bit today and Callie just had to go out in it. I was afraid I'd get her all bundled up and she would freak out in the snow like she did last year. I couldn't get her back inside! She loved it!

Santa at the Bland's Home

2011-12-05T11:16:00.001-08:00

After the parade, we went to see Santa at a friends house. Thanks Bland Family for a fun Christmas party! Callie and Cooper had a blast playing with the kids, making a craft, eating treats, and seeing Santa! We also brought an unwrapped toy for a child in need. I thought that was such a great idea!

College Grove Christmas Parade

2011-12-04T11:04:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from the parade yesterday in our little town. I think even after we move, we will still come back to this parade every year. It's so country and so cute. Callie loved seeing Santa come to town on the fire truck. She was so cute saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone.

Pictures!

2011-11-30T11:04:00.001-08:00

I wanted to post some random fun pictures I've taken on my phone lately for those of you not on Facebook!

Our lil Turkeys

2011-11-18T13:34:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. We started the night at Nana and Paw Paw's with some traditional chilli! Yum, thanks Nana! We got to see a Beiber fan (Madeline), Vampire (Abigail), Darth Vader (Jack), and Woody (Will). Callie was terrified of the Darth Vader helmet so we made Jack take it off during dinner. Ha! We practiced our trick or treating with Mema and then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's, The Reamers, and The Mahaneys. Cal got the hang of it so I am sure next year, we will be walking door to door instead of just stopping at the houses we know. Thanks for all of the yummy treats Nana and Paw Paw, Grandma and Grandpa, Mr and Mrs Reamer, Miss Kim and Mr. Danny, and Aunt Ang! Our little ladybug and pumpkin were so cute!

We "carved" our pumpkins!

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe we are wimps and took the easy way out this year carving pumpkins but this was so easy and fun for Callie. We will be carving pumpkins for many years so we decided to do it different (and easy) this year. Here are our "carved" Elmo and Cookie Monster pumpkins! Coop is just chillin until the end when it was picture time. And check out Daddy's festive orange socks!

Audrey Assad - Eyes on the Sparrow - Shelter Tour

2011-10-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is for my mom. Its her favorite song. I thought this version was sweet. I'm feeling blessed and thankful to have my mom back and feeling good. We just celebrated our 60 and 30th birthdays a month apart. I continue to pray we have many more years together to laugh, cry, play with my kids, go to tjmax, and just hang out together as a family where ever we may be. He's definitely watching over us Mom. We love you!

Gentry's Farm

2011-10-18T17:37:00.001-07:00

We went to Gentry's Farm a couple weekends ago when Poppy (my dad) was in town visiting. We had such a fun time with the kids, Poppy, and Aunt Julie. Here are the pics from our day at the farm!

Cooper's 6 month photos...

2011-09-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Cooper wasn't too happy taking his 6 month photos. He was getting over a little cough and teething (as you can see in the last photo, everything goes to his mouth). He now has 2 teeth! He's growing up so fast. He is almost sitting up on his own and is scooting and rolling everywhere. He will be crawling before we know it! I get a little overwhelmed thinking about him crawling AND Callie running around. Callie just started school 2 days a week so Coop and I will get some one on one time together. She did great on her first day! She cried for a second and before I left the building, her teacher found me and said she was already playing with the other kids! I also heard from Grandma (she works at Callie's school) that she ate a good lunch and actually took a nap! Surprisingly there were no tears from me. I thought I was just gonna be a mess her first day but after I dropped her off, I went and got my hair done and got to spend some time with Mom. Mom even came with me to pick her up on her first day. She took some pictures of Callie at school that I will have to post soon.

Jeremy Camp - Jesus Saves

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering what Callie's favorite song is...

Our blessings...

2011-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the kids this summer. I am reminded daily of how big God is. He has blessed us with the most amazing children.

Daddy and Callie at Sesame Street Live

She loves to "fing"

Harley loves the sprinkler as much as Callie does!

She loves to try on my shoes.

Callie wanted to put Cooper in her baby stroller. He was a trooper. Cooper Trooper

sweet boy napping

They love each other. My heart melts at this photo.

Love them!

Her favorite song, "Jesus Saves" came on in the car. Sweet girl throwing her hands up and praising during our ride home one day. Love it! Love that she gets so excited about this song. I hope and pray she knows how much she and Cooper are loved by Mike and I and know how much God loves her. His love for us is amazing!

Cooper's 3 month photos...

2011-08-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had Cooper's 6 month photoshoot so I decided I better post the ones from his 3 month photoshoot! I am a little behind on blogging lately. Here are a few photos from when our sweet Cooper was 3 months. The hemangioma on his head has stopped growing and from here on out, it will begin to shrink and disappear hopefully by the time he goes off to kindergarten. It was so crazy to watch it grow from when he was first born. It started out as a tiny little speck on his head and grew to this size. I think it kinda freaked us all out at first, but it has become a sweet part of him that I like to think of as a little angel kiss. The way he came into this world was premature and unexpected and I think we had an angel watching over us that day. We went through some crazy stuff on delivery day and the days after but we are both healthy thank God! I will post the pics from his 6 month photoshoot this week so you can see how much our sweet boy has grown. He's rolling all over the place and trying to sit up on his own. He's eating rice cereal and veggies already. Callie is so in love with him. She told him the other day that she loved his face. That made me smile so big. I love them both so much. The kids and Mike are my everything! Enjoy this sweet baby boy!

Nana and Paw Paw stopped by the shoot so we got some sweet moments captured of Nana holding Cooper. Love these.

This one is my favorite. Callie and Cooper have an amazing Nana. She's beautiful inside and out and has more strength than anyone I know. We love you Nana!

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T08:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there and a special shout out to these dads below. First of all, I am feeling so blessed to have just spent the evening last night with my 2 dads, husband, brother in law and whole family. It was so fun to have everyone together. My dad was in town all this week staying with Julie so we got to see him more than usual and that was such a gift to us. Callie enjoyed seeing Poppy and I know Coop did too. Poppy, come visit us anytime! We miss you! The first picture of Paw Paw and Callie was taken right after Cooper was born. It's so sweet. She loves her Paw Paw! Buddy, thanks for being a great dad to us all and thanks for all that you do for this family. You are our rock. We love you! This next picture I threw in here because it's my favorite picture. Thanks Aunt Julie for snapping it! To me, this picture captures pure happiness. It is such a reminder that life is so precious.

Poppy and Cooper snuggling on the back porch.

Here we are at the Crockett Park concert last Sunday. It was great to get outside and enjoy the symphony. We are so glad Poppy was here to come to.

Callie and her new slide from Daddy! Thanks Mike! Now mommy's legs wont get beat up anymore playing steps and slide!

Buddy to the rescue! I got a flat tire this past Monday when I left mom getting her 4th chemo treatment (woo hoo! go Mom!). Mike was home with the kids so I am so thankful they weren't in the car with me. Buddy left the hospital to come help me change my tire. I don't know what I would do without him... well, I might still be on the interstate ;)

Mike and Callie playing at the Crockett concert. Callie was conducting the symphony with her lil arms. She was watching the lady do it and copying her. It was so funny!

Pooped after the concert!

Here is Callie and Daddy at the pool at the beach the other week. Cal and Coop have the best dad! Happy Fathers Day Mike. I love you so much! You're an amazing father, husband, and friend. You hold me together. And our kids adore you! You are so patient with them and they have so much fun with you!

What's missing from this post?? GRANDPA! Hurry home Grandpa! We have a surprise for you when you get home! We've missed you but know you have enjoyed your time with Uncle Matt, Aunt Mac, and cousing Emory! We love you!

The Silent Critics

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I always love hearing new bands and new music. Our friend Drew Reamer has been playing with The Silent Critics. They are really good. Check out their video! And look for Drew, he plays bass. Drew, you rock!

Missing Daddy!

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mike is in DC this week for work. We miss him so much when he is gone. Can't wait to see you on friday! The kids and I love and miss you very much and want to say thank you for working so hard for us!

Funny Girl

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet Callie, please don't hate me when you get older for posting these pics. I just couldn't resist. You keep life so fun around here. You make me smile everyday. I love you! Callie refused to nap one day and instead took a poop, completely undressed and through everything out of the crib including the poopy diaper. Yep, thats some poop smeared on her sheets. I had to get a picture of this.

