Happy 9 Month Old

Allie is 9 months old! Can you even believe it? She had her check up yesterday, and she's weighing in at a hearty 16 lbs 5 oz! That lands her in the 10-25th percentile. Her head, however is in the 60th percentile! Poor thing.... big heads just run in the family; it was inevitable.

She's basically happy and content almost all of the time. Things are pretty easy and fun these days, so I'm soaking it up, because in about, oh 7 months or so, I imagine things will be anything but easy! She has two cute little front teeth on the bottom, that you can see in the picture if you look closely. This was her first time to sport a bow. Still a little ridiculous looking, but I couldn't help myself! It was too cute.

While Allie is still quite immobile, she is VERY talkative and has lots of fun tricks up her sleeve. She can clap, lift her hands when you sing "Hosanna" (mom taught her that one), play peekaboo, high five, wave, repeat sounds back to you, and several other things that she alternates. She just loves sitting and standing, but has always hated her stomach, so the doctor said not to be surprised if she skips crawling altogether and just goes for walking. Hey, fine with me!

Praying for Mom

UPDATE:

Mom was able to have the laproscopic surgery! She's sore, but overall doing good! She was able to go home tonight! Thanks so much for your prayers.


My mom is having surgery to remove her gallbladder at 2:00 today. They will not know until they go in whether she can have laproscopic (much easier recovery) or if they'll have to do an incision. Please be praying that they'll be able to do the laproscopic surgery. I'll keep you updated!

Thanks!

MPM: You Get on My Nerves!

Remember, Mystery Post Monday is just a way to spice up the blog a bit. A random topic is picked out of a list of topics each week, and I simply share my thoughts on it. Feel free to join in on MPM by posting this week's MPM post on your own blog (feel free to copy my topic picture) or by answering in the comments on this post. If you have a great topic for future MPM's, leave a comment, and I'll add it to the list!

Now, back to this week's topic. What is it that just really gets on my nerves.....

You're sitting in a movie theater watching the previews, and a great action movie preview comes on. You're really into it and can't wait to see it, then the screen flashes up that it's rated "whatever" due to heavy language, sexual content, etc. Well, oh well for that one, right? Well, these days, it really seems like almost every movie that comes out is just filled with trash! That REALLY gets on my nerves. We've started looking up every movie that we're planning to see on focus on the family's site, and often opt not to see it afterall, after being disappointed about what's in it.

Well, a few years ago, we found a great solution to this problem.




If you haven't heard of Clearplay, I'm not surprised. Most anyone I've talked to hasn't. This is mind-boggling to me, because I feel like, as Christians, we should be buying these off the shelves and making this company millions! Now, maybe some of you have heard of the old "cuss-busters". Maybe your parents or grandparents had one. Those muted the movie for about 5 to 10 seconds whenever there was a cuss word and then it placed a sentence at the bottom of the screen like, "I'm gonna kill you, you silly little clown". To me, that was so highly ineffective, because for one, whatever it replaced the word with was just ridiculous and two, it drew SO much more attention to it. Then, there was still the issue of sex scenes in a movie. It couldn't do anything about that.

Well, the difference with Clearplay, is that you download thousands of movie filters for individual movies. It custom edits each movie, based on the settings that you program. Want it to cut out vulgarity, sex, and nudity, but not violence? You can program it accordingly. It will cut out entire scenes, similarly to how they are edited out on tv. During a cuss word it mutes it for JUST long enough for that one word. You do not miss entire entire sentences. Now, if you're getting a movie that just has raunchy stuff ALL through it, then yes, you may miss a little of the story content, because SO much has to be filtered out, but for the most part, we've found that we've never missed anything necessary to the movie. And, I'd much rather miss a few things than listen and watch the filfth that we're missing!

I'm certainly not saying that we've never gone to see a movie, that afterwards we realized we shouldn't have. We have been guilty of that. But, I do strongly believe that the Bible teaches what goes in comes out, and we need to guard as much as what goes in as we can. I think as a whole the Christian world has become far too tolerant of the entertainment industry. We're bombarded with language, images, and crudities every day, some that we can't help, but we can sure have a say on what we're paying for to come in our home to entertain us. I highly recommend the Clearplay dvd player to EVERY Christian family.

