Wildcat Football Players

Justin and I were cooking dinner the other night and the boys were running around playing outside. I went out in the garage to get something and noticed the boys down by the mailbox. I looked a little closer becuase i could tell they were hard at work doing something. Then I realized what it was. They had gotten Justin's "Home of a Duluth High School Wildcat Football Player" sign out of the basement and were trying to put it in the ground. So i went back inside and told justin to look out the window and he started cracking up. ---we don't even live in Duluth school district lol---but we pretended we didn't see them. So they came back in and were like daddy come look what we did for you. and walked him down to the mailbox. lol- and they insist that we not take it down.

Carden family Reunion

Well, i was able to attend my first Carden family reunion. I guess technically it wasn't a "Carden" reunion but close enough. It was Justin's mom's side of the family. We left Friday morning at around 3:30-4:00am - North Carolina bound. The boys and I slept almost the entire way. My poor husband drove the entire time. We got to NC around 7:30 and stopped for breakfast and the boys and i stayed awake for the remainder of the drive and arrived at Aunt Ellen's about 9:00- 9:30 something like that. I took a shower and we just piddled around for a few hours. I realized that i had one the "mother of the year" award when i noticed that i hadnt packed ANY toys for the boys to play with AT ALL! I put two seek and find books in the car but that was it! I don't know what i was thinking. so we took them up to Wal-Mart and got them some Uno cards, a hotwheels race track, a plastic ball, & some extra race cars- color changing cars. Anyhow, then we went and i got to meet Gary- justin's dad's 90 year old sister, Ruth! She was a sharp as a tack! It was hot as blue blazes in her house but still that woman doesn't seem 90 at all!

Saturday ws the BIG REUNION at Ellens house. We arrived at 10:00am per Ann's request and just kind of hung around for a bit until time to put up the jump house and get things started. Once the jump house was up we didn't see the boys for a while until Irey came and wanted to kick the ball with Justin in the front yard. Ellen has this tree in her front yard- Satan's tree. This tree had thorns- sharp thorns- about 3-4 inches long on the branches and these blackish brown pod like things hanging off of it- almost like pea pods but i would imagine around 6-8 inches long. The tree was creepy to say the least. Anyhow, Justin kicked the ball up in the tree and it sounded like a mad snake and the ball deflated instantly. Satan's tree ate Irey's ball.

Uncle Rick tried to patch it as best he could but it wouldn't keep air in it, so Irey moved on to other things. Justin's cousins were all to arrive at noon so we could visit before all the people we didn't know arrived at 2:00. One of the cousin's husband's was cooking a pig on this huge smoker. So, Laura- the cousin with the big- calls and says that they were loading up the cars and her daughter was carrying a bag and it ripped open and i knife fell out of it and sliced her foot. So they were heading to the emergancy room. So Angela, another cousin, went and picked up Laura's son and her husband drove the pig over. The pig was really cool to see on the smoker- i know thats kind of morbid but i had never seen that before. I took pictures.

So anyhow, Laura and her family arrived after the Emergancy room visit- everyone is fine. And all sorts of people starting showing up. People that Ann didn't even know. We were introduced to as many as possible and basically just kept to ourselves after the introductions. The family is so sweet all of them.

The next morning we packed up the cars and picked up Ms. Ann and headed for Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then hit the road back home to GA. It was a very nice trip. Was good to get away from home and spend some fun times with family. I will post pictures when i get Ann's camera.

Randy's Pumpkin Patch

Randy's Pumpkin Patch

Justin and I had promised the boys we would take them to the pumpkin patch to jump in all the jumpy things. We told them there was no way we were buying them a pumpkin there b/c they are really expensive and we can get the same thing at Publix for cheaper. So yesterday we went. We got there and one of our neighborhood friends were also there and the boys had a hay day playing and sliding with their friends. I like to people watch so i was watching all these parents who dressed up their kids just to take pictures of their kids with these pumpkins and then just leave. I don't really get that. I mean yes pumpkins are cool colors and shapes but why? Why not buy one and take it home and take pictures. I was watching all of them and trying to remember if when the boys were younger if i did anything like that and i remembered. I took Irey when he was really little to the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mtn just to take pics of him. Silly I know but they are our babies and i guess i wanted a cute background for pictures to scrapbook lol. So i joined the clan of parents taking pics of their kids with pumpkins.....my pics are not as cute b/c i didn't dress them up but......... my kids are still the cutest no matter what the background is.. :)

Pregnancy Brain

So i pulled my first pregnancy brain booboo today. I came into work as normal and started the coffee pot as normal. i go back into the breakroom to chat with co-workers and as one goes for the coffee pot i realize.......it looks like dirty water. ha! I had fixed the entire pot without pulling in the coffee grounds, so i basically made hot dirty water. what a moron. lol. we got a good laugh and one of my sweet co-workers remade the coffee bless her heart. They were probably thinking....great whats next lol. I am the first person in the office on a daily basis so i better keep my head and get that coffee right from now on or my office mates might revolt. Anyhow, i am sure there is more to come.


