The Swine....

I was with some mom friends recently and we were talking about actually being a little nervous about the swine flu this year. I'm normally not a germaphobe and my kids are rarely sick. I wash their hands, but do not own hand sanitizer and Mary started in the nursery at 4 weeks. I've always taken them to childcare at the gym, preschool, play group, church, etc...with little to no worry. Well, this week I got a pretty high fever, chills, sore throat, etc.. and I googled swine flu symptoms cause I feared the worst. I do not have it and felt better by the next day. However, the spread in our area is pretty scary. I know when it gets to be "flu" season a lot of schools will have to close and a few small children have died in TX. My family never mentions it being talked about much in GA and I don't hear my out of state friends really mentioning it. Most of the children who haved died have been hispanic and TX is about 50% hispanic so I don't know if that has anything to do with it? Anyways, I'm wondering if all my dear friends from NC, CO, FL, etc...are worried about the swine or do you hear it talked about much in your state?

A mess filled morning....

I don't want to forget all my kids messy habits and one day I know I will wish I could clean up their mess when they are away at college and I miss them so much....
They say being a mom is a full-time job, but I think cleaning up all that occurs in our house on a daily basis is a full-time job not to mention all the other things we do during the day:)
Our morning started off okay and then it tends to get a little crazy when we all start getting ready for the day. Their are lots of clothes to put away, jammies, diapers, sippy cups, etc....
Anna can now reach the water dispenser on our fridge. She LOVES to find a plastic cup and fill it up with water. I catch her and she spills the water all over the couch. Ellie then shows me her plastic cup full of ice water and she takes a drink and it spills all over her shirt.
Mary wakes up and I feed her. We both get dressed into clean clothes and she spits up (more like vomits) all over her and all over my clean shirt. It happens all the time so now I just rub it into the carpet, clothing etc....!
I am in the bathroom to come out and both girls have gotten into the fridge to get a drink which is not allowed. They are sitting in a chair with two cans of diet coke opened and now spilling down their shirts and onto the chair. I take them away and put them in separate rooms in time out. I start a timer and they actually stay in their rooms for 10 minutes until the timer went off which was very impressive! We are almost out the door and Anna has an accident on the couch of pee so I clean that one up before we leave...
I call my friend Katrina cause we needed to get out of the house asap and our new meeting spot for lunch is Burger King. I know it is so yummy and exciting, but when you have 5 kids under 4 Chcik fil A is no longer fun. BK never has anyone in the play area and it is easy!
We get to BK and are everyone is doing good until Katrina's daughter Carsen spills almost a whole bottle of chocolate milk all over the floor. We wipe that one off and then discuss for awhile how hard being a SAHM really is right now. I am so thankful for sweet friends who are going through this stage with me. All the kids are asleep now for a nap and I think I need one as well!

Prayers from Anna....

Well, preschool started today and I am not working which is a very good thing since Mary wants nothing to do with the bottle. It is a different feeling on this side of the MDO program. I can now see why the mom's so looked forward to Tuesday's and Thursday's. Ellie is going 2 days a week and Anna is going 1 day a week. Last year, we got into the habit of praying in the car before school mostly cause I needed to calm down from the madness of getting everyone ready and myself to school by 9 A.M. and a calm heart to teach 2 yr. olds all day! The girls quickly remembered on the way to school that we needed to pray. We prayed for Mrs. Elaine and Mrs. Gigi along with every other staff member at our preschool. We then proceeded to pray for all our playgroup friends who are starting school today and their classmates. Anna then said "Mommy, We pray for Tinkerbelle and Cinderella"! We went ahead and prayed for them. She was very sincere and it brought joy to my heart! I had a wonderful morning of doing lots of errands with Mary and then came home to relax/clean a little bit. I think I will really like Tuesday's this year!

She's growing up....

My sweet little Mary is 3 months old today. I love this picture cause don't we all wish we could just hold them like this forever. Life is pretty simple with a little baby. I cannot imagine life without her in our family. In some ways I've kind of forgotten what it was like to just have two girls. She's such a blessing to us and such a reminder to me of how I want to treasure these early days. Here's what Mary is like at 3 months old.

* Most people immediately say she looks just like a Shelton girl. I'm thinking we will be hearing this a lot in the upcoming years.

* Weight 10 lb. 110z. (25%) Height 23 1/2 inches (50%) She may tower over her big sisters someday!

* Mary has a great smile that is really big and she smiles instantly when someone looks at her.

* She does not like the bottle and loves her mommy's milk.

* Mary does well in the church nursery and has been going since she was about 4 weeks old. They all love her and always comment on how petite she is... another comment we hear often!

* Ellie still adores Mary. It is really sweet when she is upset the girls will sing to her or try to comfort her. Ellie and Mary sleep in the same room and it is working really well. It actually helps Ellie to go to sleep knowing that Mary is right next to her.

* Mary loves her crib. She's a tummy sleeper and is pretty much done with the paci. I don't know if she will like her fingers or thumb more. I don't have to do anything to get her to go to sleep.

* Mary DOES NOT like the car seat which can make for some interesting car rides when all three girls are upset. She really does not even want to sit in when we are out somewhere. I have to use the baby bjorn or just hold her when we are out. However, how often am I out with all three girls unless we are with Mike or friends.