Our DVD player was $50 at Target, and we pay a monthly fee of $7.99 to have access to all the latest new release filters. If we ever stopped paying, we'd still have the thousands of filters up to this point, we just wouldn't be able to get the new releases as they came out. I also saw that the clearplay site is now selling an HD dvd player for $120. If you're interested in reading more about the clearplay system, go here.


What about you? What really gets on your nerves?

Mark Your Calendars

So I meant to update you on Thursday after my doctor's appointment, but I just never got around to it! I'm terribly sorry for those of you who I know have been anxiously awaiting....

So, the official due date is Sept. 26, but chances are high that we'll have a c-section on September 17th, so for those of you who are interested, you are welcome to come on up to the hospital on Saturday to watch the big game with us! Too bad our plans were to be in Knoxville watching the Gators cream UT once again, but it'll still be enjoyable from the hospital bed, I suppose!

MPM: Shop Away

Hmm... I go "shopping" quite a bit.... sometimes even several times a week.... but it is rare that I actually go "buying". I enjoy walking around, looking, and getting out of the house, but am not usually a big spender when I go.

Last week, however, I did have a very eventful shopping experience. This was the day that it snowed. Now, that may not sound like the ultimate shopping day to you, but to me, it was! Before you scold me for carrying my baby out in the ice and the snow, let me assure you, there was none of that. No, it was a day where we were stuck inside, with no tv (the satelite was down), so what better way to spend our day than do a little online shopping?

I got an email from oldnavy.com saying their summer maternity clothes were all 40% off! Combine that with free shipping for any $50 (or more) order and a $10 off $50 purchase coupon, and I was ready to go! Now, trust me, I'd love nothing more than to never have to purchase another piece of maternity clothing in my life... however, seeing as how I will be preg ALL SUMMER LONG, and don't own more than 2 short-sleeved shirts (by May last time, I wasn't interested in buying more clothes, so I just made do with my winter wardrobe and tshirts those last few weeks), I figured I'd have to break down and buy a few essentials. Here are some of the steals I got:

A few dressy tanks (I think these were maybe $12)

and some casual ones - I got a few different colors ($7)

some comfy lounge shorts for around the house and the beach ($12)

and this definitely looked like a summer wardrobe staple to me! I think this one was my most expensive item at $15, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

And, while I was at it, I figured I'd check out a few other places....

I got these two dresses at kohls.com ~ they were buy one get one free!

I also got a few other short sleeve casual shirts. Throw in a pair of jean capris, and I'd say I should be ready to go!

Happy Valentine's

We're Home!

We brought Allie back a little valentine's gift from Disney World....

She's inspecting it and doesn't quite know what she thinks about it...


I think she's liking it...


Now, she's really starting to get excited!


Ahh!

Yes, the valentine's minnie was a success!

We had a great trip, but we were very happy to see our little precious tonight after 4 long days without her! Happy Valentine's Day!

A little of this - A little of that

This was the start to our relaxing Saturday. I LOVE my hat that I got for Christmas, because it is just simply perfect for those days when you just want to roll out of bed and go somewhere, without worrying about washing your hair! And, if you've ever seen me on a day with unwashed hair, you'll understand the need for the hat! It is basically wet with grease after just one day. Not a pretty sight. Saturday was one of those mornings. So, after Allie was finished modeling my hat, I threw it on, and we headed to the wisteria tea room for breakfast! This was Eric's first time experiencing the tea room, and while the lunch food is what he considers "girly", I think he really enjoyed breakfast! I know I did! They are now serving it every morning until 10. You should def check it out!

On to other matters. I am trying to get everything ready for Allie's big sleepovers with Jannie & then Mimi. I really hope I don't forget anything! I decided it was prob time to switch her to taking baths without her little bathtub (which, I know, I prob used for too long anyway), and she loved it! At least that's one less thing I'll have to pack up to send with her!


And, for those of you wondering, no, I still don't know a due date or exactly how far along I am. I will hopefully find out next week though, so I will keep you posted!

MPM: In my Dreams!

Well, it didn't take me long to think of an answer for this one! Without a doubt, our dream vacation would be to go to Hawaii! Now, to me, it seems like if you are going to do Hawaii, you might as well do it right! So, why not go on a Hawaiian cruise, where you can really get the full experience?

