Thankfulness

I've seen everyone posting all month about things they're thankful for.  I'll be honest, I think to myself, you should be thankful all the time, not just the month of November.  But, then I started thinking again, just because someone tells things they're thankful for during one month doesn't mean they're not thankful year round.  So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon, condensing mine down to the top 10..here goes..

1 - I'm thankful for my relationship with my Lord and Savior. Thankfully, he was perfect and laid down His life, just because He loves each one of us.  With Him, I know where my eternal resting place will be.  I could never make it on my own accord, that's for sure!

2 - I'm thankful for my husband.  I don't know what I'd do without him by my side.  He's always there, always pushing me to be my best, even when I push back.  I couldn't ask for a better Daddy to our three (soon four) kids or a better husband to me.  We do everything 50/50.  He puts up with all my OCD, crazy ways.  He listens to me, helps me, and I know I can go to him with anything without him judging me or thinking I'm stupid for feeling however it is I'm feeling.  We've been together for 13 years, and I can't wait to see what the next 50 years have in store for us.

3 -  I'm thankful for Landon.  He's my first born, my perfect baby who could never be replaced.  He's got so much of my OCD personality, but all the competitiveness of Chris.   I love how he replays everything about his day, from school to playing the playstation in slow motion, even while it's driving me crazy.  I love how he can do his homework with little help from me.  I love how he's such a perfectionist already that it's not even funny.  He's our oldest pride and joy and I love everything about him.

4 - I'm thankful for Nixon.  He is definitely our precocious middle child.  I love how he gets excited about everything he's involved in..even something as simple as going to the grocery store alone.  I love how he always thinks about his older brother and little sister.  He's so loving and he'd give up anything to make sure one of his friends or siblings is happy.  He's got so much life and energy that it wears you out on any given day, but I can't imagine our family without him in it.

5 - I'm thankful for Lily.  She is our precious little diva that we couldn't wait to have be a part of our family.  I love how she already knows how to work everyone in the family, from Daddy all the way to Nixon.  I love how she uses her manners, always saying "thank you" and "sorry" when she's done something wrong.  I love how she loves for me to sing to her, especially all the old songs that my Mammy sang to me.  I didn't think we would ever have a little girl and now that we do, she is giving us a run for our money, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.

6 - I'm thankful for our little moonpie who we can't wait in April.  I'm thankful that it's a little girl that will surely complete our little family.  I'm happy that she already has a nickname given to her by her big sister.  I'm thankful that Lily will get to know what it's like to have a sister the same way my boys know what it's like to have a brother.  We can wait to meet Hattie and she will surely be a welcome addition to our little family.

7 - I'm thankful for my mom, brother and extended family.  They've let me be free, never making me feel guilty for wanting my space, but always there when I need them.  I know my mom always believes in me and would do anything in the world for me.

8 - I'm thankful for great friends.  Some I've had forever, some I've had only a short time.  I'm not the best when it comes to being a friend.  I'm the first to get lost in my everyday life and not call to check on my friends.  Thankfully i've found a group of friends that understand what it's like to have a husband and kids and whenever we get together, it's like we've never been apart.

9 - I'm thankful to have a job I love.  I have a great group of people that I work with and I can honestly say that I never mind going to work.  Of course, I love my time off as much as the next guy, but I honestly love what I do and who I work with.

10 - I'm thankful for four healthy pregnancies.  Other than migraines, I've never had a problem with any of my pregnancies.  I know that not everyone is that blessed and for this I'm very thankful.

Nixon - 5 Years!