* Mary loves a routine and is pretty much a typical "Baby Wise" baby and has followed the routine part really well.

* Mary spits up a lot and Mike loves it when it is on a nice clean shirt:) I've gotten used to it and have gotten pretty good at just rubbing it in to whatever surface it lands on.

* Mary is sleeping 12-14 hours. Everyone should have a third baby to experience this joy! Ha!

* Mary loves to lay on the floor to look around or in her bouncy chair. She does not like the swing very much.

* Mary is quite the little baby doll for Ellie and Anna. They love to put dress up stuff on her like sunglasses, crowns, shoes, and necklaces. She also has been through a lot in her first 3 months and I've learned that she is pretty tough. Anna accidentally stepped on her head. She's always getting her arms pulled or her feet. They love to blow bubbles on her tummy. She does love it and I'm just enjoying the days where I don't have three girls fighting over the same toy!

We love our sweet little girl so much and are so blessed with three uniquely different little girls. I really cannot picture our house when they are older, but that it will be full of all kind of different personalities! What a gift our children are from God.

Conversations....

We have quite the interesting conversations some day. Today, we were riding in the van which my friend Caren has nicknamed her van the FUV (Family Utility Vehicle). I think I could agree that it has many great things for our family! Here's the conversation:
Ellie: "Oh my gosh, that is the most ammmmaaaazzzing car" as a convertible drives by.
Ellie: That's what my daddy would say!

It is so true and reminded me that they really do pick up on everything we say which can be very scary sometimes.

I cut Anna's hair today cause she's yet to enjoy a trip to a kids salon. She pretty much would not allow it! I have to put her in the high chair with a lollipop and Barney on T.V. for it to really work. She sat pretty still and even let me dry it. It looks so much better and even though it is not totally even it will work.
She was very proud of her hair cut and the first thing she asked me was "I go show my hair to Mrs. Horn" . She is Anna's ballet teacher and her first class was yesterday. She's totally obsessed with ballet and has been since last spring when she would have to sit and watch during Ellie's class. She wears the outfit constantly and sleeps with her ballet shoes. I was a little nervous about signing her up cause almost everywhere I drop her off at lately she cries and gets scared. She told me " I be brave and happy at ballet class"
She was soooo happy yesterday. Mike took her cause I had something and he said she obeyed perfectly and came out with the biggest grin. She has continued to talk about it all day and apparently next week we will show Mrs. Horn her hair!
Anna also is very into a routine lately when it comes to bedtime. We now tell Jonah and David every nap/night time. She can repeat the story completely and it is so cute.
I love my girls so much and for the record sweet Mary slept almost 14 hours last night!

Ellie's 4 yr. stats....

I took Ellie to the dreaded 4 yr. appointment last week and she endured her 4 shots. They were not to bad and she was really brave. She really enjoyed the sticker and band-aids she received.
Her weight was 28 lbs. (0-5%)
Height was 10-25%

She sure is a big girl.....I'm thinking she might hit 35 by Kindergarten (maybe)! It is a really good thing she will start when she is 6.

Life with two...

Ellie has been quite the traveler this summer. She went to my parents house for 2 weeks and this week she got to go to Mike's parents house for a week. She loves every minute of it and there is no homesickness from her. She loves the attention and all the fun things she has gotten to do. There is quite a bit more you can do with one 4 yr. old than a 4 yr. old, 2 1/2 yr. old, and 2 month old!
Anna has gotten to have a pretty fun week as well. I've loved this one on one time with her. I forget how sweet my girls can be when they are alone. They are sweet together sometimes, but we have lots of fights and arguments over sharing etc... during our day. I don't think I've had to really discipline Anna all week and it has been so nice. She sure does miss her sister so I know it will be nice for them to play together when Ellie returns tomorrow! Mimi has done so many fun things with Ellie like swimming at the indoor pool, museums, story time, cupcakes, ice cream man, book store, books, singing songs in the car, seeing relatives, and open gym at a gymnastics place. I am so thankful for our sweet grandparents and for the mini-break I've gotten this week! Yes, when you have 3 children when you only have 2 it is a significant change!

Anna and I have been working on P.T. . I've kind of approached it with a laid-back approach and she is doing great. When we are at home she is not in a diaper and when we go out I make her wear one. She's done it a couple of times unprompted and had just a few accidents. I'm so proud of her!
Today, we went with our playgroup to a children's museum. She had a really good time and enjoyed the "farm" area the most. It was kind of our end of the summer activity for the kids. Next week lots of activities start back. Anna's dream occurred this week when I registered her for ballet class at our city rec center. She pretty much requests to be in ballet attire all day long. I told her she had to be brave and not cry when she went to the class by herself. She told me "mommy, I be happy and not cry". We will see on Tuesday when her class starts.
Anyways, I'm excited to see my sweet Ellie tomorrow, but am so glad she's gotten to have so much fun!

Miss Mary.....

When we were in FL with my family we did the traditional family pictures on the beach. 296 pictures to be exact!! I am so glad we were able to capture Mary in her newborn phase. There are so many other good ones of the girls that we are not quite sure what we are going to do with all of them yet. We had to be at the beach by 6:30 A.M. that was sure fun, but the morning time ended up being great cause it wasn't to hot and there were no bugs!

