Indiana

Good morning friends. It's a brisk 38 degrees here in North Texas with a high of only 44 expected today. I would say we'll stay in all day but we actually have to take Wesley in for a minor surgery on his private part. :) His circumcision wasn't quite successful so they have to do some cleanup if you will. So say a little prayer for him today if you think of it. He will have the surgery around 2:30pm. I pray for quick recovery and very little pain. I feel bad for him but I am glad this is happening now rather than a couple years down the road when he might remember.
So I keep forgetting to write about Indiana. Several of you that I don't talk to on a regular basis wrote emails about Noah's "announcement" awhile back and I have yet to post anything about it since. I apologize for the delay and here are some details:

~Brian was offered a position as a Global Product Manager (marketing in place of his current sales position) at the Cook headquarters in Bloomington, IN.
~After much prayer and thought, as well as one trip up there to visit (first time for me, Brian's been up there dozens), we decided to accept the offer back in September.
~God has made it very easy so far. We knew that He was giving us so much peace about it because regardless of how ridiculous it seemed to leave our family and friends, we still felt excited and blessed with the opportunity.
~The original date was to move up there after Christmas. However, our house has yet to sell and we can't move till that happens. We are going up to Bloomington this weekend to scout out houses but won't move on one until our house is under contract. Please pray that this happens soon.
~I will be finishing up my 6 year position at Let's Start Talking in just a couple weeks. God has blessed me with a wonderful option to stay home with the boys once we move up to IN. I never thought I would want to do this. Even 8 months ago or so I could be heard saying, "I'll never stay home completely. I'll always atleast hold a part time job for sure!" However, God turned my heart during my maternity leave with Wesley and I realized how nice it would be to not have the stress of working/childcare always hovering over me. Now with that said, I absolutely loved my time at LST and will miss my family there dearly. The Lord gave me work that was very fulfilling and a perfect fit for my personality. Brian and I still plan to participate in LST projects in the future and expose our boys to mission work early on.
~We would love your prayers as we make this big transition. Here are a few things I would like you to petition the Lord on our behalf:
1) That our boys will make this transition smoothly and will always feel loved and secure. That Noah will make new friends and we might find a preschool that blesses our family.
2) That Brian and I find a church family quickly to get involved in and experience God more fully in.
3) That God bless me with a few very good friends that I can get to know deeply and share my life with. I would love for this to start in our neighborhood.
4) That God bless Brian with some friends that he can be real with and that will encourage and challenge him.
5) That we will be protected from Satan's attacks. Indiana University is a very liberal university and it hits you in the face at every turn the various ways he is scheming in that city. I want Brian and I to be lights and for God to prepare us to show love regardless of who or what we confront.
6) And lastly, that you lift me up as I transition to staying at home full time. This is a big change for me and I want to embrace it fully. Just pray that God will really work on me and show me how He wants me to use this time successfully.

Thank you everyone for reading this lengthy post. I appreciate your prayers and thoughts, emails, etc. I'll definitely keep everyone updated as we move closer to the move.

Cluto

There is a Disney Christmas movie that was on a few nights ago that Brian taped for Noah. So Noah has been watching parts of it each day. In the movie, Mickey loses Pluto and is on a hunt for him. I didn't know that till after this conversation. So here is Noah's and my conversation:

Noah: I want to watch that movie where Mickey tries to find Cluto.
Me: Cluto?
Noah: Ya, Cluto. The dog.
Me: Oh, you mean Pluto.
Noah: No, Cluto.
Me: Ok.
Noah: It sounds like Cluto.
Me: Ya, I know. But trust me, it's Pluto. Can you say, Plu-to?
Noah: Pluto.
Me: Good job. That's it.
Noah: Well, when Mickey says it, he calls Cluto a little bit Cluto.

Needless to say, despite this conversation yesterday, he has chosen to call him Cluto all day today. I have stopped fixing it. :)

Crying Part 2

Good evening everyone. Well, I had hoped to be writing an entry about a miraculous slowdown in crying episodes. Many of you have emailed me about it and gave me your good wishes that it would stop. Well, folks, quite the opposite has happened. And tonight might have just taken the cake. It started out really funny (I'm trying to be more light hearted about it when possible), but you know, after about 25 minutes, the amusement got lost and things started to spin wildlly out of control ending with me yelling LOUDLY about 3 inches from Noah's face. Not sure what kind of emotion that evokes in you...........maybe you think it is funny, maybe you feel bad for Noah. But please just try to imagine:

