Thankful November

So I didn't finish my thankful days. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. My little family celebrated it in Little Rock. I had a coworker come over also, because she is from up north and couldn't make it home. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cheesy potatoes. It was very good.



 I am very thankful for each and every day that I wake up. I am thankful for every person in my life. I am thankful that people have a conscience. When we have something that really touches us, and hurts our heart. So after all the hard work and dedication put into it, when the person decides to clear their conscience, it makes our every day worth it.

Thankful day 13

Jeanne woke up today with a 102 temperature, a runny nose, and a cough like someone who was a chain smoker for 50 years. I brought her to the doctor and she has an ear infection. Nothing good ole amoxicillin can't fix!

I am thankful for antibiotics. Well I guess medicine in general. Any all medicine (natural, synthesized, semi synthetics, etc). Humans have found ways to take care of themselves in times of illness. What an incredible thing! Yes I know God put the things on earth to allow for men to find, and the ability to learn to men themselves. And I am thankful for that as well.

Thankful day 12

So this past weekend, I traveled to Shreveport to meet up with a good friend that I used to work with. We had such a great time. I wish we had more time together, but it's not that easy. As hard as is it to live far from family and friends, I am very thankful for my husband's job.

Shawn gets to live out his dream every day. He may not like it every day, but I know he is happy with the path he chose. Not only does he get to help people, but he can provide a good future for his family (us). He is a wonderful man and I love him. I am thankful that the people at UAMS gave him a chance to show how great he is at what he does.

Thankful day 11

Today I am thankful for veterans. I am thankful for the men and women who serve and have served our country in every battle that we have entered. I am thankful for their courage to take the field against our enemies and put their lives on the line for our freedom. There are so many people who do not show respect for our veterans. They yell hatred at them. They do not understand the honor that our veterans have for what they have done. I am so very thankful that these men and women have taken a stand for our country.

Thankful day 10

Today I am thankful for books. Without books, we would not be able to imagine, dream, be inspired, or hope. We would not be able to become educated about history. Yes there are ways to pass down stories by word of mouth. But as we learned from the game as kids, the stories always would change just a little but before it got to the end of the line.

 As a kid, I would get lost in the stories I read, dreaming of far off lands. Still to this day, I get lost in the books, imagining myself as the main character. I am thankful for hard copies of our history so that our great great grandchildren will know how we lived.

Thankful Day 9

Today I am thankful for our freedom. We live in a country where women have the right to walk around in public by herself. Where we can get an education and vote and live our dreams. I see stories on women across the globe who do not have these opportunities. We are fortunate. I am not be happy about the way the election went. I pray for our country and that we may continue to enjoy our freedom for years to come.

Thankful Day 8

I am going to get it together. Eventually. I say that and realize that I haven't been posting my Bible Studies as I wanted to. I'll get back to those soon. Thankful day 8: I am thankful for music. Where did I pull that from? Music has always been a big part of my life. I learned to play the piano when I was young. I can remember going to the football games and watching the band. I was so impressed by their performance. I knew from early on I was gonna be in the band, and I would one day be drum major. And I achieved that. But this is more than just high school band. Music can reach the soul. Tell me you have never heard a song that made you stop in your tracks. A song that chilled you to the bone, or brought you joy from a memory it brought up. Whether you listen to country, classical, Christian, jazz, or anything else, music has a way or making the day a little bit easier at times.

Thankful Day 7

Today I am thankful for shelter. I am thankful that we have the house we live in. We have been so blessed in our journey to Little Rock, as I have said here. Our house is a great home to grow our family in. I am thankful that we have shelter from the rain, heat and cold. I pray for those who do not. Even though I gripe about having to pick up after my husband and child, I am thankful for having a home to clean up.

Well I hear my husband telling Jeanne to stop splashing the water out of the bathtub. I may need to go run interference. Till tomorrow.

Thankful Day 6

Sorry I am late!

On Day 6 I am thankful for our food. I am thankful that we have food to eat at every meal. I am thankful for the farmers who grow and pick the fruits and vegetable, raise the cows, chickens, pigs, etc for us to eat. I am thankful that God allows the ground to still be good enough to grow the foods we eat and grow food for the animals to eat. He still allows the rain to come and water the foods that are growing.

I try to pray at every meal to remind myself that I am very thankful to have a plate of food in front of me. I know there are lots of people that do not. I try to enjoy the meals I eat for the same reason. And I do enjoy some Cajun food!

