Parker: When Daddy dies and we are down here, I can marry you.
Me: Well, we don't want Daddy to die, but even if he did, you still couldn't marry me.
Parker: Why not?
Me: Because I'm your mother, and you just can't marry your mother. When you grow up, you will meet a girl that you will fall in love with and want to marry her.
Parker: *smiles and giggles at the thought of marrying a girl
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Annelise, the First Six Months
*Note: I wrote this blog post about a month ago but waited to post it because I wanted to add some pictures that were on Paul's computer. With Paul in school, it's hard to find a time to use his computer. Since Annelise is about 2.5 months now, I figured I better go ahead and post. I'll update with Annelise new skills at 7 months later and just do a whole post of pics whenever I can get a chance.
A blog post is long over due. Life is crazy busy. Poor Annelise has been neglected blog-wise. With Parker I posted every month. With Ellis, I posted pretty much every month although not always on time. Now, with 3 kids to keep up with, here I am posting on Annelise at 6 months. *face palm*
Well, as the saying goes, better late than never.
Here is Annelise the first six months.
Annelise has grown and progressed just the way she should. She's gone from a little newborn that just barely makes eye contact to an engaging, social little girl. When she first started to smile, we had to work hard for them. Now, she eagerly lights up and gives us a big, tooth-less smile often with some squeals added in for extra cuteness.
She started rolling over back to front the day after she turned 3 months. At first, she didn't like being on her belly even though every time I laid her down she rolled over. She quickly learned to love it and started sleeping on her belly with her cute little baby bottom sticking in the air. At 6 months, she is almost crawling. She can get on her hands and knees and rock back and forth and make a push forward. Occasionally, she gets one hand picked up and one leg, but right now she ends up on her belly. That doesn't stop her. She can army crawl and scoot and turn and get to whatever has caught her eye. I'm hoping that she soon figures it out so she won't have to have practice sessions at 3 AM! She also does her yoga pose with her legs straight and her bottom in the air. It's just too cute.
Annelise is the most content baby. She fusses when she gets tired, but that's about it. She gets passed around to so many different people especially at church, and it doesn't bother her one bit. She's very relaxed, but she likes to keep her eye on Mama to flash me a smile.
She loves when she can crawl around on the floor and explore her toys. Poor thing has to deal with Parker and Ellis getting in her space and shoving toys in her face. She puts up with a lot from her older siblings. Their affection can sometimes be a little rough. She's one tough cookie. She can sit up as long as she can support herself with one arm.
I can't believe that our littlest one is already 6 months old! Time, please slow down! Annelise has brought so much joy to our lives. Her smiley, content nature has made her a very popular baby. She is so loved by us. Her sibling adore her even though Ellis went through a time of transition from the baby of the family to big sister (it wasn't always pretty).
As the second child with only a few pages of my baby book filled out, I know I need to do better at posting about my little baby girl. Sorry, Annelise, I'm going to do better.
A blog post is long over due. Life is crazy busy. Poor Annelise has been neglected blog-wise. With Parker I posted every month. With Ellis, I posted pretty much every month although not always on time. Now, with 3 kids to keep up with, here I am posting on Annelise at 6 months. *face palm*
Well, as the saying goes, better late than never.
Here is Annelise the first six months.
Annelise has grown and progressed just the way she should. She's gone from a little newborn that just barely makes eye contact to an engaging, social little girl. When she first started to smile, we had to work hard for them. Now, she eagerly lights up and gives us a big, tooth-less smile often with some squeals added in for extra cuteness.
She started rolling over back to front the day after she turned 3 months. At first, she didn't like being on her belly even though every time I laid her down she rolled over. She quickly learned to love it and started sleeping on her belly with her cute little baby bottom sticking in the air. At 6 months, she is almost crawling. She can get on her hands and knees and rock back and forth and make a push forward. Occasionally, she gets one hand picked up and one leg, but right now she ends up on her belly. That doesn't stop her. She can army crawl and scoot and turn and get to whatever has caught her eye. I'm hoping that she soon figures it out so she won't have to have practice sessions at 3 AM! She also does her yoga pose with her legs straight and her bottom in the air. It's just too cute.
Annelise is the most content baby. She fusses when she gets tired, but that's about it. She gets passed around to so many different people especially at church, and it doesn't bother her one bit. She's very relaxed, but she likes to keep her eye on Mama to flash me a smile.
She loves when she can crawl around on the floor and explore her toys. Poor thing has to deal with Parker and Ellis getting in her space and shoving toys in her face. She puts up with a lot from her older siblings. Their affection can sometimes be a little rough. She's one tough cookie. She can sit up as long as she can support herself with one arm.
I can't believe that our littlest one is already 6 months old! Time, please slow down! Annelise has brought so much joy to our lives. Her smiley, content nature has made her a very popular baby. She is so loved by us. Her sibling adore her even though Ellis went through a time of transition from the baby of the family to big sister (it wasn't always pretty).
As the second child with only a few pages of my baby book filled out, I know I need to do better at posting about my little baby girl. Sorry, Annelise, I'm going to do better.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Annelise's Name
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Annelise's Birth Story
*Disclaimer: This is a birth story. If reading details of birth is not for you, then I would encourage you to skip this post.
