In Honor of Valentine's Day

1. How long have you and your significant other been together? 5 years together almost 3 married



2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?} We met on My space, back when it was cool to have a My space. He had just moved to Houston from Kansas and was looking for people/ girls and when he search I popped up. He messaged me and we started talking and soon after that we were dating.


3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell} Will be 3 years in April


4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small? We got married at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond and it was an average size wedding, about100 people


5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share! Not really we are kinda boring.


6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey. His work ethic, How he is with Kelbie and his brains


7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal? Christmas morning 2007. He woke me up telling me he was going to cook breakfast but I told him that I wasn't hungry so he should come back to bed. He came back into the room, jumped on the bed, rolled me over and shoved a ring in my face and asked me to marry him. It was his own special way, even thought I pictured something completely different.


8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals? He is a nothing kinda guy. I am lucky if he remembers to buy me a card. Every once in awhile he will surprise me and actually get me something on Valentine's Day. I usually do the shopping and purchase my own gift.


9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch? Well the sunset dinner would be nice but I am more of a movie on the couch kinda girl. Especially now that we have Kelbie.


10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere? I would love to go to Australia, Hawaii or take a nice cruise somewhere.


11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day. Nothing on Valentine's Day, we might do dinner and movie a few nights before or after. I feel like going out on actual Valentine's Day is a waste, because everyone jacks up their prices.


12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day? Nope I am pretty happy with what I have. It would be nice if James's would surprise me with something inexpensive


13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love. Communication. I feel like it took James and I awhile to get there but we seem to communicate more now then we did before. Having Kelbie really helped us being more calm with each other. People say kids usually bring out the worst in your relationship, but Kelbie has really made ours stronger even thought it was tough at first.


14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

10 on Tuesday

1. What’s your variety of apple? My all time favorite is Honey Crisp, but I don't by them often. I am not really sure what the other kinds I buy are. I basically just get the ones that look juicy. I am not a fan of the GREEN apples though.

2. Do you prefer Long-English or Field cucumbers? I have absolutely no idea what this means

3. Tomatoes – Delicious or disgusting? Disgusting. I can't stand the texture of tomatoes. I do occasionally eat them on a hamburger but other then that I do not want them in or on my food.

4. What’s one fruit or vegetable that you can’t stand and why is that? That would actually be most vegetables, I don't eat many of them. I really don't like Mushrooms, Radish's, Tomatoes, and I am sure I can add more to this list.

5. What’s your favourite way to prepare veggies? (Grilled, boiled, roasted, sauteed, etc.) We usually just dump them out of a can and heat them up, but on the rare occasion I actually do make fresh veggies, we usually boil or sauteed them.


6. Sweet potato pie: Love it or hate it? I actually tired it for the first time over the Thanksgiving break and it wasn't to bad. Tasted alot like Pumpkin Pie in my opinion.


7. What’s your favourite “style” of French fry? Any kind is really fine with me. I love french fries. I really like the waffle fries from Chick-fil-a and McDonald's fries.


8. What’s your favourite fruit-pie filling? Apple no doubt about that. I never will pass up Apple pie.


9. When you were a kid did your parents make you sit at the table until all your veggies were eaten off your plate? I am sure they did. I don't really remember that well, I do know that when Kelbie gets bigger she doesn't have to eat them all before she can get up but she does have to eat a few bites of them. At this point she hates veggies so this could be a real challenge for us later on.


10. Do you drink veggie & fruit juice blends (such as V8, etc.) or make them yourself? I do sometimes drink V8 splash. I really am not a juice drinker like I used to be. V8 Splash is about the only fruit combo drink I would drink. I can not do just V8 with the veggies, probably because I am not a fan of veggies.

Mom's 60th Surprise Party

So we usually don't do surprise parties for my mom because she always finds out about them. This year since it was a BIG one, my dad wanted to do a Surprise Party. He had Danny and I help him get everything together so my mom wouldn't find out. We scheduled it for a few weeks before her real birthday do hopefully she would have no idea. Well it worked. We were actually able to surprise her. I thought it was blown the day before when she heard a phone call about it but she thought it was going to be the weekend of her birthday. Here are a few pictures of the party. There are alot more but I didn't want to post every single one on here. We had it at the Sienna Club house. Catered Old Hickory and had a live musician there singing. I think it turned out pretty well.