Thankful Day 5

Today was a good day. Beautiful crisp air outside. And the leaves are changing color! It's like I went away for a weekend, came back and BAM! I do so much love the Fall season. Oh yea, I got put in time out by my 2 year old this morning. Yep, I am in trouble. :-)

Today I am thankful for my father's job. I know it may be silly to read, but my family depended on my father's job to live. There have been times when my mom and dad worried about the company merging and him losing his position. We are thankful every day for what my dad was able to provide us with. I hope to not sound arrogant when I say this, but we would have not been able to enjoy many of our vacations, fun times, birthdays, and holidays if not for his job. Sure, it was not easy having him away every other month. But we learned to live with it. Because of his job, mom and dad were able to afford their new mortgage on the new house after Hurricane Rita destroyed our old one. So thank you, Exxon Mobil, for giving my dad the job way back when, trusting in his knowledge to keep him on, and helping him provide for our family all these years.

Thankful day 4

We are still in Shreveport. I enjoyed getting to see Jacob and Becca compete at the tournament. I think they both did great! Jacob is a natural and Becca is finally coming out of her shell, and is gonna be good competition! They did a duo and it was awesome.

I am thankful today for my friends. I have had many friends come and go through my life. And for each one I am thankful. I am especially thankful for my close group of girlfriends from elementary school. We were close all the way through high school. We are still close, but some not as close with each other. Life changes people. But I am thankful for every slumber party, and staying up late talking about boys. I am thankful for our club house, our journals and us growing up together. We shaped each other's lives and personalities, for the better I say. It is hard to find friends like that. We knew everything about each other. Even which buttons to push to make each other mad. Each one I them will always be close to my heart and I pray for them every night. I hope they know just how special they are to me.


As life changes us, and we grow up, we all make new friends. I love them as well. We have a special bond as we all have kids growing up together. Some of my new friends and I are also separated by miles but they are close to my heart as well. I know that if I needed them, they are there. I have moved too many times in the last 10 years. Each place I go, I make new friends, but I am only there for a few years, and have to leave. I hate it. I love following my husband and supporting him, but I hate leaving my friends. Some friendships stick through it, and others fade away. But again, I am thankful for each one and the role they had in my life.

Thankful Day 3

Today I am in Shreveport to watch my brother and sister compete in a speech and debate tournament. Jeanne and I surprised them last night. So we are staying in a hotel here, which means little sleep since Jeanne thinks it is a party to have someone else in the bed.. Lol

Day 3: I am thankful for my family. I am very thankful for my parents for having the love for each other which allowed them to be our parents.
I am thanking for my siblings because they have taught me competition, love, sharing, and patience.
I am so very thankful for my husband. We have had our fair share of ups and downs in our time together, but our love has prevailed.
I am thankful for our daughter. She had helped me relearn patience and understanding. I love watching her learn new things.

I am so very thankful for taking the time to do my family geneology a few yeas ago. I can trace my family all the way back to France in the 1500's. I feel this truly allows me to be thankful for my family bc if not for this person being born back in 1545, I wouldn't be where I am today. And I know the line goes so much further back, all the way to the beginning of time. Of course I can't trace it back there, but I am still thankful for each and every person along the line.

Thankful Day 1 & 2

I am a little proud that I have figured out how to blog from my phone. I will do the "Thankful posts" here instead of Facebook. Why? I don't feel I need to post some things for the whole world, especially bc I haven't told my family (bedsides my mom) about the pregnancy and miscarriage. I don't want my FB posts to make people ask questions. I trust you ladies here. Weird that I am comfortable enough to post here about my loss. I trust your thoughts more than most people. Even if you choose not to publish them. :) It's just how I feel. First off, I must say I am feeling better. I ave sad moments, but I have a calmness now. Now let's play catch-up!

 Day 1: I am thankful for today. I am thankful for waking up in the morning and every breath I take. The fact that He has given me life and allows me to continue to wake up each day is beyond my comprehension. For that I am thankful.

 Day 2: I am thankful for Jesus and the Church. We have been given guidance through Jesus and the Church helps us to remember the right path. I am thankful for our leaders in the Church who have dedicated their life to us to help us remain in God's grace. I am thankful that even though we may stray, God, Jesus, and the Church is always there waiting with open arms.

Pain

This is not easy. My heart is broken. All my friends mean well. They say, "Well you know you can make it through the hard part. You know you can get pregnant."