Both boys in the bath. They are having fun. Wesley is chewing on all those spongy bath toys while Noah is doing who knows what splashing around. Well, I'm in Wesley's room folding clothes (next door to the bathroom) and I hear Noah yell "Roar!!" to Wesley and start giggling. Suddenly Wesley shreaks much like a bottle rocket and it started growing louder and louder. He has huge tears, huge bottom lip, slightly traumatized by Noah's roar. Well, I very calmly said, "Oh Noah. You scared Wesley" and came running in the bathroom (while Wesley is still shreaking). And then as if in slow motion, I see Noah's face turn very solemn and his bottom lip start to poke out. I start to say "Noooooooooooo" and before I can do any kind of reassuring, comforting, encouraging, Noah's mouth flys open and he WAILS. Instantly sending Wesley into a second tier of screaming. They are both looking directly at eachother crying harder and harder and louder. Neither one will calm down because both of them are crying so loudly. I'm trying to giggle and tell Noah that it's totally ok, and he's not in trouble.... Wesley is fine and will be fine if only he will stop crying....etc etc. But Noah feels so terrible for scaring him that he just cannot help himself. I try distracting Wesley with all kinds of different toys....an occasional bucket of water over the head....nothing works. Still screaming. Which means Noah....is still screaming. So I yank Wes out of the tub and spend a good 10 minutes in his room getting him calmed down and ready for bed. Noah is still going on and on and on in the bath. I put a video on for Wes and then tried to regain my strength to tackle Noah.
I ask him why he's crying, tell him to stop crying, ask him if he wants to get out, wants to stay in, wants to watch the video........anything to get through to the kid. Nothing. All he does is cry harder and louder while staring at me. I tell him, "Noah, I cannot just stand here and listen to you cry. You have got to stop." Well, naturally, that makes him mad and he cries louder. So I shut the door and walk away. Repeat of the previous sentence. I go back in for another try (this is probably 20 minutes into it) and use a real sweet voice, try to break through some how. He just reaches for me. I go over and hold his hand and ask him if he'll please stop crying. I tell him to use his words and hop out if he wants to hop out. He simply looks at me with tears everywhere and continues to scream. So after much anger simmering inside me, I yell....really loudly.....in his face. USE YOUR WORDS!!!!!!!!!! He looks at me in shock and need I say it, screams even louder but atleast talks to me and says "You yelled! You scared me!" and I said, "YES. I DID YELL. BECAUSE YOU WON'T STOP CRYING" So while the crying ensues, I go over, grab his towel, carry him to his room, and get him ready. I bring him in to the video where Wes is and set him down in a chair and walk out of the room. Crying episode finished.

Now. If reading this at all exhausted you, I apologize. You can only imagine what it was like to be here. I didn't mean to carry on for so long. But there was really no way to shorten the story. So that's Noah's new thing. He thinks that any time I get mad or yell that him saying "You scared me" means it's all my fault and I need to apologize right then and there. I'm so frustrated. I cannot win with this kid. He is beyond any sort of strategy.

Today was actually a pretty good day all the way around. I have lots of things to be thankful for. But isn't it amazing that one 25 minute twilight zone can make you feel miserable about your whole day!?! Okay, now I have to post a funny post about Noah just to get myself to snap out of it.

Crying

Oh don't worry, it's not me crying. However, that might do some good. I just wanted to take a moment to express that I TRULY believe that loud crying, in large amounts, over a long period time is more physically and mentally exhausting than running a marathon. Now mind you, I have never run a marathon (my sister is next weekend!) but I am confident that it is like sipping tea in comparison to this dreadful crying I speak of.
My son Noah, who is a jewel much of the time is seriously world champion of crying. He can outcry anyone......just try him. If you need a reminder he is 3. Yes, 3. In other words, WAY TOO OLD to be doing this crap. When others have witnessed this crying that I speak of, they are usually quite astonished and baffled that he does it so......loudly and unceasingly. I took a moment tonight to describe to my friend Tracey in detail just how plaguing this current phase is and it made me realize that it has affected every inch of me. I'm done. I'm exhausted. I am out of patience, mercy, gentleness, self control.......uh oh, I'm not doing too well am I? It is a sad truth that Noah found a button on me that he didn't merely push, he banged it until it was broken and crushed into itty bitty pieces. Nothing can snap Noah out of it when he's on one of these kicks. It just has to go onnnnnnnnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnn until finally some psycho switch in him flips and he decides to stop. That is the worst part. Nothing we do can stop the madness. And this morning, at 6:45am, Brian and I got to wake up to one of his rampages. It was probably the worst wake up call we've had in a while.
So there it is, I have no advice, I'm not even asking for advice necessarily. I just have come unravelled due to this crying and I hope and pray it stops soon. Because I know many of you out there are just dying to tell me these words, "This too shall pass". And yes, people, I know it will. But the passing of it could not come soon enough.

Great trip to Colorado

Last weekend, Wesley and I headed off for a relaxing getaway to Colorado to see some of my friends. We had a wonderful time. It was just what the doctor ordered. Lots of chatting, eating yummy food, and staying in our jammies till 11am (not to mention staying up waaaaaay too late). My friend Katy Yates played a WONDERFUL hostess to us while we were there. She and her husband John, and their 3 kiddos, just move in June to the Denver area from Long Beach. Katy and I have known eachother since first grade...went to college together...she was in my wedding, etc. Lots of history. So it was such a joy to share our married and mommy lives with one another. Here are a few pictures of our time there.
Josiah and Wes.