Although Annelise is my third child, the anticipation of her birth was no less exciting than my other two. In fact, I felt like I was giving birth for the very first time again. I had decided that this time around I wanted an all-natural birth, meaning no drugs and no augmentation as long as it was medically safe for the health of me and the baby. For Parker, I wanted to try a natural birth, but I hadn't prepared for a natural birth. When the doctor offered induction at 40 weeks, I took the opportunity. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined and waited for him to come on his own. With the combination of my lack of preparation and what felt like a never ending contraction due to the Pitocin, I asked for pain medication when I was 8 cm dilated. With Ellis, I was induced because we lived far away from the hospital and I had a quick labor with Parker so they wanted to make sure I made it to the hospital in time. Going in I knew I wanted an epidural although I had a pretty quick delivery and still felt some pain because I didn't have enough time for the epidural to make the pain completely gone.
This time around I wanted an all natural birth. I had read stories of women giving birth without the use of drugs for pain management, so I knew it could be done. This time around I knew that I needed to prepare. Thankfully, I have a friend here at NOBTS that is also a doula that lent me some books to help Paul and me prepare. The closer I came to my due date the more confident I came in my ability to birth the way God intended. He had designed the female body to birth children, and I knew that I could do it. I wanted to have the experience of overcoming the difficulties and pain of labor. I wanted to find new confidence in myself and my inner strength.
At my 38 week check up, I was a good 3.5 to 4 cm dilated. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a while and they were getting stronger. The next day, Saturday, February 1, I started loosing my mucus plug. I know that loosing your mucus plug could still mean a couple weeks before labor to start, but I knew that for me it meant I was going to be having this baby soon. I frantically started cleaning my house, doing those last minute preparations, and shaving my legs. I started having strong contractions with the pain mostly in my back around 5 pm. They were 15-20 minutes apart. I took Parker and Ellis for a little walk for them to play at the playground in front of the apartment building that we used to live in on campus. By the time we got back home, I was tired and contracting so we went through the Taco Bell drive thru and picked up supper. Since the pain was mostly in my back, I spent some time leaning over a birth ball which made the pain easier. Paul was supposed to get off of work at 7, so I called him right at 7 to make sure he came straight home. I was ready for him to be home to help get the kids in bed. At that time my contractions were coming every 10-12 minutes. Once he was home, I spent some time walking up and down the stairs of our apartment building and around outside. I went to bed around 11 with my contractions around 10 minutes apart. I woke up around 1 AM and decided to take a shower. It ended up being a quick shower because my contractions were coming so close together. I knew we needed to get to the hospital. I told Paul to get up and get dressed. My contractions were coming around 3 minutes apart. I am so thankful that our neighbor came over while Parker and Ellis slept. We left for the hospital by 1:30 am. I was so glad that it was night and there was no traffic, but the stop lights....ohhh the stop lights. We made it to the hospital and I slowly but as quickly as I could made my way to labor and delivery. When I made it to the nurses desk, I got down on my hands and knees. I stayed that way and answered the questions they asked. I got into the wheelchair and signed the consent form at 2:12 am. I was so glad I had made it to the hospital. I felt like I had been holding my body back squeezing my legs together to make sure we made it there. I quickly ripped of my clothes, barely put on the lovely hospital gown, and crawled into the hospital bed. I was in the "I really don't care what's going on around me" stage of labor. I don't really know who was in the room. I just laid on my side and moaned through the contractions while Paul rubbed my back. I was 9 cm when they checked me. Everyone knew it wouldn't be long. Because I tested positive for Group B Strep, they quickly got a round of antibiotics in me. My membranes were still intact, and I was feeling so much pressure. Finally, they ruptured with a gush and that helped relieve a lot of the pressure. It wasn't many contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. No one told me when to push or how long to push. I didn't even make a conscience effort to push. My body just took over and did what it needed to do. With the first urge to push, out came the head, and the rest of her body came out with the next push. She was born at 2:47 am exactly 35 minutes after I had signed the consent papers. The whole experience was amazing, and I don't think the pain was that bad. Of course, the best part is the pain brings such a beautiful miracle. We spent some quality time snuggled together for awhile after. Then Paul went with her to the nursery while she got weighed and measured. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 18 1/4 inches long. We opted not to have the hospital to give her a bath, and shortly, she was back with me.
I am so in love with this precious little girl. Parker and Ellis are excited to have a little sister. Paul jokes that he has to get another gun now that he has a second daughter. It's so exciting that we are now a family of five.
Although Annelise is my third child, the anticipation of her birth was no less exciting than my other two. In fact, I felt like I was giving birth for the very first time again. I had decided that this time around I wanted an all-natural birth, meaning no drugs and no augmentation as long as it was medically safe for the health of me and the baby. For Parker, I wanted to try a natural birth, but I hadn't prepared for a natural birth. When the doctor offered induction at 40 weeks, I took the opportunity. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined and waited for him to come on his own. With the combination of my lack of preparation and what felt like a never ending contraction due to the Pitocin, I asked for pain medication when I was 8 cm dilated. With Ellis, I was induced because we lived far away from the hospital and I had a quick labor with Parker so they wanted to make sure I made it to the hospital in time. Going in I knew I wanted an epidural although I had a pretty quick delivery and still felt some pain because I didn't have enough time for the epidural to make the pain completely gone.