NO the hard part is carrying the baby! The hard part is losing the baby! *sigh* I have a few friends who have been through this sadness, and they know the grieving process. And for them I am grateful. I will carry this with me for the rest of my life in my heart. We will try again in a few months. For now, I will cherish my little family and take time for myself.
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  God, We remember all babies who have died as a result of miscarriage. We remember all mothers and fathers whose hearts are aching and arms empty, who never had a chance to love or hold their babies. We ask God’s healing to fill the void and emptiness that has been left. Amen
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 My Lord, the baby is dead ! Why, my Lord – dare I ask why ? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face – it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord ?

 “Why, My child – do you ask ‘why’ ? Well, I will tell you why You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty – he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so that the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.” 

 I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool – forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity. 
 -Mother M. Angelica

Loss

So I haven't written in a while and here is why: I had my 10 year high school reunion the last weekend of September. I quite enjoyed seeing what my classmates are doing with their lives. That next week Jeanne stayed at her Noni's house,so Shawn and I enjoyed some alone time, as I knew we needed with my charting. :) On October 19, I knew I was pregnant, and a test confirmed it. I was through the moon!! Watching my temps and chart did work for me. Shawn was so happy also. We began talking with Jeanne about being a big sister. I was planning to announce it to my family on Thanksgiving, because that would allow an ultrasound to have taken place before then. This past weekend I noticed my basal temps to start dropping. Then I started spotting today. I took another test and much to my dismay it was negative. I called the nurse and she had me come in to take blood for HCG, progesterone, and beta levels. But now I am having a period flow. So I am not hopeful for the call tomorrow. I am having a miscarriage. I have cried most of the day. Yes I know I have a beautiful daughter to be thankful for. Yes I know many women go through this. Yes I know I was very early. But it doesn't make it any less real or my heart hurt less. If I hadn't been charting, I probably would have just thought my period was late. My chart says otherwise. I lost my baby. I will be ok. Not today. Probably not tomorrow. But eventually I will. I know I will. I have to believe that. We will try again later. Maybe in a few months. I am not in a hurry.

Week 2 of Bible Study

So this week we started in the book on the chapter called "The Special Call and Gift of Women". In class we watched a video portion of the class and answered questions. We started off with Ephesians 1:3-4, which states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him." (New American Bible. St. Joseph Edition).

From this passage, we gather that we are the chosen daughters of God. He chose us for the ultimate destiny of eternal life with Him. As we learned in Catechism, God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. These attributes and the reading in Ephesians tell us that God knew us before we were formed in the womb. He purposefully chose us to be women; our gender was not an accident. Why? We are women to be the love in the world, and through femininity we will attain ever lasting life.

Our special gift as being a woman is to bear life to the world. Within the womb, life takes precedence. God has entrusted human life to be created by us! We are called to be a mother, whether physically or spiritually. Our souls have been made to bring spiritual life to the world. Whether we physically carry a child in our womb, or help foster/adopt a child, or just guide a child through their religious education, we are raising a spiritual life.

Luke 1:26-45 tells the story of Mary learning that she will give birth to our Savior. Gabriel greets her saying, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." God has chosen Mary long before this date to carry life in her womb that would save us. In the next paragraph, Mary visits Elizabeth, who was pregnant for John the Baptist. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, the infant jumped for joy in her womb. Elizabeth greeted Mary saying, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed if the fruit of your womb." Mary is the perfection of the feminine vocation to be mother.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church shows more depth in a study of Mary.  By Mary's faith and obedience, she helped lead the way for Christ to give redemptive grace.  "...Be it done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). She unwaveringly said "Yes" to God's request. Carrying Jesus in the womb of our heart may seem like such a feat, but we must remember how Mary so readily carried Jesus in the womb of her body. She is who we should look up to for guidance in our quest of bringing spiritual life to the world.

I encourage you to read the closing statement by Pope John VI said Vatican II. You need to scroll down to where he says "TO WOMEN." It is our job as women of the Catholic church to use the Gospel to help mankind.

I will try to do another blog once I get through the homework. Hopefully I am making sense.

Bible study week 1

Yea so I completely lost track of time last week and didn't write about my first week of Women of Grace Bible Study. It was just an introduction meeting, but I think I have a great group of women. I was a little uncomfortable at first because the leader (who is the DRE of the church) told me that there is a Terra Firma group that is more for the young adults (most of the women there as of then were 50's+). I was hoping she wasn't asking me not to come. Then there were two other women in their early 30's who joined the class. So we will see what this class has to offer! I know we will be learning about our place in the Church as Catholic women. And we will be learning about several female saints.