Brooklyn lovin' on Wesley. She kept saying, "I want to keep him."
McKenna is seriously the sweetest girl ever. I wanted to eat her up. She was so good with Wesley. Thanks for taking such good care of him!
Katy and I.

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween this year. Noah was totally into the trick or treating which was fun. Much better than last year where I had to practically drag him up to the door. What a difference a year makes! We all went out together for awhile and then Brian and Wes headed back to the house to pass out candy. Noah and I made it to about 7 more houses but then Noah saw a teenager with a very scary mask on. At that point, he said, "Mom, it's time to go back home. There are some scary people out here." And that was that.

If you haven't heard yet......

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Oh......our B-cation!!

Well, we just returned from b-cation...that is how Noah says vacation. We just love it and no matter how many times we explicitely say "VAcation", he has no interest in saying it that way. So there you go. Anyway, we had a great time in San Antonio. It was our first ever family b-cation. We stayed at a Hyatt vacation club (a new one, Wild Oaks) and it was beautiful. Noah just kept looking around saying how cool everything was. He said over and over, "I looooove this bcation!" Man, he's a cutie. Anyway, our condo was awesome and the surroundings were beautiful. They had some great pools and lots of fun activities. Our friends, the Rohlwings, from Chicago met up with us down there. So Heather and I got to get a massage and Pete and Brian played golf of course. I sure wish my massage took as long as a round of golf! :) Obviously Wesley is at a hard age to take places but we made the best of it. It's 8:06pm and I'm about to head to bed......need I say more? Oh and one more thing........guess who came to visit us last night while we were on vacation????

The Pukefairy!

Yes, the evil demon that visited us......hmmm.....was that just last month???? Oh yes, folks, at 12 midnight last night, guess what we awoke to? Yep, Noah throwing up like a crazy person in his bed. And then it got really good............Brian started up as well. So yes, your dearest April who yes, is PHOBIC of throwup, had TWO people to take care of last night. Plus, throw in a side of Wes waking up every hour due to the loud commotion and it made for a verrrrrry long evening. Whenever I'm in a stressful situation, I have to talk myself down and prepare myself for every turn around the corner. So I actually remained calm and HELD Noah while he was throwing up......a big step, I know. The poor little guy was so sad looking. Then Brian was close to death. He unfortunately got the stomach bug in more than one way if you know what I mean, so he was really miserable. I didn't sleep hardly a lick because I can't relax at all in situations like this. So needless to say, the Lord answered my prayers and gave me lots of energy and stamina today as we decided to cut our bcation short and head home. The 4.5 hour drive really went pretty well. Both boys had stopped throwing up in the early morning and while Noah was kicking a football around at 8am this morning, Brian has not been so quick to recover. This really hit him like a mack truck. So please pray for him to heal completely. And if it isnt obvious, please pray that Wesley nor I contract this nasty disease. I believe it's time to go take some Tylenol PM and head off to lala land. I hope everyone had a great weekend and oh, thank you for all the comments to my last post about life as a mom/grumpiness/etc. I really appreciate all of the encouragement. I'm pleased to say that Brian and I went out on a date on Friday night (whole other story I'll have to tell later) and we had a great heart to heart. He told me what he needed, I told him what I needed, and all is great in love and parenthood. :) Well, you know what I mean. Okay, ta ta for now!

I admit it.

I've been an internal grump lately. Instead of going into all the details, I found this post that my friend wrote that pretty much describes my dillema....and error. I thought I would share it because it is so well worded and I relate to it so much. My friend challenges me and I'm so glad God put her in my life!

http://unsinkablekristen.blogspot.com/2007/08/well-fine-then.html

Cuties

I just have to recommend that you go take a look at the boys' blog to see some adorable pictures I just posted. I can't believe they are mine! I'm the luckiest girl!

http://noahspicer.blogspot.com

My dad

My dad is really an interesting person. Some would think (okay, most would think) he's just weird. And granted, that's true. But he's really a persnikety (sp?) guy who actually, I'm a lot alike. I see that more and more every day. I love him so much and he really is a hero in some ways. He is a very consistent personality (whether grumpy or amusing)and he is very solid spiritually. He loves my mom and adores his girls and REALLY adores all 6 of his grandchildren. He's pretty predictable and I know he lives by such high morals, I never have to worry about him doing something crazy or going off the deep end. He has been a rock for my sis, Kasey through the last year and I think that has impressed all of us. He is turning 69 this next year and it is starting to sink in that despite his youthful appearance and personality, he's getting old. :( He would probably freak if he just read that but I'm pretty sure he knows nothing about blogs other than to look at pictures of the boys on my other one. I just can't imagine my life without him and I really want him to be 50 again. I remember his party like yesterday and it is startling to wonder where the last 18 years have gone. Anyway, kinda depressing, I know. But every once in awhile I'll let myself think of mortality and remember that this life is really not even scratching the surface of our existence. I admit I'm pretty lousy at expectantly thinking about heaven and all the good that is in store someday soon. God has given me such a good life here that I haven't had a whole lot of reason lately to think beyond it. Anyway, here's a cute and crazy pic of my dad that he sent me today. He caught this snake in his backyard yesterday. What a stud! (oh and yes, I believe that is a cigar in his other hand)