And this is a picture of Callie using my breastpump part. She is holding it up to her belly button saying "pump." She is so funny.

How Am I?

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I think the past few months have been the biggest struggle of my life. My pregnancy with Cooper was so incredibly rough at the end. But thank God we are both healthy. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that we are done having kids. I wasn't ready to make that decision yet and I don't think Mike was either but with all of the complications (preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome), it is best for me and my family that we don't get pregnant again. It's too risky. Mike and I are seriously considering adoption if we decide we want to have another sweet baby. For now, we are enjoying Callie and Cooper and are so thankful God gave us these two miracles. I am also so thankful for my family and friends during this difficult struggle with mom's cancer. I remember in our lifegroup one sunday, we were praying for mom when she had her basel cell carcinoma (small skin cancer that was removed and harmless). I remember saying if anything happened to her, I'd be so angry at God. I've had so many emotions lately that when people ask me how I am doing, I've answered so many ways... I am angry, sad, hopeful, heartbroken, etc. For a period of time, I didn't even really want to talk or see fam or friends because I knew they would ask about mom. Of course they would. But I didn't want to talk about it. If I was content at the moment, a question or comment about mom would just spark an emotion and make me feel again. It would make me angry or sad. It's been such a struggle to understand why my sweet mom is having to go through this. Gastric Cancer and chemo have hindered her from doing the things she loves to do. I am finally feeling some peace about it. I know it's not for me to understand so I need to stop questioning God. He is taking care of my mom. I was telling mom the other day that with all of this uncertainty, that is certain. He loves us and feels our pain and joy and is with us everyday. I am finding comfort in prayer. That is the only thing that has calmed my fears. I know He can heal and I am resting in that. Just wanted to share a song that describes how I am doing lately. So, if you are wondering how I am doing lately, here it is... After these really tough few months "I am learning to breathe again... I am feeling awake and alive... I know that You alone can break my fall... I am living again..."

More Pictures!

2011-06-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Running through the sprinkler at Nana and Paw Paw's house on Mother's Day! Paw Paw and Callie

Ice Cream sandwiches

Daddy and Harley

Callie looking at Cooper. This was one of the first days he was home

She says their friends when she holds his hand. So cute!

Callie loves to set her toys on Cooper. She wants him to play with them too. Here is Cooper with Dora the Explorer

Cooper snoozing during the Easter egg hunt

Cooper snoozing at the park. Seriously, he is such a good baby!

Mommy swinging with Callie and Cooper

Playing with water outside. She loves to strip down.

Watching cousin Jack play baseball

Someone fell asleep

He adores his big sis.

Callie coloring up on the coffee table

Poor Harley gets picked on all the time!

Here we are loaded up to head to the beach on Memorial Day weekend

Callie loves the pool

This was taken in Oct of 2007. Me, Mom, Ang, and Julie all ran the Nike Women's half marathon in San Francisco. Just thought I would throw this in for fun! And this picture is special to me.

My beautiful mom before her 1st round of chemo

Here she is with her new do. She got it cut short after her first treatment.

Here is mom kicking butt! Chemo #3. Still looking great! Go Mom!

Mother's Day 2011

Mom and Cooper

My hero

I love you Mom. Chemo #4 begins Mon June 6th. I am so proud of you. I admire your strength and courage. Praying for you everyday.

Long Time, No Blog...

2011-06-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the last few months since I've blogged... Callie loves Harley!

Poppy meeting Cooper for the first time!

Grandma and Callie hunting for Easter eggs at the Brentwood Library

Callie, me, and sweet Coop in line to see the Easter bunny.

Here is Daddy and Callie riding the carousel at the zoo

Callie loves ice cream (or ice-a as she calls it)

Jill, Kurt and Knox stopped by on Easter

The Dads

Callie turned 2 on May 4th. Her birthday party was supposed to be at the park but the weather did not cooperate so our sweet friends, Samantha and Jamie, let us move the party to their house. Thanks again Reedys, we love you guys!

Her invitations and cake were this owl design

Callie sitting in her chair from Nana and Paw Paw

Dancin around to Mickey Mouse songs!

We were so happy to have so many friends celebrate Callie's special day with us. Here is Gabriel and Audrey.

Cousin Will!

Daddy lighting the birthday candles. I almost didn't make it through "Happy Birthday" without crying. I can't believe our sweet Cal is already 2! She is growing up too fast!

Cooper is seriously the best baby! He is so calm and happy pretty much all the time. He slept through most of Callie's bday party. Callie is so good with him. He just adores her. He looks at her with the biggest eyes. She's a really great big sis! If you are wondering what the red mark is on his head, its called a hemangioma. Callie had one on the back of her neck when she was born but hers has faded and her hair covers it up. It's a birthmark that ends up going away by kindergarten or so. Cooper's is different from Callie's. His has kept growing out and is raised up on his head. He also has a tiny one on this lower back. Dr. Meneely says it will stop growing when he's about 4 months old which is in like a week! They usually only remove them this young if it interferes with vision, nose, or mouth. It doesn't hurt them and is strictly cosmetic. We may have to have it removed when he gets a little older and active. Hemangioma or not, he's perfect!

Jack and Will getting some snacks

Kim and Maggie (Samantha and Jamie's sweet baby girl born 13 days before Cooper)

Bubbles!

Check back for more photos of sweet Coop!

Highs and Lows...

2011-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

This first picture sums up the last month for me. I was in a bible study with some great girls and every week we would go around and tell of our highs and lows for the week. A high would be a praise, joy, something great going on in your life. A low would be a struggle or just something "shitty" going on. We would all celebrate together and pray together. This telling of highs and lows has carried on to our Supper Club. Can I say how much I have missed my Supper Club ladies lately?! You are all amazing women and are so supportive! So, here is my high and low. First my high... My beautiful baby boy who surprised us 5 and a half weeks early. Wow, can't believe he is a month old already! We went through a tough delivery, he had the umbilical cord around his neck and I ended up having a blood transfusion because I had a hemorrage shortly after delivery. But, Cooper James Matwijec was quite the little trooper. He only had to stay in the NICU for 9 days and I was able to go home after 4 days. We are home and healthy! Praise God for our early miracle. He was early due to my preeclampsia which is what I had with Callie as well. Callie was able to hold out and was only 3 weeks early but lil Coop just couldn't wait any longer. Yes, I think my condition definitely brought him early but looking at the bigger picture now... It was God. My sister Ang pointed this out. Cooper came early and my middle sister Julie moved home from school after Christmas. He was preparing us and making us strong for what was to come which brings me to my all time ultimate low. Mom was diagnosed with Gastric Cancer shortly after her surgery on March 4th to remove a mass in her stomach that was causing some blockage and making it impossible for her to keep any food down. It started a few months ago with some acid reflux and progressed into nausea and vomitting. Long story short, after doctor's visits and tests, they found a 4-5 inch mass that needed to be removed with surgery. We were hoping and praying for the news of it being benign but as we all know, some prayers go unanswered. I am not going to lie. I've been angry, sad, depressed, hopeful, all kinds of emotions. Its been really hard for me to understand why God would allow this to happen to my mother. She IS the most amazing woman I know. She's my best friend. Not only would she do anything for me... She would do anything for any of her family and friends. She has been a Christ like example for me and has been there right beside me through everything always telling me to have faith. So when I found out the news that her mass was malignant and they found more cancer on her liver and lymph nodes... my first reaction was sadness and anger. I believe my first words were... "thats f*@ked up" Then I could just hear my mom in the back of my mind telling me to have faith. In fact, that morning before surgery she sent me, Julie, and Ang a facebook message. Her words were comforting like they always were, "I have strong faith and I love the Lord and know that he is taking care of me." Mom, I know you are reading this and I don't know if you remember or not but after your surgery you asked me if I had heard anything from the doctor about what they found. You were in and out of anethesia and the doctor wanted to be the one to tell you everything as she was equipped to answer the questions you would have. She wanted to wait until you were fully awake from the surgery. Just want to apologize for lying to you and telling you I didn't know anything. It was so hard to look at you and tell you that. I had to leave the room shortly after. All in all you have taken the news in stride. I am sure you have more ups and downs than we know of. I try to be strong for you everytime I see you but I know you see through it all. After all, you are my mom and know me better than anyone. You've always known things about me even before I realized them. My heart is breaking for you. I can't imagine being faced with this and trying to remain strong to recover from your surgery and start chemo in a week and a half. YOU are my hero. You were in the room when Callie was born and when Cooper was on his way last month, my first words to Mike after we found out they were going to induce were "Call mom" I needed you there. I needed you there for me, Cooper, Mike, and so I didn't knock my doctor out. So this is how I know God is working in all this madness. Although I am dealing with anger with Him, I know he brought Cooper into this world early so you could be in the room strong for me so I could be here strong for you now. I don't know what the future holds for us but I have to trust that He knows. My sweet husband is constantly encouraging me when I am down. He prays with me. He is a strong believer. He believes Jesus still heals and miracles do happen on earth today. Last night we prayed this... Not only would he heal my sweet mother but he would take her pain away now so that she could enjoy life, food, her kids, grandkids, husband, mother, sister, friends, and the list goes on! We are hoping to get mom and blog or caringbridge website up soon so you all can follow her and her progress. I won't go into alot of detail about her chemo and treatment on here. I will leave that up to her and Buddy for how much they want to update on. Plus Buddy had all the notes from the doctors office of all the meds and chemo and side affects and all of that stuff. I will say that I went with mom to the doc today and sat and listened to what chemo is about. Its no party for sure! But if you know mom, she will make it one. She will fight this with everything and when she doesn't have the energy to fight, we will fight it for her. Mom, you are beautiful inside and out with or without hair or nails. We can do this together. I will be right there with you every step of the way! We are going to kick some cancer ass! I love you!

