Richardson Family

2 years old!

2011-05-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Grant's birthday at a local park. He's 2 years old!

Easter & Jeff B-day 2011

2011-05-23T08:08:00.001-07:00

We spent Easter at Abilene State Park with my family and celebrated Jeff's 10th birthday. He had a rice crispy treat cake for his party and then we had the egg hunt at the campsite. It was a blast!

Changes, Changes, Changes

2011-04-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much has happened since the last post!

Regarding our house purchase: After MANY ups and downs with the bank we had no other choice but to opt out of purchasing the house. (Won't mention the name of the bank other than it starts with a 'W' and and ends in 'argo'...lol) We endured 3 months of torture with one problem after another coming up. So for now we are still crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment.

Kids: Jeff is still thriving in school this year and has stayed on the AB honor roll. He has many friends and a close friend that lives right across the building from us. They spend time together every day. Grant is almost 2 years old and is like a human sponge right now. It seems that his grammar is increasing by the day and he is growing up to be a sweet little guy who knows what he wants....and is sure to let us know!

Family life: About 4 weeks ago Shane ended up in the hospital to have an appendectomy. Scary, scary stuff. One day he came home for a lunch break from work and was complaining of having stomach cramps. As you probably know Shane, he stuck it out all day at work in severe pain. At 9:30 that night he decided to leave from work and go to the hospital. I told him I probably needed to drive him there but he insisted on driving himself. He stayed in the waiting room for 4 hours before seeing a doctor. 3 hours and many tests later it was determined that his appendix needed to be removed. Needless to say I got ZERO sleep that night as I was waiting for the phone to ring to hear the results. Weeks later he is recovering well and finally getting back to normal.

Living in west Texas has not been the most pleasant of experiences. We have decided to go back to where we came from so now Shane and I are seeking employment to allow us to relocate back to the Hill Country. Although I was born and raised in this part of Texas I just can't seem to call it 'home' again. We don't have any regrets moving here as it has made us appreciate everything we left behind. And it has given us an opportunity to spend time with family. I'm hoping the next post will be about when we are moving back......

West Texas Adventure

2011-01-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

We decided to start off the new year with a trip to Fort Davis. Here are pictures from our adventure:

Fort Davis Lodging

Our cabin

Inside

View from cabin

Fort Davis State Park

Indian Lodge

Day Trip to Alpine

Elk?

Playing at the park

Fort Davis Historic Site

Marfa

Waiting to see the Marfa Mystery lights

We waited an hour after sunset to see the Marfa lights but didn't see anything. :(

We had a great time and plan to go back during the summer.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

The boys had a good Christmas this year. With our apartment being so small Jeff was concerned as to how Santa was going to fit all the gifts under our little Christmas tree and also how he was going to fit down the small chimney. I told him that Santa always finds a way and he seemed to be happy with that explanation.

House update

2011-01-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

After much searching we finally found a house we are interested in buying. We had given up on living out of town since all the houses were out of our price range and started focusing on houses in town. We eventually called a realtor and mentioned to them about wanting to live in a certain area out of town with acreage. That same day the price on a property in that area had just reduced by a significant amount! We scheduled an appointment to look at the property and a few days later made an offer; which was accepted by the seller. The closing date is set for early February. Our current lease for the apartment we live in expires in March. We plan to have Jeff finish out the school year at his current school so we will live in the apartment as long as possible to avoid as much driving back and forth as we can. It's a good 20+ miles one way from Jeff's current school to our new house. The property inspection has been completed and the seller agreed to do most of the repairs except for a few electrical issues, which I'm sure we will have repaired eventually. Next is the loan process; we were already pre-approved; and to get a quote from the insurance company. Hoping we won't have too many problems with the bank.

Update overdue!

2010-11-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

I know...I know. I haven't updated our blog in quite some time. I'll start with updates on the kids.

Grant

Our baby boy is just days from being 18 months old; 1 1/2 years! He is trying to talk in full sentences and currently his favorite words are no, uh-huh, two, yee-haw (that's what he calls Woody on Toy Story), and sheepy (sheep). He also loves to play with swords and Nerf dart guns with his bubba. With all the fun stuff comes the occasional tantrums and stubbornness. We have been in the Terrible 2's stage for a few months but the majority of the time he is a sweet and snuggly toddler. And I'm not ashamed to say that he is a Mommy's boy. :)

Jeff

Our big boy is doing great in the 4th grade and has lots of friends this year. He is on the A-B honor roll and has been a great big brother to Grant. He, on the other hand, is more of a Daddy's boy these days.

The Move

In case some of you don't know we decided to leave the great city of Austin and move back to the good 'ole backwoods of west Texas. Shane decided to leave Sears and go back with Academy; so we packed up and moved in September. Jeff is thriving in his new school and says he likes it much better than the prior school. I will admit that it feels great to be back in conservative country. Austin was a great chapter in our lives and maybe one day we will end up moving back but for now we are focusing on our lives being spent here. We moved to an apartment and put most of our belongings in storage as we look for a house to buy.

Vacation 2010

2010-07-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

This year for our vacation we decided to visit the Texas coast for a few days. We stayed in Aransas Pass and during the day went to nearby Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, and Rockport.

Mr Lounge Lizard himself

At least he started out happy

The smallest HEB I've ever seen located in Cuero. (Well at least I thought it was interesting.)

First stop - Port Aransas. Waiting for the Ferry

Going across to Port A

At the beach in Port A

Grant's first time in the ocean

Day 2 - Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi

Mommy and the boys watching the dolphins

Jeff waiting to touch a sting ray

Giddy up, Daddy

At the beach in Rockport

We ended our trip with another visit to the beach in Port A before heading home. We had a great time and hope to visit again soon.

Random pics

2010-06-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Family update

2010-06-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the lack of updates on our blog. Life in our household has been busy, busy. Especially now that school is out for the summer.

First and foremost we have celebrated 2 birthdays since the last update! Jeff had his 9th birthday in April and Grant hit the big ONE in May. Our boys are getting so big and growing up faster than we want them to.

Jeff's arm has healed but still has the rod in place. It will be removed a few weeks before school starts again. The cast has been removed and he is back to being a normal kid again. He even got back on his scooter without a second thought. We are proud of him for that. He has attended VBS at our church and I hope to get him into some more day camps to keep him busy. If it were up to him he would spend all his days watching tv or playing video games. He will start the 4th grade in August. Wow, time flies!

Grant is completely mobile now and, as expected, is in to EVERYTHING! He keeps Mom on her toes. His vocabulary has skyrocketed. We've counted 25+ words that he can say and understand. He weighed 27 lbs at his 1 year visit and is developing normally. He got the chicken pox immunization at 1 year and developed a small outbreak of them a few weeks later. Poor little guy felt awful and we were glad to get over those. His doctor said the outbreak is a good sign that the immunization took and we shouldn't have to worry about him getting the chicken pox in the future. He still loves to be outside and has been to the swimming pool a few times. He's a little fish just like his brother; loves the water.

Shane is still in the retail industry but has been looking for a career elsewhere. His current job does not allow for much of a social life. He has been going non-stop since he started working there and we are all burned out and need a vacation. Please pray that he finds something that will be able to keep us financially afloat and allow time for family time. I have started a Medical Transcriptionist program and will be certified by May 2011. My goal is to bring in an extra income and be able to stay home with the boys.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Mr Mischief

2010-04-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jeff update

2010-03-31T11:21:00.001-07:00

Jeff has been so brave during the broken arm fiasco. The doctor ended up placing a rod in his arm to hold the bone in place. That of course meant he had surgery. He wore a cast for 4 weeks and had it taken off yesterday. Now he has to wear a removable brace and has to keep his arm in a sling. He will have the rod removed at the end of April. Another surgery...yuck! But on the bright side he should be healed about a month earlier than expected.