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAA

That is the closest I come to writing the sound of throwing up. :) That is the kind of day it has been around here. I truly thought my super human immunity would ward off this nasty stomach bug that has been running rampant. But at about 2am, it reared it's ugly head. Those of you who know me well are giving me an extra "Ohhhhh" because you know that throw up is my greatest fear in life (just about). Mine, other people's, doesn't matter. It all sends me into panic attack mode. However, the Lord protected me because so far it has been quick and over with whenever I do need to well, you know. The V- word is not in my working vocabulary. It is a disgusting word that I will not utter. My sweet husband came straight home from a far away case he had just to take care of the boys. Noah had it last week, so hopefully it will stop with me. I didn't think 3 month old babies can get it, but a call to the Dr. vetoed that assumption. So pray for us that Wesley and Brian do not get it. I don't think I could bare to see either. My body is aching right now so bad, I can't seem to sit or lay still. I'm going to go take some Tylenol since the Ibuprofin didn't do jack.

Hopefully this demon will be out of me soon. Sorry that this is what it takes for me to FINALLY create a new post on here. :(

Here are a few pictures from the lake. I'll post later with all the glorious details.

Burger Lake

I'm so excited for this weekend! 3 years ago all of us at LST went to Burger Lake in Fort Worth for the day. It is an awesome place with slides and swings that go into the lake. It's a man made spring-fed lake and there is lots of shade, picnic tables, BBQs, etc. I liked it so much that I got my whole family to plan a trip out there last summer (sisters, parents, nieces, nephews, etc). This was quite a feat because my family doesn't do trips very well. As much as we all love each other, we don't get together much as a family unless it's a holiday or something. I know, boooooring. Spontaneity is not a strong suit in my family. Anyway, it was a miracle to get everyone together and it was perfect timing since Kasey was going through so much with her family. Unfortunately, the morning of, my nephew Jake (9) got the flu and so my brother in law stayed home with him. So we missed having them. This year we are all gonna make it, Lord willing. Noah is bigger now so he can enjoy all the water festivities with a lot less fear (hopefully). We haven't alllll been together since Wesley's birth and that was short lived, so I'm really looking forward to this. My parents come in Friday afternoon and then we all head out Saturday morning. It's really not far....maybe 40 minutes from here or something. I'll definitely post pictures after the event. I think I'm going to sign off for now......it's my bed time. I know this isn't much of an update. All is well over here. Having lots of fun with the boys. Wesley is adorable and I just can't stop kissing the kid! Noah is just precious and I had the best time with him today just playing around the house. Oh, recently he's been trying extra hard to be REALLY COURTEOUS. I honestly don't know where he gets half of his lines. But anyway, he says thank you for the silliest things (and wants you to say it back regardless) as well as becoming our new household cheerleader. He tries to encourage everything everyone does. After climbing in the car the other day after a trip to Target, Noah says, "Mommy, GREAT job packing those groceries!" HA! Where does this kid come up with this stuff???

I couldn't resist it...........

Noah has been doing this since he was about 20 months old. This was recorded this morning. I will never tire of it.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tagged

I have been tagged by my friend Amanda.
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

I will start off by saying I did a similar thing as this months back on my blog, so search through the archives if you want. I'll have a hard time coming up with new random facts.

Here it goes:

1. I like food hot. I mean, really hot. Same with drinks that are supposed to be warm. Warm doesn't cut it with me. I will not eat or drink anything that isn't sufficiently hot. It ruins the whole thing for me. This explains why I only get through a half a cup of coffee daily. :)

2. I am acutely aware of names and brands of cars/trucks. I've been this way since I was little. I believe I got it from my dad. I can look at any angle of a car from far away and know what make and model it is (usually). The funny thing is I'm not "in" to cars. Meaning, I don't aspire to have a certain car and I think they are a huge waste of money actually. So while I know cars, I'm not a car enthusiast. :)

3. I have a list of words that I really don't like. Many who know me well are familiar with some of them. I used to keep a physical list back in high school. Since I've matured some (ha!) I don't have it anymore and many words have fallen off of the list. However, there are still certain words that are physically excruciating for me to utter. I will not take this opportunity to list them. I know, you are so dissappointed.

4. Much like number 2 above, I have the same sense for music. I have a huge database of tunes in my head. I can recognize artists, titles, tunes, with hearing little of the song. I memorize songs quickly and as my friend Amanda put it, I even know all my kids' songs by heart. One of my favorite things to do is to sit somewhere and listen to music and do nothing else. I did this the other night on my bed---with my iPod---to drown out the sound of Wesley crying. :)

5. I've flown probably a hundred times in my life and only in the last 5-8 years have I begun to develop a decent uncomfortableness with it. I won't use the word fear because I know that it isn't a true fear as some have. But I pretty much think about the worst case scenario at some point on every flight I take now. I get nervous during turbulence which never use to phase me whatsoever. I am bummed that this is the case because flying is a very common occurence in my life.

