Silhouette Machine Giveaway

Check out grosgrain for an awesome Silhouette Machine Giveaway!!! This machine looks so cool and would make some great christmas cards and presents!

Books

Hello, my name is Jenn, and I am a book addict. I love reading fiction. I always have. I thank my mom who, when I was younger, used to lay in bed with me at night, before I went to sleep, and read books like The Hobbit to me. I would miss the bus to school because I was so absorbed in my reading -- and I'm still that way. I have to limit how many books I read so that I will be a good mom and wife. Often I will sacrifice sleep to get in some reading time (OK, maybe not lately. Sleep is a precious commodity right now!)

So, I've recently finished writing a book of my own. It is a YA fantasy fiction and I am probably about a week or two away from being ready to send it out to agents and publishers! I am really excited about it! Even if it never gets published (though I hope it does!) I feel such a sense of accomplishment just having done it, and it is so nice, as a mom, having a little world of my own to escape to for a little while each day! If any of you knows of any agents or publishers that I might be able to contact, please let me know!

I am also thinking about starting a book review blog. Just my own thoughts and opinions about the books I read. It's just an idea right now, we'll see. And if anyone out there is writing something of their own, there is this really cool blog called The Bookshelf Muse. The writer has created all these amazing descriptive thesaurus. You should check it out!

Leave a comment and let me know what some of your favorite books are! I'm always looking for something new to read:)

Canaan's birth

Ok, so I am FINALLY posting after months! Crazy, I know! It's been a little busy, getting used to having two kiddos! So, here it is, by popular demand, Canaan's birth story. Be forewarned, it is long!...

From about 30 weeks on I had pregnancy induced high blood pressure, so they decided to induce me at 40 weeks. When I went into the hospital I wasn't dilated or effaced at all. I hadn't been having any contractions. If they hadn't induced me, I'm sure this kid would have stayed in there all the way to 42 weeks, which would have been fine with me because honestly I wasn't that uncomfortable. Seriously, if it hadn't of been for the blood pressure thing and having to go to the dr. two to three times a week at the end, it would have been the world’s easiest pregnancy ever.

So I went in Thursday night (day 1). The hospital I went to does inductions really slowly, to make them as natural as possible, so my midwife warned me it could be a two or three day process, but I have to admit I didn't really believe her. Because I wasn't effaced or dilated, they decided to prep me with some medicine called cervadil first. I stayed overnight and had to be hooked up to the fetal monitors because of the medicine, so I was basically confined to the bed. After 12 hours, nothing had happened, so they decided to do another round of 12 hours. Needless to say I was pretty bummed out. After another 12 hours, still nothing had happened, so they were going to let me rest for the night (Friday night, day 2) and we would start with pitocen the next morning.

Saturday morning, they took me over to labor and delivery bright and early, and started me on a low dose of pitocen. The bad news was that I had to stay on the fetal monitors, but the good news was that they had a portable system, so I was able to get up and walk around. I wasn't stuck to the bed.

It was no big deal at first, mild contractions every several minutes, but by around 12:00 they were getting really close together and a lot stronger. The midwife put something in to irritate my cervix and help me dilate, and by around 2:00 I was dilated 2.5 cm. By 6:00, the nurses told me the midwife was on her way to check on me and if I wasn't at 4 cm yet they were going to stop the pitocen for the night to give my uterus a break and start again in the morning. By this time my contractions were like 1-2 minutes apart, so I was sure I was at like 6 cm or something. When she checked me, I was still at 2.5. I was so upset!

The next day we started again at 5am. It was similar to the previous day, but harder. I was able to get into the tub, which helped a little bit. By around 2:30 I pretty much broke down emotionally and cried off and on until 6pm. My contractions were coming like every minute, and by this time I was just done. I didn't even care if I ended up win a c-section. At the end of the day they took me off the pitocen and checked me. I was at 4cm. Totally depressing. The plan for the next day was to break my water, so one way or another he was coming out.

We started the pitocen again at around 5 on Monday. I had decided during the night that I wanted an epidural that day. I just couldn't handle going through another day like the one before. The midwife came in at 8am and broke my water. I told her I wanted an epidural and she encouraged me to wait until the contractions really started going, so that it wouldn't slow anything down. She left and the contractions started going really strong really fast. I didn't feel like I was getting any at all break between them. I couldn't sit still, all I could do was walk in laps around the room. At around 9am I told the nurse I wanted the epidural. Unfortunately there were a ton of people getting c-sections that day, so it took over an hour for the anesthesiologist to come.