On September 1, my little Butterbean turned 5 years old!  He missed the kindergarten deadline by one day!  But, I can't say that I regret not letting him start early.  This way, he'll be the oldest one in his class, and let's face it, he's already on the short side, so maybe that'll help him catch up to everyone else!  :)  At his well check, he weighed 36 lbs (50%) and was 42" tall (25%).  Believe it or not, he's always been in the 10% in height, so we're finally making a little ground in that department!  He's a ball of energy, but he's actually a completely different child in pre-k this year.  He's learning so much in just the few short weeks that he's been there.  He already knows 12 sight words and he's only gotten in trouble once this year; in comparison last year, it was every.single.day.  Below are a few facts about Nixon at 5 years old:

*He wears a 5 in his clothes now..no more toddler for him!
*He wears a size 12 shoe
*His favorite color is blue
*He still eats absolutely anything you put on his plate..his favorite food at supper is broccoli
*He's finally taking after Landon and drinks water with every meal
*He loves to aggravate his older brother and little sister
*He'll break out in song/dance at any moment
*He's getting into baseball a little more..says he still doesn't want to play on a team, but he loves playing with Landon and Chris at home
*He sleeps 10 hours at night and still takes a 2 hour nap at school
*He's a big helper..he always wants to help you to do something..whether it's to cook, put away the groceries, etc.
*He still thinks his middle name is butterbean...we have to work on that one!

Nixon was definitely the child that rocked our world, but I wouldn't give him up for anything!  He's so full of life and energy..you can't help but smile when he's around.  I love that little butterbean to the moon and back

Landon - 7 Years Old!!

Landon has been 7 for a few months now and I just realized I never did a post to celebrate his 7 years.  Mother of the year..I know.  At 7 years old, Landon weighed in at 54 lbs and 48" tall (50% for both).  He is still such a sweet boy, but we have reached the age where he thinks he should always be receiving something new.  I'm hoping this is a phase and we're trying to teach him to always be thankful for what you have.  We're also trying to instill the value that you shouldn't worry about what other people have..just because they have it doesn't mean that you should.  It's a hard lesson for a 7 year old but one that will help him for many years if he'll listen!  He still loves any sport that he can play and he has turned into a very helpful big brother.  I love to hear Nixon and him talk in the back seat.  Most of the time they're just being silly, but sometimes they have really serious conversations.  I asked Landon some of the same questions I ask every year and here are his answers:

*What he wants to be when he grows up - Baseball Player
*Favorite Color - Red and Orange
*Favorite thing to wear - Under Armour anything!
*Favorite sport - baseball, basketball, football, and soccer :)
*Shoe size - 2
*Wears - size 8...big boy clothes now!
*Nickname - We finally have one after 7 years...Ticker (because of his obsession with time)
*Still loves to sleep..he'll sleep about 10 hours at night and if you make him lay down, he'll take about a 2 hour nap...we usually just let him have "quiet time" while Lily sleeps though
*For the first time, he didn't cry when he got his flu shot



First Haircut!

Today, Lily had her very first haircut!  I was a little nervous because her moods are so unpredictable (I dread the teenage years!), but she did so good.  My good friend, Nikki, did it.  She acted a little nervous to start off with, but it was nothing a sucker didn't take care of.  She sat there patiently while Nikki trimmed up the ends all over, straightening up the back especially.  Before we knew it, she was all done.

Before:

During:

After:

 Nikki put a little braid in the side 

Not really much of a difference, but her ends look a lot better and it'll hopefully grow a little better now.  Also, the back is finally all one length and it doesn't look so scraggly.  I'm so glad that one of my good friends could share in one of Lily's first with me!

Catching Up

Wow..time flies.  It's hard to believe it's been nearly two months since I posted on here.  This is what's been going on in our little world

After some thought and prayer and the very gracious acceptance of the grandparents, we decided to take the kids out of daycare for the summer.  The main reason we decided to pursue this was because Chris was going without some checks this summer because of how the school system does his drivers ed pay.  Along with that, we both hated the fact that the kids are always so on the go and never really get a summer break.  After talking to my boss, I was able to work four 10 hour days so that I can stay home with the kids on Mondays.  Chris re-worked his drivers ed schedule so that he can have Fridays off with the kids.  Our parents agreed to keep the kids Tuesday - Thursday, taking turns every other week.  It has been a true blessing to us to have a little break from paying daycare and also a blessing to the kids that they've been able to get spoiled by their grandparents!

