The Princess and Her Knights....

Today we found out that Isabella will be the only granddaughter for my parents. That means Michelle and I are both having boys. Yep, Michelle will have three boys and I will have one of each. That means Isabella will be the princess of the family. And boy are those big shoes to fill! I have to say, this will be fun to have both our boys practically the same age, her boy will most likely come early, he's measuring 2 weeks ahead and both her other boys had to come early for one reason or another. Now I have so much girl stuff to get rid of and gosh, I am so sad that Michelle couldn't use it. But it will be very, very fun for us to shop boy stuff for each other and ourselves. So, now it's time to find a name, one with a "M" letter for the first name and the other, we'll he can have any name out there. I am still stumped on naming my boy. Brian likes Ethan, but I think it may be too trendy. UGH. I'll keep you posted.

So Proud

Isabella went upstairs for her 3 o'clock nap today as I was getting her milk sippy ready. I then went upstairs to do our usual routine. But to my surprise, she was in her toddler bed, which is set up ready to sleep in, in her bedroom next to the crib. So, I gave her her sippy cup (which she just holds and doesn't drink!) and covered her up and told her night-night. There would be no rocking and cuddling, just straight to sleepy town. I am so excited. The toddler bed has been in her bedroom for two months, all ready for her, for when she decided to jump in and be a big girl. I am so proud of her.

Thankfully we have a wonderful night vision camera that shows what she is doing in her bedroom from our bedroom television, so I am able to rush downstairs and watch her at any time, which I have been watching her for over 30 minutes. She has done so well. She hasn't gotten out of the bed once!!! This is huge, especially since my sister will have to have her crib back and I really, really want to get Isabella's full size bed and her bedroom completely finished soon!

Now were have to tackle potty training!!! EEK!

Jewels

I have this amazing dog named Jewels. She is a very, very good dog. I've had her for over 10 years, she's a black pomeranian. She was my dog before marriage and you can tell she's "my dog". I feed her, I take her to the groomers (not that Brian hasn't or won't), and I truly take care of her in all aspects. She is potty trained since she was a puppy. When we married and while she and I lived at my parents house, she has always had a doggy door to go out side and potty. But with this new house, we can't put a doggy door in. There is not a good place to put one in, The back door is glass, the laundry room has our back patio gas line running throught the wall and it would be a pretty big step/jump down or back up to get into the house. And with her age, she's going going to be able to jump down or jump back up as the years pass. But, she has been fantastic in this new house. KNOCK ON WOOD, she has yet to have an accident in the new house. I have been really good about making her go out, sometimes when its cold, I have to push her out the door, but she goes does her business and then stands at the back door until I let her in. I have forgot she was there (I'm training myself to let her out and back in) and she'll just bark to remind me. She really is a great job, the best dog I have ever had.

But, the past few months I have been "over" her. I just didn't want the responsibility of having her to take care of. I'm taking care of a toddler and myslef. I have been very selfish. She has really gotten on my nerves. I really can't say why or what, but I just couldn't handle her. So I sent her to Honey and Poppy's for a few weeks. And boy did I miss the dog! Isabella and I really did miss her! Isabella would call for "Jues" and ask me "where Jues"? I hate it! So after a few weeks at the grandparents house, Jewels finally come home. She is sitting right next to me as if she knew I needed a break. She is a very loving dog and cares for me (really I can tell she cares for me!). All this to say, a dog will really be your friend and won't stab you in the back like humans can/will. I am so greatful for this dog, and I'm glad Isabella has the chance to have a really great dog as her childhood pet. Once Jewels goes to meet her doggie family in heaven, like Lady and Booger, I will not want another dog! She is the best dog/friend and there will be no way to replace her.

It's been a long weekend....

Mural Complete!

This is the finished product! Isabella's bedroom look magical! I am beyond thrilled with the whole process and can't wait to do baby boy Corr's bedroom next year! The final cost was $750 for the mural, but to me its priceless! Isabella loves her room and can't wait to smell the flowers and touch the trees.

Now we just have to buy the new big girl bed and bedding, then it will be finished!

