grumpy babies

make for grumpy mommies.

Layne has had this eye goo issue. There are like green ickies in them all the time - clumped to his eyelashes and in the corners. I wash his face to help because he acts like you are poking his eye out when you touch any part of his eye. *rolls eyes* No, no pink eye. I have no clue!!

Needless to say - he's been pretty fussy. At times making me want to jump from a tall tree.

We go to the doctor tomorrow for his check-up, so I am hoping we can get some answers then.

Other than that, we put up our outside decorations and put lights on the tree we brought home on Friday.

Bayleigh attended a tea party at Cookies and Tea for Me with her Brownie Girl Scout troop. I don't have pictures because I wasn't allowed to stay - only certified leaders. I might get one from the leader that was there - we will see.

Not much else to report. Just chugging along and looking forward to Christmas. I am ready for this week to go by, so I can sleep in a bit for the next couple of weeks. :)

Let's see if I have a picture to share...yep, little man up on all fours trying to crawl. heheUntil next time...

XO

hello there :)

So, I went to see Twilight with my girlfriend, KK, last night. :) Ohhh it was good...so fabulous. And Edward (played by Rob Pattinson) was sooo worth watching. I have that on my list of movies to buy! Now I can start book 2, New Moon. I am sure it will be just as good as the first, if not better!

Tonight is tree hunting time. I think we are going to head to Lowe's and pick out our tree. I have been putting it off because of Layne's mobility. I have a feeling I will be spending the next few weeks keeping him out of trouble with the tree. Oh I forgot how challenging this age is. hehe He's a trip - into everything and constantly on the go. And when he is hungry - he will follow me everywhere. In true boy fashion.

And the best part today - SNEAKS!!! Here are some sneaks from the December LRS kit. Using the new Fancy Pants Chill Out line....mmmm, such a fun line. Pretty snowflakes and fun colors. Be sure to check back for the full reveal in a week or so. And go order your kit, so you can play with the sweet stuff too. And the addon papers included two new lines by Pink Paislee!!!!

I am working on my first assignment for Inspired Blueprints. Such fun sketches over there. Be sure to check out their current sketch and enter your layout for a chance to win a wonderful kit sponsored by Lifetime Moments. They have awesome kits and wouldn't you love to get one for FREE!??!?! So get cracking on those layouts!

Enjoy your Friday and I will try to check in with our weekend happenings!

XO

here I am.. :)

So, today is a busy day for us. But, I have a moment of down time, so wanted to check in...gotta share my news and an update on baby Crew.

We had a birthday party this morning for cute little LEC. :) Then, Bayleigh had a Girl Scout activity at 11:45, with lunch squeezed in between. When I pick her up this afternoon, we are going to head to Allison's house to watch the Gator game (go GATORS!!!!). We might head out to the armory tonight for a little Christmas party action, but I dunno yet. Depends on how it pans out there food and entertainment wise.

*sigh* I am tired just typing it. And tomorrow is another busy day!

Let me start with an update on Crew. Here's the latest straight from Maegan:
"Crew started his second round of chemotherapy Tuesday, so unfortunately we still aren't able to take him home just yet. He is responding VERY well to it- I walked in today and he was awake and moving around in the crib and when he saw me he gave me the biggest smile- I was SO happy!
We have so much to be thankful for!!
Jerry said that last night, Crew was actually giggling! Our baby boy is going to be just fine.
I'll continue to keep you all updated."

Yes our God still performs miracles everyday. They are by no means out of the woods as he will still have more rounds of chemo to go through due to the aggressive nature of the cancer. But, baby steps are all we ask of Him. He is so graceful and merciful to His children. I appreciate ya'll praying and know that the Lord hears our cries and answers prayers. Don't stop the praying now!

How about this little guy into everything now:

And this little girl who is so excited about Christmas coming:

Just look who showed up at our house this week - Zack. Our elf on a shelf....he made his appearance and the above little girl was beyond excited. :)

And for my exciting news.......AND NO I AM NOT PREGNANT!! Trust me, at this point, I wouldn't be claiming that one as exciting. haha

I have been asked to join the fabulous design team over at Inspired Blueprints. How fun!!! I am joining the fuber talented girls over there and so excited about it. :) You have to go check it out because there are a ton of ideas and the gallery over there rocks!