This time around I wanted an all natural birth. I had read stories of women giving birth without the use of drugs for pain management, so I knew it could be done. This time around I knew that I needed to prepare. Thankfully, I have a friend here at NOBTS that is also a doula that lent me some books to help Paul and me prepare. The closer I came to my due date the more confident I came in my ability to birth the way God intended. He had designed the female body to birth children, and I knew that I could do it. I wanted to have the experience of overcoming the difficulties and pain of labor. I wanted to find new confidence in myself and my inner strength.
At my 38 week check up, I was a good 3.5 to 4 cm dilated. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a while and they were getting stronger. The next day, Saturday, February 1, I started loosing my mucus plug. I know that loosing your mucus plug could still mean a couple weeks before labor to start, but I knew that for me it meant I was going to be having this baby soon. I frantically started cleaning my house, doing those last minute preparations, and shaving my legs. I started having strong contractions with the pain mostly in my back around 5 pm. They were 15-20 minutes apart. I took Parker and Ellis for a little walk for them to play at the playground in front of the apartment building that we used to live in on campus. By the time we got back home, I was tired and contracting so we went through the Taco Bell drive thru and picked up supper. Since the pain was mostly in my back, I spent some time leaning over a birth ball which made the pain easier. Paul was supposed to get off of work at 7, so I called him right at 7 to make sure he came straight home. I was ready for him to be home to help get the kids in bed. At that time my contractions were coming every 10-12 minutes. Once he was home, I spent some time walking up and down the stairs of our apartment building and around outside. I went to bed around 11 with my contractions around 10 minutes apart. I woke up around 1 AM and decided to take a shower. It ended up being a quick shower because my contractions were coming so close together. I knew we needed to get to the hospital. I told Paul to get up and get dressed. My contractions were coming around 3 minutes apart. I am so thankful that our neighbor came over while Parker and Ellis slept. We left for the hospital by 1:30 am. I was so glad that it was night and there was no traffic, but the stop lights....ohhh the stop lights. We made it to the hospital and I slowly but as quickly as I could made my way to labor and delivery. When I made it to the nurses desk, I got down on my hands and knees. I stayed that way and answered the questions they asked. I got into the wheelchair and signed the consent form at 2:12 am. I was so glad I had made it to the hospital. I felt like I had been holding my body back squeezing my legs together to make sure we made it there. I quickly ripped of my clothes, barely put on the lovely hospital gown, and crawled into the hospital bed. I was in the "I really don't care what's going on around me" stage of labor. I don't really know who was in the room. I just laid on my side and moaned through the contractions while Paul rubbed my back. I was 9 cm when they checked me. Everyone knew it wouldn't be long. Because I tested positive for Group B Strep, they quickly got a round of antibiotics in me. My membranes were still intact, and I was feeling so much pressure. Finally, they ruptured with a gush and that helped relieve a lot of the pressure. It wasn't many contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. No one told me when to push or how long to push. I didn't even make a conscience effort to push. My body just took over and did what it needed to do. With the first urge to push, out came the head, and the rest of her body came out with the next push. She was born at 2:47 am exactly 35 minutes after I had signed the consent papers. The whole experience was amazing, and I don't think the pain was that bad. Of course, the best part is the pain brings such a beautiful miracle. We spent some quality time snuggled together for awhile after. Then Paul went with her to the nursery while she got weighed and measured. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 18 1/4 inches long. We opted not to have the hospital to give her a bath, and shortly, she was back with me.
I am so in love with this precious little girl. Parker and Ellis are excited to have a little sister. Paul jokes that he has to get another gun now that he has a second daughter. It's so exciting that we are now a family of five.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Welcome to the world my darling!
We are so excited to announce the birth of our third child, Annelise Mobley Camp! She was born Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 2:47 AM weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and measuring 18 1/4 inches long.
I'm overwhelmed with this beautiful gift from God. As I stare at this beautiful creation, my heart is just filled with love. It's a reminder of God's overwhelming, infinite love for us. After having my first child, it was hard to imagine how I could love another child so deeply that I would be willingly to sacrifice myself for his behalf, but yet as I hold my third child, that love is just as deep for her as my other two children and my love for my other children has never diminished. In fact, it continues to grow and deepen as I watch them grow. Our love is expansive.
Our precious Annelise is a gift from God, and He has entrusted us with great responsibility of nurturing her body, mind, and spirit. We have been called to point this precious soul to Christ. I pray that we, sinful but grace covered, parents can do just that.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Parker's Heart for the Homeless
Living in New Orleans it is a sad and unfortunate reality that there are many homeless in our city. It is not uncommon to see someone on the side of the road just off an interstate exit holding a sign asking for help. I hate it. Not because I'm bothered by their looks, but I hate that I feel so helpless in helping them. I know the solution to get these people off the street and into a stable lifestyle can be a complicated matter. But that said when possible, I can do a little something to help.
