Updates!

I know it's been forever since I have updated this blog! We are doing great!

Madilyn Rebecca Young was born on Dec. 18, 2009. She weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 20 inches long. She is a great baby and her big brother and sister adore her.

Garyn is talking up a storm and has started sleeping in a big boy bed this past week. Mommy and daddy haven't gotten too much sleep the past week, but we are managing.

Ellie is 3 going on 16! She is so sassy and mature for her age. She really gives us a run for our money, but she is sweet and her daddy and I are very proud of her.

Wes is still working at Triuph and doing well. I have gone back to a staff nurse position (rather than the educator) so that I can focus on school. School is tough this semester, but hopefully I can hang in there and do well.

Hello Again!

Hi everyone out their in blogland. Lots has been going on around here!

We had a great weekend (the last weekend in July) at a family reunion in Lubbock (Wes's family). We basically swam and played and ate all weekend long. The kids had a blast in the pool, and Ellie really got brave. This was the first time we had ever put floaties on her and she now thinks that she is too big for an adult to swim with her or hold her in the water. She will aslo jump off the side and go completely under water. Garyn doesn't really care what he does as long as he has a ball to play with.

Brave ones...Ellie and Joseph with their floaties!

Daddy and Garyn playing ball in the pool!

Garyn Playing Rock Star with the Fly Swatter

We found out that we are having...another girl! Ellie has said that she was having a baby sister ever since she found out we were having a baby, so it wasn't a big shock to her. When the sonographer announced that it was a girl, Ellie said, "Yeah?" We are excited to be having another little girl...have no idea where we will put her (in which room, I mean).

I am going to Dallas in a week for my Baylor orientation. I'm pretty excited and nervous about starting school again.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Hello, my name is Amanda, and I am a bad blogger! I feel like this is the first step on the road to recovery. Wow! I feel so much better! Just kiddin!

I know it's been a while...I feel sure that no one reads this blog any more, but in the off chance that someone stops by, here's all the crazy stuff going on in the life of me.

1. I am expecting our third child in early Jan. Yes, that's right, a third. I went from infertility Nilly to Fertile Mertyl. We are excited. I am 13 weeks and 4 days. I am finally getting my appetite and some energy back.

2. I am planning to start grad school in the fall. What?! Yes, I am going to start nurse practitioner school in the fall. I will be doing an on-line program through Baylor Dallas. I will have to go to Dallas 1 or 2 times a semester, but the director of the program is really supportive and really willing to work with me once the baby comes, so we will see what transpires after the baby gets here. I will be going back to staffing (part time) after the first of the year or after maternity leave (if the baby comes in December). If I am able to take a full time course load in school, I will be done next December.

3. Garyn is big and into everything and he's really starting to try to copy more words. He is quite the charmer, so I'm sure he will get away with murder.

4. Ellie will be three next week! She is such a big girl. 3 going on 13. If she's this sassy now, what's she gonna be like when she's 13?!

5. Wes may also be going back to school to get his doctorate in the near future. He's thinking about starting next summer, but he may start sooner.

6. The rest of the fam is doing well. We've all been busy and see each other as much as we can.

I hope that all of you in blog land are doing well and having a great summer!

I'll post pictures of my babies soon!

Hello!? Is anyone home!?

Yes, I am still here...alive and kickin'. I have lots to post about. I didn't realize that it had been over a month since I posted last!

First off, Garyn's first haircut. We took him to Tana on March 14th. He and his daddy both got hair cuts. Garyn did really well, but there was a rather large bridal party in the salon, and he kept looking around to see what was going on. Any time Tana would tilt his head or turn his head, he would hold it...at least for a few seconds. Now my baby looks like a handsome little boy!

Before the haircut!

Aren't I so cute?

Smilin' at the girls.

Garyn and Miss Tana after his haircut.

Next up...Garyn's first oreo. What can I say!? Mommy loves oreos and milk and when you have kids, you have to share. He was so excited. He was bouncing up and down in his seat until the next bite. I could hardley get a bite in edgewise! (This was March 25th.)

Next...Garyn's first big snow. I know, I know. We've had snow this year. But, we haven't had a really big snow. We stayed in all day and watched it snow. Garyn was fascinated by it!

Excuse the hair!

Next...Ellie got to make snow ice cream. I'm sure that just about everyone has done this at one time or another. This was mine, Wes's and Ellie's first time. Garyn had already gone to bed, so he didn't get to participate. The snow was kind of dry and powdery, so when we added the Eagle brand, it was SOOOO sweet we had to add more snow. It was so good that Ellie kept saying, "I want s'more daddy!"

Yummy!

