I'm an Aunt & a Trip to Oregon

I recently took a trip back to Oregon. My sister gave birth to her son and I HAD to make the trip to see my first Nephew!! He is such a doll!!!

 This is sweet little Izeyah Lamar.

While there I was able to see our old friends.  This was the 1st time since moving away over 7 years ago that I really enjoyed being there and didn't want to leave.  I am not sure the exact reason, but there may have been many!

I have to admit it was a nice treat to be "free" for 5 days.  I've been a mom for so long it was hard to know what to do with myself without school schedules and a long to do list!  :o)  I actually forgot to eat a few times, because without having to concentrate on anyone else, I just didn't remember!  lol

Not only was I able to see people I hadn't in years, I was able to do things on a whim, like going to the opening of a movie and taking a trip up a mountain to see the scenery and shoot guns.  I could have stayed up on that mountain all day!!  It was brisk and beautiful.  I sorely miss seeing and experiencing fall every year!!  

While leaving my sister and family and friends was hard, I belong here with my husband and babies!  But I will tell you, I am ready to go back!  :o)

Lost My Way

I have really missed my blogging. I catch myself sitting down to blog, but find that my usual going-ons to be not so news worthy! lol Not to mention there is an active little guy here that makes it difficult at times to sit and get my thoughts down. And if you are a blogger, you know you have to be in the "zone" and in the right mood to blog! 

Since the birth of  Tatem, my life has been pretty much a routine of getting Regan off to school, going to the gym then either shopping, lunch with friends, playgroup or cleaning house. Not too, too exciting! :o) 

In all honestly a lot has been going on within these walls and with my family and friends!! 

Regan is a big ol' 2nd grader now, Tatem turned 1 almost two months ago, Bub's approval from the AFT and the State came through and he is now certified and a business owner and I am about to be an Aunt! Not to mention I am in my 3rd year of being a Girl Scout Troop Leader and my Playgroup is celebrating it's 7th year!! 

Ok, I guess I have a few reasons to get back into the groove. I do love being able to reflect on the past by going through my blog! I've miss it!!

I want to thank the 2 who posted comments in my blog yesterday and this morning!  I think it gave me that push I needed to sit down here this morning!!  :O)

So stay tuned......there's more to come!!!!

Kicking off Mardi Gras 2011

I guess falling back into blogging is going to be more of a challenge then I originally thought! lol

Is life passing anyone else by at about 80 miles an hour?? I mean surely it can't just be me. I find it hard to fit everything in on most days, let alone finding a little solace by getting a few hours a day to myself!

Some morning, like this one I get a good hour to mess around on the computer while Tatem is playing and watching Barney. What I really need to be doing in laundry or cleaning! But a girl needs a little down time before the rush of the day!

This weekend was the kick off of Mardi Gras. It's a great time to live down here. All the more reason for family outings and an extra excuse to get together with friends and just hang out!

This weekend we hit the Rio parade, which is a great night parade. Tatem stayed with a sitter and we took Regan and met up with our ALLONs friends and few others. We had half of the parking lot on our side.....it was a great way to enjoy the night!!









Then Sunday we went to the Scott Parade which was probably the biggest I've been too. Regan really racked up! It was Tatem's 1st parade!



Tatem, he didn't last long. He was thrown a little plastic football and held it while he watched the floats until he just passed out.




It was the cutest thing! And everyone on the floats evidently thought so too because they kept trying to throw him stuff! lol

More to come next weekend.....

Where Does the Time Go?!

Well, it appears that I have let my blog go over the past 7 months! But really, I have a great excuse!! I do!! You see, I have a new man in my life...............

This is Tatem.

On August 5th we became a family of 4 and my life became very full again!

As a mom of a 6 year old. No wait. As a mom of a very independent 6 year old, I quickly forgot how busy one becomes when a baby enters the house! Not to mention, when I had Regan I was not an oilfield wife and she was the center of my whole world.

This time around there was the emergency c-section, Bub's blood clot, a husband who had to go back offshore to work and a baby that was not as easy as Regan. Tatem was not any different than any other baby, but Regan was just THAT easy, making this little guy seem pretty hard at times.

He is almost 7 months old now, and still a little momma's boy. He is sweet and loves to give kisses. He loves Samara and our cats and just ADORES his big sister! He spends a lot of time staring at her when she is in his view! It really is sweet the love these two already share! He is a big fan of Barney and is already wanting to walk and explore. If he's sitting and he gets ahold of two hands he will quickly stand himself up and start going. Then he tries to let go........he's really gonna give me a run for my money I fear! lol

The last 7 months have been very full! There is still dance classes and playgroup, my social group and Girl Scouts, being the room mom at Regan's school and of course there's the house and such. Somehow it's all remaining balanced. I feel a little crazy at times and definitely enjoy the weekly massages and trips to the chiropractor.