3 turned into 5

Kelbie's 3 day sickness ended up being more like 5. I thought she was getting better last Thursday but her fever went back up Friday and we were back to the doctor where she checked her again, gave her an antibiotic shot and changed her meds. As of Sunday she was finally better. She still has a little bit of the cough but we are continuing the breathing treatments until the cough is completely gone. She was her normal self Sunday and ate all her meals and snacks so I knew she was feeling better. I still wish they could have given me a real diagnosis instead of just telling me what they thought it was. They did do everything they could though and her fever never spiked back up so we didn't have to go back for more test. Thank you Lord. I pray she stays healthy now as I am not sure we could handle another week like we had last week.

My Little Plumber

3 Days

So the past few days have been rough for poor Kelbie. It all started Monday afternoon. She was fine all morning and then when she woke up from her morning nap she had a cough and a fever of 101. I gave her some Tylenol and didn't think anything of it. She didn't really eat dinner that night which I chalk up to the fact that she didn't get an afternoon nap and she was ready for bed. At around 12:30am she woke up crying and she never does that. I went to check on her and she was burning up. Her fever was almost 105. I was a little worried at that point and didn't want to end back up in the ER so I gave her another dose of Tylenol and decided to wait it out an hour before doing anything. 45 minutes later she was still burning up and vomited all over her, me and the bed. I was on the phone with her doctor right after that. The nurse practitioner was who I spoke with and she told me to give her another dose of medicine (Motrin this time) and to bring her in in the morning. 

Tuesday morning they were able to get us in first thing which was nice because I planned to go into work in the afternoon, needless to say that didn't happen. They tested her for RSV and the Flu which were both negative. She checked her out and she seemed good except that her throat was a little irritated and her nose was a little gunky. She put her on antibiotics and said to watch her and that once she get the antibiotics in her system she would start to feel better. Well she didn't really want to eat anything all day and I was able to get her to drink some. After her afternoon nap she was miserable. She just sat on the floor and cried. Nothing was making her happy or comfortable. I called her doctor again and was basically told to keep her hydrated and keep doing Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours to keep her fever down. Surprisingly enough she did sleep through the night which was great.

Wednesday morning we are still running a fever of 103.5. Still not eating or really wanting to do anything. Plus her cough now sounded horrible. Like a really bad dog bark.  There I was back on the phone with the doctors office. I told them that I really thought we needed to get blood work done to see if it was something else causing her to be sick. They agreed and we headed to Methodist Hospital for blood work and a chest xray. Day 2 of me not going to work. After about an hour at the hospital we were done and headed to her doctors to wait for the results. Good news nothing on the xray to be concerned about and the first round of blood work came back pretty normal. Her white cells counts weren't abnormal so that means it is most likely some kind of virus infection that has to work its way out. They decided to give her a steroid shot which would help swelling of her throat and hopefully get her back to normal asap. I was also told that the cough could be Croup. That was something new that I hadn't really heard.  Finally by about 4:30pm that afternoon she was looking a lot better. Her fever was finally below 100 and she seemed more into playing.

So here we are 3 days later and we seem to be fever free. She was very active this morning before I left for work but she seems to still not be interested in food. I am going to try and get her to eat something when I get home in hopes that she will get her appetite back. I know she has been drinking so that is a plus. I am still unsure what it was that she really had but it was the worst she has been ever. James stayed home with her today and my mom is going to watch her tomorrow just to be safe. When she gets hungry enough she will eat and I am hoping she will be completely recovered by the weekend.

Needless to say it has been a rough couple of days for my poor little one. I really hope she doesn't get this sick again. It is miserable to see her so uncomfortable and knowing that everything I try to do to make her feel better doesnt' seem to help. I am glad we are finally on the track to good health again. I did really enjoy spending the days with her even though she wasn't herself.

15 Months

I can't believe Kelbie is already 15 months. Time really is flying by. She is such a little person now and very independent. She loves to do everything by herself but at night when it is close to bedtime she always needs to be around mommy.  She still isn't talking much but babbles all the time. The doctor said everything looked good and she was probably going to be a very tall girl. She did hear a heart mummer which she is having us get checked out. Most likely its nothing but they want her to see a Pediatric Cardiologist to have all the scans and stuff done just to make sure. Luckily I was able to get an appointment this month so I don't have to be anxious for to long.

Here are her stats from yesterday:

Height: 33in
Weight: 25lbs 15oz (She finally leveled out here)
Still 90% or higher on everything :)


A few things about Kelbie at 15 months:

*Not a fan of Veggies anymore. She will eat them if they are in baby food form or mixed in with one of her Gerber meals, but getting her to eat them separate is a huge challenge.

*She loves all fruit. Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Bananas, Apples, Kiwi and Grapes.

