Graham Crackers

Moving Over To Gabi's World

2007-10-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

It has been too difficult to keep up both blogs, so I decided to move all my posts over to Gabi's World (my original blog). After all, The Graham Crackers are part of Gabi's World, too! I will keep this blog here for archive purposes. Click on the Gabi's World button above to see our more recent posts.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

2007-10-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

See This Post To Find Out How We Celebrated.

See This post To Read Jeremy's Birth Story.

Poor Daddies

2007-09-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

A year or so ago, before Gabi was potty trained, Gabi pooped her diaper while my husband was waiting for me to get off of work. He had to change her in the parking garage at my job. He told me the story after I finally came out of work. He said it was so bad that he was throwing up while changing her. I still joke with him to this day about it. This video is of dads changing diapers. Don't worry, it doesn't show any of them actually throwing up, but it is so funny to watch them being all creative in their techniques to prevent it.

Baby's Got A Brand New (Bath Seat)

2007-09-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Preston was getting too big to keep taking baths in his infant bath, so I bought him a new seat for the tub. This is him enjoying it:

Also, we bought a new car seat for him since he is too big for the infant carseat now. It has a 5 point harness belt on it. That was a must for me! He turned 9 months old yesterday. I can't believe his 1st birthday is right around the corner. Which also means so is Christmas!

Pretty Baby!

2007-09-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

The above pictures were taken today of Preston! They are so adorable! Our pediatrician told us whatever color Preston's eyes are by the time he is six months old is the color they will stay. Well, at 6 months, Preston still had that blueish grey newborn color eyes. Just this past month Preston eye color has changed (He'll be 9 months old next week). Looks like he is gonna have a brown hazel like mommy and daddy. But, his tearducts did finally clear when he was 6 months old. Thank God for that! We were wiping his eyes every few minutes before that, and Preston hated it when we would wipe it.

It's The Little Things That Mean So Much

2007-09-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ryan is not so much of the romantic type. So, I have learned to appreciate the little things he says and does because I know that is how he expresses his love for me. I almost posted this many times, but I'm glad I waited. You'll see why. First let me tell you a few of the little things Ryan has done lately.

The first one happened during a conversation we were having about Preston. Preston was smiling like he does most of the time, and I said to him, "One of my favorite things about Preston is that when he smiles, he smiles with his whole face!" That's when Ryan said one of his "little things." He said, "He gets that from you." I thought that was so sweet that he noticed my smile the way I had noticed Preston's. Here is a picture of our boy smiling with his whole face:

The next "little thing" came when I realized that Ryan was about to return to Prison Ministry. Which means...once again, Ryan had filled his entire week's schedule up. This is how his week was scheduled:

Mondays- he met with some guys from church for their weekly accountability meeting.
Tuesdays-he did prison ministry.
Wednesdays-he attended Life University classes at church.
Thursdays-he had choir practice.
Fridays- I work
Saturdays- I work
Sundays- I am too tired because I work nights and we spent the day in church.

So, Ryan decided not to return to prison ministry just yet, and we decided that it was absolutely necessary for us to start spending some alone time with each other. We had not had a "date" since my mom and dad were here just after Preston was born. It's been over half a year. We decided to make a date night for Tuesday, August 21st. Tuesday morning, I had just got Gabi off to school and went into the kitchen. Ryan had already left for work. This is what I found on our dry erase board that we use for our appointments:

I was going to originally post those things, but just never did. Then yesterday, I called Ryan while he was working to ask him about the size shirts he thinks his boys will need for the Buddy Walk. Ryan often doesn't hear his phone do to them playing loud music and because of the saws, air compressor, and nail guns they work with. So I got his answering machine. He sang a part of a song by Blake Shelton in his message:

If you're callin' 'bout the car I sold it.
If this is Tuesday night I'm bowling.
If you've got somethin' to sell,
you're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'
If it's anybody else, wait for the tone,
You know what to do
And P.S. if this is Shannon, I still love you

That is probably the most romantic thing he has ever done. Instead of realizing he was trying to be romantic, I leave him a message saying "What was that all about? Are you trying to tell me something?" Later, he told me he had put that on there about a week ago. All of a sudden, EVERYONE heard it today, and that I was the only one who didn't think it was the sweetest thing. I do now, but it was so out of character for him that I just assumed he wasn't trying to be romantic. Plus, if you know the song, it has to do with a man waiting for a woman who left him. So, I was confused. Here is the video for that song...it really has a great story to it:

Check Out The Sleeping Baby!

2007-09-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is how Preston fell asleep yesterday!(Notice the crossed legs?)