I learned that this week my uterus is the close to the size of a grapefruit and the baby is the size of a raspberry. How cute is that! I can't wait to go to the doctor to see the little blob on the screen!

Hormones ugh

I had my first bought of mood swings/ hormone surges. Not cool. Please pray that NEVER again will i feel like i did last night. I do NOT remember feeling that way previously- but i know every pregnancy is different. I just hope that that was the one and only situation. LOL, i had mood swings before but never made a big deal out of something that wasn't a big deal until yesterday. What a goob am I. Thank God for my understanding husband.

Brain Trickery?

Well, today marks one week that we've known we are pregnant. I am still just as excited but a few things are starting to set it that i didn't remember from the boys pregnancies. I am whipped. I am just sooooo sleepy. Not so much tired just sleepy. I could sleep for hours, days, however long i could get away with laying in the bed! But there is still lots of work to be done around the house and two other little boys that need their mama.

I am also super hungry. All day. I don't remember being this hungry this early and this often in my other two pregnancies, but those were like 5 + years ago. So i am trying to make good food choices when i am hungry so i don't gain too much weight. I ate two bagels for breakfast this morning where used to i would eat half of 1 bagel for breakfast. Granted I should have eaten like one bagel and a banana or something but.....ill do that next time. Am i really this hungry or is my brain playing tricks on me? Everyone says this pregnancy will be different because im older so i guess we will see! It already is. and other have said, its twins. thats why you are so hungry. well, if it is twins we will be double excited and terrified lol. Double the Love. :)

I had a part time job working at Zax on friday nights and saturday mornings but the grease smell was making me soooo sick to my stomach so i had to resign. Other than that i haven't really been too sick so far. I've had an episode or two here and there but nothing to write home about. i am only around 6 weeks so i have a few more months of possible sickness but we shall see. Im keeping my fingers crossed that i just feel queezy and not barfy like now. . . . More to come :)

WELL, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THE WEDDING TALK......IT'S BABY TIME~

We are expecting!!

Here's how it all went down:

I haven’t been on the pill since before the wedding so we knew it was just a matter of time. Then I had that cyst erupt on my ovary causing me not to have a period a couple of months ago so that didn’t help and we just stopped keeping track of my ovulation days. Then when I got my period again we tracked it and found the two “most important” days and made sure some magic happened and then just went about our business. So we kinda planned kinda didn’t. but for the past week I’ve been really hungry, constipated (TMI I know), bloated, nauseated and all that mess so I was like uhhhh I think something is going on here!

Then I was supposed to start Wednesday but I figured I’d give it another day and Justin and I decided we’d take a test Friday morning. so I woke up like every hour waiting to see if it was time to get up and take the test. Finally I got up at 6:00 and took it and layed back down and told justin I took the test. Then he asked if I wanted to go with him to see the results and I said no you look. So he went in there and said what am I looking for? And I said two pink lines. He said well, then I suggest you not drink anytime soon!

I was like SHUT UP! And ran in to look at it and it was like BOLD PINK lines lol. I was so excited I started jumping around and was like freakin out. lol justin had like a perma grin on his face and he took me to breakfast since we were up soooo early lol.

I called Mama first and she answered the phone by saying " You are." and I said "I am" my mama knows me so well even hundreds of miles away. Then i sent a picture message of the test with a note saying " I passed the test.......shhhhhhh" to a few of my friends and called the rest later in the day. Too many people to call. But we had to keep it under wraps and not on the internet because we hadn't told his parents just yet. I found out i was expecting Friday and Justin and his dad went out of town Saturday for the Panthers Redskins game for the weekend!

So i had to will myself not to get on Facebook and announce it or to blurt it to Justins mom when i saw her throughout the weekend while the boys were gone. It was sooooo hard! So we devised a plan on how we would tell them when everyone was back in town and the plan was that we were going to make shirts that said "I'm the big brother" and have Cole and Irey wearing one and see if they got it and also i got a bib that said" I love grandma" and an empty baby bottle that said BABY on it.

Dara came over to keep me company Saturday while Justin was gone and we made the shirts....well Dara made the shirts. She made one 100% perfect the other....not so much...

Haha, she felt so bad. I thought it was pretty funny actually. LOL so anyways, Monday finally came and we were supposed to have his parents over for dinner and devise our plan to tell them before dinner time, however, Ann and i both ended up sick and in bed! So last night they came over for dinner and the boys came up with the plan of how to tell them. We wanted to make sure they felt important in the hole thing. ( I also got them a book about being big brothers to a baby- Irey read it to Cole- very cute!)