Alright, have a wonderful Saturday, I will check in tomorrow with some more fun updates.

Stay warm and cozy!

XO

in order

Just trying to get my house and life back and order since the vacation last week. After traveling, family visiting, football games, and all the other things going on - my house is suffering. :) But, we are on our way back. Now just have to do the loads and loads of laundry. Ahh the fun of trips!

Here is the little man performing his newest trick....army crawling!He is so proud of himself, isn't he?? And we are now into hiding everything and clearing the floor of everything. Because he will find it - no matter how big or small it is - he WILL find it.

And here's Bayleigh on the computer and Layne had to "help" her out. haha

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful and our short stay with my mom was good. :) The driving back in the car with Layne crying for the entire ride home was not. Oh I am waiting for the day that he starts liking the car.

I will leave you with a layout. I did this one for sketch #1 at Inspired Blueprints. Used my Apple Orchard kit and addons from Studio Calico. Fun stuff!! :)

I have some exiting news to share, but it will have to wait a few more days!! Don't want to spill the beans too soon. hehe Torture, huh?

Have a terrific Tuesday!

XO

on the road..

Well, I am on the road to my parents' house. We actually got in at about midnight last night. I didn't crawl into bed until 2 am and Layne was sure to be up at 7 am to get his grub on. LOL :)

So far we are enjoying our trip - nice warm sunshine and no brisk breeze. I love this weather! But, I do miss the cold for the holidays. It really doesn't feel like Thanksgiving when it is like 78 outside, you know??

Of course, I won't be adding any new layouts or pictures because I am on my mom's computer. I have tons to update with though....so I will be sure to get back at it when we get back home.

It was a whirlwind few weeks trying to prepare to make this 7+ hour trip down south. I apologize for not being a faithful blogger. :)

There is another new update on baby Crew. Meagan informed the design team ladies of the following information:
"Crew was moved to the regular floor tonight- he is doing VERY well; he is off all ###### and only has a nasal cannula for a tiny dose of oxygen. I'm not sure when the next dose of chemo will be.. I'm praying that they let us go home soon (at least for Thanksgiving).
He still has a feeding tube in his nose but they keep upping the amount of formula they give him since he is tolerating it so well. I'm hoping they let me feed him a bottle tomorrow. I got to hold him tonight for the 1st time in 2 weeks- yay!!
I'll continue to update all of you as we progress. Thanks everyone! "

Prayers are being answered everyday. I pray for his continued improvement and that the next round of chemo goes well and he has an easier time afterwards. I also pray that all the cancer will be miraculously gone when they do the next analysis. I appreciate your continued prayers for this family!! Isn't it amazing what can happen through the power of prayer??

As for Wildes family updates....the little man is now mobile. Oy vey!! He is grabbing EVERY. THING. I mean he finds like the smallest piece of whatever on the floor and tries to eat it. He is all boy. And his army crawl is serving him well. I promise to post pictures when we get back home.

I hope that everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving! I love ya'll!

Remember to count your blessings, be thankful, and remember our men and women who serve and are away from their families - remember their families here at home too.

XO

baby Crew update

Just wanted to be sure that Maegan was okay with me posting updates on Crew on my blog before I posted an update.

Here is the latest from Maegan:

"Crew is stable; his vitals are good but he still cannot breathe optimally on his own. His liver has begun to shrink as the chemo destroys the cancer cells, but his kidneys are producing high levels of acid as the cells are flushed out.. this is both good and bad as it means that the cancer cells are being flushed out, but also that his kidneys are taking a beating. He had a genetic test done that came back positive for a gene that meant it's an agressive form of Neuroblastoma, so he is now being given a medication that is helping his red blood cells/bone marrow to come up faster so that they can start the 2nd chemo treatment faster (2-4 days sooner than expected.)

We have a long road ahead of us. He is on a regular ventilator now but still kept unconcious to give his body a chance to heal. He moves his legs and arms around in response to touch. Obviously I can't hold him because he is hooked up to so many machines; he has a tube or catheter in every orifice in his tiny body. He has an arterial catheter sewn into his right thigh to monitor his blood pressure and a tube sewn into his left side to help drain a large pocket of fluid.

Jerry and I are taking shifts with him so that one of us is always there with him around the clock.

