The Newton Buzz

An EPIPHANY I had...

2009-11-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

After staying home today with Cameron that has been sick on and off for five weeks, I had an epiphany...

I SHOULD OF GONE TO SCHOOL TO BE A PEDIATRICIAN!!

Oh the money and time I would have saved...

Seriously, Cameron has been sick with flu/sinus, then flu/sinus again, and well, we find out today at 3:50 what virus he has now. The poor kid has run fever more days in the past month than not. Cade got some virus from his friends at Mrs. Paula's house that led to an ear infection. He was home for two days (and is luckily feeling better today!!).

That being said, we are visiting the doc again today for the fifth time this month! I love my pediatrician and all, but I am very tired of seeing him!!

All of this being said, I am inviting any who read this blog to come over to my house this weekend, with:

rubber gloves

and a mask

in hand and join me in disinfecting my house. It should be loads of fun! I know you don't want to miss out!

Please pray that this is the last time poor Cameron and Cade get sick for a LONG, LONG time!!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2009-11-06T16:22:00.002-06:00

I LOVE THIS and will treaure this memory FOREVER!!

When Cameron was a little guy (around 6-7 monthes) Josh and I started this song and dance of the song 'Respect'. (I don't even know if that is the title or who sings it, but anyways...). Josh is going to kill me for sharing this with the world, but we have done it many times in front of family. Just say we are their entertainment...moving on...

Cameron LOVED, and I mean, LOVED it when we would sing and dance this song for him. He would laugh so hard. We would laugh so hard. Our audience would laugh so hard. It was the best.

Now, we get to share this exciting moment with Cade. Except, the tables have turned a little. Cameron now gets to help turn our 'duo' into a 'trio' as he helps sing the song song and do the moves for his little brother.

This is precious to see in person if you remember us doing it with Cameron. We are happy to entertain you if you live if you would like for us to, if not, enjoy this video.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I love Cameron's dancing. I love Cade's laugh.

Oh how I don't want them to grow up!

Cade the Dragon

2009-11-06T16:21:00.001-06:00

Our house has been all dragons lately, from Cameron's halloween costume to the new sound that the Cadester has been making. Check out this super cute video that my mom took when she visited last weekend.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Gosh I love this guy!!

Just too cute

2009-11-02T22:24:00.003-06:00

Look at these two little guys from Halloween night!! What cuties!!

(I loved his tail!!)

(Look at that smile!!)

More to come later...I just had to share!

A little SWAMPED

2009-10-11T14:13:00.005-05:00

Dear Blog,

It's not you, it's me. I am sorry you feel neglected. I have not been a good friend, just leaving you, alone, for almost two months. Now, don't get upset...I know it just sounds like the same old excuses, but I have been put in to a new place that I have never been before. Yes, that is a working mom of two. It has been a big life change. My day is so busy, from waking up at 6:00, feeding baby #2, heading to work, teaching 40 7 &8 year olds, pumping three times a day, picking up baby #1 and baby #2 (that takes almost 45 minutes), cooking dinner for baby #1 and hubby, feeding baby #2, baths, making lunches, bedtimes, and not to mention the other household duties. Good thing I have a GREAT hubby that helps along the way! Now, those are some good excuses, but here are some better excuses for neglecting you.

Mr. Cam-man

The 'Cade'ster

Admiring his older brother

One happy boy

Cade looks a little scared here...with reason!

Now those two boys are totally worth my abandoning you. I am slowly getting into a routine, so please just bare with me for a few weeks longer.

Your long lost friend~
Dawn :)

And we're alive....

2009-09-06T16:27:00.002-05:00

HOLY COW!!

5 weeks since my last post...am I off maternity leave or what!?!?

The month of August has always proven to be BUSY, BUSY, BUSY for this momma...I have barely even pulled out my camera to take pictures of my kiddos. I know one day I will hear from Cade's mouth, "Mommy, what did I look like when I was five months old?" Unfortunately, I will have to tell him, "I don't know sweet heart, mommy was too busy to take pictures." Really, I have a few, but just not 'blog worthy'.

So, just so you know what has been going on with the Newton's, I compiled a list:

Cade started school on August 3rd at Ms. Paula's house. He has done great!! Josh took him the first day so I didn't cry, but needless to say, when I picked him up, I balled. I guess there is no way of getting over those tears.
Cameron was going to start pre-school on Aug. 5, but instead spent a few days at his Mimi and Pop's house in Austin. He loves going there and I know that they love having him. Seriously, their house is a shrine to Cameron.
Cameron did start pre-school on August 10th. It was an exciting day in the Newton household. He got his lunch box, his nap towel, his change of clothes, and headed out for the day. He cried a little when Josh left, but overall had a great day!
Then...the second day of pre-school came. Oh how we hated the second day. Cameron cried and cried. He started the day off telling me he didn't want to go. But, we convinced him to go and how much fun he would have. When Josh dropped him off, he began the crocodile tears. Josh finally had to just leave and the wonderful director called before Josh had gotten out of the parking lot to tell him that Cameron was already happy and playing with others. Oh how he knows how to pull at our heart strings.
Cameron does much better now at pre-school and even asks on Saturdays if he can go. He was upset last week when I told him that he got to stay home with us. "But mommy, why is my pre-school locked? I need to see my friends." When Josh drops him off every morning Cameron has to give him a kiss and a hug and say "I love you Daddy". Seriously, if this doesn't happen every day, Cameron tells me that his daddy didn't give him a kiss and hug and that he was sad all day. Once again, he tugs on the heart strings...
Cameron had his first show and tell. He had spent the night at his Mamma and Daddy Mike's that night, so Mamma had to get an item for him to bring. Honestly, I was a bit nervous that he would be the only one without something cool, but Mamma came through. (really I should of never doubted her!!) Cameron brought some jungle animals that they always play with. She found the momma and the baby and he taught his class the names of the baby animals. Honestly, this is much better than what I would of given him to bring, and I know that he must of been the STAR of pre-school that day!
Cameron got stickers for making good choices and not having to go to the thinking spot. Way to go!! He is also got to be the 'weader' (that is leader for those of you who don't speak three year old). We were so proud.
I have lost space for all of his art work. I can't make myself through it away. Anyone have any suggestions?
Cade has battled his first and second cold since he was born all in one month. Poor guy, I wasn't sure if he was every going to be able to breath again. The suction bulb was our best friend and followed me everywhere.
Cade FINALLY rolled over and the little boy is everywhere this month!! We lay him down in one position and it is like he plays hide and go seek with us if we leave the room. He can roll himself anywhere! You should of seen Cameron when he saw Cade roll over the first time, (imagine a high pitched voice) "CADE, I so proud of you. You are getting bigger!!"
I helped open a new campus this year! I LOVE my new school so much. Although it has been a lot of work putting together a new classroom, I wouldn't change if for anything. My classes (I only teach Reading/Language Arts this year to two second grade classes) are wonderful. I get excited and sad thinking that in two short school years I will get to see Cameron walking the halls of Creek View Elementary.
On August 25, I celebrated my 29th birthday. Yes, my last year in my 20's. So sad...
Josh became a great babysitter this month as I spent many Saturdays and Sundays up at school. He is now a pro at two children!
I spent most of this month with my new best friend, my breast pump. Sorry to be so blunt, but I feel that I need to celebrate taking 10 minutes out of my busy day every three hours to 'feed' my child.
And although this technically didn't happen in August, I feel it is blog worthy...we happily welcome back...FOOTBALL SEASON!! Lord, please let the Aggies be good this year...(oh and with the beginning of Football season means basketball season is right around the corner. I love basketball now!! Thank you Josh...)

So that is our life in a list. Sort of...I am sure I missed something. Five months of maternity leave has come and gone. I will forever treasure this special time with my kids. Although there were days that I could of pulled my hair out, my house was clean, my family had good home cooked meals, I sometimes slept in (if 8:00 is sleeping in?), I watched Oprah, I blogged more, and I took more pictures. But oh how I love teaching. I miss this kids and I miss seeing my bestest friends daily. There is no better job than being a mom and teacher...

Hopefully my next blog won't be a month away...

Happy Birthday Jace!!

2009-07-31T14:31:00.003-05:00

We are so excited that today is Jace's 3rd birthday! We couldn't ask for a better cousin to Cameron and Cade or a better nephew!!

Jace is one of the most out going three year olds we know! He has such an adventurous spirit and outgoing personality! Cameron and Jace love to play with each other and I am so glad that Cameron has him as a friend to grow up with.

So in honor of your third birthday Jace, here are three things we love about you:

#1: The way you tackle Cameron (thank you for helping him become a little more manly)
#2: You are such an athlete. And we especially love that you always wear those black patches under your eyes (what are they called again?)
#3: Your willingness to try anything new. You are truly a daredevil (climbing out of cribs, throwing baby powder around your room...)

There is so much more we could list...like your scooby-do crocs, your Mohawk as a baby, your keen fashion sense, your blanket and paci, the way you wrap your whole body around someone when they hold you, those arms and legs that went on forever when you were a newborn... the list goes on.

Thank you Jace for bringing such happiness to our family! We hope your third birthday is everything you wished for and more (and I promise we didn't get you a big pink bow!)

Look at Jace's face!! He is so proud of himself!

The boys playing a Chucky Cheese. There is no way both of them could fit now!

Cade is 4 months!

2009-07-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

On July 21st, Cade celebrated his four month birthday!! I honestly cannot believe that it has already been four months. Oh how fast time goes...

I finally am starting to feel that I don't have a 'newborn' anymore. Cade has really started laughing and talking this month. Every morning after eating, he plays with his friends. His friends are the animals that hang from his play mat, which include a giraffe, a red bird, an elephant, and a set of play keys (I couldn't find the other the animal that goes on there...). He talks to them and grabs at them, and most importantly, tries to eat them. The kid puts anything that touches his hands into his mouth!!

Cameron still continues to be his favorite toy. He laughs at him when he plays and will find him wherever he is in the room. I love that each one of them love each other so much right now. I will try so hard to remember these times when they are teenagers and probably spend the day fighting like my brother and I did. Lucky for us, we became pretty good friends! There is nothing better than being so close to your sibling!

So here is a list of things that Cade is doing right now (both good and bad...):
**He is on a great schedule...up each day by about 8:15, takes two good naps (about two hours in the morning and three in the afternoon) and two good cat naps during the day.
**We have finally mastered nursing. It took some time, and I am so glad that I stuck with it, but he is a great eater!!
**He randomly will eat in the middle of the night. I would say about three times a week, he will eat and then go back to sleep. Other nights we get up 3-4 times to put the pacifier back in. I can't wait to sleep an entire night!!
**I know he is capable of sleeping through the night. We have talked about letting him cry it out, I'm just not ready yet. I hate a crying baby...especially mine!
**The only way he will sleep is if he is swaddled. I have tried unswaddled (or one arm out) but he wakes himself up after about 6 hours and then we are up for the rest of the night! NO fun at all...
**He is now on prevacid twice a day. Dr. Ransom said we could see a spike in his reflux around 4 months, and sure enough, we have! I just hope the spitting up goes away soon!
**He poops about once every three days...and then he REALLY lets it all out! I never thought I would think so much about poop! This is complete normal for breastfed babies, so I'm not that worried.
**He has finally become a better car rider. He doesn't scream his head off every time he is in the car! (I was originally driving Josh's truck for the space, but now I moved back to my RAV so Cade can watch Cameron in the car. Thank you Cameron for entertaining him for me!!)
**Almost rolling from stomach to back...he is oh so close!
**Loves his changing table and smiles the whole time he is on it!
**He is losing his hair on the sides and on the back. He still has REALLY long hair on the top. I could put it in a ponytail if he was a girl. It makes for a nice comb-over.
**Loves to hold toys and rattles and put them straight to his mouth.
**Mamma gave him the sweetest little lamb blanket that he sleeps with every night. When he gets out of his swaddle, he holds on to it really tight.
**He loves to go from a sitting position to a standing position (with your help of course) and is so proud of himself when he stands up.
**He loves his Bumbo seat and enjoys eating at the table with us each night!
**He laughs so much!! I love his little laugh. And seriously, that smile makes the reflux, sleeping, and crying issues all go away and totally worth it!

Current measurements (exactly the same as his brother at 4 months):
Weight: 15lbs 8 oz (75th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (50th percentile)

Now for a funny. One day, Cameron burped really loud while Cade was in his swing. Cade started laughing. It was so funny and Cameron was so proud of himself for making Cade laugh. We have since learned that Cade loves the sound of someone burping, so you can hear this sound often in our household. Pretty disgusting, but seriously, we love to hear him laugh.

For your enjoyment, I have posted a video of him laughing. I must say that I truly apologize for the annoying sounds that I am making. But, I will do anything I have to to hear my sweet boy laugh!

We love Cade and are so happy you have joined our family!!

Cameronisms Part 2

2009-07-22T09:25:00.003-05:00

For Cameronisms Part 1 click here.

Cameron keeps us laughing on a daily basis! I thought I would share a few of the latest:

One morning I was still in my pajamas, which happen to be capris and hit me about mid calf.
Cameron: (in a very concerned voice) Oh Mommy, why your pants break?

Anytime Cameron has to go poop, this is our conversation:
Mommy: Do you want me to leave?
Cameron: Yes, I need some privazzzee. (privacy)
Mommy: O.k., I will shut the door, so tell me when to stop.
I slowly start closing the door, waiting for him to yell stop. Eventually, the door shuts completely and I hear...
Cameron: STOP!

Thank you Mamma for these next two.

Cameron was at Chick-fil-a with Mamma and Daddy Mike. He went up to the counter (with Mamma looking on) to get his ice cream. The man sort of ignored him, but finally acknowledged that he was there and gave him his ice cream.
Mamma: What do you tell him?
Cameron: (in the sweetest voice) I love you.

And, yes, I save the best for last.
Cameron is obsessed with a baby doll that Mamma has at her house. The name of the baby is Baby Josh (thanks Riley!). When Cameron woke up from his nap yesterday at Mamma's house, this is what happened.
Mamma: Do you want to go to the jungle?
Cameron: Yes, but I have to feed my baby first.
Mama: O.k., I think we left the bottle downstairs.
They go downstairs. Mama finds the bottle just in time to see Cameron sitting on the couch, lifting his shirt and nursing the baby.
Cameron: That my milk. (pointing to his nipple)

I guess I should start nursing in private. When Daddy Mike asked Mamma if she told him that boys can't do that, she said she was going to leave that up to the parents. Oh how I will love that conversation!

Tornado Drill

2009-07-21T08:21:00.003-05:00

We had a little scare last night. Well, really just a lot of running to different windows in the house looking at this:

(this is not my picture, but definitely the cloud we saw!)

At 6:45 last night, it was a little overcast, so Cameron and I were going to walk to Uncle Dennis' house for a visit. Cameron was going to the restroom before we left and in about 10 minutes, the wind picked up a little and it started raining. By 7:05, all of the news stations were saying that Brazos county was under a tornado warning, and then the unbelievable happened...they cut in to my Bachelorrette: Men Tell All for a little weather coverage. What are they thinking? The weather man was having a hay day with all of these reports of funnel clouds touching down. It did get kinda scary when we saw that cloud forming out of our front window. We were very close to heading for the closet. Lucky for us, all we ended up getting was a bunch of rain.

We thank the weather for our entertainment last night!

And just to let you know...they did return to regular scheduled programming just in time for my satellite to go out! I missed about 30 minutes of the TWO HOUR show!!

A Year of Blogging

2009-07-15T16:12:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to say that I have made it an entire year of blogging! I feel that this celebration deserves it's own post and a slew of thanks.

Thank You #1:
Thanks goes to Melissa and Sarah for sharing their blogs with me and giving me the courage to start me own.

Thank you #2:
This goes to my many friends and family who started their own blogs with my encouragement. (aka Lynnie, Katie, and Jayme). Thank you for keeping me entertained!!

Thank you #3:
Goes to the long lost buddies I have found through blogging. What a great way to keep up with so of my old pals. (This goes to you Jenn, Emily, Julie, and Sarah...)

Thank you #4:
Goes to all the people who read my blog. Some of you I know about (thanks for the comments and e-mails regarding my posts). And some of you I don't!! (I would love to know who you 'lurkers' are out there!!) I love when I go to the store or am out and about and someone I know says "I was reading your blog the other day..." Makes it all worth it!

And the most important thank you of all goes to these two boys:

Without you guys, I would have nothing to blog about.

Lets hope that when school starts in August I can continue this blog! I love going back and seeing what my family has been up to...

Our 4th of July celebration

2009-07-15T15:19:00.007-05:00

I have been out of the loop lately as our internet has not been working at home. In Josh's words..."Dawn, we need to get that internet fixed for you, it is your only connection to the outside world!" I truly have a husband who understands!!