Sweet Callie and Paw Paw. I couldn't ask for a better dad. Yes DAD! I have two and they are both precious to me. He has been so strong for mom. He is great with taking notes during doctors visits, and taking care of mom. He is an amazing man. Buddy, we love you and are here for you for whatever you need!

Look at this sweet face! Nana took this picture. She sure does love her Nana!

These are the cutest kids ever! They love Nana and Paw Paw's house!

Our Sweetheart

2011-02-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more photos from the past few days. I have so much to blog about but just don't have the energy yet. I can't wait to share our story of lil Cooper's arrival. I'm still pretty emotional about it and really just in awe of God's timing. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. We can't wait to introduce Cooper to everyone, especially Callie! Hoping and praying he comes home soon! I got to take a break between bags of blood during the transfusion to nurse my lil man for the first time. My face is looking better. It was so swollen and so pale.

Cooper's lil home for a while

Mike scrubbing in to enter the NICU. You have to wash your hands for 3 minutes up to your elbows, put on a gown, and squirt some anti-bacterial lotion on upon entering.

Little Mike #2

hello world

His left arm is wrapped really well to prevent the IV from moving or coming out.

He has Daddy and big sister's eyes... dark blue

Daddy feeding Cooper some breastmilk.

Welcome Cooper!

2011-02-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

Our sweet lil boy arrived yesterday 2/12/2011 at 5:24pm 5lbs 2oz 19in long. More updates and pics to come! He's doing great! Thanks for all the prayers, calls, emails, etc!

Callie singing...

2011-01-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Callie in the "baff" (bath) singing "Happy Birthday" to Cooper since he will be here in less than 2 months! Grandma and Aunt Julie, Aunt Mac, cousin Abigail and Uncle Matt have birthdays coming up in the next few months so hopefully with all this practice she will be able to sing the whole song to them! Callie has become obsessed with the Happy Birthday song lately since Paw Paw celebrated his birthday in December and Aunt Ang in January. She really enjoyed singing to them and eating cake and "ice-ah" (ice cream).

Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Paw Paw's birthday a few days ago!

Nana and Paw Paw with all the grandkids!

Santa came!

Callie's play kitchen and our stockings

She loves the play kitchen!

wait, shouldn't I be showing her how to operate the stove??

Harley was actually begging for plastic food. The dog will eat anything.

Eating Christmas breakfast with her new baby

opening a present from Daddy

reading Grandma's Oprah magazine to Obie

We went to Grandma and Grandpa's after we celebrated Santa at home. Here is Callie and Uncle Nathan opening some presents.

Potty with Elmo!

Relaxing with Grandma

Uncle Nathan got Grandpa a new UT cycling shirt. Here he is sporting it.

Grandma and Grandpa showing Callie her new airport.

After Grandma and Grandpa's house, we went to Nana and Paw Paw's house for round 3 of Christmas! Callie skipped naptime today so she was a bit bonkers at times but she had a lot of fun playing with family!

Here is our snow belle rolling around on the carpet.

this is what I meant by bonkers

Callie showing cousin Will how shopping is done.

Paw Paw playing with the grandbabies

Will!

Nana and the grandkids.

Nana and Paw Paw and the grandkids

Cal wouldn't be still for a family photo so this is the closest one we got.

I love this picture. Mema and the grandkids and great grandkids. Hey, we made the picture... sort of.

Whoa, big preg woman on the end!

Callie pretending Nana and Paw Paw's new beach umbrella is a balance beam. She's gonna be a gymnast for sure!

We had a great time with our family today! I can't believe we had a white Christmas! Check back soon to see some pictures of Callie meeting Emory (Mike's brother Matt and his wife Mackenzie's baby girl) for the first time! They get in town tomorrow so we will post some pics of Christmas round 4!

"Meeeee Mas!"

2010-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

In case you are wondering what "Meeeee Mas" is... it's Callie's way of saying "Merry Christmas!" It's hilarious when she says it. She leaves out some syllables, but hey, she tries! She also loves to say "Santa. Ho Ho Ho" She is talking like crazy these days. For the most part, I can understand what she's saying or wants, but sometimes it's just jabbering. She also loves to sing and dance. We had gymnastics class today and while everyone was running around, she was over in the corner next to a speaker dancing. Maybe we need to look into some dance classes for next year! I am completely exhausted (Christmas shopping with a 19 month old is not easy. Thanks to Nana and Aunt Julie for your help!) so I am just going to let you look at some pictures we have taken this Christmas season. The first ones are of us at the annual College Grove Christmas Parade. My parents have actually been to this before and they don't even live in the town. They said it was cute and we should go. I have had a house here for about 7 yrs and have never been but I figured it would be fun to take Callie to see Santa come to town on the College Grove firetruck and to see the dwarf ponys and donkeys as reindeer. Yep, you heard me. Yeehaw, right? Callie enjoyed it and Mike and I had fun gathering up all the candy everyone in the parade was throwing out. It was freezing and Miss Priss didn't want to keep a hat on long so we ended up sitting in the car for some of the parade. waiting for Santa...

We all just look lovely in the family picture below, don't we?!Yeehaw Santa!

The next pictures below were taken this past Sunday when Grandma and Daddy took Callie to see Santa while I helped host a baby shower for Samantha and baby Maggie. I will have to post some pictures from the shower in the next blog. I hear Callie wasn't a fan of Santa up close. She loves him from a distance.

Grandma and Callie getting ready to see Santa

She's not so sure about him up close

Ok, she gave him a high five!

The next pictures below are of our first snow this year. We spent a good amount of time dressing Callie in warm layers to play outside in the snow and she was ready to come back inside after maybe 30 seconds. I think she was more upset that I made her wear her hat than anything!

Daddy taking Callie outsideI couldn't find her mittens from last year so I put some regular kid gloves on. She was probably a little ticked about that one too.

This was before we even made it in the snow. And here we are in the snow.

I love her face... even when she is crying.

Here she is after we came back inside. I thought her footed pajamas would be a really good warm base layer. She hated the footed pjs and couldn't wait for me to take them off!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and staying warm! "Meeeee Mas!" from Callie.

Let's Compare...