I am beyond exhausted but I can't stop to think about it or I will just break down. Please keep me in your thoughts- I really appreciate it."

Please continue to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers at this time. They need a miracle and we are praying that the One who heals will help comfort the family and Crew during this time.

Be back later with another post....I am headed to the Michaels here in Jacksonville to see what goodies I can find.

Have a beautiful Saturday!

XO

sharing.... :)

The gallery is up at Little Red Scrapbook. You just have to go check it out here. There is such awesome work and I am sure you can draw some inspiration from all the ladies! :)

Here are my pages. First, I made a card for Maegan to say thank you - as this was her last kit as owner.
Then, a page about Layne's birth. A page about Bayleigh's beloved ladybug. This page was part of a scraplift challenge of one of the members at LRS, Heidi. She does some phenomenal work. You can find her page here. This page is about Bayleigh as well and some time that we spent at the springs back in our hometown of Gainesville.
And I saved my favorite page for last. This one is going into my book of me - some advice that I believe in. And this is the most important - "believe in miracles." A page about baby Layne - this picture was taken at the hospital right before we were coming home.
I also did a mini album project, but I will spare you the photo overload. I will post it as soon as I get pictures of the entire album. It's raining today and is supposed to rain all day - so it might be awhile before I can get it in a good light. So fun!!!

Continue praying for baby Crew. I don't have an update right now - only to say that things have not changed. So, I know that the family would appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.

Enjoy your Thursday! I have 3 infants today - so I better go eat something while I can.

XO

Beseeching prayers!

Alright everyone, I have an earnest and desperate request tonight.

My friend Maegan Buchanan, the owner of Little Red Scrapbook, needs us to band together in prayer. Send this along to your church groups, your prayer partners, friends, family, whoever. I know that the Lord hears us when we cry to Him. He hears our prayers and this family needs prayer. So, let us lift our voices in unison to Him - the one who heals.

Maegan's baby boy, Crew, was rushed to Vanderbilt hospital in Tennessee last week. He underwent surgery and a biopsy as there was a mass on his liver. The results came in last week and Crew has Stage 4 S Neuroblastoma, which is a malignant tumor in his liver. There was a lot of pressure on his lungs due to the swelling of his liver. He is going to have 2 rounds of chemotherapy that will assist in shrinking his liver and destroying the cancer cells. The first round was administered Friday night and he was resting comfortably.

Jennifer, a fellow design team girlie, called the hospital to check on them. She didn't get them, but got a new family. So, we were a little excited that maybe they got to go home!

However, he took a turn for the worse last night and had to be intubated. He is unconscious right now, but resting comfortably and his vitals are strong. He is breathing with the assistance of an oscillator at this time.

So, please....keep this family and baby boy in your prayers! Things are looking so hard right now. I have cried so many tears for them. He is just 6 months old - 2 months younger than my Layne.

I pray for the Lord's mercy and healing in this baby's life. Join with me please!

XO

Finally better!

I think I am finally over the hump of yet another cold. It seems like we have stayed continuously sick for the past several weeks. Ugh! And Layne is on the back end of his cold too - which is nice. But, baby J has a runny nose now! I really hope that we don't get another round of colds here. Think some positive thoughts for us that we can stay well. :)

This time of year is my favorite. Brisk mornings, warm fires at night, hot cocoa, and all the smells of autumn and winter. Mmmmmm, my favorite! I cannot wait to bake my apple crisp - that is one of my favorite wintertime treats.

Let me share my sneaks for the Little Red Scrapbook kit. Oh my goodness ya'll - you've got to get your hands on this! I am just about done making a mini album with the kit and I am down to bare bones scraps. I just used it all up!! Hop on over and pick up a kit - and while you are at it - get the ribbon, stamp, and embellies add ons. Oh and the paper add on - delish! Here are some sneaks to tide you over until the full pictures are posted. Oh and don't forget to stop by and see every one's work - this reveal has wonderful projects and layouts by everyone!! :)

I have to head to the Girl Scout council this morning to get Bayleigh's brownies stuff. She is marching in a parade tomorrow, so have to make sure she is properly outfitted.

Let me also add a few of my favorite Halloween pictures. My cutie pie Lilo and "scary" blue monster.

I still have another memory card to upload - so you might see some more pictures tomorrow!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday! :)

XO

Brrrrr....