So, a long awaited post is finally here...and I answer the question for you...

What did the Newton's do for the fourth?

I can answer that question very easily...A WHOLE LOT!!! Let me explain the story to you in pictures...

Our day began bright and early. Sharon (aka Mama or MIL) had plans for the whole family to be at Veteran's Park in Bryan for their annual Fourth of July picnic. She also wanted us to decorate our wagon with red, white, and blue as the kids participate in a parade. I had grand thoughts in my head of a huge crowd, a big parade, patriotic music, and so much more...Now, don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but it wasn't EXACTLY what I had pictured.

The historic association of Bryan had a nice flag raising ceremony.

Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam were there to greet us. (at one point, Lady Liberty came up to me and said (and I quote) "Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam will soon be racing in the potato sack race. Please join us for the fun.")

We sat around and enjoyed the festivities (did I mention it was 150 degrees outside and no breeze?):

Time for the parade (just what I was waiting for...) Oh, the kids just paraded around on the sidewalk. It was pretty cute though...

Josh pulling Cameron in the parade. (His sign says "Let Freedom Ring")

Our niece Riley riding her bike in the parade:

Our nephew Jace brought along his motorcycle:

At around 11:00, we had had enough of the heat, as did Cade. He fell asleep in the heat. Amazing. Cameron even helped him cool off by fanning him with the American flag. So patriotic.

We headed over to Mama and Daddy Mike's for a SUPER lunch, complete with contests!! Sharon never hosts a party without games and prizes!! We had a super cupcake decorating contest...and (drum roll please) I WON!!! My super talented styles finally paid off (yeah right). My winning cupcake was a hand drawn (with icing) American flag and star sprinkles. I was so lucky and won a nice pink float for the pool!!

Thanks Katie for this pic. My cupcake is in the bottom right hand corner. There was much competition as you can tell!!

Luckily, Sharon's plans for the day did include naps for the kids. So after lunch, we headed home, the kids slept, I made my annual fruit pizza, and around 5:30, we headed over to Josh's Aunt Deb's house for swimming, hot dogs, hamburgers, and yes, our annual bike ride to George Bush library for fireworks.

As Katie says, this is NO NORMAL bike ride.
Picture it:
*About 15 adults, each on a bike
*One two seater bike complete with an adult and an 8 year old.
*Two bike trailors with a five year old, a four year old, and an almost three year old.
*One bike seat with a three year old.
*All riding through A&M's campus like we own the place.
*PTS (remember them Ags?!?) having to stop ALL traffic so we can cross the street.

It is truly a sight to see, but one of the things I look the most forward to each year. Infact, Josh and I bought me a bike specifically for this occasion! I wish so badly that I had a picture of the group. This is a must for next year! We parked ourselves in an open field across from Reed Arena and enjoyed the fireworks. Cameron really loved the green and red ones. He told everyone that over and over again, and still talks about them. Fireworks are so much better through a child's eyes!! Enjoy these pics of our evening celebration:

My yummy fruit pizza (my mouth is watering now):

Grandad and Cameron enjoying cheetos together:

Cade and Daddy Mike in the pool. (Cade looks a little scared but I promise he loves the pool!)

A horrible pic, but one of the only ones I have with me and Cade:

Look at this handsome little guy!!

We had a great, fun-filled day and can't wait until next year!

Brothers...

2009-06-25T15:22:00.004-05:00

I just love this picture. It totally shows each of their personalities...

Cameron--a little crazy, so much fun, wild, a great big brother.

Cade---cool, calm, and collected (unless he is in the car, that is a whole other picture), happy, loves his big brother

I just hope that this love for each other continues...

The cutest little face...

2009-06-23T17:06:00.002-05:00

Cameron's Big Party

2009-06-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

The Birthday Boy:

Last Sunday, Cameron celebrated his 3rd birthday. We decided to go 'low key' this year, with just celebrating with the family. Of course, 'low key' never really becomes 'low key', right? We had 4 pools, 200+ water balloons, a pinata, pepperoni rolls, a game of hot potato, lots of presents, and to top off a great day, a Cranky the Crane ice-cream cake.

Cameron told me months ago that he wanted a Cranky the Crane cake. How in the world was I going to make this? I pondered for months. (remember last year, I made his cake...) About a week before the celebration, I decided that I would let Maggie Moo's make the cake, and boy was it yummy!! They did a great job designing it (better than I could of imagined!) and we really enjoyed eating it! It was a great end to a HOT summer day!

Cameron is a very lucky little boy, and I don't think he quite knows it just yet. He celebrated with some awesome family that celebrated in the heat of the day (Daddy Mike even took a trip down the slip in slide). Thank you all who celebrated with us...we really appreciate you making our boy feel so special.

Enjoy these pictures from the big day.

What Cameron woke up to early Sunday morning:

Enjoying his pinata:

What Daddies do with pinatas:

Who got more?!?!

The best pic of the cake I got:

Cade was there for the party:

A True Party Animal:

Mr. & Mrs. Sissell

2009-06-19T16:31:00.009-05:00

Meet the Bride (Erin):

Meet the Groom (Dennis):

The Mom's:
The Dad's:

The Groomsman: The Bridesmaids:

The Best Man (Blake):

The Maid of Honor (Kim):

The Adorable ring bearer and flower girl:

And last but not least, the NEW MR. & MRS. SISSELL:

I want to tell you the story of two adorable people who fell in love and got married. Yes, my little brother is officially married. It is crazy to think that he is old enough to have a Mrs.!! Some of these pictures were taken by their two photographers, who can be found here and here. They did an amazing job!

Let's begin with the rehearsal dinner.

We began the evening with the rest of the wedding party rehearsing the big day. Erin and Dennis picked a beautiful location for the wedding at Red Corral Ranch in Wimberly, TX. We were a little worried about the heat, but it turned out to be perfect. The big oak trees and occasional breezes helped us brave the hot day! My mom and dad hosted a wonderful rehearsal dinner at the ranch (on location at the Big Red Barn). We had a fun evening of yummy BBQ, a great video, speeches, and lots of laughter. Once that party was over, the groom and his boys headed to their cabin for the evening, as the bride and her gal pals headed back to the main house. We were all in anticipation of the big day!

Going to the chappel...

We spent the entire day getting ready for the 6:00 wedding. Erin was absolutely beautiful in her wedding gown and Dennis looked very handsome! Before the big event, we all took some pictures, cried a little, took some more pictures, cried a little more, waited, and waited...and finally the big moment was here. I will let the pictures tell the story.

Congrats Dennis and Erin!

Lots and lots of pics

2009-06-18T17:07:00.002-05:00

I can finally check off one of the items on my summer to do list...get pictures updated to Shutterfly.

This past year, I have been really bad about updating our pictures to shutterfly. I just uploaded about 20 albums to our family website. So, if you are bored (say at a ranch in Cotulla, TX...) and have some extra time on your hands, check it out.

Grandparents...I expect you to look at all of the albums. I did this for you too!!

Our Family Pictures on Shutterfly

Enjoy!

"I don't wanna be 3..."

2009-06-14T15:49:00.002-05:00

Well, it is official, my little Cameron is three years old today! When you tell him that today he is three, he replies with:

"I don't wanna be 3, I wanna be 4!!"

Well, I don't want him to be 3, or 4, I want him to stay 2!! He is growing up way to fast! Josh and I are so lucky to have such a sweet, sweet boy. We have so much fun with him daily and he truly helps us laugh every day. I am amazed at the things that come out of his mouth each day...if I could only see what was going on in his head.

Happy Birthday Cameron. Mommy and Daddy love you so!!

Dear 3 Year Old Boy,

We can't believe you are three today. We can both still remember the day you were born as if it were yesterday. The anticipation leading up to that day was gut wrenching. It was as if it would never come. And now, we could of never, ever imagined how much joy you would bring the both of us! Where is time going?

You amaze us each day. We have SO much fun with you playing Thomas, wrestling on the floor, watching your MANY shows, playing in your shark pool, eating popsicles on the back of the truck at night, giving you your baths, reading bed time stories...and so, so much more. Your imagination is really coming in to play right now. You love to watch a movie and then pretend you are that character. You make up your own songs and even have your own language that only you understand (well and sometimes your cousin Jace). You are starting to get an opinion about many things (what you want to wear, what you want for dinner, what jibitz you want on your crocs...) and I think it is preparing us for what is to come.

Your best friend is by far your Daddy. And you ask him daily, "you my friend daddy?". The two of you have so much fun together and you are definitely daddy's little helper. Anywhere daddy is, you are usually right beside him. You love to meet him at the door each night when he comes home from work. You can make him melt with your sweet "I love you daddy's" that come from nowhere.

You are such a sweet brother to Cade. You constantly give him your 'mama' when he is sad to comfort him. It is so sweet how you even find the satin edge of your blanket (your favorite part) and put it in his hands. When Cade cries in the car, you usually sing him songs (your favorite is Jesus loves Me). You had about one day of jealousy when Cade came home. You are so patient with him. I know that the two of you will be best buds one day.

You are definitely a momma's boy, and your momma loves it! Anytime you get hurt (even the littlest thing) you come get a kiss from mommy. You say it makes you feel better. In the mornings or nap when I go in to wake you up, you always make me lay down with you, you put your arm around me and say "I just love you mommy". Melts my heart every time. I really appreciate you making me laugh everyday when it is just me, you, and Cade. There is never a dull moment thanks to you!

We hope that this next year brings you much fun and laughter. We hope you continue to love life the way we love having you in ours! Enjoy your special day!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

p.s. pics of the big party to come later!

Seriously?!?

2009-06-11T22:02:00.002-05:00

I had to write about this tonight...

We were headed to the local neighborhood pool so Cameron could go sliding down the clam slide that he has been begging to go down for a week now. So, Josh and I pack up the kids, head to Little Ceasar's for the $5.99 Hot and Ready pizza for dinner (yes, very nutritious), and take turns with Cameron in the pool so the other adult can watch Cade.

I am sitting next to a nice, old (yes, she was old) lady with her grandson, holding Cade. We began talking. She admires my children, and then asks me how old my little baby was. I reply with '11 weeks'. And she replies with "Oh my, SHE is so big for 11 weeks. Exactly how much does SHE weigh?" Let my explain, Cade has:

**Blue onesie---check
**Blue pacifier---check
**Blue blanket---check
**A big brother that keeps running from the pool saying "Hey brother"

I don't know why this bothered me!! I know, I know...get over it right? But I know that looking at a newborn can be quite confusing, but give me a break, I do everything I can to cover this kid in blue.

But not only that, she nearly chokes on her words when talking about how big my baby is! The kid likes to eat, what can I say? And seriously, he isn't that big!! He looks very normal, and healthy.

Some people. I know she probably meant nothing by what she said, it just struck a nerve with me. I will get over it...thanks for letting me vent!

Comparing my boys

2009-06-11T15:43:00.005-05:00

Cade after his two month check up, in a navy onesie on the boppy...

Cameron after his two month check up, in the same navy onesie, and on the boppy.

I love comparing their photos! I really think after looking at these photos that they don't look much alike, but I swear there are times that Cade looks just like Cameron. So, my conclusion...Cade looks a little like Cameron, but a lot like Cade!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

2009-06-08T15:54:00.003-05:00

Oh goodness...

What is going on with my BOY?

This is what happens when Mommy steps in the shower for two minutes. Believe it or not, he walked around the house in those heals!! Josh will hate me for posting this...

Zzzzz's

2009-06-08T15:45:00.004-05:00

Well, at 11 weeks and 1 day, Cade did it...

HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!

Cade went to sleep at 9:30 p.m. and woke up at 8:15 a.m.!! I had to get up once to give him his pacifier at 5:30 a.m., and he went right back to sleep!

We were at my mom and dad's house this weekend for my brother's wedding and Cade slept a little longer each night. Saturday night, Josh's parents took Cade so Josh and I could enjoy the wedding reception and Sharon said he slept right through the night. It is funny because Cameron slept through the night the first time after a long weekend away from home. True brothers...

Now, if this continues, trust me, I will love it. But there is something bittersweet about them sleeping through the night. I hate getting up, but if I have to get up, is there any better way to spend your time? It is great just getting to sit there and feed him, and hold him, and many times fall back to sleep with him. It is just mommy and Cade time. Then, they grow up to be three year olds, and they don't need their mommy at night anymore. You get more sleep, yes, but your special time is taken away. Now I need a tissue...

Congrats Cade on making it through this milestone!

The Birds and The Bees

2009-05-31T10:00:00.003-05:00

It has been quite interesting around our house lately, well our backyard actually.

One morning, Cameron wanted to go on the back porch and play in his sand table. As I was opening the back door, I was almost dive bombed by one of these:

It seems that these 'friendly' birds decided to build a mud nest right above our back door. I could never get a picture of it because every time I stepped outside they would fly around the back porch to protect their nest. Poor Cameron couldn't play outside for about two days because these birds would just show up out of nowhere, and even worse, Max had to make a run for it every time I let him outside to go to the restroom! One night, Josh scraped down the mud nest and we haven't seen the birds since.

Then, later that same day, I was on the phone with my mom, looking out the window explaining to her about the birds, when I saw a football in one of our trees. A football you ask, oh I wish it were just a football... But, then I look closer and see this in our tree:

Yes, those our bees!! Luckily, the tree they decided to live in was way in the back so the bees never made it near the door. We called animal control and apparently they don't handle bees. One of Josh's co-worker's husband is an exterminator and he said he would come one night and take care of them. Sidenote: Apparently you shouldn't mess with bees during the day, only at night. So the day he was supposed to come, the bees disappeared and we haven't seen them since. It was really weird, one minute they were, and the next they were gone.

After an interesting week, I have come to the conclusion that Cameron got a lesson on the birds and bees WAY too early!! Ha!

Sea World '09

2009-05-23T09:15:00.001-05:00

So back in February (or maybe before that) Sharon called me to see what time in May would be a good time for a family vacation. After much going back and forth and changing dates, we finally decided on a weekend in May for a trip to Sea World and a two night stay at the Hill Country Hyatt. So early Friday morning, Mama, Daddy Mike, Riley, Jace, Aunt Katie, Uncle Jordan, Mommy, Daddy, Cameron and Cade all packed in two cars and headed for San Antonio.

This was by far one of the best places for kiddos and I highly recommend this vacation to anyone with children. The Hill Country Hyatt is amazing with these wonderful pools, a lazy river, activities all throughout the day and so, so much more. Sharon and Mike hooked us up with a joining room complete with a living area and a balcony. The kiddos would run back and forth to each other's room which made sleep time in the morning slim to none!! (thank you Riley for knocking on our door over and over again at 7:00...we love you!) Sharon and Mike took a room for themselves at the end of the hallway, and as Katie said, I think it was planned!!

We got there Friday afternoon and after seeing the place, we decided to forgo naps for the day. The kids loved the pools and swam and swam and floated and floated... (you get the idea). Cade was a trooper and slept in his stroller the whole afternoon. After swimming for most of the afternoon, we headed to the lobby for some face painting! Cameron went with Shamu, Riley chose the ever popular A&M logo, and Jace, well, he chose the nice pink ice cream cone with sprinkles. His daddy was not too proud and his ice cream cone only lasted about an hour before it suspiciously disappeared!!

That night, we headed to a Mexican food restaurant for some yummy food and margaritas! Yes, even Sharon had a rita!! You go girl! The highlight of the evening was right before they served our dinner. Let me paint a picture for you...

Remember the no nap decision we made earlier? Well, we were paying for it now, so we decided to bring in the DVD player for a little movie during dinner! Many stares headed our way.
Then, Mike order an appetizer for the table. Guacamole, how simple is that? Well, all of sudden some man shows up at our table complete with all the guacamole fixin's. Many stares headed our way once again as we had a live guacamole demonstration at our table! Then, the best of all. During the quac making, the live mariachi band showed up at our table to serenade Josh for his 31st birthday!! I was laughing so hard I was crying!! Josh HATES and I mean HATES any kind of attention directed at him!! Sharon and Mike got him real good!!

Josh enjoying his serenade:

At this point the whole restaurant was staring. Yes, we were that table....Kids watching a movie at the table, live appetizer making at the table, and a live mariachi band in action!! This was one great night!!

After our entertaining dinner, we headed back to the hotel for smores on the beach!! I might of had two smores, but whose counting right? Daddy Mike helped the kiddos build a sand castle and we sat around and enjoyed the evening! What a great place to be!

The next morning, I dropped Cade off with my mom and grandma so that we could all go and enjoy Sea World. By 11:30, this is what we got to enjoy...