I had been really nervous about the epidural. I HATE needles and I was really paranoid that it wouldn't work and then I wouldn't be mentally prepared to go the rest of the time without it, but it turned out to be no big deal and within minutes I was feeling better. I was so excited to just be able to just hang out with Filipe and my mom, watch movies and enjoy the experience. About 30 minutes after I got the epidural I started feeling light headed and nauseous. Before long I was throwing up and all I could do was lay motionless with my eyes closed. So much for just partying the rest of the time! The nurse said that some people just get sick as their labor progresses. I threw up off and on for the rest of the day. It was crazy for me because I NEVER throw up. I didn't even have any morning sickness.

By around 7pm I was FINALLY dilated enough to push. I pushed for over two hours (and still threw up a couple times during the pushing!). Canaan was born at 9:45pm and weighed 7lbs 14oz. Shlioh wasn't supposed to visit (no one over the age of 12 was allowed on the floor because of H1N1), but we snuck her in a couple of times. We managed to be released 24 hours after he was born. I was so glad! I felt so bad for Shiloh because by this time we had been in the hospital for 5 days and she had only ever been away from us for one night at a time!

It has been a little crazy going from one to two kids. Shiloh has been amazing with him! She hasn't really had any adjustment issues and is such a sweet big sister. I told her that one day Canaan will get bigger and they will be able to play with each other, so she has been making a lot of comments about how big he is getting and that one day he'll play with her. She loves to help with him! Her favorite thing to do is pick out his diapers (they have Sesame Street characters on them).

Canaan has been growing like crazy! He is now over 13 lbs! He is in the 50th percentile for height and between the 90th and 97th percentile for weight! He really is a very easy baby. He hardly cries and is smiling and cooing like crazy. We are still working on the sleeping through the night thing, but he is getting better. It has really been amazing having two kids! It's amazing how much room you have in your heart to be able to love them both so much!

The Pod Swaddler Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

It has been forever since i have posted! I have kind of become more of a facebooker. Crazy I know! So what has inspired me to blog after so long? This super cute swaddler...The Pod Swaddler Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!. You can also check it out on this website, While They Sleep.

I am now 6 1/2 months along and the pregnancy has been going great so far! I am starting to feel the exhaustion a bit more, but other than that I've been doing pretty good. The little guy has been kicking a ton! We have been talking to Shiloh about it a lot, but the other day she got to feel and see him moving for the first time, and I think it has helped her understand a little bit more. She is talking about the baby in mommy's belly a lot lately, and sometimes she will just come up and put her hand on my belly to feel it. So cute!

We are in the midst of potty training, and so far she has been doing great! I'm still not brave enough to take her out of the house without a diaper, but we are getting there! Next step, moving to a toddler bed.

Boston

We had a great but exausting time in Boston! It was so fun getting to walk everywhere and take the metro, it almost felt like being in Europe again. We all stayed in my brothers apartment in Harvard square, so we were right in the middle of the action. I didn't realize how much being pregnant would affect me, but I was dragging as we went all over the place! Shiloh was such a trooper! She was so good, had so much fun with all the family and just took everything in stride. It was such a relief to get out of the Oklahoma heat and be back in high 60's to 70 degree weather again! Summer is not my favorite time of year! Andrew's graduation was beautiful and we were so happy that we got to be there to celebrate with him! Congrats bro!!!

I have started to feel our little guy moving a lot more, and this morning Filipe even felt him kick on the outside! It is so fun to know he is growing and it is all making it feel more real to me! We are more than half way there! I think we finally made a decision about a name, but I'm not sure if we are going to put it on our blogs yet. It just feels a little weird putting it out there on the internet. We'll see.

New man in my life

So this week we had our first official ultrasound and we found out that we are having a... BOY!!!

Here is his little profile. He is puckering his lips like he's giving a kiss. So cute!

Filipe has been certain through the whole pregnancy that it was a boy. It's going to be a fun new adventure since Shiloh is such a girly girl! Mostly I am excited to finally be able to buy some things for this little guy, just in time for Boston! H&M here I come!

We are still working on the name, although we are getting a little closer. It is so much easier to focus now that we only have to come up with one name instead of two theoretical names.

We leave for Boston in the morning (at 5 am!)! Pray for a good trip!

