More catching up (with pictures!)

Well, my baby girl is getting Christened Sunday!! I'm very excited. Tomorrow we're going to get the food, and try to find a white shirt for Tallon to wear (we're all going to wear white so that we can take a fam picture in all white). Then Saturday we're going to pick up my sister at the airport and pick up the cake from Paul's Pastry. Then the blessed day!!

I'm so excited to get my sister. I haven't seen her in 2 years! I do wish I could see my neices and nephews, but I guess I'll settle for just her :o) I'm just so ready for tomorrow to hurry and get here! So much to do, and so anxious to get started!!!

Above are some pictures from over the months that I've missed being on here!!!

Lots to catch up on!!!

My Goodness! I will have to agree with my friend Callie (on her blogspot) that I am reminded each time I get on here how little time I have for stuff like this!! Since my last post, I have pulled Tallon and Meadow from their daycare. Tallon loved his class, but Meadow was having a pretty tough time, and I didn't care very much for her caregiver, so I pulled them both.

Josh's knee got hurt on the job, and he had surgery, so he was able to stay home with them for a few weeks. Ever since then my sister in law, Jenn, has been watching them. Tallon will return to his old daycare (Kids Korner) next Monday!! He is excited, as am I!! I will very much miss seeing his smiling face when I go home to visit on my lunch breaks, but I know that he has missed his friends, and the "school" atmosphere altogether. When Jenn is babysitting, it is hard for her to let him get any outside time b/c she has to watch Mead, and it's too hot for them to all go outside, so needless to say Tallon gets very little outside time during the work week. Also, he very rarely gets the chance to play with kids his age.

Work is still...well, work. It's not getting much easier being away from the kids, even though it's been near 3 months that I've been back.

Something pretty exciting (for us anyway, lol) has happened recently, and we were approved for a new Dell laptop on credit!! We so desperately needed a new home computer, and NEVER would have been able to put up the money for it up front. Plus, I needed an opportunity to build my credit for my new life venture!!

So, I guess you're wondering what this new life venture is. Actually, it was a teenage dream, from the first time that I saw the movie "Empire Records". I'm kind of setting up a 5 year plan. In January I will be taking an online business course, then hopefully by next fall we will be financially able for me to quit working and go back to school full time to get my business degree. Josh and I want to open our own music/novelty store! Our original vision was a record store (i.e. "Empire Records"), but in this day and time, between the takeover of I-Tunes and the economy, we thought we should include other merchandise in order to build a business that would not only survive, but thrive. So, say a prayer for us! Not only would this be a dream job (we LOVE and know everything music, and we would be able to bring the kids to work!!), but also a family business that we could pass down to the kids when they got older and we were ready to retire!

KID UPDATE TIME!!!!!

TALLON JAMES

2 Years, 10 months old

As stated earlier, Tallon will be going back to daycare next Monday. He was scared about it until we went to the open house a few weeks ago, and now he's excited! I'm excited for him!

Potty training seems to be going back and forth. When he's at home with me on the weekend, he goes pretty much every time in the potty. But when he's home during the week with Jenn, she doesn't really push the issue, so it's back to square one by the time I come home from work. It's frustrating, but I feel like when he goes back to school, he will see the other kids going, and this will no longer be an issue (hopefully)!!

He is still my little sports allstar...we bought him a little basketball goal and T-ball stand, and he is awesome! He is a natural, I tell you! I cannot wait until he is old enough to join a team.

He is also still my little comedian. Cracking jokes every five minutes. Josh reincarnated :o)

Meadow Jade
almost 5 months old


My little princess. She will be Christened this Sunday!! Her Godfather will also be Evan Walker (Tallon's Godfather), and her Godmother will be our Aunt Wendy (Samples). Her Patron Saint is Saint Christina. I'm so ecstatic for this blessed event. Tallon's was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed firsthand, and I know hers will be as well.


She has just recently started eating baby food (July 18 was her first time), and she loves it!! She likes EVERYTHING that we give her! We stick to one type of food per week (Dr.'s orders - in order to catch anything she may be alergic to), and so far has had carrots, green beans, green peas and squash.

She gets lots of tummy time each day and sleeps STRAIGHT through the night. I'm talking 10-12 hours!! She goes to bed anywhere between 7 and 9 p.m., and usually doesn't wake until I do, around 7 a.m.