Cameron enjoying himself during the rain out:
Yes, that is rain. Lots of rain. So we sat inside a restaurant and tried to wait for the rain to pass. That didn't happen, so we made a run for it. This was fun with three toddlers!! We got back to the hotel, took some much needed naps, and luckily woke up to a cool breeze in the air and no rain...so we headed back to Sea World!! We practically had the whole park to ourselves and enjoyed seeing the dolphins, watching Shamu and riding the roller coasters.

Overall this was a great trip!! We are so lucky and thankful to Sharon and Mike for spoiling us with such a great vacation!! Hopefully this will continue each year...

My Sweet Two Month Old

2009-05-21T15:39:00.005-05:00

How can you not think that this is the sweetest boy you have ever seen? And lucky me...I get to spend each day with him and his sweet brother. I am truly one lucky momma!!

Today, Cade, Cameron, and I ventured off to see Dr. Ransom for Cade's two month check-up. To make a long story short, Aunt Katie was going to watch Cameron for me, but silly me thought that the doc's appointment was at 11:50 and on a whim, decided to call the office. Yes, the appointment was at 10:50. Luckily, we were already out and about, so I just headed to the doc's office. Cameron got to eat a big sugar cookie at 11:00 in the pediatrician's office. I am sure Dr. Ransom just thinks I am a great mom!!

Cade is doing great! He is still battling a little thrush, so he is on yet another antibiotic. He weighed in at a whopping 12lbs. 5 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. That puts him the 75th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height. Silly side note...Dr. Ransom had a medical student in today and when she checked Cade's height, she put him in the 30th percentile. Now, that is great and all, but my husband wants two basketball players. I made Dr. Ransom check it again when he came in for the check up. I felt bad, but the student had indeed done it wrong, so I didn't feel that bad.

Cade was a trooper for the shots. I didn't want Cameron to freak out because he gets his shots in three weeks, so I told him that Cade had to get medicine in his legs and he was o.k. with that. Cade screamed a little, I closed my eyes (I hate needles), and Cameron watched from a distance.

I love that Dr. Ransom always ends his visits with 'Dawn, you're doing a great job'. He doesn't have to say that, and heck, he's probably lying (remember the sugar cookie at 11:00 a.m.?), but just that fact that he says it makes me feel pretty good!!

And here is a little about the Cade man at two months:
**He is smiling all the time!! I love seeing his sweet smile, especially in the mornings.
**He really seems to notice my voice and always turns to look for me.
**He is sleeping from about 9:30 to about 4:00 every night. I have to get up about once in between that time to give him the paci.
**After eating at 4:00 a.m., he goes right back to sleep but starts waking up between 6:30-7:30. That is when Josh and I tag team and play the 'Put Cade's paci in' game. It is a fun game and anyone who wants to play is welcome to come right on over any morning!!
**He is usually up for the day by 8:30.
**I am trying to get him on a schedule. He takes a great 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, we are working on the morning nap. I love my afternoons b/c I have worked really hard to get both boys to nap at the same time.
**He is a great eater and since the prevacid for his reflux is working so great, we don't have to clean up near as much spit up.
**He hates the car and is fine for about 10-15 minutes, then let the screaming begin. Sorry for anyone who has been on the phone with me when this happens!
**He is not a fan of tummy time, but will put up with it for about 5-10 minutes.
**He loves his rain forest play mat that his Mimi bought. And I am very grateful for the mat also as it allows me to get a shower in each day.
**Overall, he is a very happy baby and we are so lucky to have him!!

Don't you just love this little grin?

I think he looks like Rico Suave in this picture (or he is pooping?!?)

All Smiles

2009-05-19T19:37:00.003-05:00

Cade has really started smiling lately. I love his sweet face in the morning when I come to get him out of bed. He smiles so big and gives me plenty of 'coos' to start my day off the right way!

Cameron also gets very excited to see his brother smiling. Usually I hear this through the house..

"Mommy, mommy come see, Cade is smelling!!"

At first I was very confused...how in the world does an eight week old smell? After running to see what was going, I soon realized that smelling means smiling in my two year old's world. Very cute!

Here are some picture my mom caught this weekend of our smilin' boy in action!

Are you so in love now? What a sweet boy!

Mr. Eli

2009-05-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

We received this update from Michelle on Sunday about her sweet Eli:

Hi! We are still up here at the hospital...DAY 20!!! It has been almost 2 weeks since his surgery, but doctors say it was successful. He lost quite a bit of weight, but they are now letting him eat every 3 hours. Because of the respiratory tube down his nose, he has vocal chord paralysis. They are having to thicken his milk to make sure he doesn't get pneumonia. He lost his voice, but is slowly getting it back! They are also monitoring his blood pressure, which is still a little high. Besides all of that, he is doing really well. The doctors and nurses love him...they call him their little peanut. He has had quite a few firsts since this all happened...1st plane ride, on a tv show (The little couple on TLC)...one of his doctors has her own show and she works in the NICU where Eli was first taken. I think I know about half the people that work here now...Hopefully, we will get discharged sometime soon. Then, they still want us to stay in town for an extra week to have him close by.

The day all this began, Terrie and Kortni had just left my house from visiting Eli. He wouldn't eat, was sweating, and started to breathe irregularly. I called a nurse and she told me to take his temperature...he had a 93 temp. in his bottom. The nurse said, "Oh my God" and I started to freak out. I called 911 and they came and took us to College Station Med. They said it was either a virus or an infection. They worked for 3 hours to stabilize him. When I asked if he was going to be okay, they would just say “we are doing everything we can”. The doctors called TCH and they sent a plane over to take Eli to Houston. As we were boarding the plane, the doctor turned to me and said, " This could be a heart problem." My heart just sank because I knew how serious it was. They only had room for one parent on the plane, so I went. I remember being very scared on the ride over because I needed my family there to help me if he died while on the plane. The next morning, they told us what it was and that the surgery was 90% successful….but of course, I was stressing about the 10% chance. Surgery was a week later. I was pleased with his surgeon...he just looked so confident and intelligent! We stayed in the NICU for 6 days, the Cardiac floor for 6 days, and are now on the 15^th floor which is a recovery area for cardiac children). Even though this experience has been VERY traumatic , I am so grateful for every day that I have with Eli. I had a great 1^st mother’s day because I got to hold him for the first time in over 2 weeks. I cannot wait to be at home again!!! I haven’t been home since April 28^th, so Terrie- if my backyard isn’t mowed, tell me so I can get onto Jake for not doing it ( he said he did).

I hope that you are all doing well! I am sure that it is crazy right now because it is the end of the year! Say hello to everyone for me!!

Love,

Michelle and Eli = )

p.s. sent a few pics of him in the hospital after surgery. His hair is a light brown/reddish color and his eyes are dark blue (for now).

Further Update:
Yesterday afternoon (Monday) we got word that they are sending the Prukop family home. So, they are coming home tomorrow! Whoop! Eli is doing great! They wanted them to stay at the Ronald McDonald house but it is really full and has a lot of really sick kids. They do not want him to get a fever or a cold so they said it would probably be best if they just went home. They have to go back on Friday for his last check up.

Praise God!! I know that it will take some time for them to get adjusted to newborn life again, so please continue to pray for the Prukop's!!

Hallelujah!!

2009-05-07T15:50:00.004-05:00

I must document this for myself...

**Both kids, napping for 2 hours now...

**Have not had to get up once to go give little one his pacifier.

**Big kid went right to sleep (for some reason lately he takes about an hour to fall alseep...so out of the ordinary!)

THIS MAKES FOR ONE HAPPY MOMMY!!

Been there, done that...

2009-05-07T15:40:00.003-05:00

Here is a chance for me to reminisce a little:

Cameron at 3 1/2 months:

Cameron at 2 1/2 years:

Oh they grow up so, soo fast...

Eli's Surgery

2009-05-04T22:37:00.004-05:00

Eli will have surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10:00 a.m. The surgery will take about four hours.

I got to talk to Michelle (Eli's mom) on Saturday evening. She said that each day gets a little easier to make it through. They will be at Texas Children's for quite some time...at least two weeks after Eli's surgery.

Here is an e-mail that we received from Michelle on Saturday:

Hi! I am just wanting to let you all know that I appreciate all your support during this difficult time. I am currently in Houston at the Texas Children's Hospital. Eli was admitted here around 2 am on April 29th. On Tuesday night, Eli turned blue and started breathing irregularly. I called 911 and they took him to College Station Med. From there, we were flown to Houston. On Wednesday, they told us that Eli has coarctation of the aorta. His aorta is too narrow for blood to pump through. Luckily, they were able to stabilize him and he is slowly coming off support from machines. On Monday, I will find out who his surgeon is and when the surgery will be. Hopefully after surgery, he will be on the road to recovery. I will be up here for quite some time with him. I will try and keep everyone updated on how his surgery goes. Thank you again for all of your love and support!

After talking with Michelle on Saturday, she told me that she just wants to hold him again. She said the last time she held him was after the paramedics took him from her. My heart breaks for her. She is very nervous about the surgery, but the doctors are very optimistic.

Continue praying for the Prukop family. I will let you know as soon as I know something.

Here is a picture she sent with her e-mail. This is Eli reading at six days...(he is a teacher's son you know!?!?)

Pee and Poop

2009-05-01T15:00:00.003-05:00

I never in a million years would imagine that I could say those two words so many times in a week. But, that is what happens when you potty train a 2 1/2 year old.

That's right...I am crazy! I decided that on my first official week at home with both of the boys that I would potty train Cameron. And believe it or not...it has gone great!!

On Sunday night, Josh and I told Cameron that he wasn't going to be allowed to wear diapers anymore and that he was going to have to use the big boy potty. Monday morning, Cameron woke up and he still hadn't had his morning pee (he hasn't really peed in his diaper during sleep in a long time), so we ran to the potty. With a little fight, he sat there, and sat there, and sat there...AND FINALLY...we hear his little musical potty go off and there in the toilet was this:

(don't you love that I took a picture of it?!?)

I WAS SO EXCITED!! You should of seen the look on his face! He was so proud of himself and has not been in a diaper since!! He called his daddy at work and his cousin Riley. And then, five minutes later, he had his first accident. I think that when he peed in the toilet it scared him a little and he stopped going, so he finished a few minutes later. We immediately packed up and went to Target to go get his Handy Manny tools that I have been promising him and let him pick out some big boy underwear of his own. The cool thing about the tool set is that there are 10 tools total, so every time he went potty in the toilet, I let him pick a tool. He couldn't get the tool chest until he went poop. He also gets to pick two m&m's for pee and five m&m's for poop. Take a peek out our 'bribery' sitting on the back of the toilet seat.

Since that first pee accident on Monday, he has no more accidents in his pants...

Well, pee accidents that is...now poop his a whole other issue! The kid will not poop in the toilet. I can't tell if he is scared or what. He would go in his pants and then tell me "Oh, that's o.k mommy, that just accident, we clean it up". Finally, the other night, we ate dinner in front of the t.v. Instead of him sitting in his booster seat on the floor, I made him sit on his toilet and pulled a tray up to him. Yes, I am crazy. There was my son, eating dinner on the toilet in the living room, watching Wheel of Fortune. He always seems to go poop while he is eating, so I tried to catch him at this perfect time. But, no poop. :( So, we decided to let him run around the house naked and guess what...it worked!! He knew he didn't want to poop on the floor, so he ran to the toilet!!! I know you will be sad, but I did not take a picture of the first poop. I figured I would spare you all!!

Now, we have a little problem. He will still poop in his underwear if he has them on. If I let him run around naked, he will go in the potty. I can't let this boy run around naked for the rest of his life just so he will poop!! Any suggestions out there?

I am so very proud of him and I love seeing the excitement on his face when he goes! He even has the little routine down...pee, then dump it in the toilet, flush, wash hands, get m&m's. He can even explain the whole procedure to you! Way to go Cameron...mommy and daddy are very proud of our big boy!

(He will hate me later in life for taking this!)

And to all of you who read this...thank you for reading my whole story on pee and poop. I hope I didn't disgust you too much!

Eli update

2009-04-29T19:49:00.002-05:00

After visiting with the doctors today, it was determined that Eli has coarculation which means his aorta is closed off. He is on some medication right now so depending on how he reacts to the medicine will determine when he has surgery. Possibly today, tomorrow or even on Friday. Please keep them in your prayers. Megan said the Dr. is optimistic, so that is a little bit comforting.

Michelle texted me today saying that he is having surgery and that she is scared, as she has every right to be.

Please specifically pray for Eli's health, Michelle and Jacob's comfort during this time, and knowledgeable doctors that are ready for surgery. Continue to pray for Eli's heart that it will grow strong and be healthy for a filled life!!

Eli is 8 days old today.

Thank you all!

Please Pray

2009-04-29T08:39:00.004-05:00

My friend and fellow teacher, Michelle, gave birth to her sweet baby boy Eli exactly one month after Cade was born, on April 21st. Michelle and I teach right next door to each other and were very lucky to go through pregnancy together. There were many of morning sickness days between the both of us!!

Our other fellow teacher, Kortni, received the following information yesterday and passed it on to our school family:

Last night I received a phone call from Michelle's sister Megan. As of last night Eli was being flown to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston in critical condition. From the short amount of time that I was able to talk to her she said that he had too much acid in his blood and that he had an infection that could be affecting his heart. Megan texted me this morning and said that they are waiting to hear from the doctors. So please keep Eli, Michelle, and Jacob in your thoughts and prayers today. I will update you all as I get new information. Thanks and have a great day!

I ask that anyone reading this blog today to please send a special prayer for Eli, Michelle, and Jacob. This is such a special time for their family and I hate that Eli is sick. I wish I could explain to you the amount of excitement Michelle has had for Eli's arrival, as any first time mom would have. Here is a picture of Eli when he was born, such a sweet boy!! I will keep you updated.

Bye Bye Paula!!

2009-04-27T15:04:00.006-05:00

As of last Friday, April 24th, Cameron no longer goes to Ms. Paula's house. It was a bitter sweet day for me. I am so excited that it is almost summer because Cameron and I had so much fun together last summer. I am excited that Cameron gets to spend more time at home with Cade and I. And, I am SUPER excited that I don't have to pay daycare for the next four months!! But, on the other hand, it is so hard to find someone you trust to take care of your baby, and that is what we found in Ms. Paula. She has been so great for Cameron. She taught him manners, how to eat with utensils, all about sharing and caring, and so much more that Josh and I wish we could take credit for! Cameron made two really good friends, Ty and Maddy while he was there. They have been there for the entire two years that Cameron went to Ms. Paula's house. Although he loves being at home, he keeps asking me if he can go back to Ms. Paula's to show her fun things (like the new jibbitz that he got for his crocs...)

Paula celebrated Cameron's 'graduation' all day. He got to play with the Thomas train set one last time, got to pick the movie for lunch time, and most importantly, got presents from all of his friends.

Cameron and I also made cupcakes for the celebration:

Reading the directions for the strawberry cupcakes that he had to have:
Time to put them in the oven:
Now we wait for them to bake:
Gather the rainbow sprinkles and icing:
And here is the finished product...and they were super yummy I might add!!

When Cameron got to Paula's house on Friday...there was a huge sign just for him.

And she made him a cap.On a side note...I have been really emotional about Cameron being a 'big boy'. Josh has seen numerous of tears in the last few weeks from me when people talk about how big he has gotten. When he walked in Friday morning and saw the sign, he almost asked Paula to take it down before I got there to pick him up in the afternoon. How sweet is that? Or maybe he just didn't want to deal with my tears anymore...

Cameron opened some wonderful presents and handed some out to his friends. He gave Ms. Paula one last hug and we were gone. It didn't feel like a 'final' goodbye because Cade will go to Ms. Paula's house in August when I return to work. Cameron will start preschool in August. Oh how the time is flying...

Maddy helping Cameron with his presents: (she got him this really neat tunnel for his Thomas train set)

I love Maddy's look in this picture. She looks happy and jealous at the same time!
One last trip around the train track...
A final goodbye:
Thank you Ms. Paula for being so wonderful to Cameron!! We love you like family and are so excited that you get to watch Cade in the fall!!

The future...

"The Magic Pill"---Priceless!

2009-04-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

So, it all started with shingles, then thrush, then acid reflux, a two year old who is teething....and I am sure we aren't done there.

A run down of our medical expenses in the past month:

Shingles medicine-$5
Viacadin for after delivery-$5
Thrush medicine for Cade-$5
Thrush medicine for Dawn-$5
Second round of thrush medicine for Dawn-$5
Two week check up for Cade-$25
Tagamet medicine for reflux-$5
Acid reflux doctor's appointment-$25
Ibprofen for Cameron-$5
and finally (and I am sure there will be more this month...)
Prevacid for Cade (or as Dr. Ransom says 'The Magic Pill' or 'A sleeping pill for mommy and daddy)-$74.11

Yes, you read that right, $74.11 for a two month supply of acid reflux medicine. If it works, it will be TOTALLY worth it!! The tagamet was working, but I could tell it was slowly tapering off, so Josh and I decided to take him to the doc again. He started spitting up again, you know, the yucky cottage cheese stuff. We start our first dose of Prevacid this morning (and just for the record...it is 8:15 and he is still sleeping).

