Talking points

*Well we had Christmas this year in our new home!! That was exciting and we were suppose to have my grandparents and mom over but the snow kept them away. So we spent Christmas with our little family and had so much fun! I really enjoyed not having to travel, I know that sounds awful but it was so relaxing :) Santa brought the boys a Lego table and it has been VERY popular. I am ordering stockings but wanted to wait after Christmas so I could get a good deal ( I know how cheap is that but the baskets worked and the boys don't know any better)

* Here is a pic of me at 30 weeks and yes I am HUGE, I know! I had one lady that was a nurse tell me she was watching me just in case I went into labor. I smiled and said oh I am not due until March!!!! Come on give me a break I am barely 5 foot 1!! :) This belly has no where to go except OUT !

Lila is doing so good. We went last Tues. and she had a huge growth spurt and weighed 3 lbs. 5 ounces! Almost a pound in 2 weeks! This is huge for her. I am taking it easy and am bored but the bed rest is working b/c I now only have partial placenta previa.

*I have been working on my projects from the challenge I posted! My first project was cross stitching a Christmas tree and my second project is an album that says Baby and I am going to scrapbook the words. Here is the post regarding the challenge if you are wanting to be in the running for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon! Good luck!

Oh what fun it is with dad...

on a cold winter night, hey!

I really enjoy watching the "father & son" time that my boys create together! This weekend was no exception.

The boys went out to the back patio and created the best snow fort! As daddy went to work on it the boys had snow ball fights. I watched and made hot chocolate for each one of them.

It was taking too long so the boys ventured in so daddy finished the fort and then he had to try it out. He was so proud of his fort :) The boys told him that the fort is awesome and they hope it never melts.

These times just melt my heart!

The challenge, are you ready!?

So bed rest is exactly what I thought! It makes the days really looong and sloooow. I am hoping not to go insane the next 2 1/2 months!! Grandma JJ will be taking the boys from Tuesdays through Fridays which will be good for me but I am going to miss the noise. It will be really quiet around the house. So I was thinking of something that could occupy my time and this challenge is what I came up with...


Here is the challenge:

1. You will send me a package containing EVERYTHING I will need to create a project. (Remember I can't run to the store) It can be anything you wish. *Note these projects will not be returned to you*

2. You can have as many entries as you wish.

3. The project has to be able to be completed within 2 days.

4. The deadline for the challenge is Feb. 1st. All projects have to be postmarked no later than January 31st. Please email me at court_carpenterathotmaildotcom with a link to your blog and I will email you back with my address.

HAVE FUN AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!
The PRIZE:

On Feb. 1st I will post all projects that were sent to me and I will have a poll and we will all vote on the best project.

On Feb. 15th I will announce the winner! The winner will receive a $50 Gift Card to amazon.com *The drawing could take place at a later time due to the arrival of Lila*

HAVE FUN AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!

The dreaded word is Here...

Well bed rest it is for me! I have been informed by the Dr. that I am to do nothing except the minimal for my children. Luckily I have grandma JJ close that will take them a couple of days a week for me. Brian's jaw dropped to the floor when the Dr. said oh and no COOKING AND CLEANING! I can't go shopping, walking, and Brian busted me out for snow shoveling. So needless to say won't be doing that either. Thanks Bubba :)

We will see him every 2 weeks now and will have an amniocentesis on Feb. 2nd. If at that time her lungs are mature they will deliver!! If they aren't then we will continue amnio's until they are!!?? I said well can't you just give me the steroids and mature her lungs instead of needles and his reply was "Don't you have tattoos"? "Then I don't want to hear anything about needles." Okay then bring on the needles. I am going to do whatever it takes to get her here.

Lila is healthy and looks great! She is now 2 pounds 7 ounces! The Dr. saw her tinkle while we were looking at her and was able to show us that. That was a first for us! Oh and I was a little sad b/c I didn't get a sono pic either. We still have placenta previa. Which probably won't change so it will be a c-section for me.

As for the challenge I will wait until my internet at home is up and running. That should be sometime at the beginning of next week!