*Finally starting like Milk. I can get her to drink about 2-3 cups a day and we are working on it not having to be warmed up.

*Completely off bottles for the most part. She doesn't have to have them but still takes on at night before bedtime.

*Bath time is her favorite time. She loves splashing and playing with all her toys. She also loves the bath fizzies that change her water colors.

*Loves to swing. Always wants to be outside swinging on her swing set.

*Wearing mostly 2T clothing, can still wear some 18months depending on the brand. Wearing size 5.5 to 6 in shoes.

*No real words yet but we are working on it. She has a very good understanding of words and things. She can point things out in books and understands when you ask her to do or get something.

*Loves reading/looking at her books and building with her blocks.

Boring Day, So answer some ?'s

Did you/would you tell everyone the name of your baby before they were born, keep it a secret, or not choose until after they were born? We tell everyone. Its not a secret and I can't keep secrets so it would be hard for me not to share the name. I am sure we will do the same with the second baby as well.

What is your favorite candle smell? Twilight Woods from Bath & Body Works.


Who was your favorite teacher? That is a hard one, I had a few good teachers throughout my school years. Picking a favorite I just don't think it would be fair.

What is the best game/activity you have ever played at a baby shower? I really like the dirty diaper game where you melt candy into a diaper and then you have to guess the candy. I also thing the clothespin game is fun where you have to try and not say the word baby or you lose your clothespin.


What was your major in college and did you end up using it in your career? I never finished College so I can't really answer this, but I am sure had I completed college I would have used my degree.


What is a beauty product you swear by? I dont' really swear by any of them, but I really like Cover Girl and NYC

If you could recommend one new baby necessity, what would it be? Boppy, although I didn't use mine much but maybe with the next one it will be more useful.


How many teeth did your child have at 13 months? 8 and she was working on her molars but she is now 15 months and only half of the ones on the top, they haven't decided to come in all the way and she is still working on the bottom two.


Do you do laundry all at the same time or a load here and there? I try to do it all at once but it usually lasts for a couple days. I do a few loads then I get behind on putting it up so I stop washing until that gets put up. I am always washing James's work clothes at least once or twice a week and getting them put away.



What kind of detergent do you use? Well I prefer Gain, but sometimes I settle for the cheap stuff. I am currently using ALL and it works pretty good and smells good too.

Do you use fabric softener? Not really, I have some but I often forget to add it to the laundry and I am not convinced it actually does anything

Do you use dryer sheets? Yes


Do you iron your own clothes or take them to a cleaner to get pressed? We are to poor to take them to a cleaners, when something does actually need to be ironed I do it myself. I try to make it so things don't need ironing because its not one of my favorite things to do.

Do you like heavy starch or light starch? No starch unless it is absolutely necessary.

Do you wash all your laundry at once or separate it? I try to separate it.

How do you separate it? By people or by colors? Both, I was Kelbie's clothes by themselves and James's work clothes separate, but I often combine my clothes and James's personal clothes together by colors.

What clothes get hung up and what goes in drawers? Everything goes in the dryer, I am to lazy to hang stuff up.

Do you use plastic, wire, or wooden hangers? Do they all match? Plastic and no they don't all match. We have all different colors.

What’s the perfect meal? Anything easy


What are the perfect pair of shoes? Whatever is comfortable works for me

What is the perfect afternoon? Being able to sit at home and relax. Not having to worry about the baby or anything and just getting to read a book or watch a movie.

What’s the perfect house? I would love a ranch style house or a country house with a wrap around porch and a large yard for the dogs and kids to play in.

What is the perfect outfit? Something that matches and is easy to put together.

What’s the perfect wedding song? We danced to Big & Rich's "Lost in the Moment"

What is the perfect job? Something you enjoy. I like my job now. Being around kids is fun and I think I will always do something involving kids.

What’s the perfect hairstyle? Easy. I just got my hair cut into a bob and I am actually going shorter because it takes me a little to long to style it. I used to just keep it shoulder length because I could style it fast or I could throw it up into a messy bun and call it a day.