Our grand total:
$159.11 (and that doesn't include the hospital bill from the birth our little angel!)

Happy One Month Cade!!

2009-04-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Cade is one month old. Seriously...where does the time go? It is so weird to think that we were celebrating Cade's arrival one short month ago!! One month of getting up every night, one month of lots of feedings, one month of diaper changes, one month of changing his outfit 100 times a day... and yet we still have so many more months to go!!

Although he is still so little, I thought I would list some of Cade's milestones. I feel so bad that I didn't do this for Cameron. It would have helped a little with Cade's first month. I think I remember things that Cameron did at this age, but most of the time Josh remembers it a little differently. If I only would of written it down...sorry Cameron!

**Cade is still growing like a weed. I haven't weighed him since his two week check up, but I would guess he is over 10 lbs!!

**He is still on medicine for his acid reflux. He takes .8 ml every eight hours. If he misses a dose, I can guarantee you that I will have to change him because he will spit up and then I will have to change my shirt also. I don't want to be that mom that smells like spit up!!

**He slept in his room, by himself, the day after his three week birthday. Thank you Lord for the mom that invented video monitors!!

**Since we got him on his medication, he has become a great sleeper. He gives me one 5 hour stretch and then another 3 hour stretch. We put him down between 9:30-10:00 every night and he usually gets up around 3:00 for his first feeding and goes right back to sleep.

**He is getting better with the swaddle, not fighting it too much. I realized he has to be 75% asleep to stay in the swaddle, anything less and he will fight it.

**He hates his swing, but loves his bouncy chair (which is totally opposite from Son #1)

**He is beginning to like his play mat and will give mommy about 20 minutes of playtime each morning.

**He is slowly growing out of his 0-3 months clothes!! Slow down buddy!

**He is a real trooper with all of mommy's errands during the day. He hates the first five minutes in the car, but after that, we are good to go!!

**His big brother keeps him entertained when he wants to. It is actually pretty nice for mommy!

On a side note, everyone keeps asking me what it is like to have two kiddos. I feel like I can't answer anyone honestly because Cameron is still going to Ms. Paula's house during the day. That being said, this Friday is his last day. I am a little nervous about next week, but I know we will get through it. It has been really nice to have this time to bond with Cade. I have really enjoyed our one on one time together. I don't think he realizes how loud it is about to get during the day!!

I think we have...

2009-04-16T09:37:00.003-05:00

ACID REFLUX!?!?

I spoke with Cade's doctor's office yesterday because Josh and I were finally at our wits end. Poor Cade has been spitting up on average 4-5 times after each feeding. My poor couch has never been cleaned so much and I never knew I would go through more outfits than him in one day!! When he burps, it just sounds painful and unfortunately for mommy (and daddy too) he isn't sleeping much at all during the day and is giving us about hour to hour and half stretches at night.

Dr. Ransom went ahead and called in a prescription for Tagamet, for acid reflux. Already he seems to be more comfy after feedings. He hasn't spit up as much and he is loving his paci a little more...which is good for soothing himself back to sleep.

So, I have some prayers to ask for. Please pray that this medicine takes the pain away from Cade and maybe in return will give us some relief also. Please pray that Cade can become a better sleeper. I am perfectly fine with getting up with him at night, but every hour or so is getting to be a bit much for this momma!! Josh has been great and always is there to help!! I couldn't do it without him!

No parent wants to see their baby in pain! I am ready for him to feel better!

Mommy sees a lot of these eyes during the day (aren't they pretty though?):

I think I would rather see more of this during the day:

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

Well, Easter has come and gone and all of the chocolate candy sitting on my counter is not making loosing weight any easier! But, there is no way I am letting my 2 1/2 year old eat all of that candy...someone has to do it right?

We were quite disappointed to see the weather for Easter Sunday (70% chance of heavy thunderstorms) so our Easter plans changed a little this year. Usually, we go to my family's annual Easter reunion. I have been going since I was a wee little one and haven't missed one since I can remember. With the travel to San Antonio, a 3 week old, and possible chance of rain, we knew that this year was out.

We did however enjoy some super fun Easter activities here in College Station. It started Friday evening at Mamma and Daddy Mike's house. Sharon cooked up some super yummy hamburgers (with the help of Daddy Mike at the grill). She had all sorts of Easter activities planned, which of course included games with prizes! Even the adults got to participate!! Cameron enjoyed his eater egg hunting with Riley and Jace, but enjoyed opening the eggs a little more. I mean what is more exciting than hunting eggs in the front yard and opening them to find candy and money!! Cade was a little to young for hunting, but as you can tell from the picture, enjoyed the festivities as much as everyone else. Thank you Sharon and Mike for a super fun Easter evening!

Saturday morning, Josh headed off to play golf. I was left alone with two kids for the first time! I was so proud of myself, because I managed to shower, play Thomas with Cameron, feed Cade, and even made a quick trip to Wal-Mart for some last minute Easter items. Go me!! My mom and dad (Mimi and Pops) came to Aggieland to share Easter with Cameron. We had a nice lunch at my house (chicken salad stuff avocados...what can get better?!?) and during Cameron's nap, the Easter bunny made a stop in our front yard!! At first he wanted nothing to do with another easter egg hunt (I think because there was no competition, just him), but he soon got right in to it and found all 56 eggs that were hidden. I left my camera and Mamma and Daddy Mike's house, so unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this event!

Overall, we had a great Easter despite the rain on Sunday. Cameron is getting to be a big boy and really is starting to get the idea of these special holidays. It is so neat to see how excited he gets! I always loved Easter and hunting eggs and I love seeing that he loves it too!

Enjoy our pics from Easter weekend!

The kiddos before the big hunt:

And he's off:
He knew exactly where to find them!
He was so proud of his eggs!
Two super cute cousins:
Time to see what is inside!!
Enjoying a little treat:

All of the cousins:
Time for games! Here is the egg on a spoon race...
Cameron didn't care too much for the attention (definitely his daddy's son):
And now on to water balloons. (the camera woman had to take cover, so this is the only pic): Cameron loved it as did the 'big' boys!

We hope everyone had a great Easter!!

Got milk?

2009-04-09T21:53:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: If you have tried this before, I apologize for making fun of it...just not my cup of tea!

I have been reading up on Thrush since Cade and I were diagnosed on Tuesday. During my search, I came across an article on babycenter.com titled:

"My husband wants to taste my breastmilk, is it o.k. if he does.?"

Weird question I think to myself. Then, I read on...and things get even more weird!!

Here is the response from the expert:

It's fine to offer him a taste. If he wants to suckle, though, make sure that you, he, and/or the baby don't have a communicable virus or infection such as thrush or herpes that can pass easily among the three of you.

Remarkably, the immunological properties of breast milk benefit humans at any age. Human milk has even been used in some cases to treat various illnesses in adults. Many breastfeeding mothers tell me that their husbands and older siblings want to try Mom's milk. If you're comfortable with this request, what you do in the privacy of your home is up to you.

Did she seriously use the word 'suckle'? Now, moving on for the more disturbing part...yes, it gets more disturbing...there were 162 replies to this article. Rather than making you read all 162 responses, I thought I would do the work for you and share with you the best ones...

"I personally don't find anything wrong with this, my husband has been drinking my milk off and on for almost 6 years now and let me tell you he has never once gotten sick.... we all got food poisoning and he didn't get sick its amazing how breast milk works :) Good luck and have fun :)"

"after i had my 2nd-(he was adopted)..i pumped my milk and drank it myself.... i didn't get sick in any way for nearly 3 years!!!so yeah,if you wanna share-go for it!! it will benefit you both...."

"Ok, so my hubby didnt ever ask. But, I have a 13yr old cat that sat next to me when I pumped. One day I wasnt paying attention and the bottle filled. She lapped it up and ever since when she hears me sit down with the pump, she is right there and she loves on the pump while I am pumping and purrrrrrs. So, the other day I had filled 1 bottle and only pumped about a 1/4 oz after that, not enough to save. So I put it in a bowl and she drank it. My hubby thinks its gross, but I told him that we drink cows milk, in thought how gross is that. But now my cat is addicted and has tried to grab at the pump while I am pumping. I only give her a tiny bit in a bowl once in a blue moon, but she is super addicted, lol. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I say do what is comfortable."

"We made ice cream with mine! "

And just in case any of you want to read it all, click here.

I just can't believe that some woman would be producing milk for her husband SIX YEARS LATER!! WHAT?!?! And, I love animals and all...but seriously why in the world would you pump milk for your cat? And ice cream? Are these people joking? I really hope so...

Now...off to give some milk...TO MY SON!!

Meet Mr. Porker

2009-04-07T15:54:00.003-05:00

Cade and I visited Dr. Ransom's office today for his two week check-up. I thought I would have it all together as a 'second time mom' but apparently I don't, because this doc's appointment could not of come at a more perfect time! I had so many questions:

1. Why does he spit up so much? Is it reflux? Is he gaining weight?
2. Why is his skin peeling?
3. Why is his tongue all white?
4. Why do my boobs itch so much? (sorry if you have never breast fed or are a boy and are reading this question)
5. Is he sick? (Cameron had a fever and was throwing up all weekend)
6. Are my shingles still contagious and are they affecting him in anyway?
7. Why does he continue to break out of his swaddle each night?

Most of my questions were prefaced with "I don't remember this with Cameron, but..."

Before I give the answers to my questions, I must dedicate this post to our most awesome pediatrician, Dr. Ransom. He always keeps me calm (I have a tendency to over analyze EVERYTHING) and I trust him 100%!! I never knew how important it was to pick a good pediatrician!! My advice to new moms...pick a doctor you love...the most important questions and fears you have are answered by them, so make sure you trust them 100%!!

O.k...back to the questions...he does not have reflux (hint hint...my over analyzing!) and now weighs a whopping 9 lbs 2oz!! GO CADE GO!! I see a job in his future:I think the 9.2 lbs. has something to do with why he breaks out of the swaddle each night...the boy is so strong!! I may have to take my friend Courtney and Sam's advice...use duck tape!! (Just kidding of course!) As for the skin peeling...totally normal (and I knew this, but had to ask!) And, no, he isn't sick!! According to Dr. Ransom he is a very healthy little boy!!

Now, for the white tongue and itchy boobs...lucky us...we have THRUSH!! First shingles, now thrush...will my body every be normal? Basically it is a yeast infection that we are passing back and forth to each other and should be cured in a week with some medicine he prescribed. It makes for two painful boobies, but luckily as of now, it doesn't seem to be bothering Cade at all. And the shingles are getting better, but I am ready for them to be GONE!!

That is all for now, oh except I must take Dr. Ransom's advice and take lots of pictures...so here are a few for you to enjoy:

Not a great pic, but he is still a cutie!!
My boys...Cameron loves to give Cade hugs!

Daddy + Brush = NO GOOD!!

2009-04-03T14:00:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when I leave Josh alone in the room with a newborn and a freshly washed head of hair:

Cade at 12 days after Daddy combs his hair:

Cameron at 2 months after Daddy combs his hair:

Thank you Josh for stylin' our boys!

Jesus Loves Me

2009-03-31T19:15:00.000-05:00

This is Cameron's new favorite thing to do and it is really cute when he sings it to Cade. I love this guy!! Sorry it is a little shaky...

A Walk in the Park

2009-03-30T20:17:00.006-05:00

Throughout the last few months of my pregnancy, Josh would take Cameron to Research Park at A&M to feed the ducks and turtles so that I could have 'mommy' time. (Which most of the time resulted in me laying on the couch!) Yesterday, we packed the family up and headed up to Research Park together. The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday and I enjoyed seeing Cameron get so excited over the ducks and turtles.

Josh said that he isn't taking me back to the park because I got too nervous with Cameron getting so close to the water and all of the dogs running around without a leash. Oh well...

Cameron liked pushing Cade's stroller:

Daddy giving Cameron some bread:
The ducks loved Cameron:
Cade came along for moral support:

A Father/Son moment:After feeding the ducks, Cameron and Daddy played chase:

Just to prove that I wasn't there as just the photographer:
My big boy:

Eat, Sleep, Poop

2009-03-28T15:47:00.002-05:00

What I love about my newborn boy:

He is so fun to cuddle
He is really squishy
His little 'coos' when he is fast asleep
His smiles from nowhere and how fast they come and go away
Watching his big brother hold him
Seeing how happy people get when they see him
Watching his little movements and finally being able to put two and two together as to what all those kicks were when his was in my tummy
His little feet and hands
Picking out his outfit for the day (even though 90% of them don't fit!)
and finally...that he is FINALLY here!! Nine months is too long!!

Welcome Home Cade!

2009-03-24T21:40:00.004-05:00

Introducing Cade Walker Newton, born March 21, 2009 at 7:26 a.m.

I am proud to announce that I am the mom to the most wonderful, healthy baby boy. Cade made his entrance into this world at 7:26 on March 21st, weighing in at 7lbs. 12oz, 20 1/2 inches long. Big Brother Cameron loves his 'My Cade' and has his jealous moments, but overall, is doing great with the adjustment. Check out this video of the two brothers in the hospital:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So, for the story. I started having contractions about 8:00 Friday night. They were pretty intense, so we started timing them. They were about 2-3 minutes apart, but when I would get up and walk around, they wouldn't last as long. I was torn as to whether not it was time to go or not. So, we called Daddy Mike (Josh's Dad) to come over and watch Cameron just in case. The two big men were busy watching the basketball tournament, so I decided to wait until the two games that went into overtime were over. We left the house (me, Josh, and my mom) at about 11:30. I realized half way there that if we checked in to the hospital before midnight (even if it was 11:59) that they would charge us for a whole day (don't you love insurance?), so we waited in the parking lot for about 15 minutes before actually going in! Once we finally got up to labor and delivery, the nurse checked to see if I was dilated and I was still only 2cm and 50% effaced, which is what I was at the doctor's office the day before. She told me I was just dehydrated and ordered me to drink a HUGE glass of water and she would check me again in an hour to see if this was the real thing or not. Apparently, if it wasn't the water would make my contractions go away. When she was leaving the room, I told her that I was not leaving the hospital without a baby, even if the doc had to start pitocin. She had no reply and just left. Needless to say, I couldn't drink all of that water, so I made my mom poor most of it down the sink!! Thanks Mom for being my culprit!!

She came in an hour later and told me that the doc said I could stay! YIPEE!! And even better, the sweet nurse (who we came to call YaYa) went ahead and ordered my epidural!! What a smart woman!! I cried the entire time they put in my I.V. and Josh was a trooper and held my hand the whole time. The I.V. is seriously the worst part of having a baby for me!! The wonderful anesthesiologist came in about 2:30 to give me the epidural and wasn't sure he could do it at first because of my wonderful shingles. I never thought of that, but luckily, the shingles were about two inches away from where he was going to put in the epidural, so with some careful work, he was able to work around it. Josh was great through the epidural and held my hand without even taking a peak, but right at the end, I looked at him and his poor face was as white as a ghost. He quickly left the room and mom stepped in. I don't know what happened to Joshy, but luckily he left the room before fainting! Needless to say, neither of us do very good with needles!

About 4:00, the checked me again and I was only dilated to a 4. The doc came in at 5:00 and broke my water and told me that the reason my water hadn't broke is because my bladder was so full. Thank you nurse YaYa who made me drink all of that water!! At around 5:45, I started feeling my contractions a little. This never happened with Cameron. The nurse checked me again, and I was dilated to a 6!! Go me!! Again, around 6:15 or so, I could really feel tightness during a contraction and was having to breath through them a little. She decided to check me again and I was an 8!! They called my doctor (who came up just to deliver me and then went home to celebrate her twin's first birthday) and Cade made his entrance into this world at 7:26. Josh, my mom, his mom, 3 nurses, and Dr. Harrell were all there to welcome him. I felt a lot more this time and wish that the epidural had worked a little longer. I didn't feel it ALL, but too much for me!! But, when I look at my little boy, I know it was all worth it.

Cameron and Daddy came up to meet Cade around noon that day. We enjoyed a couple of hours of being a family of four. Cade brought Cameron some new trains and sticker books and Cameron was in love with his gift. He loves to hug and kiss on Cade (as you can see from the video above). We have had a few visitors since we have been home and luckily they all pay special attention to Cameron, so he thinks they are there for him.

Enjoy these pictures of our new family!