They decided to wear their shirts under another shirt and to make them close their eyes and hold out their hands and they would give them to bottle- to Gary and the bib- to Ann and then take their outer shirts off to reveal the "I'm a big brother".

Well, the boys plan went well, howeve, Ann didn't get it at first- she put the bib on herself. lol- she thought it was just one of those dollar store- the kid picks out the gifts type of silly thing. Then she saw the shirts and then she saw Gary holding a baby bottle and i think it started to click. She was like....are yall trying to tell me something??? And Gary was like well im holding an empty baby bottle and im pretty sure its not for any of us Ann. And Cole said I'm going to be a big brother and again, she said, are yall trying to tell me something?? and we said yes, we are having a baby! She was like..............IM GOING TO BE A BLOOD GRANDMA?!?!?!

It was very exciting. I'm glad now the cat is out of the bag. i was able to post it on Facebook and almost everyone knows....except my work. I plan to tell them after I go to the doctor on November 6th. I will have an ultrasound and an apt with a MidWife. I plan to see both a MidWife and Doctor to see which is best for us. Previously with the boys i only had a doctor and didn't really know what a MidWife was. Dara is going to be our Doula. :)

So now there is 6 in our family............it just keeps getting bigger :)

Wedding Events....how it all went down.

Day 1 Wednesday Night / Thursday

We decided to leave GA at Midnight the night before we were scheduled to arrive in Myrtle Beach so that we could go to Wal-Mart and get our food and junk, go to the probate office and pick up our marriage license, and then meet up with our officiate at 11:00am at our hotel. The groomsmen met us at our house and fiddled around for a while and then we left right about midnight. ( the kiddos rode with Mr. Gary & Ms. Ann the next day- Thursday ) We had to make a few stops here and there for gas, snacks, energy drinks, & potty breaks but made it to Myrtle in time to have breakfast at Bo-Jangles. After that we went to the Probate office- which apparently I looked at the times wrong and they didn’t open for another hour………oops. We hadn’t slept, especially Justin. He had to open at work at 6:00am on Wednesday and drove the entire 8/9 hour drive to Myrtle in the middle of the night. Luckily, the cleaning crew was there and they let us in to wait inside so we could go to the bathroom and rest outside of the car for a little while.

We were able to obtain our marriage license with no problems with a few minutes of them opening the window and were on our way back to the hotel. By this time it is only around 9:00am. Our check in time was not until 3:00pm and we couldn’t even check in without Justin’s dad because we reserved the room on his credit card. Stupid rule but they require you present the card at check in and actually pay in advance! So they were able to let us do a “pre-check-in” but only because we were the bride and groom, thank God. But pre-check in is only a parking pass. Bummer. But you do get access to the facility, pools, beach, bathrooms, but not a room to change to do all of those things. So, we hung out in the parking deck. Me and the groom and the groomsmen. Needless to say it wasn’t as much fun for me as them because they were able to just slip right into their swimming suits, while I had to duck behind a car door and try to shimmy off my clothes and put my suit on without the entire world seeing me in the nude. ( my worst fear in the WORLD ) But I did manage to do it, whether anyone saw me or not is still unknown.

After changing we waited on the officate to meet us outside of the lobby to go down to the beach behind the hotel to show him where we wanted to do it and verify that it would be OK for us to do that there on Saturday. He met us and we walked through the pool areas and onto the beach and showed him exactly what we wanted to do and he said oh sure that is no problem at all....well it didn't turn out to be no problem at all...at all...but that doesnt come for another day or two.

Becky and Randy were already at the hotel and checked into a room and we saw them coming out of the parking deck on their way to go shopping and talked for a little bit. It was decided that when they got back I would move my wedding dress up to their room, given that we didn’t have a room just a parking space at that point. So, the boys and I packed up a cooler and headed for the beach. Can’t beat that right! Wrong. As soon as the guys stepped onto the beach they were greeted by the beach patrol and told they could not bring alcoholic beverages onto the beach!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? Seriously?!?! Frusterating to say the least. But Luckily there was a Tiki bar that had just opened.

So we just migrated over there and sat our oily butts down and had drinks for ………..hours.

I few hours went by and finally my in-laws and children arrived and we were able to check into our room and unload our cars and TAKE SHOWERS!! Justin layed down on the bed and quickly passed out for the day and night. I took a little nap and decided to meet up with whoever else was already there. So I called my sister and went up to hers and meme’s room and we went for a walk on the beach right before a storm was moving in. We walked on the beach and then moved up to my balcony to watch the storm rolling in over the ocean, was pretty amazing site.

Anyhow, eventually we went up to her’s and Meme’s room and had some sandwiches for supper and I went back to my room and straightened up a bit and went to sleep…..

