I have a little girl who is a VERY jealous little girl. I am VERY nervous about what is going to happen when the baby is born.

On Sundays, I teach a class during the morning worship service. It is for ages 0 - 5. I usually have the same 5 kids - 3 of which are my own. Well, yesterday, I had 8 kids. (I LOVED IT!) I had a baby about 2.5 months old, 3 that were 20 months old (one of them being Lucy), 1 that was 3 (Jace), 2 that were 4 (one was Zander), and one that was 5. I had my hands full, but I loved every second of it. (Now, if only I could convince hubby that we need 8!)

Anyway, after we did our Bible story, song time, learned our Bible verse, and colored our pictures, it was time for the baby's bottle. I sat down in the chair and started feeding her. Lucy became VERY angry that I was no longer right with her, and came over to where I was sitting. She started smacking me. When I told her to go play, she got even more angry, and BIT ME. She screamed and would not stop until church was over and Gene came and got her.

Lucy is very much a Momma's girl. If we're sitting on the couch, and I'm holding her, if Jace puts his hand on me, holds my hand, or anything, she immediately gets angry and sreams, pushing his arm off of me. If Gene leans over to kiss me - LOOK OUT! The girl goes into a flying rage. I am HER mommy. When she has my attention, no one else is allowed near.

I do not know what to do about this. Jace was always a Momma's boy - still is - but not like this. Once Lucy was born, he immediately became her protector. He still snuggles with me any chance he gets, but he gives up *our* time for Lucy or anyone else that needs it.

I am terrified that Lucy is going to be just awful to this baby. If she'll bite me for feeding a baby, what on earth is she going to do when the baby is attached to my boob 14 hours a day?!

We had SUCH a great time on our quick little get-away. Our church took a trip to Pigeon Forge, TN and to Dollywood on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, we left the house a few minutes after 9 in the morning. Gene had never been to Pigeon Forge, and I haven't been since I was little, so we made sure we had our trusty directions with us. We took a few "detours" (like visiting Cherokee, NC - beautiful!), but we made it to our hotel in just over 3 hours.

We got to the hotel, and immediately the kids wanted to hop into the pool. We talked them into going to get some lunch and then playing some mini-golf. We had a quick bite at Taco Bell (gosh, I wish we had one of those closer to our house!), and then headed to the golf course. The course was really cool. You rode in a "train" up to the top of the mountain, then picked a course and worked your way down. The kids LOVED it. I wish I hadn't tried to golf, though. It would have been cheaper if Gene and I just helped the kids rather than trying to hit our own golf balls as well. But, we survived all 18 holes and got a great picture at the end.

After mini-golf, we headed over to Lil' Dolly's. What a FABULOUS store!!! They were having a HUGE sale while we were there. (Of course they were, they must have known we were broke! LOL!) They had the cutest little dresses (not the dolly dresses - I'm so not into those), but regular little sun dresses that were perfect for Lulu. They also had quilts - by the gazillion! I am a quilt FREAK and could spend all day looking at quilts. They had some really pretty ones that were pretty reasonably priced. In fact, I was surprised at how reasonable they were! Ashley found one that I would LOVE to go back and get her for her birthday. It had horses all over it, and was just as pretty as can be. I've got to figure out how to get it for her.

After that, we headed back to the hotel for some swimming. We went up to our room, headed to the left, just like we had before, only the numbers weren't right. We had checked in and they had put us in room 227. Well, what we *thought* was our room was now 207. That wasn't right, so we went down to room 227. The key didn't work. I thought I was losing my mind! I sent Gene down to the front desk, and we found out they had changed the room numbers. They didn't move any of our stuff, they just changed all the numbers outside the doors. Why? I have NO idea, but they did. We really were in room 207, but had to get a new key since ours was supposed to open 227! Ridiculous!

We *finally* got that all situated, and headed down to the pool. The boys liked the water, but wouldn't let Gene take them off the steps very much. Lucy had NO desire to even get into the water. Gene took her out and she panicked, so she sat on the edge of the pool with me the entire time. Ashley had fun in the water, and I think she would have stayed in there until we left on Saturday!