Cade Walker Newton:
Big Brother Cameron:

Big Brother Cameron showing off his train gift from Cade: (he is so proud of these trains)
Cameron giving his brother some lovin':
So now I face the challenge of keeping this blog up to date with all of the 'going ons' in the Newton family. I am sure I will get better with time!

Thank you all for your well wishes and congratulations! We love our sweet boy and feel so blessed to have to WONDERFUL sons!!

WE HAVE A BABY!!!

2009-03-21T20:37:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!!! This is Katie, Dawn's SIL, writing to tell you that Dawn gave birth to the cutest little guy ever (other than Cameron of course) this morning!!!! He has less hair than Cameron did, but its still dark. I think the common feeling is that he looks a little like Cameron, and a little like Cade.... PERFECT! :) Both mom and baby are doing great, just really tired. She is even being able to nurse Cade (not sure she would be able to with shingles)! Dawn asked me to post the stats, so here goes:

Born: 3-21-09

Time: 7:26 am

Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz

Length: 20 1/2 in

Cameron came to see little brother today and the first meeting went great! :) He asked if he could "pet Cade"! :):) T00 cute.

The only other info I know is that she thinks they will probably be headed home on monday. Just continue to keep this precious new family of four in your prayers... we are so thankful for a safe and healthy delivery and baby!!!!

Still pregnant and now...

2009-03-20T12:01:00.002-05:00

I have shingles!!

O.k., before everyone gets grossed out like I did in the doctor's office, shingles is just a form of chicken pox. I have had chicken pox, but when you get chicken pox (usually as a child) the shingles virus stay dormant in your spine until something, like stress, triggers it. Lucky me. That is what all of the doctors keep saying with this poor pathetic look on their face. They are very uncomfortable and it is really hard to sleep on my back or left side right now (because of the shingles). So, I am limited to right side sleeping which, for me, calls for more charlie horses and a crick in my neck. Poor Dawn right?

Because the shingles is a chicken pox strand, the biggest concern is for Cameron and Cade right now. Cameron has had his first chicken pox vaccine, but he still cannot come in direct contact with my breakout. Cade is who I am really worried about. The doctors seemed more worried about him after birth. It will make it very hard for me to breastfeed or even hold him as he REALLY cannot come in contact with the rash. I cannot imagine a newborn with chicken pox. And, I'm a little torn as to what I should do when he born. Should I hold him? This question keeps going through my head over and over again. I have called the pediatrician and I feel like God has already answered my prayers because he was on vacation, but is back now. Dr. Ransom has been so wonderful to Cameron and I trust him completely. He doesn't seem to worried about me holding Cade, just more about me breastfeeding b/c Cade will be in such close contact to the rash.

I feel like I have given my life away in the post. It sounds so gross!!! But, I wanted you all to know so you can pray for my sweet boys. I just don't want them getting chicken pox at such a young age. I am probably making more of it than I should, but isn't that what a mommy is to do?

On a lighter note, I had contractions all day yesterday and thought for sure that this was it. We went to the doctor (I had an appointment anyways) with hopes that she would send us to the hospital, but no luck. She said I was in early labor and wanted me to go home and relax. Well, the relaxing made the contractions go away and I officially had 'false labor'. Lets hope this doesn't happen again!! I am officially 39 weeks, which is when Cameron was born.

That is all for the updates now. Cameron has been enjoying the company of my Aunt Debbie all week and now Mimi is here to entertain him a little. He is really excited about seeing his Cade Walker!

Hurry Cade Walker!

2009-03-13T14:01:00.002-05:00

Tic-toc, tic-toc...

I am so ready to meet my son! I officially had my last day of work today and according to the doctor, Cade could make his arrival any day now. I am so excited, Josh is a little nervous, and Cameron talks non-stop about his brother Cade Walker (always calls him by both names). His favorite thing to do is try to lift my shirt to show complete strangers my belly. That was really nice last night when we went to go play glow in the dark putt-putt. Cameron tried to lift my shirt to show them his 'big little brother' and needless to say, the people golfed a little faster after that!! Thank you Cameron.

The doc says I am 2cm, 50% effaced. I was 2cm when I made it to the hospital with Cameron, after my water broke, and he came 4 hours later. I ask that you please pray for a healthy baby, a healthy delivery, and most of all, that I make it to the hospital in time to get an epidural!! I don't think I can handle natural childbirth...props to all of you out there who can!!

Please also keep Cameron in your prayers. He is so excited about Cade, but I don't think he has any idea how his little life is about to be flipped upside down. I just want him to know that his mommy still loves him...it has been my biggest fear this whole pregnancy! He is going to be a great big brother, but I don't want him to think we forgot about him!

O.k...I have to go rest like my doctor ordered. Well, really I am probably going to go 'nest' a little...my carpet needs to be vacuumed for the fourth time this week!

Love to you all!

Cade Walker's Room

2009-03-08T22:28:00.003-05:00

And yes...IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!

If Cade were to come today (which according to the doc could really be any day), he would have a nice, cozy room to come home to! I am so excited that we are finished with his room! The boy is very lucky because he gets his own room, plus he gets to share his room with any guests that brave the Newton household!! This made decorating for a little one a little tough. I wanted his room to be boyish and for a baby, but I also didn't want my guests (aka-my mom) to feel like they were sleeping in a nursery!

I originally wanted to do blue, black, and white for Cade's room, but after searching for a black crib, I realized I couldn't really find anything I liked. So, I got the 'espresso' color (see this entry on picking out the crib) and that is where we switched to blue, brown, and white.

Before I post pictures, I must give a HUGE shout out to GRAN. She has worked so hard for me in making sure that Cade's room was perfect! She made all of the bedding for the full size bed and slaved over the curtains!! (I promise to never pick that fabric again, even though they look PERFECT!!) She is so creative and honestly, my children would not have the cool things they do (curtains in their room, a way cool bumper and quilt for Cameron and so much more) if it weren't for her! She made my fabric purchases stretch so far. I can't believe that she sewed me a complete bedding set, including 5 pillows with the fabric I bought. I was hoping that there would be enough for just a duvet cover! She has inspired me to learn how to sew (well maybe with a little push so I quit asking her to do so much for me! Just kidding!) So, to you Jeannie, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You have made this 'nesting' mom's brain relax a little more in knowing how perfect and creative your work always is!! Now, I promise...no more projects---well atleast until the next one comes along.

And on to the pictures. Remember pictures don't do the room justice!! Enjoy!!

Cade's Crib and letter's that I made:
The Curtains!! (I love them and they really tie the room together!)
The Bedding...made by Gran!!
The view when you walk in the room:
Another view when walking in the room:
The other art work that I made:
My rocking chair from when I was a kiddo (just 'updated' a little):
Cade's Closet (and I have another box of clothes to wash!!)

Now we are just missing a little Cade to make the room perfect!! Hurry up Cade...your mommy is ready to put the finishing touch on your room!

No, No Bachelor!!

2009-03-03T18:58:00.007-06:00

Oh no he didn't!

And to think, I thought this was a 'real' bachelor. Ohhhh how ABC fooled me!! And as Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View said today 'This is six weeks of my life that I will never get back'. Six weeks? I believed this man for six weeks!!! I was so 'Team Jason'. He seemed so real, so different than then other men ABC had picked. What a game they played with me (and many others it seems).

Yes, I watched ALL three hours last night. No, I did not sleep last night (and it isn't because I'm pregnant). All I could think about is how wrong he was in what he did.

And, poor, poor Melissa. Her emotions seemed so real last night, but I kinda think she was expecting it. Maybe not the whole 'I'm in love with Molly' thing, but I think she definitely knew that something was up. I loved that she called him that name (not appropriate for a 'family' blog).

And, I can't be mad at Molly, but seriously, who makes out with a man on a couch on nationwide t.v. five minutes after he broke the heart of another woman? Makes me believe that ABC pulled another one me and that Molly knew what was going to happen and has been in contact with Jason for the past two months.

I shouldn't even waste my time with tonight's 'official' After the Rose show, but yes, I do have it TIVO'ed and I'm sure I will stay up tonight to watch it. More life wasted!

And in case Melissa reads my blog (as I'm sure she does), I have some advice for her. Remember Jeremy from Deanna's season of The Bachelorette? (if you don't check out my blog when I met him) Anyways, he's hot, and appeared single when I met him. He is was super nice and even better, lives in Dallas, right where Melissa lives. I think she should give him a shot. Don't you think they look cute together?

Thank goodness I have a new baby on the way to get my mind off of this season of The Bachelor, oh and I also have American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Oh what would my life be without reality t.v. and TIVO?

Happy Birthday Mamma!!

2009-02-23T10:50:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to the best Mom, Mother-in-law, and Mamma a family could have!!

We are truly very lucky to have Sharon in our lives!! Thank you for everything and we hope this day is everything you wish for and more!!

My family in playdough

2009-02-23T08:51:00.003-06:00

I got a little carried away last night when playing playdough with Cameron.

Here is the outcome:

And you would think that I would of gotten enough playdough time by being an elementary school teacher!!

My lil reader!

2009-02-20T08:54:00.003-06:00

After cleaning the kitchen the other night, this is what Josh and I walked in on...

He just climbed himself right up in the recliner and started 'reading' his Thomas phamplet. He loves that thing!!

When you ask him what he is doing, he says "I readin' mommy."

My Sunday Craft Project

2009-02-15T18:07:00.005-06:00

We are in the final phases of putting Cade's room together. I promise to post pictures of the finished project once we get everything for the walls. I am still waiting on a few more pictures and curtains. (Well, waiting for the fabric for the curtains to go on sale at Hobby Lobby so I can actually afford it!!)

Anyways, I have always loved the letters in Cameron's room, and wanted something similar for Cade's room. After searching for cute letters on the internet, I couldn't see myself spending $15-$30 a letter!! So, thanks to all of my creative friends out there, I headed to Hobby Lobby to make them myself. $29 later, I had all the items I needed, and an idea in mind.

So after purchasing:
**four pieces of scrapbook paper
**four picture frames
**the letters C-A-D-E and
**some ribbon
and this is what I have:These pictures don't do my craft project justice, and I still have some 'tweaking' to do, but overall, I'm happy with the outcome.

Now the question is, do you think Cade will notice what his mommy did for him?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T20:59:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who reads this!

And to each of you I send...
And could a girl's life get any better? Aren't you so jealous of my valentines?

And lucky me, this time next year, I will have THREE very special valentines!

According to babycenter.com, right now, Cade is only the size of:

Even though I feel like this:
FIVE MORE WEEKS TO GO!!!

Happy Birthday Riley!!

2009-02-12T08:39:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that my niece is four today!! I seriously can still picture myself seeing her for the first time and it feels like it just happened five minutes ago!!

Cameron was so excited this morning when we reminded him that today was Riley's birthday. He couldn't wait to give her a call!

Anyways, for Riley's fourth birthday, here is my list of top four reasons why we love Riley:

1. Her imagination. The girl is super creative and I love to see what she comes up with next.
2. She is a great singer and I love it when she sings for us at the dinner table!
3. She loves Cameron and 90% of the time, they play together great!
4. She is a great addition to our family and we love having her around!

Happy Birthday Ms. Ri!! I hope your day is great!

I have always loved this picture of us!

The momma's and their kiddos (the first time Cameron and Jace met!!)

A conversation with a two year old...

2009-02-11T15:40:00.001-06:00

** I had to add another story!**

The following story took place at our house Sunday morning when I woke up.

Cameron, who was laying on the couch with his daddy is crying and being fussy.

Mommy: Cameron, what's the matter? (in a nice, caring voice)
Cameron: I in a mood. (in a whiny, leave me alone voice)

Oh how I love that explanation. I think he may of heard me say that one too many times during this pregnancy.

As I was putting Cameron to sleep last night, he pointed to my mouth said:
Cameron: Mommy, what that?
Mommy: That is my mouth.
Cameron: No mommy. What on chin?
Mommy: Thanks Cameron, that is a pimple.
Cameron: What pimple mommy? (with a disgusting look on his face)
Mommy: It is something Mommy doesn't like either.
Cameron: I don't like it pimple. Want me to take it off?
Mommy: No thank you and good night son. You just made my day!

Cameron is a BIG BOY!!

2009-02-09T15:32:00.004-06:00

New twin size quilt: $25 on sale at Target

New twin size headboard: $150 at Pottery Barn Outlet (a great story by the way)

New train sheets: $8 on sale

Watching your son turn in to a big boy: Priceless, and a little sad too!!

I have been wanting to post this for quite a while now! Over Christmas, Cameron made the transition into his big boy bed. It took a while for me to find bedding that I liked, but as of now, I am satisfied. I was really trying to stay away from anything to 'themey', but you all know by now that the boy loves trains. So, I caved in and bought him some train sheets and you can't even see them in the picture.

The transition has been very smooth and Cameron still has no idea that he can even get out of his big boy bed on his own. He still waits for Josh or I to come in and get him each morning. I love going in and checking in on him at night...he looks like such a big kid all snuggled in his big boy bed.

We have two problems though...one, he is still attached to the pacifier (or 'tass' as he calls it) and if he loses it at night, he starts crying so we have to go in there and find it for him. And then, he fell out of the bed one night. Probably the saddest thing that Josh witnessed, but when he walked in to Cameron's room 2:00 in the morning, Cameron was crying, still half asleep laying on the floor. Luckily, he didn't hit anything, but still a little scary for the lil man! Now, Cameron will only sleep close to the wall because 'Pamron might fall off'.

The Before

Cameron trapped while we take down the crib.

And the after:

We took out Cameron's chest of drawers and right now, his clothes get hung and pj's and socks got into these buckets in his hutch. I didn't think I would like it very much, but I love that we are using his hutch more now, rather than just for decoration!

Also, you can see that his train table is now in his room. This is the best thing ever and he spends so much more time playing in his room. Before, the table was in his closet and we would have to pull it out each time he wanted to play with it.

All I have left to do is find some thing to hang on the walls. What you see now was left over from his nursery and is not staying. Any suggestions?

Fishing with Daddy Mike and the Gang

2009-02-09T08:48:00.004-06:00

While some of my friends hosted a 'celebration' for Cade and I at a local restaraunt, Cameron, Josh, Riley, Jace, Uncle Jordan, Matt, and Daddy Mike all went fishing for Daddy Mike's 56th birthday!!

This was Cameron's first fishing trip. He really enjoyed playing with the new batman fishing pole that Josh bought him at home, but apparently, wasn't into fishing that much. He did however, enjoy wearing the life jacket that Mamma wanted all of the kids to wear. So, while exploring the fields around the tank where they went fishing, Cameron sported his life jacket (which he calls his back pack).

I was very proud of Josh because he got some good pics of the kids! Enjoy!

Cameron & Jace excited about the fishing ahead!!

EWWW Uncle Jordan! Look at those worms!!

A proud father with his son's catch!

Yes, that is cow manure, and yes, poor Jace fell right in to it!!

Like Father like son!

Daddy Mike looks very proud of his catch!

My lil Rock Star!

2009-02-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

Check out our little drummer! Yes, that is Nirvana playing in the background. Don't ask!!

I love how his mouth is wide open! Thanks Dennis for letting Cameron play your drums!

My Brother is a Step Dad!!

2009-02-03T08:28:00.004-06:00

O.k...well, not to a human anyways! Sorry Erin and Dennis, I had to do it!!

Starting at 4:15 Monday morning, Dakota, Erin's German Shepard began delivering her 7 puppies!! WOW!! I am so glad that I only have one!!

Last night, Cameron, Josh, and I went over to their house to welcome the newest additions. Cameron wanted to climb in the bed with Dakota and her puppies, so needless to say the visit was short. He did however get to pet the little creatures!

I loved hearing their little cries. It just got me more in the mood to have this baby!!

Here are some pictures from the evening:

A School Story

2009-01-30T16:18:00.004-06:00

So excuse me as I venture away from our family blog for a moment and share a sweet thing I saw at school today.

Our school has really been focusing on math this year, so as part of our 'Math Initiative', our Math Specialist has put up an interactive math bulletin board for the school. She has put activities on their such as 'List things that come in pairs' or 'Tell me about the Number ___'. The point of the board is to at some point have your students answer the question and then put their answers on the board for all to see.

Well, this six weeks, the activity is to list things that are possible and then list things that are impossible. Here is what the board looks like:

I was wondering what kind of responses we would get and then there, right in the middle of the 'possible' side is this:
Is that not so sweet? Probably not the exact answer the Math Specialist was looking for, but I mean.... duh? I think this little boy got it right and helped bring a smile to my face!

My Sweet, Sweet Boy

2009-01-27T08:17:00.002-06:00

I have to share this sweet moment that we caught Cameron doing last night.