2010-12-01T20:07:00.001-08:00

I thought it would be fun to compare Callie and Cooper's pregnancies. I definitely started showing alot sooner with Cooper. I have also noticed that I gained all over with Callie (especially my booty!) I haven't gained as much weight with Cooper but I am definitely starting to fill out now. I feel like I am carrying low with Cooper. I can tell my pants that I wore with Callie are more uncomfortable in the waist because he is sitting so low. My belly button has popped out this time around too... gross. It's crazy to think what all your body goes through when you are pregnant. And the second time around has been just as interesting as the first! I am currently 25 weeks! Here are some pics to compare. Make sure you look at the name and week above the picture. I think there is one out of order and I am too tired to try and fix it in the blog ;)

Callie 16 weeks Cooper 18 weeksCooper 21 weeksCallie 20 weeks!Callie 26 weeksCooper 25 weeksCallie 26 weeksCooper 25 weeks

Baby Boy has a name!

2010-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

Baby boy Matwijec has a name... Cooper James Matwijec! We had it narrowed down to 3 names, Landon, Owen, and Cooper. I liked all 3 so Mike picked the final name! James is Mike's middle name for those of you who don't know. We love the name and are so excited to meet Cooper in March!

What did you do with your extra hour?

2010-11-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

We didn't sleep... we played! Callie didn't take advantage of the extra hour of sleep this morning for Daylight Savings but that's ok, we played outside. Thanks Paw Paw for putting the Cozy Coupe together! Mike leaves tonight for DC for a week so we skipped out on church and decided to just play and relax. He isn't even gone yet and Friday can't come soon enough! Hurry home Daddy! We miss you already!

Chopper is sleepy... thats a yawn.

She didn't want to wear her hood.

Callie is 18 months! I'm 21 weeks.

2010-11-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today we had Callie's 18 month check up. She is doing great! She is eating and sleeping much better and is healthy and happy! Here are her stats from our appointment today. Her weight is 17lbs. 2.5oz. She is still below the 3rd percentile but Dr. Meneely says thats ok as long as she's eating and following her own little growth chart. Her height is 30in. She's in the 5th to 10th percentile for height. Thank goodness she didn't have to get any shots! I can't believe she's already a year and a half. Time is flying by. We decided to buy her this obnoxious car today. I think it will be so much fun for her as soon as we figure out how to put it together. Who knew this thing would be so hard to put together?! I might take it over to Nana and Paw Paw's tomorrow while Daddy works and see if they can figure it out. Callie and Chopper helping Daddy attempt to put the car together

Harley isn't sure about this giant red thing with wheels yet.

Really? I need to be an engineer to figure this out.

Callie scooting it around the kitchen without wheels.

I'm 21 weeks! Baby boy (we don't have a name but have definitely narrowed it down to like 3) is growing and moving around everywhere. He's really started to kick (and keep me up at night with reflux!) So far, the pregnancy is going smooth! Still praying for no preeclampsia though (I still have a 1 in 3 chance of getting it again) So far my weight gain and blood pressure have checked out great! If you ask Callie where baby brother is, most of the time she will point to my belly although she pointed to my sister Julie's belly yesterday and she pointed to her own belly today when Dr. Meneely asked her. She doesn't really get it yet. We bought her a book to read about being a big sister. Maybe by March she will understand a little more. We are still trying to sell our house. Its been slow... like no one has been out to look at our house SLOW! Keep your fingers crossed for a buyer! Some good news- Mike got into Penn State to finish his MBA! Yay Mike, I'm so proud of you! I knew you would though because you are super smart. He will be taking classes online to finish his MBA starting in Jan. He will have to travel there a couple times a year I think. Looks like we are gonna have our hands full next year! I'm excited and thankful we live near family. I think that's all for today. I am going to try and post more pictures soon that my mom took of Callie. They are really good.

Happy Halloween from...

2010-10-30T19:48:00.001-07:00

Callie the cow!

Gentry's Farm

2010-10-23T17:06:00.001-07:00

Today, we took Callie to Gentry's Farm with Grandma and Grandpa to see some animals, go on a hay ride, and pick out our pumpkin. She was so cute! Here are some pictures from our day.

It's hard to believe this time next year we will have a lil baby boy with us!

She enjoyed riding the lil John Deere tractor

Grandpa and Callie with her pumpkin Mike with our pumpkin

It's a......

2010-10-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

BOY!!!

Vote

2010-10-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

So, we find out the sex of baby 2 on Wed Oct 20th. Just to have some fun, I made a poll to see what you all think. I still have a feeling we are having a girl, but who knows?! And we have talked a little bit about names. These are some of the names that have come up. Some we agree on and some we don't, but I included all of them because I am curious to see what everyone thinks. We have narrowed it down smaller than these lists so you will just have to wait and see what we think! Vote to the right...

A Few Randoms Shots...

2010-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

These were taken on the balcony at the beach. It was windy and Miss Priss was enjoying the breeze. The last picture is Callie sitting in Harley's dog bowl. She loves to do that these days. Check back on Wed to see if baby 2 is a boy or girl!!!

Shrimp Festival day 2

2010-10-10T07:06:00.001-07:00

Shrimp Festival 2010

2010-10-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the Shrimp Festival in Orange Beach, AL. We are staying at Nana and Paw Paw's condo. I am sorry we have been MIA in the blog world lately but Mike has been traveling alot with work and if he is not traveling, he is working late at home. So, I don't get much computer time. I am thinking another computer and wireless internet is in our future.... maybe. We have also been busy getting our house ready to sell (as you can see from the last post, it is officially on the market thanks to our fabulous real estate agent Nathan Matwijec.) Ideally, we would love to sell this house and our other house in Colorado by or close to baby #2's arrival and be moved into another house closer into town because we.live.in.the.boonies. Don't get me wrong, we are so fortunate to have a roof over our heads and we live in a beautiful area of rural (very rural) TN. Last Sunday we rushed to get ready and get out the door and drive forever away (cause thats how far we live) to church. We decided we would put Callie in the church nursery for the first time so that we could both listen to the entire sermon. This was totally a God thing, but the message for the day was "Enough." We are all just trying to keep up and have this and that and live in that perfect home we dream of. Hmmm, I definitely needed to hear this as much as I hate to admit. We had looked at a brand new model home in the most perfect location with the most perfect floor plan that was zoned for the perfect schools and it was in our price range (well a little over but the way I looked at it was worth it.) Anyways, I needed to hear this sermon that day. We are so lucky and so blessed to have what we have. And according to a statistic that was read in church, we are part of the wealthiest 1% of people in the world (if you make $50,000+) Our house IS enough. So as much as I am so anxious to move closer to civilization, I am trying to look at our next home buying experience a little different. Okay, enough about enough. Callie is growing finally! Well, her hair at least. We can't keep it out of her eyes! She wont wear a bow! She has such a cute personality. I just love her little voice. She is trying to say so many things. I really need to stop saying "shit" however. She hasn't said it yet but we need to sensor more. Mike and I find out what Callies baby sybling is on Oct 20th! Its so soon! I am feeling great so far. I am having some braxton hicks contractions but nothing to worry about. I really have a feeling this lil one is a girl too but who knows! Guess we will know soon! Mike and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary! Its been amazing. He is so dedicated to me and lil Callie and his job and I could go on and on about how much we love him!!! I feel like so much has happened since my last blog. I am probably forgetting alot. We had a blast at the Matwijec family trip this summer. It was great to see everyone. Our beautiful niece Emory was born. Congrats Matt and Mac. Grandpa is cycling like crazy... like 100 miles at a time crazy! Go Grandpa! I know Callie looooves spending time with her Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Paw Paw. Shout out to Paw Paw too for running every morning! She even got to spend a week with her Poppy last week. My dad came to stay with us while Mimi went to TX. We had a great time and miss Poppy already! Callie has started gymnastics. She did great at her first class. Here are some photos from the first day of our vacation down here at Orange Beach, AL. Callie loooooves strawberries and watermelon so you can see her eating her favorite snacks below. She's just hilarious these days.

8809 O C Floyd Rd, College Grove TN Real Estate For Sale - 1215107

2010-09-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Being a Mom is Scary Sometimes...