After swimming, we grabbed some dinner, and then went back into town to look at a few more shops. Then it was back to the hotel and to bed. We were all exhausted!

The beds were horribly uncomfortable. I don't think Gene or I ever fell asleep all night - of course, it didn't help that Lucy was in between us. There was no clock in the hotel room, so I must have asked Gene 800 times through the night what time it was. I swear, it was the longest night in the history of nights.

That meant we were up early the next morning, and ready to head to Dollywood. We grabbed the free breakfast at the hotel and followed some other church members to the park. We parked (a million miles from the entrance), and rather than waiting on the tram (my husband, aka Mr. Impatient) we started walking. By the time we got to Tram Stop B, we caught a tram and rode the rest of the way in.

We got into the park and headed to the Country Fair section. The kids had a BLAST! They had little kids and big kids rides in that section. Zander wouldn't ride on anything but the rides that even Lucy could ride by herself, but Jace... man, he rode anything they would let him on. Jace, Ashley, and Gene did the ferris wheel first. As soon as they got off that, Jace found the Veggie Tales roller coaster, and rode on that. I'm telling you, this child has NO fear. He wanted to ride the Sky Rider - this thing that takes you up 70 feet in the air and then spins you around in a circle, but he was too short. He cried when they told him he couldn't ride it. Ash ended up riding it by herself. I was SO proud. I'm such a chicken that I never would have done it period - let alone by myself!!

We spent the entire day walking, riding, and having a BALL. Ashley rode a couple of roller coasters - including one that went upside down! Gene liked having someone to ride with him, and I liked NOT riding them. :) The boys, Lucy, and I found some water play areas while they rode the roller coasters, so it was perfect for all of us.

We also caught a really cute Veggie Tales show on stage. The kids LOVED it, and I'm glad we decided to see it. I wish I had had my good camera with me, because we couldn't use flash, and my crappy camera is, well, crap. So, the pictures I took didn't come out, but it really was cute.

We ended up leaving the park about 4pm. Most of the other church members stayed until closing, but I was exhasuted, the kids were exhausted, and we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. We headed back home and instead of bypassing Gatlinburg, we drove right through downtown. I wish we had done that on the way in. It looked like a place that Gene and I would have loved. We decided he and I will be taking a trip back there without the kids soon.

We stopped in Cherokee and ate, and made it home about 8 o'clock. We were all exhausted, and I'm the only one that got sunburnt, but we really had such a great time. Next time we'll go down on a Thursday and spend and extra day out and about. That way we're not so rushed.

Sorry for such a long post. LOTS of catching up to do, I suppose. I did get scared on Saturday, because I didn't feel the baby move much at all. I was so afraid that I had overdone it. After we got home, I drank a big glass of juice and stayed on the couch. I was SO relieved when I felt him start kicking again.

So, LOTS of excitement over the last few days. I'm looking forward to doing it all over again soon...... but next time without kids!! :)

Uploaded the pictures from our trip to facebook.

Here's part one: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40273&l=ed92f&id=652316746

And, part two: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40276&l=7750b&id=652316746

As a photographer, I *hate* posting snapshots. I think every photo has to be professional. BUT, I was not about to carry my great big camera and all my equipment along with me all weekend. So, I have to settle for using my crappy little point and shoot. I really need to get a new one, but, well, those things tend to cost money! ;) So, we'll all just have to settle for crappy little snapshots.

So, I've been getting things ready all day for our little get-away to Pigeon Forge, TN. I was searching in my closet for my maternity swim suit. I know it's in there, I just have NO idea where. In my search for the swimsuit, I found a pair of maternity shorts that I didn't realize I had. I don't have many shorts, and am in dire need of them, so I excitedly tried them on to make sure they fit.

Wouldn't you know it? I can get them over my butt, but if I try to sit down, it cuts off all circulation to my lower body.