That leads me onto my next interesting story for the summer.  Luckily, we had this schedule worked out with the grandparents because all summer we've been at doctor's appointments for Chris.  Starting in October 2010, Chris woke up with what he thought was a kink in his neck.  It never went away and he started going to the Chiropractor.  By December 2010, right after Lily was born, he had started feeling better, so he quit going.  Then, in April 2012, he woke up with those same symptoms.  At the time, we had been reading, "The Hunger Games", so he really thought it was from looking down and reading too much.  He started feeling a little better after taking some Ibuprofen for a few days and started a new workout routine.  The pain flared up again after that first workout, so he quit.  Then, the pain starting getting worse, so he told me to make an appointment with a specialist after school was out.  I went ahead and scheduled it for the end of June.  When we went in June, the doctor told him he thought it was a herniated disc.  He put him on prednisone and scheduled an MRI.  When we went back to find out about the MRI, the doctor confirmed what he thought was wrong.  He told Chris that there were certain doctors who would go ahead and suggest surgery.  He gave us the option of doing an epidural injection, but suggested that we go ahead and schedule a consult with a surgeon in the same practice.  We went ahead with that suggestion.  The epidural injection did nothing for Chris.  The next week, we had the consult with the surgeon.  The surgeon told Chris that surgery was really the only option at this point.  He had 25-30% nerve damage already and he was losing muscle in his left arm by this point.  You know things are bad when he couldn't even hold a glass of tea in his left hand without shaking.

So, here we stand, almost one week after surgery.  They did a bone graph from Chris' hip, took out the ruptured disc and fused the hip bone to his C6/C7.  They covered the fusion with a titanium plate and unbelievably, his pre-surgery pain was gone as soon as surgery was over.  The surgery took about 3 hours and the surgeon said that Chris' rupture was pretty bad and had a lot of fragments.  The nerves were not reacting at the beginning of the surgery (hence his numbness in his left hand), but by the end of the surgery they were already responding.  The surgeon is hopeful that Chris will have full recovery and not have any permanent nerve damage.  The biggest hassle from the surgery has probably been wearing the hard neck brace.  He'll have to wear that for the next 3 months.

So, I believe that brings us up to speed. I'll try not to make the next post so far out!!

Random Thoughts

One of the good things about having kids is that they say the most random things.  My boys seem to talk constantly, whether it's questions or telling me about something that has happened in their day.  This past week, the boys have been full of funny stories.  I feel like if i don't write them down (this is basically their baby book), i'll forget them so here goes:

*Nixon asked Chris the other night if he knew that there was a man on the moon.  Chris said, "Yea, Neil Armstrong.  He travelled up to the moon, blah, blah, blah."  Nixon listened intently, but then at the end, he said, "No Daddy, I'm talking about the man on the moon who stays up there all the time and you wish to him".  Haha..it was priceless!

*After playing his game on Monday night, Landon said, "We beat that KC team. (Kansas City)"  i said, "Yea, I know buddy, you guys did good" to which he replied, "Yea, we beat them.  They beat us the first time, but we got a payback to them because we beat them this time.  We just kept hitting homeruns and they couldn't beat us!"  What confidence!

Lily - 18 Months

I can't believe my baby girl is 18 months already.  We went for her well check today and she's moving right on target with her measurements as follows:  weight - 23 lb, 9.6 oz (65%), length - 32.5" (70%) and head circumference - 46 cm (40%).  I also found out that all those shrieks and screams she does constantly are signs of social development in girls.  If that's the case, my girl is going to be a social butterfly!

At 18 months, Lily:

• Still sleeps around 11 hours at night.  She goes to sleep around 7:15 every night
• She has started being able to eat on her own finally without me or Chris freaking out :)
• She says the words Moma, Dada, Landon, Nixon, Lily, Night-Night, Bye, Love You, Thank you, Grammy, Papa, Nana, Poppy, More, Milk, and just about anything else you tell her to say.  She will get lazy though and the words start sounding the same
• She chases her brothers around and terrorizes them just as much as they do her
• Loves her "babies" more than ever.  She knows what drawer they're in and will pull them out once she figures out that I've put them up.  She never has less than four or five in her crib at night!
• Will throw a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat if she doesn't get her way!
• Has learned how to make all kinds of faces..fish face, kissy face, etc and it's the cutest thing ever!