1 year ago....

A year ago we were visiting Shiloh,
our long awaited girl,
for the second time,
but this time...
to be with her forever.

It was a moment to remember,
knowing that the waiting was over,
that she would never be far,
but in our arms forever;
and knowing that that now
we would have all the time in the world
to be with her,
to know her,
and to love her.

Today, 1 year later,
there are so many memories,
and the bond between the 3 of us is so big,
that its hard to believe
that its only been 1 year.
I am so in love with this little girl!

and all I can say is
God is so good!

Update

Spring is in the air! Here that means that one day it will be roasting and the next day wet and cold, but we have managed to sneak in some outdoor play time. Shiloh is growing like a weed. She is so much fun right now! I am so smitten with her! Her imagination is really growing and it is so cute to see her play "house" with her baby and stuffed animals. Her favorite thing to do right now is rock all of her animals to sleep while singing to them and then she lays them all down to go "night night" in a row across the floor. She LOVES playing outside and loves rocks, birds, trees, clouds and the sky. It is so cute to see her in awe of these things that are so easy for me to take for granted sometimes.

The pregnancy is going well. I am 17 weeks along now. I never had to deal with morning sickness, thank goodness, though I am still waiting for some of that energy to come back, like everyone says it does in the second trimester. We will hopefully be finding out if it is a boy or a girl in the next few weeks! We still don't have a name, but at this point we have kind of given up until we know the sex. It was so much easier with Shiloh, knowing we only had to come up with a girl name!

We are headed to Boston at the end of the month to see my brother graduate from Harvard! We are looking forward to getting some time off and having some fun! If anyone has any recomendations of things to see in Boston, let me know!

A special day

Two years ago today we got to see this precious face for the first time. We had already gone through a lot of pain in our adoption process, and seeing this little girl for the first time brought us so much hope.


One year ago today we found out that we were finally out of PGN (one of the last, long, BIG hurdles to bringing Shiloh home). I can still feel the relief and flood of emotions when I remember back to it. It was probably one of my best days ever.

Needless to say, April 10th holds a special place in my heart! It amazes me that it was only a year ago that we were going through all of this! God has so fully healed our hearts and made us into a family that sometimes it is hard to remember the pain and the waiting, almost like I am living another life. Shiloh is so completely a part of us that it is hard to remember a time when she wasn't here.

I am so blessed and thankful that I get to see this beautiful, smiling face everyday! God has truly blessed our lives!

We have a 2 year old!!!

I promise, I will eventually get to putting up our Hawaii pictures, but first... Shiloh turned 2 this weekend!!! We celebrated on Saturday morning with a breakfast pajama party. All the kids came cozy in their pjs which was kind of nice because it had snowed the night before and was freezing!

We had a great time, but one thing I have learned is that 2 year old parties are CRAZY!!! We all had fun eating, talking and opening presents, but by the time the end came, everyone was way over-stimulated.

Shiloh in her pjs

Her cake was a towering strawberry short cake.

Here is a nice, calm pic we got of all the kids in their jammies...
...although we got about 10 that looked more like this.

On Sunday morning we woke up to hearing Shiloh laughing and playing in the monitor. Filipe had papered her room the night before and when we walked in, she had pulled some of it down and was playing with it. She got to open some more presents in the morning and then we went to breakfast before church.

After church we went to the park for a picnic lunch with the family. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day (and it had snowed the day before. Go figure.). Shiloh had SO much fun running and playing with everyone.

I think her first birthday at home was a huge success. That night, after we had put her to bed, we could hear her singing "Happy birthday to you" to her animals in her crib before she fell asleep. So precious!

Big News!!!

We are back from Hawaii! It was such a great time! I am going to post about it, but in an effort to delay having to go through all of my pictures, I thought I would share our big news...

...that I am PREGNANT!!!!

It was a COMPLETE shock, but we are really excited about it. We were just starting to look into the adoption process again, trying to find a new country to adopt from when we found out. I am about 9 weeks along. We saw the baby's heartbeat on Friday and everything looks good.

Keep us in our prayers that the pregnancy goes well and that God will be preparing our hearts and Shiloh's heart to become a family of four.

The Next American Idol

My daughter is a singer and a dancer. Even right now as I am writing this I can hear her singing in her crib instead of going to sleep. This week TT, Malak, Shiloh and I took a trip across town to see my mom. Shiloh spent the entire 20 minute ride singing at the top of her lungs. Fortunately, TT remembered her camera and captured a minute of it. So, without further ado, I give you Shiloh...