Contagious Laughter

2007-08-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Jeremy was holding Preston, and Preston starting smacking Jeremy in the face. Jeremy told him "Stop It!" Apparently, Preston thought it was really funny and just started cracking up laughing. That's mommy's cue to grab the camera.

We Need Your Vote!

2007-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our local news station is holding a choir contest. Our church's choir (which includes my husband, Ryan) performed early Monday morning on Wave 3 News in Louisville live. We need your votes! The choir with the most votes wins the contest.

Graceland Baptist Church Choir is who you want to cast your votes for. It allows for multiple votes if you close the window and click the link again. If your looking for my hubby, he is the second male from the left in the middle row. You'll see him when they do the first close-up shot. He's the one with the dark hair, and you can't miss him with those cheeks! And for those of you who ask about Carlie (the new mom of a baby girl with T21), she is in there, too. She chose to sing with the choir for this. She is two people from my husbands right. The woman who is conducting the choir in the black dress is also Gabi's music teacher at school. Her name is Debbie.

Graceland Baptist Church Choir- Morning Glory Entry (It is a pop-up video player so you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker if it doesn't work.)

VOTE HERE!!!

PRIZE: The winner will be invited to perform at Unity Fest in October (2007) on Louisville's Belvedere. Mom's music will also provide the winner with two choir mics and 6 hours of studio time (to cut a demo), plus two master copies of the demo.

More Firsts!

2007-08-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Preston is full of firsts! Today, I actually did hear him say "Mama." I thought I was just wanting to hear it, but Jeremy said he heard him, too! Plus, Preston actually held his bottle for the first time today! Yeah, he's lazy! But so weird that all of sudden we are being flooded with firsts!

A Day of Firsts!

2007-08-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Preston gave his first kiss! He was being held by a friend at church and he leaned over to her with puckered lips and kissed her right on the mouth. He then proceeded to do it 2 more times. He looked like he has been kissing forever! Ryan, myself and our friend, Tracy just kept laughing. I eventually took him back, and he shared a kiss with his momma, too!

After church, we went to lunch with some friends. I took Preston to the Ladie's room for a diaper change and I thought I heard him say "Da Da" but I wasn't certain. Well, this morning, I was drilling him with the "Ma Ma's" to try to get him to say it first like Gabi did, but quickly realized it was futile when he popped out with "Da Da" again. I called Ryan since he already left for work, and said "You booger, I've been working with him to say 'Ma Ma' all this time and he responds with 'Da Da.'"

Growing Up- Preston Style

2007-08-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

Preston is really growing up fast. Look at some of his activities from just yesterday from Preston's view:

I can ride in a cart like a big boy at Walgreen's! Mommy says Walgreen's is an awesome place! Find out why by clicking here!

That's me in the cart playing with a squishy, spikey ball!

I can be silly and take a picture with a toy on my head!

I can wear a Indianapolis Colts hat like daddy!

I can sit in the yard and enjoy the sun, shade, and grass!

I can even type on the computer! I may just start blogging, too!

Girly Punches

2007-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

I sat here today watching Ryan and Christopher play Wii Sports. They were doing a boxing match. Watching them was hilarious. Ryan was throwing some of the most girly punches! It was so funny to watch my burly husband throw girly! Check it out:

Brave Kitty

2007-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ryan sat Preston on the floor today, and the cat walked up to him. Brave move from the cat considering Preston has been eyeing the cat since he was aware of her existence. So, of course, Preston leans over towards the cat and grabs her in a head lock. After that, Preston tumbles forward since sitting up is a relatively new accomplishment for him. Preston began crying, and I immediately scooped him up to console him to find he had a hand full of kitty fur.

And as for the picture above: That is Jersey, our dear, fat kitty. Typically, in this house we just call her fat kitty. This picture was taken of her after Jeremy put a deflated spiky ball on her head. She doesn't look very amused, and she sat there after he placed it on her head for at least a half-hour.

Jeremy Is A Freshman

2007-08-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I picked up the kids from school today. I asked Jeremy how his 1st day in High School was, and like most teens he responds with "fine." I realized quickly I was gonna have to be more specific for my answers. So, I asked, "Did anybody tease you for being a freshman?" He says "No (chuckles), but you know when I was in 7th grade, I seen an episode of Family Guy that had me afraid of going into High School." He proceeds to tell me about it. I won't spoil it for you because we found a clip of it on You Tube so you can see it for yourself.