Nixon-isms

Nixon has always been full of life from Day 1.  He was (and is) my trouble maker (although Lily is trying to win that title).  But, even when he's driving me to the brink of craziness, he will smile or say something so crazy, you can't help but love that little butterball.  That charisma is sure to get him in trouble (or his way) many times in the years to come.  Listed below are some "Nixon-isms"

• I don't need to wash my hands, I used "hanitizer" (hand sanitizer)
• "Clouds" - the stuffing that he feels the need to pull out of his pillow
• "I am Thorn!" (Thor)
• "When I get bigger, I'm gonna be in charge and nobody will tell me what to do!"
• "I love trees (broccoli)"
• He likes to wear his new "babing suit" (bathing suit)
• He doesn't want to get "hymnotized" (hypnotized)
• One day he'll meet his "true potential" (thanks go to Lego Ninjago for this one)
• He thanks you at night for turning the tv off because if not, "he just can't stop watching it"
• He says, "I'm too little to play baseball/basketball, but one day I'll get big and then I can play"
• He wants to move to the beach so that "he never has to go to school again"
• "I don't ever want to grow up or be a Daddy!"
• When referring to the male anatomy on his plastic cows, he says, "I know this one is a bull because he has these poinky things"
• "I like when you call me Butterbean, but don't do it in front of my friends"
• "I want to play with my Boxer men (wrestlers)"
• "Ooops, I burded" (burped)
• "When I grow up, I want to be a cup so I can know what the drink feels like"

I just love that little boy!

A Letter to My Hubby

Chris,
It's so hard for me to believe we've been together for 13 years!

Even harder to believe that we've been married for 9 of those!

We've accomplished so many things in those years.  Since we've been married, we've lived in 5 houses (buying 3 of those), had 3 wonderful kids, both started and finished Graduate School, bought 12 vehicles (okay, a little embarrased by that one!), lived in four different cities, had 11 jobs (you work a lot, only 3 of those are mine!), and had 3 dogs.  I know I don't always tell you, but I am thankful for all that you do.  You're a wonderful husband and father to our kids.  I couldn't ask for anyone better. 

I love that you tolerate all my crazy, OCD ways and even laugh at most of them.  I love that you aggravate the crap out of me when I'm in a bad mood and don't want to talk, but mostly I love you for loving me so much. 

You're the love of my life and I can't imagine riding this crazy ride of life without you by my side. 

Lily's "Babies"

When Landon was born, he wasn't really attached to anything.  He could take or leave the paci and he had no stuffed animals or blankets that he had to carry around.  He did have "Mr. Puppy" when he turned one and he was a little attached to that when he slept, but not during the day.

Nixon, on the other hand, still carries around a stuffed animal everywhere he goes.  He really doesn't have a favorite, but rather a variety that he chooses from every morning to take to school for that day's nap.  Even as a baby, he had a taggie blanket that he would chew on constantly.  One day at daycare, it got misplaced and for the three days that they looked for it, he didn't sleep a wink at night or during the day.

Lily has taken on the characteristics of Nixon.  She has a little doggie, "Dougie" that she has become attached to along with a taggie blanket in her crib.  This past weekend when she was sick, she had to have both with her constantly.  Now, not only does she want to sleep with those, she has found her drawer full of baby blankets and has dragged them out one-by-one every night this week.  She will not go to bed without every blanket she sees in her room.  Take a look:

That's not 1, not 2 but 5 "babies" (Nixon's term for any blanket or sleep animal).  Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen??

Goals - Running

Starting almost a year ago, after being inspired by one of my sorority sisters, Susan, I planned to start running.  My logic was you never see a fat runner, so running was as good a sport as any to help me get in shape and lose weight.  Also, I know there are all sorts of races that I could be a part of and feel like I'm doing something that I can be proud of.

