The Hallum Family

Living with Mimi and Paw Paw

2008-10-22T13:05:00.007-05:00

Well, we have now been living with my parents for 3 1/2 weeks and we haven't been evicted yet and they haven't driven us completely crazy yet, so that's a pretty good sign. Patrick and my dad have been working TIRELESSLY at the new house. We are in, but not staying there yet. Hopefully this weekend though. I just feel very uneasy about moving in with the youngens when there are still 1000 boxes to be unpacked and everything is a mess! Patrick has painted several rooms and we are in the process of updating the kitchen, it's all going to be great! I'm especially looking forward to not having any more $400 gas bills like last month. (That is no joke, we seriously drive over the river that much.)

We take lots of walks. JD was so excited (I couldn't even get Caroline to look in my direction!). He must have been daydreaming of when he'll finally get to go hunting with his Paw Paw and use the pee hole (w/ funnel) that he has already made for him.

Since we've been staying at Mimi and Paw Paws, the kids have had a few firsts: Caroline got to ride a 4 wheeler, Daniel has had applesauce, his 1st veggie (green beans, what a mess!), and he army crawled for the first time a couple of days ago! The living room is a CONSTANT mess (thanks for pointing that out to us Aunt Melinda, we didn't know that.) as is the kitchen. We have not one, not two, but three pack n plays set up. I know we have racked up their water bills with all the showers and laundry that we do EVERY day. But my parents are wonderful and haven't complained once. I just know that when I hear the sound of my daddy clearing his throat (normally when one of the kids are fussing and he's trying to watch TV) that it's time to quickly leave the room!

Daniel has had no problems sleeping at Paw Paw's. He just doesn't like to sleep at home (commonly referred to as the "new house"). Let's hope he gets over this soon.

"Watch out, mom. I'm mobile now!"

Easter Seals race

2008-10-22T12:59:00.003-05:00

Caroline, Daniel and I did the Easter Seals walk on Saturday, along with Lolly and Morgie and Mano! Patrick would have been there, but he was at the house working as usual. It was nice and cool and the kids enjoyed it. My favorite part was pushing the 500 lb double stroller over 2 curbs and spilling orange juice all over me AND the stroller!

Doesn't my sissy look beautiful with her new darker do?! She has done so well on her diet the last couple of months and I am so proud of her! You go girl! The kids and I look forward to many more walks along the lake with you!

State Fair '08

2008-10-22T12:55:00.004-05:00

Daniel is half a year old

2008-10-22T12:47:00.004-05:00

Daniel weighed an even 17 pounds at his 6 month checkup. I was surprised that he didn't weigh more. I think he's in the 50th percentile for both weight and height.

I finally got a picture where you can clearly see his 2 teeth! This was obviously taken long before he got cranky and fussy. We had to wait on the doctor FOREVER and he was not happy about it.

Notice that JD's picture is taken in a different bouncy seat in a different bedroom (my mom's sunroom.) We love you so much, John Daniel, and can't believe that you're already 6 months old!!!!!

September is updated!

2008-10-13T07:34:00.004-05:00

Hello blogging world! I have spent way too much time trying to update our blog (anyone know how to do a slide show or change orientation of a picture, please let me know) that I am honestly embarrased. Here's the latest with us: should be able to move into new house this week! Patrick is planning on painting today and we'll start moving things over tomorrow if not today. I am so excited!

Hope everyone has a super week!

Elizabeth

Saying Goodbye

2008-10-12T14:48:00.004-05:00

Goodbye to 11621 Shady Creek Drive!! We have loved our first home and I was so afraid that I would get emotional, with good reason. This was the only home that Patrick and I have ever shared, where we brought both of our babies home from the hospital, and where we have made tons of precious memories. But instead of getting emotional (which is typical for me) I think we are both excited about the new adventure that God has in store for us and all the new memories that we’ll make! God has been so good to us and we are so blessed:)

So cute... when we came to the house one last time with the kids, Caroline ran in the house as usual. We couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw her house completely empty. She immediately came to a halt, and with her arms stretched out and a very confused face said, “Where’d da tv go?” She said it over and over, and we just laughed!

John Daniel took advantage of that big empty living room to roll all around.

September 26, 2008 Last night in our first home.

2008-10-12T14:45:00.005-05:00

September 26, 2008 Last night in our first home.
Fast forward a few weeks and a lot of details and here’s the latest: the girl ended up buying our house, we found a house in North Little Rock, and we were going to live with my parents until we could get into our new house. I tell you, a TOTAL God thing. We could have not orchestrated this any better, yet why do I have trouble putting my trust in God?! With every major decision and obstacle in my life, He has guided me and gotten me through it, yet I always tend to rely on my own strength and wisdom. But I know I can’t take this credit, all the glory goes to God. We are abundantly blessed.

Daniel has always enjoyed bath time.

For the longest time after Caroline’s bath, she would run to the return-air vent next to Daniel’s room and just hover for a few minutes. Go figure!

Mama singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Wheels on the Bus” to Caroline and Daniel. “An Daniel’s turn!”

Look how much I’ve grown!

Last goodnight sugars in our 1st home!

Caroline is 2!!!

2008-10-12T14:30:00.006-05:00

Caroline helping her mama make “2” cookies to take to school for her birthday.

September 18

Happy Birthday, sweet Caroline!
Her special day started off with her favorite cinnamon waffle, Walmart Brand. Yum!

For lunch she and her mama and brother went to McDonald’s where she had her very 1st Happy Meal! She ate maybe 5 fries, no hamburger, but had a blast playing.

For dinner we all went to Chick-fil-a. Why didn’t anyone tell us it was Terry Elementary night? There were kids EVERYWHERE! Since there were so many big kids, she didn’t spend much time playing in the play area. Afterwards we came back home and all sang happy birthday to Caroline over a cupcake.

PRESENTS! You better watch out Caroline, or Daniel’s going to get your presents!

Vroom, vroom! BTW, she was more excited about the Elmo than the car and he had to ride in the back with her every time!

“La, La, La, La! La, La, La, La, Caroline’s World! Caroline LOVES Elmo, so it was fitting that she have an Elmo birthday party!

(I tried to do a slide show but couldn't get it to work?!)

2 year check up:

24 lbs, 13 ounces
32 7/8”

“This little piggy went to the market. This little piggy stayed home…”

Happy Birthday, Caroline! You are so loved!!! I can't believe you're already 2!

More Caroline pictures

2008-10-12T14:28:00.004-05:00

Not exactly what her car was intended for, but too cute not to take a picture. After that, climbing on the car is a “No! No!”

Caroline trying to put her brother’s diapers on her baby doll.

Now how does this thing work?

More Daniel pictures

2008-10-12T14:27:00.003-05:00

Look at how flexible that boy is!

Family

2008-10-12T14:23:00.005-05:00

Patrick and I are so blessed to have both our families living in the Little Rock area.

Caroline LOVES her cousins!

JD and his Aunt Lolly, who thought she’d never be an aunt!

Grandma feeding JD.

No habla espanol

2008-10-12T14:14:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, September 13th, Caroline’s sweet friends Mila and Areli came over to play. They’re

starting to do better playing together,
but they mainly still play side by side instead of really with each other. The twins will be 2 in January!

Hallum kiddos

2008-10-12T14:12:00.007-05:00

Daniel is 5 months old!

Getting good sugars from Mama.

Caroline is convinced that is she NOT too big for Daniel's toys! (BTW, this is not an action picture. That is Caroline bedhead and its best.)

Daniel loves to play on the keyboard. “He’s so alert!”

We start ‘em out early at the Hallum house!

All that work will wear a little girl out.

Daniel reading “One Bear in the Bedroom”, one of his sissy’s favorites.

Get out of the house!

2008-10-12T14:10:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, September 7th we got some great news: A girl who had already looked at our house twice that weekend wanted to look at it one more time before deciding between our house and another house. I was feeding Daniel in the nursery when Patrick ran in with Sarah (best friend and realtor) on the cell phone. The only caveat was that she wanted to see the house at 1 o’clock. Wow! That didn’t give us much time to clean up once we got home from church. But we were able to get it done and were out of the house by 12:59. We ended up going back to church and having a picnic on the playground. I think both the kiddos had a great time!

Here is Caroline passed out while we were cleaning house. I don’t remember, but I’m willing to bet that she was watching The Lion King!

Girls will be girls

2008-10-12T14:09:00.003-05:00

Friday, September 5th the girls (and Daniel!) had a playdate at Reagan’s house. As usual, they played and fought. But I think that is normal for 2 and 3 year olds. Very much a love and hate relationship!

Our Sweet "Danielson!"

2008-10-12T14:01:00.006-05:00

Daniel is such a happy baby! I really think he smiles more than any other baby (except maybe his big sissy!) Here he is when he woke up from a nap one day.

Daniel is rolling all over the place, but he always prefers the direction where a couch, coffee table, or in this case a wall is in the way.

Jump! Jump! Jump! Caroline thinks he needs a little help. (This is a “No, No!”, but she doesn’t always listen.)