Mary is now 10 weeks old and is precious. I was wondering how I would even have time to enjoy her, but I must say on the third baby I think you realize the baby time is so short. I have loved having a "baby" in the house and it just so happens that she is pretty easy!

It seems like each week she would add another hour to how long she sleeps at night. This past week we've had quite a few 10-11 hour stretches. She loves her crib and does not love her car seat so we seem to try and take most naps at home. Ellie is still very much in love with her. I thought maybe it was a phase, but she is still very into her. They are actually sharing a room at night since Anna crawled out of the crib and we only have one twin bed in Ellie's old room.

Mary weighed 9 lb. 11 0z. at her two month appointment so she is a little bigger than the other girls at that point. We will see if she starts to slow down like they did. Ellie goes to her 4 yr. apptmt. tomorrow. It will be interesting how that goes. I haven't told her anything about it cause I don't want her to get upset before we have to get there!!

Mike has been at "Lake Day" with the staff from Watermark. He said it was so fun. They go away for a day once a year to just play at the lake and go to someone's lake house. We stop each other often and remember how blessed we are to serve at Watermark. It is one incredible place to be for so many reasons!

Ellie's FOUR!

Sweet Sisters

Ellie and her Backyardigans Cake

Mike got to hold Mary all night; a HUGE help!

Ava, Mary, and Milia; all 3 weeks apart!

Big Sisters and Little Sisters

What was I thinking.....?

Well, I think after having Mary and currently with three kids under three I might have lost a few brain cells. So on Friday night.... I planned a date for Mike and I which we were both so excited about... I got some friends to watch the girls and we had a nice gift card to a fancy restaurant! Our entire date was going to be free which is rare. I planned our day so that it would be Mary's sleepy time and it was a 20 minute drive to get there so I figured she would fall asleep in the car seat. We didn't know to much about the place, but just that it was really nice as in our gift card was for $100. We get there and she is asleep until we get her out of the car. She is wide awake.... Normally, when she wakes up it is time to eat so I figure I will nurse her in the bathroom. We open the door to the restaurant. It is really small, dark, fancy, and for sure we did not see any car seats! Mike assures me she will go back to sleep and it will be okay. However, I get really nervous. I go to the bathroom which happens to be a one stall bathroom. I lock the door and nurse her with people knocking on the door. I hurry and start to get really nervous cause after she eats the last place she wants to go is her car seat. Mike orders for us while I'm in the bathroom. I put Mary in the car seat with the paci and she is okay for about 3 minutes. We then take turns holding her while many people are looking at us thinking "can't you get a sitter"? They just didn't know that my sweet Mary will only take about 1 ounce from a bottle and doesn't like it to much. We each take turns holding her and she starts to get fussy which at a loud restaurant would have been fine, but not while people are trying to enjoy their anniversary dinners etc.... So I get my food to go and go outside with her. I really have no idea why I didn't think more about taking her there!!! We ended up going to Barnes and Noble to relax after that stressful event. It was a moment I never want to experience again and hope I think a little more clearly someday soon!!!

Our Trip to Naples, Florida...

We just finished up a trip to Naples, Florida with my parents. We had so much fun! Here's a slideshow Mike put together. Enjoy!

Naples, Florida (so far) from Mike Shelton on Vimeo.

Mary's first couple weeks.....

We are learning to be gentle
Happy 4th of July!
She likes her paci!
5 Weeks Old!

We've enjoyed baby Mary so much these first 5 weeks. She's fitting right in to our family of 5! She's for sure had the laid back "third child" personality. I really don't know what I would do if she was really hard. Here are some things she likes and dislikes:

Likes:

When things are chaotic she loves to be in her crib where it is quiet

Riding in the car!

She's been so good at nursing and I am so glad.

She is really good at spitting up all over mommy. I pretty much smell all day and I've learned to just wipe it off or else I would be changing my shirt all the time.

Mommy and Daddy time after Ellie and Anna go to sleep

She is waking up around 3:30 a.m. every night and then back to sleep right away.

She is really sleepy in the morning which is good cause it helps me to start our day.

She loves to be outside in the shade while we are at the pool. She sleeps really well there.

She sleeps the best on her tummy. I've never had a tummy sleeper this early, but it is working well.

Dislikes:

She always hates being put right back in her car seat after she eats.

Her sisters shoving the paci in her mouth which makes her gag.

She does not like the swing very much (bummer).

The sun in her eyes which is kind of hard when you live in Dallas.

Wet/Poo diapers

Bath time

Swimming with Rosey....

Ellie took private lessons for two weeks and it was so great! She has been terrified of anything, but the baby pool so I knew I could not teach her. It worked out well cause it was in her teachers back yard and there were two teachers and four kids all her age. I did not stay which was also really helpful cause she couldn't cling to me. It was amazing to see her progression and confidence grow after each lesson.

* I couldn't get these videos to line up right!

Camp Barnabas...

Mike just got back from taking his students to Camp Barnabas. Grab some tissues, and to watch this best, turn the HD on, and watch in full screen :)

Miss Independent.....