Like I said pretty much anytime we get off the interstate their is someone there asking for help and this hasn't gone unnoticed by Parker. The other day we had this conversation.
Parker: What's that man doing?
Me: He's asking people for help because he doesn't have a place to live or food to eat.
Parker: Why?
Me: I don't know exactly, but sometimes people have things that happen to them and they end up without a way to take care of themselves.
Parker: We could give him our old home.
Me: I wish it was that easy, Bud, but we can pray for him. (Then we said a prayer for him.)
Last night as we laid in his bed and talked about how blessed we were to have such a nice, warm place to sleep in since the weather outside was so cold and wet. Parker doesn't usually like to pray out loud, but last night he wanted to, and he said such a sweet prayer praying for the people who don't have places to live. It just melted my heart. I pray that his desire to help others only grows as he gets older. I know the Lord will be able to do a mighty work through him.
Like I said pretty much anytime we get off the interstate their is someone there asking for help and this hasn't gone unnoticed by Parker. The other day we had this conversation.
Parker: What's that man doing?
Me: He's asking people for help because he doesn't have a place to live or food to eat.
Parker: Why?
Me: I don't know exactly, but sometimes people have things that happen to them and they end up without a way to take care of themselves.
Parker: We could give him our old home.
Me: I wish it was that easy, Bud, but we can pray for him. (Then we said a prayer for him.)
Last night as we laid in his bed and talked about how blessed we were to have such a nice, warm place to sleep in since the weather outside was so cold and wet. Parker doesn't usually like to pray out loud, but last night he wanted to, and he said such a sweet prayer praying for the people who don't have places to live. It just melted my heart. I pray that his desire to help others only grows as he gets older. I know the Lord will be able to do a mighty work through him.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Camp Family Update
I have been such a terrible blogger lately. I hope to do a better job, but I'm not making any promises. I wanted to give a little update on what is going on in our life.
As of January 2, 2014, we have been in New Orleans for a whole year. This past year has flown by. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed at the fact that we are here. It's amazing to see God working in our lives. It hasn't been easy, but we have sure been blessed through all the hardships and adjustments. God is good.
Paul just began his third semester working on his M.Div. in Counseling. He is still working as a manager at Chick-fil-a and as the youth pastor at our church, FBC Norco. Yes, he's a very busy man. I am so proud of him. Getting his M.Div. has been something that he has wanted to do since I have known him. Of course, he originally thought he would pursue his master degree right after he graduated from college, but God had different plans. It would have been less stress to not have to worry about providing for a wife and 3 children if he had gone straight from college. He sacrifices so much for us, and we are so grateful for all he does.
The kids and I are enjoying our time at home together. Baby #3 is due February 14 but could come anytime now. We are so excited about adding this precious baby girl to our family.
Parker and Ellis are growing up too fast. They are learning so much. They are best friends and enjoy playing together. Of course, they have their moments where they aggravate each other, but they really enjoy each others company.
I'm going to try to do a better job of blogging. Of course, I can't wait to make the announcement that baby girl has arrived.
As of January 2, 2014, we have been in New Orleans for a whole year. This past year has flown by. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed at the fact that we are here. It's amazing to see God working in our lives. It hasn't been easy, but we have sure been blessed through all the hardships and adjustments. God is good.
Paul just began his third semester working on his M.Div. in Counseling. He is still working as a manager at Chick-fil-a and as the youth pastor at our church, FBC Norco. Yes, he's a very busy man. I am so proud of him. Getting his M.Div. has been something that he has wanted to do since I have known him. Of course, he originally thought he would pursue his master degree right after he graduated from college, but God had different plans. It would have been less stress to not have to worry about providing for a wife and 3 children if he had gone straight from college. He sacrifices so much for us, and we are so grateful for all he does.
The kids and I are enjoying our time at home together. Baby #3 is due February 14 but could come anytime now. We are so excited about adding this precious baby girl to our family.
Parker and Ellis are growing up too fast. They are learning so much. They are best friends and enjoy playing together. Of course, they have their moments where they aggravate each other, but they really enjoy each others company.
I'm going to try to do a better job of blogging. Of course, I can't wait to make the announcement that baby girl has arrived.
Ellis's Prayers
Ellis is our little prayer warrior. She wants to pray a lot which is not a bad thing at all. I just love to hear her little prayers. They mostly consist of the same pattern.
"Thank You so much for Daddy at Chick-fil-a.
Thank You so much for Daddy at church.
Thank You so much for Daddy at the mall (I have know idea where this one came from.)
Thank You so much for Daddy taking a shower.
Thank You so much for Daddy wonnerware (underware).
Thank You so much for Daddy shirt.
Aaaaamen!"
Daddy gets prayed for a lot. I hope her desire to pray never wanes but continues to grow.
"Thank You so much for Daddy at Chick-fil-a.
Thank You so much for Daddy at church.