Moving Update

Hello all! I feel so out of the loop with the moving and the holiday! We are almost finished with the house in CC and of course we are living out of boxes in Marysville.

Just a quick update I will email you all with my new address/phone number soon. Also you can reach me by cell phone if needed.

As most of you know we had a Thanksgiving hosted by Alice Carpenter. Alice wasn't able to make it so we all took turns and visited her at Meadowlark on Thursday.
She passed away this weekend and her service will be sometime this week. Please keep Brian and his family in your prayers.

Thank you!

Lila Update-1 lb. 12 oz.

Lila is growing like a weed as you can see in the title she is almost 2 lbs! I am also elated to say that she is still healthy! Praise God! I however still have placenta previa. It is not likely for that to change so when I see the OB specialist on Dec. 8Th I am sure he will start me on bed rest. Just saying that word makes me cringe.

For those of you that know me know that I am going to be going crazy for the next 2 1/2 months. However I have a challenge I will be posting after I hear that DrEaDeD word. Be on the lookout for that. It will be really fun and I can't wait to see what you all come up with! :)

Here is the most adorable picture of my daughter EVER!! Oh my goodness, I just giggled when I saw her chubby cheek AND she has her mom's nose. (One of my favorite features about me :)

Thank you all for continuing to pray for Lila and I! We are blessed and THANKFUL that she is healthy!

Top 5 reasons why I can't sleep

I am a night owl that is wanting to convert to being a morning person! I try every month to convince myself that I am going to start going to bed earlier. Then week after week I am up past midnight. I would say that my bedtime is 12:30!! Ughh. I would like to be in bed like a "normal" person around say 10:30pm. Why is that so hard? Well I will tell you...

1. That is when I get my cleaning done
2. It is my "ME" time
3. I am blogging/reading blogs
4. I am eating my hidden chocolate bar
5. I am reading a good book with NO interruptions

Okay, so for all of you morning people what's your secret? Do tell...

Lila Update

On Tuesday we drove to Omaha to see our OB specialist. We got to see our little Lila. She is super cute just look at that profile! The boys were excited to be able to tell me where her nose, eyes, and hands were. We will be 24 weeks on Saturday. She is 1 lb. 6oz. and is healthy. God is Good!

I still have placenta previa and her head is resting on the placenta. The placenta is also attached to my scar tissue and it's called placenta accreta. They won't know how deep the attachment is until the delivery of the placenta at birth. We go see the Dr. again on Dec. 8Th and if at that time we still have placenta previa I will be on bed rest.

In the sonogram picture you can see her on the left side and then you see a line (that is the scar tissue) then you see black open space which is more uterus. So the scar tissue has walled off a portion of my uterus. I hope seeing a picture can help you understand more. It is hard to explain.

We are praying everyday that I don't start bleeding and that she can stay inside until term! I can't say thanks enough to all of you praying for Lila!! My heart longs to hold this little girl in my arms and watch her grow up to become a beautiful woman. The love that I have for her is so powerful and it keeps me grounded each and every day. I am thankful for god, family, and friends in my daily life!

Funnest Leaf Year EVER!

This from my 5 year old after I let them play in the leaf pile. While we are on this topic let me just say that I h*** (dislike very much) raking. It makes no sense to me at all. I see all these neighbors raking, and raking, and raking. No not just one weekend but every weekend. What is the point? I am just waiting for a big gust of wind to take my leaves east. Sorry neighbor!

Okay off my soapbox! :) However I do enjoy the falling leaves b/c it is free entertainment for my boys. I love seeing them happy and smiling. Look at those sweet faces! :) They will rake, roll, and throw them. Enjoy the pics!

Let the fun begin

The creativity is in full swing today as we received our paint set! My dear friend, Brenda has an amazing blog where she shows her true talent for cardmaking and scrapbooking. She has so many wonderful creations! Take a look here. She was giving away a paint set or clear alphabet stamp set and I chose the paint set. Guess what I WON!!

