Grandma's visit

We all had a wonderful visit with Grandma! 9 days was just way too short! We didn't do a whole lot while she was here, but we did make some good memories... Wed. we went to the Children's Science Museum at the Imperial Centre in Rocky Mount, and had dinner at Chico's (Yum!) It was Shawn's first official out of town outing and he did wonderfully! He is such a good baby! Mom and I got some great pictures which I'll post later (Elton's on the laptop...) Elton and Katherine took her to the airport at 5:45 this morning, Brianna was asleep, and didn't get to say goodbye. Mom left her a sweet goodbye letter, Chris and I read it to her when she woke up, and she insisted that we get the "sticky tape" and put it on her closet door. (Since our fridge is stainless steel, magnets won't work on the front. Her closet door is her "art gallery". I thought she understood, but a few minutes later she ran upstairs and came back down and demanded to know where Grandma and Sissy were!

Shawn had his 2 week Dr's appt. today. He is 7 pounds 10 oz. and 20 1/2 inches. Dr. Buck proclaimed him "Perfect" DUH! Shawn was very good at his appointment and Katherine and Brianna hovered over him- they love their little brother! Next appt @ 2 months for shots... Poor baby!

Guess we are going to Williamsburg tomorrow. Trying to get in another vacation before Elton starts his new job on the 10th... Shawn is about to become a camping baby!

Choo Choo!

On Sunday Mom & I took the girls to the Rec & let them ride the train. Katherine was so patient & rode it twice with Brianna. Brianna had a ball- she loves all forms of transportation!

Shawn's First Bath!

Shawn had his first official bath today... He wasn't very happy about it! Brianna was a big help handing me the towel and washcloth ;0) Grandma snapped lots of pictures and Daddy was in charge of the video camera.

Strawberry Picking!

We ended up with 25 pounds! Plenty for several days worth of Strawberry Shortcake & 4 freezer bags for later! YUM! So glad Grandma is here to help!

Bye Bye Belly Button

Shawn lost his umbilical cord tonight- 8 days old! He has such an adorable belly button now! Guess he'll have his first official bath tomorrow- will post pics! Kids are having a great time with Grandma Grace. Katherine and Brianna especially, they are monopolizing her every waking moment! I'm so glad she's here. 9 days is going to be way too short, but I'm so thankful that she's here- regardless of the duration of her visit. I was nodding off during my post last night- I wrote that Shawn was a year old already. Thank God its only a week- he'll grow up fast enough. He is so precious!

1 week old & waiting for Grandma!

Elton has gone to the airport to pick up my mom. I'm staying home with the kids because it will be almost 11 pm when she arrives (its a school night) and I'm not sure how Shawn would deal with being in the car that long... I can't wait to see her- its been since July- won't she be surprised at how much the kids have grown!

I can't believe Shawn is a year old already! He is SUCH a good baby! Sometimes I actually have to wake him up at night and make him nurse!

Life is good!

Life is great! Totally adjusted to our family. Shawn is wonderful. Here are some new pictures- I was watering the garden and the girls came out with umbrellas "Na-na you can't get us!" First official outing yesterday went to Farm Fresh- he did great- lots of ooohs and awes! :0)

1st full day @ home...

I was truly a little nervous about our first night at home. Our babies have always slept with us, and since Brianna still gets up in the middle of the night and gets in our bed, we decided that Shawn would sleep in his Rainforest pack and play at the foot of our bed. Well he's just so precious we want to keep him closer, so we talked to B. about the baby needing to sleep with us, and as the big sister she needs to sleep in her own bed. It worked the first night- not sure if maybe she just didn't wake up... Last night she woke up, and tried to get in our bed, I told her that she needed to go get back in her bed, and she actually complied! Hope it will continue to be this easy!

Shawn is a PERFECT baby! he sleeps all the time- both nights he's only gotten up twice to nurse and instantly went back to sleep. keeping my fingers crossed that this trend continues! He had an appointment with Dr. Buck yesterday at 8:30. Katherine and I took him- I wanted her to be able to watch him in the van. He weighs 7 pounds 1oz. (-10 oz. since birth- normal for breastfed babies.) The primary reason for the appointment was to check for jaundice- very common in breastfed babies. Dr. Buck said he was "perfect" - DUH! ;0) We go back on the 29th for his next appointment. I didn't know that Dr. Bush had retired :0( He's been our pediatrician for 15 years! I always really liked him, he was great with my kids. I think we'll be happy with Dr. Buck though- he seems really nice.