I will do better about writing what we learned. It will help me to keep track.

On a different note, I am still charting along. Patience is hard. I know we probably didn't get it right this cycle, being my first off birth control. But it is still hard waiting. Waiting for either the 18th day of high temperatures or Aunt Flo. Patience is something I will be praying about in my Bible study!

Learning about me

So far, this journey has taught me a lot. I am reading the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is a great book by the way! In the first 3 chapters, I have learned so much about myself and what exactly is going on each month. Something I feel all girls/women should know by college (if not before). My mom taught me the basics of "womenhood". I took physiology in college, but obviously didn't pay that much attention. I feel like I should know all this stuff already. If you get the chance, read the book. My coworker gave me a copy. She read it years ago and loved it. It teaches the Fertility Awareness Method, which is so easy to understand.

I have been charting over a month know, and am starting to feel like I am understanding my signs. Only a few minutes a day and putting information on a chart is so easy. I wish I had been doing this earlier. My secondary signs are leaning towards high fertility in the very near future. So we will see! :-) My OPK was positive today too. If it doesn't happen this month, I will not be disappointed. I know that God already has something in store for me and it will happen when He planned for it to. I am excited about seeing all of this learning go to use. If I can accurately chart this month, than next month should be better planning.

At the same time, if it doesn't happen until next month, I wouldn't mind since I have my 10 year high school reunion coming up. I wouldn't mind having a drink with good friends reminiscing!

Planning for LeDoux #2.

So Shawn and I have decided that we are at a point where we are ready for baby #2. So, I am starting to track my cycle, temperature and all that fun stuff. :-) I don't know how long or short it will be. I would like to get in sync with myself before we get pregnant. But if it happens quickly, we will welcome another blessing!

I haven't told anyone, except my mom, that we are trying. I don't want the "So, when is the next baby coming?", "How long have you been trying?", "It is taking you long" and other unnecessary comments from people if we announce we are actively trying. I think this board is a great way to track (respectfully track) our progress with the pregnancy. And I know this is the place to let out frustration and hopefully get thoughts and prayers along the journey.

I joined a Bible study at Christ the King Catholic Church here in Little Rock. It is the Women of Grace Bible Study using DVD lessons taught by Johnnette Benkovic, who will be attending a day long Women's Retreat at the conclusion of the Bible Study. I am very excited about this, since it has been a LONG time since I participated in a Bible Study. And I think this one will fit me great for this part of my life with trying to get pregnant again.

Starting to see the light...

So, on Tuesday night, we sanded the compound and applied a light second coat to spots. I think we finished at 10:00 that night. On Wednesday we sprayed a texture on the walls. Finished about 9:30. I think it looks pretty good. On Thursday night, we were both exhausted and didn't do anything. So tonight we are gonna prime. If i can convince my child that it is bedtime... Stay tuned!


So we did prime that Friday night and Saturday. On Sunday, I bought the paint color and we painted when Jeanne went down for a nap. I bought a great little edger brush which knocked the time in half! Why I didn't buy this for the primer, I have no idea! So here is the finished color:
I like it. Now we are trying to decide about painting the handrails and baseboards to match the color of the countertop and the trim in the rest of the house. I think it will tie it all together, but that project is not on the front grounds! Lol




First, I am trying to decide how to put a curtain on our bay window in the kitchen. I have gotten several suggestions, and haven't tried playing with it yet. I still need to decide on a color/design curtain.
Here is the bay window. For those who read this, what do you think? Should I try to have a rod that follows the window itself? Or just one rod above the windows that is straight across?

What was I thinking??

So when we first looked at the house, I knew I would want to paint the kitchen and get rid of the wallpaper. It wasn't terrible, but it just wasn't me. Plus the seams were coming open. Sure enough, not long after we moved in, Jeanne started playing with the seams until she was able to pull a big piece! So I said it was time to remove the paper. One night, I pulled all the wallpaper off under the chair rail. Well, I realized I only pulled off the top layer. No biggie though because it came off so easy!