Daniel is seriously one of the smiliest (not a word, but you know what I mean) babies you’ll ever meet! I think he gets that from his Daddy.

Ok, ok, so the peaches are rotten!

2008-10-07T17:47:00.005-05:00

I guess I'm surprised that people actually read our blog otherwise I wouldn't have been told that the peaches Caroline picked were rotten! ha Here are several updates from the month of August. I'll try to update September later this week, but don't count on it.

Here's a quick update on the Hallum family

sold our house in LR and should be closing on new house in NLR tomorrow. PRAISE THE LORD! This has been a wonderful experience and we are so, so thankful for God's provisions.

Speaking of provisions, we are staying w/ my parents in NLR for about 3 weeks until we can move into our new house.

I am working part-time at my current job but plan to move to new part-time job in next couple of weeks. SOOOOOOOOO excited about this as I will get to spend more time with my family and my parents will be burdened less. Thank you God- MAJOR prayer request has been answered.

Daniel is rolling all over the place and starting to sit up for a few moments on his own. So far he's had applesauce and will start veggies this week. Oh yeah- he has 2 teeth! Caroline didn't get her 1st tooth until she was 8 months old so I was shocked since Daniel wasn't even 6 months old yet.

Caroline is doing great! Putting short sentences together and is IN LOVE with The Lion King. "Roar!"She is definitely 2 as far as the emotional roller coasters are concerned, but we are having so much fun.

I promise I'll try to blog more, but this blogspot is not user-friendly and it takes way too long for me to figure it out!

Elizabeth

Daniel's 1st Cereal

2008-10-06T22:31:00.007-05:00

As you can see, it didn't go too well!

Cuteness (and messiness!)

2008-10-06T22:28:00.008-05:00

Caroline is totally into stickers right now and loves to put them all over her brother!

Sweet daddy time

Our lil’ sumo wrestler

2008-10-06T22:23:00.006-05:00

One night after Caroline’s bath we were cleaning out a drawer in Daniel’s room. Before we knew it, she had pulled out her swim diapers and was putting them on her legs as if she were a sumo wrestler! Kids do the darnedst things!

Caroline, aka refrigerator expert

2008-10-06T22:20:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago our refrigerator stopped working. Patrick’s aunt and uncle came over to take a look. Caroline just HAD to supervise so the only way that we would let her watch was if she sat on her great Uncle Leon, and she was perfectly satisfied and never got in the way!

Happy Birthday Aunt Lolly!

2008-10-06T22:10:00.006-05:00

My sister Lori (aka Lolly) had a birthday August 17th. We won’t say how old she is, but regardless, she will always be 5 ½ years older than I am! It was a very special day as my dad drove 2 hours one way to pick up my grandma to bring her back to my parents’ house for the lunch and party. We don’t get to see my grandma that much, and it was such a special time. After lunch was over, my dad drove her back home. That equals about 8 hours worth of driving that day. He is the best son that any mother could ever pray for. My grandma is so blessed to have two wonderful sons that take such good care of her and call her every single morning to check on her and visit her just about every week. Here are some pictures from the day…

I should mention that my grandma has 9 great-grandchildren, and our John Daniel is only the 2nd boy! Girls definitely run in our family so we were so surprised (and I still am!) that our Pumpkin is a boy!

"Cheese!"

One of Caroline’s favorite things to do at my parents’ house is to write on their magic marker board in the laundry room. The funny thing is that this has always been a treat for her cousins Morgan and Madison. But Mimi made them both wait until they were older to color on the board(like maybe 5) but she’s already letting Caroline, which of course wasn’t fair according to Morgan and Madison! "Color! Color!" Patrick has always claimed that Caroline is a lefty, but lately she seems to be using her right hand more. Only time will tell.

A Couple of Daniel's Firsts

2008-10-06T22:01:00.006-05:00

Daniel’s 1st time in his exersaucer. He loved it! And Caroline loved playing with it, too. It’s so fun getting out all her old baby toys for Daniel. It’s like it’s a brand new toy for her to play with, too.

On August 19th Daniel actually sat up by himself for several seconds, several times. I kept thinking it was a fluke, but he kept doing it so I quickly grabbed the camera.

Friends

2008-10-06T21:55:00.005-05:00

On Friday, August 22nd we had a play date at my sweet friend Eva’s house. She is a friend from college and our kids are the same age. Elijah is 10 days older than Caroline, and Paisley is 2 months younger than Caroline. My friend Layla and her sweet girl Reagan joined us. Reagan is 2 ½ weeks younger than Caroline and they are expecting baby Reese around Thanksgiving. What a joy it is to have friends with children close in age to your own that you can share parenting’s ups and downs with. (There are many more ups than downs, but let’s face it, it’s not always easy!)
“Look at Reagan’s belly!”

Even Daniel had a good time.

Back to School

2008-10-06T21:44:00.005-05:00

This year we enrolled the kids in a different Mother’s Day Out program. It’s at Lakewood United Methodist Church, which is right next door to the elementary school that we hope to send them to in a few years. The MDO program has an OUTSTANDING reputation, and it’s not always easy to get your kids in. My sister had her daughter on the waiting list for over 2 years and she never got in! But it was definitely a God thing because they had a spot open for Caroline AND Daniel, even though he was only 4 months old in August and they normally don’t take babies until they’re 6 months old. I was thrilled! They will go to school with a lot of the same kids that they will go to elementary school with, plus this will be closer than the MDO program that Caroline had been in.

Caroline will go twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Daniel will just go on Thursdays for the time being. They are both doing GREAT and having so much fun! I am so, so thankful that on Thursdays I get to take them to school and also pick them up, as I only work half-days on Thursdays, specifically for that reason. I was never able to take Caroline to school before JD was born b/c I was working full time. Now that I am working part time I will have the opportunity to spend more time with them and be more involved in their school. I cannot express in words how much this means to me and how thankful I am for that! Thank you sweet Jesus!

Here are some pictures from their first week of school…
Caroline was sooooooo proud of her Abby backpack and her Elmo lunch box. “Melmo!”

JD was all ready for school in his new "school" outfit (thanks Drew!) that had a squirrel, ruler and pencil on it. He wasn't at all nervous about being the youngest in the class!

When I picked him up he was in Ms. Paulina's arms sleeping so peacefully. Going to school is hard work!

A lot of times when Caroline gets out of school she is emotional and just plain ready to go home! Her mama is never early picking her up (I’m doing well just to be on time) and she gets upset when she sees the other kids being picked up.

Picnic in the backyard

2008-10-06T21:24:00.005-05:00

One Friday a realtor wanted to show our house. That seemed to be the case with EVERY Friday: I’m actually home with my babies and I have to spend half the day cleaning house and then leave for at least an hour b/c it was being shown! One day I decided to not leave the house, which saved me a few minutes plus it was fun. We had a little picnic in our backyard! I packed sandwiches, which Caroline of course had 1 bite, grapes, etc. Daniel sat in his Bumbo while Caroline basically swang the whole time. It was fun!

2 of the 3 Daniels

2008-10-06T21:10:00.006-05:00

Our dear friends Rebecca and Iris (sisters in law) also had baby boys this year and named their middle names after Rebecca’s brother: Daniel. So I like to call our 3 boys the 3D’s! (If Sarah names her baby boy's middle name Daniel, then it will be the 4 D's! Though, I don't know if that will happen as her husband, Brian Daniel, leaked that Sarah said no names go well with Brian and Daniel b/c they are too boring!!) Anyways.. here are a couple of pictures of 2 of the 3D’s at church…Jacob and John Daniel.

Playing around the house with Mama

2008-10-06T13:31:00.007-05:00

"Owwwww, Caroline!"

Picking Peaches

2008-08-13T12:36:00.004-05:00

On Monday Caroline picked peaches for the first time and had a blast! Caroline, Daniel and I went with my mom, sister and nieces.

The drive out there wasn't too much fun (fortunately it wasn't too far a ride, just off Faulkner Lake Rd in NLR) b/c Daniel screamed practically the whole way. On the way home, it was Caroline's turn to cry and Daniel just sat there quietly. So far they are really good at taking turns! ha

Caroline did a good job picking the peaches: off the trees AND off the ground!

We picked TONS of peaches!!! I don't know how many pounds, but it was enough to basically fill up an icechest. The only problem is that Caroline keeps getting into the icechest and pulling the peaches out! Last night she pulled one out and had brought it into the living room and was saying "wet! wet!", b/c she had squeezed it and juice was everywhere! (Fortunately mama was still at work so daddy got to clean up that mess!)

Even Daniel had a good time picking peaches!

Daniel's 4 month check up

2008-08-12T12:33:00.004-05:00

Daniel is definitely a growing boy! We took him on Friday for his 4 month checkup. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 12 ounces, which put him in the 75th percentile.

He was 25" long, the 55th percentile. Believe it or not, he has a small head. He was only in the 25th percentile for that. He can now start solids. Something tells me that he will not have any problems with that! He is such a sweet, good-natured baby (I know that all parents say that, but I promise he really is!) and is starting to sleep better at night.