Had quite a few visitors yesterday: Doris came by, so did Paul, Tammy, and Vikki, and Jennifer Pierce. Jennifer told Brianna that she was going to take Shawn home with her. Brianna told her "No- he's my baby, he's Shawn Thomas, and I'm his big sister!" It was so cute! B. then went back in her room, a few minutes later she poked her head out and asked Daddy "Is she gone yet?" LOL! Brianna continues to be a great big sister- (so thankful/relieved/surprised!) She keeps an eye on him and if he makes the tiniest sound she runs to me and proclaims "The baby is crying!" She's being very protective and loving.

Chris took over when he got home from football yesterday, and spent most of the evening "Giving me a break"- Whatever! He just can't admit that he is crazy about babies! Elton put Shawn in his swing last night and he really seemed to like it. Katherine spent the night at Micahlynn's house last night and called first thing this morning to check on Shawn. He is a very lucky little boy- he has so many people who adore him! Will definatly post some new pics today.

Birthstory!

Well we decided to keep our 6 am appointment at Labor and Delivery. Still no contractions. Since they were expecting me, check in was a breeze- only a couple of minutes. The lady at check in asked if my water had broken at home. Elton had called to inquire about wireless internet @ the hospital and blown my cover. Lucky for him- it didn't delay anything. I refused the wheelchair and we went to L&D. They got me right into a room and I changed into my lovely hospital gown. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 4. Still no contractions and they started an IV of pictocin. I had mixed emotions about that- didn't want the hard contractions but didn't want to be there all day either. Still no contractions, only a little mild cramping. At 7 there was a shift change and I got the best nurse in the world: Tonya Corl. She asked how I wanted my labor. I of course told her quick and painless and she offered to get my epidural going. I was a little leery about that- I've heard of epidurals wearing off before you have to push and that you have to time them carefully. She put my mind to ease and said that it would continually administer the medicine until the turned it off. The anesthesiologists were there quickly. They kept talking and it was relatively painless- felt like a bee sting. Sooo much better than contractions! This epidural was totally different than the one I had with Brianna- I could still feel my legs, they felt warm and tingly like they were asleep, I could still feel pressure (when it came time to push). Pressure but no pain. With Brianna my legs were completly dead- no sensation, couldn't tell when I was having contractions, and couldn't really tell how to push.

Shawn was doing his typical "Opossum" act- kept running away from the heart monitor. They ended up having to put a monitor on his head- didn't feel that either. They tried to put one on pre-epidural b/c he kept trying to get away= that was PAINFUL! Dr. Hanson (bless his heart) decided to wait.

Labor consisted of a rather full house, Elton's mom Doris was there, Dad and Janet were there, and Chris, Katherine, and Brianna. Brianna was obviously intimidated being at the hospital. She stood back and waved at me. I called her over and put her on the bed with me and that made her feel better. That didn't last long- you can't keep her still and then the kids entertained themselves by eating all of the "labor lollipops" the hospital provides. She came over once or twice to hold my hand. Grandpa took them to the cafeteria - my kids are always ready to eat!

The hospital staff was great- they pretty much just left us alone, and didn't say anything about us having twice the allowed # of people in the delivery room. After a while I started feeling some pressure and called the nurse into check me. She said I was a big 9- only a tiny piece of stubborn cervix left. She called everyone back in, told them they could stay 5 more minutes and then they would have to clear out. After everyone left, she told me to let her know if the pressure increased. Well Elton and I ended up falling asleep and had a nice little half hour nap. Tonya came back in and said we could either sleep some more or she would go ahead and check me. Of course I opted to go ahead and be checked. She said I was a 10 and that the babys head was "right there" she was surprised I couldn't feel it. She said give a practice push and then she called in Dr. Hanson. I only had to push 4 or 5 times and Shawn was out! 11:57 am.He scored 9's on both his Apgar tests. He weighed 7 lbs. 11oz, and is 20" long. He has lots of super soft spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He is perfect!

