Reunited and it feels so good!

I rediscovered coffee today, people! Rejoice! I have always loved coffee up until I got pregnant this time. At first it was because I couldn't have caffeine so I decided to buy some decaf. It just wasn't the same. Then I began having food/drink aversions and couldn't stand the taste of coffee. I took a break from it for awhile but had a craving this morning. I brewed myself some decaf and it is delicious. I don't think there is anything more relaxing than coffee. I know it's supposed to give you energy but I don't drink enough of it to feel that side effect. I just love the feeling of that warm liquid sliding down my throat. So yummy. Here's to many more mornings that begin with COFFEE!

Blogging it up again!

Hellooooo everyone! It's been awhile! It's been so long since my last post, I'm not even sure where to start. I guess I'll begin with me. I finally landed my dream job as an elementary language arts teacher. I teach grades 3-5 in Cherokee. Our classes are very small so there are only about 10 kids per grade level. I am finishing up my second school year here as we speak. I absolutely love it. The kids are great and I get along so well with the teachers on my team.

The other members of my family are doing great as well. Tyler is working for North San Saba Water Services. He likes it most of the time but he complains a bit when there's a massive water leak and it's 30 degrees outside...I probably would too:) Ella is growing like crazy! She is 3 years old and is the sassiest, smartest, most beautiful girl in the world! She is very challenging as she has been since day one. She has yet to sleep through the night in her 3 years of life and now gets out of her bed in the middle of the night (every SINGLE night) and crawls in bed with us. She is a little genius and it sometimes makes me nervous! Her favorite activities are drawing, coloring, and riding her 4 wheeler. She also loves loves LOVES movies...her current favorites that we watch over and over are Little Mermaid and Frozen. She weighs in at 32 pounds and is 39 inches tall.

Ok, now back to me:) I am 19 weeks pregnant with our second child and I am due on August 26. We are so very excited about our new little addition. Ella is ready to be a big sister. She kisses and hugs my belly and likes to sing to the baby as well as give the baby "zerberts." She asks me almost daily when the baby is coming out. Even though my due date is the second day of school, I know everything will work out fine. It will be challenging not being in school the first few weeks but my students are resilient and understanding. With all the technology out there, I'm sure I can make videos, skype, etc. and make my absence count.

My pregnancy is going well. I have to say it is going very differently that my first pregnancy went. I was so sick with Ella all day every day for so long. The fatigue and pregnancy blues really took a toll on me. This time, I have tons of energy and have only gotten sick a few times. Between 10 and 15 weeks was the worst. I would throw up 2-3 times a week but it was only at night. And it would leave me as soon as it came on. Since then though, I have been feeling great. My belly is really growing. I was a little nervous about my belly growth at first because I started showing so much sooner than I did with Ella but now it's evened out a little and I'm about the same size that I was with her. I began feeling the baby move about 2 weeks ago and am noticing a movement pattern now. The baby moves around lunch time and again around 8-9 PM. We will find out the gender of the baby on Tuesday, just 6 days away! Can't wait!

Hello summertime

We have been pretty busy lately! Two weeks ago I had a job interview at San Saba elementary for my dream job. I think it went ok, but I was really nervous. It's just that the job means so much to me, and I want it (and need it) so badly!! If I don't get this job I'm hoping I get an interview at the middle school and/or Cherokee. Options...

We just got back from a week in California. Tyler's dad, Les, and 2 brothers, Zack and Zib live there and we try to visit once a year. This time was a special occasion...Les married his girlfriend, Julie and we are so excited to officially welcome her to the family! She's an awesome person and is a great partner for Les. We had a great time hanging out, relaxing and watching the kids play. There are 5 granddaughters, 4 of which are within about a year of each other. They all played so well together! I really enjoyed seeing all the girls. The last time we were there I was pregnant with Ella, and Jaydin, the oldest grandchild was only 3 months old!

This week we have hit the potty training with a vengeance! A few months ago we started discussing it casually with Ella. She would climb on the potty fully clothed and so. She would sometimes ask to sit on the potty and I would let her but it was just a casual introduction. Now we are sitting on the potty all the libeling day (at least it feels that way!) Day two-no luck. But we are powering through. I am determined to get this done! No diapers=$

I'm back!