The next day (Saturday) we got out a scorer and chemical to remove the top layer above the chair rail (because I knew it wasn't coming off so easy). We sprayed and sprayed and the paper was stuck. So after fighting it for an hour or more, my husband got mad and just started ripping if off the wall. We soon realized our demise. Whoever built the house did not properly prime the sheet rock, as was common in the 1980's apparently, and the original wallpaper got glued straight to the sheet rock. As we were pulling the wallpaper down, we were also removing the sheet rock paper. This was turning ugly fast!!! My husband was not happy that this was not turning out as easy as we thought. As he does when something is going his way, he stomped off to the living room and I finished removing paper from the wall. I think I finished at 10:30 that night.

Shawn did prime a section behind the fridge sometime on Saturday, thinking we would find a smooth wall the next morning Wrong again! The paper was bubbled and cracked bad. So I went off to Sherwin Williams (which I highly recommend) for some help. The guy there explained that we would need to sand the walls down and then apply sheet rock compound since we were down to the gypsum board. So I brought the supplies and began working. I sanded the whole kitchen. Shawn comes in and sadly says that he didn't think it would be good enough. He was afraid the paper would still roll up. That just broke my heart! What was I thinking?? Why did I let myself think this would be a good thing to do?? Why didn't we just paint over the wallpaper??

Shawn then went to the store and bought a power sander. When he got back I had cheered up again, and he was confused. Until he went in the kitchen. I had cleaned the floor, swept up all the wallpaper, and laid out newspaper everywhere. I had control over something and it made me happy. Anyway, Shawn put the sander to use and sanded down the whole kitchen again in less than 30 minutes, whereas I spent a few hours. Plus the wall was smoother. After we put Jeanne to bed, we put up joint compound on part of the wall. I only bought one container, and it barely made one part of the big wall... We finished again about 10:30. Shawn kept saying, "What if in the morning the wall is just on the floor?" That was my biggest fear. Needless to say I didn't sleep well. The next morning, we woke up to a nicely compounded wall!! That night, we finished putting compound on the rest of the kitchen.

So much fun!

So, we are adjusting to our new life. And we haven't looked back yet! We found a Hidden Valley Farm that we could pick blueberries from. We had a ball. I made pancakes and pastries with the blueberries. Jeanne didn't like the pancakes because they were "dirty." Hahaha the mind of a two year old!

We have found several places to fish. First was at Lake Maumelle. Since this lake is a drinking water source, we had to find a small cove to fish out of. Jeanne loved playing with her fishing pole. And her bait. We didn't have much luck this time. Shawn has gone trout fishing out of Greers Ferry and done well. This past weekend we found a nice swimming and fishing hole at Lake Sylvia. I caught a catfish. Shawn had a couple of bites, but the fish were sneaky enough to take the bait!

We have also found the zoo. It was pretty big and took several hours to get around it. They even had a great penguin exhibit! Jeanne really enjoyed seeing the animals and making animal sounds back at them. There are so many things still waiting for us to find!

I'm home!

So, we moved up June 4 and have been full speed ahead since! My mom and dad came up here with us to help with the transition and get little things done here. On the 4th, we hired movers to help us unload the U-haul. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain when they got here, so we had to wait until the next morning. Between them, the security system and internet being installed, it was quite a busy day. Dad and Shawn tackled several little jobs the next couple of days and boxes slowly got unpacked. Mom and I did some shopping for curtains and pillows/decor. I can say I am feeling at home, and so comfortable here.

I started my job this week. There is a great group of people I am working with and love learning the new tasks. I think I will fit in, but time will tell. I will have to make my own niche I guess! Shawn starts orientation next week and is anxious to start his own job. Jeanne is adjusting to her new daycare. Everything is continuing to fall into place. I do miss my friends in Shreveport, but as I have learned, starting new chapters is a part of life. So now, I am just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride!!!

P.S. I'll post pics of the house once we get it a little more finished. And when I find my camera...

Realization brings sadness

My husband graduated Saturday from medical school. I am so proud of him, and of us. We worked hard these last four years together to keep a happy home and family while he was busy studying. We have worked hard to get through low times and enjoyed happy times. We have learned a lot from each other and have both grown up a lot in the last four years.

My mom, sister, grandmother, grandfather, and aunt came up for his graduation as well as his family. We all had a great time together knowing that Shawn, Jeanne and I are fixing to move. We ate after graduation and mom and my sister watched Jeanne that night while Shawn and I celebrated. The next day, mom and my sister were packing up and taking Jeanne with them for this week so Shawn and I could pack up the house. As they were fixing to leave, my sister gave me a big hug. That's when it hit: I don't know when the next time will be before I see her again. Being four hours away was hard enough, now we will be 8. 