Paw Paw's Little Angels

2008-08-07T09:42:00.005-05:00

Anyone who knows my dad knows how in love he is with all his grandkids. He is not just any Paw Paw...he changes diapers, dresses the kids, takes them to school, makes bottles, feeds lunches, he does it all. (Of course Mimi does it all, too!) I have an enormous amount of respect for my dad and he has so much to be proud of, but anyone who knows him will tell you that he is most proud of his family. I love you daddy!!

As everyone knows, Patrick and I are fortunate to have my parents watch our babies for us while we work. My mom and dad are so good to call and give me updates on the kids throughout the day, and my dad will e-mail me updates and pictures as well. I get so excited when I see his e-mail address pop up in my inbox!!!

Today my dad sent me an e-mail entitled "Paw's Paw's Little Angels" with this picture attached:

Look how big Daniel looks!!! He goes for his 4 month checkup tomorrow. I can't wait to see how much he's grown! Nice hair Caroline :)

This picture was taken yesterday. Apparently Caroline found this old Mickey Mouse hat that was either mine or my sister's from when we went to Disney World as kids, and thought that Daniel might like it! Looking at the picture, I think he did like it!

Caroline and Reagan: BFF!!!

2008-07-30T13:21:00.003-05:00

The other day Caroline's little friend Reagan came over to play. She is 2 1/2 weeks younger than C, but I tell you she has got to be the smartest child in the world! I am amazed every week with how many words she can say and even phrases that she puts together. This sweet child is in love with the Hairspray movie and I think knows the movie by heart! Layla brought the movie over and the girls had so much fun playing and dancing! Friends are such a blessing.

Here they are swinging and having a ball! We didn't take pictures of them fighting over the baby swing! They are learning to share :)

Cute pictures

2008-07-30T13:12:00.004-05:00

I didn't plan on putting them in matching red, white and blue outfits, but I thought it still deserved a picture!Most nights if Daniel isn't taking a nap, he gets "storytime", too. He loves it and really pays attention! Though Caroline doesn't seem to think it's so wonderful, considering that his arms are either in her face, pulling her hair, grabbie her blankie, etc.

Enjoying her new library book and her new Elmo potty seat (thanks to Drew!)....Of course she didn't do anything! If a child can tell you when she's pooped, does that mean that she's old enough to be potty trained???? haha If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them :)

Christmas in July

2008-07-30T12:54:00.004-05:00

Saturday afternoon both kids were down for a nap, a rarity. Which means Patrick and I were cleaning house as fast as we could. The good thing about having your house on the market is that it forces you to keep your house clean :)

We heard a noise, and not knowing what it was but knowing it wasn't either of the kids, Patrick looked on the front porch. And there sat 2 HUGE boxes. We knew immediately what it was- a big, fat loot! Our best friends Doug and Jen who moved to Houston, mailed us probably every article of clothing (including 11 pairs of shoes and TONS of hats) that their son Drew has ever worn!!! Patrick and I went crazy and immediately opened them up and put them in nice little stacks based on the size. There were clothes from size newborn all the way to 2T. Patrick seriously wondered if they took the clothes off Drew's back! We were overwhelmed by their generosity and thoughtfulness. Daniel is set!

Later that night my parents came over for dinner and Pat grilled yummy pork chops, potatoes, corn, Texas toast...it was wonderful! Our friends gave us tons of bibs so I gave some to my mom to keep at their house. Having 3 granddaughters, she had all lil' girl bibs and I don't want JD to have a complex! ha

Here is Daniel showing off his dinosaur

roar for his Paw Paw!! He doesn't coo anymore, he ROARS!!!!!!!!! He must have learned that from big sis :)

Roaring again and getting some good belly time in.

Birthday Party

2008-07-30T12:17:00.003-05:00

Last week we went to Caroline's first "real" birthday party for a friend! It was for Katie Jo and it was at Pump it up. Caroline had a blast! As you can tell, her daddy had a good time, too.

After playing so hard and sweating literally buckets, she got to eat some yummy pizza. Such a big girl!

Daniel was supposed to take a nap during the party, but he had way too much fun watching all the big kids play. He just smiled and laughed the whole time. It was so sweet. He loves watching his sissy do all the big things that he can't do just yet. This picture was taken right before he finally passed out. It takes a lot of energy to watch all those kids play so hard!

I hate blogspot.

2008-07-17T13:36:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I SPECIFICALLY posted 12 updates to our blog in the order of: newest pictures - oldest, thinking that the most recent post always goes on top. So that when you read this long list of posts you could start at the top and work your way down to the last one which I wrote today, and it would sort of be in chronological order. AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

So, it would make more sense if you started at the last one that I posted today (but should be the first) entitled "ok, ok,..."

last update out of long list...

2008-07-17T12:51:00.004-05:00

No pictures on this one, just a few updates on Patrick and Elizabeth in case you're interested. I know the real reason people look at blogs is to see pictures of the kids, right?

Patrick loves his new job and I am so happy for him. He actually looks forward going to work every day. He hasn't had that feeling in a long time.

I am now back at work working part-time (30 hrs) for probably 1 to 3 months, not really sure b/c it has never been approved, I'm just doing it until they tell me I can't! ha I have a couple of part-time possibilities on the horizon, for which I would greatly appreciate your prayers!!

We made an offer on a house in NLR last week, but it didn't work out. We went ahead and listed our house to see if we get any interest. We want to move to NLR to be closer to my family, my parents watch the kids and the commute gets old (and expensive) and we want to get our kids in a specific school zone. So if you know anyone who is interested in a house in WLR let me know! Patrick has worked so hard to get our house ready to sell and I am so proud of him!! Of course, he did have just a lil help from his handy ol' yardboy, aka Paw Paw :)

The kids are doing great. Ever since our vacation Daniel has not slept thru the night but maybe 3 times, and he was doing great before our vacation, so I don't understand. We're wondering if he's already starting to teethe b/c he's constantly sucking his hands, he's been more fussy, gassy, etc.

Caroline is going strong as ever, learning new words every day it seems. Right now her new word is share and she'll sign it, well, her version of the actual sign language for share. She has been waking up around 6 or 6:30 in the morning, which is ok with me on days that I work, but she hasn't exactly figured out my work schedule yet! haha

Anyways, sorry it's been so long since we've posted. To sum it up in a nutshell: we are blessed and God is so good to us. We will never be deserving of all His graciousness.

Day 4, last day

2008-07-17T12:32:00.005-05:00

This is how we spent every morning of our trip: on the potty! Did she ever do anything? No, but she sure did enjoy reading all her books!

This day we drove up to Indianapolis and went to the Children's Museum. It was amazing! It is the largest in the world. They had a huge area that was for kids 5 and under, and Caroline had a blast!! It was a lot like The Wonder Place if ya'll have been there. Mama was happy b/c they had a special area for nursing mothers, complete with a curtain, rocking chair and even a little pillow. I'm telling you- this place rocked!

Riding the lion on the carousel:

For the last few weeks Caroline has been obsessed with lions! She'll say "mine" and with both hands make the scariest roar a little girl can make. It was precious! At dinner time when she won't stop doing it, we'll have to tell her that the lion went night night. So then she'll shh and say "nite nite?" And then a soft roar.

Caroline loved playing in the sand.

Look at that sweet booty! Ribbit. Ribbit.

Caroline loves "Jorge". (I actually have no idea how to spell all the sweet words she says. I just can't do it justice!)

Daniel had a good time at the museum, too.
It was finally time to come home, unfortunately. We had so much fun together. I love my family! Both kids did great sleeping at night, and did fantastic in the car considering how much we drove. Can't wait until next year's vacation. I'm thinking.......Destin??? Might need to check with Mimi and Paw Paw on that one!

Day 3

2008-07-17T10:20:00.004-05:00

By the third day Patrick had gotten tired of driving so we let Caroline do some driving while mama pumped and daddy took a nap.

We made our way into Indiana to do some outlet shopping... some people just can’t keep up with the “Joneses”

Just in case you are wondering, no this is not at Churchill Downs, this was downtown. The family decided to go for a “Handsome Cab Ride” (ala – “Rusty” from Seinfeld) (If you can’t tell, Patrick is helping me with some of these comments!)

After the carriage ride downtown, we went to a beautiful area along the Ohio river called Waterfront Park.

Caroline loved walking through the grass. So much of the trip she was strapped into her car seat, but now she was finally FREE!

They had a wonderful playground area just perfect for Caroline’s age. I think in this picture she was telling the little girl, “No! No!”

The sun was setting and it was just beautiful. Daniel’s in the picture, too. You can see his toes.

We had a late-night swim at the hotel, but it was a quick one. Caroline didn’t care for it too much!

Day 2

2008-07-16T12:52:00.006-05:00

We spent the night in Elizabethtown, KY. Here the kiddos are just chillin in the hotel room…

My lil’ slugger! We were going to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory this day, so I thought how appropriate, he can wear his “slugger” outfit. Of course he pooed all over it before we ever got there! Oh well, he had another cute baseball outfit to wear. . Funny story there…Daniel had not pooed in a few hours and we were on the guided tour in the factory when I heard him do his business. There’s no mistaking that sweet breastmilk poo smell or the warm sensation against your body. (I guess I should have mentioned first that I was carrying him in his snugli.) Well, a couple of minutes later I rubbed his oh so soft baby legs, and before I could even think about my reaction it was, “Wipe! Patrick, wipe!” At least we were at the back of the line and it was so noisy in the factory that I don’t think anyone noticed. So, apparently he was bound and determined to get some poo on both of his baseball outfits that day!