Today was the perfect day to receive this package! The weather is cold, gloomy, and Owen didn't have school. Here are their paintings.

Thank you Brenda for the wonderful package and thanks to Kidkraft too!

Pumpkin Prayer Activity

My boys couldn't wait until daddy came home to carve pumpkins! I have done this pumpkin prayer for my boys, parties, and church. I hope you enjoy this activity with your kiddos too.

Owen was asking what sin meant and we said bad. The rest of the day he kept telling us that Miles was sinning!!



Dear God,

As I carve my pumpkin, help me say this prayer.

Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(Cut the top of the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do;
(Clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut eyes shaped like hearts)

I'm sorry for turning my nose to all You've given me;
(Cut a nose in the shape of the cross)

Open my ears so Your word I will hear;
(Cut ears shaped like the Bible)

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near;
(Cut mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle and light)

Lila Update

Today we saw our OB doctor in Manhattan. She had a strong heart rate of 155 and she was moving all over the place! We will see our OB specialist in 2 weeks where we will get to peek at her. :) I am going to have a huge scrapbook of all these ultrasounds but I love seeing her growth! So far so good. Thank you all for the prayers. We feel blessed to have each one of you thinking of her!

Cabinets are in!!

We had a really productive weekend with packing and the basement is almost bare. Way to go bubba!

We also took the boys to Meadowlark to visit their grandparents. Everyone is always so excited to see little kiddos, it is cute. We had a great time catching up with them.

On Sunday we saw our house and couldn't believe that some of the cabinets were in and hung already. He said he was putting them in this week so we were ecstatic to see them. Here is a peek. We still have to order the hardware but that can wait a little bit. My faucet should be coming sometime this week. Things are moving right along!

Roasted Pumpkin for dessert, yum!

The boys have been to 2 pumpkin patches and Owen just went again on a field trip and I was trying to find a different recipe to use up these pumpkins. I found this recipe on a blog (if it is you please let me know so I can give credit) and had to try it out on my little family. The boys thought it was okay but Brian and I thought it was a really yummy treat. Enjoy and let me know what you think after you try it!



Roasted pumpkin slices

1 small sugar or pie pumpkin
pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 tablespoons butter, melted
whipped cream (cool whip)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stem. Cut each half into wedges and use a knife to cut off the pumpkin fibers. Line up slices in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt.

2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, spices, and melted butter. Spoon over pumpkin wedges and roast for 25-30 minutes, removing halfway through baking time and brush the pumpkin slices with the sugar mixture that has melted and collected in the bottom of the dish. Return to the oven and bake until pumpkin is fork tender. Garnish with cool whip.

The house is coming together

Brian went and took pictures of the house the other day. They are working on it everyday and big changes are happening. It is crazy how fast it comes together once they finish painting. Brian is really liking the back porch and we hope to screen that in sometime. Our cabinets will be here Wed. I can't wait to see them! It has been exciting but the true test is about to be here. The samples that we chose are like 2x2 in size so seeing it all together finished makes me nervous. Is the tile too dark, vanity too light. All those questions run through my head. We are really working hard everyday to get this house packed up and organized. We are almost there! :) Oh and I can't wait to decorate the nursery. All new stuff for my baby girl!! Oh I am soo excited for pink in my home! Enjoy the pics.

Wow! 20 weeks already

I am officially half way through my pregnancy! The first 20 weeks seemed to fly by and I am sure the next 16 weeks will be the same. The first pic with the floral top is me at 4 months the second pic is last night at 20 weeks.

We had a consultation with a new Dr. in Omaha Nebraska who has seen other women with the same condition that I have. He was able to calm our nerves and let us know what to expect. Lila is doing fantastic and she was at 68% for growth. We will be seeing Dr. Bonebrake every week from here on out. They will be monitoring Lila's growth, the placenta, and the cord attachment, as well as any bleeding or severe cramping from me. So far so good! I am on some restrictions and am just trying to take it easy. If they see any signs of the above we will be admitted to Nebraska Methodist Hospital. I am hopeful that all will go smooth these next few months.

