Wrong again..........

Well, I found out IT'S A BOY!!!!! I am up here at work and thought....I better look and make sure I see movement or a heartbeat before I take Les and the kids up to look at the baby tomorrow. When you do what I do for a living you always know in the back of your mind that something could be wrong....I've seen it so many times. My little laptop up here only penetrates to 7 cm...so I didn't think I'd see much of anything! WELL.....low and behold the family jewels were staring me right in the face! I couldn't deny that I was sitting there looking at my little baby boy! I called Les and my Mom. Les has called his Mom.....now the whole world will know! We are absolutely thrilled! Now, to tell Cannon he is getting a boy...and break it to Neely there wasn't a little sister hiding behind him! Oh well, she is going to get the big room and bathroom all to herself....she stays the Princess!

I Change My Mind......

I think it will be a girl!! Olivia, or maybe Nora? Last night I was laying in bed and all of the sudden I felt like it was going to be a girl. I have been 100% wrong so far. I thought Cannon would for sure be a girl...and I just knew after having 1 boy that I would have another...wrong....wrong. So, I have yet another 50% of getting it right...or wrong :)! We are going up to my old office tomorrow morning to see if we can see :). I remember I was very sure by 14 weeks that Cannon was a boy, but at 14 weeks I was not sure if Neely was a girl. I am almost 14 weeks...so I guess we have about a 50% to be able to tell if I guessed the right or wrong sex this time...I just want to know!!!

A baby....due in June

I can't believe I have not blogged since October the 18th! Too much to do, too little time. The last time I blogged I had a little secret I didn't tell at the time....I was, and am pregnant!! 13 weeks 3 days to be exact. Finishing up the 1st trimester without a hitch...how blessed I am! We waited until Thanksgiving Day to tell Cannon and Neely....and needless to say...they are EXCITED!!! They refer to my "bump" as "our baby". They are so cute about it! Cannon is constantly rubbing my belly and kissing it. They have completely no idea how big that "bump"..."our baby" is going to get in there. In fact, I am not sure Les has a clue either. Yes, he has seen pictures from my pregnancies with Cannon and Neely...but it is not the same as living with the "bump" and seeing it everyday. I am officially in maternity clothes...but have yet to wear any. I have bought several things....and tried them on for the 2nd time this weekend....I am not in denial any longer....I know I need to wear them.

Is Les excited? YES....but I am not sure anyone is more excited than Les' Mom. She already LOVES the two she has, but I know that she is beside herself with excitement over this baby!! We are all thrilled....a baby....nothing like it!!

The big date is June 13th....but my OB has already said that if everything "looks good (as in my cervix....I won't go into detail...if you get it, you get it....if you don't...you don't want to) that he will induce me a week early. One, we don't want a 9 + lb baby again. Two, we don't want the baby to be delivered at work or in a grocery store.....Neely came very quickly! June seems so far away...but I know it will be here before I know it. There is SO much to be done before the arrival of this special little package....I am in no hurry right now for June to be here. I will savor the special time (most likely the last time) of being pregnant. I look forward to elbows and heels that poke my belly...it is annoying and beautiful!!

Stay tuned for the sex of the baby...........................................I will start checking for a little appendage! I think it will be a boy!

Wonderful Weekend in Tyler

Carrie-Ann and I decided a while back to plan a weekend to meet in Tyler to run in a 5K....and last weekend was it! They were having a Tyler Half Marathon....which we weren't ready for and a 5K...which we were ready for. We had a great time running in the 5K together....and it was a great reason to get us all home for a weekend. After the race we got cleaned up and went to Moore's Farm and enjoyed their pumpkin patch. We had a great time out there....hayride, pumpkin patch, feeding a pig and goats...who wouldn't have fun? After the pumpkin patch we watched hours of football and sat around visiting. Cannon, Neely and Ashley had a lot of fun tearing up Meme's house. I was so sad to see Sunday....because I knew after church we had to hit the road and head home. Another work week......which brings me to.....

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!! Woo-hoo!!! I had interviewed for a job and did not hear from them for a week, so assumed that I had not gotten the job. Wednesday they called me and offered me the position. I am so excited about this new opportunity. I will be working for Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology. I will work 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday, which is going to be absolutely wonderful!!! I will work 2 days in Round Rock and 2 days in Austin. My commute will also be cut in half. I feel like I have won the lottery! I anticipate that this will truly be a great company to work with and for. It is a very professional team of people and I am so happy that I am going to get to be a part of it....and have a 3 day weekend :).

That's all I know! Les and I are great! Cannon and Neely are fantastic. All is well!