I had to recover for an hour and then they took me to my room- 224. We had quite a few visitors, and Chris spent the night with me. That turned out really well- he was actually quite willing to wait on me, and very helpful. He kept complaining about how much Shawn wanted to eat- he just wanted to hold him. His first words this morning were "Where's my baby?" ;0)

We've been home about 4 hours now and he has been wonderful! It is such an adjustment having a little boy again. Our other baby boy is 15, and 6'4! We keep slipping up- I keep calling him pretty ( he is!) and Elton called him a princess! Guess we are too used to baby girls!

We are all so excited about Shawn finally being here! The girls are being great big sisters- always wanting to hold him. Brianna announces every little noise he makes and defended him! I called him a little piggy (he's using me for a pacifier already!) and Bri quickly corrected me "He's NOT a piggy, he's Shawn Thomas, he's my baby!". Katherine in her sweet maternal way always strokes him and gives him kisses. I was gathering up a load of wash (making sure we get rid of any residual hospital germs) and had left Shawn sleeping on the bed. Katherine was playing on the computer, heard him wimper, ran over popped the pacy in his mouth, and made sure he went back to sleep. She told me all about it when I walked back in the room and proudly announced "I am GOOD!" ;0)

On his own terms!

Apparently Shawn Thomas heard about the eviction notice, and decided to vacate the premises on his own terms! One contraction last night at 9:10 and then just some mild cramping. Went to bed at 10:30. Got up a couple times to pee. @3 am I decided to check my messages, sat down at the computer. Felt a "pop" and thought "Wouldn't that be crazy if my water just broke?" Stood up a couple minutes later and WHOOSH! That was an hour and a half ago- no contractions- only mild cramping. Just sitting around waiting... Would much rather wait @ home than @ the hospital. Showered, make-up, E. packed everything in the van. We're ready to go meet our little man!

Signing the eviction notice!

Well its official. Shawn Thomas Whitley's birthday will be May 13th 2008. I am going in at 6 am to be induced! I can't believe I decided to do it... Dr. Hanson is partly to blame. He talked me into it! You're already dilated to 3 centimeters- it's your 4th. It should be a breeze. I am holding him to that! I want quick and painless! I guess its for the best. No more wondering and waiting. It fits well into Elton's schedule. My Dad will still be here- he's going out of the state for a conference on Wed. And the baby will be a week old when Mom gets here. Kind of sad that this will be the last night that I will ever be pregnant. I've been really fortunate to have great pregnancies, and will miss it. NOT upset at all that this will be the last delivery I have to go through though! I can't even stand to watch A Baby Story or anything on TV that shows labor and delivery! Miracle of birth my foot! The miracle is when its over! I think I'd rather go back to the old days when you wake up with a new baby! Brianna wasn't so bad though- epidurals rock! Natural childbirth (Chris and Katherine) is for the birds!

The girls are very excited about their little brother arriving tomorrow. Brianna poked my belly this morning and said "Shawn Thomas GET OUT!" ;0) Chris is excited too- he refuses to show it, he acts like he's really happy about being able to miss school tomorrow. I have never met a boy who loves babies more than he does. He used to come home from school and demand that I give him his baby, and he would cart Brianna off upstairs to do his homework! They're still really close and I am so happy about that. They have a love/fight like cats and dogs relationship! Chris is "mean", but she obviously adores him. Chris and Katherine get along really well most of the time too- but the 5 year age difference can make for some pretty intense squabbles! Chris has decided that he wants to stay the night at the hospital with me tomorrow night. He's so sweet- he likes to act like he's not a momma's boy- but deep deep down he really is! ;0)

Elton is so geeked up about the baby coming tomorrow. He took me out to dinner tonight for a celebration/last date for a long time. We went to Chili's, I had the Triple Dipper- chicken crispers, fried cheese, and southwestern eggrolls. Yum! He had a turkey sandwich. Then we went to the new Farm Fresh store, I've been wanting to check it out. It's really nice, lots of gourmet and specialty items. They even carry Paula Deen products! ;0) I ended up buying some chocolate caramel crunch and munch (yes, I know not very gourmet!) Felt weird wandering around with an empty cart, and figured I would take it to the hospital with me. Keep the beasts happy while they are there! Also bought some fig preserves. Dad went to the Farm Fresh Grand Opening. (Only b/c they were donating a few grand to United Way agencies) but he was super impressed with all the free food- shrimp etc. Apparently the hit of the party was some Brie cheese, with the fig preserves on top, and walnuts. Dad RAVED about it. I guess you serve it with crackers. Decided to try it when mom comes, might as well pick it up now- don't imagine that I will be spending too much time in Farm Fresh- rather pricy!