10 months

2010-03-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast these last 10 months have flown by. It won't be long until the 1 year celebration. My parents have always tried telling me that time flies the older you get...I finally get it now!

Grant is so close to walking on his own. The only thing lacking is his confidence to let go and take a few steps. He could do it. He's also learning to fall on his rear instead of stiffening and falling flat on his back. I have created a 'trail' of things going around the entire living room that he can hold on to and explore on his own. Sometimes he finds a way to get around those barriers and ends up in places he's not supposed to be....say the kitchen for instance.

His vocabulary is getting quite extensive these days. His favorite word of the month is 'outside'. He LOVES being outside. I have a feeling he will be our little outdoors man.

He has 3 teeth on top (with another coming in) and 4 teeth on the bottom. Yep, think it will be time to wean him soon. lol

Big Brother's Boo-Boo

2010-02-24T11:08:00.001-08:00

It sure has been an interested week to say the least. A few days ago Jeff was riding his scooter to a friend's house down the block and fell on his arm. I knew it was broken the minute I saw it. We spent a few hours in the ER on Sunday, a few hours in the orthopedic office yesterday, and early this morning he had to get his arm set at the hospital. Luckily they put him completely out to do the procedure. He had a clean break but the bone ended up at a 24 degree angle. The doctor said it did pop back into place but it took about 30 minutes of working on it to get it there. He used a kind of x-ray machine to help him see the bone during the manipulation. Needless to say Jeff's arm was really sore afterwards. The next step is a follow up visit in a few days during which time he might get his final cast put on. After that it's 5-6 weeks of wearing the cast. He has been really brave through this ordeal.

9 months!

2010-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Weight - 25 lbs 2 oz

Length - 30 inches

We have a big boy on our hands! As you can see Grant loves to stand, walk, and explore. We haven't exactly seen him crawl but somehow he starts out sitting in the middle of the floor and next thing we know he has pulled himself up by the sofa and is standing on the other side of the room....within a matter of a minute or 2. Doesn't want to give his secret away I guess.

He can say 'bubba', 'da-ee' (daddy), and today he has been saying 'mama'. He can also say 'woo', which is our dog's nickname. Besides exploring he LOVES to eat. We have gone past the baby food stage; it's all table food for him. He eats 3 meals/day, 2 snacks, and still nurses a few times. I'm not used to having a baby that will eat. Even to this day his brother Jeff does not like to eat.

Grant has 2 bottom teeth and 1 top tooth so far. The other top tooth is starting to show but has not fully come through yet. Teething has been hard on both Grant and me...if he doesn't sleep neither do I.

One 8 YEAR old & one 8 MONTH old

2010-02-03T18:40:00.001-08:00

Life in our household has been very adventurous lately as both boys have experienced new milestones.

Jeff is an amazing big brother to Grant and I am amazed at the boost in his maturity and independence levels. Recently he has made a new friend that is a grade ahead of him and on the weekends those 2 are inseparable. A few days ago as I was waiting for him after school he opened the car door to ask if he could walk home with his friend. This is the same kid that HATES to exercise. Although the school is only a few blocks from the house I was hesitant but let him go anyway. You know I couldn't just drive straight home, right? I had to follow him a bit...hehe. He's also been spending more time outdoors, which is a plus! I've come to the realization that I need to let the reins go just a bit and let him be the big boy that he is turning in to.

Grant has also hit some new milestones; although, crawling is not one of them yet. On most days putting him on his tummy results in him laying his head down and fussing. Today he finally showed some interest and scooted around in circles on the floor. He would much rather be standing and working on his balance and occasionally taking a few steps forward while holding our hands. Another thing he loves to do is eat! These days it seems he spends most of the day in his high chair eating....and not baby food. He wants the food off of my plate. He's had baked chicken, steamed squash, biscuits, spaghetti, crackers, and yogurt. The yogurt he is not so sure about yet. His new favorite game is peek-a-boo...either with a blanket covering his head or he just closes his eyes to hide himself. We say 'Where's Grant?' when he hides. Today he closed his eyes and said 'Gant?'. Oh, just made my heart melt!

As for Shane and I we have been roommates lately. He goes one way and I go the other...sometimes we stop to say hi to each other. One of these days we will have some time to ourselves.

Thanks for reading!

Balancing Act & 2nd tooth!

2010-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Grant's second tooth finally made it's appearance yesterday! Two days prior to that were rough; he ran a low grade fever and woke up every hour during the night. That's WITH giving him Tylenol plus teething tablets. Poor little guy.

He also likes to stand and try to balance himself and doesn't have the slightest interest in crawling yet. He wants to be just like big Bubba....and big Bubba doesn't crawl! :)

7 months - first tooth!

2010-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Our littlest angel is growing up fast! I discovered his first tooth on Jan 4th when he was drinking from my glass. The 'clinking' sound from his tooth hitting the glass was how I knew it was there. He has had much pain from this tooth coming through and I have a hunch the other bottom one will be showing up soon.

He has 3 meals of solid foods on most days and his favorite foods are homemade sweet potatoes and the Winter Squash baby food. He also loves to chew on crackers. Unlike his big brother at this age, he does not like bananas and will not drink any kind of juice; I mix both in his cereal for breakfast. I guess I can't complain that he prefers water over juice! The only fruit he will eat is avocado (yes, it's a fruit...I always thought it was a veggie).

His last weigh in at his 6 month doctor visit was 21 pounds so by now I'm sure he's at 22 or 23. He wears size 2T shirts and 18 month pants.....at 7 months old! Big boy!!

I am trying to transition him from our bed back to his but have not been successful so far since he wakes multiple times at night from teething. The good news is that he will take naps in his bed so at least some progress is being made. I've gotten used to being able to function during the day on about 6 hours of interrupted sleep; I might sleep for days without waking if given the opportunity to actually sleep at night I'm afraid.

We are so proud of Grant and his brother Jeff! Hoping that on the next update Grant will be crawling. :)

Christmas '09

2009-12-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

We all had a wonderful Christmas this year. Jeff got a Netbook (mini laptop) and accessories, another Wii controller, and Nerf blaster and sword. Grant got lots of toys for his first Christmas. He got into playing with one toy and then discover he had more toys to play with. We enjoyed watching them open their gifts.

We did a whole bunch of lying around and resting that day. Shane's work schedule has been hectic up until Christmas and we are glad the holidays are over.

Jeff's school year

2009-11-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Jeff is doing an awesome job in school this year. His overall average for the year so far is a 93 with the highest grade of a 98 in math and the lowest of 88 in science. He was selected to be on the math committee in his class. Four out of 22 students were selected to create math activities and math problems for the class to solve. They will present these to the class on PowerPoint in a few weeks.

A few weeks back he learned about inherited traits and had to complete a project explaining dominant and recessive traits and give examples of those on PowerPoint as well. Thankfully Shane knows how to use that program and was able to give him a few tips on how to create a presentation. It amazes me that kids are so computer savvy these days....we did not start using a computer until 7th grade! Jeff has been using a computer since preschool. Wow I feel old! :)

The 3rd grade field trip this year is to the UT Astronomy building. Jeff is looking forward to that. Not sure if it's looking forward to getting to leave school or to learn about astronomy but either way he will have fun.

6 months old!

2009-11-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

It has been 6 months since our littlest angel has entered into this world. We are so blessed to have 2 wonderful boys in our lives.