Preston's 1st Waterplay Experience

2007-08-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had a wonderful day at the zoo. There was a waterplay area there, so Preston got to have his 1st water experience besides the tub. The montage below is from this experience. Plus click here for more about our zoo experience.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What A Wonderful World!

2007-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The world is truly full of blessings whenever there are babies to play with.

Jeremy in Connecticut

2007-07-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is still in Connecticut visiting his dad for the summer. In just a little over two weeks, he will be home. He emailed me these pictures that they took while having fun in the pool. It's hard to believe for many years there, it was looking like Jeremy would be an only child. Then when Jeremy was 7 years old, I had Gabi. Now, Jeremy is 14 years old and has 3 half-brothers, 1 half-sister, and 2 step-brothers.

Funny Girl Knows How To Make Her Brother Laugh

2007-07-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan took this video Saturday while I was sleeping (I work nights now)! Gabi had Preston laughing again! Please don't mind the mess. Gabi likes to make baby beds all over the house!

Preston The Football Player

2007-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Press the play arrow to hear him talk, and listen to that proper english. Boy, is he gonna be a smart boy!

Preston's ABC Adventure

2007-07-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Time For Financial Peace

2007-07-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I took a 13 week class at church called Financial Peace University. It's not a get rich quick scheme. It teaches you realistic steps to get you out of debt. Well, we managed to build our $1000 emergency fund and pay off our credit cards, but slowly one by one started the bad habits, again. Now, we are in need of getting back on the program. I had Ryan dig in our boxes in the garage to get our Financial Peace University kit out. We are gonna get back on track. Anyone, who is in need of some Financial Peace, check out Dave Ramsey's website. This is a good place to start: CLICK HERE!

Now How About some Financial Peace Humor:

Family Reunion

2007-07-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

The brothers: Josh, Ryan, & Paul

This past week we had a bit of a family reunion. My husband's brothers came into town. We actually had 11 people staying in our 3 bedroom/2 bath home. There was Ryan & Me, Christopher, Anthony, Gabi & Preston (Jeremy is in Connecticut for the summer), Paul (Ryan's youngest brother) & Ruth (Paul's mom) & Jeff (Paul's adopted father), Charlene (Paul's girlfriend), & Josh (another of Ryan's brothers). We had a great time. We barbecued, sang Karaoke, played games, did fireworks & just plain old hung out together. My favorite part is always hearing them reminisce the old days. We seen Paul just last month when we went to Ohio for his high school graduation. We last seen Josh 2 Christmases ago. But Josh and Paul hadn't seen each other in something like 14 years! We've vowed to get together every 4th of July from here on out!

Yes! That is a baby bottle they are putting Bacardi Rum in. Of course it's not for the baby! The rum for the daiquiris called for a certain number of ounces and they couldn't figure how many ounces were in a cup, so they improvised by using Preston's bottle.

Preston 1st Time Eating Zweiback Toast

2007-06-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Preston just loved eating the Zweiback Toast. I think he could be the spokesbaby for Gerber. Couldn't he?

40 of The Most Random Questions You Will Ever Fill Out

2007-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

1) What side of the heart do you draw first? Left

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose? Sometimes

3) What color is your razor? Pink

4) What is your blood-type? A neg

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? No one for 24 hours, but maybe 8, but not sure who

6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you? Nothing I want to mention here, but it wasn't true so it really doesn't matter

7) How do you feel about carrots? I love carrots, but only when they are sweet

8) How many chairs at the dining room table? 4 not enough for all of us, but I don't have enough room for more

9) Which is the best Spice Girl? I was never into them

10) Do you know what time it is? yeah, 10:46 am, and I just remembered Preston had a 6 month appt at the pedi at 10 am, thank God they rescheduled for later today.

11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince Theme Song? yes "smell ya later!"

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? If it's the very small (fits 3 people at most) hot one at the parking garage at my job, I'll freak, but the larger cooler ones inside the hospital I would just pull my phone out of my pocket and call someone, it won't be long.

13) What’s your favorite kind of gum? Trident used to make one called "Strawberry Breeze." It was awesome, but I can't find it anywhere so I assume they don't make it anymore. Extra peppermint is my next.

14) All’s fair in love and war? I never really understood that saying so I never use it.

15) Do you have a crush on anyone? Just my hubby

16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning? Very seldom, usually if I know how to use it I can figure out its meaning.

17) Do you like to sleep? Oh yeah, but I don't get as much as I would like.

18) Do you know which US states don’t use Daylight Savings Time? I know part of Indiana doesn't, but it's not this part. I wish we didn't.