Well, it's about time for me to go home and squeeze these little babies!! I promise I shall try to keep up with this thing more!

Oh, how I miss them!!

Well, yesterday was my kiddies first day at their new daycare. Tallon adjusted WONDERFULLY! As soon as we pulled up, his class was going outside for their morning playtime, and he just went with the flow. All day when I called to check on them, the owner said he was doing great. Meadow, on the other hand, had several crying spells. If ever an infant cries for longer than 10 minutes, the owner will call me just to let me know. She called 3 times. So I went on my lunch break, and as soon as they handed her over to me, she stopped. She missed me!! My 2 month old daughter missed me so much she had been crying all day!! So to all you doctors and authors of parenting books that say 2 month olds don't have separation anxiety... here is proof that you are wrong! Today is better though, I think the fact that I spent about a half an hour their cuddling her before I handed her over made the difference. When I dropped her off yesterday, she was sleeping, and had to awake in a new place with all these new places, she was probably just on overload. But no phone calls from the owner today! And when I called to check on her, they said she was in the swing playing with her feet :o) So, my babies are doing well. I, on the other hand, am still adjusting. I cry at least once daily. As long as I am busy, I am okay. But the moment I slow down long enough to think about how much I miss them, I bust at the seams. I can't stop picturing the three of us sitting on the couch, Tallon and I singing songs from "Go, Diego, Go!" and laughing together at all the funny faces Meadow made. Ugh, SEE!!! I shouldn't have done the blog today. I was doing good until just then and now I'm crying. Geez. Enough for now.

WOW

I can't believe I haven't updated since the night before Meadow was born! There is SOOO much to say!! Well, I will start with Meadow's birth, since that's where I left off. Josh and I left our house at 4:30 a.m. on March 19 in order to make it to Wesley Medical in Hattiesburg for 5:30. When we were on our way, we talked and reminisced about taking the drive to birth our son, Tallon, 2 1/2 years earlier. I wasn't nervous at all, just so anxious and excited to see my babygirl!! We got to the hospital a few minutes late because it was SUPER foggy on the interstate. We went to the ER to get admitted, then they directed us to the maternity ward, where they showed me to my room, got me in a hospital gown, put the iv in, and prepped me for surgery. A few minutes before they took me to the or room, my mom, dad, mother in law, and sister in law showed up. Looking back, the surgery was very quick, but I remember thinking while I was lying there "is this EVER going to end?? I just want to hold her already!" So, I'm lying there with my head on one side of the curtain and the rest of my body on the other, and I remember hearing her cry for the first time, and the doctor saying "Happy birthday, precious!" It took them a while to bring her to me, because they were cleaning her off, and she was SCREAMING the whole time! My babygirl had some pipes! The first thing Josh said when he saw her was "oh my gosh, her hair is red and blonde!", lol! When they finally brought her around, I started bawling. She was beautiful. With her fair white skin, cute button nose, beautiful lips and YES, her light brown/blonde/red hair, she looked like a cherub. They whisked her away, a little too soon for my taste, to go clean her and run all the tests while I got sewn back up and cleaned and taken back to my room. They finally brought her to me about 30 minutes later. Tallon was the PROUDEST big brother! As soon as he came in the room he demanded that his daddy pick him up so he could "kissey baby sister". I really can't believe it's already been 2 months.

Today is my first day back at work, and all week last week up until this morning I have been crying like a baby, but this afternoon has been okay because I've kept myself busy, and just so excited to go home to my babies! Tallon and Meadow went to the doctor today because Tallon had a rash, which turned out to be poison ivy, and Meadow is colicky. Meadow weighed 13.8 pounds!!! She's already gained 6 pounds!! My chunky munky! Thursday she will have her 2 month shots, and while I am sad that she'll have to get the shots, I am so excited to have a day to spend at home with them again.

MEADOW'S BIRTH PICS


March 19, 2009 7:27 a.m.


7 lbs, 8 oz, 20 inches long








Pop-pop and Meadow Jade







Lola and Meadow


Tallon meeting his new baby sister




Daddy bringing Meadow into her home for the very 1st time!


Sleepy girl


Tallon checking in on his baby sister


My 2 beautiful babies sleeping


Me and my babies


Meadow Jade - 1 week old!