On the way to Louisville...

Only my husband has the nerve to walk up to the guard and ask the following questions: 1. Do ya’ll give tours? and 2. Do ya’ll give away any free samples? The guard did not laugh.

It was very cool to be this close to so much money, I must admit.

We went to the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs. I must admit that I know absolutely nothing about horse racing or the significance of the Kentucky Derby, but I still found it very interesting and learned a lot. I’m a nerd, I know. But to me a vacation isn’t just lying on a beach, which can be nice, but to go to new places and learn new things. We love museums and history and all that kind of fun stuff! We’re wild people, I know.

Caroline in front of the wall of hats. It’s a tradition that women wear these crazy big hats to the KY Derby every year.

Caroline giving the horse a kiss.

Watching a race with daddy.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Caroline decided that she wanted to run in the fifth race of the day. We looked up and she had run out on the track….she came in fourth in the race, not bad for a 21 month old.

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

I thought this was neat. They had every baseball that each president from Roosevelt to Bush had thrown at a MLB game. They also had each of these president’s names on a jersey either red or blue, and the number of his presidency. What was amazing to me, was that Clinton had just dropped out of the race like 3 days before and they already had Obama’s jersey made.

Patrick and kids in front of the largest baseball in the world.

Look at those BIG blue eyes!

Caroline overlooking the Ohio river.

Our first family vacation of 4

2008-07-16T12:46:00.004-05:00

We decided to take a little family vacation before I went back to work, since I have zero sick and annual leave left, we might as well since I won’t be taking off work anytime soon! We went to Kentucky for 3 days and Indiana for 1 day.

Day 1

Hodgenville, KY: birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. This is in front of the Lincoln statue and Lincoln museum.

Birthplace of Lincoln. Look at what a big boy Daniel is- riding forward!

Ah, how sweet…

1st Haircut

2008-07-16T12:42:00.005-05:00

Caroline had her first haircut on June 28th. She just got a little trim off the back and it looked so much healthier and fuller. She didn’t really enjoy it, but I thought she still did great.

Here's a before picture:

and after picture.

Camping

2008-07-16T10:16:00.003-05:00

Caroline is a camping girl! Last week my parents took their new trailer to Maumelle Park. They stayed Monday and Tuesday nights, which means when Patrick dropped the kids off on the way to work Tuesday morning he took them to Maumelle park. He said that Caroline was in awe and running all through the trailer!! They had fun camping, and my dad loaded them up in the double stroller and took them for a walk.

Patrick and I went to pick Daniel up after I got off work. We had hot dogs, they were yummy! Caroline stayed the night, along with her cousins Morgan and Madison. We thought that Daniel was a little too young to go camping. (Meaning, his mama isn't ready to be away from him for the night nor is his Paw Paw ready to get up in the middle of the night with him, as he is still not sleeping thru the night!)

Doesn't she look like she's having a blast?!The 4 Kennedy grandchildren

John Daniel turns 3 months old

2008-07-16T10:11:00.003-05:00

Innocence...

Now tell me, what in this world is better that a little naked baby?? Look at those rolls!

Look at much our lil' pumpkin has grown!

newborn

1 month

2 months

3 months

Like peas and carrots

2008-07-16T10:06:00.004-05:00

Around the House

2008-07-15T17:15:00.003-05:00

Daniel doesn't know what to think about his new Bumbo!

I think she’s seen her mama do this a time or two!

I promised I didn't let him cry too long for me to snap a picture! They just grow so quickly I want to capture all of it!

Apparently he REALLY wanted his toy.

This is how JD spent his 1st 4th of July :)

Caroline loves to exercise with her mama.

JD gets dedicated

2008-07-15T12:18:00.003-05:00

Daniel had his dedication at church Sunday morning. He was so good and Caroline did great, too! Afterwards we had both families over for some yummy Mexican food.

John Daniel and his Paw Paw. Two of my most favorite men in my life!

Uncle “Bob” (Phillip) entertaining JD. He had him going crazy! It was hilarious. That’s cuz Wyatt looking on.

Kissing cousins. Last Christmas they got busted kissing each other countless times. Of course, they kept doing it once they saw all of us laughing and reaching for our cameras.

My sweet family. Caroline has finally learned “cheese!” and will smile for pictures, though her eyes are normally closed

Hallum photography at home. Very reasonable rates.

Ok, ok. So here are some updates to our blog…

2008-07-15T12:15:00.003-05:00

Apparently you people don’t understand that we are SUPER busy and don’t have time to update our blog!!! But we are tired of the death threats, so here you go!(I’m making these all separate b/c I’ve learned that when you have one really long blog it takes forever to edit when you add pictures. I'll post them with the older ones first.)

Enjoy!

Life in the Hallum household

2008-05-17T19:59:00.003-05:00

So, I just know that everyone is dying to hear about all the exciting news that is going on in our family! Ha Actually, it is pretty exciting to us…Patrick starts his new job at DHS this Monday. He is soooo excited and we are soooo proud of him! We celebrated a little early Thursday night with a cake. I think we’ll celebrate again this Monday night by going out to eat. He really thinks he will enjoy this job and enjoy working with the people there, am I am so happy for him. He deserves it. He has been soooo patient for so long.

Other exciting news…Caroline’s leg seems to be perfectly fine now. Praise God! It took just over 2 weeks, but it appears that she can now walk with no problems at all. I’m so glad that she is feeling better.

Enough of that, I know that the real reason people check out blog sites is to look at pictures, so here you go!

Caroline (aka big sister)
Caroline LOVES her little brother! She kisses him and points at him and says “baby!” all day long! She is very sweet and is learning to be gentle with him. Whenever she finds his pacifier she always tries to put it in his mouth, even if he doesn’t want it. Other times she likes to put his pacifier in her mouth, but with the nipple part sticking out, so silly! This morning she tried to give him some milk from her sippy cup.

Caroline likes to play with her little brother’s toys when he’s not looking. She doesn’t mind that she’s too big.

Caroline practicing the drum with her Daddy.

One of Caroline’s favorite things to do is blow bubbles. A couple of weeks ago we took the kids to the school down the road from our house. We tried to fly a kite, but there wasn’t enough wind. So we just blew bubbles instead, and Caroline had a blast.

Caroline goes to Mother’s Day Out in NLR twice a week. She loves it! I have really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with Daniel while she’s at school. Such a special time that I look forward to every week! But not for long- this week is Caroline’s last week of school. With Patrick’s new job he’ll be working 5 days a week, which means next week I’ll have both of them all day for 5 days in a row! We’re going to lose our minds, but we’ll love every minute of it!!

For a few weeks Caroline was having trouble going to sleep at night, and would end up falling asleep on the floor by her door. Every night before we went to bed Patrick would check on her and then scoop her up and put her in bed trying not to wake her up. This picture was taken one night around 11 or 12. It was too cute not to take a picture! Even the bright flash didn’t wake her up.

This girl LOVES some oranges! I love that she loves them too, but they’re just a LITTLE messy!!

Caroline painting a picture for her daddy. She got a little messy then, too! At least those markers are so easy to wipe off.

Caroline loves to put puzzles together.

I think this picture needs no explanation.

She got her first piggy bank and did a great job putting her change in it.

Caroline LOVES for her daddy to throw her in the air! When he puts her back down she’ll sign and say “more”, and he’ll say “more what” and she’ll point up!

Caroline and her boyfriend Drew! (He lives all the way in Houston, so it’s allowed!)

A lot of mornings I’ll put Caroline in her booster seat on the floor in the living room and put one of her Elmo movies in. That gives me a chance to feed Daniel, pump, eat breakfast, etc and I’m still close by. This particular morning she had yogurt for breakfast and was a very dirty girl afterwards!

Finally getting to fly her Elmo (aka “melmo”) kite on Mother’s Day.

Paw Paw has his hands full! I’m sure he’s wondering how I do it every day! Haha

Our beautiful girl who will be 20 months old tomorrow. Oh, how I love her so!!!

J.D.

Daniel is now 6 weeks old! He is such a good baby. He has slept through the night one night so far, and since then the nights have been very unpredictable with him. All in all, he’s sleeping pretty well. At his 1 month check up he weighed 10 pounds and was in the 25th percentile. I couldn’t believe it- he was 8 lb 7 oz when he was born and now he’s only in the 25th percentile? I guess Patrick and I just make petite babies. Here are a few pictures of our beautiful baby boy!!! (Still can’t believe that he’s a boy! I think for the 1st two weeks I said that at least 10 times a day!)

Notice his t-shirt!

Having a deep conversation with his Paw Paw, his namesake.

