Halloween in Photos

Trick or Treat

     Getting so excited to take our little ones Trick or Treating tonight. This will be the first year Noah has been old enough to do this and this will be Haleigh's first Halloween! I will post pictures later tonight but we are dressing Noah as a frog and Hales as a bumblebee. They are just so adorable, lol. Anyways, it's off of here to start on dinner and wait for my hubby to get home. 

Crazy, Hectic, Busy

    What a week it's been. Little Miss Hales decided she was going to achieve a million milestones this week which has left her Mama begging her to slow down a little bit. :-)  We noticed over the weekend that she was starting to copy everything her brother said...obviously she can't "talk" yet, but that didn't stop her from trying. She now knows the words Mama, Dada/Papa (she calls Caleb both names), Brubba (Brother), Hi, and Bye. I just can't get over how quickly her vocabulary is advancing. Then, she started trying to crawl, which looked more like the moves an inchworm would make rather than crawling. But, the day before yesterday, she watched her brother do it (and admittedly Mommy and Daddy got down in the floor and showed her how, too...it was quite funny). She is now a fast little crawler and I couldn't be more proud, or more sad at the fact she is growing up so darn fast. Oh, and add to her list of to-dos for the week...she now gives high fives which is seriously the most adorable thing ever. *giggle*  
     Big Brother Noah is continuing to take his role very seriously. Every time Hales spits up on the floor (or the couch, or the crib, or anything she basically touches) Noah comes running to get me and yells out "MAMA! SIS...MESS!"  Which is his little toddler language means Sissy made another mess, Mama, lol! He is also a great giver of hugs and kisses and showers his little sister with them throughout the day. It's very sweet and I'm proud to say that he is an amazing big brother and a wonderful son. The week started off a bit rough with quite a few tantrums, which later I discovered was due to the incoming of two new teeth. The last couple of days have been much better, though, and it's been very nice. 
     Tuesday morning Caleb had a phone interview concerning the job he applied for in Richmond.  We are currently waiting to hear back and should know something within the new week and a half. If he gets the job, we will need to move up there within two weeks (probably sometime around Dec. 1st at the latest). If he is offered the position, there will be a ton we will need to do in a very short time frame, including finding someone to take over our lease (So if anyone reading this blog is in need of a 2 BR apartment in Salem, please let us know). The interview went very well and Caleb was pleased with it. Right now it's a waiting game, but we are both pretty nervous. Please pray that God's will be done in this and that we will be accepting of it. 
     More news...this morning I had my follow up appointment with the retina specialist concerning my retinapathy. Over the last several months, the fluid behind my retina has almost completely dried up. The doctor said there was a teeny tiny sliver left over the center of my vision, but that should clear up within a month or so...PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!!! I do have an appointment with my eye doctor because my vision is currently 20/30 in the left eye and 20/40 in the right. If it doesn't improve, I will need to start wearing glasses all of the time  and not just when I read or do computer work. But, that's definitely not a big deal at all. 
    So, yeah...sorry it's been a while since I've updated my blog. But, as you can probably tell, I've been quite a busy woman recently. I now have a full fledged walker and a crawler in my house...crazy, but loving every second of it. 

One Step Closer

     Caleb got a phone call the other morning concerning the job application he put in for a position in Richmond. Well, it was good news...HE GOT AN INTERVIEW!  I can't believe it but we are one step closer to a big change in our lives; and I couldn't be happier. *grin*  Moving away from this area brings so many feelings of excitement and jitters, but if that is where God has chosen for our family to be, my whole heart is in it! ;-)  I was really hoping we would get to go to Richmond for the interview because it would have been the perfect excuse to drop in and see our Rothrock buddies. But, in a way, it's good he got a phone interview because the only time slots they had available were at 8am and 9am...which would have been super early to get the kids up and ready. So, it all worked out. 
      Anyways, just wanted to update about the application process. His interview is Tuesday morning at 9am so please be in prayer for him; that the Lord will steady his nerves and work through Caleb. Please pray that we will accept whatever the Lord's decision may be. Hope everyone has a very blessed weekend. 