Jokingly, I told my husband to put them on and stretch them out for me (we have such a fun relationship!). Well, he did! And go figure, he got them on and they fit him just fine!!

I tried taking a picture, because it really was the funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time. He looked like he had stepped right out of the 70's and into those super-short shorts that Jack Tripper used to wear. He wouldn't let me get it on film, though, probably because he knew I'd share it with the world. After all, who couldn't use a giggle?

The only bummer now is that my clothes are officially bigger than my husband's. This is REALLY hard for me to handle, as I have battled an eating disorder for almost 15 years now. Only recently have I come to accept that after having 4 children - and being pregnant again - my body isn't going to be the svelt size 0 that it was when Gene and I started dating.

But, I'm looking beyond the fact that my butt is the size of a barge, and will just keep in mind the hysterical sight of my husband walking around in my short little maternity shorts.

I found out that I have an unusually long cervix. A normal cervix is 2.5cm. Mine is 5.5! The doctor said that my odds of delivering a baby on my own (without meds) is next to impossible - which is why I've had to be induced with all 4 previous pregnancies. She said that I have an irritable uterus, which means that it doesn't want the baby in there, so it contracts, constantly. BUT, because my cervix is so long, there is absolutely no way for it to get itself open enough to actually get the baby out. She said that if I tried to do it on my own, I'd end up being pregnant longer than an elephant. (LOL!)

SO, tell me, why on earth did it take 5 pregnancies, many, many ultrasounds, and umpteen doctors to figure this out? No one else even thought to look at the length of my cervix?

Good news is, she said no bedrest. She said my body will contract, and I will have to deal with it (what else is new?!), but she's not going to restrain me in any way because my cervix can't open on its own.

I feel better having some answers, but geez! I wish I had known this 4 pregnancies ago!

Aside from all of that, the baby is doing just fine. His heartrate was in the 140's, my uterus is measuring right on target, and everything else looks great! I gained 1 pound, which means now I'm 1 pound less than I was prepregnancy. Again, good news, since I'm already overweight. The less I gain, the better. Apparently, Parker is taking everything and growing fine, so I have nothing to worry about.

She told me not to start kick counts until week 24. The baby doesn't become viable until then, so she told me not to worry until I get to that point. Then, every time I go in to see her, I have to give her a copy of my kick count charts. She's planning on watching them as closely as I do. What a relief that is!

Good news all around. I couldn't be happier! I go back in 4 weeks and get to have the sugar test. Fun, fun, fun!

Hubby finally got to feel the baby move last night! It wasn't a lot, but Parker gave us a nice swift kick to my gut, and hubby felt it!

I'm looking forward to the point where you can actually see the baby move in my belly... and elbow or a knee poking out here or there. The kids get more excited then, and hubby does, too.

Lulu talks to my belly all the time now. It's so sweet! She'll say hello, and just say, "Baby, Baby" over and over. When she's had enough, she squeezes my belly for a great big hug, kisses my belly button, and says, "Bye, bye, Baby!" I just love it!

Doctors appointment in the morning, so I'll update more then!!

Hubby and I decided to drive down near Atlanta and look at a potential new vehicle. (Around here, civilization begins about 2 hours or so from our house.) Well, we drove all that way, and wouldn't you know it? Things didn't work out. I'm upset and angry at the dealership for asking us to come down, but such is life. (Of course, the poor man did get the rantings of a pregnant woman before I left. One does not force a woman to drive 2 and a half hours to be told NO. LOL!)

BUT, all was not lost with our trip. It did give hubby and I 5 and a half hours ALONE. No kids, no screaming, no fighting. Just the two of us, talking and sharing things. It was nice.

AND, we found a MALL. And a Toys R Us and a Babies R Us,and a Steak and Shake and an Olive Garden, oh! AND A MALL!!!!!!! I have not seen the inside, let alone the outside, of a MALL since we moved. Man, have I missed the mall. We didn't go in, because I had to be at a baby shower by 2, but just knowing that I can find the mall made my whole day. Of course, I'll have to drive 2 hours to get there, but hey - it's a MALL!

