The King of the Jungle

The King of the Jungle

Does he look too happy? I hope so, this is a nursery!!

Love yal!

Caryn

A birdy and a baby...

After much scrubbing and re-painting, the bird is finally complete. He is a combination of a toucan/ macaw, and he looks much happier and prettier than the previous poo bird!

The jungle friends are coming along nicely. I really hope that B-man will like these animals. If not, looks like his daddy will be painting over this theme. Sophia ran in after her nap today, looked at the wall and shrieked, "bud!" (translation: bird, I will be writing that down as another word in her vocabulary!!)

I just had to post these sweet pics of Brayden, gosh I just want to eat him up!

Better go- hubby is making some delicious dinner, Sophia is crying for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and I have some baby announcements to address. (Yes, I am a little late at getting them out. HELLO!! I am a mother of 2 under 2 (I have no time to go to the bathroom or wash my hair, so little mans announcements have been on the back burner. Here is a peak for yal!

Love yal!

Caryn

Not a fan of this stuff....

I have decided to start feeding B-man a little bit of rice cereal. Let me just say, he is not a fan of this stuff!! Do not let this first photo fool ya... it looks as if it might be a success-

Spoonful in the mouth.....

then....

He acts as if I was trying to feed him spoonfuls of total yuckness!! The boy is probably wanting a little bit of meat and potatoes (just like his daddy!). Look who also made an appearance in this photo. Lovey had to stand faraway from the rice cereal. Once I put the spoon into Brayden's mouth and he started spitting the cereal out, she started to dry heave (just like her mommy!).

All better, he saw that I put the spoon down and was reaching for the bottle.

We will keep trying, I am hoping that the cereal will fill him up and maybe- JUST MAYBE- he will sleep just a little longer!

Love yal!

Caryn

Bird poo

FYI, when I paint not all things turn out as I would like...

This is what I am calling bird poo. It was much worse. There was a lot of red, orange, and yellow. Now, after much scrubing of the wall... there is this. I must get it off! It is grossing me out! The toucan is turning out TOO-BAD!!

Note to self: If you are not feeling like painting, step away from the wall. Put the brush down. Leave the brightest and darkest colors on the tray. Go and wake up your children. Go and wash bottles. Go and mop the floors. Go and check the dog for ticks. Just please, please, please do not paint on sweet baby boys fun jungle wall!

Another unfortunate painting event happened today....

I have no idea what he is even about. He will soon be taken off of the wall!

Hopefully, the next post will be filled with jungleicious birdies and bugs.

Gotta go. Need ice cream to make me feel better, must restart the Carebear movie, and Sophia just dumped a drink down her front. I bet DiVinci did not have to deal with this stuff.

Love yal,

Caryn

We are making some progress!!!

The room is coming along. The name is in place, a monkey is a hanging, and a giraffe is a grazing. There are still some things I would like to paint, but this will have to be enough for today. In the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "tomorrow is another day."

Enjoy the photos!

Obviously not the best picture taker (seriously, where is the light??)

Love yal!

A very sleepy Caryn

Hand Cramp-

Well after two days of steady work (steady, meaning during nap times and painting while Sophia is eating) I am about half way finished. After many hand cramps, here is another peak.

The vine that connects the two trees....humm. I plan on attatching ribbon (nothing to feminie) to the letters of his name and make it look like they are hanging off of the vine. I will also add a monkey and a tucan (the animals from the bedding).

Then there are the letters. I must say that each one is nothing like the next, there are not any matchy matchy colors (which is starting to bother me now, but o- well).

Yes, there is a Dr.Pepper can in the photo, it is what helps me get through the painting.

Love yal!

Caryn

Welcome to our jungle.....

It's beginning to look a little jungley in here!

Okay, so I have been painting a tree for the naked wall, and it is starting to look a little top heavy. My hands are covered in green paint, my pants stained with the color teddy bear brown, and we only have a kinda close to finished tree. I am thinking that I need to add some coconuts? O-my-gosh, this is gonna take awhile.

Here is a sneaky peaky!

Sorry if you were expecting to see a little more!

Thank you to all who were thinking about my daddy yesterday, he finally made it to China!

Daddy, just to let you know we are thinking about you today!

Hope you are all having a happy Sunday!

Caryn

Missing Ya Granddaddy!!

This morning, my daddy had to go on a business trip to China. Can everyone please say a little prayer that he and the group he is traveling with will arrive safely? It will be a long trip, he will not even get there until tomorrow, yowza! There are even a few connection flights and then he will have to take a train. The worst part is that when they arrive they are going to eat.....(wait for it)....German food.? A little odd right, German Chinese food, gag me with a spoon!

Anyways, daddy, we are missing you already. Be safe on your trip.

Love you!

Talk to you soon!

Aron, Caryn, Sophia, and Brayden (and Chip the dog)

A girl with a project.

So, here is the latest project. Well, I guess it is not the latest, I should have been working on it for sometime, but you know when you have a family, laundry, cooking, and cleaning projects take a back seat! Well, this one is getting ready to be placed in the front!

Here is the project....