I know, I know. Yes there are many families out there who are further apart than that, and they do just fine. You don't know my family. We survive and live off of the time we all spend together. My family makes up excuses to get together for a big lunch and be together. I am the first one in my dad's side of the family to be further than 30 minutes away from the rest of the family outside of college. As it is, for Christmas, my sister sat on my lap and told me that she wishes we could visit more. So, as happy as we are to move, I am saddended that I am not just a town away from everyone, and could just go visit at the drop of the hat. 

These pictures make me happy. The first is from 2001, when I was a senior in band and my sister was in the 8th grade, and just starting the high school band. The second is from 2005, when she was a junior going to prom. The third is from 2006, when she was going to her senior prom. The fourth is from 2007, my 5th high school reunion. The last is from 2009, my wedding day. She was my made of honor. :-)

Anxious

So we are counting down until we move!! We move on June 4th, 15 days from now!!! Shawn and I are getting so excited about the new house and new start. We are NOT excited about the actual move. It is one thing moving a few streets or even towns over. Moving almost 4 hours, and to a new start is not so fun.

Shawn has been doing a great job of going through the house and purging/packing over the last two weeks. I did a bit of the same yesterday. Our kitchen is getting filled with boxes, but there is still so much left. This upcoming weekend is Shawn's graduation, then the next week he and I will get the rest of the packing done.

As much as I dread the actual packing, move, and unpacking, I look forward to the new house and getting to decorate MY house! It won't all be done at once. We will have weekends down the road to get little things done.

I have been preparing for my new job as well by reading SOP's and quality manuals to get ahead of the game. As I read the manuals, I go through books and internet searches to better understand the background and reasons for the tests I will be performing. I am looking forward to getting to know my new coworkers and getting in the swing of things at the lab.

15 days and counting!!

disinterest of Food

So lately, Jeanne has had a disinterst in food. At 18 months, her pediatrician was worried because Jeanne had gone from the 25th %ile to the 10th %ile to the 5th %ile in a few months. She was gaining weight, but not at a fast rate. I tried to explain that I was also that small at that age, and Jeanne didn't sit for long. She was always on the move: running, hopping, skipping, dancing, etc. Still, the pediatrician wanted us to add Pediasure to her diet to make sure she was getting more calories in her diet. (It is weird to use the term "diet" in association with a toddler.)

So we gave her a pediasure every day for a few weeks. I checked her weight and it had gone up, so I backed off the pediasure. I want to make sure she was eating food and not just depending on the pediasure. She did well for a while, eating everything we fixed. Then right before she hit 2, she starting getting picky. I wasn't too concerned about her not eating all the time. I figured she would eat when she got hungry. And she did!

Well, Shawn took her for her two year old appointment. She was back up to the 10th %ile. I was thrilled. Obviously, she was eating more. The doctor (not her normal pediatrician) said that it was good, but we needed to continue to give her more fatty foods. He actually told my husband that we need to giver her ice cream and add more butter to her vegetables. :-/ I am all for getting her to eat more, but I would rather do it the right way instead of adding fats and sugars to her diet. Plus I don't want to get to the point of her trying to refuse dinner just to eat ice cream. Or my husband giving her ice cream when she refuses dinner, and she get in that habit.

I hate the little feeling inside of "Am I doing the right thing?" when it comes to this. I know it is a feeling that will be with me forever. I feel like I am. She is happy, energetic, and is gaining weight. Why should I offer sweets just to get her to eat? And who is this growth chart based off of anyway???

Crunch time

It's funny how in a month, all the things I have been worried about have fallen into place. I do believe that God took care of us, and I am so grateful! He wanted us in Little Rock, and has opened each door that we needed. Here is a summary of what I mean:
March 17- Match Day- We found out we were moving to Little Rock, and Shawn starts orientation June 19
March 31- Found a house in Little Rock that we are interested in
April 2- The sellers agreed to our proposal for the house
April 4- I have a job interview with at a place which is my dream)
April 13- House inspection goes perfect! And I found out not only did I get the job, but they are willing to let me wait and start June 11, a week after we move up!
April 19- Found a great daycare for Jeanne, and they have an opening!