Went to a baby shower today for a girl from my church. Sweet, sweet girl. Young girl. In very much the same position that I was 11 years ago, but her family (and her church) is treating her well. She was showered with gifts - literally, as it took over an hour to open everything! - and there was tons of food. The decorations were beautiful. Everything was pink and brown, and the cake looked pretty enough to be a wedding cake. A lot of time and effort was put into the shower, and I was quite impressed. (And I'm still trying not to be jealous!)

I actually won 2 games at the shower! I never, ever win anything, but I guess I can no longer say that, as I won TWICE! The first game I won was a word game. They took the baby's name (Adelyn) and you had 2 minutes to come up with the most words using the letters in the baby's name. Well, I got 18 words! Everyone else in the group only got 2 - 3. I was quite impressed with myself! :) The second game I won was one where you start with the present in someone's hand and pass it around a circle as someone reads a story. (Pass right or left whenever either word is said.) I don't know how, but I ended up being the last person with the prize! So cool!

All in all, it's been a really good day.... aside from the vehicle fiasco, but I'm looking past that. We've got a few months before we *need* a vehicle that seats 8. I'll start panicing if we still don't have one in September!

Sorry for the long post. If you're still awake, I stocked up on Fudgesicles and Ice Cream Sandwiches! :)

Well, not pregnancy wise, anyway. LOTS going on, just nothing on the pregnancy front. Parker is moving... almost constantly now, but he's still not to the point where Gene or the kids can feel him on the outside. I'm looking forward to that day, and hope it won't be much longer.

My next doctors appointment is on Wednesday the 25th, so just one more week. I'll be almost 22 weeks at that point, and almost time to start using the kicktrak kick counter. Finally!

Yesterday, I had to take Zander in for his yearly well visit. The doctor knows us well (from Lucy's stay in the hospital), so she knows we have a large family. She asked Zander who lives in our house with him, and he told her, "Mommy, Daddy, Lulu, Ashley, Jace, and Parker." She asked who Parker was, and Zander beamed with pride and said, "It's the baby in Mommy's belly! He lives in our house, he just stays in Mommy's belly all the time. Just like I did when I was a baby." I thought it was really sweet of him to think of the baby as already living with us. He's really looking forward to having another little brother.

In other news, I'll be getting Lucy's costume repaired!!! I got an email from the original creator, and she said to send it back to her and she'd fix it, or make a new one if need be. I am SO glad. I'll have to wait awhile, as she's in the process of building a house/moving, but knowing that I will get it back and it WILL be fixed, makes me feel so much better.

So, slowly but surely, things are getting better around here. I'm still sad that I can't get back to Ohio, but I've come to accept it as God's will. And, I'm praying for an answer from Him in another area as well. Just trying to remember that He is faithful and bears our burdens when we can't.

Hopefully I will have more exciting things to post soon, but as for now, I'm enjoying this being a nice, calm, uneventful pregnancy.

I hope that all of the Daddies out there had a very good day!

It was a good one around here for hubby. We showered him with love and thrifty homemade gifts. He oohed and aahed and made a big deal over each one. Then, he got to the gift I posted a picture of below. He sat and read it, and the next thing I knew, he was in tears. He loved it so much. He didn't even remember that I had used the same poem almost 5 years ago before Zander was born. He absolutely loved it, though, and I'm so glad it meant so much to him.

He begged me to allow him to show it off at church - which meant that anyone who saw it would know the baby's name. I told him that I didn't care if he showed anyone, but I now retain the right to slug anyone who makes a negative comment about the baby-to-be's name. Lucikly, no one at church gave us a hard time about the name, but they were all very kind. :)

So, I suppose that means I can share the baby's name with each of you, and the reason behind the name. I warn you, though, any negative comments will be deleted. This is OUR child. If you are in your child bearing years, you have the right to name your child anything you want, just as I do. And, if you are beyond your child bearing years, well, you've named your children. This is NOT your child, so keep your opinions to yourself.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get on with revealing the name.