19) Do you know the words to the song Total Eclipse of the Heart? I used to

20) Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 mustang? As long as it's free, I can't afford another car payment.

21) What’s something you’ve always wanted? To be one of those people who have to work really hard to gain weight.

22) Do you have hairy legs? Not really.

23) What does “Semper Fidelis” stand for? something to do with the military

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Neither, I am not fond of swimming with the fishes, but if I had to choose it would be the ocean. I am from Florida, and the alligators always ended up in the lakes. I know most are saying "There are sharks in the ocean." But you are far more likely to run into an alligator in a lake than a shark in the ocean.

25) Do you wear a lot of black? Not as much as I used to

26) Describe your hair. Shoulder length, dark brown, with highlights in the front, and a few gray strands on top. Naturally wavy, but I straighten it a lot.

27) Do you have Entomophobia? If this is bugs, yeah some.

28) Are you an adult? Yes

29) Where is/are your best friend(s)? He's at work (my hubby)

30) Do you have a tan? slightly, just naturally

31) Are you addicted to TV? Just certain shows

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother? yes, I miss her (she's in Florida)

33) Are you a sugar freak? If it's chocolate, yes

34) What happened to number 34? don't know

35) What sign are you? Gemini, but I don't believe in astrology

36) Where do you wish you were right now? Preston's pedi appt, I feel stupid for forgeting it.

37) Who did you copy this from? Between Diapers and Dishes

38) How do you know them? Just stumbled upon them

39) Have you kissed anyone in the past week? My husband and my kids

40. Favorite thing to wear to bed? A big T-shirt and undies

Ryan Sings "Lifesong" At Church

2007-06-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ryan sang Casting Crowns "Lifesong" today at church. He sang for both services, but I came in just as he was singing. I was late due to diaper duty with Preston and rain. So, I decided to tape it the second service. Somehow the speakers facing the congregation for Ryan's microphone were off, and it wasn't corrected until 3/4 way through the song. You could hear the choir good though. They were also accompanied by the signing choir. It sounded so much better with everything operating better the first time around. I wish I could have been there sooner. Oh well! Maybe next solo!

We Traded In

2007-06-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

We traded in our 2006 VW Jetta and our 2000 Dodge Durango and got a 2003 Chevrolet Venture and a 2002 Ford F150 XLT. Our Durango broke down and we were gonna have to replace the engine. That meant that when we had all of our kids together at the same time, that we couldn't all go together anywhere. The Jetta was sooo small. With Preston's carseat in the back, I had to sit in the front passenger's seat with my knees right up against the dashboard. We definately need 2 drivable vehicles and at least 1 has to fit all 7 of us comfortably. Gabi is loving the DVD player in the van. She can watch Shrek while I drive. Ryan's truck is a metallic royal blue and looks brand new. The previous owners only used it for leisure, and the miles are soo low it is just unheard of. The van has more miles than the truck does, and the truck is a year older. The van is red and it has so many extras. On-star, power sliding doors to both sides, DVD player, sensor for when you are backing up so you don't hit anything, leather interior, and so much more. I am a minivan mom again! Now if I can just get one of the kids to play soccer! Hmmmm...

Preston Is Getting So Big!

2007-06-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

I took these videos of Preston a couple days ago! He is getting so big, and he is actually starting to play with his toys and interact with the buttons on his Intellitainer!

This next video is of Preston who is upset with me because I was trying to get a picture of his 1st tooth, but he didn't like me putting my fingers in his mouth. Gabi hears him crying and comes over to console him.

Praying For Kaleb

2007-06-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

While searching the internet for pictures of butterflies of all things, I ran across this very sad story. Kaleb is a 6 month old (just 1 month older than my Preston) whose mom picked him up from his daycare one day and noticed something was wrong. Kaleb is now fighting for his life. He was diagnosed with Shaken Baby Syndrome. Reminds me of the days I worked PICU at Miami Children's Hospital. We had a few cases of that there, too. Currently, Kaleb's mom has the highest hits on her MySpace page as she chronicles her days. This will certainly make you cry. It made me.

Pray for baby Kaleb.

Add to My Profile | More Videos

News link from yesterday regarding their story:
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3461335&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Kaleb's mommy's Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/kristyreynolds

Great Music

2007-06-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our church sings this song from time to time, and yesterday, I was concentrating on the words we were singing. The words are wonderful. This is truly a worship song. The words are shown below and you can click the play arrow on the player to hear this beautiful song that Michael W. Smith wrote and performed.

MICHAEL W. SMITH lyrics

Movies are "Going Green"

2007-06-11T01:13:00.000-07:00

Plant a tree now!