Grant is able to roll completely over, scoot a little and just last week started to sit up on his own. The foods he has eaten are rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and carrots. He loves to drink water and I have to bribe the sippy cup from him so he won't fill up on that instead of food! He still wakes up for feedings at night...I hope that will end once he is weaned. He absolutely loves to take a bath. Just the mention of getting a bath makes him squeal and gets his legs to kicking. Getting to sit up during his bath has made it even more of a treat for him as he splashes and plays in the water. When the weather permits we go play at the park....the same park we took Jeff to when he was Grant's age. It's funny how certain memories of Jeff come back to me as Grant grows and experiences new things. Just today Grant started to mimic faces we make at him. He brings such joy to our lives and I can't thank God enough for both of our guys.

Halloween and trip to the Capitol

2009-11-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year. We took the kids trick or treating at the mall and then Shane took Jeff around the neighborhood. Our adventure at the mall was all Grant was interested in that night. Grant dressed up as Woody from the movie Toy Story and Jeff was a ninja.

Earlier in the day we went to the Texas Book Festival that was held at the Texas State Capitol. After purchasing a book for Jeff we headed over to take a look inside the Capitol building. This was Grant's first visit there. Jeff has been several times on school trips and with us.

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to a local pumpkin festival last weekend. My parents, niece, and Shane's mom went with us. We had a blast! The festival is held at a Christmas tree farm...I'm sure we will go there to get our tree this year.

Baby talk

2009-10-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

October '09

2009-10-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting some much needed rain after a summer drought. Thank you, God! With the rain also comes the cooler temperatures. I love the beginning of fall but as each winter goes on I always look forward to the beginning of spring. The cooler weather also reminds me that Christmas is sneaking up again. My goal is to start shopping early this year; like it is every year but never achieved. Last year it was due to lack of time. This year's excuse may be lack of money. Maybe God is trying to remind me that Christmas is not about gifts; it's about HIM!

Grant got his first cold last weekend. Although he is much better now he still has the occasional congestion. The only approved medication on the shelves for him for any kind of congestion is Zyrtec, which is an antihistamine. It has taken the edge off but never completely cleared him up. Luckily no ear infection this time and the doctor also said his throat looked fine. Jeff has also had some seasonal allergies but nothing out of the ordinary for him. Shane and I are also battling with a cough.

Jeff is having an awesome year at school so far. He is on a 4th grade reading level (he's in 3rd grade) and still going above and beyond in math. Testing for the TAG program is later in the year and if he qualifies for it he will begin the program next year in 4th grade. It amazes me how much of a young man he is turning in to. It seems that he was Grant's age just yesterday!

More updates to come!

Misty

Grant update - 4 months old!

2009-09-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today our little man is 4 months old. His current weight is 18 lbs 10 oz and he is 26 1/2 inches long (95 percentile); roughly the size of an 8 month old, according to our pediatrician. Never a small baby in this household. :-)

He can now roll over on his tummy but gets mad when he is unable to roll back over on his back. Shane calls him the reverse turtle since he gets stuck on his tummy instead of his back. He is a pro at grasping toys with both hands and of course they all go straight to his mouth. I now keep a bib on him at all times or his outfit will end up soaked with drool. Still no teeth yet. He can sit up pretty well but still needs a little help balancing. I may have mentioned in previous posts that he sucks his thumb. He doesn't suck it that often; only when he's hungry or to help himself go back to sleep. He refuses to take a pacifier.

He still wakes for 1 or 2 feedings at night on average. We did have 2 nights in a row that he slept 7-8 hours without a feeding. Of course I didn't sleep the whole time because I kept waking up to check on him. I have not started him on solids yet. I don't feel that his little digestive system is ready for it just yet; maybe in a few weeks. He loves to drink water...no complaints here. Just a few sips a day and he's happy.

Labor Day weekend

2009-09-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

We had an overnight stay in San Antonio this past weekend. We took the boys to the zoo and ate at our favorite restaurant, Tomatillos. Their food is to die for! You must go there next time you are in San Antonio.

This was Grant's first trip to San Antonio. He loved the animals! The only time he fussed was when it was time to eat. Jeff also had a great time. He got a chance to feed the pelicans.

First day of 3rd grade

2009-08-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

This summer just flew by! Today is Jeff's first day of 3rd grade. We met his teacher and dropped off his school supplies yesterday. She knows Jeff from Kindergarten when she helped his teacher that year and Jeff really likes her. I think we will have a great year.

New experience...more milestones

2009-08-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a new experience for all of us as we attended church for the first time since the arrival of Grant. Both Shane and I were a bit skeptical about him being apart from both of us as he stayed in the nursery. He has had either Shane or myself in his sight since day one. But the little guy pulled through (and so did Mom and Dad!) and I was only paged once during Bible study because he was hungry. After that he took a short nap and visited with the caretakers and other babies while we attended the Worship service. It was a wonderful experience for all of us and it certainly felt great to be back in the House of the Lord.

We have experienced more milestones in these last few days. The first is that Grant is sleeping in his own bed! It's not that I didn't enjoy snuggling him every night but it is good to be able to change sleeping positions without worrying about waking him. Grant seemed to be ready for that transition so I went for it. It's funny how we are not going 'by the book' during this go around. Jeff was our 'by the book' child; when the book told us to do it we did it with most issues.

And the other milestone that happened today is that Grant is giggling and laughing. During bath time Shane was squeezing the wash cloth over Grant's chest and letting the water drip on him. Grant thought that was so funny. And like his big brother Grant gets the hiccups when he laughs. I don't know if all children do that but both of ours do. Jeff still does to this day.

Jeff continues to be a great big brother and is interacting more with Grant every day. He has asked to hold Grant several times but changes his mind after a few seconds. He even tried to pick Grant up out of his crib when Grant was crying but said that he was too heavy. I'm sure Jeff will start holding him more when Grant learns to sit up. Jeff will be in the 3rd grade this year. Wow! I can't believe how fast these years are flying by. He will be in middle school before we know it.

We are finally finished with all of our school shopping and have just one more week of summer vacation.

Thanks for reading!

Misty

Summer fun continued

2009-08-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

The summer is coming to an end; only 2 more weeks until school starts again. We have most of the school supplies bought but still need to get some more clothes for Jeff. He is not that excited about going back and I hate to admit it but I'm sort of glad that it is starting soon. Is that a horrible thing to say?

I can't begin to explain how fast Grant is growing. He will be 12 weeks old this week and is wearing size 12 MONTH clothing!!!! I'm sure he is well over 15 lbs by now. He is able to roll from back to front (if he really wants to) although he hasn't figured out how to get his arm out from under him yet. We are also working on sitting up by himself and he can hold his head up really well. We do tummy time but he's not very patient with that. He is also learning how to use his hands and loves to hold and chew anything made of a cloth material. He has been drooling like crazy for at least a month but no signs of any teeth yet. I have a feeling we will be teething early. I know this sounds crazy but he is attempting to say words. I don't think he understands what the words mean of course but he tries to mimic words that we say to him. His word for Mama is 'ama' and the funniest thing he tried to say today was 'poo poo'. Yes it may be disgusting but he tried to say it! He seems to be trying out the 'p' sound. He tries to say that during his diaper change.

His sleep time is getting better too...well for us anyway. Jeff didn't sleep through the night until he was 3 years old so I don't expect good sleep patterns from Grant either. He sleeps 4-5 hours when I first put him to bed and then wakes up every 2 1/2 - 3 hours after that. But unlike his older brother he loves to snuggle at night. I have really enjoyed that. That may be the difference between a bottle fed and breastfed baby.