My sweet, determined 2 yr. old Anna has been growing up before my eyes this past week. In one week she has decided she wants to be potty trained and she has learned how to climb out of the crib. I was not ready for either of these cause you know our world just changed with Mary arriving 23 days ago. I know that P.T. and using a big girl bed require lots of energy and discipline. However, she's the type of kid that if she sleeps in a big girl bed once it will be the end of the crib so that is what is happening tonight. She's in Ellie's bed because Ellie is currently in trouble for getting out of her bed way to many times tonight so it worked out well. Ellie is sleeping in the guest bed in Mary's room. I'm guessing it will have to be this way for awhile until we have the time to look for Anna a bed. She is such a climber and I'm pretty sure with her stubborn determination she will be in some sport to get all of her energy out!

When she climbed out she told me "it's tall and I brave"! I am really hoping the P.T. will be easy cause with Ellie it was quite the long process. I'm not going to really stress to much about it and give it a week or so to make sure she is really ready to try it.

We went to visit my brother's family over the weekend in OKC and it was lots of fun! The girls got to play with their cousins which was a blast for them. It was really fun for my mom to see all 5 granddaughters together. Mary did great in the car, but the 3.5 hour trip was for sure an extra 1.5-2 hours longer with the stops for the 3 girls! It was a good change and I am so glad we got to all go! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Life with Three.....

Well, as you can tell my blogging has been kind of absent lately. I'm so sad as well cause Mike is at camp with our computer so I can't update with pictures. However, we are doing really well. It seems like Mary has been here forever and the adjustment time is now pretty much over for the girls. I am still adjusting with little things like getting everyone in the car etc...! Mary is so sweet and is just like she was in the womb which was very calm. She's going with the flow so far just as many mom's of three expressed that their third was really laid back. She seems similar in many ways to Ellie and Anna especially with her tiny little features on her face and tiny little feet. I have been so blessed with lots of help so I'm sure when everyone has left it will be more difficult. Mike's family was here right after she was born for a week. Ellie went to VBS at Prestonwood Baptist along with 4,000 other kids! It was craziness, but such a blessing as Mike would take her every morning and Mike's parents would watch Anna while I slept! We had lots of fun with Mimi and Granddaddy. We had a week alone which went well as both girls went to VBS last week at the church where they go to preschool. I've loved VBS that is for sure! My mom came late last week and will be here till the first of July while Mike is on a trip to Camp Barnabas in MO with the students. Ellie will be flying home with my mom for 2 weeks so it will be a nice little break as Anna still naps for 2-3 hours every afternoon. I am excited for Ellie to get lots of attention and do all kinds of "big girl" things with Nana and Papa! It has been a great way to transition into being a family of 5!

Mary has been pretty easy so far. I cannot imagine if she was really difficult as my main focus is still E and A. I am thrilled that nursing is going better this time and she seems "full" most the time! She loves her crib and the bouncy chair. She's not a fan of the swing. She likes it quiet can you imagine why? I try to put her in the crib in her room when we are home so she can get a nap in peace. There have been lots of funny things have happened so far and she's survived them all! Here's a few:

Ellie for some reason thinks she should put her hand over her mouth when she is crying so she will be quiet.

Ellie has stuck her finger in her mouth lots of time instead of the paci. (yuck)!

Ellie was very confused by the "pump". After, I was done she said "mommy can you hook me up to that and proceeded to lift up her shirt".

The girls found a sticker book today and Mary was very decorated with stickers and she slept through the whole thing.

Both girls are very into her "spitting up" and insist on helping her immediately.

Some hard things:

Getting everyone into their car seat is beyond exhausting and I think we need a new plan. It might be that the girls argue over who can have the blue car seat in the back of the van. I've taken all three quite a few places, but not the grocery store. I really don't ever want to do it for a very long time!

Nursing time is interesting cause Ellie is very into sitting right next to me the whole time and patting the baby. I don't want to discourage her loving spirit, but I am a little touched out by the end of it.

There is not much alone time these days so I really have to pray throughout the day to have patience and joy in the midst of it!

I am so thankful for all the help we have received and Mike has been amazing. He was somewhat nervous about doing it all, but he has stepped right up and done awesome! I am so proud of him and we had a great Father's day together!

Quick Slideshow of Our Girls at the Blueberry Farm!

Blueberry Farm from Mike Shelton on Vimeo.

Mike has been taking LOTS of pictures with our new camera lately, and so here's a look at the trip we took today to a really fun blueberry farm outside of Dallas...

Mary Caroline's Birth Story......

                                                                        Mary Caroline

7lb. 12 oz.

20 inches

3:34 P.M.

I went to the doctor on a Monday and  I was 3cm dilated. He said my body was ready for labor and that if I wanted to I could get induced later that week. I was a little hesitant, but knew it would be easier with someone watching the girls etc... We decided to go ahead and schedule it. I was induced with Ellie and was not with Anna. I felt like I had experienced both and was did not favor one over the other. The only weird part is trying to get to sleep the night before knowing what you are doing the next day! 

I got to the hospital at 8 A.M. and around 9:15 they started a slow drip of pitocin and I was still 3 cm when we arrived.  The pitocin did not do much to me except start regular contractions about 5 minutes apart.  I was not in any pain and the plan was for the doctor to break my water around noon. 