It's been a while............

I can't believe that I haven't been on here for a month! We have just about adjusted to everyone's new school schedules...it is working out perfect! Cannon loves 1st grade...and absolutely loves the afterschool YMCA program :). Neely loves her new school, Goddard, which she started the week after Labor Day weekend. Cannon is riding the school bus everyday that he is with us. He is such a big boy getting on that bus! Les gets Cannon to his bus stop on his way to work. I get Neely to Goddard on my way to work. They are both taking their lunches to school, except one day a week Cannon picks a day he would like to buy his lunch...usually pizza or corndog day! Neely is really enjoying taking her lunch...and loves to help me pack it the night before (decisions, decisions). Starting this coming weekend Les will be traveling quite a bit more than he usually does. We will see how that works out getting the kids to school! We have great friends in our neighborhood, so I will probably be dropping Cannon off to catch the bus with another family when Les is out of town.

I just celebrating my 34th birthday this weekend!! Les surprised me with beautiful bedroom furniture that I absolutely LOVE! We had dinner with 3 other couples and their children on my birthday and it was a great time! Yesterday we went to the UT vs Rice game and had a wonderful time. Our friends Doug and JulieAnn gave us 4 of their season tickets...which was so nice of them! We took our friends, Paul and Dori with us to the game. The tickets were 4th row, 20 yd line...we could practically spit on the field!! It was a beautiful day and a fun game. All in all, I had a great birthday weekend. I don't feel a day older!

First Day of First Grade!

The first day of first grade went off without a hitch! Cannon loved his new school (half of our neighborhood got moved to another school this year) and seemed to be happy with his new teacher. Last year he went to an afterschool program at his old daycare....but this year he decided he wanted to go to the YMCA afterschool program. It is right on campus and a lot cheaper than the previous afterschool....WIN, WIN! I drove him to school and walked him in...but tomorrow he will ride the big yellow school bus for the first time. After walking him in and seeing all of the screaming and crying children I felt pretty blessed! I left Cannon at his desk with a big smile on his face! So, I will conclude by saying the first day was a success!!

Camp Jasper 2008

Since 2000 (I think) my family tries to get together for a long weekend at the lake. It is a way for all of us to take a break and spend some time with our immediate...and sometimes extended family. This year Camp Jasper was very short...but we squeezed in a little lake time, tubing, boating, eating and fun!
We went to Camp Jasper this year on our way home from our Alabama trip....I have just not taken the time to blog since getting home. We had a brief, but great time with my family! My nephew, Cody, had just gotten back from a missions trip in Egypt. It was so good to spend a little time with him....he is such an amazing kid. Carrie-Ann just moved him in to his dorm at LSU on Thursday....so that was probably the last time we will seem him at least until Christmas. Anyway...here are a few pictures of our brief Camp Jasper 2008!

Oh Happy Day!

We have just had the greatest rain shower! We have been having nice little showers here and there all week....much appreciated. About 6:15p the sky started looking pretty ominous and low and behold.....here came the rain. It was literally raining buckets. Since it was the type of shower that there was little thunder and lightning involved....we played in it! Well, I took pictures....and Neely did it with an umbrella and rain boots....but Les and Cannon did it no holds barred! My flower beds and potted plants are incredibly happy right now. It is now 8:15 and the showers are gone....but Les is still out there with the kids playing in the drive-way. There is still water running down the street as if it is still raining at the top of the street.

This is the last weekend before school starts...unbelievable! We went to Cannon's Open House on Thursday night and met his 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Stockton. It was kind-of crazy in the room...everyone finding their lockers, meeting the teacher and putting up their school supplies. I didn't get a chance to talk to her very much...so I don't have a solid opinion of her...except she is really cute and very skinny to have a little baby (there was a picture of her, her hubby and her baby in the room). So, I think we are ready to start school and see what happens! I am ready to see Cannon reading....and he is really close!

Neely starts a new school the first week of September too. She will be going to Goddard School. It seems like a really good program and Neely is very excited about the move. She is excited about getting to take her own lunch everyday. I am excited about this too because I will at least know that she is being offered things that she likes! Maybe she will put on a few pounds and inches. I took the kids to the Dr. to get all of their immunizations up to date. They had a well visit before their shots...Cannon was right on for his age, height and weight percentile. Neely was not! She is 10% in height and 30% in weight. How did I get a petite child??? I am sure she will have a growth spurt soon....she sure is a cute little petite thing!

Stayed tuned for 1st day of school pictures!!!

Goodbye Alabama....Thanks for Everything!!!