44 Odd Things

1. Do you like blue cheese? No I am really not a fan of Blue Cheese, I think it is the texture

2. Have you ever been drunk? Not recently but yes I had my fair share of that in my younger days

3. Do you own a gun? No and we never will. Way to dangerous especially with kids in the house

4. Favorite Kool Aid flavor? Cherry or Grape maybe. I haven't drank Kool Aid in forever

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not nervous but I get anxiety for some reason

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like them. We eat them alot in our house

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Any Christmas movie really

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water

9. Can you do push ups? If I had to I could, but I don't really work out much even though I need too

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Wedding rings I guess, I wear them every day

11. Favorite hobby? Reading, Shopping, Crafts with Kelbie

12. Do you have A.D.D.? No

13. What’s your favorite shoe? I like my flats by Rocket dog

14. Middle name? Nicole

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? Money, Kelbie, Vacation

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper, Juice

17. Current worry? Money

18. Current hate right now? Nothing really

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Stayed home like usual and was asleep before midnight

21. Where would you like to go? Hawaii, Australia, Europe

22. Name three people who will complete this? Who knows, I don't even know who reads my blog

23. Do you own slippers? Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? One is Turquoise and the other is White

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? I guess, I don't think I ever have

26. Can you whistle? Yes

27. Favorite color? Pink and Black

28. Would you be a pirate? No I don't think so

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever pops into my head

30. Favorite girl’s Name? Kelbie * and Becklyn

31. Favorite boy’s name? Jaxon and Grayson

32. What’s in your pocket right now? Nothing

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Co Workers

34. Best bed sheets as a child? I can't remember, I had cat ones I think

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had as a child? Broken arm, Stitches, Sprained foot

36. Do you love where you live? I would like to live in a different state but my neighborhood is nice

38. Who is your loudest friend? Gena

Not sure what happened to 37?
39. How many dogs do you have? 2

40. Does someone have a crush on you? Does my husband count?

41. What is your favorite book? Janet Evanovich

42. What is your favorite candy? Reeses, Mounds, Jolly Rancher Chews

43. Favorite Sports Team? Aggies

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? My family will decide that I guess

What is in a Name?

I love Kelbie's name and I couldn't see her being named anything else. When James and I talked about names (more so for girls), we decided that we want their names to be different. Not so different as that they couldn't be pronounced or spelled but we didn't want 6 other kids to have the same name. I am very happy to say that I have yet to meet anyone with that name yet. Her name is also family related as we combined my mom and his mom's names together, how often can you do that and have a cool sounding name? What does frustrate me ( I also knew this when I picked her name) is that I can't just go into a store and find something with her name on it. Example... place mats, cups, magnets, etc. The reason for this vent on loving her different name is that I bought her a Violet dog months ago and was never able to get her name programed into it because it wasn't on their list of names. So today I decided to send them an email asking if it was possible to get her name added to the list. I got a nice email back saying that at this time they were not adding any new names and that I should browse their list of names and find something that sounds similar or use a nickname. If I really wanted to use a nickname don't you think I would have done that before? Just a little frustrated with Leap Frog. I am very glad that she has an easy name and that hopefully not to many people if any will have her name. Now only if people could spell it right that would be great. I guess a "Y" seems to be the easy way of spelling, but if you know me I like to be different. I am sure this will continue to be a problem all her life with the spelling.... Maybe our next child will be lucky to have a not so unique name and normal spelling. I wouldn't count on it though.

Ten on Tuesday

1. What did you get for Christmas?
*** Movies, Tumblers, Gift Card to Bath & Body Works

2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
*** Yes sadly they were down the day after Christmas. I usually like to keep them up through the New Year, but with a 14 month old its a little hard. I was getting tired of my ornaments breaking because she wanted to play with them.

3. What did you do for New Years Eve?
*** Nothing. That is usually what we do. I was in bed by 10 with a headache and James was watching a movie on the couch. I know real party animals.

4. Do you like accents?
*** I guess I have never really thought about it. I have met a few people with big accents and it depends where they are from if I like it or not. Some are really hard to understand but some sound really cool.

5. What kind of television do you have?
*** Both of our TVs are old school. We have not upgraded to flat screens nor do I think I will. They both work great and I see no need for a flat screen until these we have die.

6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
*** No real changes, I do hope to finally lose the rest of my baby weight before I have another kid. Lets see if I can motivate myself enough for that to happen. I am thinking probably not.

7. What’s the last book you read and do you recommend it?
***The Janet Evanovich series. I love her books. They are now making them into movies which I am super excited about. There are 18 and the first one is coming out on the 21st and it stars Katherine Heigal.

8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
*** I do. I purchase at least 2 magazines a week. Usually Intouch and Life & Style. I also like People if they have something interesting on the cover.

9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
*** I know a few to Bohemian Rhapsody and Gangstas Paradise. I know all the words to Fresh Prince. I mean who doesn't know the words to Fresh Prince. Very catchy song.

10. What is your favorite educational television show?
*** I personally don't watch anything educational except for the news if that counts but Kelbie loves Word World and I am trying to get her into Sesame Street, but she hasn't gotten attached to that one yet.