Well I guess my next blog will include some baby pics and info! Hoping the hospital has wireless internet! Shawn- we can't wait to meet you!

Mother's Day Poem from my Mother...

A Mothers Day poem to my precious daughter Jennifer


There isn’t anything better than a family to love and treasure
Jennifer you are beautiful and bright
You’ve always (almost) - filled me with such delight…
You’ve given me, from day one, such a great deal of pure pleasure

Now as we wait for Mother’s Day, 2008
We’re wishing and hoping and thinking and praying….
We’re praying that Shawn won’t be late.

So much … (yet nothing really) is riding on this lovely coincidence

When I think of praying for this - with guilt my mind turns to war and strife,
fire and fear and horrors we hopefully will never face, the many suffering people we pray will find YOU, find safety, find food, find health, find comfort, find love, find hope, we pray for all that

And yet, You’ve given us the gift of being able to pray for all things so we ask that your will be done. As parents we know that you as our heavenly father delight in making us happy

Such gratefulness I have for the Mother I was given, her love, her faith, her prayers
for me, for us….. I find I appreciate these things more each day

And how grateful I am for your Mother Shawn – she has given me gifts of the heart. A family, a wonderful son-in-law you’re Dad Elton, my grandchildren….your brother and sisters
Christopher, Katherine, Brianna and you….you’re on the way….we’re not exactly sure which day you’ll come, but we are ready to welcome you with open arms

Christopher was as close as we’d want him to be to Presidents Day, he’ll be a fine, capable man…but we need him and don’t want to give him up to any country even one as great as this one

And darling Katherine the sweetest Valentine you’ll ever meet, whose truly a beautiful girl with heart

Brianna’s a goblin whose energy lights up a dark night like a million Halloween jack o lanterns

So Shawn we’re wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that Mother’s Day should be “your” day

If you come today, what a start you’d have in life - such great practice pleasing the women in your life

Making your mom a relieved and happy women
Your Grandma Grace would be filled with joy
Your Great Grandmother Nel will smile down with happiness and pride, happy to share her Birth date

Always remember….. whenever you come that you have a wonderful family awaiting your arrival with open arms. A Dad, a Mom, a brother and two sisters a whole and loving family. You have someone to watch over you.

Welcome Shawn 2008 is your year! - Happy Mother’s Day to my pride and joy

Love Mom

Happy Mother's Day!

Well it's 9:35 pm and no signs of Shawn... Guess I can pretty much give up on that! Other than that it's been a great day. It started with breakfast in bed- french toast, bacon, and milk. Compliments of my personal chef Katherine. Katherine cooked and Chris served. Kitchen cleanup was NOT included! ;0) They had a beautiful Impatient hanging basket for me, which I will hang outside the kitchen window. Everytime I see it I will be so thankful for my wonderful children. They are truly a blessing. It rained this morning so I was saved from watering- another blessing.

My mother sent me a beautiful poem she had written for me, it made my day. I'm going to post it on here, it is a treasure. I printed off two copies, one for Shawn's baby book, and one for me. Only 9 more days until she gets here, I can't wait. I wonder what life will be like then- there's a decent chance I will still be pregnant! Which wouldn't be a bad thing- from the fact that she has never been here for the birth of any of my children. On the other hand, I 'm really ready for Shawn to be here, and it would be nice to be settled in, and be in some sort of routine when she gets here.

Aunt Tricia called this evening. Hate I missed her call. She called to wish me Happy Mother's Day and to see if Shawn was on his way. I called back but only got her voicemail. I'm glad she called, it was nice to hear her voice- surprised to hear how much she sounds like her mom. I hear it sometimes in my moms voice too. Today would have been Grandma Andrew's birthday.