Dr. H came to break my water at 12:30 and I was 4 cm. He said to get ready cause on most third children they come really fast after the water is broken. I started to be in pain around 1:15 and so I asked for the epidural. I was 6 cm when the epi was inserted. Mike is always amazed at how the epidural does not scare me. He sees the needle and almost passes out. However, if he only knew as a woman you see the epidural as an amazing gift! I felt much better after the epi and then it was just time to relax a little bit. I was not feeling to much at this point. I progressed really quickly and by 2:30 or so they said we would have a baby within the hour. I was 8 cm at this point. I started to feel a little more pressure and at around 3:00 I could feel quite a bit and realized I could move and feel my legs. I asked the nurse if I should be feeling pressure etc... she checked the pump and it was time to change the batteries?!!!! I did not want to hear those words. She changed the batteries and gave me an extra dose, but at this point the doctor said it was time to push. I for sure felt different than with Ellie and Anna. I am so glad that I only pushed for 15 minutes or so, but the doctor said it was pretty much all natural. I can now say I've pretty much experienced it all in child birth and it is still one of the most amazing things I've ever gone through. It goes so fast and before you know it you have another precious baby in your arms that you cannot imagine loving so much. I am so thankful for my wonderful doctor. He is a Christian and was always so kind. I felt so comfortable with him in any situation. I could totally trust his judgement especially when Mary was breach. He always took his time to visit with us and prayed with us after her birth. I've had 3 different doctors with all the girls and I think he was my favorite. I loved the others as well, but Dr. H is a really special person who has a gift and calling to be a OB/GYN.  

I am so thankful that God was in control the whole day and I can say He was my strength the whole pregnancy. It was a really long 9 months and it really felt like I was training for a marathon and just wanted race day to come. I can say that chasing two toddlers and being pregnant is really hard. You have no energy left at the end of the day to do anything else and it was really overwhelming emotionally. I was so relieved on June 4th that I did it and that Mary was here healthy! 

                                                            

                                                        

The hospital stay.....

Mike and I really enjoyed our hospital stay which might sound a little strange. However, it was pretty much just the three of us the whole time. It was really sweet to get such alone time with Mary and also time with Mike. We talked a lot and watched lots of TV and movies. Our hospital was amazing. It is a small hospital that almost looks like a clinic. My Dr. is only there one day a week and I was able to get induced on his day where he works in Frisco. The hospital is really unique in that the women's unit was designed by doctors and how they wanted to do extra things to make it different. I think the best thing was that the nurses station had a camera to where they can see into your room so if you had visitors or were asleep they didn't bug you about taking your blood pressure etc... It seemed like we were not bothered from 10 P.M. till 7 A.M. cause they took all my vitals before we went to sleep. They also were really fast about picking Mary up to take her to the nursery etc.. and it didn't seem like you were annoying them. 

Mike's favorite thing was the food cause it seemed like we were on a cruise ship. It was incredible and if you didn't like what they were serving that meal you could have them go downstairs to the cafeteria and order anything off the menu. Mike was given a meal every time I did so we enjoyed it together. Your last night at the hospital they serve you a "congratulatory" dinner of steak and lobster. It was really yummy and I especially loved the chocolate cake!

I really cannot think of one negative aspect about our stay and the fact that we both slept better there than at home was impressive. However, we also didn't have someone coming into our room at 7 A.M. to ask for breakfast!

Big Sisters.....

Ellie and Anna are doing great at being big sisters and the adjustment has not been as difficult as I thought it would. I would say the first couple of days they were a little confused and out of sorts (mainly cause of mommy being in the hospital). However, it seems like Mary has always been with us and I cannot imagine her not being a part of our family! Ellie has been very interested in all things baby related and Anna doesn't seem to care very much. They have both been very gentle and I am so thankful that they have not been jealous when I am holding her. Ellie loves to throw away diapers and get the paci for me. Anna loves to tickle and give hugs. I've had some interesting conversations about nursing. Ellie really thought that babies only got bottles so I've had some explaining to do in which I am not sure I've done a great job at it! They are also very intrigued by her umbilical cord and I have been a little nervous that they will touch it. I have noticed that once I put Mary in her crib that they kind of forget about her so she rarely takes a nap out in our living room. I'm sure she enjoys the quiet of her room! I am so proud of the girls and it is really fun to have three little Shelton girls!

Johnny and Chachi...at Willow Creek!

Tonight Mike's boss is performing at Willow Creek's worship conference with his friend Rob as Johnny and Chachi. They've been making videos for years now, and lately they've been getting requests to do some of their stuff live! Here's one of their videos...funny stuff!

Mary Caroline Slideshow

mary from Mike Shelton on Vimeo.

We had too many pictures of Mary's first day of life to try and post here, so here's a little slideshow :)
Mike and Holly

She's coming.......