Next...Momma's maniacs! This will need some explaining. Wes has all sorts of dressings and such around the house--he tends to get bloody boo boo's when he plays sports. He has a roll of pre-wrap (the spongy stuff that you put under athletic tape so that it doesn't rip all of your skin, hair and sweat glands off when you take it off) and some blue athletic tape. A while back when Ellie saw daddy using it, she thought that she needed it too. He wrapped some around her head, wrists and ankles. When she was running around the house afterwards, we sang the Flashdance song, "I'm a maniac (on the floor)" to her. The other night she found some pre-wrap and said, "Daddy, I wanna be a maniac!" Of course, she wanted everyone to participate...except me. Do you think that she knew I had already taken a trip to Crazytown that day?

Garyn Maniac

Maniac kids

Ellie Maniac

Last but not least...my daughter's new fashion statement.

Yes, these are my knee high boots. I was taking a shower and she came to me and said that she was wearing my shoes. When I opened the door, these are the ones that she'd chosen. She actually walked pretty well in them and wore them for about an hour!

That's about all that's going on in my crazy world. I do have a few prayer requests though: Wes's grandmother is in hospice after recently finding a mass behind her heart and a collection of fluid in her lungs--please pray for peace not only for her but for the whole family, my dad is still looking for a job, some of our dearest friends in Oregon (Glen and Stacia) just found out that they are pregnant--pray for, as Stacia calls it, a sticky baby, some friends of ours in Dallas (Justin and Tiffany) recently found out that they are pregnant and Tiffany has been hospitalized for some blood clots--please pray for a healthy mom and baby and for some peace and reassurance for their family. Lastly, I am applying to grad school to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. I am a little nervous about going back to school, that is, if I am even accepted, but it's now or never!

Some Scrappin'

I haven't posted any of my digital scrap layouts in a while, so here they are! Enjoy!

This is a page I did for my grandparents for Christmas.

This is a page I did for the other grandparents.

I started this layout at our January Girls Night Out.

In other news, I have decided to apply for graduate school. I will be studying to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (of course, if I am accepted!). I am a little nervous and apprehensive about the move, so please pray that God grants me some peace about my decision and that, ultimately, I am doing what He wants me to do!

The Pickle

Tonight Garyn had his first pickle. I just knew that we were going to get some pretty funny faces from him because, in general, he likes sweet things. We got a pretty funny face after the first inital shock of the pickle, but then he went back for more and almost finished the darn thing!

Here are some pics...note the two big top toofers. The two right next to them are working their way down. The better to eat {pickles} with!

Before the pickle bite.

The first bite.

Do I like this?!

Gimme more!

The other thing that my sweet boy has discovered is the dogs water bowl! This is way sooner than Ellie discovered it, but he is determined to take a dip as often as he can. Here's the proof.

The video is about a minute long, so enjoy if you like.

This is sorta like my bath!

Sqeamish Beware!

Last night at the dinner table Ellie announced that she needs to go potty. For those of you that know us, you know that we've been trying to potty train Ellie FOREVER! She usually doesn't tell us when she needs to go--unless we are out in public. I was glad that she told us, so we hurried to the bathroom.

While she was sitting there, she told me that she needed to poop. I told her that would be great. She sits there a little while, then announces, "Here comes the big daddy one!" I couldn't contain my laughter! She sits there and eventually goes #2, looks between her legs into the toilet, and says, "Oh. It's just a little baby one."

Kids are so much fun because you never know what they are going to say!

Christmas and Baby Dedication Pics

As promised, here are some pictures from Christmas.

Garyn LOVES his new car!

Ellie in her new house!

Garyn's new car

I guess it sounds a little extravagant to buy my children a new car and a new house for Christmas!

On January 11th, Garyn had his baby dedication at church. Wes and I went a little crazy shopping for clothes for the occasion, but he looked so dapper! Garyn was so good during the dedication. When we went to the front of the church, he slept the entire time! It wasn't until we sat back down and the congregation started applauding that Garyn woke up--with a grin on his face. It was a good day.

Handsom Little Man!

Mom and Dad with Garyn

Garyn and Grandma

Gigi and Grumpy

Of course, that Sunday night after Baby Dedication, Ellie and I had the stomach bug! Wes did a good job taking care of us and keeping Garyn away so he didn't get sick. I hope that none of you have been sick!

Crazy Holiday!

Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas! Our Christmas had a little bit of everything in it.

From my last post, I did finally get some decorations up, but I am probably most proud of the garland I did for my mantle this year. And believe it or not, I did not purchase one single thing to put in this garland! I had everything and just put it all together! Here are some pics.

The kids were really funny opening presents. They were completely opposite of what I thought they would be. Garyn was totally into all of the bows and paper and sparkle. He would crawl (yes, he is finally crawling...everywhere) around from present to present and tear paper, chew on it, and then move on. Ellie, on the other hand, was completely consumed by the first present she opened and then did not want to open any more! Santa brought her a Rose Petal Cottage for Christmas and once she saw it, she wanted nothing else to do with anything else! She wouldn't let anyone in her cottage, she didn't want the walls open at all, and, when we finally coaxed her into opening her other presents, she would only open her cottage door long enought to be handed a present and go back inside to open it! She looked like a hermit crab! It was hilarious! I just remembered that the Christmas morning pics are still on my camera, so I will have to post those later!