Every Monday, his Mamma picks him up from Ms. Paula's house. They always play and have a grand time!! Last night, Josh and I went to pick Cameron up. When we got there, he was pushing a doll stroller around with one of Riley's baby dolls, which is named Baby Josh. He was so proud...his dad, not so much! But, we let it slide (and this isn't the first time that he wanted to play with the doll).

Anyways, as the adults were talking, I noticed that Cameron had found himself a nice, cozy seat in Mamma's rocking chair with baby Josh. Then, the best of all, he was singing 'Jesus Loves Me' to his baby. After the song, he held baby Josh's hand and they said their prayers. It was so sweet to hear 'Dear God' come out of his little mouth.

He was following our night time routine and I was so happy to spy in on his special moment, even if he was playing with a doll. Whenever he 'pretends' he hates for any of us to see, so you should of seen all of us adults peeking around the corner at this sweet sight.

Oh, I love moments like this! Now, if I could just gotten a picture?!?!?!

My Guilty Pleasure

2009-01-26T16:09:00.003-06:00

Seriously, as far as eating goes, this pregancy could not of come at a better time. First off, I was five months preggo at Thanksgiving, and luckily just ending the what seemed never ending morning sickness. Needless to say, my plate at Thanksgiving looked a lot like this and did I feel guilty about eating that much...not really!

And then comes Christmas. Time for deserts galore, yummy chocolate fugde, and even better lots of Christmas parties. Did I eat more than I should of? Heck ya! Did I feel guilty about it...not this year! I will worry about loosing the pounds once Cade gets here.

Now, of all times, it is Girl Scout Cookie time. And even better, I work at an elementary school, so how in the world can I turn down my students when they ask me to buy cookies? So five boxes later, I am just feeling a little guilty. But not enough to make me stop eating.

Now, after Cade gets here, I will probably have a blog that reads "How did I get this fat?" Look for that come March.

A Simple Thank You

2009-01-23T20:18:00.002-06:00

My sis-in-law (who has a great new blog by the way...) sent me this website to send President Bush a simple thank you. It is seriously one click away. Regardless of your political views, he did aide in keeping us safe during his presidency. Maybe we should take the time to thank him? Click here if you want to send G.W. a thank you!

My Aunt has a new 'ass'

2009-01-20T16:14:00.005-06:00

O.k., first off I am not cussing. I have parent's of my students who read this blog, and the title has nothing to do with a cuss word. I just couldn't resist.

I had the best laugh today thanks to my Aunt Debbie. As some of you know, Debbie and Mark live in Cotulla, down in South Texas on their ranch. It is a great place to hang out with family, and even better, Cameron really loves it down there.

Better yet, Debbie and Mark have a donkey named Miss Katie. She is like part of the family as she loves to join my grandma for her morning coffee sometimes up on the front porch. And, I would like to add that it has added for some confusion in my little family, as my sister-in-law and Cameron's aunt, is also named Katie. In no way am I referring to Aunt Katie as a donkey, but Cameron does look at Miss Katie a little weird sometimes!! Thanks Katie for a being a sport about that!

Anyways, this is the e-mail I received from Aunt Debbie today:

It is with great excitement that Mark and I announcement the birth of a new member to our family. Our "ass," Katie had another little baby ass. Mom and baby are doing well. She had him/her out in the pasture so we had to load him/her on the back of our huntin' truck and proceed slowyback to the barn...Katie was in hot persuit. She is really a great mom. At first we couldn't get very close...she would head us off at the pass...but now we can actually pet him/her (I really need to take a good look down there). The dogs are really curious too! Katie will only let them get so close before she takes off after them.

He/she was born sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning. We haven't picked out a name yet...I guess we really need to find out the sex first.

And of course, what would this post be without a picture of Debbie's new ass?!?!?

Congrats Debbie and Mark on the new addition to your family! May Miss Katie's lil one be spoiled rotten like you spoil my lil one!

Cade's New Bed

2009-01-19T15:58:00.003-06:00

I am so excited because Cade has a new crib!! We had no intention what-so-ever in buying Cade a new bed, as Cameron's crib was just fine. And since Cameron has now moved into a big boy bed (more on that later), we could just use his bed for Cade's. Well, after doing some research (and b/c my sis-in-law pointed it out to me), I realized that Cameron's crib had a recall on it. Luckily, this meant that we just had to send in a few screws from his crib and they would send us a voucher for new crib...and viola, Cade now is the proud owner of a brand new crib.

Sharon, Cameron and I headed to the Woodland's today to pick out his new bed, and we came home with the one pictured below, in espresso. I can't wait to see it all put together and in his room. I have his bedding all picked out (which will be sort of like a Tiffany blue and white) and now it is just a matter of cleaning out the guest bedroom/computer room and making it into a nursery/guest room. How this furniture will all fit, I may never know, but it just has to work.

Anyways, it was an exciting day for Mr. Cade and he doesn't even know it!! I will post pics of his room once we get it all put together!

And did you know that Cade's arrival is a short 8 1/2 weeks away!?!?! Where did the time go?

'Cameron'isms

2009-01-19T15:55:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to post this for quite some time now and am so glad to finally find the opportunity to sit down and write this...thanks to Mimi who is walking with Cameron to the park to play basketball.

When Cameron first started talking (a long while ago) I was really worried because he would never put two words together. I just knew that we would have some speech problems. Well, as a teacher, I should of known that time was the best solution, especially when he has my talking genes! My little boy is a talking fool and the things that comes out of his mouth keep Josh and I laughing each day.

So without making you wait anymore (as I am sure you are on pins and needles), here is a list of Cameron sayings, along with a few conversations that we have recently had with our little man.

A List of the Top Eleven Cameron Sayings:

1. "But I wake up morning" (we can only gather this to mean that he doesn't want to go to bed because he already woke up in the morning, other than that, we have no idea!!)

2. "Mommy (or any adult name), no say ya." (We have been trying to break him of saying 'ya' when he answers a question, so I guess he hears it a lot)

3. "Oh, be careful honey" (probably my favorite although he does not say it much anymore)

4. "I happy (or sad or sick)" (we think he got this from watching so much Thomas the Train that and that he is really paying attention to their facial expressions)

5. "Oh, I get Diesel for mistmas" (or any other toy, as he really enjoyed Christmas this year and I don't think has realized that Christmas is over)

6. "All Aboard" (he shouts this with one little hand covering his cheek, oh so cute!)

7. "I big brother" (he seems really excited about Cade's arrival)

8. "I got a Cade too" as he lifts his shirt and points to his belly. (I don't know how I am going to explain to him how Cade got out of my tummy and is he going to actually expect to have a Cade too?)

9. "Mommy, I ready dinner." (as if I'm not cooking fast enough for him)

10. "I love you bye" (all in one breath and I don't know why he tacks on the bye at the end, but he always does)

11. "I need my mamma tass" (Mamma being his blanky and tass being his pacifier) Side note: It makes it really hard when you are going through the store and he is pouting for his 'mamma' and I'm telling him "No Cameron, you can't have your mamma". I can only imagine what strangers are thinking.

Some conversations overhead between Cameron and a lucky adult:

Recently with mommy:
Cameron: "Mommy, I go Chucky Cheese"
Mommy: "Oh Cameron, maybe we can go with Mamma or Daddy Mike, but not right now."
Cameron: (sitting in his car seat, leaning forward with hands in the air) "What are you talking about mommy?"

Recently with Daddy:
Cameron: "Oh I go see Christmas lights with Mamma, Daddy Mike, Riley, Jace."
Daddy: "That's right Cameron, you all went to see lights in the park."
Cameron: "Daddy, I see Eskimos."
Daddy: "Really Cameron, you saw Eskimos?"
Cameron: "Ah, I just kiddin Daddy" (with a huge grin on his face)

Recently with Mimi (Dawn's mom):
Mimi: "Cameron, look at Mimi's finger, I hurt it"
Cameron: "Oh Mimi. Mommy need to kiss it?"

There are so many fun moments that we have with this little guy and this post does not do Cameron's sense of humor justice. I know that there is much more to add, but I just had to document some of the things that come out of his mouth on a daily basis!

(And what post is complete without a picture?!!?)

29 Weeks...the countdown is here!!

2009-01-09T21:42:00.002-06:00

Well, Cade is growing...and growing a little too fast for mommy! All of a sudden, I feel pregnant! I'm having a hard time breathing, because Cade has made himself cozy right in my lungs, and it is getting hard to find a comfy position to sleep in at night. And boy can this little man kick! I really don't remember Cameron moving around as much as Cade does, but I must have bruising on the inside!! And every time Cade kicks me, Cameron says 'No Cade, be nice mommy'. Oh what brotherly love!!

On a side note, I am so happy because my doctor returned from maternity leave and I finally got to see her. I really did not like my other two (yes I had two doctors because I just didn't click with my first one) and I am so happy to have Dr. Harrell back! She has delivered three of us from my school, so I almost feel like she is family. Now, lets just pray she is on call when Cade decides to make his way into this world!!

Josh and I got to have another ultrasound after Christmas. Cade had grown so much and I really think he looks like Cameron. Josh says I'm crazy and really can't tell by the black and white ultrasound picture, but I really think I am right. The ultrasound tech said everything was great and Dr. Harrell backed her up at my last appointment. It is just good to hear that my body is doing what it supposed to do...make a healthy baby!!

Cameron talks about Cade all of the time and says he wants to play trains with him, give him a bottle, and take a bath with him. I really think he is excited, but we will see once Cade gets here!

We are preparing fast over here in Aggieland. The guest bedroom is slowly being changed in to a guest/nursery. Cameron has moved into his big boy bed (more to come later) and I think I have gathered most of Cade's bedding. At some point, we will gather all of Cameron's baby essentials (the swing, bouncer, etc.) from the attic. I just can't believe he is so close to making his appearance into this world! Hurry up!

Christmas 2008...1021 miles!!

2009-01-09T15:41:00.009-06:00

Christmas this year was eventful, tiring, and so entertaining!! Our Christmas was spent traveling...A LOT!!! Next year will be different (although I say that every year). Josh and I are just really blessed with a lot of family that wants to see us over the holidays. O.k...maybe they really want to see Cameron, but I like to think it is me that they want to celebrate with!

Our celebration started on December 23rd at Josh's parents. We enjoyed a yummy dinner of steak and shrimp. Sharon's house is beautiful at Christmas and always gets me in the holiday spirit.

Sharon's Christmas Tree

Mamma, Daddy Mike, Riley, Jace and Cameron

Look at these two CrAzY cousins!! (Jace found a red marker and Cameron looks like he is trying to poop)

After dinner, Mike read the story of Jesus' birth to the kiddos and the kids help put together the nativity scene. It was about the neatest thing I have seen and was so special. We have decided that this will be an annual tradition. And even better, our nativity scene had three baby Jesus' because all of the kids wanted one! (side note...Cameron and his Mamma were out and about at Wal-mart over the holidays and Cameron saw a small baby Jesus. He wanted it really bad and Sharon said that she couldn't say no to Jesus, so, now she has an extra baby Jesus for her nativity)

Daddy Mike reading to the kiddos

The kids with THEIR navity scene

After the wonderful story, we all got together and played children friendly games, including 'Pop Your Opponents Balloon' and 'Hot Potato'. Cameron enjoyed hot potato so much (watch the video) and was really happy that he won the balloon game (all the kiddos won).

After game playing, it was time to open presents. Cameron wasn't much into this at first, but once he opened his new Percy train (which he talked about all Christmas), he was really excited about Christmas. While Riley and Jace were busy opening presents, Cameron sat and looked over the Thomas pamphlet that came with his new train. It was too cute.

Cameron with his new bridge and trains.

What Cameron did while everyone opened presents

Cameron tucked away sleeping with his new 'Bill'

The kiddos went to bed, and the adults went to work on putting together their new John Deer Gator. The next morning, the kids woke to the new Gator in the living room and really enjoyed driving each other around. Well, maybe Mamma and Daddy Mike enjoyed chasing them in the Gator (Cameron hasn't mastered steering just yet!!).

Cameron on the new John Deer Gator (Mamma and Daddy Mike are driving)

Oh, and I would personally like to thank Mamma and Daddy Mike for this...

This toy has now been hidden!!

On Christmas Eve, Santa made an early stop at our house. Cameron was super pumped and Santa was really good to him. He got some new trains for his train set which he got so excited about.

Cameron showing off his new train from Santa

We left that night and headed to our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at my great aunts house in San Antonio (the 1021 mile trip began). We have had Christmas Eve at her house for as long as I can remember. But, this night, after the festivities, we headed back to Austin so that we could have Christmas morning at my parent's house. We woke up early and opened tons of fun presents. Cameron really enjoyed his new power wheeled four wheeler, and once again, the adults had to help with the steering...although I don't think Mimi and Pops minded too much! The morning was not complete without our pigs-n-the-blanket breakfast and watching The Polar Express (which has become Cameron's favorite movie).

Cameron's new four wheeler

The Sissell/Newton family

Cameron and his Mimi

We stayed their until mid-morning and then headed back to San Antonio for more food and more present opening. Cameron was spoiled once again and truly enjoyed showing off all of his Thomas stuff. My CrAzY family with a massage train...I did enjoy this though!!

On December 26th, we left San Antonio and headed for Rochester...not New York, but Texas. Rochester is a small town near Abiline. Josh's Papa lives there and we continued our Christmas celebration with Josh's family. Finally, on December 28th we made our way back home...AND STAYED PUT!!! I barely wanted to do 'after Christmas shopping'...but couldn't resist a shopping trip back to Austin and San Marcos. More to come on that later. Needless to say , we were a bit tired after 1021 miles of driving!

Anyways, I know this post is late, but I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed your family time as much as the Newton's did theirs!!

Let is Snow 2...

2008-12-11T08:40:00.006-06:00

Yes, this is the second post about snowing. What a day!!

Josh and I were amazed about the snow that we got yesterday!! I mean College Station got REAL snow, not that nasty Texas snow, but real fluffy, flaky white snow!

As soon as we got home, Cameron was ready to play in the snow and better yet...was ready to build a snowman!! Josh was gung-ho also...me...no mittens, no hat...so I took a few pictures and ran inside. Here are a few of the pics I got of the REAL snow that we got yesterday!

Cameron leaving Paula's house yesterday and having a 'feel' of snow!

Once we got home, Cameron took off running in the snow. I seriously have never seen him so excited!!

Josh and Cameron collecting snow for the snowman. You can see that Cameron's gloves were huge on him, but hey, they worked. Cameron got out his plastic gardening tools and would collect snow and bring it to his daddy. It was so cute to watch the two of them.

A picture of the outside of the house. By the way...Josh's truck is blue, not white!!

And finally...the snowman...

O.k...o.k...that really isn't our snowman. Sadly, Cameron made it about 45 minutes outside. He played and played, and scooped and dug and threw snow, until his little body just got too cold. Josh said he just started crying in the middle of the yard for no reason, so they came inside. That picture above is just a snowman from someone in Aggieland that I found on the internet. I just felt this blog couldn't be complete without a picture of a snowman.

Stay warm!!

Let it Snow!!!

2008-12-10T08:51:00.002-06:00

What a sight to see this morning!! (I thought the picture above was appropriate...)

I got up, probably still half asleep, at 6:15 to let the dog out and what did my little eyes see....

SNOW!!!

I was so excited...I mean hey...this is two winters in a row that Aggieland has got snow! I immediatly woke Josh up. The first thing he says to me is "Is it really?" My response..."Would I seriously be waking you up if it wasn't?" He got up, took a look outside, thought it was pretty cool, and went back to bed.

We left Cameron asleep (as he usually gets up around 8:00). There was enough snow on Josh's truck that it would still be there so Cameron could see it.

Anyways...I thought you all might like to know my little excitement from this morning!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

2008-12-08T10:39:00.005-06:00

This weekend, the Newton's put up their Christmas decorations. I suggest you not do it in the order that we did. Here is our day's activities:

Step one:
Untangle all the lights from two years ago (since we didn't put lights up last year). Check them to make sure that they work. Yeah!! They still work.
Step two:
Borrow a ladder from your brother-in-law (since he owns Fish Window Cleaning and uses a ladder on a daily basis). Leave husband alone outside while he figures out what he wants to do with the outside lights.

Step three:
Little wife heads inside to decorate the inside of the house. First clean the entire house, second, begin unpacking the Christmas decorations. Meanwhile, both husband and wife do babysitting duties (aka entertain the Cam-man).

Step four:
Go outside and check on husband. You see him at the end of the roof, breathing and laughing really hard. What is going on you think? Well, husband has started slipping off room and appartenly was yelling your name. But, since the movie 'The Polar Express' is blaring in your house (as I said, entertaining the Cam-man), the wife couldn't hear him. Luckily, he caught his grip and did not fall off the room. Now, be a good wife and take a picture.