2010-07-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

So to follow up with our last blog, Callie got her bloodwork back this week and it was negative for ciliac (sp?) disease! I believe that was what they thought might be wrong with her. I guess it has something to do with her digestive system and not being able to digest some foods and keep the nutrients. Anyways, that was negative thank God! But, they did want us to come back in and do MORE bloodwork and a urine test because they found high levels of carbon dioxide in her blood. No, not carbon monoxide and yes we have a monitor for that. They needed to make sure her body was getting rid of enough of it through her urine. Of course I immediately freak out and call my mom. I made her delay her trip to Memphis a few hours so she could come back to the pediatricians office with us. I needed help and moral support holding Callie down so they could draw more blood from her tiny little arm. It is seriously the saddest, scariest thing ever! I know she is scared and not to mention it hurts her! She hates the bandaid too. So, we made it through bloodwork #2 on Wed. So today I just sat around waiting for the phone call from the doc. They finally called and said all her bloodwork and urine levels were back to normal! The doc just thinks they were out of whack from the past week of her throwing up, diahhrea, and not much urine output. This has seriously been one of the hardest weeks ever as a mom so far! Its so hard to see little Callie sick and so scary to not know what is causing it! We now know that she is just an active, petite lil girl! Although she is weighing in at 15lbs 8oz, she is healthy! Just to give you an idea of how tiny she is if you can't tell from the pictures, most babies weigh that at like 3 to 8 months. Callie is almost 15 months old. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers! We couldn't have made it through this week without them! Here are a few pictures of sweet Callie. The first two break my heart... they were when she was sick. The first one she is basically asleep sitting up. The second one was of her watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse laying down. She is usually standing up clapping or dancing around but she didn't have any energy. It was so sad. The last picture was Callie and Will playing yesterday. She is feeling much better... back to playing and eating well.

Finally, a blog with pictures!

2010-07-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying how glad I am to have my wonderful husband home from DC! Callie and I have only seen him for two days in the last two weeks! He works so hard for us. We are so proud of him! This past week was super hard for me and lil Callie. She has had some kind of stomach bug and has been throwing up and having diahhrea for a week! She ate better today and kept it down so hopefully she is on the mend! I am so exhausted and don't think I can clean up anymore puke or even smell it. I took Callie to the doc yesterday. I made my mom come with me. It's a good thing she did because they ended up taking two tubes of blood from her little tiny arm! Mom had to hold her down because I couldn't! Thanks Nana! The doc is just concerned about her weight so say a little prayer that its just that she is super active and burns up all the calories she eats! I am hoping and praying its not anything with her digestive system or anything like that. Meanwhile, we are on soy formula instead of whole milk. He wants to make sure she hasn't developed a milk allergy or anything. Hopefully we will get her bloodwork back on Monday and figure out why our lil girl isn't cruising along in her 3rd percentile anymore. We ended up not being able to go on our girls trip this weekend with Samantha, Jill and Knox to see Hillary and Wyatt. We hope to reschedule for very soon! Mike and I are looking forward to his family trip coming up the second week of August. Two years ago was my first time to go and I had a blast. He's got a really great family. Everyone is so welcoming and so down to earth and fun! I can't wait to introduce Callie to the family! And we are super excited for Jill's wedding on Labor Day weekend! We have a lot of exciting things coming up towards the end of the summer. Hopefully I will be better about blogging our upcoming events. So, here are some pictures from or summer so far. The first one is of our trip to Vegas a few weeks ago. It was nice to get away and spend time with just Mike and get some much needed rest but we missed Callie sooooo much! Vegas was fun but I don't think its my favorite place to vacation. I'm more of a mountain/beach kind of gal! Enjoy our pictures!

Callie plopped down on Daddy's shoulder to read

She loves bathtime

Harley can't resist cleaning off her face after mealtime!

Reading with Paw Paw

Her new sneakers that she won't keep on the feet!

Will and Callie playing on the 4th of July

She loves to play Nana's piano

Playing in the baby pool and hoping Harley doesn't drink all the water!

Her favorite word is "duck"

She loves to swim! Here are a few pictures from our trip to Orange Beach to Nana and Paw Paw's condo before the oil came in.

She didn't like the sand

I have no idea why this picture is so small.

M.I.A.

2010-06-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog! We have been so busy and Mike has been out of town alot for work (he has computer with him so I don't get to sit up at night and blog.) I will post a new blog soon full of the latest pictures of Callie. Right now, we are in Vegas so I am not going to stay on the computer for long. There is lots to see! I found a pair of shoes that I have to get before I leave here which reminds me to check out www.allisonsrandomness.com tomorrow for Tuesday Shoesday. We are missing Callie but enjoying our much needed vacation alone! Callie is in good hands with Nana and Paw Paw and we will see before we know it. We come home this Thursday. Oh and everyone needs to follow my sister Ang's blog. She just started it today so let's show her some support family, friends, and blogging buddies! She's new at it but her first post was pretty good! Check it out at www.fitzmorris6.blogspot.com or just look over to the right and click on The Fitz 6 square.

Another Man in the Family...

2010-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

BOB! My awesome husband surprised me with a BOB today! He knew I had been wanting a BOB jogging stoller since before Callie was born! With marathon training around the corner, him being the sweetheart that he is, went out and bought it yesterday while I was at Anna Clare's baby shower. He was gonna wait and surprise me with the actual stroller (which was hiding out at Grandma and Grandpa's) but he couldn't keep the secret any longer. He motioned me into his office today and said he couldn't keep a secret any longer. He said there would be another man entering the family... wha? was he pregnant? with a grown man? Then it clicked and about that time he said it was BOB! Ahhhhhh! I was so excited! I picked it up today at Grandma and Grandpa's and brought lil bobby home for a test run, okay I watched Mike take it for a test run... but I am going running tomorrow! Let the running begin! See ya later cellulite...

Callie's 1 yr photos by Wendy Tate

2010-05-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

OMG! We have a 1 yr. old!

2010-05-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday little Callie! I can't believe we have a 1 year old! Time has flown by! Callie's first birthday was May 4th, this past Tuesday. Her party was last Sunday during the flood. We were sad not alot of people could make it but felt better knowing they were at home safe and sound! Our prayers are with all those here in Nashville affected by the flooding. We still had a fun party with a ton of cupcakes leftover! Her puppy cake is actually a bunch of cupcakes put together. Thank you www.homestylebakery.blogspot.com It was yummy! Nana and Paw Paw let us have the party at their house and Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Julie, Mema, Hillary and Wyatt, and Mike's friend Dan were able to make it! Callie also had her 1 year checkup this week. She is still below the 3rd percentile for weight and height. She is healthy, happy, beautiful, and petite! She weighed in at 15lbs. 6.4oz. and is 27.5 inches long. This year has been so amazing. We love being parents! She is so fun and sassy! We just adore her! I could go on and on. This time last year we were still in the hospital. We were able to bring her home last year on May 9th. The bedrest, high blood pressure, swelling, preeclampsia, magnesium, ptocin, 8hrs of labor, me telling Mike during labor that if he told me one more time "good job" I was going to hurt him was all worth it in the end! I would do it again in a heartbeat for this little girl! I would do anything for her! I love my mini Mike! Enjoy her birthday pictures and check back in a few days for her 1 year photos by Wendy Tate!

Hillary and Wyatt

Grandma and Grandpa

Nana and Paw Paw

Mema

Hillary and Wyatt

Aunt Julie

Dan, Callie, and Mike

Wyatt made this for Callie!

had to throw this one in here. she is now swatting at the dogs. they love it, can't you tell?

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes, cards, gifts for Callie! We feel very blessed to have such amazing family and friends to celebrate life with!

Your Hands- JJ heller

2010-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Thankful for these two...