Well, I'm making progress according to my doctor and a lot has happened in the last week. I had the apptmt. last Monday to turn the baby from the breach position. It was a surreal feeling because you have to check in at Labor and Delivery. They hooked me up and gave me an IV etc....My Dr. came in and checked the sono machine and she was still breach. Then another Dr. came into help him as I learned it was a 2 person job! I laid back and they put the sono jelly all over my stomach and basically it felt like a massage. They each put their hands and moved her clockwise till she was in the right position. It took all of 2 minutes! I am so glad I did it and most likely won't have a C-Section. There were no side effects and I felt really good all last week. I was 1 cm at that appointment and it was really fun to have a week with the girls without preschool and other responsibilities. I think sometimes I try to freeze the moment in my mind of my two sweet little girls who are getting so big. I know having a new baby sister will be fun for them, but also an adjustment. It seems like all our bedtime stories and prayers have been getting dragged out a lot longer lately! Mike and I got to go on one last really fun date. We used a gift card to this yummy restaurant called "The Palm". It was amazing and so much fun. He has been sooooooo helpful this pregnancy and I could not have done it without him. I know he is equally ready for me to have this baby girl. So that leads me to today's appointment. I am 39 weeks now and due on June 10th. The baby is still head down which was very exciting that she didn't go back breach! The doctor said I was 3 cm and 70% effaced. He does not think I will make it much longer, but also for peace of mind with the kiddos etc... I can be induced on Thursday at the hospital I prefer and he would be there! I was induced with Ellie and it was a good experience, but long. However, it would have been long no matter what most likely. I think they told me 12-18 hours with Ellie. Today, my doctor thought all he might have to do is just break my water and that she would probably come within 4 hours or so. He also cautioned me that since Anna came so fast and my body is very ready to get to the hospital as fast as I can! I really don't want to get stuck in Dallas traffic or miss the beloved epidural. I am feeling pretty different today so we will just have to wait and see, but please pray for us. Pray for my sweet girls to adjust well.... etc....The other positive is that Mike's parents booked a flight today so our friends won't have to help to long with our kids. I am so thankful that we are going to have lots of help this summer!
We are also 95% sure on the name.... can't wait to share it with you all! I can't wait to see this sweet baby girl and share her with you all!

Quick Slideshow of our girls

Out on the Farm from Mike Shelton on Vimeo.

Mike took the girls out to a Watermark family's ranch and took some pictures with our new camera while they were out there. Enjoy :) He's the best cause I sat inside in the AC for 5 hours by myself yesterday! You can get a lot done in a couple of hours with no kiddos...... What a sweet hubby!
-Holly

Beginning of performance!!

Ellie the Ballerina......

Bed Bugs.... Yuck!

I just saw this on Yahoo and thought how scary and yucky. Mike and I are both really grossed out by thought of them and we are kind of picky about where we stay in Hotels. It is different if we are in a third world country, but in the U.S. you just wouldn't think we would have a resurgence of them. Hope you don't dream of bedbugs tonight!!


The biggest bedbug outbreak since World War II has sent a collective shudder among apartment dwellers, college students and business travelers across the nation.
The bugs — reddish brown, flat and about the size of a grain of rice — suck human blood. They resist many pesticides and spread quickly in certain mattress-heavy buildings, such as hotels, dormitories and apartment complexes.
Two shelters have closed temporarily in Charlotte, N.C. , because of bedbugs, a Yahoo chat group dedicates itself to sufferers and countless bedbug blogs provide forums for news, tips and commiseration. State inspectors say that more emphasis may be needed to tackle the creatures.
Federal officials have taken notice of the resurgence. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency held its first-ever bedbug summit, and now a North Carolina congressman wants to take on the insect.
Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield just introduced legislation that would authorize $50 million that's already in the Department of Commerce budget to train health inspectors how to recognize signs of the insects.
The Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009 also would require public housing agencies to submit bedbug inspection plans to the federal government. It would add bedbugs to a rodent and cockroach program in the Department of Health and Human Services . It also would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research bedbugs' impact on public mental health.
Butterfield's letter to congressional colleagues about the legislation attracted lots of attention: It was topped with a full-color picture of the insect sitting on human skin.
"Unfortunately, in recent years, the United States has seen a resurgence in bedbugs," the letter reads. "That's right — they're back in the sack — and biting."
Bedbugs have hit hotels and homes in every state. The creatures are amazing hitchhikers, experts say, and easily travel in suitcases, boxes or packages. They can live for up to a year without food.
Apparently no state has a central reporting system for bedbugs, according to Butterfield's office, and since the bug carries no known diseases, many health departments don't consider it a public health threat.
That leaves the critters falling through the cracks among regulators, said Michael Potter , an entomologist at the University of Kentucky and one of the country's bedbug experts.
"Most health departments say, 'Hey, we don't deal with bedbugs,' " Potter said.
Those who've suffered outbreaks say that the anxiety it induces can be debilitating. Potter said many sufferers tossed out furniture and could spend thousands of dollars on repeated treatments from pesticide companies. They call him about anxiety, insomnia, shame and the incessant annoyance of itchy red welts on their skin.
"They're, like, ready to blow their brains out," Potter said. "It's emotionally distressing. Anyone that has never had a bedbug problem is not one to judge whether we're dealing with a medical, emotional public health issue."
In Congress , Butterfield first introduced his bill a year ago after hearing from a constituent who'd brought bedbugs into her home from a hotel trip. The bill died in committee last year, but Butterfield aides say they hope that higher attention will help the measure this year.
The co-sponsors include Reps. Don Young , R- Alaska , Ben Chandler , D- Ky. , Bobby L. Rush , D- Ill. , Betty McCollum , D- Minn. , Corrine Brown , D- Fla. , Steve Cohen , D- Tenn. , Brad Miller , D- N.C. , and Eddie Bernice Johnson , D- Texas .
Butterfield also has received support from the National Pest Management Association , which says that bedbug calls to pest control companies are up 70 percent in the past five years.
Greg Baumann , a Raleigh, N.C. , pest control expert and the vice president of technical services for the National Pest Management Association , said that a decade ago few pest control companies dealt routinely with bedbugs.
"Now it's everyone today," he said.
Baumann said companies could use pesticides on the bugs but that they also tried such alternatives as extreme heat, freezing and isolating the insects through mattress covers.
Since the EPA restricted the use of several effective pesticides in the 1980s, bedbugs have built resistance to the chemicals that now are on the market, said Potter, the University of Kentucky entomologist. Public education is important, he said, but the industry also needs a good insecticide.
"Whether that bill is going to solve the problem — certainly it's a start," he said.