Grant's nickname is Go Boy. He loves to go...anywhere! Again, the complete opposite of his big brother. Jeff is a home body. And Grant loves to be outside. We go outside every morning to water the plants.

Although we haven't had much of a vacation this summer we have been sure to take time out for Jeff. Shane took him to a local water park and to the swimming pool several times. His grandparents have also taken him swimming and last week his aunt took him to Sea World. He loves to swim and to be around animals. Sea World has always been the perfect place for him. He is an animal lover! Both Shane and I are too so he comes by that honestly.

Hope everyone is doing well. Will post again soon!

Misty

More summer fun

2009-07-27T18:50:00.001-07:00

Milestones

2009-07-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Another week gone by and more milestones for our family. A big milestone to celebrate is that I am now an official stay at home mom. Praise God that we were given this opportunity. I don't know how we are able to do it financially but through God all things are possible. Faith is what we are living on. I stayed home with Jeffrey during his first 5 months of life and went back to work up until Grant was born, so it has been at least 7 years in between that period of time. Wow...what an adjustment. Let's just say that I have so much respect for SAHM's (Stay At Home Moms). It is a 24/7 job but the rewards are way better than anything earned at a job outside the home. :)

Only about a month left of summer break and school will start again. I don't think either Jeff or myself is ready for it to start. It will be a challenge to get Jeff up for school while at the same time taking care of Grant. Luckily Jeff is old enough to get himself dressed but it takes some effort to get him out of bed. We'll see how that goes. Grant will be 3 months old so maybe it will be easier by then.

Grant's personality is really starting to come out during these last few weeks. He is such a sweety. Yesterday he giggled for the first time...while he was awake. He has been giggling in his sleep for a while (so cute!). And he sure knows who Mom is. If anybody else is holding him for a while and he finally sees me his bottom lip will pucker and he starts crying. Oh...makes me feel terrible. Our nights are not very restful right now. He wakes up every hour to eat! I hope it will pass soon! He now weighs a whopping 14 lbs; 95 percentile in weight. Pretty common with our kids. Jeff has been such an awesome big brother and a great helper to me. He and Grant like to 'talk' and Jeff is always commenting on how cute Grant is. Jeff isn't interested in holding him but he will sit and play with Grant.

I have some recent pictures to post and will try to get them on the blog when I have more time.

Misty

Summer family fun

2009-07-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some summer pics. We are all having a blast seeing Grant do something new every day. Just this morning he looked right at me and smiled when he noticed I was looking at him. Made my heart melt.

We seem to have the reflux under control although it likes to show up even more at night. And who could have thought that a baby on mommy's milk could have colic? Jeffrey had a milk allergy and was on a special (and very expensive!) formula and we wanted to avoid that route with Grant. Sure enough he is also allergic to milk and soy and also has trouble with mommy's milk too. Not the milk itself but the speed at which it comes out. Here we are 7 weeks later and I'm still learning new techniques to get past this problem. I am ready for solid foods but at the same time I don't want my baby to grow up so quickly.

The boys and I stayed at Nana and Papa's house for a few days earlier in the week and we had a good time. It made me appreciate Shane and his help with taking care of the boys even more. Mom has back problems and cannot hold Grant for very long.

So far this summer Jeff has gone to a summer day camp that was offered to our neighborhood. It was an all day camp (8-5 pm) for 5 days. They had all kinds of activities from board games to swimming. He was exhausted by the end of the day and got the much needed exercise. He also started going to VBS at our church right after school was out for the summer but ended up getting sick after the first day. He was disappointed about not getting to go. I plan on getting him into swim lessons before the summer is over...he loves to swim. I think we may have found the one sport that he enjoys. Luckily the schools around here have swim teams and I hope that he continues to like the sport.

Here are some pics:

I forgot to turn the flash on in this pic but it is the first 'smiling' pic I have of him:

Hope every one's summer is going well.

Blessings,

Misty

Enjoying my family

2009-06-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Grant is going on 6 weeks old!...I want him to stay a baby forever since he will be our last one unless God has other plans for us, of course. At 4 weeks we found that he has reflux and has been taking Prevacid to treat it. Poor baby; he's been a real trooper through it and the medicine has helped tremendously. We don't have the luxury of feeding him and putting him right to bed. He has to sit up for about 20 minutes after eating. He is able to hold his head up for a while longer each week and has already started smiling. Talk about making your heart melt! I love those smiles!!!!

Jeffrey has been a great big brother to him. At first he didn't know how to react towards Grant but as Grant is getting older Jeff has warmed up to him a bit. Especially since Grant is more aware of his surroundings.

We've made a few trips to Nana and Papa's house which is about 2 hours away. The road to their house has many twists and turns and he seems to get a bit car sick and does not like the car seat that well. What baby does like a car seat, right? But each trip over there seems to get easier.

More to come!

4 weeks old

2009-06-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Grant will be 4 weeks old this Thursday! Where has the time gone? It amazes me how such a tiny little person can bring such dramatic changes to a household...but I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
At 2 weeks Grant weighed 9 lbs 3 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long which means he gained 11 oz and grew 1 1/2 inches since leaving the hospital. Here are some pics.

After his first bath

2 weeks

Grant Ryan Richardson

2009-05-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Grant Ryan Richardson was born on May 21st at 2:26 pm, 8 lbs 11 oz 20 inches. He decided to come a day before the scheduled induction. We had a little scare with wet lung, which is a complication where too much amniotic fluid is present in the lungs. After 7 hours of being monitored in the nursery we finally got to meet our little angel. He is a healthy baby boy and has already grown 1/2 inch since birth. Right now we have our days and nights mixed up but hopefully that will change soon. Here are some pics:

40 weeks

2009-05-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Only 3 days until Grant's arrival! It was determined in my last prenatal visit today that I have dilated to a 3. Unless Grant decides to arrive earlier we will be checking into the hospital on Thursday evening at 6:30 pm. I will be given a drug that will hopefully give my body the push needed to start labor on its own. If it doesn't work then I will be induced on Friday morning. We had a false alarm last Sunday night when I was having contractions that were 5 min apart for an hour but slowed down afterwards.

I'm trying to get as much rest as I can but it's almost impossible to sleep while being uncomfortable. I've been up since 3 am this morning. For some reason I can see this trend continuing for a while, especially after Grant is born. :)

Be sure to check back in a few days for pics of Grant!

Misty

Induction update

2009-05-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Got a call from the doctor's office today....my doctor wants to induce on Friday, May 22nd! One week to go!! I will be admitted on Thursday evening at which time they will try to help me dilate a little more overnight. Almost there!!

Misty

39 weeks

2009-05-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

This week has been somewhat of a roller coaster. I had a few quiet days of no progress while other days seemed like they were going to be 'the day'. I found out on Wednesday that I have not dilated any more (I'm still at a 2) and that my doctor prefers not to induce. The good news is that this morning my body was showing signs that I may go into labor within a few days. For now I'm trying to keep myself busy and focus on other things although it is very hard to ignore a 7 lb + baby moving around not to mention all the aches and pains.

There have been a few blessings to come from the waiting. We've had a lot of one on one family time with Jeffrey. He likes to play board/card games so needless to say our investment in the Game of Life has been a good one. It's amazing how the little things like picking him up from school everyday really mean a lot to both of us. I've also gotten plenty of rest and completed some small projects around the house that I never got around to before.

So for now we are still waiting.....