Naming Our Baby Boy!!!

Naming a child is such a tough job. This is going to be the name YOU as a parent give them to live with for the rest of their life. You are the one that tagged this child and there is a lot of pressure for the parent. So, this is the list I have started and we'll it's only getting longer. Give me your honest opinion, please!

Cooper Michael
Spencer Michael
Jett Johnston
Jager Michael
Perice Johnston
Maxwell (Max) Johnston
Kaden Michael
Benjamin Michael
Landon Michael
Ian Michael

We're having a....

Baby BOY!! Our baby boy is growing right on schedule. He is very active and gave us a good show today. We are still scheduled for April 17th c-section. Isabella can already say "brother"! We can't be more happy that our little baby boy is doing so well.

Now the tough part, naming our Baby Boy Corr....

Still Trying...

I'm still trying to figure out how to post pictures and still make the layout look clean, like all the pretty websites out there. So I'm going to try now...

This is me in my beautiful bathroom in the giant bathtub, this is the one place I love the most in my new house.

I guess if you post the pictues this way, you can write in this area. I think I'm catching on now. This was T-giving Day, I was trying to get bella to stand still and smile, fat chance, she is such a dancing queen.

Let the Painting Begin

Today we have painters in the house painting two rooms, our media room and Isabella's bedroom. We chose a brown for the media room with a lighter brown for the trim, it will look pretty sharp once its complete. Brian has ordered and is receiving his media room equipment, he couldn't wait a minute longer. And Isabella's bed room is going to be a nice light yellow walls and very light blue ceiling. I sure hope it turns out nice. I wasn't crazy about the ceiling being painted yellow, but Brian and our painter said it would look nice. And for some reason I trust them.

This is to show you the yellow stripe in the corner and the blue ceiling.

This is more of the ceiling and yellow stripe.

I'll keep posting pictures when they finish and while the murlist is painting on Saturday and Sunday. Oh, it's gonna be a long weekend!!!

Holiday Pictures

I love the holidays!

With our big Thanksgiving holiday lunch, I wanted to take some pictures with Brian and Bella so we could use them for our holiday cards. But my sweet husband forgot to do his hair and get dressed. So my sweet family didn't get to the shots I wanted. But my sisters family did get some good shots, and Isabella wanted to get in their shots. I love my sister and her family, the shots turned out great and Bella is a camera hog! Gotta love it!

Baby Names

I need to start a record of what baby names I like so here goes a few. I think I'm having a boy, just my gut, but I'll know soon enough! The names all depend on what my sister has as well. Since she has all "M" names she's going to keep that going with this one. So we both have some of the same names in mind. And since I'm not IN LOVE with any of these names, she gets first dibs! Tell me what you think...

Boys
Cooper Michael
Spencer Michael
Jett Johnston
Jager Michael
Perice Johnston
Maxwell (Max) Johnston
Max Johnston
Kaden Michael
Benjamin Michael
Landon Michael
Ian Michael

Girls (clueless on middle names)
Caroline
Madeline (Maddy)
Olivia
Alison
Ashlyn
Paige
Kayleigh
Caitlin
Savannah
Kingsley
Keegan
Chloe
JulieAnn

Pregnancy Again

With this pregnancy come a lot of comparisons, and in the beginning I thought this pregnancy was identical to the first one. But I have been wronged around every corner. I was sick with Isabella for the entire first trimester and it let up around 14 weeks. But I am still just so very sick in the mornings. I'm 20 weeks tomorrow, the halfway point, but oh my this has been the longest 20 weeks so far! I'm not as big as I was at this same point with Isabella. I just look fat, and the maternity clothes look stupid on me. I have been wearing my normal shirts with maternity pants, it's really strange. I do feel the baby move ever so often, which is a funny feeling, usually at night when I first lay down, I've usually just drank a ton of cold water. It is a unique butterfly feeling, I enjoy it! Thursday after a huge Thanksgiving lunch, we were watching the Cowboys and the baby really and truly kicked the tar out of me. It shocked me, but that was a very awesome feeling. Other than the sick feeling every morning and the butterfly movements, I really don't feel pregnant. I guess that is a good thing, because soon enough, I'll feel huge and hurt all over. I'll gladly take this feeling I have now!