Thank You so much for Daddy at the mall (I have know idea where this one came from.)
Thank You so much for Daddy taking a shower.
Thank You so much for Daddy wonnerware (underware).
Thank You so much for Daddy shirt.
Aaaaamen!"
Daddy gets prayed for a lot. I hope her desire to pray never wanes but continues to grow.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
alligators
Ellis: It's a wal-a-gator!
Parker: No, it's ar-gator. Ar ar ar-gator!
Ellis: wal-a-gator! A wal-a-gator in the water.
Parker: Ar-gator!
I just love that they were fighting over how to pronounce alligator and neither of them were saying it right. I love how they both say alligator. Too cute!
Parker: No, it's ar-gator. Ar ar ar-gator!
Ellis: wal-a-gator! A wal-a-gator in the water.
Parker: Ar-gator!
I just love that they were fighting over how to pronounce alligator and neither of them were saying it right. I love how they both say alligator. Too cute!
Friday, September 13, 2013
18 weeks
I figured I should go ahead and start taking pictures of my growing baby bump and since I'm 18 weeks today, I figured I should go ahead and start.
Although I had a small baby bump not too far along (since it's the 3rd time around my body knew what to do), it seems like the past week I've really started to grow.
I've been wearing maternity pants for about a month now. I mean why not they are do comfy although I can't stand the lack of adequate pockets found in most.
One of my most consistent cravings has been grape flavored things- grape kool aid, grape snowballs, etc. I've also had cravings for fried rice.
I've been feeling the baby move more and more. That feeling never gets old.
In a little less than 2 weeks, we find out what the gender is. I can't wait. I keep going back and forth, first boy, then girl, now boy again, so I don't have any definitive feelings as to what this baby is. Either way, I'll be happy.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Camp Family Update
I've been a terrible blogger lately. Between first trimester yuckiness, taking care of 2 kids, and having to share a computer with Paul, I just didn't get around to blogging. But I'm going to get better.
I haven't announced this on my blog, but I am expecting baby #3 due around February 14. We hopefully will find out the gender on September 26. Themorning all day sickness I had was worse this time around than with the other 2 pregnancies and lasted longer. Most of it was nausea but I did throw up many times too. I'm very thankful to be past that part of the pregnancy.
Since our family is growing, we are moving to a bigger apartment on campus. Since this will be our fourth move in under 3 years and it's such a short move, I have little motivation to pack. However, I'm making myself pack a lot of our stuff because it will make for an easier and quicker move. Paul is very busy with school, so I want to make this move as easy as possible for him. The worst part is we're moving to a 3rd floor apartment so you can imagine that alone makes moving difficult. We will be getting a great work out.
Paul started his second semester at school, and right off the bat has been swamped with lots of reading and projects. To add to the busy semester, he has been promoted to manager at Chickfila and started as the Student Pastor at our church. He is very excited about working at First Baptist Norco. He loves working with youth, and we love our church. Paul is very busy, but he still makes time for us. We enjoyed having all the extra time with him that summer gave, but we came here for Paul to go to school.
I started homeschooling Parker. Since he's four, I'm just making my own curriculum with the help of the vast amounts of internet resources. Ellis joins us for some of the stuff we do. There is a great homeschool group on campus. I'm really enjoying homeschooling. Although I have to admit that I haven't been the most consistent with it, but once we get moved and settled I plan on making more of a consistent routine.
We really enjoy living in New Orleans. It's such a unique place. There really is no other place like it. Home will always be South Carolina, but we have made our home here in New Orleans for now.
I haven't announced this on my blog, but I am expecting baby #3 due around February 14. We hopefully will find out the gender on September 26. The
Since our family is growing, we are moving to a bigger apartment on campus. Since this will be our fourth move in under 3 years and it's such a short move, I have little motivation to pack. However, I'm making myself pack a lot of our stuff because it will make for an easier and quicker move. Paul is very busy with school, so I want to make this move as easy as possible for him. The worst part is we're moving to a 3rd floor apartment so you can imagine that alone makes moving difficult. We will be getting a great work out.
Paul started his second semester at school, and right off the bat has been swamped with lots of reading and projects. To add to the busy semester, he has been promoted to manager at Chickfila and started as the Student Pastor at our church. He is very excited about working at First Baptist Norco. He loves working with youth, and we love our church. Paul is very busy, but he still makes time for us. We enjoyed having all the extra time with him that summer gave, but we came here for Paul to go to school.
I started homeschooling Parker. Since he's four, I'm just making my own curriculum with the help of the vast amounts of internet resources. Ellis joins us for some of the stuff we do. There is a great homeschool group on campus. I'm really enjoying homeschooling. Although I have to admit that I haven't been the most consistent with it, but once we get moved and settled I plan on making more of a consistent routine.
We really enjoy living in New Orleans. It's such a unique place. There really is no other place like it. Home will always be South Carolina, but we have made our home here in New Orleans for now.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Curse Of the Camouflage Pants
Me: You're going to wear THAT?
Paul: yes, is there something wrong with this? Does it match?
Me: it's camouflage pants and we're going out in public to run errands. Why would you wear camo pants?