Step five:
Husband realizes that one strand does not work. (should I mention, that somehow the bulb broke?) Darn it!! Now we head all around town looking for size C9, clear lights. Apparently, everyone in town is looking for them also. Every store we go to is out. Husband finally decides to start over with new lights. Yeah for him.

Step six:
Put kiddo down for nap. Husband and brother-in-law (who has now come over to help) watch football while wife finishes the inside of the house.

(men in picture are just actors)

Step seven:
Halftime. Husband goes outside to finish lights (well, to start over). We soon realize that the clips we have for the old lights do not fit the new lights. Darn it again! Being a good wife (and since I am done with my part of decorating) I head to Wally World on a Saturday night to get new clips. Luckily, I run into two or three families straight out of Christmas Vacation. I love Walmart.

Step eight:
Give up for the night. Go to bed with only the bushes and trees lit.

Step nine:
Go to church. After church, husband is ready to begin again. This time, the Cam-man decides to give a lending hand. That lasted long...yeah right! Husband realizes he needs another extension cord. Being the good wife (and since I am done with my part of decorating) I head to Target (I got smart this time) and buy two new extension cords.

Step ten:
Yes, we are on step ten. Husband realizes he does not have enough lights to finish the house. He goes to Target and buys more lights and clips. Pregnant wife is tired now.

Step eleven:
Husband finishes his project at 6:00 last night. We now have a beautiful house, inside and out. (REAL pictures to come later)

Step twelve:
Celebrate with oreos and milk. O.k....maybe we just needed an exuse to have oreos and milk.

Step thirteen:
Chill out from a long weekend and get ready for the week ahead.

As I said, we do not suggest following our order of events for Christmas decorating. We hope you all had better luck! Next year, we are paying someone to do this!

Jeff Foxworthy's Take On Teachers

2008-12-06T21:26:00.001-06:00

I found this the other day, and thought it was too funny not to share. I am sure that my teacher friends could add a couple to the list!

Enjoy!

Jeff Foxworthy's Take on Teachers

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER IF:
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.

2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "its Ms/Mr. _________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and conference period .

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

18. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.

19. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer

20. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-02T08:12:00.007-06:00

Wow!! What a busy Thanksgiving this year! Well, actually...it is always pretty busy!

We started off Wednesday afternoon headed to Austin to spend the night with Josh's family. We had a great chili dinner that night and woke up Thursday morning to play the annual Celina Bowl. This is a family tradition that has been going on for many years and although I couldn't play this year, it was still fun to watch! We even nominate an MVP that gets a trophy to display for the entire year!

After the game, we headed back to Josh's cousin's house for the Thanksgiving dinner. I was looking forward to Cameron eating away, but it ended up being his nap time and he slept right through the entire dinner!! Oh well...

We left there and headed for my family's ranch in South Texas. We had to make it before the Aggie game. Or should I say the Longhorn game...I'm not too sure the Aggies even showed up to play! It is always fun to watch the game at the Ranch with all of my cousins (who are all Longhorns). I do have to say it was better the last two years, when we won!! We enjoyed the weekend watching a ton of football, eating way too much food, and chasing the Cam-man around!

Speaking of Cameron...he loves the Ranch! (or Bebbee's house as he calls it) He loves to go looking for cows and watching the horses. This year, Mark corned the roads (for you non deer hunters that is what you do to get the deer to come out) so that Cameron could see some deer. He really enjoyed seeing the deer eat the corn and as he says "I saw 2, 4, 6, 7 deer." He especially enjoyed feeding the horses carrots and throwing rocks in the tank by the house. On his down time in the house, he summoned everyone to play his new fishing game....which was $4 at Target and totally worth every penny of entertainment (well for me at least b/c he wanted everyone else to play, I just got to relax...thanks everyone!!)

Anyways, enjoy these pics from our Thanksgiving! We are looking forward to getting ready for the next holiday!!

One of the many people he got to play the fishing game...

Heading to his first deer stand with Bebee (he wouldn't go in because of the bugs)

Riding with Mimi in the back of the jeep...

I think Cameron actually thinks he is going to drive that thing by himself...

Brian already teaching him to play poker (Cameron wanted to sleep with the poker chips...)

Cameron wasn't scared at all to feed the horses...

The horsey says 'CHEESE'...

By the way...we actually do have pictures of the big Celina Bowl, I just have to get them off of my MIL's camera...so please don't think that I am leaving them out...more to come later!!

I hope you all had a great thanksgiving! As I said all week, there is nothing better than being 5 months preggo and having Thanksgiving. I ate my weight in leftovers this week...my doc will be so proud!

We have a name....

2008-11-24T13:07:00.002-06:00

After much thought (and searching online...) we finally have a name for Cameron's little brother...

Drum roll please....

Cade Walker Newton
We are really excited about this name and have really thought of one possibility of teasing when he is older:

(Yes, that is Walker Texas Ranger...don't you love Chuck?)

Anyways...that is that for now! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving week!!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-18T13:06:00.004-06:00

Yes, the Newton Family did celebrate Halloween. Am I a little late in posting about it? Absolutely!! Sorry...I know you have all been on pins and needles waiting for this post!!

We had a great Halloween with our little French Fry, complete with a ketchup treat bag. At first, Cameron wanted nothing to do with his french fry costume. He really wanted to be a shark (well first it was an elephant, then on to the shark). But, since mommy procrastinated and waited until the last minute to buy a costume, he had to settle on french fries. Actually, I think it has to be the cutest thing I have ever seen (I am not being biased at all!).

We started the night at a Halloween party at Mamma and Daddy Mike's. Sharon can throw one heck of a party for toddlers! It was complete with pin the hat on the scarecrow, musical cushions, pumpkin bowling, eat an apple on a string, and wagon races. Cameron loved the wagon races the best and especially enjoyed his Uncle Dennis being his driver. The best part was when Cameron was laughing so hard that he fell out of the wagon, on to the grass, and got up as fast as he could to try and win the race. His laugh was hysterical and many of the adults thought he was crying. Luckily, Cameron got to do his wagon race again, this time buckled in. We ended the party with hot dogs and yummy roasted marshmallows. Cameron could really care less about eating the marshmallow, he just wanted to watch it catch fire. (mental note...hide the matches when he gets older!) Josh had a little scare when the flaming marshmallow came flying off of Cameron's stick and landed on his shirt. Luckily, Cameron did not catch fire and was just walked away with a burned hole in his shirt...and mommy only freaked out a little bit!

After the super fun Halloween party, we headed over to a friend's house for trick or treating. Cameron really enjoyed this...it only took one house for him to realize that he gets candy at the door. Instead of saying "Trick or Treat", he would say "Candy." Everyone loved his costume and I think it was the hit of the neighborhood. Josh and I enjoyed walking around with Cameron (while he pulled the wagon).

The funny thing about Halloween (and I am sure that this will change) is that Cameron could of cared less about the actual candy...he wanted the prizes! He loved the play dough, crayons, stickers, and pumpkin spoon that he got. So, Josh and I HAD to enjoy the candy. Can't let it go to waste...

Here are some pictures from our evening! Enjoy!

The best lookin' fries in College Station!!

The beginning of the wagon race:

The second wagon race (complete with costumes):

Little French Fry (with ketchup bag) headed to get some good stuff for Mommy and Daddy:

Setting fire to marshmallows (before actually catching on fire):

Cinderella, French Fry, and Aggie football player. (Apparently the football player got hungry after the big game!):

What I watched while trick or treating. My little french fry and his daddy:

Just had to add this cute pic of Uncle Dennis and Cameron. Cameron had so much fun with Dennis at the party!

The Newton's go to Sea World!

2008-10-31T15:40:00.005-05:00

Josh's friend Tenielle called to see if we wanted to bring the family to San Antonio last weekend for a trip to Sea World. What a great idea...and even better...we got to go with Cameron's cousins, Riley and Jace.

Although the fee was a little outrageous to get in, it was well worth it! Cameron enjoyed himself so much and the kids made it through the entire day with no nap! (A first for Cameron) We couldn't of asked for better kids!! Anyways, here are some pictures from our trip for all to enjoy! (oh, and I had to add some cute videos near the bottom)

First off, Cameron in the only pumpkin patch I took him to this year (thank you Sea World!)

We started the trip off with a good time in Shamu's Harbor. Yes, that is me, preggo and all climbing a huge rope jungle jim.

It was Fright Fest at Sea World...not sure what Cameron thought of it!

Shamu jumping for joy:

Isn't Shamu so cool?

Cameron and his Daddy enjoying the sea lion show:

The family visiting the sharks (sorry I look so bad...it was a long day!)

And finally, two videos for you. The first one is of Cameron enjoying the beginning of the Shamu show. I just love how excited he is. You can even hear him say 'get wet'. He was so excited about getting wet, and well, then on to the second video. You can see that the reaction to getting wet isn't exactly what we expected.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Although we had some tears from getting two wet, it was a great trip! I highly reccomend Sea World for a two year old! (plus they get in free!) Believe it or not, but Cameron still did not sleep on the way home! I finally got him to fall asleep at 9:30...way past bed time! Sea World was a great idea and we can't wait to go back again!

Mom's 50th Birthday Surprise!!

2008-10-31T08:52:00.006-05:00

So, my mom's actual birthday was October 7th, but due to weddings and other events we had to put off celebrating until the weekend October 18th. The best part of it all...she had no idea!!

Dennis and I put together a special weekend for mom in San Antonio. I told mom that Cameron, Josh, and I were coming to Austin for my high school reunion. Luckily, she didn't look too much into that as the reunion wasn't until the next weekend and I really had no plans to go! We got to Austin Saturday morning and she immediately went to playing with Cameron. I pulled her away long enough so that I could give her her birthday present. I bought her some new fun luggage. She was excited, but not really until I told her to pack her bags, we were leaving! I knew the exact reaction I would receive..."I'm not going anywhere!" I was prepared for this, and informed her that if she did not in fact leave, Dennis would be out a lot of money (he paid for the hotel that night) and that there were people meeting us there that would have no idea what to do. She still wouldn't' have any of it. So finally, I had to tell her that we were headed to San Antonio for a night on the river walk and that my Aunt Debbie (her sister) was meeting us. She finally packed her bags and off we headed.

Once we got to San Antonio, we pulled up to the Emily Morgan hotel...which was totally cool! It was 12 steps from the entrance to the Alamo and the manager hooked us up with a twelfth story view of the Alamo and downtown San Antonio. We didn't stay in the room long, as the non-preggo women had margaritas to drink! We headed to the Alamo first (for a little sight seeing) and then down to the riverwalk. We walked for a while, but we finally found the restaraunt my mom and Debbie were looking for, Casa Rio. (I think that is the name) Anyways, it is right on the riverwalk. They got their margaritas, I got my coke (hey...I can splurge too!) and we enjoyed nachos and quacamole...our favorite! After going enjoying some laughter and fun, we went for a tour of downtown San Antonio on one of the riverboats. What fun that was!! Then, it was on to another restaraunt, for another margarita (and a virgin daquari for me). Of course we weren't done yet, so we headed for the Tower of America. Instead of paying the $12 fee to go to the lookout deck, we headed to the restaraunt. This was the best part of the entire evening! We enjoyed sunset, appetizers, and laughing and goofing off some more. After that, it was back to the hotel and to bed! What an evening!

The next morning we went down and enjoyed a big breakfast in the hotel and then my grandma asked us to come see her. Now, this was all part of the plan and my mom had no idea. When we finally go to Grandma's house, mom was greeted with a big Happy Birthday sign in the front yard and all of the rest of the family there to celebrate her big day. Grandma made some yummy food and a even better red velvet cake! I think mom had a great time, and overall, was very surprised!

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Our hotel:

Debbie & Mom infront of the Alamo:

Margaritas on the Riverwalk:

Up in the tower:

Mom's Birthday sign:

And now we know...

2008-10-28T08:18:00.003-05:00

That Cameron will officially have a...

BABY BROTHER!!

I have always been told that I will be a mom of boys and now I know that it might be true!! We were so excited to see that little penis yesterday! (ha!) Now, we have to somehow explain to Cameron that he is not going to have a baby tister (his way of saying sister).

We can't be more excited...for some reason it makes it so much more real! Now...on to name picking! Any suggestions?

Today's the day...

2008-10-27T07:36:00.002-05:00

Is a boy or girl?

We find out today at 3:15! Let's hope this baby has it's legs spread!!

Update to come later...

It's Official...

2008-10-17T08:20:00.003-05:00

My brother decided last Thursday to make the love his life, Erin, his fiance! We can't be more excited to welcome someone new to our family! Erin is a great girl and I feel very lucky that she lives right down the street from me so I have really gotten to know her. Here is the latest picture of the happy couple! (Sorry it is a little blurry).

We are looking forward to a spring wedding!

Congrats you two!

Cody & Ashley's Wedding

2008-10-17T08:12:00.008-05:00

My cousin, Cody, married his high school sweetheart on Saturday! We have been waiting for the wedding for what seems like forever! Cody and Ashley met in high school and I don't think Cody was ever the same! She swept him off his feet! Even for the time that they broke up, all we heard about was Ashley. He made up songs about her and spoke of her every chance he could. They found their way back to each other and after a long courtship finally tied the knot on Saturday. It was a great wedding in Austin and we had a lot of fun dancing and watching the happy couple. Here are some pictures from the evening.

The cute couple:

Cameron sporting his new tie. (He loved this thing and showed everyone all night!)

Cameron's date for the evening (his fourth cousin, Lily):

And this is right before Josh took Cameron home for the evening so that Mommy could party some more:

My brother and the groom:

Is it hormones or am I crazy?

2008-10-08T15:42:00.002-05:00

Why oh why, when I watch Dancing with Stars did I need this?

So, Josh leaves me at home on Monday night to go watch Monday Night Football. So his guys night turns into a 'sit on the couch by myself and watch Dancing with the Stars' night for me. I make it through the evening until the last dance. Brooke Burke and her partner did a dance to the song Daughters by John Mayer. What a great song, but on top of that, it was really a pretty dance, which leaves me sobbing on the couch by myself. So, if you didn't see it, I 'you tubed' it and found it. I know you may not want to watch the whole thing, so the good part starts at about 3:05. She is so graceful and really makes me miss dancing!!

So now I ask, am I crazy or really just that hormonal?

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2008-10-07T07:38:00.002-05:00

50 is Nifty right?

I know that you will love that I put this on my blog...but here is goes...

50 Great Things about my mom:

1. She is the best mom...yes, even better than me!
2. I can talk to her for hours on the phone about nothing.
3. I love it when she calls to say, 'Can I come up this weekend?'
4. She still worries about us, which can get annoying, but we still like it.
5. She loves to ask 101 questions, and I am glad that I picked this up from her too!
6. She is great best friend.
7. She is an even better Mimi.
8. I thought I made her happy, but then Cameron came along.
9. She gives really good advice...about anything.
10. She is a hard worker!
11. She would do anything for her family.
12. She was a great mom when we were growing up.
13. We had so much fun planning our wedding.
14. She has my grandpa's sense of humor.
15. She loves to sing.
16. And even better, she makes up her own songs.
17. We can never keep anything from her, she always finds out somehow (go back to #5)
18. She is the best example of what a mom should be!
19. She is so energetic.
20. Her high energy rubs off on others when she is around.
21. I hear this so often..."I would love for your mom to be my mom!"
22. We love to watch Golden Girls together.
23. In high school, after I got my heart broken, she would stay with me until I fell alseep. Now that is a cool momma!
24. She was a great board member on the McNeil Highschool Majestic Board!
25. She was always there to chear me on!
26. Although she hates shopping, she will go with me anytime.
27. She is a great sister...I know my aunts would say that!
28. She is smokin' hot!
29. She can make anyone laugh!
30. She really loves her job and I know that it makes her happy.
31. Her parents, I know, are proud of her.
32. My dad is one lucky man!
33. Dennis is truly a momma's boy...and he is o.k. with that!
34. She is always in the mood to talk...especially in traffic on the way home from work.
36. She is one of the kindest people I know.
37. She is very dedicated to her family and friends.
38. She loves Josh like he his her own.
39. My mom has a way of making Dennis and I feel special in our own way.
40. I talk about her being fun, give her a margarita and her fun is multiplied by 100...add friends to the mix, and they usually get told to be quiet!
41. We both love Luby's.
42. Cameron adores her.
43. She is one of the strongest people I know.
44. She has a way of calming me down when I call her on the phone upset about something.
45. She is excited about having another grandchild!
46. She takes such good care of her yard...it is a hobby I wish I had.
47. She loves pictures, and I love that when you walk in her house, she has so many pictures of us through the years.
48. I love reminising with her (and we do it often).
49. She always looks for the best in everyone.
50. She may be fifty, but she SERIOUSLY looks 30!