6. I love the color orange with a deep passion. I really can't put it into words. It actually makes me happy just looking at it and that is why I think it SO APPROPRIATE that the Clinique perfume titled Happy is in an orange box. And yes, I own two bottles of it. I had vowed that my future daughter would have an orange room, but when we found out we were having a boy, I did it anyway. :)

7. My idea of an absolutely perfect day:
Start the morning out slow with good coffee and good music. Then get ready and go shopping alone with no time constraints. Outdoor shopping if possible. Sit in the sun for awhile---with more good music if available. Then a quiet nap in a cool dark room. Is it wrong that this entire "day" is made up of me and no one else?

8. I have an intense fear of throw-up. I've tryed to verbalize this to several people lately as my family has done it many times recently. I'm not talking about baby spit up either. I start sweating and my heart races the moment someone states their stomach feels "funny" and continues until they have finished throwing up. I start to freak out and it usually results in an hour long phone conversation with my mom trying to calm myself down. I truly, TRULY cannot think of another thing that I fear more. Which is pretty sad when you think about it. I have tried the whole mind over matter thing and tried to talk myself out of it. But between the SOUND and the SMELL, I don't think I'll ever get over it. I think about it for days after and can't get it out of my head. What a great one to end on huh? :)

I am now tagging Tami, Amber, Heidi, Kristen, Jill, Tracey, Sam, and Becky.

I'm back!

Ok, blogworld, April is back in full effect (whatever that means). I apologize for the severe delay in posting anything but adorable pictures of my boys. :) However, you can imagine it takes much less thought to upload pictures than it does to really THINK and write something worth reading. So I sit here in a moment of beautiful silence, eating my Lean Cuisine lunch while Wesley naps. Brian would say I should be sleeping, but as soon as I get done writing this, I will also catch up on all the blogs I've been kept from reading lately. I miss everyone!

So as of tomorrow, I have been a mother of two for 6 weeks. Six weeks of changing twice the diapers, six weeks of administering twice the medicine (more on that later), 6 weeks of holding twice the crying kids, six weeks of getting accustomed to a child hooked to my boob (a new experience), 6 weeks of sleeping 4-6 hours total a night, but 6 weeks of enjoying TWO cutie patootie Spicer boys. So you ask, "how are YOU doing???". Remarkably well.........thanks only to my incredibly loving and protective Father. He amazes me with His constant peace, provision and protection. Things I needed so badly the last time around and took awhile to find. No, really, I would have been a basket case last time with all that has gone on. But it is a wonderful thing to know that things don't last forever and to realize each night, you get to start fresh in just a few hours.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us...........or prayed before Wesley came along. Although we all prayed for a quiet baby with NO reflux, God had a different plan up his sleeve. Wesley does have acid reflux and we've been trying for the last 4 weeks to get it figured out, diagnosed, and treated efficiently. While I'm still not entirely positive if that is all he has, all we can do is wait and see if the medicine does its magic. The doctor had thrown around terms like "dairy intolerance" and possible "soy intolerance" which turned into me having to avoid all dairy. Well, needless to say, we didn't see any benefit from that but occasionally I still wonder if he is partially sensitive. The summary: he has a lot of tummy issues, a TON of gas (loud kind), and acid reflux. So that makes for an unhappy boy a portion of the time. Now, I will say that he is worlds better than Noah was. It could be just my attitude this time around, but I don't think Wesley cries as much and his cry is so much more pathetic and sad. Where I was convinced that Noah was MAD 98% of the time with his excruciating screams. Wesley is a sweet, sweet boy and I kiss him constantly. Even when he's been crying for an hour straight, I rarely get frustrated or want to scream. I know that it'll be over soon and I have no doubt that he is a healthy guy..........have you SEEN THE KID??? He is gaining weight like a woman carrying triplets! He's huge, which makes him all the more cute and cuddly.

Being a mom of 2 is still sinking in. I think the most apparent translations of that are your lack of time, and lack of rest. But I can already see the blessings and look toward all the fun we are going to have in the future. Brian is an AMAZING dad and spoils me with his thoughtfulness and sacrificial attitude. He's around all the time and always taking the initiative to help and "take over". I love him so much and truly, truly couldn't be doing this without him.

I go back to work on July 2. That should be interesting. I've stayed pretty engaged in what is going on at the office and have been needed several times, so I don't feel too overwhelmed at the transition. But I know that will make time fly even faster which means Wesley will grow up so fast. Noah is quickly approaching his 3rd birthday and that is pretty amazing to me. He's clearly NOT a baby anymore and very much a little boy. He makes me so happy. I wish you all could be around him all day. He would make you smile and laugh and shake your head at his unbelievable cuteness...inside and out.

Well, this was very much an informative post. I'll try to get a little more creative in the future. I hope you all are doing well and I look forward to reading many of your blogs in the next few minutes. Signing off!