Isn't it amazing how He works! So we have a house, I have a job, Jeanne has a daycare! Now I am working on the little things (house insurance, security system, finding new physicians, etc). I am going to be sad when I move from Shreveport and leave friends. But this is an exciting new adventure, a new chapter in our lives.

Match Day

On Friday March 16 was Match Day for all 4th year medical students across the U.S. We (my husband, myself, my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, my mom and her friend) all nervously got dressed that morning preparing for the day. Jeanne just ran around all morning, abliss to the fact that our future was fixing to be carved in stone.

We had a brunch to go to that morning at 9:30. After standing in line for 30 minutes, we were finally able to enjoy a catered brunch of shrimp and grits. It was awesome! Then we all walked to the atrium where the ceremony was to be held.

The process is that the first student is picked at random. Said student walks up, says his/her name, their matched profession, and then they open the envelope and read the school they are going to. Then that student reaches in a bag and pulls out the envelope for the next student. So while we are all pilled in the atrium waiting, Jeanne is thrilled about everyone clapping. She thinks she did something wonderful, and I tell her such. :-)

At 11:35, it was my husband's turn:

 

So you can see we are headed to Little Rock!! Now we are trying to decide if we should buy a house or rent, what are good school districts, and I am filling resumes with every company I can think of!

A Child's Ten Commandments

Reading this just makes me want to do everything to be a better Mom.

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don’t restrict me unnecessarily....

3. Housework will always be there. I’m only little such a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don’t nag me all day long. (You wouldn’t want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I’ll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.

 

8. Please don’t do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn’t quite measure up to your expectations. I know it’s hard, but please don’t try to compare me with my brother or my sister.

9. Please don’t be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it’s a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

*Feel free to print off and put on your fridge for a daily reminder of how to treat your kiddos! **A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents, by Dr. Kevin Leman

Growing up

So my husband is off his 'vacation' from school and has to go in at 8 in the morning. So last week he brought Jeanne to school in the mornings a little earlier than usual. Her teacher doesn't get there until 7:30, so if the kids are dropped off before then, they go into a different room with another teacher. Jeanne did not like this at first at all. She would cling to his (or mine when I had to bring her) legs and cry her heart out.

When I brought her this morning, before we even got to the door, she took off running towards the other teacher, threw her arms around the teachers legs and said "hi mama". I did not take offense to her statement because Jeanne uses that phrase as a term of endearment. She says it to my mom, sister, husband and next door neighbor. I was happy that I didn't have to hear her cry, being that it usually makes me tear up. But as I walked out, I realized I was a little sad inside. Sad because I realized I longed for her to need me. She is growing up and I am not ready!
 

Then, she has on this cute pair of 18-24 month jeans that I got on sale (why do kids clothes cost more than $10 regular price amazes me). As she was walking around this morning, I realized the jeans had real pockets in the front and back and a real zipper. It's like she is a person. Yes I know she was always a person. But, to me she was and is still my baby. Not a big girl in big girl clothes. She needs to stop growing! But I am enjoying this stage as she can interact with me and my husband a lot more!

Pinterest

So apparently the new craze is this website called Pinterest. When I first saw people posting of what they "pinned", I was determined NOT to check out the site. Why post up pins of what other people do on a board? Then this past weekend, I visited with my cousin in Birmingham (we were checking out the area for possible residency). She had recently gotten into Pinterest and explained to me how it worked. Now I am 'addicted'.

Unlike other people, I am not posting things that I dream I had. I am posting things that I will try to make and will have. I have found several outfits that are totally my style, and I will begin hunting them down at Goodwill, Plato's and other consignment shops this weekend. I am determined to try all the recipes I pin. And I will print out all the crafts and do those as well. As for the home board, those pictures are what I am looking for when we look for a house. Great ideas for me later.

Yes you will find cute pictures of animals and such, but I have such a joyous heart, I had to share!
If you ever get bored, click the Pinterest button on the left to check out my page

A Hard Decision

In December 2008, I brought home a fluffy French Bulldog named Clive. He stole my heart the first time I saw him. With Shawn in school, working late hours and weekends, I wanted a dog in the house to keep me company. I didn't like being alone. I knew getting a pet was a big responsibility, and I researched and studied Frenchies. I knew full on that they come with allergy problems, breathing problems, and sometimes require extra care. At the apartment, Clive didn't suffer any allergy problems that couldn't be fixed with a little benadryl. I loved having him run around, acting all spastic, and cuddling with his fluffy self on the sofa.