Here is our itinerary:

Fly into Honolulu and stay one night at the Marriott, so we are sure to be there on time to board the next day. Then, this is what our 7 night, Hawaiian cruise would look like:

Day 1: Board in Honolulu
Day 2: Hilo, Big Island
Day 3: Kahului, Maui
Day 4: Kahului, Maui
Day 5: Kaulua-kona, Big Island
Day 6: Nawiliwili, Kauai
Day 7: Nawiliwili, Kauai
Day 8: Honululu

So, what would this cost, you may ask? Well, as of this morning, according to travelocity.com, you could have this extravagant dream vacation for a mere $5,402.06! Throw in an extra $500 for spending money, and there you have it! My DREAM vacation for just shy of $6,000!

Hmm... I think I'll probably have to just keep on dreaming! At any rate, if any of my beloved readers happen to have an extra 6 grand lying around that they just can't find anything to do with, I'd be happy to put it to good use! After all, next year is our 5 year anniversary!! So, I guess that'd mean, you'd have to have an extra 6 grand to donate to the cause PLUS be willing to keep BOTH of our children for 9 days! Any takers? Ahh... I can always dream.....

But since travelocity is over there asking for my deposit to book the trip, I think I'd better go back to that window and tell them nevermind. =(




What about you? If you had the cash to waste, what would be your extravagant DREAM vacation?!

hello to one dear friend, and goodbye to another

Welcome back, my dear friend! Although I was hoping to never have to see you again (or at least not for quite a long time), here we are again. Our relationship is a love/hate relationship, I guess you could say. For though, the reason for needing you is not so desirable, my life at the current time without you would not be so fun.

Yes, the sickness is back. But, at least with it Zofran is back, as well! And, this time around, it actually seems to be working! Yay! Hopefully that will last...

And now we must bid adieu to another friend. Dear bumbo, you've been so faithful and useful to us these past 5 months or so, but I'm afraid to say that after Allie took a nose dive out of you on the kitchen floor the other day that I think it just may be time to pack you away. Don't worry though, you won't have much time to collect dust before we pull you out for baby #2 to enjoy!

Allie's been sitting up on her own for a few months, but I still put her in this on hard floors, when I was occupied. However, she took quite the fall the other day, so I think she's better off on her own. She was quite a trooper, though! Even with a big ole knot on her head, she only cried for a few seconds. Ah, the first of many battle wounds, I'm sure.

MPM: Review It!

Well, when I went over to random.org on Friday to let them pick this week's topic, I instantly knew what I would review. My favorite restaurant ever... most of you can probably guess it. I'll give you a few hints. We go there to celebrate special occasions; it's the one food that always makes me feel better when I'm sick; you can't beat the personal service (I mean, where else does the cook offer to hold your baby for you so you can eat, if she's crying??); and last, but not least, where else could you order something like twisted tomato soup or creamy celery or mushroom soup, and ALWAYS know without a doubt that it will be DELICIOUS!? No where else my friend, but the beloved Wisteria Tea Room off of Brunswick Rd. If you haven't tried it - YOU ARE MISSING OUT!

THAT was my initial thought. However, last night we went to see AVATAR, so I've decided to write my full review on that. I know, I know, we are probably some of the last to see it... but for some reason, I just was not too pumped about it. But, after all the hype, how could it not be incredible, right?! Wrong. Now, I will readily admit that the action, special effects, and 3-D graphics were AMAZING! That being said, those were by far the BEST parts about the movie. You can't really build a movie solely on effects and graphics without a good storyline. I mean, I'll give em this - it was creative. I don't know how people think up stories like that. But, as creative and unique as it was, I'd have to say, it was just a little too out there for me. I should clarify that it wasn't the alien race or the crazy creatures or made up planet or military presence or even the whole human minds controlling alien bodies in their sleep thing that really made it too out there for me. I can handle a lot of science fiction. It really was all the tree-hugging garbage that took up basically the entire second half of the movie. Well, that mixed with the fact that by the end you were cheering for the alien race to kill all of the humans, since the humans were the "bad guys". And, all of that mixed with the fact that there was just a lot of language. I found that it just made it unenjoyable. Now, I know that we are used to watching movies on our Clearplay dvd player, which will cut out language and/or scenes, as we program it, so I am used to not hearing the language. But I'd much rather it be that way!

All in all, the first part of the movie was enjoyable and entertaining as you were trying to figure everything out and enjoying the never-seen-before amazing graphics in 3D, but by the second half of the movie, I just really couldn't wait for it to be over.

Am I the only one who felt this way about this movie that has broken box office records? What did you think about it, if you've seen it?