Pregnancy & Birthday

I haven't posted much about the new baby lately, so I thought I would update. I'm 19+ weeks pregnant now and we will find out the sex of the baby on Dec. 6th! I have scheduled my c-section for April 17th, this date works best for me. My due date is April 21st, but since I'm having a repeat c-section, I can schedule it as early as 10 days. But that would pose a problem with my niece Megan's birthday, hers is April 11th. This niece we see all the time and will be going to many, many of her birthdays. So, I don't' want a conflicting birthday for this baby. Especially, since Bella already shares a birthday with my cousins baby (we don't see them very much). Both Catherine and Isabella share the same day, and that side of the family did not meet Isabella until she was 19 months old. I'm still bitter, it is my mother's brother!!! My Uncle! Anywho, I do not want this baby to share the weekend/week with my niece, so I opted for April 17th and pray this baby can hold out that long.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I just finished the wonderful task of decorating our Christmas tree. Every year, Brian fluffs the branches and I decorate. It takes him just about two hours to fluff, he's very good at it and takes it very seriously! And it takes me just about the same amount of time. Luckly, Isabella was asleep when I decorated this year, I'm sure I won't be as luck in the years to come. I'm pretty anal about the whole process, thats why it takes me so long. I put every single ornament on the tree this year. In the past I would make sure it all matched, and last year I put non-breakable ornaments on the tree incase Isabella wanted to grab hold and shake. But this year it is a hodge podge of everything and anything. When I worked for Hallmark, I started collecting then back in 1999, and I really never stopped. So I have Barbie, trains, first of anything and everything in the past 5 years and many, many more. It really done look good and it brings back memories of all the travels Brian, Bella & I have been on. I am waiting until Bella wakes up to put the Angel on the top. My mom always makes us sing Silient Night when we put the beautiful angel on top, so I started that last year with Bella. I know she will get a kick out of looking at all the ornaments. I can't wait until she wakes up. We put the tree upstairs this year, there are three giant windows that overlook a ledge downstairs and we put the tree in front of the windows. We have tinted windows on most of our windows so I'm not sure anyone will see the tree, but it sure is pretty.

Thanksgiving turned out wonderful and we all enjoyed each others company. I'm glad my families get along.

I'll post pictures of the tree, as soon as I take some.

Gearing Up To Give Thanks

I am really excited about Thanksgiving this year. I have to much to give thanks for in my life. We have 10 adults and 3 kiddos that will be here this year. One of my SIL's will be with her husbands family and my neice and nephew will be at their dads, so we'll be missing 7 family members for the day. But we're going to have a wonderful time fellowshipping and eating and reading the sales ads and eating again and watching the Dallas Cowboys play football. Love the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving day and I always watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I have watched it for many, many years. I have fond memories of watching the parade at my grandparents house and going nuts with Santa Clause appears at the end. I am going to try to get Isabella to watch the parade, we'll see how that goes. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special was on tonight and I tried to get Isabella to watch it, I have fond memeries of this as well at my grandparents house and I want her to have the same memories. But she wasn't too interested, maybe next year.

I'm giving thanks this year to many things. I am thankful for my sweet little family. Brian is truly the most amazing, giving, caring, loving and hard working husband on the planet, I give him thanks. Isabella is a sweet, loving, independant and giving 22 month old ever, I give thanks to her. I also give thanks for my extended family. All 14 of them. Most of all I give thanks to God for giving me this life and keeping all of us happy and healthy. God is an Awesome God!

The Chosen One

I have finally decided on a muralist!! I have chosen the lady that was less expensive. I'm confident that she will do a great job with my vision and hers. She is coming to start on Dec. 7 and should finish that weekend! I'm so darn excited! We found a bed at RTG that we really like and with the comforter set I want to get, it's going to be a beautiful room for our little princess! I'm post pictures of the before and after.