Out of pocket

Okay, so I've been slightly absent lately. Things have been a whirlwind as a family of 4 and I cannot believe Wesley is 5.5 weeks old! Holy cow. I will post soon on what has been going on and how I'm doing but I wanted to be sure you all knew I just posted some rather cute pictures on the boys' blog. Check em' out! http://noahspicer.blogspot.com
I hope to write a decent post tomorrow!

Who is who?

Take a look at this picture. Can you tell who is who? Click on the picture to see a much better view. I'll give you a hint....the one on the right is me (in the yellow jammies). Like mother like son.

Want to see more pics?

I'm going to start posting the pictures of Wesley over at Noah's blog. It's the most logical place for them to be. Please click on the link over on the left side of this page. Or just click here to go there now. http://noahspicer.blogspot.com

A few more pictures.......

Wesley Gordon Spicer is here!!

He's our sweet little boy. His stats were 8lb 5oz and 20 inches long. He seems to be a pretty content baby so far and we just can't keep from kissing on him. The following are some more pictures. We'll be posting a lot more. I'll probably switch him over to Noah's blog (link on left) so that they can share that blog together.

PROUD BIG BROTHER!

Friday, May 11, he comes..........

Well, today is our last full day as a family of 3. What a strange feeling. And yet, we're going about our normal business....packing lunches, doing laundry, coloring, going to school, going to work, etc. I guess what is there else to do? Baby Spicer will come tomorrow at 3pm by c-section. We are so excited. All the family (my side) will be arriving tomorrow. God really arranged this all perfectly because it was looking grimmer and grimmer that little to no family would be here for the big event.
The funny thing that I'm realizing is how incredibly wonderful it is to have a planned birth. Sure, you can tell yourself and others that it's becoming more and more "consumer" oriented and people just can't be patient and deal with spontaneity with regard to labor. However, having done the "old fashioned" thing the first time, I am now relishing the pure beauty of knowing when this little guy is coming. I feel so much more emotionally ready, how strange. We are able to tell Noah that his brother is coming tomorrow. He is so excited.........I can't wait to see his face when he sees him. We are able to arrange proper childcare, and just allow ourselves all the necessary things in order to enjoy our time in the hospital. I'm even bringing 3 magazines with me! This seems silly to me, but I think I'll have several hours of being alone and why not catch up on my reading? :)
So pray for us........as we head into this new phase of life. Pray for safety, health, NO REFLUX, decent sleep, and smooth adjustment. We treasure your prayers so much. We can't wait to share with you the name, size, and all the little details of tomorrow. Until then...............

37 weeks

Hey all,

Well, yesterday was a somewhat uneventful Dr. appt. I was annoyed because we had to wait almost 45 minutes past our appt to get in. Noah and Brian were with me and while Noah was acting fine, I knew he was sooooo ready for a nap. So needless to say, I was less than cordial with the sono technician and Dr. I know, shame on me. I'm sure anxiousness played a part in this.

Anyway, the baby looks good. He's measuring about 7'9 right now. Everyone (including me) felt like that was an extremely accurate estimate. Dr. Walters won't schedule anything till 38.5 weeks so May 14th would be the earliest I could have a c-section. Obviously I could go into labor on my own any ole day now which would be fine with me. So we wait...............

Oh she did "check" me and I'm at a 1 and cervix is soft (sorry for detail). So things look good, but all we can do is wait. My next appt is Monday so we can see if anything has changed by then, but that is only 5 days away so............

God knows best because I have a load of stuff to do at work and the baby coming anytime before end of next week would not be good from a work-stand point. But I feel selfish most of the time and just want him here. So pray for me! I know the Lord's timing is perfect so I shouldn't be consumed, but all you pregnant ladies know that once you get it in your head that you are going to have a baby early, it is VERY hard to come out of it.

I've posted some pictures of the baby's nursery for your viewing pleasure. Hope to have some more details to post soon! Thank you for all of your concern and prayers. We appreciate it!

Dr. appt

Just an update...........

I went to the Dr. yesterday for my 34.5 week checkup. The baby is healthy and heartbeat is strong. However, I am measuring big (which surprised me a little because 2 weeks ago I was on target). I was measuring 36 weeks as opposed to 34.5. So she wants to do a sonogram at my next appt (May 2nd, one day shy of being 37 weeks). They will look at the baby and measure it to the best of their ability to get a weight and height estimate. If the baby is looking big, then I imagine we’ll go ahead and schedule a c-section. However, there are other reasons for measuring big (ex: my amniotic fluid could be more than normal) and so it’s possible the baby itself is normal in size. Either way, we’ll find out on May 2nd and proceed from there.

Just thought I’d keep you all informed.

As much as I'm not a huge fan of this picture, I feel it is necessary to post our family Easter picture regardless of how fat I am.
Just look at him. He's worth posting the picture. We had a great Easter with all of our family (my side).

These are my good friends who came to my baby shower. We had it at The Melting Pot. YUM!

Opening presents. I got the greatest stuff. Stuff for the baby's room as well as some essentials (diapers, wipes, bath towel, etc).