Brian felt Lila move around last night and was so excited to be able to feel her. He said, "That is so awesome!" Those precious kicks are my security blanket and I am relieved and excited each and every time I feel her! Brian said I could officially buy something pink!! He is nervous about buying stuff ahead of time b/c of our past circumstances. I will go with a small purchase like shoes or a headband. I just can't wait to shop for a little girl!! Brian is already getting anxious about this "girl stuff!"

As far as me I feel excited, nervous, and HUGE!! I have been craving french onion dip with my potato chips and crab legs. But I am really needing Red Lobster's cheese fondue appetizer! That is my favorite as well as crab legs. Oh I wish I could eat those but I keep forgetting to ask the Dr. if I can.

The boys are loving on Lila all the time. Each day they hug and kiss her. Miles is practicing burping, feeding, and holding his baby. He always sees a tiny baby and says, "I want to buy that baby!" I laugh and say we are having a baby we don't have to buy one. He is too cute!

Calling 911 for what?

Owen has been learning a lot about Fire Safety at school. Last Monday he came home and counted the smoke detectors only to tell me we were suppose to have a smoke detector in EVERY bedroom! Really? So on Thursday when the fireman finished reading books at story time it was Q and A time. So I had to ask if this was true! It is!! Do you have a smoke alarm in EVERY bedroom at your house?

Do you remember those sticky silly hands that you throw at the walls? I remember them being eyeballs, hands, and random other objects. Owen just got one at a fall festival in town and plays with it frequently. Today he threw it up on the ceiling in the kitchen and asked me to get it down. I said that I couldn't reach it and it was unsafe for me to stand on a chair. Owen said, "Mommy that is okay I will just call 911 and have the fireman bring his ladder!" So we had to sit down and have the 911 chat before he made some random call!

My list of To Do's

Well with the unknown situation at hand I thought I better start preparing a list of to do's before I head to Wichita on the 16th of Nov. I hope this motivates me to keep crossing them off as I get them accomplished. Wish me luck!

1. Pay bills and leave password, addresses, and dates for husband to do the rest.
2. Create a calendar of upcoming events for whomever is taking care of my family.
3. Prepare meals and freeze them for hubby!
4. Prepare an overnight bag of essentials in case I need for emergency.
5. Pack up my house for the move on Nov. 5th.
6. Make a contact sheet of important numbers.

Am I missing something?

Please Pray!

Today we are 18 weeks and 3 days and we saw an OB specialist in Wichita. The ultrasound was surprising as we are actually having a GIRL!!!!!!! Her name is going to be Lila Eloise Carpenter.

On another note we are asking for all of our family and friends to pray for our daughter. We learned today that in my uterus is scar tissue from one end to the other. Our daughter's placenta is wrapped around that scar tissue. We have been told that the placenta could rupture at anytime. If this happens we will lose her. We will see the OB specialist when I am 24 weeks if everthing is still okay. At that time I will be injected with a steriod that will help the lungs mature rapidly. At that appointment we will determine where to go from there. Please pray for a miracle.

I am going to stay positive and think of the positives.

1. We have 2 amazing little boys that bring us joy DAILY!
2. Our daughter is healthy and is measuring correctly.
3. We have made it 18 weeks with no complications and 6 weeks are going to fly by!
4. Our faith will get us through whatever is going to happen.
5. We have an amazing support network with loving friends and family!

I am asking all of you to please keep our daughter in your daily prayers!

What do you think?

I had an ultrasound on Friday and they did a 3-D pic. This is a first for me and I thought it was pretty cool. We told the tech we didn't want to know the sex but when I saw this pic I thought, hmmm, what could that be??!! So I will leave it up to my favorite blog friends. I personally think I am having a girl but Brian thinks it is a boy. So what do you think? Look at the one pic closely and vote. The poll is on the right hand side of the blog. Have fun looking! :)

Another request

I have been making diaper cakes for about 3 years now. I will be sending this one to Nebraska to a dear friend of mine. The supplies can change but I have included a package of diapers, a bib, picture frame, pacifier clip, baby hat, and some baby lotions. You can create this for any gender or theme for that matter. I have made so many different variations but this one I thought was pretty cute b/ of the diaper design. I like the circles. Have a good weekend!