Because of Susan's blog, I discovered the Couch 2 5K Running Program.  I downloaded the app on my phone and completed all the way through around week 6.  I even ran 3 days while I was on vacation at the beach which is UNHEARD of for me!  Unfortunately, I started out with the wrong shoes.  That, paired with probably starting out too fast, made for a lot of pain for me.  I tried to take breaks, walk more.  Eventually, I gave up.  My legs would cramp up so bad that I would almost fall coming down the stairs first thing in the morning.  It really scared me because I thought I had done something to really hurt myself.  I was also really disappointed in myself because I had lost only around 3 lbs in that 6 week time span.

With the new year approaching, I decided to give it a try again.  Chris got his mom's treadmill for me and starting on January 1, I decided to seriously try to stick to my running program, along with my diet.  I'm proud to say that almost 3 months later, I'm still sticking to my diet and exercise routine.  The Couch 2 5k program is only 9 weeks long, so I'm done with that, but my plans are to complete a few 5k's and then start training for a 10k!  In the past 12 weeks, I've lost 12 lbs which is not great, but it's average and for the amount of effort that I've had to put in, I'll gladly take it.  Also, I've noticed a much greater difference in my clothes than the numbers on the scale which is even better!  I have clothes that I haven't worn in two years that I'm able to wear now which is awesome!  I still have around 30 lbs I'd love to lose, but I'm happy with the progress I'm making.  

When I was around halfway through my 9 weeks, I decided to start looking for races.  I was scared to death, but I knew I'd never be able to forgive myself if I gave up again.  As soon as I started looking, I found the ZTA Franklin 5k.  I thought this one would be perfect since I was a ZTA in college.  It turned out to be a great event and I can't imagine pulling off an event like they did!  The cost was low..only $15 which paid for the race and of course a t-shirt.  Who doesn't love a good t-shirt?  Two of my sorority sisters, Susan and Kristin also came to run which helped to ease my nerves.

I was so nervous on race day, I felt like I was going to be sick.  i'm not a fast runner at all, but I managed to achieve all the goals I set for myself, most importantly finishing in under 35 minutes and not walking.  I did walk twice when I stopped to get water.  (I have no idea how those people run and drink water at the same time!)  My official time was 34:27 which I was very proud of.  I think I'm hooked already and can't wait to find another 5k to run!

Thanks Susan for inspiring me in so many ways!!

Lily - 15 Months

Can't believe my baby girl is 15 months already!  She's quite the handful these days..who knew girls were so much different than boys!  The boys are non-stop, but she's non-stop AND emotional!  At her well check, she was 21 lb, 14.5 oz (60%), 30.5 inches long (50%) and her head is 45.4 cm (45%).

Lily:
*Loves to run..especially if you're chasing her
*Loves to wrestle with the boys..she's always tackling Nixon from behind when he least expects it
*Loves to read books..she has one little book that she carries around everywhere
*Loves to swing..she has discovered her swing on the swing set and as soon as we walk in the door in the afternoon, she points outside
*Can say Dada, Mama, Bye, milk and Dougie (her baby's name)
*Can sign Please, More, Eat and drink
*Will finally give kisses on command..she used to turn her head every time you tried to steal a kiss..now she actually will give them to you
*Has to use Detangler Spray after baths on her hair because it's gotten so long..most days it has a little curl to it which I really love..not sure if that will last though
*Has learned how to climb up on the table and will do so at the drop of a hat

*Loves to help with the laundry..she will push the clothes into the washer and if I drop any on the floor, she will pick them up for me
*Finally got her first pair of Crocs..Hot Pink no less and they're the cutest things ever!

She is definitely a hand full but we love every minute!

Organization - Check!

One of the items on my bucket list was to organize all the kids artwork from school.  It's something that's been driving me crazy for months.  Most of you love Pinterest as much as I do. While browsing the website one day, i found this great blog.  She has awesome organization ideas, especially when it pertains to kids.  This was just what I wanted to do with the kids artwork and so I made up my mind that this is what I would do. Finally, I went from this...

to this...

Landon's is a little more full since his daycare, pre-school, kindergarten, and 1st grade folders are full already..

Each folder has a summary sheet to put in the beginning so that you always remember the year/teacher..

I love the final product and I am so glad I came across this idea on Pinterest!

Lily - 5 Months!