Breech Baby....

I got to see our baby girl today on a sonogram cause she decided to move to the breech position. The doctor could tell just by feeling my stomach and then he did a sonogram to just confirm. Her feet are for sure down and her head is on my right side. My question is have any of you had a breech baby? Did the baby turn prior to delivery?
My options are:
Do these exercises every night and hope gravity will help her turn (we shall see cause she is lazy baby and very calm).
C-Section if she does not move most likely in the 38-39 week mark. I am 36 weeks today.
The doctor can manually move the baby. I know he could probably do it cause he is incredible and been in practice for 30 years. However, it will HURT and there is no way to know for sure that it will work or that she will stay in the head-down position. I was very excited about my quick 3rd child delivery! We'll just have to wait and see.

I also have a BIG baby girl this time. The sono showed that she weighed 6 lbs. 8oz. and this is 4 weeks from my due date! Ellie and Anna were both 7 lbs. at birth. I really don't think I will last till June 10th or that he would let me unless I want to have a 10 lb. baby girl! Wow... if you could see my stomach you would believe it!!! I might be brave to post one picture soon. Anyways, please let me know if you have any experience cause I don't know anyone who has done the manual turn of the baby? Thanks!

Mother's Day 2009 and One Month To Go......

I am so blessed today by my awesome husband and two amazing little girls. We've had a great weekend and I am so thankful for my family! Mike and I went out for dinner on Thursday night cause we traded off with someone on baby-sitting. We used a Cheesecake Factory gift card and it was so yummy. We didn't even have Cheesecake cause we were so full which is very rare for us! Mike served me all weekend by crossing things off a "honey-do" list! The main one was getting our garage clean and organized. After, we did the tile it just got really dirty and crazy out there! It looks amazing now and I am so thankful. Today, I got to sleep in a little later than normal and when I woke up there was a balloon, flower, and snoopy card from the girls. Anna thought it was my birthday and kept asking me if I was going to get cake. It was also really sweet cause they both gave me big hugs and said "Happy Mothers Day". They've kept saying it most of the day. It was so sweet and was really the best present. We had an awesome service at Watermark and it reminded me that I have the best job in the world. I can't believe our third little girl is due in one month. I go this week for my 36 wk. appointment and we will have to see what the doctor says about when he thinks she might make her arrival. I am doing pretty good, but if I don't get enough rest I really start to get sore and exhausted. We have a lot going on until May 21st and then life slows down which will be good timing for this momma! Mike took these pictures today in our yard. Ellie loves to get her picture made, but Anna is not a fan! Happy Mother's Day to all my amazing friends and my mom and mother-in-law! Love you all!

Don't they look happy to be there?.......

I forgot I had this picture on our desktop. It is Anna's preschool class picture. They look so excited huh? I actually forgot it was class picture day and didn't dress Anna up to "cute". She also does not like having her picture taken along with her friend Grayson. He has the paci and blankie. His mom LeeAnn and I are good friends and she teaches with me. We always laugh cause most of the day Anna and Grayson are enjoying their blankie! We LOVE Anna's teacher so much and I will always have great memories of her first school experience!

What's been going on in TX.....

I've been such a blog slacker mainly because I can't find our camera charger so I can't upload pictures. I really need to find it soon before baby girl #3 makes her arrival! We've been really busy the last couple of weeks with all kinds of fun things.

* We found a used wooden swing set on Craig's List and got it for $100! It was such a great deal and the girls love it. We also did not have to put it together. Mike had a really long trailer and went with some friends to pick it up. It was a little scary hauling it back on a major interstate in Dallas. However, it all went great and it has provided so much fun for the girls and friends.
* I am 34 weeks preggo as of tomorrow. I go to the Dr. in the morning and will meet a new doctor. There are 3 guys in the practice and they are all wonderful so I really don't mind which one is there on the big day. I am feeling her move more mainly at night and still sleeping great. It is such a blessing to feel good at night and not be up half the night. I am getting pretty big and I think I will end up gaining the most weight with this baby, but it will be close. It will just depend on when she decides to come. I will say the third pregnancy has not flown by and it has been really hard on some days to have enough energy to get everything done.
* Mike decided to tile our kitchen floor over the weekend. I was not super excited at first mainly cause of the mess and our house being crazy for a few days. However, our friend Cory could help him over the weekend so we decided to go for it. We had slate floors before and they were not installed properly by the previous owners. Their were pieces that were starting to come up or break. The guys did a great job and we are all exhausted from long nights. I think the refrigerator will be out of our living room by Friday and I am so glad!
*I cannot believe the school year is almost over. Everything kind of slows down for us in the summer. Of course, we will have a newborn this summer, but it will still be fun to have a change of pace. Ellie and Anna will both go to VBS at the church where I teach pre-school right after my due date so that will be great. We are also looking at swimming lessons etc...
* Ellie and Anna will miss school so much this summer. They have LOVED it this year and their amazing teachers. Ellie can now spell her name (not write), but find the letters to spell it. Anna loves to paint and play with her friends. She has a super sweet teacher who loves to spoil her. It is really sweet and we have been so blessed.
* Mike is busy planning the students summer mission trip to Camp Barnabas. There is a waiting list of students wanting to go and it will be an awesome trip.