"People...........come ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Those words were uttered by my Noah yesterday. I laughed hysterically knowing that I should actually be ashamed. We sat in a car line at Fort Worth Christian school waiting to pick up Noah's babysitter from school. If you have kids in school, you may know you wait in this line--somewhat parked--waiting for your child to come running to your car. We were not in "traffic" which is what Noah thought. And he quoted his mother's famous daily lines, "Peeeeople..........come ON!!!!! MOVE!!!!!!!!!!" I seriously laughed because if you could hear his voice inflection, you know he passionately felt what I always feel....impatient, bored, and annoyed. A 2.5 year old!! Ugh, scary I know. I should be setting a much better example for him. God is revealing to me more and more each day (often in my face rather than subtly) that I like to have things a certain way. As I was diagnosed yesterday in a Bible study personal inventory I am a "Controller". Oh goodness, what a title. And it pretty much means what you would figure. Once a pattern has been established, and it's a good one, I like it to stay that way. I usually think I can make a better decision than someone else (if it's in my realm of knowledge). I can get easily frustrated with people.............need I go on? None of this sounds positive does it? So what does this mean for my marriage, friendships and parenting? It means I have to hop on this pronto and look at healthy ways of changing certain parts of this behavior. I believe this is why God has brought this to my attention so clearly the past 6 months or so. He knows I'm about to pop out kid #2 and my realm of control is going to diminish dramatically. So pray for me in this! I know God has made us all very unique and each quality has it's advantages and disadvantages. I just need to work on letting the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages right now. So I'll start with the simple task of not yelling at the stopped cars in front of me. :)

Spring is in the air.......

Good evening friends. It is so clearly Spring Break I can hardly stand it. Now, this is not because I am on a "break" of any kind (I wish!) but because me and every other working mother I know is home bound this week. The beauty that is Mother's Day Out programs has been halted for a week while the different school districts close for Spring Break. Another indicator that school is out is that at 10:03PM I can hear teenagers squealing and talking outside walking down the streets of our neighborhood. Oh joy. Did I seriously do that? Ya well.................whatever.

Anyway, to top off the fact that I cannot maintain my normal schedule this week, my hubby is in Indiana on business. So many trips to the park, lots of eating out (shameful, I know) and movie nights like tonight, are taking place. Tonight Noah and I headed out to BB and rented Open Season. We picked up some candy at Target and headed home for a mindless night of TV. I can't tell you how cute it was to watch Noah completely transfixed on this movie while popping ever so slowly jelly beans into his mouth. He kept looking at me at every funny moment with this huge smile saying, "That's silly!!" What a crack up. I truly do not want this stage to end with him. He is too dang fun and incredibly innocent. Can I really say I want the 2's to last forever??!!? Never would have imagined..............

My inlaws are coming tomorrow for 7 days, so we have that to look forward to. Noah will have a blast with them and hopefully the weather will cooperate. They always come when it's REALLY hot, or REALLY cold. So I think we should be in the clear this time.

Random movie review: Facing the Giants. I watched it alone last night. It had been recommended to me and I finally got it through Netflix. My disclaimers are: totally cheesy acting at the beginning/end and somewhat choppy. My overall synopsis: Encouraging movie with decent realistic plot lines and a refreshing bold voice about God's provision and love in the rockiest of times. You won't recognize a single actor, but I don't know that would have made any difference. I even got teary in a couple parts. I really did need the reminder about truly depending on God and how that decision alone can turn your whole world upside down---for the better. So there you go.

Well, I guess I should shoot off to bed and read for a bit. I hope you all are having a great Spring Break (if yours is now) and God is doing some neat things in your life. Please let me know about them!!

Car talk with Noah

It went like this.

Silence in the car on the way to school. Then............

Noah: I’m bigger.
Me: Yes, you are getting bigger.
Noah: I’m taller.
Me: Yes, you are getting taller.
Noah: I want to sit there (pointing to the front passenger seat).
Me: Smile. No, you aren’t big enough to sit there.
Noah: But I’m big.
Me: Yes, but you have to be like, 7 years old to sit there. You are only 2.
Noah: Yes, I’m 2!
Silence.....
Noah: I want to be 22!
Me: What? 22?
Noah: Yep, I want to be 22.
Me: No way. If you were 22, that would mean you were an adult. Being a kid is much more fun.
Noah: I’m a kid!?
Me: Yes, you are a kid.
Noah: No, I’m Noah!

Ahhhhhhhhhh, conversations with my little guy. They make me smile.

My handsome boy

I felt this was good enough to post on both blogs today............

Seriously???? Who is supposed to resist this boy? Certainly not his mama. :) This is his school picture. What a little ham. He and his girl-friend Randy like to team up and be the most irresistable kids ever. I am pretty sure he got this pose idea from her considering he had to watch all his friends take their pictures before he would go (so the teachers told us). Anyway, his sweetness is altogether real and today we had the best day together. He kills me with how perfect he can be sometimes. Yes, I know. All it takes is reading a few posts ago to understand that this is clearly a momentary fog I'm in. But I don't care. Days like today make the hard days worth it. I got lots of hugs, good talks, mostly obedience, and he ate everything I made for him. What more could a girl want? It's killing me that he's growing up so much. It's so fun, but then it freaks me out that I'm going to have to start ALL OVER in a mere few months. Can't say I'm ready for that. I suppose the first few months with the newborn sweetness prep you for what is to come. I'll just take one day at a time................sounds good anyway.
But to sum it up, Noah is a true Valentine this year for me and I love where we are in our mommy-son relationship. May it never end!