So Sweet


These 3 are my heart!

March 18, 2009

Here we are. It's the evening before our second child, our daughter, Meadow Jade will arrive. There are so many emotions flowing through me at this moment. I would write about them, but I am so exhausted that I can barely see. I haven't slept a wink since Monday night. Last night at 9:00 p.m., my husband, Josh, had a seizure. He is a perfectly healthy 24 year old with no history of seizures. It was the worst night of my life. He is my best friend, my lover, my other half, and as I held him in my arms with his face pale as a ghost and his lips blue, his body jerking and all the muscles in his body becoming rigid, I honestly thought God had decided to take him from me. We went to the local hospital and he had a cat scan done, which came back negative. The ER doctor believes with the stress of changing jobs this week, welcoming our new daughter, and some financial problems that we've been experiencing could have brought it on, but not been the main cause. So we have to follow up with a neurologist. I know that everything will brighten tomorrow when I'm holding our baby girl in my arms, but as of right now, it is hard to think of anything but the health and well being of my love.

Meadow's Baby Shower

My baby shower was wonderful! My co-worker, former co-workers, in laws and a friends were there. My mom did such a wonderful job on the food and decorations. Meadow got so many beautiful things!! We are so blessed to have so many great people in our life to give us such great support with our second child. I wish Josh would have taken more pictures of the gifts... the clothes were BEAUTIFUL!!! She will be a VERY well dressed baby :o) Now all we have left to get is a few of the bigger things - a new infant car seat and stroller, the crib bedding, and smaller things like bottles and such. I am just so excited!!!! To anyone who was there and may be reading this, thank you so much! I am so happy to have you in our life!!

Love like whoa

So, I'm getting ready for work this morning and Josh is about to walk out the door, and he comes to give me a hug and kiss, like always, and I got a whiff of his scent....not cologne, just HIS scent, and it set off this chain of memories in my head and my stomach got all fluttery and I got dizzy, and I was just like "WOW", ya know?? Like I am still just head over heels, butt-crazy in love with him. When we first got together (or actually, it was like 8 months after we got together), our love was like a hurricane. Or some might say it was a nightmare. We fought like crazy, and no one could understand why we were even together. But we loved each other so much (yes LOVE, even at 16) and stuck through it all, and that bad phase lasted for a good 2+ years, but what we have now is like our reward from God for sticking through the bad. He amazes me, every single day. He is the most wonderful husband, always doing small things like bringing me a smoothie to work when he gets off because he knows I've been craving them DAILY throughout this whole pregnancy, or texting me sweet somethings throughout the day, when I know he's working hard and takes out that 30 seconds just to let me know he's thinking about me. But even more than how amazing of a husband he is, what gets me is what a terrific DADDY he is. He gives his all to Tallon. I have never in my life seen the daddy change more diapers, make more meals, wake up on the weekends so mommy can sleep in, just really step it up (especially this last month or so because I am just so whiped out by the time I get home from work). And I know he will be equally amazing as a daddy of 2. Geez, I just love him so much.

Goodness Gracious

These past few days, Meadow, who was sitting firmly in my belly at some point last week, has moved down and cozied up in my pelvis. Oh, the pain! The discomfort! I think I've been a pretty good sport thus far, but I can't tough it out anymore. I am now one of those whiny, bitchy pregnant women you see in Wal-Mart, holding their belly and waddling down the aisle, wincing in pain along the way. I really don't remember it being like this with Tallon. I mean, I'm sure he "dropped" (as they all do), but I don't remember it being so far before delivery, and I definetly don't remember it being so painful!!

On another note, my baby shower is this Saturday, and I am so excited! I will see a few girlfriends that I have not seen in many months, and hopefully one that I haven't seen in about 2 years! And most importantly, I can FINALLY go shopping next week! I have been holding out until after the shower so I don't buy something that someone else has already bought. I did the same with Tallon (thankfully, because I ended up having to buy next to nothing). Last weekend was about my last weekend of leisure before Meadow gets here, as these next 4 weekends will be spent preparing her nursery!

This last month is really very bittersweet. Of course we are all very anxious for our sweet baby girl to be here, but at the same time, it is our last few weeks as "The 3 of us". Tallon, Josh and I. As it has been for the last 2 1/2 years. A part of me feels weird, almost guilty, about the new baby, because TALLON has been our baby, our main attraction. I wonder how he will feel about sharing the spotlight??