Misty

38 weeks

2009-05-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Still waiting! Nothing new to report. My doctor visit went well today but I chose not to be examined so I don't know if I have dilated anymore. I did try to talk my doctor into inducing next week but she didn't agree with that idea. I thought she would say no but didn't think it would hurt to ask. :) I am just so tired and we are really anxious to meet our little guy. But I understand why she doesn't want to hurry the process.

As she was doing my measurements she noticed that I was having a contraction...I didn't feel a thing. Weird!! I am glad that some progress is taking place without having to feel any pain. lol

It seems that Grant is quite the gymnast as he keeps doing flips and changing positions. I knew that's what he was doing b/c last night he seemed to be lying straight across again. Ugh...talk about uncomfortable. But now he is in position again with rear and feet on the opposite side.

Thanks for reading!!

Misty

37 weeks

2009-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Still waiting for Grant's grand entrance. I think my 'nesting' phase has come to an end...besides the fact that we can't possibly fit anything else in the nursery. :)

As of last Wednesday I am dilated to a 2! I will find out at my next appointment if anymore progress has been made throughout the week. I've experienced a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions as well as false labor which is a good sign. I am also on maternity leave...no work for 12 weeks!

Here are the final nursery pics....I promise. :)

Jeff's birthday party and Grant's baby shower

2009-04-27T13:12:00.001-07:00

We are recovering from a very eventful weekend. Jeffrey turned 8 last Saturday and we celebrated by having a bowling party for him. We had about 10 kids show up for the party and all of them seemed to enjoy themselves. I think it was probably the best party we've had so far. The package we bought included all of the party supplies except the goody bags and cake and the package price was very reasonable.

Then on Sunday we celebrated Grant's upcoming arrival with a baby shower. We are very thankful to have such wonderful friends and family to help with the preparation of the birth of our little boy. We got a lot of clothes, a diaper bag, wipe warmer, ear thermometer, 3 in 1 swing and bouncer just to name a few things. Thanks again everyone!!

Needless to say all 3 of us struggled to get out of bed this morning.

We are so glad to have Shane at home again in the evenings....he is no longer working at his 2nd job. We are now waiting anxiously for our little boy to enter this world.

Misty

36 weeks

2009-04-22T11:01:00.001-07:00

4 weeks and counting!! We had an ultrasound done to get an estimate of his size today. The good news is that he is currently in the 55 percentile of being a 7 - 8 lb baby. In other words he is of average size. The bad news to me is that they do not want to induce. Well, maybe it's not exactly bad news but it just means to be ready at any time. You know me....I like to plan ahead. We are ready either way though. My hospital bag is packed and ready to go in a moment's notice and the nursery is ready. Here are some pics of our little man:

Sound asleep....

Another front view...

His kissy kiss face..

Shane's last day at his evening job is this Friday!! We are so glad to be able to have family time again. Thanks for reading and I will try to give updates as frequently as I can.

Blessings,

Misty

New glider

2009-04-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks for your contribution, First American Portfolio Services dept!!

Some reclining action!!

Nursery is finished!!!

2009-04-17T11:25:00.001-07:00

Practice run - 35 weeks

2009-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a very interesting week so far. It officially started last Friday evening with Jeffrey. He stayed overnight at mom and dad's house on Thursday night and by Friday evening he was ready to come home. So I drove 1/2 way to their house...about 45 min from our house....and met them in a small town to pick him up. He had been complaining about a stomach ache for a few weeks so when he said he had one I didn't think too much about it. We went to a restaurant to eat and all of a sudden he wanted to lay on the floor b/c his stomach hurt so bad. So there we were in a small town that I have no idea has a hospital or not and, of course, I'm freaking out....I thought it was his appendix. I took him out to the van and let him lie down and he seemed to be fine after a few minutes. The next day we took him to see a doctor and they confirmed that it was not his appendix. Whew! Shane and I thought it was probably a virus.

The weekend was pretty non-eventful other than getting the nursery finished!! (I'll post some pics later) Then on Monday I started getting some stomach cramping along with some other discomforts. Let's just say that anything I would eat went right through me...didn't stay there for long. My initial thought was that I was getting the same virus that Jeffrey had. By Monday night the cramping was so excruciating and would not let up. I finally woke Shane up at 2:30 am on Tuesday morning so he could drive me to the ER. We took Jeffrey with us. Luckily I am pre-registered at the hospital so I didn't have to do as much paperwork. Still had to answer a million questions but at least they knew who I was. To make a long story short I did have a stomach virus....which caused me to get dehydrated and started contractions. The doctor pumped me full of fluids and put some medicine in the IV to calm the stomach cramping. Luckily after that the contractions also stopped. I was discharged at 5:30 am and I finally got some sleep starting at 6:00 am. I still can't eat solid foods other than toast or crackers without my stomach starting to cramp. So needless to say that whole ordeal made me realize that I need to get my hospital bag packed! And it was also a good practice run to the hospital. We all stayed home yesterday and slept. Jeff is also still having occasional stomach cramping as well. I pray that both of us will get over this soon.

Thanks for reading! Only 5 weeks until we meet our little man!

Blessings,
Misty

Good Friday

2009-04-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today I am reflecting on the true meaning of Good Friday...the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Many people are spending the day planning their 4 day weekend trip or just taking the day off because it's a 'holiday'. Please remember and celebrate what Jesus did for us. Never forget.

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

God bless you all!
Misty

34 weeks

2009-04-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

Had another successful check-up today....strong heartbeat and still measuring at the correct week! Yipee! If I remember correctly Jeffrey was already measuring 36 weeks when I was only 34 weeks along. Hope this is a sign of an average sized baby.

The next visit will be a busy (but exciting!) one. I have to do the Group B Strep test...yuck!...but we are also going to do an ultrasound. We get to see our baby boy again! :) That visit is scheduled 2 weeks from today on the 22nd. We planned to do the ultrasound to check his size to determine if an induction will be needed but at this rate we may not have to do one. That of course has it's good and bad points. I was induced with Jeffrey and it was nice to be able to plan ahead but at the same time there was no element of surprise. Call me boring but I like to plan ahead. But as long as he is born with no complications and healthy I can sacrifice that. :)

More to come!

Blessings,
Misty

More nursery progress

2009-04-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the nursery so far. I took them with my camera phone so the color is not as bright as what it really is.

This will be the changing table

We bought stick-ups for the wall

Hamper that goes with the bedding

Light switch cover

Almost done!!!!!!!!!

33 weeks

2009-04-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

Still hanging in there. I am writing this at work after only getting 3 hours of sleep so it may be short or not make sense...or both. I am the type of person that must get at least 7 hours of sleep to function. Might as well prepare myself for the sleepless nights ahead, right? :)

A big part of the reason I didn't sleep last night was due to acid reflux. I really sympathize with anyone who experiences that on a regular basis. I am thankful that I was able to get this far along without having it. Many women start getting it earlier in the pregnancy. Aside from the usual aches and pains of pregnancy everything is going well and the baby is being active as ever.

We finally finished painting the nursery last weekend. Woohoo!! This weekend we will focus on wall decorations and finally get a glider. I am thankful that a friend of mine stepped forward to plan a baby shower for me on Sunday, April 26th. Thanks, Laura! It will be a very busy weekend for us as Jeff's birthday party will be the day before that but on the flip side it will be a great time to spend with friends and family.

Shane is still working at his second job but he is planning on giving his notice soon. The extra money has been great but we agreed that family time (and sleep for Shane!) is more important. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for advancement in this position. But still we are blessed that this opportunity came along to enable us to get where we need to be financially during my leave from work.

Will post again soon!

Misty

32 weeks

2009-03-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Not much to report again this week. My check-up went well and the baby is still measuring at the correct week. Fatigue is really starting to kick in...I have felt unrested every day since Monday.