That beautiful white stuff!

I woke up to screaming outside. Unsure of what that was I ran to check on Noah and he was sound asleep. I went back to bed and lay there for awhile listening to the commotion outside. I wasn't sure why the kids would be so loud outside at 7:40am! I finally got up and as I moved by the window I noticed something white. I ran to the window and found a blanket of white stuff over everything. What a surprise! It is so beautiful. Adults and children are playing outside (even though there isn't all that much snow to play with yet). I even met my backyard neighbor that I hadn't met in 5 months! You just feel like you are in this utopia kind of world. Everyone is happy and excited and no one is worried about the roads, etc. Much unlike what is going on in Colorado I'm sure. Anyway, Brian is in Waco and I'm slightly concerned about him getting home, but other than that, we'll enjoy our day inside, staring at the gorgeous outside.

What's a mother to do............

So I just had a wonderful day with Noah. We played at the local "Let's Jump" with our good friends, The Woodwards, and then had a surprisingly relaxing lunch at ChickFilet. But I am still amazed at how quickly a good mood can turn into a sour one............oh, not mine, Noah's. :) He was doing great, perfectly happy. He even wanted to hold my hand a lot today which is rare. But all of a sudden as it was time to waltz through the parking lot over to our car (which was parked far away because there was only parking at Burger King left) Noah decided to throw a fit. The craziness of it all is that I DON'T KNOW WHY. Some of you may understand this completely. But typically I know exactly what has caused Noah to throw a fit. This time, I wasn't so lucky. He proceeded to scream and lurch his body and refused to hold my hand. Which caused me to grab hold of his arm (don't you hate seeing moms do that?) FIRMLY and drag him along. Well, it had been raining, there were lots of cars around, and frankly not a discreet place to be dragging your son around. I kept yelling at him "what is wrong!!??? Get up NOW!" I even spanked him which of course only caused him to scream louder. I finally had to put my arm around his side and pull him to me and halfway-carry him across the parking lot all the way to the car with him crying and people looking. I actually don't care much for what other people think. But this time I realized other people were thinking, "Oh look at that. Another crazy toddler with a discheveled (sp?) mother dragging him along. I'm so glad I'm not her."

Well we got into the car and Noah continued to cry and cry. He's very dramatic if you don't know him and carries on for awhile. But I offered him his Sprite and he seemed to turn it off like a faucet. As we walked in the door, I felt exhausted and downtrodden (after only 15 minutes before feeling on top of the world!). Noah seemed to be keeping a very watchful eye on me. He knew mommy was mad. He knew mommy was unhappy with him. As I finished changing his diaper in his room he stood up and flashed me this big smile and wrapped his arms around my neck. It was so clear that he wanted me to be 'ok' again. It broke my heart to see him so in tune with me and hopeful that I wouldn't carry my bitterness and anger for much longer. It made me realize that I have no right to drag things on and on hoping to teach a 2 year old a lesson. It was clear he felt bad and was ready to move on. And so I did. But it made me think about how less motivated I am to "get over it" when it comes to other relationships in my life. Why do I hang on to hurt, disappointment, or annoyance when I could simply move on? Do I give Brian the same break I give Noah? Not usually. And how important my relationship is with my husband! Anyway, it's time I go lay down as I am still feeling the effects of the emotional drain I caused myself. But I hope this reminds me to cut everyone a break and realize that staying mad does not make a person learn a lesson any better .....usually. :) Your thoughts?

Miraculous Discoveries

Today we had our 20.5 week appt at the Dr. office. As usual we waited about 40 minutes in the waiting room which really chapped my hide. I started to nip at Brian because my temper was flaring. However, finally we got called back to the sono room and our technician was nice. We told her we didn't want her to tell us right off the bat what it was because we just wanted to have a few moments to look at our baby. She assured us she never tells the patient right away what the sex is. After staring at the miracle that was swirling around in my tummy (so cute by the way!!) she asked us if we were ready to "see". We said sure, and she quickly turned her doppler so that it looked straight at the bottom, legs and crotch of our little one. Don't you love the word crotch? :) Anyway, we immediately saw the ever so distinguishable package that was attached to our little guy. Yes, guy, it is a boy. Noah will have a fun little brother and buddy to look after. We were excited but not surprised a bit because I had a feeling for awhile now that I was carrying a boy. It truly is miraculous to see how God has put together this being inside of me and it's growing every minute by His power alone. Well, Brian and I are very excited to prepare for our family of four. Keep us and this child in your prayers as we hope for a peaceful and safe delivery.....not to mention the couple months following. :)