Paul: I need to get a lot accomplished today and these pants make me feel like getting things done.
Me: whatever...if that's what it takes for you.
I'm going to take those pants and burn them. We left the house this morning to go to the DMV to register the vehicle my daddy gave us, get the inspection sticker, get groceries, and get the seminary decal for the car.
However only one of those things happened. We went into the DMV where we waited 20 mins just to get a number. Then I waited nearly FOUR HOURS to get my numbered called. Then the lady put in that I was paying cash when I was going to use my debit card, so I just got some money out of the ATM there to save the trouble and time of them getting that fixed.
By the time we left it was close to 3 o'clock so we decided to go to Golden Corral for a big lupper. Parker wasn't eating very much and said he needed to go poop. Paul took him to the bathroom and Parker's tummy was upset. He was still complaining his tummy hurt and ended up throwing up all over the bathroom floor. Of course Paul's appetite was gone but he waited with Ellis to finish while I took Parker to the car. We ended up coming home with only one of our to do items done and the day is nearly done. Now Ellis is in her "mean I want to destroy everything mood" because she didn't take a nap. So much for Paul's camo pants helping him get things done. Like I said, I'm going to burn those pants.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
So you know you're not alone
I've been terrible lately about keeping the house clean. The other day I opened the cabinet door and there was one, ONE cup left, and the only reason we had clean plates was because we had been eating off of paper plates. There were piles and piles of dirty dishes that had been waiting for days to be washed. My excuse was I am almost out of dish detergent, but really I just hate to wash dishes. There are times Most of the time I'm stepping on leftover bits of cereal, noodles, or other bits of leftover food from the day. Forget about the floor actually being mopped. Walking through the living room or the kid's rooms is like walking through a field of land mines. There are only a few places where some kind of toy, blanket, book, clothing, or shoes aren't laying for you to place your foot. I can get clothes washed and dried, but put away is a whole other story.
It's terrible. I know that it makes life more chaotic and takes away from the home being a place of comfort and rest. I struggle with my own self-esteem. As a stay-at-home-mom, shouldn't I have everything perfectly organized and the kids on a perfect schedule so they never get bored and start acting out and destroying things?
Part of the reasoning behind the mess is it's just the season of life. With two little ones, there is bound to be mess. However, I have to take most of the blame here. The fact is I lack self-discipline or to put it bluntly, I'm lazy. I really am an organized person. I know you think I'm kidding you after reading all this, but it's true. I am also a perfectionist. Again, I'm not kidding. However, I have this flaw that keeps me from being perfectly organized. I have this "it's overwhelming, and it can't be perfect so I might as well throw in the towel and just let it all just go" mentality.
I'm bearing my flaws here, so if your in the same boat or a similar one, you can know you are not alone. There is another mama out there struggling. I would surmise that there are a lot of mamas out there that at the end of the day they are just proud that they kept the kids alive even if all the Pinterest boards and pins would suggest otherwise.
Feel free to leave a comment so I know I'm not alone.
It's terrible. I know that it makes life more chaotic and takes away from the home being a place of comfort and rest. I struggle with my own self-esteem. As a stay-at-home-mom, shouldn't I have everything perfectly organized and the kids on a perfect schedule so they never get bored and start acting out and destroying things?
Part of the reasoning behind the mess is it's just the season of life. With two little ones, there is bound to be mess. However, I have to take most of the blame here. The fact is I lack self-discipline or to put it bluntly, I'm lazy. I really am an organized person. I know you think I'm kidding you after reading all this, but it's true. I am also a perfectionist. Again, I'm not kidding. However, I have this flaw that keeps me from being perfectly organized. I have this "it's overwhelming, and it can't be perfect so I might as well throw in the towel and just let it all just go" mentality.
I'm bearing my flaws here, so if your in the same boat or a similar one, you can know you are not alone. There is another mama out there struggling. I would surmise that there are a lot of mamas out there that at the end of the day they are just proud that they kept the kids alive even if all the Pinterest boards and pins would suggest otherwise.
Feel free to leave a comment so I know I'm not alone.
Friday, May 31, 2013
In the span of about 15 minutes...
Ellis threw up all over Parker's floor. I clean up the chunky bits (I know the joys of motherhood) and spread baking soda over the floor. I put the dirty towel and clothes in the wash and vacuum up the baking soda. After vacuuming Parker yells that Ellis is outside. I run to go get her and about two feet from the door I step on something painful. I look down and there are bits of broken glass in the doorway with a piece stuck in my foot. I carefully pull out the piece in my foot, grab my flip flops by the door, and gingerly walk outside to retrieve Ellis. I lock her in her room with a baby gate. Then I administered first aid to my foot which, thankfully, was only minor. I swept then vacuumed up the glass which turned out to be a lightbulb that Parker had gotten and dropped. I finished vacuuming up the baking soda and disinfecting the whole house. Yes, all this happened in approximately fifteen minutes! Yep, I took a nap this afternoon, and I didn't feel guilty about it one bit.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Candy thieves
The other day I was in the back of the house gathering dirty clothes when I heard Ellis humming. Ellis hums when she eats especially if she really enjoys it. Since I hadn't given her anything to eat, I knew this meant trouble. I found Parker and Ellis crouched under the kitchen table munching happily on some jelly beans.