All in all, we are blessed beyond words and my heart is so full!! I hope to keep up with this blog from now on.......but for now - Tatem just woke from his nap! lol

Good Day!!

Happy 6th Birthday Regan!!

About this time, 6 years ago, I was getting out of bed. Having been in labor for 7 hours and waking every hour since midnight, I could no longer sleep! On my due date, it appeared Regan was ready for her entry into the world!!

About 8 am I very calmly called Bub and let him know I was in labor and that at some point today I would need him to come home and bring me to the hospital! For the next few hours I proceeded to clean my house, take a shower and shave, and finish packing for our hospital stay!

Bub came home after noon and after eating lunch and showering, we were on our way to Lafayette Women's & Children's Hospital.

We arrived around 2:30. The nurse abruptly let me know that I couldn't have an epidural until I was 4 cm. I laughed and said, I am not worried about that, I have been in labor for 14 hours...... Needless to say when they got me to my room and checked me I was already 5 cm. I was given my epidural and then time seemed to fly by.

Later that night, it appeared I could not get past 8 cm. Regan hadn't dropped and was sunny side up in there. So, Dr Fell took my epidural away! I swore he was trying to kill me by doing this, but wouldn't you know it - she turned the right way, came down and I dilated to a 10!!

After 45 minutes of pushing, Regan was born! June 4th, 2004 at 11:50 pm and weighing 7 lbs 5 oz. She was the prettiest baby I had ever seen!

For the next few days I hardly slept!! All I wanted to do was look at her and hold her. I never thought I'd have my very own child!!

6 years ago we were blessed with an angel that would forever change our lives for the greater! The past 6 years have been wonderful and I don't know what we would do without her!

Though being a parent is far from being easy, it is easily the most rewarding and amazing job I will ever have!!

I wish I could revisit those early days when she was new, but I wouldn't trade a second of the last 6 years for anything!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

Looking at My Life

I am just in the best mood! Not sure what it is, I guess it's just the combination of a bunch of things, but life is good!

Life is always good, no matter how rough it may be. But when things settle and I look around, I am so very grateful and happy!

My daughter is beautiful and so very smart and is growing up so much each day!

My husband is the rock of this family! He works his ass off (even though I give him hell and tell him he doesn't) to give us a really great life! We are able to do what we want and get what we need when we need it! And most of all it allows me to stay home and raise our family and make the best of every moment!

I am blessed to be pregnant again and so grateful that it was even possible! Though having a boy was such a scary thought, I couldn't be happier about him or about our family growing!!

I have the most perfect marriage! I mean, who gets to marry their best friend and soul mate and spend all their time laughing and goofing off?! We do and I love it! I laugh so much when he is home and it makes life that much better!

We have been blessed with some really amazing friends! I can say that some of them I thought I'd never be close to, partly because of my stand -off-ish nature when it comes to letting people get close to me! But I admittedly have some of the most trustworthy, do anything for you friends and I am glad they are mine!!

My playgroup has now been around for 5 1/2 years! It is successful mostly because we have the cream of the crop when it comes to amazing women! It is a privilege to be in this group and around these women!!

All in all, I have nothing to complain about! And in a world that is very upside down and uncertain, it is great to feel this way I think!! :o)

School's Out - for - Summer!

School is officially out for the year!! Regan is done with Kindergarten and will be in the "digits" next year!







This year has flown by, it really has! You think a SAHM with a child in school 7 hours a day would have a boring life with nothing to do but clean house and wait for the kid to get home! On the contrary, I have filled my weeks with lunches with friends, playgroup potlucks, pedicures, shopping and I even started canning this year!! 2 pm came very fast each day!!

Next year of course will be just as full, if not more so with the arrival of our baby boy! I have to say I am very happy with the way we spaced his and Regan's ages. She will be in school and I will still get to have that one on one time with him, just as I did with Regan. And he will get to go to playgroup and make his own friends, just like Regan did! And by the time he is in Kindergarten, I will be able to volunteer in his classroom, just as I did for Regan!

Now that summer is here Regan will go to her old daycare twice a week like she did before school started. I wasn't going to send her, but she really wants to go and I figure that as the pregnancy progresses, a quiet day at home or a kid free lunch will be nice! lol

She will definitely be busy this summer though. Between swim lessons, Girl Scout Day Camp, Hip-Hop dance class, playgroup, Summer Movies each Monday and playgroup twice a week - I am sure our summer will breeze by! Then before we know it baby boy will be here and she will be starting 1st grade!! It really is bittersweet how fast they grow up!!!