I'm so excited to be blogging again! It's been a year and a half since my last post and wow, how things have changed! Ella is 18 months old and she is the biggest blessing Tyler and I could have ever dreamed of! It would be impossible to discuss every single thing that has happened to us since my last post so I will just try to give some major points. About 2 weeks after my last post, we moved to Cherokee which is 20 miles from my home town, San Saba. Tyler was trucking and gone constantly. He would leave for days at a time...sometimes maybe 2 days, sometimes 10. Then he would only be home for one or two days and have to leave again. So here I was, all by myself in a new home, new town, new baby. I didnt really have any friends because most people un away from this town as fast as they can and don't look back! I wish I had been blogging at that time because it was so difficult and I had no outlet. I was all alone with a baby who would scream if she wasn't being held and would never EVER sleep. That situation lasted until Ella was about 9 months old. Tyler quit his job and decided to join into a partnership with his step brother. They remodeled and opened up the feed store in Cherokee. That lasted a couple of months but didn't work out. Now Tyler is working a sub contracted water line job for the city of San Saba. We don't know what the next step will be when that job is completed. Last summer I had 2 interviews with San Saba elementary school for a preschool teaching position. Perfect job for me. But it wasn't meant to be. Sigh. I was devastated. Not only do I desperately want to teach because it is my true calling, but we needed that extra income. Such is life. I've been subbing constantly this school year, mostly in the middle school and I love it. I hope that my prayers come true and I can get a full time teaching position for next school year. Ella is ridiculously smart...like maybe a genius:) ok I know I'm biased. But for real, she's smart. She can say prety much anything and be understood by most people. She knows most of her shapes : circle, triangle, star and heart. She pretends to read all the time and will request a book by title. She is really good at puzzles, building block towers, and running! She loves to color, play in her sandbox, and with our dog, max. She is very outgoing...she will say hi to anyone she comes across. She's very good with names. She is very sweet...she says bless you when you sneeze and gives lots of hugs and kisses, especially if you are hurt or upset. When she gets in trouble she always says sorry and gives me a hug. She still doesn't sleep through the night but after more than a year of staying strong and trying to sleep train, I just gave up. Now she starts the night in her bed but always ends up in ours...sometimes she stays in her bed until 4 am, sometimes it's 10 pm. I hate it but I'm not ready to go back to no sleep. Well that's enough for today. Stay tuned:)

First smile!

I finally made my girl smile in response to me! I was just looking at how cute she is so I got the camera. Apparently she likes the camera because she started smiling when I was trying to get her to look at it! It happened 3 times before I could get a good shot. Beautiful girl!

changes...

Tyler has been having problems at his job for a couple of years now but we have just stuck it out for personal reasons. Since Ella was born, though, Tyler has worked maybe 2 or 3 days, so we knew it was time to make a change. Tyler's cousin, Will, has been wanting Tyler to go trucking with him for awhile now but we hadn't taken him up on the offer because we didn't really want to move. However, desperate times call for desperate measures so Tyler has started trucking as of today.

I have been pretty upset about all of this for a lot of reasons.
1. I'm not a fan of moving.
2. I don't want to leave all of my friends.
3. I like my job.
4. I love College Station.
5. Tyler will be gone a lot.
6. My hormones are still out of whack. lol.

We went to San Saba this last weekend to figure out where we would live and we lucked out! We found the cutest little house in Cherokee for next to nothing. I am so excited about this! It's about 20 minutes from my parents' house and 5 minutes from Tyler's parents' house. The holidays are going to be so much easier since we won't have to travel. So nice! Everything seems to be working out so far and it makes me feel a little better. But when I came home to College Station yesterday without Tyler, I felt this sense of emptiness. Our family just doesn't feel whole without him. I miss him so much already. This will be hard for us but I think it's what is best for now. If I can get a teaching job in August, he can afford to take a pay cut if he has to in order to work somewhere in town.

Since Tyler isn't here, I am having to pack up everything and tie up our loose ends here by myself and so far, I'm not being very successful. It's so hard to get anything done when I have Ella to look after. She is all-consuming! I am praying so hard for the strength to get through all of this. I know it will be great for us in the long run. Being near your family is priceless.


Oh yeah...went to the doctor today for my post-partum checkup and I have been cleared to resume normal activities. I've never been so excited to have someone tell me I can exercise! I just can't wait to get rid of this flab and the extra 15 pounds I still need to lose from pregnancy. Wish me luck!

ER visit

This is a little late because I've been so busy but here is our scary story!

We went to the doctor on October 20 for her 2 week check up. I tried to feed her right before we went but she was soo asleep and wouldn't eat so of course when we get there she is screaming because she's so hungry. The doctor commented on her bloated belly and said that if it got worse to call. I mentioned that the day before she had been projectile spitting up but again, she said it was ok but if it continued, to bring her back in. I let her snack a little and then we had to go to the lab so they could do the little heel stick. That set her off again and she just cried and cried so much!

When we got home, I changed her diaper and she began to projectile vomit. Not spit up, VOMIT. She then began to throw up stomach acid. My poor little baby looked like she was foaming at the mouth! When she ran out of things to throw up she started dry heaving. I didn't know what to do, couldn't make her stop. I was terrified. I thought she was dying, seriously. I called my mom because I didn't know what else to do and she said to call the doctor so I did. They put me on hold FOREVER after I told them what was going on. They could hear her screaming and still put me on hold for the longest time. Then they tell me to just take her to the emergency room. Well that freaked me out even more. I hysterically call Tyler and tell him I'm on my way to the ER with Ella and he says he's on his way. By the time we get there, she's sleeping and seems just fine. She had no fever or anything. We sit in the ER for 2 hours before we see a doctor. He asks a few questions and then orders an ultrasound. We wait 2 more hours for that. The ultrasound showed that all her little organs are working just fine. The doctor concludes...nothing.

I think that she must have just worked herself up so much at the doctor's office for her checkup that she made herself sick. That's the only thing I can think of. That combined with gas...she has gas issues. We haven't had any problems since. I kinda felt stupid for taking her up there just to find out that nothing's wrong but I'm glad she's ok. I would rather be safe than sorry! I just hope I never have anything like that happen again!