2010-04-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying how much I am in love with these two in the first picture... of course I love the dogs in the other pictures but not as much as my husband and baby. My baby is almost 1 and I am just so shocked how fast a year has gone. She has brought so much joy to our lives. No matter what is going on around me, she brings a smile to my face immediately. I now know what its like to love someone so much that it hurts. I love her so much and and it hurts to think about her ever being sick, hurt, lonely, sad, etc. I will do my best to protect my lil one but know, as my mother does, that its going to happen. I have struggled with this the past week or so leading up to her first birthday. I have had things in my life that have hurt and made me sad and my mother had no control over them. She protected me as much and as best as she could I know but it just happens. And I pray that when it happens to my sweet baby that she will know me and her Daddy are always here but most importantly turn to God. He has given me strength and comfort in situations that I never thought I could make it through. I hope to raise her to know the love God has for her. "When my world is shaking, heaven stands. When my heart is breaking, I never leave your hands... I know you hate to see me cry, one day you will set all things right... Your hands that shaped the world are holding me..." These are some lyrics that I have found comfort in lately. If you scroll down after this post, you will see a youtube video of the actual song. And as for my husband... I come to tears just thinking about him right now. He is an amazing husband, father, and friend. What would I do without this man?! He too has shown me what its like to love someone so much that it hurts. Sometimes I don't think he knows how to handle the emotional side of me... which has been alot lately with Callie turning 1 and other things going on. But he loves me and I know that... there is no question about it. He loves me for everything... all of my goodness, all of my flaws, all of my craziness, all of me. I am so thankful God brought us together. We have something special. He's amazing. period. I love you Mike. And I will love you forever when we get old and gray. And when we get not so attractive with age, I will love you more. I will always take care of you. You have given me the most amazing thing in the world, our baby girl. Can you believe she is almost 1? Enjoy our pictures. Callie took a dip in her baby pool for the first time the other day. The pups just looked on. Harley drank the water... surprise, the dog will drink or eat anything... just look at her, she's 108lbs. Yep, she's lost some weight but still a big girl.

Harley

Chopper

Shingo... who will be 10 this June. Mike and I got him together 10 yrs ago... well, i brought him home and Mike fell in love, I think.

Sophie girl

Daddy and Callie bird watching today

the sun was in her eyes

i love these two!

My Blog Buffet... a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

2010-04-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

So, this blog is random but I definitely wanted to post a follow up to my last blog about my niece trying out for cheerleading. She made it!!! Go Madeline! I would like to think I helped her out tremendously but she knew her stuff before I got to help her. I knew she would do great. She showed me all of her tryout material and it was really good! I am so excited for her. My back is feeling much better!

My foot, however, is not! I dropped a large vase on it today at work. I only work 1 day a week right now at Pier 1... where I have worked forever! I love everyone there and I can't imagine not seeing their sweet faces at least once a week. But, I got an interview!!! I applied at Metro Health to be a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. I interview next week so I will know more about the position then but basically I will be helping mothers and babies breastfeed. I will encourage and support them with all of their breastfeeding needs and believe me, there are many needs. Some women have it easy... just hook that baby up to the teet and off they go and its a piece of cake! Some women... like me, have every problem you could ever imagine. I had a really great support system and was able to make it 8 months breastfeeding. So, I can't wait to use my knowledge to help new or old mommies make breastfeeding work (hoping I get the job.) I kinda thought after I, myself, had to go see a lactation nurse that I might want to do that when I finish my RN. Maybe this opportunity will give me a kick in the butt to finish school. I am nervous to find out what the hours will be. I dropped Callie of at my moms today, which I do every Thursday when I go to work not even for a full 8 hours, and she started crying when I left her. I can't do that more than one day a week... gulp! It breaks my heart! Shout out to all you working moms out there that have to do it every day! It would kill me! So, I am hoping I could get evening shifts part time. That would be ideal. Mike could watch her at night while I work. I would love to do night shifts (which is over night) a few days a week but Mike won't let me cause he says I will be mean to him cause I will be so tired all the time. Okay, he is right. I am not the happiest person when I am tired... more like a tired screaming teething baby would describe me better. If the hours are day then hopefully we can work something out with Grandma or maybe find a really good day care (I just got a sick feeling in my stomach). Its not that I am opposed to daycare because I know they will most likely take care of my baby just fine... its more me. I would just worry all the time. And Callie is used to getting my undivided attention so then she would have to share attention with other kids which might not be a bad thing. Now I am rambling... anyhoo wish me luck on the interview!

Let's Go Predators! Game 4 of playoffs against Chicago is tonight. Of course my crazy Preds fan of a hubby is at the game. He went with Grandpa, Paw Paw, and Uncle Jay on Tues night and they won! Hopefully they will get a win tonight making them 3-1 over Chicago!

My Back Hurts...

2010-04-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

My sweet niece, Madeline is trying out for middle school cheerleading on Saturday!!! Please say a little prayer for her. I got the privilage of helping her out a little bit tonight. She is doing great and knows all of her material really well. She is a little nervous about her backhandspring but I think she will be fine once she gets out there and the adrenaline is flowing! But, I tried to give her some pointers since I used to tumble a bit back in the day ;) Um.... BIG MISTAKE! I was simply doing a handstand and showing her how to push off her shoulders quick to land on her feet and uh, I pulled something in my back! I can't believe some of the stuff I used to do and now I pull my back on a handstand??? I am getting old! So, when I got home tonight, I started looking through some old pictures of me cheering at UK. Oh how I wish I looked like this again! Oh well, the pictures are fun to look at and one day I can show them to Callie. Off to bed... if I can make it up the stairs!

Hope

2010-04-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have posted like crazy the past few days but it seems like we have had a three day Easter celebration which is amazing because it really does deserve the most celebration out of any holiday! I entitled this blog "Hope" Mike and I started our day out with church which is amazing... I wish we could start each day going to church together! I am so thankful for my life and it is all because of the sacrifice Jesus made for ME! A part of Pastor Jay's sermon today consisted of one woman's testimony. She had made this cardboard sign that had four words on one side... Mentally-ill, abused, drunk, and lost. And on the other side... hopeful, saved, etc. Everyone has a story. But no matter the story and no matter the sin... God forgives and accepts us and loves us no matter what. So I am extremely thankful on this day that Jesus died for my sins. In death, there is hope!!! I have been washed clean and given another chance to live the life God has planned for me. I am so excited to see what else is in store. I once had a plan for my own life and nothing turned out the way I planned... its much much better! Which leads me to another part of Pastor Jay's sermon. He quoted one of his favorite bible verses which also happens to be one of mine. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I love this verse and always have but it really really meant something to me when I was pregnant with Calle. I was so excited to bring this sweet baby into the world, but so fearful of the hurt she might experience or the pain she might go through or one day her heart might get broken. Was I going to be the best mommy ever? Were Mike and I going to be able to provide for her? And one day I was shopping (yeah big surprise) and I found this blanket that had this bible verse on it. It was Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you..." I found comfort in that because I know God had a plan for my sweet Callie and I needed to have faith in that. So I bought the blanket (yeah big surprise! ha) It seems like this verse has so much meaning in my life and other's lives around me right now. I have friends and family that have experienced loss, overcome illness, have babies on the way, etc. I know God has plans for them and its not to harm them and its to give them a future. So, on this beautiful Easter evening (which happens to be Callie's 11 month) I am feeling hope! Here are a few pictures from today. We went to Nana and Paw Paw's for lunch and then to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. We have such amazing family!

Grandma and Callie!

walking with Uncle Nathan!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

We had an Easter Egg Hunt at Nana and Paw Paw's yesterday with the cousins since they are headed to the beach today for spring break. Callie couldn't participate this year but we watched and tried out her new swing! We also celebrated Aunt Julie and cousin Abigail's birthday.

Easter Bunny!

2010-04-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

Here we are in line to see the Easter Bunny at the Brentwood Library today with Nana! Lookin good Nana!

she didn't like the "mascot" as cousin Abigail used to call them

"hurry mom, take the picture and get me outta here!"

Happy Easter everyone!

Have a Happy Easter weekend!

2010-03-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

We haven't made it to see the Easter Bunny yet, but we did get outside at Nana's today to take some pictures in Callie's pretty Easter dress. I can't believe she is almost 11 months old! We are busy planning her first birthday party already! She has quite the personality these days and I love it! She is sassy and sweet! She loooooves puppy dogs and watching birds. She babbles all the time. Her first words (in order) were Da Da, Momma, Dog, Jack, Nana, and ball. She is a super fast crawler and pulls up on everything! She walks with us while holding onto our hands and she can also walk with her play stroller that she pushes around. We have to be right there for that because she gets going so fast and doesn't know how to stop. She is finally sleeping through the night consistantly. She is trying new foods and figuring out the sippy cup. She loves yogurt melts and little crunchies to snack on. Callie loves to play with cousin Will. They follow each other everywhere when they are together. It's the cutest thing ever! Enjoy the pictures! I can't believe March is over and Easter is almost here! Have a great Easter weekend!