His first trip over to G. G. and Papa Loise’s house (my grandparents) with his Paw Paw and sissy and cousins Morgie and Mano! (BTW, Mano had a little accident the day before on the playground!)

Some black and whites that we took.

What is more innocent than a naked newborn baby?! I wanted him to be asleep for these pictures, but no such luck. As soon as we took his diaper off he woke up and starting pulling his knees up to his chest like he was about to crawl!

His eyes are very blue right now, but I don’t know when or if they’ll change. His sissy has beautiful blue eyes like her daddy, but I wouldn’t mind if he had green eyes like his mama!

I love how he still curls up in a little ball when you hold him on your chest!

He is doing a great job holding his head up. That tummy time must be paying off.

He seems to like his swing more than Caroline did at his age. The only problem is that I have to keep Caroline away from him when he’s swinging b/c she wants to push him and turn the swing off and on!

His first trip to Cozumel’s to celebrate his “Aunt” Sarah’s birthday. I have a feeling that he’s going to love Mexican food like his mama!

Do you think Daniel is a mama’s boy?

Now that’s multitasking!

Meeting Ma (my grandma) on Mother’s Day. He is only the 2nd great-grandson out of 9 great-grandchildren!

First smiles…
Daniel has starting smiling for us, and we were finally able to catch a picture on Mother’s Day, what a present! His smiles are still so rare and precious at this point, that it truly brightens our day! He seems to have a habit of smiling at 4 in the morning right after I feed him. Of course that makes it soooooo worth it!

A proud mama with her two babies!

Best friends...

A E.R. Visit and a New Job

2008-05-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since we posted anything of “merit” so I thought I would post what has gone on with us in the past week.

(I'll tell you the story as best I can, but I know I'll leave something out - but that's OK)

Last Tuesday Elizabeth took Caroline to the park after school. Caroline was on the slide when Elizabeth heard her start crying, Elizabeth rushes over and thinks that Caroline hit/bumped her head or something because she was leaned over. Elizabeth took Caroline back to her folks house to get Daniel and take them home. There is a first time for everything, both kids were screaming and crying all the way home (I’m sorry I had to miss that to be at work)

When Elizabeth got home she put Caroline down for a nap to see if that would help calm her down. When I got home at 6:15 Caroline was “all fired up again” so I thought that she just needed a nap. So I took her to her bedroom to lay down with her to help calm her down. 30 minutes later, she calmed down enough to go and have dinner with us. Caroline was in a much better mood then. After dinner I picked her up and went to put her on the floor when I noticed that she didn’t put any weight on her right leg. So I picked her up and moved her up a few feet to see if she would do it again, which, she did.

I asked Elizabeth if she had walked since she got home and she said, “come to think of it, no she hasn’t.” I showed Elizabeth what Caroline was doing and we decided to see if she was still doing it after our trip to Hobby Lobby.

When we got to Hobby Lobby we got the kids into the double stroller and took off. We got to the back of the store and I got Caroline out, only for her not to put weight on her right leg and she sat down on the floor. We called the “doctors” (Mimi and Aunt Lolly) both told us to go to the ER. So, we called the “REAL Doctor” thanks Jason. When we got home we called the medical exchange and they suggested that we go to the after hour pediatric clinic…which we were going to do anyways.

We get to the after hour clinic at 8:30 – well, after three hours and two sets of x-rays, there was nothing wrong with Caroline. About 10:45 after the second round of x-rays Caroline fell asleep on my chest…that girl can put off some heat. So the doctor told us to schedule an appointment with our doctor on Thursday to see what they want to do.

Well we got home and got the kids to bed and we slid into bed about midnight. And the next day Caroline didn’t do much walking but as the day went on, she would walk some. Over the next few days she started walking, with a limp on the right side. We are going to take Daniel in today for his one month check-up and we are going to have our doctor check Caroline out. Dr. Jason told us Sunday that there is nothing wrong with Caroline and there shouldn’t be any “long term damage” and that she should be back to normal soon.

Flash back to last week also. Last Wednesday I (Patrick) got a phone call at work and was offered a job. I told Jimmy that I had always told Elizabeth that I would discuss a “job change” with her before I accepted anything. Jimmy understood, but I told him that he “knows” what my answer will be and that I would call him back after lunch.

I went home for lunch on Wednesday to check on Caroline, Daniel and Elizabeth. When I got home Caroline was getting up from a nap and Daniel was eating. So I picked Caroline up and told her that I was glad she was up and that we needed to have a “Family Meeting.” At this time Elizabeth gives me a look of “what’s up????” I then made the announcement that I was offered a job with the Department of Human Services.

Elizabeth looked at me and said, “Well?” I told her that I had told Jimmy that I wanted to talk with you first and let him know this afternoon. It wasn’t a hard decision and it didn’t take us long to agree on it. I called Jimmy and told him that I was going to accept the position and then I went and filled out the paperwork.

My “Official Title” is Program Manager (or something like that). I will be responsible for all of the investigators in the Food Stamps department statewide. What I will be doing is making sure that the people that are receiving food stamps are complying with what the policy is. I will have 20 people under my supervision, 18 investigators and 2 secretaries. I’m going from being “Second Man” to being “The Man”. My first day will be on Monday May 19th. It will be hard for me to give up my Friday’s off, but I think I will enjoy working Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30. So on Thursday I submitted my letter of resignation to my supervisor and then I informed my staff of the decision and that my last day would be on the 15th. Two of my staff are still on “suicide watch” but they are starting to come around to the fact that I’m not going to be here anymore and that I won’t be “obsessing and compulsive” over most of their work.

Patrick's Public Service Announcement: For those who are new parents who need some help with the dos and don’ts of newborn babies

AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

2008-04-29T11:36:00.001-05:00

1. If you are choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.
2. Avoid cutting yourself slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
7. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Daily Thought: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS

Pumpkin has Arrived!!!!

2008-04-13T21:45:00.005-05:00

Well it has been a while since we’ve posted….ok, it’s been since April 1st. Well Pumpkin decided that HE wanted to come into the world. Pumpkin = John Daniel Hallum was born on April 4, 2008, at 3:28 p.m. and he was 21 inches long and 8 pounds 7 ounces (he’s a big boy).

(The Happy Hallum Family)

We had gone in to see the doctor with little to no changes. Elizabeth got what she wanted on Tuesday, it was now my turn to get what I wanted on Friday. The doctor sent us over to labor and delivery. When we arrived at 10:30 a.m. we had to wait for a delivery room. They told us that it would be ready in about 15 minutes…50 minutes later I went and asked and they had “just got the room ready.” It was during this time that Elizabeth decided that she wanted to walk around the hospital with her sister “Aunt Lolly” to try and get Daniel out the old fashioned way. We got into the delivery room and got things ready and the nurses started their thing. We now had to wait, hurry up and wait. Our doctor finally came by and broke Elizabeth’s water. After that the contractions started, hard and fast. Elizabeth got an epidural, and it took about an hour and our Pumpkin was ready to come. The nurses wouldn’t let her push until the doctor got there because Pumpkin was so far down. So more waiting on the doctor. Once she got there, it didn’t take long. Elizabeth did great….all three pushes and we finally heard the beautiful words: “IT’S A BOY!” Elizabeth and I both thought that Pumpkin was a boy, but we still couldn’t believe it. Our John Daniel was perfect and we were beyond ecstatic.

It was now more of the waiting game again, to move to our post delivery room around 8:00 p.m. Which I wasn’t really wanting to go to because the delivery room is larger and nicer and I didn’t want to have to sleep on the little couch. We made it there and got settled in. We had a lot of family and friends that came by over the next two days to visit with us.

Elizabeth had a great delivery and recovery. She is my hero! She tells me that her body was made for birthing babies. I’m afraid to ask her if that means she wants to keep up with the Tillmans?!

Our first outing as a family of 4 was to church this morning. Daniel sat in the worship service with us and slept through the whole thing. Caroline is adjusting well to being a big sis. She kisses Daniel all day long and points at him and says “baby”. She has only put his pacifier in her mouth once, which she then got a spanking for.

(After a good feeding this is what a boy should look like)

Daniel is a GREAT baby. He’s a good eater, good sleeper, and an all around happy baby. We are so thankful! We have already approached a couple (the Glasgow’s) about an arranged marriage between Daniel and Gracie in about 25 years.

(Caroline says "This baby is cutting into my beauty sleep!")

No April Fool’s Baby

2008-04-01T15:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I promise that I am not “April Foolin” ya’ll out there!! Probably no baby today. I have to admit that I am a little bit stubborn in that I am not going with my doctor’s advice but rather my heart at this point. I have peace, and I am confident that that comes from the Holy Spirit, and I have no stresses or reservations.