On a sad note, my sweet Papaw (my dad's dad) die on the 31st. He had struggled the past 3 years with emphysema, congestive heart failure, and, later on, renal dysfunction. He fought for as long as he could, but it was time for his body to be whole. He was such a sweet and gentle man, and he could tell a story. Not without laughing the whole time, mind you, but he could tell tales. He loved his family dearly, and we all loved him. He will be greatly missed, but only for a while! Here is a picture of him and my kids at Halloween.

Please continue to pray for my family as we mourn the loss of Papaw and try to adjust to life without him around.

I will post more pictures from Christmas when I get my camera downloaded!

It's beginning to look a little more like Christmas!

Well, the christmas tree is up. Granted, it has no ornaments on it yet, but progress is progress. It has been my tradition for several years to decorate for christmas over Thanksgiving weekend, but a combo of work and travel prevented me from decorating. I am totally in the holiday spirit, but I'm having a hard time getting geared up to decorate and christmas shop. I guess I had better get busy because time is flying and those presents aren't going to buy themselves (or wrap themselves for that matter)!

Ellie will be singing christmas carols at school tomorrow, so I will download my camera and post new pictures soon! I hope that everyone is well--and you have your christmas tree up!

Halloween

I love Halloween and dressing up my kids! I think my husband thinks that it is the equivalent of dressing a dog up in clothes, but I think he got more into this year than last. Garyn was a pirate this year--complete with a mustache and chest hair. Ellie was a Tinkerbell fairy. What was great about her costume was that it came with a smaller version of the costume for her baby doll, so her dolly dressed up too! We didn't do much but go to the grandparents' houses, but that took 3 hours! I think that I was more tired than the kids were when we got home.

ARRRGH!

Ellie the Tinkerbell fairy and Baby Rake

Can you believe that Garyn is already 6 months?! He weighed 17.4 lbs and was 28 inches long at his 6 month visit. Some things that Garyn is doing: rolling everywhere, plows with his head on the floor, tries to grab whatever you are eating, squeals when no one is paying attention to him, sits up, grabs toys and whacks himself in the head with it. He also has two new teeth! They are so cute and he shows them off whenever he can. We think that he might be a lefty like his sister! When he grabs food or plays with toys, he grabs them with his left hand! He hasn't mastered the sleeping at night thing yet. (Any suggestions?) But all in all, he one cute, fuzzy headed, happy baby!

Pretty new toofers!

Can you see my new pearly whites?

Guess what?! My husband and I are going on vacation this weekend...without our children! I am so excited! We are going to Santa Fe to 10,000 waves, so think of us on Saturday--we will be at the spa! Not to rub it in or anything!

I'm still here...I think!

Yes we are still alive and kickin'. Wes and I have been so extremely busy at work the past couple of weeks. By the end of last week, I was beginning to wonder if my kids were going to recognize me!

Garyn is doing really well. He is starting to sleep better. We will be going for his 6 month visit soon. Can you believe that it has already been 6 months?! He started sitting up Sunday. He is really starting to get attached to Ellie, too. The other day, I was at work and Wes was getting ready. He had the kids on our king size bed. Garyn was propped up on my pillows, and he grunted and groaned until he got himself right next to Ellie, and then the two of the snuggled and watched Handy Manny.

Ellie is getting quite attached to Garyn as well. She is such a good big sister. When he is crying in his crib after his naps, she will go in and climb up in his crib with him. She loves to "hold" him and love on him. She is absolutely devastated when he grabs a handful of hair, though, but she never lashes out or retaliates at him.

In other stuff...I am so excited to send out Christmas cards this year because I have already made mine! Now I just have to have my brother's girlfriend take some family pics so that I will have something to put on the cute card that I made. It's pretty funny (or sad) that I am getting so worked up over Christmas cards. I can see that things may be going down hill fast so I will say goodbye for now!

Pics

As promised here are some pictures!




I know that some of you may think that I am being mean to my child, but actually I discovered that when I squeeze his little cheeks together, he laughs hysterically! In this one he is trying to smile at the same time.



This is a picture of Garyn eating his first rice cereal! He loved it but when it didn't get to his mouth fast enough...



this is what happens!



This is Ellie at the park.




This is Garyn at the park.

In other news, I won a free blog makeover from Fabulous K Designs! I am so excited to see what Kelly decides to do with my blog!

I also have a new hobby (yes, another one)! I have been digital scrapbooking! I loved paper scrapbooking, but it is hard to find the time to get everything out and put together a page without interuption from my small children. Here are a couple of my layouts!




This is one of when we told the grandparents that we were expecting Garyn!



This is a layout of Garyn over Memorial Day.

I hope that everyone is doing well. Have a great rest of the week!