Dr's appt. tomorrow- I guess I have until 2:15 to decide if I want to be induced or not... Elton has a job interview Wed.- so Tues. would be very "convenient" for him- he'd already be off work! Dad leaves Wed. for 3 days, he has a conference in Maryland. HMMMM.... The men in my life, although they are not pushing for induction by any means- think it would be much more convenient... Every woman I've talked to wouldn't do it!

Waiting and Wondering...

Well it's Saturday. Kind of a lazy day so far. Katherine spent the night at Graison's last night, Chris had Hockey this morning, and has gone swimming at John Michael's this afternoon. We're cooking out at Bobby and Tracy's this evening. It's 1:20 and I'm still in my pajamas. Kind of hard to get motivated today. Watered the garden and the yard- I really hope the grass seed I planted actually grows and that Friday's downpour didn't wash any of it away! If this doesn't work, I'm just going to spray paint the dirt green and forget about grass altogether! Wondering if tomorrow will in fact be the "Big Day". I don't feel any different. Would like somekind of sign- anything... Patience is NOT one of my virtues! It has turned out to be a beautiful day, had planned on cleaning the carpets and upholstery in the car. I did the van earlier this week and it looks great. I don't know if its actually going to happen or not. I need to get on the ball and just do it. Can't really do it during the week b/c Elton is gone all the time. Getting started is the hardest part... We're supposed to go over to Doris's so Elton can work on her internet connection. I know she will be glad to get back online.

The house is clean, my bag is packed. As much as I hate the whole idea of labor and delivery, I think I'm ready to get this show on the road! Have pretty much decided to wait this whole thing out- I just can't seem to commit to the whole induction thing. It would be one thing if I were overdue- seriously overdue! Cross your fingers and say a prayer that tomorrow will be the big day! - and that the whole labor and delivery takes about an hour- and is painless- thats not too much to ask is it??? LOL!

My Handsome Husband!

I mentioned in an earlier post needing to get a picture of Elton on "Interview Day". It's so rare to see him dressed up, I decided I had better record it!

Hen and Chicks= multiplying like rabbits.

These are the Hens and Chicks that I planted last year. What does it say about my gardening skills that I have the most success with succulents??? When I planted them it was just the middle "hen" (about 1/2 the size it is now) and a couple of chicks. Too bad I don't have that much luck growing grass! ;0)

The Garden Chronicles- Chapter 1

I like to photograph new plants and flowers when they are intially planted. It makes it so much easier to track their progress (or decline!) I was trying to wait and photograph the garden after the end caps had been trimmed down. Everything has been growing already, and I'm tired of waiting.

Mommy's Garden Helper

Catching up...

I have been slack about posting any pictures lately. The reason being that my camera has been packed away in my hospital bag, and I haven't felt like digging it out! Talk about lazy! Brianna insisted that I photograph her new "Big sister princess room." Apparently she's jealous that there are nursery pictures and none of hers. Jealousy rears its ugly head already! I figured that wouldn't start until Shawn arrived. So here are some pictures of Bri's new room. I miss my old Family room/computer room, but she had pretty much outgrown the nursery anyway. She actually does sleep in her bed, she'll go to bed (pass out) in there and always gets up in the middle of the night and comes and gets in our bed. Daddy thinks its sweet, I can't seem to get comfortable anymore, and my frequent bathroom trips don't help any. I think waking up with a 3 year olds knees pressed firmly along my spine may be contributing to my constant backache! Shawn is pressing on my sciatic nerve, so now I waddle like a gimpy penguin! LOL!

More reasons for Sunday May 11th birth...

In case I haven't laid out all of the reasons for wanting to give birth on Sunday May 11th here they are:

#1- It's Mother's Day. Katherine was born on Valentine's Day, and Brianna was born on Halloween. I know that Mother's Day changes every year, but I think it would be nice to keep with the Holiday Tradition... Chris was induced but I'm sure he was trying to hang in there until President's Day. Either that or his birthday should have been on Groundhogs day- he must have seen his shadow- or not- however that goes...

#2- It would have been my Grandma Andrew's Birthday. Chris was born on Elton's maternal grandfathers birthday, and Katherine was born on Elton's paternal grandfathers birthday.