I'm Back!!  I know it's been a while, but it's been crazy around the Walters' Household...with no hopes of things slowing down at least for a few more weeks..Lily is now 5 months and she weighs around 15 lbs.

Here are a few things about her right now:

-She still eats her 6 oz every three hours during the day, but she has added 3 containers of Stage 2 baby food a day..What can I say..girl takes after her moma..she loves to eat!

-She is definitely rolling all around the living room..you have to watch what you lay down around her now because she'll roll right over to it.

-She likes to watch you talk and she'll move her mouth, without making any sounds, in the same motions..it's the funniest thing because she gets this really serious face while she's doing it

-She likes to "sing" herself to sleep..it's so sweet..she'll just murmur those sweet baby sounds until she's fast asleep.  She also wakes up "singing" and will sometimes sing herself right back to sleep on Saturdays and Sundays!

-She loves her "baby" so I guess she's going to be just like the boys with all the animals/blankets/pillows in the bed

-She's becoming more of a Daddy's girl..she gets the biggest grin on her face when she sees her Daddy first thing in the morning.

-When I pick her up in the afternoons, she likes to lean right towards my face and give a big open-mouth kiss..and of course I eat it up!  Then, she snuggles my neck until we get out to the car and I put her in her seat..Love it!

She's a really good baby..but becoming a bit of a Princess already..she definitely knows what she wants and knows how to get it..even at daycare!

- She especially loves her feet..she sucks on her big toe every chance she gets!

My Bucket List

Do you ever sit and think about the things you'd like to accomplish in your life?  I've been thinking about that lately.  There are some things I wanted, which I've done already, but a lot still left on my list.  Maybe writing them down will help me to actually accomplish some!

• Get my MBA
• Sit for and pass the CPA Exam (taking the prep course now)
• Read through the Bible
• Run a 5k
• Run a 10k
• Run a Half Marathon
• Lose 40 lbs which would put me at college weight or weight when I got married (Lost 9 so far)
• Have a big family (only one more baby to have and I think we'll qualify)
• Buy a house (we've actually purchased 3 in our 8 years of marriage)
• Pay off all of my Debt (working diligently on this one finally)
• Go to Australia
• Visit Alcatraz and take a night tour
• Have a job that I love
• Own a Beach House
• Visit Charleston, SC and stay at a Bed & Breakfast
• Learn how to work my camera so that I can take awesome pictures
• Learn how to sew
• Marry the man of my dreams (he couldn't be more perfect for me!)
• Completely organize all the kids baby items that we're keeping

That's all that I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'll add some additional items as I think about them.  What things do you hope to accomplish?

Lily

Lillian Ruth

Little Sister to Landon & Nixon

Apple of my Eye

I waited so long to have a little girl just like you!

You've been spoiled rotten from Day 1..

I don't think you ever stood a chance. 

Your Daddy is already wrapped around your little finger.

You know just what to do to get your way..

With two big brothers, you're as tough as nails...

But also as sweet as sugar (especially when you want something).

My Little Lily Goose, Pumpkin Pie, Chunky Monk, I love you to pieces,

And I can't imagine our family without you in it. 

You added a missing piece that seems to complete us. 

I love you to the moon and back!

Nixon

Nixon Asher

Little Brother to Landon

Big Brother to Lily



You've been so full of life since you were born

You were the little boy that rocked our peaceful world!

I remember when you were around 3 weeks old, I put the wrong size nipple on your bottle and you sucked it down in 10 seconds. 

We knew at that moment that you would be trouble!

My little colicky baby that would only go to sleep if I drove you around at night. 

I would cry while you cried yourself to sleep.

Luckily, you outgrew that phase quickly and we most certainly fell in love with you after that.

You have that little smile that will get you whatever you want.

You have such a good personality that I don't have to worry about you.

I know that you'll go far in life. 

You have so much fun everyday, without a care in the world.

I love how you break out into a dance at the drop of a hat.

You've always been my little butterbean and I love that at 4 1/2 years old, you still love to cuddle!

You're my sweet boy that will most definitely always be a momma's boy.

I love you butterbean!