My Beautiful Babies

Flu....BLAH!

    Caleb and I both currently have what we think is the flu. Nausea, vomiting, achiness, dizziness...and the list goes on. The two of us have NEVER been this sick at the same time so keeping up with the little ones has been quite a challenge. I seriously don't know how we made it though yesterday. We would each take shifts where we would let the other spouse rest and relax while one of us was on kid duty. And let me just say when you can't even stand up because every time you move you throw up, chasing after a toddler and a crawler is not fun. Only God got us through it. And today, we aren't feeling much better. Except for the fact that I can stand up without feeling like I am going to faint. Nausea and achiness is still there, though.; Thanks for the thoughts and prayers from everyone. We do appreciate it. 

Cute Kid Contest

Here is the new link to vote for Haleigh!!!
http://photos.parents.com/kid-of-the-year/42/2011/80

What a Long Day!!!

    It has been quite a long day already and I still have four VERY LONG hours to go before hubby gets home from work. Noah woke me up around 6:30ish this morning, which wouldn't have been bad, but I had to take my anxiety meds last  night because I had a pretty bad panic attack. Those make me REALLY sleepy so I was groggy and have been for most of the day. I haven't had my cup of coffee for the day yet, but I'm thinking something with expresso in it will be perfect, haha. 
     Well, things were going along ok until Haleigh woke up. I started feeding her a bottle and Noah reached down and bit her on the finger. I was extremely surprised because Bug has never once shown any aggression at all towards his sissy. I don't know if he was trying to play with her, or if maybe he was jealous of her taking away his Mommy time. Then, Haleigh got choked and vomited all over the living room floor, which took a while to clean up. Since she is crawling now, she followed Noah down the hall into their bedroom (where he had left his snack cup on the floor). Needless to say, she spread gold fish crackers and chips all over their bedroom....little crumbs ground into the carpet...yay! I had to yet again tell Noah we can't leave our snacks in the floor anymore, because little Sissy could get choked on them. Put the snacks on the kitchen table, and began cleaning up their room. 
       Even though I was exhausted by this point, I played with the little ones for about an hour, then cooked and fed them their lunch and put them down for naps. Praise the Lord that He blessed me with a break today, because I have really needed it, lol. I was really proud of myself, too, because even though the morning was a pretty stressful one, I didn't cry or freak out about it. Just cleaned it up and went about my day. *grin*  Now, praying with my whole heart these babies sleep for a LONG TIME!!! 
      Oh, by the way, I entered Halebop into the Parents Magazine Photo Contest this week. If you have a chance, please click on this link to vote for her. You can vote once a day, every day, now through Sunday. :-)   Hope ya'll have a wonderful week!!
Didn't think it was fair to enter only one baby, so I entered Haleigh too!!! Please vote for Haleigh each day throughout the upcoming week!!! 
nwphotofaves_koty
http://photos.parents.com/kid-of-the-year/42/2011/52?esrc=

Hiking

    Too tired to write too much about our fun day. We went hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was absolutely beautiful; all the leaves are just starting to change from green to vibrant shades of red and orange. :-)  Got a lot of cool pictures but I will only post a few. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Possibilities

   I am so thankful that today is Friday. It has been quite a long week and I'm looking forward to a beautiful Autumn weekend. We are going hiking again tomorrow although I don't know where we will go yet...I'm thinking somewhere along the parkway, but we will see. Can't wait to take pictures of all the leaves this weekend, as they are supposed to be at their peak colors. :-)
     When hubby gets home I'm going to convince him to take us to Outback for dinner because I have a coupon for a free steak dinner there. So, it shouldn't be too expensive if we use the coupon. After that we will probably go for a walk and then it's back home to watch Casper outside on the lawn. Our apartment complex is having an outdoor movie night and I'm REALLY excited about it...just hope it doesn't get TOO chilly. And if it does, no biggie because hubs can take Halebop inside while me and Bug finish up the movie...or vice versa.
      Oh, I meant to blog about this before but totally forgot. Caleb got his application submitted so now we are just waiting to hear back about an interview. I am praying so hard that he gets offered this job so that we can move to Richmond...I am thrilled at the prospect of living somewhere new.
     It's off of here now to watch the Bee Movie with Bug until Daddy gets home.