I do live in the peninsular state - you know the one surrounded by water on 3 sides?!?! Right?? I mean, it is still October. Right?? And our temperature this morning??? 30 freaking degrees. That is way too cold for this Florida girl in October. And tonight, we are expecting more cold temperatures! Yikes!

I forgot what it's like bundling up a baby. And how they scream when you put the hat over their ears and the big fluffy jacket on. LOL Layne was so not impressed.

However, he was impressed with all the hay he encountered this weekend. First, the hay on the hay bales for the rides at church....


And he did the same thing at the pumpkin patch - picking up the hay on the ground and trying to eat it. Silly boy!

Today is errand day. And of course, I would pick the coldest day of the freaking year to take the kids out to run some errands. Oy!!! Couldn't take them on Monday when it was a balmy 65!! :)

I will leave you with another page I created inspired by the wonderful and talented Nicole Samuels. She is so inspiring I swear - head on over to check her out at Studio Calico.

And lastly - the new LRS kit will be up on November 1st. Wooo hoooo - my kit should be here any day. I will get to cracking with it and post some sneaks as soon as I get some pages done. I can't wait to dig in to all those goodies!

Until next time...

XO

Whew!

What a weekend we had. It was chock full of fun stuff for all of us - oh and a little hard work too. :)

Saturday we went and helped get ready for Fellowship Baptist Church's Harvest Festival. I sat and hung doughnuts on a string for a few hours..hahaha Andy helped lift palates of hay and other heavy stuff...because that is what boys do. Bayleigh ate candy that we had collected to hand out....because that is what little girls do. And Layne sat in his stroller and took it all in.

We came home to watch the Gators stomp the Kentucky Wildcats!! wooo hooooo - lovin' me some Gator football. :)

Then, off we went to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins for the year. Here in Florida, we can't get them too soon or they implode. Yeah, eww. Not fun picking up a squishy, stinky pumpkin from the front porch. Been there. Done that. Enough said. Seriously.

Yesterday was church...and then the Harvest Festival. We had a great time!!! Andy and I served chili for over an hour - I swear we probably handed out a hundred pounds of chili. There were record numbers there. And this year, with the economy in a mess and tight budget $$, we were on limited funds. We did more this year than done before and more people came than have ever come before. I tell you...it's amazing what the Lord can do when you hand things over to Him.

It was a great weekend, but I sure am glad that it is Monday. :) Time to get my house back in order and start another week.

It won't be long until we go home for Thanksgiving and I can't wait. I haven't been "home" since Christmas of last year. Crazy! And my dad and brother have yet to meet Layne. Seriously. It's time for some good old mama love. LOL

Off to do some laundry and get back to it while the boys nap.

Until next time.

XO

I'm still here...

Been in quite a slump lately. Trying to get out my big girl panties and carry on. hehe :)

I have yet to get a picture of Bayleigh with her new haircut! I know - what a slacker scrapper I am. She has started taking showers in the mornings, so her hair is wet when she leaves. And when she gets home it is a mess. I should get some good ones this weekend though. We have our church Harvest Festival, the pumpkin patch, and church on Sunday. All perfect opportunities to snap a great picture. :)

I should be receiving my November LRS kit very soon. I am super excited about it!!! It is all a line that I have been dying to get my hands on for awhile now....sooooo I can't wait!! Just have to finish a couple of projects up and my desk will be clear to go. If you haven't checked them out - go now!! Great things are in the works.

Here's a new layout I did:

Totally inspired by Davinie Fiero (again!) - that girl can scrap!! haha Just had to document Bay's sweet tooth. Man, that girl would eat candy and chocolate all day if I let her. Not such a bad idea to me! haha

Layne is doing great! Growing so big....and babbling up a storm. Of course da-da is in the mix. But, no ma-ma yet in the string of babbles. That's okay. It is still adorable.

Here we all are before we were off to the Havana Pumpkin Festival last Saturday. Andy was at drill, so it was just me and the kiddos.We met up with friends from church and went to Cracker Barrel and then headed over. Here are all the kiddos. Note the huge grin on Layne's face. He is just smitten with his big sister. It is just too cute. :) Makes this mama's heart swell for sure.(Remember to click on the pic to see it bigger)

Enjoy your Friday!! I am sure I will have many more pictures to add in the coming days.

XO
C