Today I was in the bathroom while Ellis was finishing her bowl of cereal when I heard her say, "I want candy Parker." Again, I knew this meant trouble. I went to the kitchen and found this. 
Yep, that's chocolate. A Reese's peanut butter egg to be exact. Parker's breath smelled of peanut butter.
I'm going to have to find a higher place to stash the candy and Parker needs to find a new partner in crime.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Easter Pictures
 |
| Getting a picture of a 3 year old and a 20 month old together is nearly impossible. |
 |
| It's nice to have a picture of just me and my love. Thanks Elise! |
 |
| MiMi and Poppy came to visit. |
 |
| My precious babies! |
Monday, March 4, 2013
God provides
I know that God will always provide. He may not provide in the way I think He will, but He always shows me that He's in control and He is all I need. Isn't that what God's provision is....Himself?
We've never been rich, but being in seminary, we are very tight financially. I'm not complaining. I actually think it is a blessing. God is using this time to mold us more into the image of Christ.
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to Paul that I'm not sure that I will be able to get everything on my shopping list because the list was getting longer and the funds in the bank were getting lower. Later on in the day, a few men from Gulfport, MS showed up on our door step and asked if there was anything they could do for us. They were on a deacon retreat and wanted to reach out to the seminary students. They prayed with us and handed us a $25 gift card to Walmart. I was able to get everything on my list when I went shopping.
Today, I had told Paul that the checking account is getting very low, so we need to be very careful until the next payday. When I checked the mail a couple hours later, we had a couple of cards with money in them. What a blessing that God provides for us financially! What a blessing that we have people in our lives praying for us and being obedient to answer God's call on their lives to lend us a helping hand! And these are not the only times this has happened.
I can't wait until the day when God has placed us in a place where we are stable enough to be able to bless others the way people have blessed us. God's blessings are beyond financial. I'm just blown away by who He is. I get what God was telling Moses when God told Moses to tell the Israelites that "I am" sent him. I am is all I need.
We've never been rich, but being in seminary, we are very tight financially. I'm not complaining. I actually think it is a blessing. God is using this time to mold us more into the image of Christ.
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to Paul that I'm not sure that I will be able to get everything on my shopping list because the list was getting longer and the funds in the bank were getting lower. Later on in the day, a few men from Gulfport, MS showed up on our door step and asked if there was anything they could do for us. They were on a deacon retreat and wanted to reach out to the seminary students. They prayed with us and handed us a $25 gift card to Walmart. I was able to get everything on my list when I went shopping.
Today, I had told Paul that the checking account is getting very low, so we need to be very careful until the next payday. When I checked the mail a couple hours later, we had a couple of cards with money in them. What a blessing that God provides for us financially! What a blessing that we have people in our lives praying for us and being obedient to answer God's call on their lives to lend us a helping hand! And these are not the only times this has happened.
I can't wait until the day when God has placed us in a place where we are stable enough to be able to bless others the way people have blessed us. God's blessings are beyond financial. I'm just blown away by who He is. I get what God was telling Moses when God told Moses to tell the Israelites that "I am" sent him. I am is all I need.
Friday, March 1, 2013
When God speaks to Parker
Me: Parker, why did you pee in the trash can?
Parker: my penis
Me: No, not how you did it. Why did you do it?
Parker: obey God
Me: Son, I don't think God told you to pee in the trash can.
I must have missed the verse in the Bible that says, "Thou shall pee in thy trash can."
Parker: my penis
Me: No, not how you did it. Why did you do it?
Parker: obey God
Me: Son, I don't think God told you to pee in the trash can.
I must have missed the verse in the Bible that says, "Thou shall pee in thy trash can."
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Throw me something, Mister!
We got to celebrate our first Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and boy, it was exciting and fun. I've never been to Mardi Gras celebrations anywhere else, but I can't imagine that anyone can do it better. If you're like me when you think New Orleans and Mardi Gras, you think indecent exposure, inebriation, and all things not meant for families with young children. However, that's not the case. Sure, if you found yourself in the middle of the French Quarter strolling down Bourbon Street, then Mardi Gras would be rated R. There are soooo many parades that are great for families, and now my children may never enjoy another parade outside of NOLA again.
Mardi Gras is a huge deal in NOLA. The carnival season begins on January 6th, 12th night of Christmas, and from that time until Fat Tuesday the evidence of the celebration is all over. King cakes in stores, aisles at Walmart devoted to all kinds of Mardi Gras decor, and houses decked out in purple, green, and gold. The two and half weeks (although this year it was three weeks because the Super Bowl fell in between) before Mardi Gras day are packed full of parades. Each Krewe has their own parade and there are a lot of Krewes.