On June 22nd, a sequel to the movie Bruce Almighty is coming out. It's called Evan Almighty. Well, Evan Almighty is a "green movie." What does that mean? It means they took steps to save the environment.

"Green" activites/efforts during production included :

*The film's production was carbon offset through a donation to the Conservation Fund.
*All the landscaping, lumber, windows and other reusable materials were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
*All crew members were given bicycles by director Tom Shadyac to reduce car usage.
*Recycled paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass were used on set.
*After production was completed, trees were planted near the site of the ark in Crozet,VA as a thank you to the community.
*HtoO water was used -(Hope to Others, a company founded by Tom Shadyac, donates 100% of the profits after taxes to charity).

The leaf above was taken from the movies website. It's one more thing they are doing to help the environment. It's simple: Donate $5...a tree gets planted...and your name gets placed on the DVD when it comes out.

Ryan Sings and plays "Me & You"

2007-06-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is our song! And bear with him please...he hadn't sang or played it in a couple years!

Company In Our Backyard

2007-06-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

This picture shows 2 baby bunnies. 1 eating our fallen rose bush and the other just in front of him:

I managed to get close enough to get this picture:

I walked by our backdoor yesterday and spotted these 2 baby bunnies! They were so tiny that they could have easily fit in the palm of my hand (although I didn't attempt it). I had Gabi come out to look, and she was excited to see them, too. Then, Ryan says sarcastically "I guess you are gonna take a picture and blog it, too!" Then I said, "What a great idea!" and ran to find my camera. The truth is: He makes fun of me about blogging, but he has actually shown it to his family recently and sounded proud. So, now, I just ignore the comments because I know he's just playing with me. So, back to the bunnies! Gabi and I spotted what must have been the mommy bunny a few days ago when we were pulling into the driveway. The mommy bunny was sitting on our walkway leading up to our front door. I was just about to show it to Gabi when she (who was talking on my cell phone to Nana) says in an excited tone "Nana! Look! Bunny Rabbit!" Not that my mom could see it, but it was cute!

Changes Are Definately Happening

2007-06-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Soon, after I posted about wanting to work WOW-nights, the position opened up on my current unit. I applied for it this past Saturday when the position posted, and I found out Wednesday that I did get the position. My manager called me and asked if I wanted it. I responded with "I sure do!" And she said "Great, it's yours!" I start that position on June 15th. I am really looking forward to this, and I already have so many plans in my head of what I will do with my time during the week. I don't want to make a waste of my time. I want to make sure I spend plenty of time with Gabi to help her with her educational development especially now that the summer is here. Summer school is only 15 days long and will almost be over by the time I change positions.

We May Have Some BIG Changes Around Here!

2007-05-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Finance have been tight here since Ryan broke/dislocated his ankle at work last December just before I delivered Preston. Ryan is self-employed and is now back to work after a 4 month hiatus, but it took a long time to build his work up to where he was making money when the company first started. It was actually just getting to be a steady income by the time he broke/dislocated his ankle. Well, this past month he is back at work, but it's like starting over again. He brought in only $1000 over the entire month. In order for him to work, we have to use daycare which comes to $715/month. So NOT worth it!

I told Ryan that we have to do something different because this isn't gonna work. I had to work 60 hours last week so I can fill the gap in finances. Ryan so DOESN'T want to be a stay-at-home dad. I would love to be a stay-at-home mom, but I make the bigger bucks.

I considered taking a WOW (work on weekends) position at work, but was turned off about not being able to go to church on Sundays, but then a co-worker suggested WOW-nights! This might work because it would be Friday and Saturday nights only (2- 12 hour shifts) and I could go to church right after work. WOW pay is time and a half (so 2 days will equal 3 days) and working nights will give me a shift differential on top of that. Then, I wouldn't have to pay for daycare, Ryan can still work on growing his business back, I could be more involved with the kids and their schooling (Jeremy is entering senior high school this year- so this could be really good), and I could feel more like a stay-at-home mom and raise Preston and Gabi instead of the daycare doing it. And Jeremy will be at home alone less (We all know the temptations of teenagers when they are home alone- so also a plus!)

The nursing unit I work on may have a WOW nights positioning opening up because a nurse there is probably going to quit. So, this may be perfect timing. I want to make sure I am considering all the positives and negatives before trying to do this. Sometimes we get tempted by those rose tinted glasses and then have regrets later. So, please help me to remove these rose colored glasses by giving me your thoughts and comments. Please, also prayers need to discern whether this is God's will, and for the position to open if it is.