So big! I love it when she does this!

Our little daredevil crawling across a moving swing. Of course Nana and I were right there!

She's not sure about all this grass stuff.

She doesn't want to touch it.

She didn't even want to sit on a blanket... don't worry, we picked her up but I had to capture this on the camera!

Nana is trying to make her smile for the picture. Callie does not find her silly singing and dancing amusing at all.
I looooooove her sweet profile!

Here she is bird watching

Silly girl

Sweet innocent face

Spring is Here!!!

2010-03-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am so excited spring is finally here. We've been anxious to get Callie outside to enjoy some warmer weather. I can't wait to take her swimming this summer! Here are a few pictures from the past weekends. The first few are from the other weekend at cousins Jack and Abigail's soccer games. It was still cold. The last pictures are from our day at the park yesterday. We took Callie and Jack to Crockett Park near Nana and Paw Paw's house. Its also near Grandma and Grandpa's house too. She is still too small for the baby swings there so we just took turns swinging with her. Happy Spring!!!

Turning Cartwheels!

2010-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Well not yet but my child might be turning cartwheels by the time she's 1! I am pretty sure she will be a gymnast. She is not scared of anything and is on the go constantly! How fun would it be if she went to the same gym I did growing up. If anyone for any reason goes into Let It Shine Gymnastics, please take a look at the team picture from 1994 hanging on the wall. Yep that's me standing up on the left. If I would have known the picture would be hanging up there for like 16 years, I might have fixed my hair a little cuter or smiled a little bigger! Maybe one day I can point that out to Callie if SHE decides to take gymnastics. I won't be surprised if Miss Priss is an early walker. Here are a few pictures of her silly self. I get tired just looking at them! She is 10 months old today and I almost just started crying typing that. It's been an emotional kinda day so after the pics scroll down to catch up.

She loves her blender! Maybe she will make me up some make believe margaritas one day ;)
Here she is in her toy bin

Down the hall...

And back.

She looooooves the door stoppers.

"No picture please... I am trying to read."

Aunt Hillary gave her this sweet chair. She loves it.

"Mom, open the yogurt melts!"

Trying to watch Grey's Anatomy and lil bit keeps changing the channel.

She is really strong for being so petite.

Her favorite toy... a water bottle.

Cheeeeeeese! My Uncle Dale (Mema's brother) passed away this week. Mema is 1 of 8 children and Uncle Dale was the first sybling to pass away. I hated to miss his funeral today but needed to go to my doctor's appointment today since I have been a little worried lately about a lump I found on my breast. About a week and a half ago, Callie and I were playing and she kicked me and so I started feeling around which turned into a self breast exam (which all you women out there need to be doing!!!) and I found a lump. I immediately called my doctor the next day and went to let her check it out. She felt something so we had an ultrasound done the same day. I got results back that still left me questioning what was going on. She basically said that it APPEARED to be benign and didn't see any need in a mammogram since the ultrasound shows just as much if not more than a mammogram would. They also found a cyst in a different spot than what we had originally felt. But APPEARED benign was not good enough for me. So given the history of breast cancer in my family and me having a lump removed in that same breast 10 years ago when I was only 18, we made an appointment with a surgeon. That appointment was today. Thank you Lord that the cyst is fluid filled instead of hard which is a really good thing. So we just have to watch it and recheck it in 6 months. So moral of the story is be your own advocate when it comes to your health. You know your body better than anyone else does and if something isn't right, don't just stop at a doctor telling you are ok... keep going and get your questions answered. My surgeon ( who is the same one I had with my previous lump removal ) said it is a great thing that I came to see him because with my history, we really need to watch it. DO YOUR SELF BREAST EXAMS LADIES and men too I guess?? There might be few guys who read this blog but probably just Paw Paw, Grandpa, and Mike.

On a Serious Note...

2010-02-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Grandma gave us this little calender that has a saying or bible verse for each day. It's called the Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. I love reading them each day. The sayings or bible verses mainly have to do with our children. For example, this was yesterdays Feb 24th...

"We can't be everywhere. But God can. We can't see everything. But God can. We can't know everything. But God can. No matter what age our children are, releasing them into God's hands is a sign of our faith and trust in Him and is the first step toward making a difference in their lives. Prayer for our children begins there."

I love that one because Mike and I have had numerous talks about how we will raise our children and we have come to the conclusion that all we can really do is parent from our knees. We hope we will be able to do this throughout our childrens' lives. In any situation no matter how much we would like to scream at them, we will get our answers in prayer on how to parent them best. I love that Mike and I have these conversations.

Today's bible verse, however, spoke to me particularly. Funny how you come across something that gives you some unexpected comfort that you desperately needed. So here it is...

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." -Isaiah 43:2

That's all for now. Next post will be some more fun pics of Callie!

Callie's 9 month photos

2010-02-24T20:13:00.001-08:00

Here are Callie's 9 month photos (taken by Wendy Tate) It is true when our parents said that they grow up so fast! I can't believe its almost been 10 months since little Callie's arrival! She has brought so much love and joy to our lives. Enjoy the pics...

Lions and Tigers and Bears... wait, there weren't any bears.

2010-02-20T14:45:00.001-08:00

We had beautiful weather today so we decided to take Callie to the zoo. We had so much fun with our lil munchkin. She loved to look at everything... no time for a nap! Here are some pics from our day!

Hank is way bigger than our neighbor's cows...

Callie, steak.

Yes, we made her wear her beach hat. I was scared her head would get burned.

Lunchtime! Turkey, sweet potatoes and some fruit. Oh and lil crunchies were the best to keep her occupied in her stroller.

I love this pic because all day she would rather people watch than look at the animals... Here, we are looking at the alligators but Callie is seeing what the people next to us are doing.

taking a break.

she is just too sweet!

goats were boring I guess or she is people watching...

And there really weren't any bears.

Big Bath, Nursery, and Marinated Cheese... random collection of photos

2010-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

I am sort of doing like 3 posts in 1. I feel like I always want to blog about stuff but am too tired or Miss Priss is being a handful, etc. So, when I actually get the chance to sit down and blog I have alot to share. This one is really random... here it goes!

This is Callie in the big bath. She is outgrowing her baby bath tub and really wants to move around and splash in it so I figured tonight (during Mommy and Callie time while Daddy is at Poker night with the boys) we would try out the big bath! I put a towel down on the bottom of the tub so it wouldn't be as hard to sit on and so she wouldn't slip. She loved it! She wasn't so sure about the water coming out of the faucet at first but soon forgot about it and played with her bath toys. She splashed and splashed and I didn't get soaked and the floor didn't either. I think the baby bath tub is history!

Ok on to the nursery pics. I never posted any pictures of Callie's room since it was all done. And since I had Supper Club (next random picture) last night, her room was clean so I took some pictures. I still love her theme. And I love the puppy dog painting that Jordan's mom painted for us. http://www.kendallboggsfineart.blogspot.com/

this is her little play corner with her own little chair that Aunt Hillary got her! You can't really see but in the background of the painting, she wrote little sayings like, do your best, never give up, say please and thank you, etc we love to talk about the puppy while diaper changing we just lowered the crib because she is crawling and pulling up on everything now!

And for my final random pic... Marinated Cheese! Every month my girlfriends and I get together for Supper Club. We rotate houses and last night it was my turn. I made marinated cheese (give a shout out to my sis, Ang, who gave me the recipe), fruit, salad, and chicken tetrazinni (from the Puffy Muffin cookbook). And for dessert we had some little petite fours that publix made... yeah didn't feel like making dessert myself. I served Arrington Vineyard wine (Stags White and Red Fox Red). I wanted to support my local winery that is seriously closer to our house than a Publix. I think everything turned out great and we always have a good time when we get together. Here is the recipe for the ever so popular marinated cheese...

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons minced green onion

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cloves garlic minced

2 0z. diced pimento drained

8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese or mozzarella

Combine all ingredients. Cut cheese length wise and cross wise. Pour marinate over cheese and chill at least 8 hrs.

when ready to serve pour some marinate out of dish or transfer cheese to another platter and drizzle marinate over cheese

Serve with crackers... I always use the Toasteds. They have a party box with like three different kinds of crackers in it.