I had the chance to go to some parades with some other ladies the Thursday before Fat Tuesday. We went mainly for the Krewe of Muses parade, but enjoyed a couple others that rolled before. The Krewe of Muses is more of a PG-13 parade so that's why I went without the kids plus it was past their bedtime. The Muses have a special throw of sparkly, decked out shoes. You have towork really hard beg a Muse to hand you a shoe and make sure that the throngs of other people around you don't get what was intended for you. I didn't get a shoe, but got some other neat throws and had a lot of fun on my girls night out.
We were planning on taking in some parades on Fat Tuesday, but since both cars were broken down and Ellis was sick we watched some of the parades on tv. We had so much fun. We look forward to many more years of celebrating the carnival season in New Orleans.
Mardi Gras is a huge deal in NOLA. The carnival season begins on January 6th, 12th night of Christmas, and from that time until Fat Tuesday the evidence of the celebration is all over. King cakes in stores, aisles at Walmart devoted to all kinds of Mardi Gras decor, and houses decked out in purple, green, and gold. The two and half weeks (although this year it was three weeks because the Super Bowl fell in between) before Mardi Gras day are packed full of parades. Each Krewe has their own parade and there are a lot of Krewes.
I had the chance to go to some parades with some other ladies the Thursday before Fat Tuesday. We went mainly for the Krewe of Muses parade, but enjoyed a couple others that rolled before. The Krewe of Muses is more of a PG-13 parade so that's why I went without the kids plus it was past their bedtime. The Muses have a special throw of sparkly, decked out shoes. You have to
 |
| There was a lull in the parade so people just filled the street and started dancing. I learned the wobble (I know I may be a little late on that). |
 |
| My throws from the Muses, not including a few magnetic dry erase message boards and some doubloons. |
The Saturday before Fat Tuesday the whole family went to some parades. Our original intentions was to go to the Krewe of Iris and stay for the parade that followed, the Krewe of Tucks. We ended up skipping out on the Krewe of Tucks as it was delayed for a while and made our way to the Krewe of Endymion. Endymion is a very popular parade. It has a lot of riders that send out a lot of throws. Having some cute kids and getting the attention of the riders is key to getting some good throws.
 |
| People get to the parade route and set up there spots early hours before it is scheduled to roll. Many people have retrofitted ladders with seats on top for the kids to sit in for ultimate parade watching and throw catching. |
 |
| Motorized Cooler-cycle. You never know what you are going to see. |
 |
| We are so going to have to get one of these for Parker and Ellis. |
 |
| Ellis and I worked together to get some great throws. |
 |
| Paul and Parker made a great team. Paul is such a good dad. He had some very sore shoulders at the end of the day. |
 |
| This one is just for Uncle Michael. |
 |
| Isn't she cute with her beads? |
 |
| People were everywhere. |
 |
| Budweiser Clydesdales |
 |
| The parades are not just floats, but there are sooo many marching bands and other groups mixed in. |
 |
| In the parades that roll at night or into the night, they have the city's homeless carry flambeauxs as a way to pay tribute to how the parades used to be lit. The homeless take tips from the revelers as they pass. |
 |
| This guy just stopped at this man and took the spoon from him and helped himself to a bite of jambalaya. I would have thrown it away after that, but he kept on eating his supper. |
 |
| Endymion has such pretty floats. |
 |
| Our beads- approximately 60 lbs of them! Yes, there are some unopened bags of them that they would just chunck at you. And yes, you have to watch out because they are chuncked at you and do hurt if you get hit with them. |
 |
| The toys we got- plush animals, balls, frisbees, cups. Some toys didn't make it in this picture. That's what happens when you have little ones. |
 |
| More of the throws. Notice the light saber, Parker's favorite. Sadly, it has already broken. We also got a t-shirt that's not pictured. You never know what you're gonna get. |
 |
| Not all the beads are the generic kind. There are some special beads and these are what we got. |
Monday, February 11, 2013
Where Food Goes
Parker: My food goes in my throat.
Me: Yes then it goes into your belly.
Parker: Then in my leg.
Me: No, it stays in you stomach and your body gets the good stuff it needs and the rest goes out in your pee or poop.
We've had conversations about where food goes in our bodies when we eat at least one meal a day. He just very interested in the whole digestion process. Usually it's accompanied with a lot of whys.
A couple of days ago we had this conversation over Sunday lunch.
Parker: My food goes in my throat (He puts in a bite and shows me how he swallows.)
Me: Yes, it does.
Parker: It goes in my belly
Me: Uh huh
Parker: It goes in my penis and my bottom.
At that point, Paul and I lost it. The boy is right.
Me: Yes then it goes into your belly.
Parker: Then in my leg.
Me: No, it stays in you stomach and your body gets the good stuff it needs and the rest goes out in your pee or poop.
We've had conversations about where food goes in our bodies when we eat at least one meal a day. He just very interested in the whole digestion process. Usually it's accompanied with a lot of whys.
A couple of days ago we had this conversation over Sunday lunch.
Parker: My food goes in my throat (He puts in a bite and shows me how he swallows.)
Me: Yes, it does.
Parker: It goes in my belly
Me: Uh huh
Parker: It goes in my penis and my bottom.
At that point, Paul and I lost it. The boy is right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