Then in 2009, we found out we were expecting a baby. This of course was not a planned thing, but life happens. So my extra money started going to a savings account for Jeanne. Shawn and I decided we needed to move into a house so we would have more room. We found a nice little rent house with a great backyard for Clive to run around and play. Soon after moving in January 2010, Clive started having allergy issues. He would break out in hives constantly. So I decided to do allergy testing on him, and wouldn't you know it, he was allergic to every plant, grass, flower in our backyard. So I put him on an allergy serum. One shot a month wasn't so bad. It seemed to be working well until this last summer/winter.

Clive had a bad allergy attack in the summer of 2011, so I brought him to the vet and got him on some antibiotics (his itching/scratching caused a skin infection). $300 at one appointment. In November, it was time for his semiannual checkup at the vet. >$300 for all his shots, heartworm med, and flea medication. A week or so later, I had to bring him back because he had another flare up. Another $300. Then in December, he had the worst flare up I had seen on him. >$400. So in two months, I had put >$1100 in vet bills on my credit card. The money was hard, but what was worse was Clive had to take 3 pills twice a day for 3 weeks. He was totally not himself when he was on the medicine (**Note: I know what most of you are thinking. He is a just a dog. Well you are WRONG. He was my pet. I knew how he acted. The meds totally changed his attitude.)

So after the New Year, I talked with Shawn and we came to a heart-wrenching decision. I felt like Clive was suffering, so I called the breeder I got him from. I explained that I didn't have the money to continue him on medication if he got the flare ups, but more importantly, I didn't like having to put him on the medicine in the first place. I didn't know if when we move for residency, that it would be any better for his allergies. So, I moved Clive back to Texas this past weekend. It was hard to put him in her car and watch him leave (**Again, if you never had a PET that you were responsible for, you don't know what it feels like, so no snide comments). I miss him, but I know he is doing just fine. She breeds and raises Frenchies, so he is frolicking with his family. I will miss his sweet, squishy face for a while.

New Year's Resolution

So I decided that my New Year's Resolution would be to read the Bible in a year. I found a website that breaks down the Bible and marks which sections to read each day so it can be completed in a year. I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. I wish I would have done this sooner. I am finding my self getting behind a day or so, but I find time to catch up within the same week.

The other part of the resolution is to delve deeper into what we believe and why. I want to be able to teach my children (child right now) throughout the year the Catholic beliefs to holidays, parts of the Mass, etc, but I need to have a better understanding first. Growing up, after catechism was taken out of public school, my mom continued our education of the Catholic beliefs. We had activities that explained all the parts of the Mass, holidays, Feasts, Holy Days, and now I can't seem to remember them all. I have been searching other moms' blogs and found great places to start.

We still haven't sent in our places for match. We (my husband and I) have narrowed them into somewhat an order. Now we are taking weekend trips to some of the places so I can see the areas and get a feel for the possibilities. It's less than 2 months away that we find out where we are moving!!

Happy New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. My little one had a ball being with our family. She helped as my sister, mom, and I baked cookies. She helped rolled the dough into little balls, then tried to eat them. Pop, her grandpa, bought her a few new toys to play with before Christmas. She got a little 4-wheeler that she has to move herself and some balloons with the rubber band on the end to bounce. I enjoyed watching her get so excited.

For Christmas Eve, we (grandkids) put on skits at Mamaw and Papaw's house. Jeanne stole the show! She was not scared at all about being the center of attention.

We had a wonderful time at Copper Mountain, Colorado after Christmas. It was nice getting to see snow (being from South Louisiana, I have seen and remembered snow 4 times in my 27 years, all of which was in north Louisiana). We all had a good time once we got there. The first day with the flights being delayed and such was not fun. Jeanne was excellent on the plane! She stared out the window and "oooh" "ahhh" at the sites below. She slept during the second flight, which was 2 hours.

My  mom, husband, and I all tried the skiing. It was hard at first! Ok, it was hard all 6 times I went down the slope!!! But it was fun trying something new. The speed scared me, but the funny thing is, I kept going! Pop took care of Jeanne while we all skied. They played out in the snow and watched all the people going down the slopes. My sister, brother, and his friend snow boarded. That was crazy! They did well with it on the second day.

It was a wonderful trip, but I am glad to be back. I should have taken a picture of my desk when I got into work this morning. Funny thing is, work doesn't take a vacation just because I did!! :-)