Tubes

Well, yesterday Justin went to the U2 concert, strange I know. He was invited and someone paid for his ticket and he basically said he wasted 6 hours of his life at the Georgia Dome listening to “Bone-O” dance around with his hands up, he said he didn’t not want to join the cult. Bless his heart. So while he was gone me and the boys went on a lovely date. We went to Waffle House and stuffed our faces lol.

I wanted to make sure Cole’s belly was good and full so that he wouldn’t be too terribly hungry for his surgery this morning. After Waffle House we went to Wal Mart and got his Halloween costume. We will have a Spiderman ( Irey – again this year) and a Batman (Cole- this is the 2nd time he’s been batman- but it wasn’t last year…I don’t think) Anyhow, it was a very pleasant evening with my boys. Got them tucked in so I could have a lazy evening catching up on my Tivo’d shows….

Well, I fell asleep in the chair- crick in my neck, yuck. But Justin got home and woke me up and sent me to bed. I had the hardest time sleeping between the thunder and the fear that I wouldn’t wake up in time to leave and have Cole to the doctor in downtown Atlanta by 6:30am. It was a rough night to say the least. But I woke up and Cole woke in a chipper kind of mood for 5:30am. Got him all bundled up with his “Barry”- his teddy bear and headed out around 5:45am. It was raining and dark and nasty- the two things that freak me out the most about driving, but we survived and arrived on time. Cole was kind of in a daze by then, I think he realized he was still sleepy. But we checked in a the surgical center at 6:20ish and almost immediately were taken to a room where the nurse came and took all of his vitals, next the anastesiologist (spelling??) came in to talk to us, he left and I thought “Hey this is moving right along, I might not be late for work…” Wrong. After he left we waited in the room for about an hour or more until the doctor came in for a few minutes to say hi and that it would just be another few minutes. Finally, they came and got us and took us to the operating room and I was able to hold his hands while they put the “space mask” over his mouth and nose ( that freaked him out) and he started crying but within a few seconds he was asleep. Then I left the room and went to the waiting room. About 15minutes later the doctor came out and he was done. Cole had to wait in recovery for a little while to be monitored and then I was brought back. He was “drunk”. Very funny, bless his heart. He was asking everyone “Who ARE you?” , and “Where am I?” “Did I already do it?” lol, very funny. And his body was kind of swaying around. Like a drunk 5 year old. But he was given the option for me to carry him or ride in the wheel chair to the car….he chose the “wheel chair because it has wheels”. So we got him in the car and on the way. On the way to Ms. Ann’s house he said “mommy, I told you I was going to be brave.” (slurred of course) and I said, “ Yep Cole you were VERY brave” Cole replied, “I was the Bravest Boy ever”. It was very sweet. He is at Ms. Ann’s for a day of pampering. I am exhausted but glad it is over with now. He will have no excuses for ignoring me!!

Cole Man

Cole, the sweetest lil thing. He has his grandparents wrapped around his little finger! They think he can do no wrong, with those big brown eyes and long lashes... Well I know the truth! He could care less about "things" he is just extremely easy going and loves people and has never met a stranger. Cole also played baseball this summer, however, it was only because Irey was doing it and because he could get a snack after the game and a trophy at the end of the season. He would have much rather been on "Playground Patrol" than on the team! But he stayed in there through the entire season, it was pretty interesting the ways people would bribe him to get him to stay out there....candy, gum, pizza, sleep overs, etc. But I think he had a pretty fun time anyways. He's happy to be at "Big Boy" school now, as am I! The first two weeks were pretty rough for him. Funny but Rough. He got checks (checks are bad) daily for various things like, talking to much, running, standing in his chair, disrupting class with barnyard noises, and slapping himself to try and get a girl to laugh..........we had a little come to Jesus talk with him and a giggle, and all is well with him now. He's adjusting.

Irey Boy

Is is now 7 1/2 years old. The child is smarter than I am. It's kind of sad really. He has a very kind heart and is extremely in tune with my emotions. He knows how I am feeling even if I dont express it outwardly. I would assume because it was just he and I for so long. Anyhow, he's in 2nd grade now- a big boy. And made the All Star baseball team this summer. He is finally coming into his "boy-hood", which I am thankful for. He kills the bugs, plays in mud, tries to climb trees, and plays rough with his brother. These are all things that I enjoy lol. I was never much of a girlie girl. I did pageants and was a cheerleader in my younger years but I would have rather been playing football with the boys. He is doing very very well in school and loves that his little brother is at his school too now. Irey is on the smaller side for the boys his age so alot of times people think Irey & Cole are twins- which he is NOT thrilled about. He will probably be like my brother where he just shoots up over a summer and is taller than everyone! But for now, I sure love my little runt!

So Here Goes Nothin

So i decided today to start a blog. I am not a "blogger" persay but i do like to write and its an easier way to remember things since my brain doesn't always do that for me. So check back to see what I've put up :)