Almost move in ready!

Here is the house! Brian and I went to Marysville and picked out all the fixtures, carpets, doors, tiles, counter tops, etc. It was so much fun but pretty stressful too. We still have to purchase an under mounted sink, shower heads, and appliances. Our move in date should be Nov. 5Th if the weather cooperates. The inside pic. is my kitchen, and I think Brian and I will really enjoy the covered porch on the side of the house. I have decided to scratch the garage sale and just donate to the Lighthouse. I am feeling a little overwhelmed packing but it seems to be coming along, sort of! :)

Owen keeps asking me,"When can we move to our new house so we can play with the geotrack train!" I put all the toys that had MANY parts in boxes already!

Oops, has it really been that long?

Where does the time go? I can't believe it has been soo long since I last blogged. I have so much to say and show you!

My pregnancy has been rough for the first trimester. I have been super tired and really sick. I do not like feeling nauseous all day long. However the baby is healthy and growing so that is what matters. I am thankful that I have been sick it has been my security blanket for me. They say that if you are sick with your pregnancy than you are carrying a healthy baby! I pray that we are! We are seeing a specialist in Wichita on Oct. 5Th. We are now 14 weeks and 2 days. I know the tracker is wrong but they just changed my due date to Feb. 27Th now. I have gained NO weight! Whoo hooo. I only gained 10 1/2 lbs. with Miles and hope to gain around the same again. I will keep you updated more often! Here is the baby's profile and one with a little wave. Look at those little fingers, how cute is that!! Oh and we have decided NOT to find out the sex of the baby. This will be a first for us. A friend told me that life doesn't give you many "good" surprises why not have one! I loved this, how true.

Here is my catch!

I could only download so many pics so here is Miles with his catch! A little baby catfish. Look at that cute little face (Miles not the fish :) He was sooo excited and proud about his fish.

Scroll down to see the original post.

Gone Fishin'

This past week we took the boys fishing after supper! It has been really nice in the evenings to do this new activity. The boys have been having lots of fun! Brian purchased a bucket of minnows as bait. Here are some pics of the big event! Miles caught a baby catfish. I enjoy relaxing on a blanket reading a book and listening to the bull frogs. When they start "talking" Owen always says, "Who is laughing at us?!"

Owen telling Miles about style

Owen: Hey mommy I am going to get dressed by myself, don't look.
He comes out with hands on his hips and says...
Owen: Mom do you like my style?
Mom: Yes I do you look fantastic!
Owen: It's for the ladies!!!
Mom: I just bust a gut, (the stuff that comes out of his mouth, oh my goodness!)

Miles: Mom do you like my style?
Mom: Yes Miles, you look fantastic too!
Owen: No! He doesn't look fancy. Miles if you want to look fancy you have to wear gray jeans(actually sweatpants) and white church shirt(collered button-down)

Boy, Boys, Boys

Staying cool indoors

The temperature has hit over 100 this entire week and it is way too hot to play outside. The boys seem to be getting bored with their toys and coloring books. So I found this Cookies and Creme pudding pops in the Kraft Food & Family magazine and had to try them out. The boys had such a good time and have really enjoyed these treats. They were super easy to make too!

As I was downstairs doing laundry today the boys had stripped their clothes off and were painting their lips in the bathroom with their treats. I snuck a picture before they saw me! This is the cutest pic, I love it.

I want to be a ......

mom says "builder" and Owen says no a firetruck guy! Oh these elaborate buildings are from Owen. He builds one at least every other day. When daddy comes home at night he shows him his design and then lifts his arms and drops it on the floor into pieces. They go flying EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! I enjoy watching him build and he is so intense about it. The tall building is a "Hotel for boys eating candy bars and lunch ables" and the other one is a "rocket"!