We are going to Hawaii this week! I will be sure to post pictures when I get back, and maybe even some news about something crazy that is going on with us. Hope you guys have a great week!!!

Shiloh

Ok, so I know I have been really bad at posting lately, but I am going to try to be better - really.

Shiloh is growing like a weed! She is such a happy girl! She is always singing and babbling. Filipe and I are constantly marveling over her, amazed by how wonderful she is and by how much we love her!

This girl is going to be a girly girl. Right now she is all about the clothes. She could spend hours just putting her socks on and taking them off again. Whenever she finds a stray shirt or pants, she instantly pulls them on. It's really cute.

She is picking up new words every day. Her sentences are still mostly gibberish to Filipe and I, though that doesn't stop her from telling us all kinds of things (we just don't really understand them), but sometimes she will say something clear as day and Filipe and I will look at each other and ask "Where did she learn that?" She loves grabbing her stroller or backpack and telling us "bye bye" as she leaves the room or walks down the hall. Yesterday, she grabbed the stroller and said, "See ya." Filipe and I both cracked up. It is amazing what kids pick up on!











Also, this is so cute! Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Things

I got this post from someone else, but it was fun to read and made for an easy post, so here it goes...

The Bold are things I've done; italicized are things I'd like to do. Those with no gusto about them are just not my gig! But as you’ll see, most things are my gig :)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii - this will be bold in just two months!!!!
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - I know, it's strange, but I really don't want to go on a cruise. I don't like
the idea of not being able to see land.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -some of them
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - I don't know if I taught myself, but I do know
another language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - I've had it drawn, if that counts
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - having lived in Europe, you would have thought I would
have done more of these things.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - Snorkeling, and I NEVER want to do that again. i
don't think I've ever thrown up so much
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - do home movies count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - I'm a little closer than I was a year ago.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - eww
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - while this isn't something I want to do, per say (since it would mean
that someone else would have to be in a life or death situation)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Best husband ever!

I can't begin to tell you how often I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I have Filipe for a husband! He is so caring and giving and just a really nice guy! He loves to make me happy and to play with Shiloh and make her laugh.

Last night we watched Mamma Mia!. Well, I wanted to watch it and he agreed, without even a complaint. I had so much fun curled up next to him with a fire going in the fireplace, singing along to this cheesy movie. I wonder how many chick flicks Filipe has happily watched with me over the years, even though I am sure he would have prefered an action movie.

He also read Twilight with me just because he wanted to see what I loved about it so much. He only rolled his eyes a few times and afterwards went with me to see the movie.

This week I really needed some time to myself, and when I asked him if he would mind staying with Shiloh for an hour or two while I went to Barnes and Noble to read, his responce was, "Sure. You know you can go and get time to yourself whenever you want it."

These things are really just a few of the many sweet things he does for me and just some of the smaller reasons why I love him so much.

Filipe, I love you honey! Thanks for being such an amazing man. I can only pray that Shiloh finds a husband as wonderful as you one day!

For the rest of you reading this... leave a comment telling why your significant other is so wonderful.

2009!!!

What an amazing year it has been! All day yesterday, as I thought back to what had happened in 2008, I couldn't help but be filled with emotion at the ways we have been blessed!

Being able to have Shiloh home, under our roof for the New Year was so touching. I have also been blessed with the most amazing, loving, supporting husband ever (although that is something I get every year, not just this past one.)

I actually lost some weight this past year. I have struggled with my weight for many years, so it is always something I plan on when thinking about the year to come, "This year I am going to lose weight." It was really nice to reach the end of the year and know that I actually did lose weight this year!

I also achieved something I have been wanting to do for a long, long time - I wrote a book this year. I just finished it, so I haven't started to try to get it published or anything like that, but even if it never gets published, I still feel like I have achieved a huge life goal!

We have spent time with family and friends from the other side of the world and gotten to take a lot of great trips. Though 2008 started miserably, it turned out to be an incredible year!

I am so excited to see what God brings our way in the year to come! I am hoping to lose more weight and find someone to publish that book, I am hoping to do more traveling (Hawaii in March!!!) and spend some good time with our family!

Happy 2009!!! May God bring so many blessings to all of your lives this year!!!