"Baby Boo's" name will be........ Parker Jacob.

The boys have begged for months to name the baby Parker. They adore Peter Parker and Spiderman, and the idea of having a brother named Parker is so cool to them. And, the fact that Lucy is just as obsessed with Spiderman, well, it just seems perfect. (It wasn't my first choice, as I was pulling for Sawyer, but I absolutely love the name now, and am glad we decided to make it for keeps.)

Jacob is after a young man in our church. This young man (who recently turned 17) has come to mean so much to Gene, myself, and the kids. He is respectable, loves his Daddy and Momma, loves his church family, and most of all, loves his God. If there were any person in the church that we would want Parker... as well as our other kids... to look up to, it would be Jacob. We are blessed to know him, and are thankful that he has been brought into our lives.

So, there you have it. You now know the baby's name. Feel better knowing you don't have to wait another 20 weeks or so? ;)

Again, I hope all of the Daddies had a wonderful Father's Day, and you are all feeling as happy as we are tonight.

And, yes, I marked out the baby's name. Sorry - it's top secret! ;)

I do feel a bit better today. The baby's been moving around a lot, so that has been a comfort. And, the other kids and I had a lot of fun making Daddy's gifts.

So, I'm trying not to focus on every single thing that has gone wrong this week. I've got so much for which to be thankful. And, I can always remember that I can cast my cares upon Him.

Now, this will upset a few of you, but I can't share that name with you. We haven't shared a name with anyone since Jace was in utero. Why? Well, because when I was pregnant with Zander, and Gene and I FINALLY decided that his name would be Zander, we were so excited that we told everyone. The reactions I got were awful. "How could you name your child that?" "What are you thinking?" "This child is going to be made fun of for the rest of his life!" and other such comments. But, Gene and I stuck to our guns and when Zander was born, we named him Zander. I am SO glad that we did, because he definitely IS a Zander. No other name would fit that boy.

So, when we got pregnant with Jace, we decided we weren't sharing the name with anyone. Ask any of the ladies in my mom's group - LOL! - they tried and tried, but I stayed strong and didn't tell anyone until the day he was born.

When I was pregnant with Lucy, MIL begged and begged to hear the name, swearing she wouldn't tell a soul. Well, she didn't... until she "slipped" at my baby shower.... right in front of my mother, of all people. Believe me, I won't make that mistake again. Up until that point Lucy had gone by "Tink" through all of my pregnancy.

So, we have a name. The kids know the name, and the kids know they are not allowed to tell anyone the name. Luckily, Lucy can't say the name well enough for anyone to understand, so I think we're safe. The boys have decided that if anyone asks, we are naming the baby "Spiderman." Z loves this idea, as it was his first choice for a name anyway. :)

I'm excited, because I bought a sewing/embroidery machine last year, and I can finally make some things for this baby and put his name on it.

Want to know the baby's name? Guess you'll just have to stay tuned....

Nothing really wrong on the pregnancy front... aside from my back, but that appears to be moot point about now. I've been feeling baby move all day. I think he can sense how badly I need it today.

Yesterday, my uncle passed away. Married to my mom's oldest sister, Uncle Dick has been around since before I was born. He was very special to all of us. He always made us laugh... always. Family functions were always more fun when he was around. He was diagnosed with cancer quite some time ago, and shortly after we moved down to GA, we found out his cancer had come back. This time it spread to his brain and it became too much for his fragile body to handle.

I'm having a hard time with this today, because I can't just up and go back to Ohio. With gas prices being what they are, and the fact that my transmission is shot in my van, there's just no way to get back there. So, here I sit, wishing I could get back there just to give the family a hug.

If you think of it, could you please say a prayer for my family? Especially my Aunt Pam. I know she (and all of us) would covet your prayers right now. Thanks!

In all my excitement about Madison's graduation, I forgot to tell you all about our shopping endeavors yesterday.