Anyways, we are about to watch Idol and our favorite is Kris Allen! It has been a really good season. Who is your favorite?!

Sweet Sisters.....

We took the girls to the Dallas Arboretum a few weeks ago when my mom was in town. It is a really beautiful park in Dallas. It is amazing to see how pretty it is there. Ellie loved to pose as you can see and Anna was not very into it. However, I love the pictures I got of them in their Easter dresses especially since it was so rainy here on Easter Sunday. I can't believe there will be one more beautiful girl here so very soon. My 32 week appointment went really well and all is fine. I am feeling okay just starting to get uncomfortable when sitting for a long time and of course bending over etc.... She will be here before we know it hopefully with a name! We have quite a few that we like, but just want to see her first!

Ellie Belly.....

The picture describes Ellie really well right now. She is full of life and love. She is a little over 3 1/2 years old. I am enjoying her very much right now especially the last 4 days cause she has taken a nap all 4 days. It is glorious. I love her much, but to have 1 hour of total quiet is amazing and whoever says room time is quiet has not experienced Ellie during room time! She is so much like her daddy. She is full of energy and really doesn't need a nap at all, but this pregnant momma does for sure. Here are some things I really want to remember about her during this stage of life:
* She is so loving and probably tells us all " I love you" at least 10 times per days.
* She loves to sleep with this one frog that we got at Myrtle Beach last summer.
* She enjoyed Easter a lot and kept us laughing when we thanked God for Jesus, the Easter Bunny, baskets, and hosanna all in one sentence.
* Her favorite things to do are play outside, draw, paint, sing (Hide them in your heart songs), pre-school, Anna, and play doctor.
* She loves her friends and talks about them all the time. She knows the routine of who will be at school or who will be at community group etc...
* She does not care at all about what she wears and still lets me pick out all of her clothes. She is still missing her front tooth from a chick fil a accident, but after 4 trips to the dentist she is getting a new one next week! She is not afraid of the dentist anymore which is really nice.
* She loves Anna so much and can't wait for her to wake up after naps.
* She is not to picky right now with eating, but some of her favorites are blackberries, oatmeal, bacon, chicken nuggets, yogurt smoothies, strawberries, any cookie, corn, and turkey.
* She has loved pre-school this year and her teacher. She talks about school ALL the time. She is still pretty small and for sure the tiniest one in her class. She now knows most of her letters and sounds, numbers, counting with fingers, and lots of fun songs.
* She has enjoyed ballet class, but I think we will try soccer in the fall when she is 4!

We love you so much Ellie. You are tons of fun at 3 1/2 and bless us so much!

Holy Week....

Easter is approaching quickly and the girls are trying to figure it all out. Oh they love bunnies, eggs, and candy! However, Ellie was singing Hosanna today in the car. I'm thinking she learned this at preschool? I haven't taught her that word as of yet.... I love that she has learned so much incredible truth at our preschool this year. We've been talking all about how we are celebrating Jesus and I hope to dye eggs with them as an illustration as well.

Tonight, my high school girls small group went through the holy week. We went through each day in the life of Jesus. It was really a great reminder of all Jesus did for us. The girls are in 10th grade and are amazing. They go to a really large public school in Dallas and are awesome examples to their friends at school. They've been together since sixth grade and we will stay together as a group till they graduate. I've learned so much from them and it is so neat for me to see different "girl" personalities as teenagers. I will have three of them at one time remember! I have triplet girls in our group and it is so fun to see their different personalities and gifts. They are so different and I can still see a birth order even though they are triplets. Well, I should probably get some sleep. Mike is at the Mavs game (lucky guy) and I am exhausted. I am now 31 weeks and am still feeling pretty good just a little uncomfortable.

A Great Week.....

I've had a wonderful week as my mom has been in town. I am unlike most TX girls who have grandma somewhere in this state. My parents live in GA and we see them about once every 3 months or so. It was perfect timing as this pregnant mommy was getting pretty tired and had a very long to-do list before June arrives! My dad was here as well for the first day or so to drop off furniture for the nursery/guest room. They brought my bedroom furniture and a crib to go in the nursery. The room is now painted and all furniture is in place. Today, we were on the hunt for curtains and it all looks great! It is such a relief to have all this done in April and not at the end of May. We also had to go though a huge amount of baby clothes as well as go through the girls clothes and reorganize their closet (a job I hate to do). Everything is now washed and put away. I am so thankful to have all this help as I am lacking much energy these days. I will post pictures soon.
Mike and I got to go away last night one last time before baby girl arrives. My dad has Hilton points so he gave us a night at a wonderful Hilton. We went to dinner and then laid in bed from 8:30 P.M. till 11:00 A.M. this morning. It was so nice and I don't think I've ever seen my husband relax that much.
It has been such a fun week and I am so thankful for the blessing of a mom who loves to serve us. Ellie and Anna have enjoyed having Nana here so much.