(Not to leave out my fathers side of the family, my baby shower was on what would have been my Grandma Hamilton's 101st birthday. April 19th)

Mom called today with these interesting facts about Mother's Day. It was first declared in 1914 (Grandpa Andrew's birth year) by President Woodrow WILSON (the town we live in and he will be delivered at Wilson Medical Center...)

We'll see how it turns out- only a couple more days!

To Induce- or not???

Dr's Appt. this afternoon (39 weeks- only 1 week to go!) Well since I have been sooooo productive (gardening, cleaning etc.) I just knew that Dr. Hanson was going to have some good news for me. Nope! This is my 4th week at 1 centimeter! One of the posts I read on the "I am pregnant" webiste said that once you have a baby your cervix never completly closes back up. So possibly I have made no progress whatsoever! I just didn't have the heart to ask the Dr. about that. I didn't want to know. I told him that I was planning on having the baby Sunday. He said that Sunday wasn't any good- he's not on call this weekend. LIKE I REALLY CARE! He hasn't delivered any of my children- why start now. He said that he would induce my labor on Tuesday if I wanted. I have until Monday to decide. I'm about 85% against that. Chris was induced and almost killed me! UGH! Of course this is baby #4- so it should be much easier (should being the operative word here!) On the other hand it would be nice to know when to expect him, no middle of the night labor, no waiting on Elton (who is now working 40 some miles away). Such a big decision. I'm really leaning towards just letting nature take its course. I don't mind being pregnant. But there is also the possibility of going seriously overdue and having to be induced anyway. Why is it my sons need to be served with an eviction notice? Elton is no help in this situation. "You do whatever you want." Gee thanks...

I ALMOST got another ultrasound today. The nurse had trouble finding the heartbeat again. Since this is the 3rd time its happened- I have basically quit being concerned. He just likes to hide out. He can be going crazy and the instant Elton puts his hand on my stomach he freezes. I think his nickname will have to be Possom. (Opossum if you want to get technical...) So she woke him up, and made him mad. Gee thanks! So basically we ate lunch, and then he decided to nap, was hard to wake up- and then acted like a beast. Hmmmm. Reminds me of someone... Like father like son I guess.

The Mystery Smell...

Yesterday I noticed a decidedly nasty smell by the back porch. I just assumed it was something in the trash can. We both commented on the abnormal # of flies around. Well today the smell was worse and since it is Monday the trash cans were out by the street. I thought maybe a squirrel had died under the deck or something and made a mental note to have Chris or Elton check it out. Somethings I just don't do! ;0) My watering can was sitting on the floor of the covered porch and I picked it up to put it back on top of the outside fridge. I grabbed a Wal-mart bag that was sitting on top and as soon as I picked it up I realized what it was. It was a whole chicken that I had set on top when I was cleaning out the freezer- probably 4 or 5 days ago! Talk about disgusting! I almost died! Of course the smell intensified by about a thousand as soon as I picked it up. I double bagged it- hopefully it will hold in the smell until Thursday when we can take it across the street for pick up! The girls and I made quite a trio grossing out over this unexpected find. Katherine actually wanted me to examine it for maggots! I think I would prefer not to know! Gag!

Glorious Gardening- or not...

There's a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can.

Alice Hoffman- Practical Magic

Interesting Old Wives Tales:

Parsley is not only a sure sign of a strong woman, but will only grow outside the home of an honest man.

Basil stands for animosity. The gardener should curse with great gusto or the seeds will not grow.

Sage thrives in the garden of a woman who rules her household and her husband firmly.

Ivy is a lucky plant. If it grows on a house it protects those within from witchcraft and evil.



Wow! What a busy past 3 days... Friday Elton tilled up the whole yard, and we spread fertilizer and lime. Saturday was "Garden day" we planted peppers (green and red), onions, zucchini, yellow crooked neck squash, cucumbers, okra, watermelon, corn, and a bird house gourd plant (too many cute craft projects to pass that one up!)

We decided to use the hill method, and spread pine straw between the rows. I read in The Complete Guide to Gardening that it would inhibit weeds and help retain moisture in the soil. I guess it is worth a shot, and I think it looks really nice.