Gene had gone out in the morning to take his mom to the grocery store and run some other errands. While he was out, he called me and said that every street from Union to Towns County was lined with yard sales/tables. He came home, and we all hopped in the car to do some shopping. Well, we start driving down the road (it's 1:30pm, mind you), and everyone is PACKING UP to leave! That was IT. Everything was over and done by 1pm! Now, who in their right mind ends a yard sale at 1pm!?!?!?

Gene could sense my frustration, so he drove me to a few local thrift stores. At the first store, we scored! Big time!! We found TONS of sleepers, onesies, and outfits for the baby. Nothing was over $4, and most was only .50 - $1! We walked out of there with a HUGE bag just packed full of stuff. Most of which still had the tags on it. Man, I love a good bargain!

At the second thrift shop, we didn't do as well. It was dirty and so packed with stuff that you just couldn't find anything. We paid $2 for 2 toys for the boys, and that was it. Not worth our time at all.

Then, we hit the 3rd shop. This one was a consignment shop, and all of the stuff they had in there was really nice. But, they were SO expensive that I just couldn't justify buying anything. For example, they had this bassinet. I LOVE this bassinet and want it SO badly for the baby. BUT, the consignment shop wanted $99 for it. Now, tell me, why on earth would I pay $99 for something USED when I can get on Amazon.com and order it for $99? I'd be getting a brand new one and wouldn't have to worry about what kind of environment the cradle was in before it came to my house. So, I just couldn't justify buying the bassinet yesterday. And, I can't bring myself to spend $100 on it right now, either. Maybe I'll save my pennies for the next few months and get it soon. I really do like it.

So, all in all, we had a very productive day yesterday. I feel better knowing this baby will at least have a handful of outfits to wear! ;)

Tonight, a dear, sweet young lady, whom I have come to love dearly, graduated from kindergarten this evening. The graduation ceremony was for all the kindergarteners and the senior who were graduating from a very small local Christian School. Because Madison has become so special to me, I felt that I had to be at her graduation. I took Ashley along, and we headed to the little Christian school and the church that hosts the school.

We got there, and found our seats. By 10 minutes into the ceremony, I was in tears. The kids quoted Bible verses, read short stories, sang songs, quoted poems they had learned. You could tell how hard they had all worked.

Then, Ms. Jodi sang a song that I will never forget. I've asked her for a copy of this song because it was truly the most beautiful song I have ever heard. It was called "Just Be There." I was so glad I wore waterproof mascara, because at that point, I had lost it completely.

After that, Brother Tim, Gene's dear friend (and builder of my beloved steps), spoke to the Senior graduate. Again, the tears flowed.

I am so glad I went tonight. It made Madison's night to see Ashley and I there, and it made MY night that it meant so much to her. She is such a special girl, and I KNOW that God is going to bless her richly.

Not much of a pregnancy post today, I know, but I'm just so proud of Ms. Madison, I had to share.

I swear, this has to be the slowest moving pregnancy on record! I'm 19 weeks. That means I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy.

I don't know why it's moving so slowly, either. I know several other people who are pregnant (all due before me, mind you), and their pregnancies seem to be flying by!

Then I sit and think about mine. 21 more week. (20 is most likely, but we'll pretend I'll make it to 40 weeks.) Ok, so 21 isn't a huge number. BUT, then I think, "Well, I'm due October 31st." Halloween. That feels like it's eons away!

I know that once July hits, things will start flying... at least I hope so, anyway. Since we have my birthday, Zander's birthday, hubby's dad's birthday, and hubby's brother's birthday all in July, then Ash's birthday in August, Jace's birthday, our anniversary, and Lucy's birthday all in September.... well, things are going to be pretty crazy once July hits.

Maybe it WILL make things go faster. Maybe I won't feel like I'm pregnant forever by then.

I know that someday I'll look back and wish that I was still pregnant. Today is just not that day.

and I am in complete and utter panic mode. I still can barely move, so I had to make Gene take him in. I HATE not being the one there with my baby.