Here is what is will look like. I should have taken a picture before we started eating it. This is what was left so the presentation is a little more messy than when first served.

And if you are wanting a good Chicken Tetrazinni recipe, this one is good... if you like cheese. I love Puffy Muffin so my mom suggested making the chicken tetrazinni. She made it and it was delicious so I decided to make it for Supper Club.

12 oz. spaghetti

1 tablespoon veg. oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup onions, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup chicken broth

3 cups velveeta cheese, shredded

4 cups chicken, cooked and diced

In boiling water, cook the spaghetti adding oil and salt until al dente. Drain well.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and add the onions, parsley, bell pepper, soup, broth, salt, 1/2 cup of cheese. Add the spaghetti and chicken. Stir well. Transfer the mixture to a pyrex dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

Happy Valentine's Day from Our Sweetheart!

2010-02-14T19:50:00.001-08:00

Superbowl Party

2010-02-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun at Aunt Ang and Uncle Jay's superbowl party! The food was yummy and Callie had a blast playing with her cousins. Uncle Jay is probably the biggest Saints fan we know so it was great to experience the big win with them. two posts in one day so keep on scrollin down!

She is seriously going to be a gymnast!

Aren't their shirts cute?! Good job Ang!

Weekend at Knox's

2010-02-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Birmingham to visit Jill and baby Knox. We had a blast! Hillary and Wyatt got to come and so did Samantha, Allison, and Kim. We also got to see Jordan and Evey while we were there! It's so crazy that all of our friends have babies or are expecting or soon to be expecting! It was so fun to get all of the kids together. They are all so beautiful and full of energy! Here are a few pictures from our weekend! Of course we missed Daddy while we were gone! Callie loooooves puppy dogs... this is Rosie, Jill's dog.

playtime with Knox

he snuck in a lil kiss ;)

Callie loves to grab ears, hair, noses, and really anything she can get her hands on!

Our beautiful children! Callie, Evey (Jordan's), Wyatt(Hillary's) holding Knox (Jill's)

Callie's 9 month check up!

2010-02-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

Today was Callie's 9 month checkup. She didn't have to get any shots today... whew! I can't stand to see her cry after her shots... it just breaks my heart! She only had to get a prick on the foot to take blood to check for iron levels and anemia. We should hear those results in a few days. Doc says she looks good and gave approval for our lil one to try different foods such as whole milk, eggs, cheese, meat, and really anything from our plate that is mushed up enough for her to gum (except peanut butter and citrus fruits... she can't have those till she is a year.) So here are a few pics from dinner tonight. She was trying shredded cheese and deli chicken for the first time. She only has one tooth so far so it takes a while to chew things up but she did great! Oh and here are her 9 month stats. She weighs 14 lbs 4.8oz. She is still below the 3rd percentile for weight but the doc isn't concerned because she has stayed on track on her own little growth chart. She is 26.5 in. in length and is in the 10th percentile for that. We love our lil munchkin! She is petite and beautiful!

Playing with Will

2010-01-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

While Daddy is off skiing in Colorado, Callie and Mommy are trying to keep ourselves busy so we don't miss him too much! Today, we woke up and took our two american bulldogs (one is 100lbs and the other 85lbs.) to the groomer. They were stinky and in need of a serious scrub down! It was an intersting car ride. It was the first time I had all three (Callie, Harley, and Chopper) in the car at the same time. I should have taken a picture! The pups kept peeking over the seats at Callie and she kept leaning forward in her seat to look at them. After that, we got to play with cousin Will at Nana's. Here are a few pictures of these sweet babies playing! I think Will was pooping here...

Callie was all over the place

She wanted to feel Will's new teeth because she is about to get her first one!

So big!

Blizzard 2010

2010-01-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

You would have thought a blizzard was coming with the way the news stations here were freaking out. Channel 2 said it would be the biggest snow in 7 years... not so much! You can see for yourselves that we just got a dusting. But I did run out on Tuesday to the grocery store like all the crazy Tennesseans here. I normally would not have cared but since we have a lil baby now, I wanted to make sure we had everything we needed so we wouldn't have to get out in the blizzard with Callie. Callie didn't really know what to think of the snow. She kept looking down... probably because it was blowing in her face. Chopper wouldn't get out of her face... I think he was just as excited as I was to see Callie's reaction to the snow! Notice Miss Harley is not in the pics. She hates the cold and did not want to come outside. Either that or she's just so lazy. Don't worry, Callie was only out long enough for me to snap a few pictures. It was way to cold to keep her out any longer. I am sure my nieces and nephews were glad to be out of school today and tomorrow... too bad it didn't really snow. I mean imagine how excited a kid gets that school is cancelled, snow is on the way... and then this is all you get! You can't even sled on this much less make a snowball! But if they are anything like their Aunt Jenn, any reason to miss class is appreciated! Enjoy the pictures of Callie's first snow! I am off to watch the rest of the game! Yes, I am blogging during the championship game (whatever its called). Go Bama! I guess we are Bama fans since Aunt Julie (my older sister) is a student at the University of Alabama. Not just any student though... a PhD student! She is getting her PhD in social work and will soon be Dr. Julie Taylor! Weird! But so deserving for all the school and hard work she has put in!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-03T20:11:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Yes, those are margaritas on Callie's head. We love to enjoy an alcoholic beverage here and there but Callie will be waiting until she is 21! We got the headband from our New Year's Eve out at the Schock's cocktail party. Grandma and Grandpa watched Miss Callie so we could get out for a couple of hours, but we were at home and in bed by midnight! It was great to get out for a bit though. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! And thanks Uncle Nathan and Mr. and Mrs. Schock for the invite to a lovely cocktail party! We had a fun time and it gave me a reason to straighten my hair and put on makeup ;) Hope you all had a wonderful New Years! Mike and I have been talking about our New Year's resolutions... oh and Callie too. Here are a few we came up with...

Mike:

*welcome my wife's passenger seat driving

*take my wife on a weekend away to Vegas since she has never been

*okay, so the previous two are really not on his list but this one really is... to get in shape and get knee up to par for skiing with Paw Paw and the Jamaican ski team next year.

Jennifer:

*clean more

*cook more... although I would much rather eat out, take out, and watch the View and drink my coffee instead of grocery shopping. Ang, I will need to borrow the crockpot cookbook.

*run more... for those of you who don't know, I have run two marathons and one half marathon in my lifetime and am planning on running more... maybe this year?

*read a book... I have a whole year with this right?

*attend church EVERY Sunday not just Sundays when we get enough sleep.

*do my hair and makeup everyday before I leave the house (not in the car before I walk in to somewhere)... not just for special occasions anymore. I had an excuse for my 9 months of pregnancy and maybe the first 6 months of Callie's life but there is no excuse now. I feel better when I do anyways. Ponytails are unacceptable unless I am walking out the door to exercise.

*continue to take incredible care of my daughter... I am doing an amazing job just to brag on myself! I would not have said that like 4 months ago when my hormones were still out of whack and I would cry almost every time Callie did.

*I thank my hubby for alot but I just want to keep encouraging him and thanking him for all the hard work he does for Callie and I. I really shouldn't let a day go by that I don't tell him how much he is appreciated. He is such a wonderful hubby and Daddy.

Callie:

*sleep all night

*walk, talk, run, play more! (wow so many milestones for her this year!)

*say momma first... just kidding Daddy.

*stay healthy cause mommy freaked when I had my first cold.

*keep reminding mommy and daddy of God's love everyday.

Here are the Matwijecs family New Year's resolutions! Oh I almost forgot our dogs...

Shingo and Sophie:

*stop killing and bringing dead cat carcasses up to the barn

Chopper:

*stop being attached to daddy at the hip. The gates we put up to keep them off the new carpet are freaking Mr. Chop out a little.

Harley:

*geez Miss Harley has alot! But the main one is to stop eating Choppers food. All that weight lost is going to be put right back on.

*stop smelling

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas in Somerville, TN

2010-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

Me, Callie, Poppy, and Grandma Taylor (Dad's mom)

Here are a few pics from Christmas at Mimi and Poppy's house. Of course our batteries died so we didn't get very many pictures :(