Today we put up a fence around the garden- it is lovely, but its primary purpose is to keep Brianna out of the garden! It is just too tempting for her, and since digging is one of her favorite outdoor activities... I'll try to post some pictures soon. Some of the end posts need to be cut down to size- it was getting dark when the last panel went up, and we were exhausted! My whole body aches! Hoping Shawn does not decide to make his grand entrance tonight- its all I can do to keep my eyes open! It's only quarter after 9, but I will soon be headed to bed. It's just as well, tomorrow will be an early morning.

It is Elton's first day of work, and he has to leave the house at 5:30! It's been quite a while since we have had to get up that early! I'm so thankful (and admittedly slightly guilty) that he spent his last few days of freedom working so hard on my projects! Bless him! I hope and pray he will like his new job and it will prove to be rewarding and enjoyable for him. I have gotten so used to him being home- I will be absolutely lost without him. Unfotunatly we didn't win the 180 some million dollar lottery last night, so off to work he goes... Brianna will hate him getting up so early and being gone when she wakes up- she's become Daddy's morning snuggle bunny these past few months.

I had planned on strawberry picking with the girls tomorrow. We'll have to see- my whole body aches! Too much getting up and down, squatting etc. Need to go to the grocery store. Maybe I'll make Elton some more Chicken Scampi as a "1st day of work dinner" he keeps talking about how much he liked it...

Few more things to finish in the yard- edging to keep the grass and garden seprate. Need to finish putting down the pine straw around the edges. We bought a soaker/sprinkler house for the garden- laid it all out, pinned it down, and turned it on to check it out. Very disappointed in the results- the first few feet worked great and then it completly lost pressure. We rolled it back up and will end up taking it back to Lowes... Great in theory- lousy in practice.

NO PROGRESS! :0(

38 week Dr's appt. yesterday- still dilated 1 centimeter- BUMMER! Been staying busy- trying to coax this baby out! Went to Rocky Mount walked all over the mall, Old Navy & Goodys. Bought Shawn an adorable khaki hat from The Children's Place. Chris got 2 T-shirts from Pac Sun- that boy LOVES clothes. 2 great finds @ Ross for Less- a sweet little plaid Pooh jumper for Shawn $5.99 and the cutest little pink and green dress for Bri $3.50! Tomorrow is "yard day" bought all the dirt and stuff we need for the lawn and garden- renting a rototiller in the morning... Can't wait to put the garden in! Bought some zucchini and okra plants, and a "birdhouse" gourd plant. Saw some that had been dried and painted- will make great fall decorations!

Chicken scampi for dinner- big hit w/ the family- Elton raved (!) & had seconds. Thankfully I made it this morning- knew we'd be busy this afternoon & evening. So nice just to make some garlic cheese bread & nuke the pasta! I am a HUGE fan of do ahead cooking & leftovers. I'm much more productive in the mornings- can easily cook while doing daily housechores. I got the recipe online- its an Olive Garden Copy Cat recipe. I need to print it off and add it to my recipe collection.

WHITE SAUCE:1 tablespoon butter2 tablespoons flour3/4 cup milk; hot
SCAMPI SAUCE:3 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons garlic, crushed3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper2 tablespoons Italian seasoningblack pepper to taste3/4 cup white wine1 cup chicken broth1/4 cup white sauce
REMAINING INGREDIENTS:1/2 package angel hair pasta, cooked and drainedbell peppers; thinly slicedred onions; thinly sliced10 cloves of garlic; roasted2 chicken breasts; slicedolive oil
For white sauce:Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring constantly. Slowly add 3/4 cup hot milk (hot so it won’t get lumpy). Set aside. (Keep the white sauce hot until you add to the scampi sauce)
For scampi sauce:Heat butter over low heat; add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes on low heat. Add the wine and chicken broth. Stir until combined and simmer about 30 minutes. Add the white sauce and cook till slightly thickened. In a large skillet, saute chicken in a little olive oil until almost done. Add the peppers and onions, then saute until chicken is cooked through. Add the sauce. Saute until everything is warmed. Add roasted garlic cloves. Serve over pasta. Pour a little of the leftover white sauce over the dish.