Jace has had a rash for a few days. I took him to the ER on Monday, after a bunch of running around with the doctor's office/clinic/etc. (The doctor's office refuses to see him, because he hasn't had his well visit yet. His well visit can't be until September, because he needs shots!! They said to go to a walk in clinic, but the clinic didn't take our insurance, so we had to go to the ER.) The ER doc said it was just a virus and it needed a few days to go away.

This morning, the rash was all focused around his pee-pee and his butt. I figured it was because of his underwear.

Well, about 15 minutes ago, we were talking about dinner. He started whimpering and said, "I don't think think I can eat because my tongue hurts." I looked in his mouth, and his mouth is completely covered with this rash. It is AWFUL!

So, I called Gene to find out how long he'd be before he got home... luckily, he was right down the road. I made him take Jace in, and now I'm sitting here waiting.

I can't even believe this. What a nightmare. Please send up any prayers you have for my baby boy! I'm so worried!

Edited to add:It's hand, foot, and mouth disease. Seeing those blisters on his tongue, cheeks, and tonsils scared me to death. All I could think was that if it got any worse, he wouldn't be able to breathe!! But, he's just fine. Happily eating his Rainbow Sherbet for dinner. Thanks for your prayers!!!!!

I am telling you what, this is getting OLD! I went to go potty last night, and half way down, my back completely went out!

I had to stay home from church last night because Jace spiked a fever and his rash got worse, but of course it didn't help that my back went out and made it that much harder to help care for him.

I've got to find some kind of relief. I've tried everything today.... soaking in a cold tub, putting an ice pack on my back, using the heating pad... but nothing has worked!

My doctor is convinced that this is just because this is pregnancy #5 and things are more limber now, but I've always had back issues. I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis in 5th grade, but my parents couldn't afford to have it treated. So, for 20 years, I've just dealt with it. But, now, with my back giving out every week or every other week, I just can't do this anymore.

I need to see a chiropractor, but I can't find one that accepts my insurance. I can't afford to pay cash. I'm really running out of options.

I'd really appreciate some prayers. I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow, which means I'll be almost half way through the pregnancy. That still leaves me a long time to have to deal with a very bad back. Your prayers would be coveted!

Sorry to whine again!

I can't believe I did it!! I *finally* figured out how to create my very own template/theme for blogger!!!

This is MY original design, and I haven't seen another like it, so if there IS another one out there, and it looks like I "copied" it, it was completely unintentional!

So, what do you think? Did I do good??? ;)

I ordered from them on Friday, and yesterday, I received my order! I can't believe how quickly it got here! (And, you've got to love FREE Shipping that's that fast!!!)

I ordered the kickTrak Kick counter, and the Nursing Bracelet Feeding Log in soft pink. They arrived in separate packages, but both on the same day.

I'm so excited to use these products. Since we can't afford to order the Baby Beat this time around, I'm hoping the kickTrak Kick counter will give me some peace of mind.

The nursing bracelet is a VERY cool idea. Especially now that I will be dealing with homeschooling and everything else, I'm certain that I will tend to forget things a little more easily. This will be a great reminder of when baby last ate! And, the bracelet is beautiful. Very well made, and just gorgeous!

If you're looking for a fabulous website to order VERY unique products, be sure to check out mom4life.com! I promise you won't be disappointed!!

My daddy lost his battle with cancer. It was a long, hard fight, and he never gave up. Eventually, it just became too much for his body to handle, and God called him home.

I was 19, had just had a baby, and my daddy was the most important man in my life. Losing him was the hardest thing I have ever faced.

I still miss him every single day. As my kids get bigger, it gets harder, wishing that he were here to see all of their accomplishments. I know he'd be so proud of them.

Today, Ashley and I got baptized. What a sweet way to remember this day. We were baptized together... in a local creek, mind you, but it was one of the most awesome experiences of my life.

You can see the pictures of the baptism here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37088&l=aae08&id=652316746

And, yes, I did end up looking like Shamu, but I think God will bless me for the fact that this city girl put her body into a dirty old creek! :)

Thanks for looking!