Loving Life

     Woke up at 5:30 this morning to the sound of Haleigh babbling away in her crib and Bug fussing because his sissy had woken him up. Caleb fed Hales before heading off to work and laid her back down (and she slept until 8:45ish) but Noah refused to go back to sleep. So, I've been up since the crack of dawn...no, take that back...it was still pitch black when the kids woke me up, lol. Since being on this medicine, though, I have so much energy I don't know what to do with it all. So, I'm actually feeling pretty good and I'm going on five hours of sleep. :-)  
     Yesterday Caleb had the day off so we went for a four mile hike over in Troutville on part of the Appalachian trail. Let me just say that carrying around a kid strapped to your chest really gives your body a workout...which I definitely needed, haha. I finally feel like myself again and am feeling more than blessed by this change in attitude. Here is one of the pictures I snapped during our hike yesterday....

   Well, it's off of here for now to relax a bit before the kids wake up from their naps. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Fall Fun in Photos

Columbus Day

    Thank you Mr. Columbus for "re-discovering America" and giving my hubby the day off!

Oh Happy Days!!!!

     WOW! What an amazing day. No....make than an amazing WEEK! I started on Pristiq almost a week ago and I am a completely different person. Most mornings (since having Haleigh) I would wake up dreading to start my day; immersed in an almost bored feeling that refused to go away. I was constantly exhausted, irritable, and would cry without a good reason. To demonstrate my transformation, I haven't cried since I started on this medication. I have laughed and giggled EVERY SINGLE DAY (some days which left me running to the bathroom to keep from peeing my pants...having two kids will do that). i no long feel like I have a weight resting on my shoulders and am PRAISING GOD ABOVE for this blessing. Which leads me to today....
     Our amazing friends visited us today and it was such an incredible time for us. Their presence is a blessing in itself but to see the kids all playing together, and getting in some MUCH NEEDED girl time, was just what I've been needing. And on top of that, I wasn't an emotional wreck (not that it would have mattered as Becca is the most understanding woman I've ever met) which almost makes me giddy with joy. Life is different. Good different. I actually chased the kids around the playground, went down slides, swung the kids, cleaned up the apartment when we got home, wrestled with Noah (his new favorite game), snuggled my baby girl...and I'm not tired. My energy level has been through the roof and I almost think this is too good to be true. But every morning I wake up feeling happy, and very underwhelmed, lol...which is a great change to my prior demeanor. 
     Anyways, I better get off of here for now. I've got some cute little babies to cuddle before bed and a few bedtime stories to read. Have a wonderful evening!!! 

Pretty Good Day

   I'm having a pretty good day! :-)  The kids have both been sweethearts all morning, Noah is taking a nap, and Haleigh is starting to get sleepy. I have a doctor's appointment at 3 today, which is for my yearly. BLAH!  Definitely NOT looking forward to that, but compared to everything I went through while I was pregnant, this won't be that bad, lol. 
     Getting ready to snuggle with Bop for a few minutes before laying her down for a nap. Please continue to vote for Noah Bug (he is currently in FIRST place). Thanks to all my blog readers.

http://photos.parents.com/toddlers/40/2011

VOTE FOR BUG

    I woke up this morning to see that Noah is in FIRST PLACE in the photo contest I entered him into. Voting lasts until 10/09/11. Even if you have already voted, you are able to vote once per day, so PLEASE continue to vote for Bug! Thanks so much. Here is the new link:


VOTE HERE
http://photos.parents.com/toddlers/40/2011

Depressed

    Well, it's official. I'm "depressed". At least that's my doctor's diagnosis. So, tonight is my first night on Pristique and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Caleb said he had noticed that I have been "different" since having Haleigh; that I've been acting down a lot and letting a lot of little things bother me. I don't see it, but I fully trust him. After all, after God, he knows me better than anyone. It just stinks, I guess, because I feel like I shouldn't need any help. I feel guilty, almost, is the best way to describe it. I should be able to be "super mom" "super wife" "super friend" etc...without needing anything to help me accomplish that. So yeah, it's been a rough day for me. I wasn't even sure if I was going to blog about it, but I've had several people tell me that getting it out there, and just being honest, will help me feel better. I just really hope this medicine helps this "weight on my shoulders" feeling. I wake up every day and before my feet even hit the floor I already feel overwhelmed. Well, it's off of here to put the kids to bed...Bug brought me some books to read, lol. Night everyone. 