I've been getting the 'wow you are getting big' comments EVERY single day. As many of you moms know, that comment does not go well with the existing feelings of unattractiveness topped off with unstable hormonal mood swings and lack of a good night's sleep that can cause a pregnant woman to go off at any unforeseen moment. Yep, that's been me lately. Miss Sensitive. Poor Shane...I feel for him right now. :) Sorry, Shane!

My final ultrasound is scheduled for April 22nd to check the size and development and also see if an early induction will be needed.

Thanks everyone for reading!

Misty

Painting the nursery

2009-03-25T14:39:00.001-07:00

What started as a weekend project has turned into a month. Thankfully we are finished with the hard part. Still have the closet doors left to paint.

Big brother helping out...

Ada got in on the action too...

Before:

After:

31 weeks

2009-03-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Really nothing new to report. Another week closer to meeting our little one and another pound heavier. :)

We still have yet to finish painting the nursery. Just when we think we are finished we find another place that needs to be touched up or redone. But the hardest part is over. I promise I will post pics when it is completely finished.

Last weekend we went to the Outlet Mall in Round Rock; Carters was having a 50% off sale. I love their clothes! We ended up getting tons of clothes and a few blankets, bibs, and socks. Our next purchase is going to be a glider/rocker. The Baby Depot in Burlington Coat Factory has some descent ones for a good price. We may end up getting a really nice one and add it to our living room later on.

Yes, I am counting down to when I get to forget about work for 12 weeks and focus on my kids....7 weeks to go! We are still not sure if I will be going back to work. Whatever the Lord decides for us to do is what we will do. Please pray that we will have an open mind when His plan for us is revealed.

Shane still continues to work long hours during the week and I have to say again that I am so thankful for him going that extra mile for us.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings,
Misty

30 weeks

2009-03-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

My 30 week check-up went well. The glucose test came back normal, the baby is measuring at 30 weeks (please pray that he will continue to be of 'normal' size...haha), his heart rate is normal, and he is finally positioned correctly (his head dropped!). My blood pressure is still normal and no swelling in the feet or hands. I am praying for our continued health throughout the rest of the pregnancy as well as through the birth.

Speaking of birth I discussed with my doctor my birthing preferences and when the next ultrasound will be. Her first question is if I planned on using any pain medication. HA! Of course I will....gimme all you got! Okay....so maybe I didn't say it like that exactly. But I do choose to have an epidural. Ladies, I don't see how you can give birth without one! As of now we are planning another ultrasound at 36 weeks to check the size and development state. I was induced with Jeffrey at 38 week and he weighed 9 lbs and had the shoulder_dystocia experience. Luckily he had no lasting effects as a result. Taking this history into consideration my doctor has offered the option of an induction at 39 weeks if needed.

As a side note we did start painting the nursery last weekend but ended up disliking the color we chose for the borders and shelves in the room. We are planning to finish up this weekend if all goes well. I will post pics soon.

Thanks for reading!
Misty

Welcome, Braxton Hicks (29 weeks)

2009-03-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

It seems that Braxton Hicks would like to join this wonderful pregnancy party and has made himself well known starting last week. Let the false labor pains begin. This is new for me; I did not experience this with Jeff. And might I add that sitting at work for 8 hours/day does not help the situation. By the way, my employer will not allow me to go to a part-time schedule (my last post mentioned that my doctor recommended that I work 6 hrs/day). The only option I was given was to start dipping in to the 12 weeks FMLA to make up the 2 hours/day that I would be out. And that would add up to a whopping 3 weeks that I would use before our baby even entered this world. Are they crazy?!! Yes, that's what I pretty much told them....they are crazy. I turned down the option. Thank you God for giving me the strength and wisdom to hold my tongue and resist the urgency to just quit this job all together. (There have been previous experiences that were added in to that equation of throwing in the towel...but we won't go there).

Anyway, I've been trying to get up more and even take walks during my break. So far it has brought on some relief. :)

Shane has seemed to enjoy his part-time job and I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband who is willing to go that extra mile to take care of his family. He is such a hard worker and hopefully something more will come of this opportunity for him.

Blessings to everyone,
Misty

28 weeks - 3rd trimester

2009-02-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am officially in the 3rd trimester this week and with it comes the aches and pains. Over the last couple of weeks I've been having what I would describe as slight cramps only to find out that they are actually contractions. Not to worry, my body is just doing what it should do although I was instructed to avoid as many things as I can that seem to cause them; dehydration, sitting in one position for long periods of time, etc. My doctor has recommended that I cut my work schedule back to 6 hrs/day...yay!

I had a checkup with my doctor today and got the glucose test over with. I'm also RH negative so I got a shot too for that. (ouch!...yeah I'm such a baby when it comes to needles)
When we were listening to the heartbeat the nurse was trying to feel around to see how he was positioned. Right now he is laying long-ways across my belly...feet on the left, head on the right. No wonder I've been so uncomfortable! That must not be a common position at this point b/c she seemed pretty shocked to find that he is positioned that way. My next appt is in 2 weeks; it's hard to believe that we are at that point already!

Shane's first week working his second job was sort of tough for all of us but I think we have adjusted well overall. I think there's a positive scenario from every aspect...Jeff and I get more quality time together these last few months, Shane feels a sense of accomplishment, and we have extra money to add to our savings and also to buy all that baby stuff we need. Which reminds me....the nursery needs so much more work!....

Blessings,
Misty

Job and baby update

2009-02-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

We are 27 weeks today....last week of the 2nd trimester. Poor baby; he is starting to run out of room to move around. I can definitely feel that he is starting to put on some baby fat as well as growing length wise. My nights aren't as restful anymore but thanks to my thoughtful hubby, I now have a body pillow to prop myself up on. That seems to take some of the pressure off of my back.

And did you know that babies can hiccup in the womb? I got to experience that last week. A mommy's instinct is to rub their back but for now I can only rub my belly. :)

As for the job update....Shane starts his new job today! His official position is not known yet but basically he is working for a company that deals with foreclosed homes. His job is to get the house 'market ready' by taking care of the utilities, etc. He will be working 25 hours/week (5 pm - 10 pm) in addition to his full time job. It will be a tough adjustment for all of us but we are thankful for the extra income and that he still gets weekends off. This is one step towards me staying at home full time!

Blessings,
Misty

Fireproof

2009-02-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

You may have already heard about the movie 'Fireproof', starring Kirk Cameron (yes, he's back!). Here is a quick overview of what the movie is about:

In an attempt to save his marriage, A firefighter uses a 40-day experiment known as "The Love Dare".

We first heard about this 40-day experiment when our church announced it a few weeks ago. I had never heard of the movie before that and of course knew nothing about the challenge that came along with it. So we did what God called us to do and signed up for the challenge.

If you want to know more about it...click here.

This challenge is not just meant for couples on the brink of divorce. It is designed to enhance your relationship with your spouse as well as others.

Here is what you need to do to get started:
1. Watch the movie 'Fireproof'. It was released in 2008 and is available in your local video store.
click here
2. Purchase the book 'The Love Dare'. LifeWay book store seems to have the best price.
click here
3. Read and apply the daily devotionals for 40 days

It's that simple! I encourage all of you to take the challenge.

God Bless!
Misty

Job Update

2009-02-09T13:52:00.001-08:00

Shane has an interview set up with the company that he was recommend to by our neighbor. It is on Wednesday at 4:00 pm! I'll keep you posted......