So here’s what happened this morning…my contractions were actually 7 minutes apart. I think I felt one that was pretty big, but it still didn’t hurt and it only felt like the baby was moving. She checked me and I am still at 4 cm yet she said she could make me 6 cm. I understood her to say that the reason that I’m not already 6 cm on my own is because the baby’s head hasn’t descended further yet. Which tells me that Pumpkin is still holding out on us, and I’m just not comfortable taking him/her out yet when he/she’s not ready. My doctor said that she REALLY doesn’t want me to go past my due date (April 10), and I told her that I’m fine with that. I have an appointment with her first thing Friday morning (assuming Pumpkin doesn’t come before then) and I’m sure she will be ready to take the baby then, and I’m sure that I will be more progressed by then and I won’t have a problem with it. So as I have been lately, I will probably take it easy these next few days and stay at the house. Patrick has already taken off work so that will be nice. Caroline went back to school today after being off for Spring Break last week, and she was SO excited! She practically dragged my sister and mother-in-law down the hallway showing them where her classroom was. Poor girl misses her routine, I’m sure.

THANK YOU for all the meals, calls, visits and provisions that you have made for Caroline. Truly, the only thing that was worried or stressed me has been what to do with Caroline during these unknown. I hope to repay these wonderful favors to you gals someday!

Pumpkin update- Monday, March 31, 2008

2008-03-31T20:26:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I called Baptist Hospital to cancel my induction for tomorrow morning. It wasn’t a big deal, and the girl on the phone was really nice. About 2 minutes later the phone rang and the woman said, “Elizabeth, it’s Pam. So what’s the deal with tomorrow?” It took me a minute to realize that it was my doctor, Dr. Pam Wills! She basically told me that she was very concerned because I am progressing and not feeling any contractions and that the baby could come so quickly that I won’t have time to get to the hospital. She did say that neither I nor the baby are in any danger. I told her that I just didn’t have peace about being induced, but would rather the baby come on its own. Her clinic is closed on Mondays, but she was out and about and told me that she wanted me to meet her at her office so that she could at least check me.

Trying to make the story short: I am dilated to a good 4 cm, and after being on the fetal monitor for about 30 minutes we discovered that I’m having contractions every 6 minutes, even though I’m not feeling anything.

So here’s the plan: I’m supposed to be at her office between 8 and 8:30 in the morning. They will put me on the fetal monitor and after Dr. Wills visits another patient in labor she will come back to her office and check me. She said that if my contractions are closer together OR if I am more dilated that she strongly suggests we go on to the hospital. Though, she of course can’t make us do anything we don’t want to do. She told me that she is going to call Baptist back and tell them not to cancel my induction, but rather that I would be late. Ha! I should say so!

So it looks like we’ll have our Pumpkin tomorrow! We didn’t discuss the scenario of what we’ll do if the contractions aren’t any closer together and I’m not any more dilated. I think the stubborn side of me will say let’s wait one more day then. But I’m almost to the point where I’m ready to give up the fight and just give birth to this little munchkin. The stress of figuring out what to do with Caroline and how to transfer car seats and take her to school, etc. is about to get to me! I don’t know what we would do without friends and family.

So, hopefully you’ll hear from us soon and learn whether Pumpkin is a beautiful baby boy or girl! Love you all!

Pumpkin update- 38 weeks

2008-03-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

Still no baby! But definitely progress…we had another doctor’s appointment on Thursday, March 27th and I was dilated between a 3 and 4 (she said closer to a 4) and effaced 90%. I still have felt no contractions and have had no pain, and have slept wonderfully the past 2 nights- Praise God! As I have mentioned before, my doctor is extremely cautious. Which is why she told me a big fat “NO!” when I asked if I could work for a few hours on Friday! Haha She thinks I should be induced b/c I can have this baby any minute and if history repeats itself it will be a quick labor. (Caroline was less than 4 hours from the 1st contraction.) One good thing is that my doctor told me to continue taking my ampicillin for the group B strep. That means that I won’t be as worried if I can’t get at least 2 hours of penicillin in the hospital once I am in labor.
So, we have an induction scheduled at Baptist for 6 A.M. this Tuesday, April 1st. Apparently that was the only day available. My parents won’t be back from their trip, and it would be 9 days before my due date. Still, I don’t know if I want to be induced!!!! I was told that I could cancel if I want, but I would have to call the hospital b/c my doctor’s office is closed on Mondays.
Please pray that we will make the right decision, and that we will do what is best for the baby. I want GOD to be in control, not me.
Thank you for everyone who has sacrificed through homemade meals, cleaning house, watching our daughter, all the encouraging words and lifting us up in prayer. We are abundantly blessed, I just can’t put it into words.
Maybe the next time we have an update it will be that little boy Hallum or little girl Hallum is here!!

Pumpkin update-37 weeks

2008-03-21T15:32:00.003-05:00

We had another doctor's appointment yesterday. Good news- I am not any more effaced! Holding on tight to 80% :) I really think this bed rest is paying off and even though it's not fun, it seems to be working. I am dilated between 2 and 3 cm, which didn't alarm me any b/c I was dilated the same with Caroline when I was 37 weeks with her. My doctor did another ultrasound to measure the baby, but silly me, I forgot to ask how much she estimated the baby to weigh and I don't think she told me. Again she tried to determine the sex (though she wouldn't have told us if she did see it) but she wasn't able to. So Pumpkin is still a mystery!!! Though Patrick and I both think it's a boy. Last time we finally came to an agreement right before Caroline was born that she was a girl, so maybe we have parents' intuition or maybe we were just lucky!

I have another appointment next Thursday, the first one of the day. I'm not supposed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. I can see what's coming...I'll be dilated between a 3 and 4 and she'll want to admit me to the hospital b/c the baby could come really soon once you're dilated that far. (Which I know from experience with Caroline- I was between a 3 and 4 on Thursday and she came the following Monday morning. Which was 4 days, not exactly 30 minutes.) I really don't want to be induced, and I see no point in being admitted to the hospital to be induced if I'm not having any contractions. So I'm ready to argue if I have to next week.

Just 13 more days and my parents, who leave Monday on their trip, will be home and that is the countdown I am going by. It could be wishful thinking, but I just can't help myself.

A big THANK YOU to everyone for all the calls, prayers, meals that are coming this week and everyone who has offered to come help me with Caroline as Patrick works next week and my parents are out of town. I cannot tell you how loved we have felt this past week by so many people. We are blessed to have you in our lives and we love you all!

Pumpkin Update

2008-03-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I never thought I would say this, but I am officially on “BED REST!” Late yesterday afternoon I had another doctor’s appointment. I knew that I would once again be tested for group B strep (should know the results next week) and that my doctor would check me.

So she checked me and immediately asked me, “Have you had any contractions?” I wasn’t alarmed at first b/c she asked me the same thing the 1st time she checked me with Caroline. At that point I was dilated between a 1 and a 2. Well, last night I was dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced. You got it. 80%. And I am only 36 weeks and 1 day. So basically I can go into labor at any point. (BTW, I couldn’t help but think of my sweet friend Rebecca T last night, I’m wondering which situation would be worse at the time: the baby won’t come out or the baby is a little too anxious to come out! Ha) Needless to say, my doctor was very concerned. She said that the sac was “bulging” and that she could feel it. However, the baby doesn’t seem to be as low as Caroline was at this point, but I am much more effaced. My doctor was also concerned that we don’t know the sex since the lungs of little boys generally develop later than little girls.

She then gave me very clear instructions: bed rest for 2 weeks. No picking up Caroline, no exercising, no cleaning house, no working, and no Duck Duck Goose this weekend. Needless to say, I was shocked, devastated and scared all at the same time. She told me to elevate my hips above my heart (and just how am I supposed to do that?) and rest.

She did a quick ultrasound just to make sure that Pumpkin is head down, which he/she is. She tried to determine the sex, but wasn’t able to b/c the cord and legs were in the way.
So…I have another appointment scheduled for next Thursday and this time she will do an ultrasound to measure the baby and determine its weight, which is typical for all her patients at 37 weeks.

I originally had my appointment scheduled for today, Friday, but she had surgeries all day so I had to reschedule for either yesterday or next Tuesday since their office is closed on Mondays. I am soooo thankful that I opted for yesterday.

I have had a few good cries, talked to family a lot these past few hours, am working through details with my boss about possibly working from home some the next couple of weeks, and basically trying not to freak out about not being in control and accepting help from others (which I NEVER ask for help!). Besides the obvious fear that my sweet child will come too early and that something might be wrong with him/her, I am downright devastated as I am now certain my parents will miss the birth of this child. It breaks my heart. But all I have prayed these last few months is that Pumpkin would come in God’s timing. I felt like a while back I had to accept the fact that Pumpkin might come while my parents are on vacation, but knowing now that my body is potentially close to having this baby, it just adds to the stress and worries.

Please pray for our family. Pray that I won’t drive Patrick crazy as he is such a servant to me, constantly propping pillows under me and getting me anything and everything that I need, while taking care of Caroline at the same time. Please pray that Caroline will adjust well to being a big sister. I think she finally understands that there’s a baby in my belly and she will rub and kiss “the baby”, so sweet. Please pray that I won’t lose my cool, and above all else, that God will be in control of Pumpkin and his/her entry into this big world, and that we will have no complications. I trust in the Lord with all my heart, and I know he hears our prayers.

We will try to update this blog more regularly in the coming days.