V-Day and Mardi Gras

This weekend was half wonderful, half not so wonderful. Valentines day was simple, but oh-so-special, as always. We just went out to Kobe for some Japanese and then laid around in the house all day, talking about the past 7 Valentines Days we've spent together. Sunday was not so bad, I'm just a little too pregnant to be walking 2 miles from a parking spot to the parade route!! But Tallon had a blast, and when Tallon has fun, I always have fun.

It's a Beautiful Day!

The skies are blue, it's a perfect 64 degrees outside, and everything just looks pretty, ya know? Besides the weather, I am feeling about 99% myself again, which is great! Today is Thursday, which means another week gone in the countdown to Ms. Meadow's arrival....5 weeks from TODAY!! I am getting NO WHERE as far as preparations!! Her nursery is still technically an office, and we just have NOTHING. But, thinking back to my pregnancy with Tallon, we procrastinated then, too. We didn't have his room ready until after his shower. In reality, she won't even spend any time in her room for several months even after she gets here, but it's just nice to have it all ready when she's born.

I am just wrapping my head around everything. 4 more weeks of work. A week of relaxation, then bam! Family of 4. Babygirl. No turning back. I've been praying really hard for a nice, easy, pleasant birth for her, and that she is as perfectly healthy as her big brother. I can't wait to see Tallon with his baby sister. I have my worries about his initial reaction to her, but I think once she gets here and he REALLY understands that she's here to stay and it's his baby sister, he's going to be such a wonderful, caring, protective older brother.

I have been having the weirdest cravings!! Which is really weird for this late in the game. But yesterday, I was LITERALLY daydreaming about eating this huge, heaping salad with about a pound of crabmeat on it. I never did get my crab meat salad :o( But Josh took us to Ryan's, so I had no complaints!! Right now I really really want a real, authentic cheese quesadilla. Not one from Taco Bell, but a REAL one, equipped with the grease. I could also really go for some curly fries from Arby's with the horsey sauce. Geez, I'm hungry!!

Holy perfume, Batman!

Wow, I actually woke up this morning, and for the first time in almost a week, I could SMELL!!! It was wonderful. I don't think I've been that excited in a while. So I get into my car and drive to PJ's to get myself a decaf Velvet Ice, smelling all the wonderful scents along the way. Then I get to work. Not an hour after arriving, a woman comes to see my boss and my nose is like "WHOAH, WTF!!??" This woman had on the cheapest, most horrible smelling allergenic perfume I have ever smelled in my life. My nasal passages got pissed, turn their backs on me, and have been closed off ever since. Thanks lady! Thanks alot!!! I mean SERIOUSLY, how could you not know that you are putting off a smell that is SOOO offensive! (This coming from a woman who has been changing diapers that range in all colors, textures and smells for the past 2 years). So that pretty much ruined any chances I had for a good morning.

Hmmm....the Wonderful World of Blogging!

I am a newbie to the world of blogging, so you'll have to give me a break early on. Here I am, 34 weeks pregnant, and sick as a dog for the 5th day in a row! Needless to say my work (as well as house chores) are suffering. But, I have somewhat redeemed myself by coming into the office (still very sick) and completing a stack of work for my boss. Now I just need the good Lord to grant me the strength to go home and do dishes and laundry!!

I suppose a little introductory post is in order, no?

My name is Winter Hope, known to most as simply "Winter". I am married to my best friend, my life partner, my better half...Josh. He is the father of my 1 3/4 children; Tallon James, 2 years old (the light of my life), and Meadow Jade, 34 weeks in utero. We live in a small town in southern Mississippi where everything New Orleans is our way of life and we have 2 seasons each year: Summer, and kind-of-Autumn. My job is a Legal Secretary. I spend Monday-Friday, 8-5, right here at this very desk, waiting for the moment I will go home and see my babies faces. I have about 4 weeks left until I take a 2 month break for Meadow's arrival. I am very, very excited! A little nervous, admittedly, but overall just anxious for her to be here, and for our family to be complete. I would love to keep writing, but my vision is blurred and my head is cloudy from the sinus medicine, so until next time!