25 weeks

2009-02-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Well here we are in the final weeks of the 2nd trimester. I can't begin to tell you have fast it has gone! You know, besides the fact that this is our second pregnancy and they always seem to go faster, I think all that waiting we did in the adoption process has taught me patience. We had been on the waiting list for a year when they told us we had another 20 months to wait. Compared to that, 9 months is a piece of cake! And that goes to show there is a lesson to be learned in EVERY circumstance God puts us in....good or bad. God is great!

I feel great! Of course I am starting to have trouble getting around sometimes and there are days I feel as big as a house and that my belly is going to pop open at any moment...all the normal discomforts of pregnancy. And it's only going to get worse in that aspect but every discomfort is well worth the blessing that will come with it. I am so ready to meet our little one!

My last checkup was on Tuesday and everything seems to be fine. The doctor was trying to listen to the baby's heartbeat but he kept moving around and kicking her. Guess we have a feisty one on our hands. (Shane's child, feisty....nah!) I get to do the famous glucose test on the next visit and drink that 'yummy' sugar drink. My next visit is in 3 weeks and then every 2 weeks after that. Wow, I really need to get on the ball with decorating the nursery! We are doing pretty good on the diaper stash. Just hope I didn't buy too many size 1's. I opened a package of them to put them in the diaper stacker. They are so precious....and tiny! I've been watching for all the diaper sales at CVS and also getting $1 rebate for every package of Huggies that I buy. Yep, I have a great bargain teacher....right, Amy? : )

We are also trying to work out our finances to where I will be able to stay home beyond the maternity leave. As it stands the daycare expense for both Jeff and the baby will be more than 1/2 of my monthly take home pay. We have been praying for a job opportunity to come up for Shane and it may have been answered through our gracious neighbor, Kim. The company Kim works for is hiring part-time workers for some kind of accounting job and has offered to recommend Shane for the position. We are hoping that a part-time position could eventually turn to full time. Please keep us in your prayers!

I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for following!

Misty

Cute baby clothes

2009-01-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

First outfit and socks from Grandma and Grandpa. So cute!

One more thing to be thankful for

2009-01-20T09:18:00.001-08:00

As you all know the economy has been unstable for some time and with it comes a possible financial nightmare for many families as companies are forced to cut their workforce. Unfortunately that happened (again!) last Friday for the company I work for. Out of about 400 employees 14 were let go which included 2 from the department I work in. Thankfully I was spared this time and feel very fortunate to still have a job which brings me to the post title of 'One more thing to be thankful for'. Thank you God for sparing me yet again and I pray that the families who were impacted by this find peace and are content with the direction in which you lead them.

Blessings to all who read this and I hope that none of you have to face this situation.

Misty

Taking time to appreciate life

2009-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

It is not often that I am able to take some time out of my day to write down my thoughts and to appreciate all the blessings God has placed in my life. Right now as I sit at work, my cup of coffee in hand, I am taking that time.

I have so much to thank God for yet lately I have not done so. I could not imagine my life without God, Shane and Jeffrey; they are true blessings. And to also have family living close to us now. A few days ago I was talking to my mom about spending more time with her in the last few months than I have since I left home when I was 17. I didn't realize how important family is until just recently. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones talking, or my old age (ha), but I want our children to grow up with them.. So many time we tried moving back to west Texas to live closer to everyone but God had different plans. Something always came up that kept us here. Wow, God does know what he is doing! : )

My most recent blessing, of course, is our newest family member, baby boy Richardson. We have waited many years for his arrival. Whether from Taiwan or a biological child, he was destined to be with us. I still feel that God lead us to adopt from Taiwan in order to test our obedience but whatever the case we will get to meet our baby in a few months. When Jeffrey was a baby I just couldn't wait for him to grow up and be more independent. I suffered from severe postpartum depression and in addition to that Jeffrey had colic and was allergic to milk products. It took months to find the right formula for him. Now this time around I hope to be able to enjoy the 'baby years' much more as my depression is under control and we also know how to handle a colicky baby.

I am also thankful for our friends that have been there many years for us. We have spiritually grown with many of them and they have become our second family. I hope to start spending more time with them and to show my appreciation to them.

I will close for now and I will end this post by saying 'Thank you' to God and our family and friends for always supporting us and being there no matter what.

Blessings,
Misty

Crib

2009-01-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Here are pics of the new crib and bedding. We all agreed on this one...including Jeffrey.

The giraffe is baby's first stuffed animal from Grandma & Grandpa. The white tiger is from Jeffrey.

Proud big brother:

We also put the curtains up but still need to add a few things before it is complete. I'll post a pic of them when we get everything.

Misty

Ultrasound pics

2009-01-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

The 2nd one shows he is a boy...

These are the 3D pics of the face. Can you see the eyes, nose, mouth, and chin? He's smiling in the first one. :)

Yay... we get to shop for crib bedding this weekend! We bought the crib a few weeks ago. I will post a pic of it with the new bedding as soon as we get it.

Misty

21 week ultrasound

2009-01-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

Just in case you are wondering God has blessed us with another little boy! He is healthy and developing normally, and very active I might add. I will post the ultrasound pics later today or tomorrow but I just wanted to let you all know about our wonderful news!

Misty

Mary's Song

2008-12-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Being a recent born again Christian, there are many parts of the Bible that I am reading for the first time. Today our church sermon was about the Virgin Mary's song...which are her words (song) after being foretold by the angel about Jesus. Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the
Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, for
he has been mindful of the humble
state of
his servant. From now on all generations will
call me
blessed,
for the Mighty One has
done great
things for me—
holy is
his
name. His mercy extends
to those who fear
him, from
generation to
generation. He has
performed mighty deeds with his
arm;
he has scattered those who are
proud
in
their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from
their thrones
but has lifted up the
humble. He has
filled the hungry with good things but
has
sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful to
Abraham and his descendants forever, even as
he said to our
fathers."

Even Mary considered herself a sinner...the very one who God chose to give birth to the Son of God! He lifts the humble...what an awesome God! Today it was revealed to me that lately I have been trying too hard to be 'of the world'....that I have gone astray....that I have not been humble. Thank God that He takes us back no matter what.

Also during church today the baby was kicking away. This is probably the most movement I've felt at one time. As Pastor Rod was reading through more of the story: "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy" (Luke 1:44), I too felt that our baby leaped for joy!...almost as if he/she was saying 'Amen'!

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T10:33:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day and safe traveling. We had our Christmas early with my family and will hopefully have Christmas with Shane's family on New Year's Day.

Jeff's favorite gift:

Here are the grandkids on my side of the family. Jeffrey, Seth, Autumn, and Cady. Seth and Cady belong to Cindy and Steven and Autumn belongs to my brother Wade. The newest grandchild is known as the 'tie breaker' for the number of boys vs the number of girls. :)

Well, the plan is to start setting up the nursery today...if I can pull Shane away from the Wii!

Will post again soon!

Misty

Getting ready for Christmas

2008-12-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas is officially one week away. Got most of my shopping done up to this point with only a few people left. My sister Cindy, her husband Steven, and my niece and nephew are going to be staying with us for about a week....can't wait!....they are coming tonight. We will be having Christmas with my family at our house this year which means NO TRAVELING! We have been traveling during the holidays for the last 13 years so needless to say this is a big relief for us. For those of you who don't know we went years without having family live around us....the nearest ones were 2 hours away in Brownwood. This year it seems everyone has is near us now. Shane's parents live 2 blocks away... his sister Stephanie lives in South Austin... my parents just moved to Fredericksburg which is 90 miles away. It has been such a blessing...especially with the baby coming.