Love, The Hallums

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

2008-03-03T17:47:00.002-06:00

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13 My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite:
My mother taught me about JUSTICE
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER

2008-02-20T13:08:00.005-06:00

APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER

NOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, lineage, and current medical report from your doctor.

NAME_____________________________________
DATE OF BIRTH_____________HEIGHT___________ WEIGHT____________ IQ__________ GPA_____________ SOCIAL SECURITY _________________ DRIVERS LICENSE ________________BOY SCOUT RANK AND BADGES__________________________________________HOME ADDRESS_______________________ CITY/STATE___________ ZIP______ Do you have parents? ___Yes ___No
Is one male and the other female? ___Yes ___No If No, explain: _____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
Number of years they have been married ______________________________
If less than your age, explain ________________________________________

ACCESSORIES SECTION:
A. Do you own or have access to a van? __Yes __No
B. A truck with oversized tires? __Yes __No
C. A waterbed? __Yes __No
D. A pickup with a mattress in the back? __Yes __No
E. A tattoo? __Yes __No
F. Do you have an earring, nose ring, __Yes __No
pierced tongue, pierced cheek or a belly button ring?
(IF YOU ANSWERED 'YES' TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, DISCONTINUE APPLICATION AND LEAVE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY. I SUGGEST RUNNING.)

ESSAY SECTION:

In 50 words or less, what does 'LATE' mean to you? ______________________________________________________

In 50 words or less, what does 'DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER' mean to you? _________________________________________________________

In 50 words or less, what does 'ABSTINENCE' mean to you? ________________________________________________________

REFERENCES SECTION:
Church you attend ______________________________
How often you attend ___________________________
When would be the best time to interview your:
Father? _____________
Mother?_____________
Pastor? _____________

SHORT-ANSWER SECTION: Answer by filling in the blank. Please answer freely all answersare confidential.

A: If I were shot, the last place I would want shot would be: __________________________________________

B: If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my: __________________________________________

C: A woman's place is in the: _____________________________

D: The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is: __________________________________________

E. What do you want to be IF you grow up? _______________________________ ________________________________________________________

F: When I meet a girl, the thing I always notice about her first is: __________________________________________________

G: What is the current going rate of a hotel room? ___________________

I SWEAR THAT ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TOTHE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT,NATIVE AMERICAN ANT TORTURE, CRUCIFIXION, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESE WATER TORTURE and RED HOT POKERS

__________________________________________
Applicant's Signature (that means sign your name, moron!)

_______________________________
Father's Signature

________________________________
Mother's Signature

_______________________________
Pastor

________________________________
State Representative/Congressman

_______________________________
(Their stamp goes here) Notary Public

Thank you for your interest, and it had better be genuine and non-sexual.Please allow four to six years for processing.You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not try to call or write. If your application is rejected, you will benotified by two gentleman wearing white ties carrying violin cases. (You might watch your back)

To prepare yourself, start studying Daddy's Rules for Dating. Daddy's (or Mommy's) Rules for DatingYour dad's rules for your boyfriend (or for you if you're a guy):

Rule One: If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world sex without utilizing a 'Barrier method' of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five: It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: 'early.'

Rule Six: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool, places where there is darkness, places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with strong romantic or sexual themes are to be avoided; movies that feature chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay...Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine: Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten: Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi . When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Elizabeth's 31st Birthday!

2008-02-15T12:46:00.002-06:00

Caroline painted for the 1st time. She kept touching the marker tips and then putting them in her mouth. Then she would just bang the marker on the table so that it was just one big blob. I hope she takes after her daddy’s creativity and not her mama’s, which is none.

Before Patrick and I went out to
dinner we went to the church

to let her play on the playground.

She really likes to swing, and try to

go up the slide. Not so much go down

the slide!

A beautiful family photo! Ha Notice how C is signing “down”.

Her aunt, uncle and cousins had just gotten there and she did not want to be held for a picture. I wondered how Patrick talked my sister into babysitting Caroline, much less at our house. If you know Lori, you know she RARELY crosses the river! It wouldn’t take long for me to find out…

Patrick and I had a delicious meal at Cajun’s Wharf (thanks to my boss for the gift card!) which even included a free birthday dessert: chocolate crème brulee. Yum!!! Patrick had told me that we were going to see a show at 8 o’clock. At this time it was about 7:20, I think. Whenever I started to call the house to see how Caroline was doing and what she had to eat for supper, Patrick told me that we had time to go by the house and I could just check on her then instead of calling. I thought: good idea, plus that way we can drop off the leftovers in the fridge.

When we got home I slowly opened the door b/c C is notorious for standing right in front the door, and I had even hit her with it earlier that day not knowing that she would be there. But when I walked in there were TONS of people there yelling "SURPRISE"! I couldn’t believe it! I got all choked up, but tried not to get too emotional about the whole thing :) I have never had a surprise party before, and I was completely overwhelmed. I can’t tell you how loved and how special I felt seeing all those people there, for me! Well, I guess for me and the food. When I realized that my mom, sis, and BFF (hee hee!) Sarah had cooked all this food, I was just blown away.

Patrick had thought of everything: the big cookie cake that I had hinted at a while back, the invitations, balloons, food, ice cream (even strawberry-my favorite!), the sign the draftsman at my work had made, etc. I felt bad that I was complaining to Sarah just the other day how he didn’t pick up on hints! Ha He did such a good job, and I was so proud of him!

Thanks to everyone who came. I know Caroline sure had fun, and Reagan, too! I think Caroline was proud her new bedroom and showed it off to just about anyone she could!

Here are some pictures: The only time Caroline let me hold her. She was on the go the whole time!

Notice how I'm wearing Caroline's "I'm one" b-day hat. All I needed was a 3 in front of it!

The guys talking politics:
My college friends: Jessica (had a baby 4 weeks ago, I know. It doesn't look possible but I have met the baby.), Eva (had a baby 10 days before Caroline and is expecting a girl in June), and Sarah (has a husband).

Caroline and her best friend Reagan.

last Friday

2008-02-15T12:21:00.002-06:00

On Friday, both Patrick and I were off work, so we got to spend the whole day together as a family. I love days like that! We started off with Krispy Kreme donuts, which Caroline LOVES! She didn’t love, however, wearing the hat.
Before we ran some errands we put her hair in pigtails for the first time. It was no easy task, but we were eventually successful. It took both of us, what kind of mother am I? ha

Her 2nd night in her big girl bed. Notice all the pacis lying next to her?

I love this shirt! I wear it all the time. Thanks Aunt Lolly! Though I’m wondering if you should have ordered one that said February or March instead…

Caroline is officially a BIG GIRL!

2008-02-14T17:34:00.005-06:00

Well, it has now been a week since Caroline has been sleeping in her "big girl" bedroom. So far so good! She has done really well sleeping at night in her BIG bed, and taking naps in it, too.

Our little party for her was so much fun! She LOVES Papa John's Pizza! And we gave her a big Elmo to sleep with, which she calls "Melmo", so sweet. She has now said the word "Melmo" more times than she has said "mama" and "dada" combined. Guess I know where we stand.

Patrick worked so hard to get her room ready for her...which included moving almost all the furniture we did have in that bedroom up in the attic, then scraping the ceiling and painting it and the walls. We also had new carpet installed. Caroline has my old bedroom furniture. I'm thinking it might even be considered antique since it was purchased in 1985 when we moved to NLR! ha Caroline also has a few things on her walls that are special to me that I had as a little girl : the Precious Moments and the plates.

We usually put a baby gate up in her doorway and then crack her door. We quickly learned that she got over her apprehension of climbing down her step stool b/c she almost always meets us at the gate when she wakes up!

Here are a few pictures of the big night:

Eating her pepperoni and canadian bacon pizza

Showing us how she can climb on her bed all by herself (using her step stool, of course.)

Wanting her daddy to help her get down.

Our little superstar!

Playing with her balloons, which she calls "Bo Bo"

Pictures of her new bedroom

I know it looks like a mug shot, but we're actually measuring her for her growth chart. She's just a hair under 30 inches, which means she's grown about 10 inches since she was born! (Notice how she still has her knee fat. I love it!)

Caroline didn't care about her "big girl"certificate, she just wanted the cupcakes!

Our "Pumpkin" (aka Liz's first blog)

2008-02-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

On August 4, 2007 we learned that our lives would never be the same! I took a pregnancy test early in the morning, and kept the good news secret from everyone except Caroline. (Really, who was she going to tell?) I hosted a shower for Rebecca L. that morning, ironically, and never gave a hint that I, too, was expecting. Later that afternoon…after the shower, after Patrick finished yard work at his parents’ house, after Caroline woke up from her nap (it felt like FOREVER!) she was finally able to tell her daddy her secret. Earlier that day we had made a little card for him that read on the outside: “Daddy, I have a secret”. On the inside was, “I’m going to be a big sister!”

I had the camcorder ready, though I didn’t quite get the response I expected. I think SHOCKED was the best way to describe his reaction. So I quickly turned off the camcorder to give him a chance to breathe again! Ha After the initial shock, I took a picture of the happy daddy x 2. And yes, that is Caroline playing with the pregnancy test, though don’t worry. The end was covered and completely sanitary :)

Then we decided to make Caroline a t-shirt to tell our parents the good news. My parents were leaving for Chicago in the morning and we really wanted to tell them before they left. Needless to say, both sets of parents were very excited! Once they finally read the shirt, that is.