     Woke up before 6:30 this morning and both the kids were still asleep...what a surprise!! They woke up around 7ish and were ready to go, lol. I woke up with a headache which feels like it could turn into a full blown migraine at any second, but I'm praying really hard that it doesn't!  Debating about where to take the kids today. Noah loves to feed the ducks at Lake Spring Park so we may be heading that way at some point. :-)  I do hope the babies take good naps today, though, because I checked out a book from the library and it's been calling my name since yesterday! Anyways, it's off of here to give Hales her meds and plan out the day.
     Oh, Noah is currently in 2nd place (GO BUG GO!!!) but voting will continue throughout the week. Please continue to spread the word to vote for Noah, so we can bump him into first! Thanks to everyone!


VOTE HERE!!!
http://photos.parents.com/toddlers/40/2011/2

VOTE VOTE VOTE

    Hey peoples!!! Please continue to put in your votes for Noah in the Halloween Baby Contest! I entered him into it last week and our photo got accepted into the top 40 this morning! :-)  So thrilled!  Since his was one of the selections, now it depends on which photo gets the most votes!! Thanks everyone! 
VOTE AT THE LINK BELOW!!!
http://photos.parents.com/toddl10ers/40/2011/

Changes?!

    It's been a super long day but I finally have a little time to myself. :-)  I said I would blog about my experience with my first hair splinter, so here goes. Saturday night I was walking across the kitchen floor when all of a sudden I felt something like a piece of glass go through my foot. It hurt so bad, I could barely put pressure on my foot, but when I looked I couldn't see anything...and it wasn't bleeding. As I was about to start crying (yeah, I can give birth to two children but I can't handle a splinter, lol) and called Caleb into the kitchen to take a look. He informed me I had something called a hair splinter, which is exactly what it sounds like. On Friday, I had buzzed cut Noah's hair and had apparently missed one while sweeping up the kitchen and that's what went into my foot...strange but true. :-P 
     We had a pretty amazing weekend filled with a lot of fun events. Me and Noah spent Saturday morning playing outside, collecting leaves and fighting the cold while Daddy worked on the car and Haleigh took a nap. Then, we made a trip out by Starbucks and I finally got one of my favorite things autumn has to offer; a pumpkin spiced latte!  I even shared with Bug and hubby, lol.  Sunday was hectic because the kids refused to take their naps, but having my incredible husband there to help out was pretty wonderful. Even when I'm having the worst of days, his smile makes everything all better! And Sunday was a pretty rough day for everyone involved. 
     And now on to some bigger news. Over the past few months, Caleb and I have been considering moving out of the Roanoke Valley which is something we both have wanted for a while now. Caleb is applying for a job (still with the DDS, but the Richmond branch) in middle management. If he gets it, we will be moving to Richmond, I'm guessing sometime before the end of the year. We are really hoping that he gets offered the job, but we won't know anything for a while....probably around three to four weeks or so. Please pray that we will be accepting of God's will for our life, and that if Caleb doesn't get this job, we won't be TOO disappointed. I am just really looking forward to this prospective new opportunity for our family. And I won't lie....I would get to see one of my best friends every single day, lol. And that's a pretty big incentive. :-)  Anyways, just continue to pray for our family and God's will for us! 
    I hope everyone has a wonderful Autumn evening and I will try to blog again soon! 

A Short Post

    It has been quite a fun weekend but this Mommy is super sleepy. I will try to update my blog tomorrow as long as the kids decide to take naps. I've definitely got plenty of things to talk about including my first experience with a hair splinter, fall fun, and a new prospect for our lives! Anyways, it's off of here to take a shower, snuggle up with hubby and watch some television! Night!