We spent our last day in Alabama with a little road trip down to Cullman...and then to Smith Lake to see the Sandlin family. We started out our morning in Birmingham at Pepper Place (known for Antiques)...then we headed out to Cullman for a little shopping and swimming. I found a couple of great buys in town before we went out to the lake! We got to Les' cousin's house late in the afternoon and the kiddos were ready to hit the water. The kids swam and we went for a nice boat ride. The kids got to go on the tube behind the boat and were immediately hooked! Thank you Sandlin Clan for having us out! Our kids just hit it off....Cannon & Neely are already asking when Caroline and Campbell will be coming to see us!

We are now back in Tyler....at my parents (on the lake)...I for see some tubing in our future. We left Alabamba at 6 am and the kids hit the ground running when we arrived at Meme and Poppie's house 9.5 hours later! It is now 8:30...Les is sitting in a chair and has been snoring since we finished dinner. Neely just crawled up in my lap as I was typing....and is now fast asleep. I haven't checked on Cannon....but I bet he is asleep on Meme's bed. Alabama wore us out! Thanks to everyone for your wonderful Southern hospitality....we had a wonderful time (a special thanks to Gran....for EVERYTHING)!!!

Dinner with Granny

Last night we went up to "Mount High" to Les' Grandmother's house. Back in March when we told them we would be visiting in August....Les' sweet Granny started making her dressing. We got to have that dressing last night...and ham...and turkey...and fried okra...green beans...mac & cheese....lima beans...purple hull peas...cole slaw and rolls. They did not forget a thing...they do it up right here in Alabama. It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to have these dishes. A little Southern lesson too...there is dinner (which is lunch) and there is supper (which is supper...or the night time meal...that is served around 5pm). In the last three days my tummy has been full to the point of discomfort 3 times...and counting!
Before and after dinner we had a wonderful visit with Les' cousins (and their children), aunts, uncles and granny. Keith and Connie's kids (Caroline and Campbell) and Cannon and Neely really hit it off....they had a blast...we all did! Les' family is so sweet and welcoming...I am very fortunate to have married into such a wonderful family!

Alabama....the state where fat free dressing is non-existent, sweet tea is prevalent, and anything can be deep-fried!!

Here we are in the "Heart of Dixie".....and we are having a fabulous time. We spent the morning at the Mcwane Science Center www.mcwane.org. MSC is 4 stories of fun for all ages!! We got to go in a tube and experience 80 mph winds, we got to lay on a bed of nails and watched jellyfish and octopus swim. After 3 fun-filled hours we went to a restaurant called Niki's, in North Birmingham. Let me just say, this was like no place I have ever been! I told Les as we pulled up..."this isn't Chili's" There were security guards in the parking lot...the sign inside the front door read...no tank tops, no bare feet and no curlers in hair. I asked Aunt Liz....do they really have to have a sign about curlers in hair??? I got an emphatic yes!!! Interesting place....the food service was mediocre, the clientele was questionable and the food was great!! On a Monday afternoon at 2:00 the place was packed! We are back at Gran & Pop's house now and we are hanging out watching a little Scooby Doo and resting. We have 2 more full days in Albama and I think there is some homemade ice cream in our future! We will leave Alabama early on Thursday morning to head to the lake in Tyler for a day w/my family. I am by no means in a hurry for this week off to go by fast though.....I am enjoying every minute of my time off!!

Izoro Bend Blog.....gone to Windwood Circle Blog

We are taking the Izoro Bend Blog on the road! We got to Gardendale, Alabama (where Les is from) this afternoon. We broke up the trip by spending the night w/my parents last night (in Tyler). Cannon & Neely just spent 3 days getting spoiled with Meme and Poppie. Now we will spend 4 days in Alabama (more spoiling). Gran and Pop (Les' parents) have our 4 days pretty much planned! There will be lots of eating and visiting with family.....and then more eating. I hope to get some running in while I am here.....or else I am bound to gain 5+ pounds (we are having fried chicken for dinner.....let the eating begin). I am very much looking forward to a week of rest and relaxation. Les' Mom is a sweetheart and a wonderful hostess....we will all be pampered.

Les Turns the Big 4-0!

My sweet hubby had a big birthday this weekend! To celebrate the big milestone he has played a lot of golf!! On Friday (which was his actual birthday) we got together w/a few friends from our neighborhood and had a happy hour. On Saturday we met another group of Les' friends (friends from grad school and friends from the bachelor days) at Waterloo Icehouse. They have a playground and picnic tables in the back of the restaurant/bar....so they kids played while the adults visited and got caught up. Everyone had a nice time....but it was brutally HOT! We didn't let the heat keep us from having a good weekend though....and I think Les had a pretty good birthday weekend....the cake was very rich and chocolate....he had three days of golf...and got to hang out with all of his buddies and see friends he had not seen in a while! Happy Birthday to You...cha,cha,cha....chinese chicken in the kitchen!