I love you mom! Don't fret about today...it is just a number! Have a WONDERFUL birthday!

'Say it ain't so Joe'

2008-10-03T16:36:00.002-05:00

My favorite part of last night's debate. I love her sarcasim!! (It is at about 55 seconds)

All around...she is a cool lady! You gotta give her snaps for being so strong ('da-gone-it' as she would say)!

Dawn's Trip to Dallas

2008-10-01T14:20:00.002-05:00

I have spent the past four days in Dallas, TX at the Adolphus hotel at a teacher conference. It was a great conference, but really, the fun came from meeting two celebrities! Well, one a Hollywood celebrity, the other a reality t.v. star! What a trip to forget my camera.

On our first night in Dallas (Sunday) we were waiting for valet to come bring us our car. This man pulls up in a big white work truck and literally looked like he just walked off a field where he had been working all day. He had wranglers on, his shirt untucked, cowboy boots on (which were over his jeans), a cowboy hat and long, unbrushed hair. He didn't fit in to the 'Adolphus' look! A friend said, 'Hey...I know that guy..he's from Wings'. Well, if you don't remember the show Wings, I do, because Josh watches reruns every night. He always chuckles at Lowell, the airplane tech guy and sure enough, there at the check out counter was...Thomas Haden Church! He was also in Spiderman and Sideways. Nobody wanted to talk to him, so I went up to him and asked if he was the guy from Wings. He wasn't in the mood to talk, but he replied with a 'That was a long time ago' and nicely (and maybe in a little faster pace as 7 women were staring at him) walked away. Here is a picture of him (definitely not from Sunday night) to help you put a face with a name.

So, the next night, as we are pulling up to valet again from eating some yummy food, there standing waiting for his car was Jeremy from the past season of The Bachelorette. Now, you are probably saying, 'Dawn, how lame are you to know who was on the Bachelorette?' But, for some reason, I started watching last season and got hooked. I knew that Jeremy would win. There was such a connection. (Sad that I am saying this, I know) But, Deanna broke his heart, and mine too. Jeremy cried. I cried. He came back the next episode begging for her to take him back. He cried more, I cried more. So, when I pull up to valet and there is Jeremy standing in front of me, I of course had to say something. His good looks confirmed that it was indeed Jeremy. I told him that I loved watching him on the show and that I had really been rooting for him. He gave me a little chuckle. And then, introduced himself with a handshake. It was then that I felt the need to ask him if he was o.k. He assured me he was, and then gave me the all important sideways hug. He smelled good. I then turned around to see that I had locked all of the girls that were with me in my car. Woops. I think he laughed at me a little more. It was a great night. Here is Jeremy...

Apparently, Jerry Jones was also at the Adolphus hotel that night. I never met him, but did hear that he was really enjoying the company of a 'blonde bombshell' as one of the teacher's put it.

It was a great trip, with some great friends. We learned some, laughed a lot, and did some great shopping!

Gas Prices and My husband's Booty!

2008-09-27T10:12:00.002-05:00

Funny, funny story!

Josh and I finish watching Grey's Anatomy on Thursday and begin watching the wonderful College Station news. They begin into a story about gas prices in College Station after Hurricane Ike (which I didn't think was that bad, but according to KBTX is pretty bad). Anyways, we are watching, and all of sudden Josh says 'Dawn...rewind that'. (Don't you love TIVO). There, on KBTX is my husband's booty filling up on gas! We seriously laughed for good five minutes and kept rewinding, pausing, rewinding, pausing. So, I was playing around on KBTX.com and there they have actually posted the video of the story.

May not be much to you guys, but I know that Josh would love to know that his booty is on the web, let alone our blog.

For your entertainment (by the way it is near the middle of the clip and he is wearing black pants and a green shirt):

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/29769359.html#

(I can't figure out how to post just the video, but click on the link and it will take you to the website!)

We have a Lemon!

2008-09-27T10:03:00.002-05:00

A lemon it is! That's right...after not looking at Babycenter.com for quite some time (so different than my when I was preggo with Cameron), at 14 weeks, I am officially out of the first trimester and the baby is the size of a lemon. Last week, we had a medium sized shrimp (which after reading made me crave shrimp) and now we have a lemon. At my last appointment, I got to have another ultrasound and they moved my due date back to March 28th. It was so neat seeing the baby and how big it was!

Life has been a roller coaster ride lately. In a previous post, I mentioned that I had strep throat. Well, a week later, Cameron so graciously gave me the stomach bug that he had caught from his day care. YUCK!! Needless to say, I have missed four days of school this year, which is WAY out of the norm! My morning sickness comes and goes, and I am hoping that it leaves forever soon! I am ready to get into that part of pregnancy when you are happy and want to eat everything!

Good news...we find out what we are having on October 27th! Time really is flying and I can't wait to find out if this is a boy or a girl!

Sorry for a no picture post, but I wanted to update since I hadn't in a long time!

The Videos

2008-09-05T16:15:00.003-05:00

So, Josh and I have had a lot of fun telling everyone we are having baby! I bought Cameron his big brother shirt the day 'Pregnant' showed up on the test. It took everything out of me to not run and tell Josh that morning. When he got home from work, I put the shirt on Cameron and bribed him with ice cream. He had to show Daddy his shirt before he could get ice cream. If you listen closely in the video he is telling his Daddy, 'new shirt, ice cream'. I was in the middle of cooking dinner when Josh came home...so this is what we got...

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After telling Josh the big news, we had a hard time keeping it secret from the family. The next night, we invited Josh's parents over while were babysitting for Riley and Jace. We decided to go swimming in the back yard and Cameron came out wearing his shirt. I am sorry that Daddy Mike's reaction didn't make it on video, because it was a good one. He read Cameron's shirt immediatly as Cameron came outside and it never 'clicked'. I love seeing how long it takes some people to get it! I also love that Sharon never questioned why Cameron was wearing a shirt in the pool! Here is Mamma finding out she is soon going to be a Grandma of 4!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A few days later, Cameron and I hit the road to go visit my Grandma in San Antonio. Now, I am really happy that my Grandma has no idea how to use the computer, because she would kill me if she saw that I put this video on here for all to see! (She hasn't put her wig on yet!!) Her reaction is priceless.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And finally, my Aunt Debbie (or Bebee as Cameron calls her) also came to San Antonio for the weekend to visit with Cameron and I. She was so excited to see Cameron (and I guess me too)! Cameron made sure that she read his shirt right away...here is her reaction...

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

As you can see, we have had so much fun letting everyone know our big news! Since I didn't get to see my parents before I told everyone, I sent my mom a picture of Cameron in his big brother shirt through e-mail. She opened it at work and one of her co-workers got it before she did! My dad never really got it until my mom explained it to him!

And finally...here is one more pic of Cameron sporting his new shirt! I love this boy!

Go Palin Go!!

2008-09-05T13:48:00.002-05:00

I just have to say...watch a speech!! I can see it now...Palin for President in 2012!!

FINALLY...an update...

2008-09-02T18:47:00.002-05:00

Yes, the Newton's are alive!!

After a very long month of August (it always seems to be that way for us teachers), the Newton's are slowly getting back to 'normal'.

We spent much of the month traveling to our final trip destinations for the summer. We spent a weekend at the Ranch in Cotulla and Cameron spent Labor Day weekend at my mom and dad's house in Austin. I have so many pictures to post and I will as soon as I can get some time after school...the computer there is soooooo much faster!!

One big reason for my 'non-posts' is because of morning sickness!! YUCK!! I remember now why hated being pregnant those first few months! On top of a new grade level at school, staff developmental, setting up a new classroom, and the normal routine of life, I got strep throat last week! Double YUCK!! And (don't read this if you have a queasy stomach) I threw up twice in two different parking lots while going from doctor visits to TRYING to go to school. Needless to say, after five long days of laying in bed, I am finally feeling a little better! Strep throat and morning sickness do not go together!

So, for all of you who asked (and so nicely e-mailed me to remind me to update the blog) we are due April 4, 2009! Cameron will be almost three when the baby is born. I don't think he really gets that we are having a baby, but he will tell you that there is a baby in mommy's tummy and that he wants a baby sister. He actually gets mad at you if you say it is a brother. What can I say...he likes the girls?!?! So, as of now, I am 9 1/2 weeks pregnant. We saw the baby a couple of weeks ago and I wasn't as far along as they thought I was (which I already knew...why don't doctors listen?). To me, that just meant more time of morning sickness!! But, the doctor did order another ultra sound on September 15. I am excited to see the baby again!!

So right now, I have a little blueberry growing in my tummy! Josh and I couldn't be more excited! Also, I have some awesome video of when I told Josh, his mom and dad, my grandma, and my aunt. I will post those later this week!!

Thank you for those of you who read this post with no pictures! I am going to get better at this...I promise!

Cameron has a secret....

2008-08-20T16:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry he is a litte fussy, but Cameron has a secret for all of you...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sad Days for Dawn

2008-08-05T11:42:00.003-05:00

Well, I am sad to say that my summer is officially over!! Cameron started back at Ms. Paula's house yesterday. Although he absolutely LOVES going there, I find it hard to 'let him go'. Things I will miss about spending all day with the Cam-man:

1. Waking up and hearing 'Mommy, are you?'
2. Walking into his room first thing in the morning and hearing in the most cheerful voice 'Hi Mommy'.
3. Trucking my little two year old all around the B/CS to find fun ways to keep him entertained.
4. Hearing him count with Sesame Street in the morning while eating his breakfast.
5. Him banging on the door when I am in the shower saying, 'Towel mommy?'. (for some reason he thinks he should bring me a towel although he never has!)
6. Putting him down for a nap. I love this time because he is so sweet and says 'I love you' about five times before I finally walk out the door.
7. Eating at Chick-fil-a with him! He loves that place, and I have to say it ain't that bad either!
8. We spent a lot of time at Target this summer, so him getting so excited when I said 'let's go to Target!' For some reason he thinks that Target is the only place that has Thomas books!
9. Our fun outings of Kindermusic, Bounce, and the Children's Museum! How entertaining those things were for me too!
10. Just being with him!!

Now, although it is quite sad that summer is over, I have to say that I love my job and love being with adults again. So these are some of the things I WON'T miss (the list is much shorter):

1. Playing Thomas. I can do that in the evenings now!
2. Hearing Thomas music all day long! Thank you mom for introducing Cameron to all of the Thomas songs!
3. Making breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Paula cooks Cameron very nutritious meals and now I am just in charge of dinner!!

So yes, I am at school right now, working hard! (yeah right...) Summer time is the biggest perk of being a teacher! And being able to spend your summer with your wonderful two year old is one of the biggest perks of being a mom!

Dawn :)

p.s. I have to say that it has been a little easier to get back to work since we are about to get pounded with rain from Tropical Storm Edouard and that I am little sick too! Cameron would go crazy if we had to actually stay inside!!

Who will read all of this?

2008-07-28T15:39:00.011-05:00

First off, let me apologize for the long post, but as you can see (and I am sure all of you have been anxiously waiting) it has been awhile since my last post. I am determined to be a good blogger, but Cameron and I have been out of town and quite busy for a while. Thank you Grant for asking for a new post. You truly made my day.

So, to catch all of you up, Cameron and I have spent a weekend in Sugarland, a few days in San Antonio, had a visit from Mimi, been two a two year old birthday party, had a visit from BeBee (my Aunt Debbie), and somehow continued our normal summer routine of Kindermusic, Target visits, Children's Musuem, swimming and so much more.

Our first getaway was to Sugarland to visit my family that I hadn't seen in two years. In those two years, we have added four great grandchildren to the family! It was so much fun to visit with my cousin Lynnie and her three children. I love catching up! My mom and I went to Sugarland on Saturday and after Lynnie and her husband Michael dominated in Wii bowling and tennis, we headed over to my Aunt Di's house for a backyard swim and bbq. We had all of the cousins together and although it was loud, it was so much fun! Here are some pictures from our super fun weekend...

Cameron & Mimi at Aunt Di's House:

All of the Cousins and their children:

After our trip to Sugarland, Cameron and I headed to San Antonio to visit my Grandma, or as Cameron likes to call her, Gigi. (We say the G-g stands for 'gamblin' grandma as my grandma will jump on any chance she has to get on a bus for Louisiana to go gambling!) Cameron loves going to Gigi's house and especially loved it this trip because my Aunt Debbie came also. Of course they both took Cameron to the toy aisle at Wal-Mart and loaded him up on Thomas the Train and Cars toys. The boy is spoiled. We enjoyed hanging out at Grandma's house (and watching lots of Game Show Network) and Grandma's cooking, but the best part of the trip was the train ride that Cameron got go on and the rides at the Kiddie Park. These are just some of the pictures from our trip to Gigi's house...

Cameron 'flying':

Gigi and Bebee looking on:

Cameron holding on for dear life to Bebee's coke:

Cameron's first bite of Gigi's yummy chocolate cake:

After we left San Antonio on Saturday, my Aunt Debbie came back to College Station with us. Since they have moved to the ranch, Debbie likes to come 'into town' for shopping and of course Outback, her favorite restaurant. We have been twice! Yummy! She is out shopping right now while I stay at home with the sleeping two year old. I let her loose with the map of Aggieland and some of the best places to shop. (Not much to choose from, but better than her home town of Cotulla, TX). Since we have been home, Debbie was lucky to get to go with us to cousin Jace's second birthday party. The best part of the day was the huge water slide they set up in the back yard. Cameron was scared to go down at first, but as soon as Daddy Mike literally threw him down the slide, he was scared no more!! It was great to see how happy he was going down the slide!!

Cameron and Bebee before bed time:

Cameron enjoying Jace's birthday slide:

And as far as our other summer activities go, we have been quite busy. We attend Kindermusic every Wednesday. Cameron loves singing with the other two year olds, and I get a little weirded out when a class of boys is supposed to dance with scarves. Luckily, my little boy just jumps on top of the scarves. That is a little more manly to me!! We have our weekly swimming dates with some teachers from my school...it is good for mommy to have some adult time! And most importantly...we have the Children's Museum. Cameron loves to go and play at their Thomas table and paint. It was the best membership we got this summer!! We have also enjoyed hanging out with Riley and Jace this summer. Here are some of the best pictures from this summer:

Cameron painting at the Museum:

Cameron and Jace sharing a plate of food:

Riley giving Cameron some lovin':

Cameron enjoying his corn on the cob:

Cameron and Mimi swinging at the park:

Our lil boy with his sunglasses:
(He says...'Mommy sun eyes, gasses pease')

O.k...if you made it this far, thank you!! Cameron starts back to Paula's house (Cameron's lady that watches him during the day) on Monday. I am so sad that the summer is over. I love hanging out with him all day. That is a whole other post...

What child does this?

2008-07-14T13:46:00.002-05:00

I had to post this, because seriously, what child does this?

I told Cameron that he had one more minute to play with his big fire truck and then it was time to go take a nap. He replies with his normal 'Kay, kay'.

He plays for about a minute, comes up to me and says 'done, done' (meaning all done), parks the truck, and then says 'pamen night night' (His cute way of saying Cameron).

He then went in his room, pulled down his 'mamma' (what he calls his blanket) gets his pacifier and tells me 'pamen diaper'. Our normal routine is to check his diaper before going down for a nap. He then tells me 'sing'. So, I sing and he is out like a light!

I love this boy! What two year old would give up playing with a really cool fire truck to go to sleep?!? I had to document this because I am sure it won't happen again!!

Just for fun...

2008-07-13T16:01:00.002-05:00

Josh and I hosted an 'adults only' party on Friday night. Cameron and his cousins spent the night at Mamma and Daddy Mike's house and the parents enjoyed their freedom!

I have no pictures from the night, but I did include a picture of the game Partini. This is what kept us awake until 2:00 in the morning. I picked this game up at Wal-Mart about an hour before the party in hopes that everyone would join me in playing! Lucky us, we have friends who love board games! This game provided us with much laughter! From playing charades, to making up stories about the others (we love Josh's golf sized elbow), to trying to catch balls in a cup (thank you Jordan for barking at me!). It was a great night!

Josh and I enjoyed sleeping in until 10:00 the next morning!! Yippee!!

Gettin' Jiggy With It...

2008-07-10T14:51:00.004-05:00

Cameron has recently found some of his old 'baby' toys. He pulled this out yesterday and hasn't stopped dancing since!! I love the way he dances so freely with his elbows! I think his Daddy has been teaching him how to dance!

Please excuse his sniffles and the 'one armed nose wipe' at the end!! He is getting over a little cold...

Enjoy Cameron's new moves!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com