I have had quite a few changes during this 18th week of pregnancy. I feel great both physically and mentally and the only 'symptom' I have is the excessive sleeping. Still no increase in appetite and I can still wear my regular clothes. I have felt a lot of movement and kicking this week. :)

Still waiting for Jan 6th!

Thanks for reading,
Misty

Merry Christmas!

17 weeks

2008-12-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Had it been 5 weeks since my last post?! Wow, the time has flown by. Time sure does fly when you're.......sleeping! Yes, my life has consisted of going to work and coming home to go to bed. I do have some days that I don't take a nap but those are few and far between. I'm glad to report that I am completely out of the nausea stage! No specific cravings and I haven't seen a big change in my appetite yet....I'm trying not to have the mindset of 'eating for 2' this time around. As far as maternity clothes...I'm in between on the shirts and still in regular jeans....a size bigger though.

My last doctor checkup was at 16 weeks and everything seems to be normal. The baby's heartbeat did slow down a bit.....145-150 beats/min compared to 160 last time. I assume that is normal since there was no concern shown about it. No searching around for it this time....the heartbeat that is. :)

We are really excited about the next checkup because we are doing the ultrasound. Get to see what the sex of the baby is! To me, other than the birth itself, this is the most exciting part! It brings the whole pregnancy to life...if you will. Especially for the father since they don't get to experience the little movements; although some do have all the other symptoms. And yes, Shane does. I tell him that's the least he can do to help out during the pregnancy. lol He is the one having the cravings! Anyway, the ultrasound is set for January 6th....I will be sure to post on that day.

Thanks for reading!
Misty

12 week doctor visit

2008-11-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am glad to report that baby and I are doing fine. All the blood work is normal....they tested for my blood type, HIV, etc. I finally got to meet my doctor today and she is so sweet. In my previous visits I've been examined by nurses and midwives and they are awesome too.

The most exciting part was getting to hear the heartbeat....which made my heart melt. A woman's ability to create a child (with some help of course) is such a blessing and I thank God for our little miracle every day.

I think I am finally getting over the first big 'hump' of pregnancy. My energy levels are increasing and I'm nauseous 2 days out of the week instead of 7. Yay!

This will be a short post but I will post again soon.

Misty

End of nausea stage?

2008-10-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my faithful readers who have been waiting for me to post. I'll have to admit I've been a slacker these last few weeks. Constant nausea and excessive sleeping will do that to a person.

I hope I am seeing the light at the end of the 'nausea' tunnel. Very little nausea these last 4 days! Woo-hoo! Finally starting to feel normal again! (Hope I didn't just jinx myself.)

Well in a few weeks we are going to be in the 2nd trimester. Jeff tells me that I'm starting to look 'plump'...lol. He always makes me laugh. True though, I'm getting the baby bump as Shane calls it. I'm going back to wearing my clothes that I wore before I lost all the weight on Weight Watchers. I have not yet announced it at work so I need some help hiding it for another week or so. I've already gained 3 lbs! A lot of it has to do with me not being on the diet anymore. I am craving all the things that are not on my diet list. Even had a hamburger last weekend! It's been ages since I had one but it tasted sooo good!!!!

We are starting to stock up on diapers and boy have the prices gone up on those since the last time I bought them. I am more of a 'sale watcher' these days and I've been getting some good deals. I have more of an idea on which ones are better quality this time around. If you come across some diaper coupons feel free to save them for me. Any kind will do. :)

Will post again soon! Thanks for reading!

Misty

9 week appt

2008-10-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have updated you all. I am either at work or at home sleeping. :)

I had my 9 week appointment on Wednesday and everything is going well. We tried to listen to the heartbeat but it's not quite strong enough to hear yet. I've been experiencing the usual 1st trimester symptoms.....frequent sleeping, minor mood swings, and nausea. So far organic peppermints and herbal tea are the best for nausea. Whole Foods is a great place to shop for those.

Still not in maternity clothes yet but my jeans are starting to get a little snug. I'm going to wear my 'normal' clothes for as long as I can!

Well this will be a short update. Back to sleeping!

Misty

Early doctor appt

2008-09-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

We ended up going to the doctor earlier than planned. I was having a lot of symptoms that I didn't have with Jeffrey and I wanted to get things checked out. We were able to have an ultrasound done and so far the baby is developing normally. We are officially 6 weeks and 3 days along with a due date of May 21st. Thank goodness I don't have to go through the hot part of the summer big and pregnant. Jeff's birthday is April 25th....their birthday's will be close together.

I can't get over the fact that this pregnancy is so much different than with Jeffrey. I have constant nausea and a lot of cramping with this one. One would think that their body would be more prepared with the 2nd pregnancy but apparently not.

We let Jeffrey attend the ultrasound appt with us and being the normal 7 year old boy that he is his response was 'That's it??!!' when he saw that little 'speck' of baby. lol

Here is baby's first picture. The part labeled 'YS' stands for yolk sac. That should be gone by next week. We saw the heartbeat...127 beats/minute. Wow!! According to the ultrasound tech that little heart has only been beating for a week. We can't wait to meet you little one!

6 weeks

2008-09-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

According to the due date calculator we are 6 weeks into the pregnancy. Of course the due date has not been 'confirmed' by the doctor yet but I think it's safe to say that we are in the right area.

This baby is bringing different aches and pains than Jeffrey did. My worst one now is nausea...not morning sickness but all day sickness! I'm either starving or nauseous. Don't really have a certain food I'm craving but I do prefer anything that is greasy. Mexican food has been the food of choice lately.

This weekend I shopped around for all the latest baby gadgets and products. Wow, they have really changed within the last 7-8 years! The newest and coolest one to me is the Bumbo Baby seat:

Luckily we don't have to start from scratch and buy everything new. My goal right now is to work on a list of everything we have.

Thanks for reading and I will update soon!

Misty

Wow!

2008-09-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had no idea we were pregnant when I started this blog. Now that I am getting over the initial shock I think I can focus enough to get started on this.

In case you don't know we found out we are pregnant last Sunday. After 4 years of heartache and frustration God has decided it is the right time to bless us with another child. At this point we are 5 weeks along and I am praying that our child makes it through these beginning stages of life. I seem to be having more pain in the early stages with this one than what I did with Jeffrey. Or maybe I don't remember since it's been so long ago! :) It's nothing major....my body is probably adjusting. And I am 8 years older this time around...maybe that's part of the cause. The first appointment with my doctor is Oct 10th...we get to do an ultrasound on that day! We are excited! I hope my mind will be put to ease once I know how the baby is doing...I've been worried that something will go wrong. In fact I've been hesitant about making this announcement since we are only a few weeks into the pregnancy. Please pray for my peace of mind and that our child is healthy and developing normally. It's probably just the hormones taking over!

Jeffrey is so excited about being an older brother and of course he is hoping for a baby brother. Shane and I, on the other hand, are secretly wishing for a girl....but would also be totally happy with another little boy.

We have no idea what to do about the adoption. We have still not heard from our case worker from Gladney but we do know they did receive our file. At this point we still have another 2 years of waiting for a child. Why did God lead us to adopt and then decide to give us a biological child? If we did continue with the adoption both this child and our child from Taiwan would be about the same age. Does God think we are capable (physically AND financially) to handle that? We will definitely be doing a lot of praying...more than usual!

Thanks for reading and I will post updates soon!

Misty

Under construction

2008-09-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to start my own blog. We already have an adoption blog that, of course, centers around the adoption and includes a few tidbits of our life in general. This blog will dig deeper into my life, thoughts, and family...hopefully! I'm a very private person and very few people know what is going on in my life. So here goes!

I will spend a few days working on the cosmetic changes of the blog and then the blogging will begin!

Misty