Great Family Days!

As you know we don't have the kids in the month of July...which means I walk around with "poop in my pants" most of the month! We DID have them this weekend though...and had a wonderful weekend. We spent the weekend just having lots of family time. We took the kids to the IMAX theatre at the Bob Bullock Museum on Saturday. We watched 3-D film called Dolphins & Whales. Cannon wasn't too sure about the whales coming towards him, while Neely was reaching her hands out and trying to touch them. After the movie we went down to Shady Grove...which is the quintessential "Keep Austin Weird" place. Neely named the waitress at the table next to us "Strawberry Shortcake"....she had bright pink hair! The patrons are odd and the waitstaff is even stranger....but it is a great Austin place with delicious Queso Catfish....and who can pass up Queso Catfish? :)

It was a great weekend....and after not having the kids for 7 days and knowing that I would have to give them up for 2 more weeks made me appreciate it that much more! I asked Les the other night if he thinks that the kids have figured out that they pretty much get anything they ask for in the month of July :)...it's true! I miss them so much and just wanted to share our wonderful weekend with you.....as Cannon & Neely would say "Mama...this is a great family day"...yep...it was!

Tessy McBessy

I got sad news yesterday that my Mom had to put our family dog, Tess, to sleep. She was a sweet girl and had a good life. She started out w/me in Austin in 1997. After Brent moved to Austin Tess migrated to his room....and became his girl. When Brent graduated from SWT (now Texas State) and moved to Arlington I gave Tess new tags w/Brent's number on them. A few years later she found her final home w/Mama and Daddy out at Lake Tyler. She was a sweet dog that was always ready to take a ride in the boat. So, here's to Tessy...you had a good life girl....and you kept a lot of people company in their time of need! Thanks for all the good times!!

Neelyisms

Yesterday while I was running I was trying to think of something "news worthy" to post. Since the kids are gone to their Dad's it is a little quiet around the house. You probably don't care about what I had for dinner last night or what time I went to bed.....so.....I thought I would share some "Neelyisms" with you.

If you have been around Neely....or around me (like my poor co-workers who probably get sick of hear how cute I think my kids are) then you have probably heard about the funny things my 4-year old says. She's pretty funny and clever....and I'm not biased at all :).

One of my all time favorite Neelyisms is this......She had come home from daycare to find a big box laying in the living room floor. She put her hands on her hips and said "Mommy, what is this in the world?".......I usually don't correct her on things like this....because they are just so darn cute!

Neely still hasn't wrapped her little head around anything, nothing, today, tomorrow and yesterday. If you ask her what she is doing (when she is upstairs and up to "no good") she says "anything"....which means nothing. Then she follows anything with....don't come up here. That is when I know I better see what is going on.

When we go to bed on Sunday nights she always asks if she is going to school today. I have learned to say yes to this! Otherwise there are many questions to follow....if I were to say tomorrow.....b/c in Neely's mind tomorrow will be today.....and she is right :). Wrap your head around that!

Before Cannon and Neely left for their Dad's I gave each of them a stuffed gorilla to take with them. Immediately Neely called her gorilla "Gorilla De Vil"..........made sense to me!

I guess you all are wondering if I have any Cannonisms. Well, there are a few out there....but he doesn't spout out his little gems left and right like Neely does.

This is getting a little long....but I do have to say one more thing! My Mom is a "blog pusher" and she can no longer deny it! My sister in Louisiana now has a blog as well.....and it was created within 24 hours of me creating mine! SO....either my Mom is a blog pusher or maybe my sister is just trying to be cool like me :)....I think it is a little of both!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

First Blog.....Here you go Mama!

Well, my Mom has been sending me links to other blogs. Then she calls me and asks me if I saw the blogs.....then she said she was going to start her own blog....I took it as a BIG hint! So, here it goes! The kids just left today to spend a month with their Dad :(....so....I have plenty of time on my hands to do this. We'll see how it goes....................

As you can see, we have already had a fun summer! Cannon graduated from Kindergarten at the beginning of June....and we took off to Hilton Head, South Carolina 2 days later! We had an absolutely wonderful week at the beach. We went w/two other families....and all stayed in one fabulous house! 6 adults and 6 kids (all 6 and under).....sounds hairy...I know...but they were so good! We had a blast and will definitely be going back!