Oh, on the way to Hobby Lobby we decided on 2 things: 1- the name that we would call this baby until it’s born, since we didn’t want to find out the sex this time either (we knew that Aunt Lolly would be pumped about that!!): Pumpkin (as you may recall Caroline was our Peanut) and 2- a boy and a girl name! Yep, we agreed immediately and knew what we wanted to call our precious child after it’s born. (Of course, being a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind at any point in time, but I doubt I will!)

August 9, 2007 My first belly shot w/ Pumpkin. 5 weeks

I swear that I am already growing!

September 7, 2007 My first doctor’s appt. 9 weeks
I asked the doctor why I was starting to show so much earlier than I did with Caroline. Patrick and I seriously thought that I was having twins b/c he even noticed that I was showing. Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better, but my doctor told me that it’s normal to show earlier with your later pregnancies. I felt a little relieved, I guess. But I still didn’t have clothes to fit me! Caroline attended our 1st doctor’s appt, but she didn’t exactly have fun. She wasn’t real interested in seeing her little brother or sister on the ultrasound :) We got to see that little heart beating just as fast as it could, and it was of course AMAZING.

My doctor told us our due date is April 10, 2008. We’re cutting it pretty close considering that my parents are going on a cruise to Greece with another church leaving March 24th returning April 2nd, and Patrick’s mother is going on a cruise to Greece with her church leaving April 15th!!! “What the heck, our parents think that since they’re retired that they can just travel all the time?? What about us? What about our plans? Who’s going to watch their granddaughter while I’m in the hospital popping out another grandchild for them???” Hahaha But seriously, my sister and I have pretty much decided that my parents will be out of the country when Pumpkin comes and she has already offered to watch Caroline for us. Though she will be in the delivery room again with me and Pat... Oh, I can’t worry about this stuff now. It will all fall into place when it needs to :)

We told our Sunday School class that we were pregnant. I think they were surprised but very excited for us! I knew we couldn’t keep it secret for long since I was already starting to show. Still, “mum” was the word!

I learned that I tested positive for group B strep/beta strep. Shouldn’t be a big deal, but I did have to take a round of antibiotics. Plus, whenever I go into labor I’m supposed to get 2 doses or 4 hours worth of antibiotics in my iv to make sure that the baby doesn’t catch it from me. “Uh, doctor, I didn’t even have an iv for 2 hours with Caroline, and don’t 2nd babies come even faster than the 1st one????” We’ll deal with that issue later. I did some research and it can be very scary if the baby gets group B strep. It can potentially be fatal. But I’m not worrying about it. I trust that Pumpkin and I are both in God’s hands and have faith that my prayers will be answered.

September 12, 2007 10 weeks
Starting to grow…

October 4, 2007 My 2nd doctor’s appt. 13 weeks
Caroline and her mama sharing some snacks while we waited on the doctor :) The doctor couldn’t hear Pumpkin’s heartbeat with the doppler (I wasn’t worried, b/c we couldn’t hear Caroline’s at that point, either.) Which means we got to have another ultrasound. And there was that little heart beating just as fast as it could! Amazing how much a baby grows in just 4 weeks…
The next day was when I told everyone at work that we were pregnant. Of course, I got a lot of laughs. Apparently several people had been asking around if I was pregnant (see, I’m not exaggerating. I really WAS showing!) but no one had the nerve to ask me! Ha!

October 24, 2007 16 weeks Caroline saying “Hi” to Pumpkin. She loves to play with my belly button! She thinks it’s hilarious (can you blame her?) and tries to pull on it. But she doesn’t realize that that doesn’t feel good :)

November 15, 2007 19 weeks My big ultrasound
The ultrasound was amazing. The tech saw immediately the sex of the baby. We had to turn our head several times! Apparently Pumpkin is not very bashful :) I was EXTREMELY disappointed when I learned that we would not get any pictures of our baby. Don’t get me started on that….some kind of legal blah, blah, blah. Oh, and she told us my due date was April 4, 2008. Not a big deal. My doctor won’t change my original due date of April 10, 2008.

It wasn’t until the next week when the nurse from my OB’s office called me with the ultrasound results: 1) I had fluid on my cervix: which means I could bleed or lose that fluid at any point in time or whenever I start to dilate. Doesn’t that sound lovely? The ultrasound tech didn’t tell me this.
2.) My baby had choroid plexus cysts on his brain…again, the ultrasound tech didn’t tell me. “Um, excuse me???? My baby has cysts on his brain???” That doesn’t sound good. The nurse told me that all babies have these and they normally dissolve at that point, and my baby’s hadn’t. No big deal, we’ll just schedule another ultrasound at 28 weeks to make sure they they’ve dissolved. Then I did a lot of research on the internet and talked to nurses about this, and basically these cysts can be tied to other birth defects like Trisomy, which is horrendous. Fortunately, my baby showed no other problems. According to my doctor, these cysts always dissolve unless the baby has other problems, which mine didn’t, in which case they don’t dissolve. So I had 9 weeks to fervently pray that these cysts would dissolve…

November 21, 2007 20 weeks

halfway point (but probably more than halfway, unless this baby takes after Jacob T.!)

November 29th, 2007 21 weeks
Another doctor’s appt

Christmas Day 2007 25 weeks
December 28, 2007 25 weeks
Another doctor’s appt. Caroline has gone with us to several of our doctor’s appointments. Even though the rooms are teeny tiny, she has done very well. She has even sat on the bed with me and watched while the doctor listened to Pumpkin’s heart beating! I pray that she will be a wonderful big sister. And I have high expectations, b/c I know how great a big sister can be. Other than the fact that my sister used to wake me when I was sleeping peacefully, jump over me when I was lying on the floor, and would never play with me, she’s the best big sister a girl could ever hope for!

I found out at this appt that my next ultrasound was not scheduled for 28 weeks, but rather 29 weeks. “I have to wait another whole week to make sure that the cysts have dissolved???” I wasn’t happy, but oh well.

January 14, 2008 28 weeks

January 25, 2008 29 weeks
What a busy day this was! I’ll spare you the boring and stressful details, b/c all that matters is that the cysts are gone!! Praise God! At least, the ultrasound tech and radiologist did not see them, which basically means they’re gone. And the rest of the baby checked out perfectly. This time the ultrasound tech said my due date was April 3, 2008. Alright, we’re starting to get REALLY close to my parents still being out of the country!!! That baby better hold on until they get back!

After the ultrasound I had the glucose screening (which I passed, no gestational diabetes. Yea!) and another OB appointment. All of this in the middle of bad weather, but we were all safe and I was extremely thankful.

I had to take a deep breath when my doc said, “Ok, I’ll see you again in 3 weeks, and then you’ll start coming every 2 weeks.” I was almost speechless (if you know me well, you know I’m never completely speechless.) Uhhh, that means the baby is coming SOON, right? Holy Cow! Before I know it, I’ll start going every week! Deep breaths, Elizabeth.

January 27, 2008 30 weeks
Caroline trying to pull on my belly button!

January 31, 2008 30 weeks
Wow, 30 weeks? Where has the time gone? I’m counting on less than 10 weeks to go…

Ok, so I hope I haven’t bored anyone, if anyone is still out there. You see why I can’t do this whole blog stuff? Once I start writing I CAN’T STOP! We have dial-up at home (stop laughing) so we’ll probably only update the blog during the week while we’re at work.
Can’t wait to show our Pumpkin off to all our friends and family in just a few more weeks!!!

BTW, tonight Caroline is offically a BIG GIRL!! She will be sleeping in her big girl bedroom for the first time tonight. We have a little family party planned with pizza, cupcakes, balloons, a gift, etc. I want to make this VERY special for her! She is such a sweet, good-natured little girl, and I know that she will make a wonderful big sister to Pumpkin :)

Move in ready?????

2008-02-05T08:24:00.000-06:00

In the past month, give or take a day or two, I have been working to get Caroline a room that she can move into. Below are the before pictures…..it’ll be a few days before I get the “final” pictures posted.

Weather

2008-01-31T15:54:00.000-06:00

Like the old saying is "if you don't like the weather in Arkansas, wait a few minutes and it'll change." Why is it on Monday of this week, it was 70 degrees and then it got "cooler" and then warmed up some and now today you have people running around my office wondering if/when it is going to start snowing and if we will get to go home early. My response has always been, "if you don't want to be here and you have leave, then leave." Some people don't like that. Well, at last check it's in the upper 30's and raining, tomorrow will be in the upper 80's and sunny and for kick off Sunday night in the 50's (thanks to Accu-Ned) I'm ready!

Keep warm and be safe.

Welcome to the "Blog" World

2008-01-26T20:49:00.000-06:00

I thought it was about time for us to come into this world of “blogging”. I’m not going to promise that I/We will update this site daily, or weekly we might just be doing good to do this monthly….but who knows we might surprise you. :-)