Yes, it is Brayden's bedroom. Notice the sad looking wall behind the bed (that is just screaming to have something put on it!). I am getting ready to paint jungle animals on the wall, and hopefully, they will look like the animals that are on the bedding. I am very excited about this project. I figure that with a husband, two babies, a dog, and well everyone and everything else, that I should be done on a Wednesday (notice, I did not say what Wednesday or in what month or year!

Next, I am going to do paint the letters of his name to place on the wall. Ah gez, why do I do this to myself??? Times like this make me wish I would have named Brayden something short, like Ed or Al (not so many letters in a name....Brayden!)

Hopefully, I can get some valences hung above the window, and maybe find some cutesey shuzey things to spice up the room. Then purchase a monitor, and we will be complete. Yay, then I can move this baby into his own bedroom!!!

So, how long did you let your baby sleep in the room with you (and your husband)? Please say that you have waited as long or longer than I have! If you did not and immediately when you came home from the hospital you put your baby in their crib all alone in their room, lie to me!

Hope that you are enjoying your day. The weather here is warming up and the first day of Spring is on Sunday!! What a weekend-

Love yal!

Caryn

The Re-dedication

This is my story.
Ever since I can remember, I have loved the Lord. When I was younger, maybe in the 4th grade, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I was young, but I know that I wanted to live for the Him.

My parents always took us to church. We went on Sunday mornings, evenings, Wednesday nights, part of the GA's, my momma sang in the choir and even worked with the children's choir (of course, my brothers and I were part of that). If the doors were opened we were there. We were raised in a Christian home and taught right from wrong. I may not have always done the right things (fighting with my brothers, not saying prayers at night, not learning my memory verse for Sunday morning (you would get a sticker if it was said correctly), or talking during church with my buddy (Aimee Tyndall!), but I knew that God loved me. He knew me inside and out, my flaws, and my faults.

My walk with the Lord has been very rocky. I have often thought that I knew what was best for me. I did not study the word, have fellowship with the Lord, did not tithe, or often did not even attend church. Those years were very rough for me. It seemed like I could never catch a break. Sometimes I would get mad at God, thinking why would things not work out for me. I would struggle with relationships, had troubles with school, and my priorities were very out of order. After graduation from college and moving back home with my parents, some things in my life started to come together.

My MamMaw and PapPaw moved here from Louisiana. (This was definitely the Lord sending two angels to my aid). I did start to go to church more, and I even joined the choir. I really thought that I could just jump right back into a Christian life. Easier said than done. I was constantly reminded of the rocky road that I had been on. I had friends at church thinking I was a wonderful Christian girl who could never do wrong and then my friends who I had had for years looking at me each weekend, probably thinking she is fake. I was constantly Wondering if I died at that very moment, would I go to heaven. I just was not very sure. I knew what I needed to do, was re-dedicate my life to the Lord and confess to Him all of my wrong... once I did that, I know that my past would be forgotten and I could start a new.

Really, I could not do that. I was to embarrassed of what other people in the church would say when they saw me walk down the aisle at church... here I was in the choir, helping with children's choir, and friends with many people there (we have only attended the church since I was in the 6th or 7th grade). Each Sunday, when Bro. Phillip would finish his sermon and the choir would sing a song, and the invitation to come forward would be made, I could feel a fire in my stomach and God just pushing me to go, but I would fall to the devil on my shoulder each time. Each week, I would feel more and more defeated.

In 2006, I started dating a man that would soon become my husband. Little did I know that he too struggled with his salvation. I could not even come clean to him and say that I too was confused. Here I was trying to help him on his walk, when I desperately needed help with mine. A few years later, he went forward in front of our church family and asked Jesus to come into his heart. I wanted to do it too! I was so proud of him, but still so concerned what others would think about me.

In 2008, I lost my job. Aron and I had been struggling with infertility issues for a while, this just caused other frustrations in our lives, and my grandmother had been very sick. I joined a Bible Study at our church and began to attend Sunday school. After I really tried to focus on what mattered (God), things started to turn around in my life. We got pregnant (with Lovey girl) and I even got another job. Just as quickly as things can be given to you, things can be taken (I lost my job a few months later, boo). I still had my faith

Much time has gone by since all of that. We lost my MamMaw to cancer. Then my Aunt Diane. My PapPaw moved shortly after that, then he started to get sick. We lost him this past January. We got pregnant again. With so Much of the loss in my life I was blessed with a gift, Brayden.

I knew that I want to bring my babies up to love the Lord with all of their heart. Put him first in everything that they do. I want to read them Bible stories and teach them things that my parents taught to me. I want to lead by example. This was my time to follow Him and listen to what He is telling me to do.

This past Friday morning, I was up feeding Brayden and watching the news about the horrible tsunami and earthquakes that have been happening in Japan. I knew right then that at any time something like that could happen in my life. He is coming back, and would I be ready? (started to read Matthew 24) Would I go to heaven. I cried while giving Brayden his bottle and said a prayer and asked God to forgive me for my past sins and thanking him for sending his Son to die on a cross for me, and how I needed him to be in my heart. I felt such a peace that morning with my prayer that I had. I could not wait to tell my husband that on Sunday morning I was going to go forward, I knew if I told him that, I would in fact walk down there in front of God and all of his people and not be afraid. Well, I never said anything about it (that devil was really working on me) Then I was told some news of a family friend, my sweet Judy, had past away in her home, suddenly. So unexpected.

We do not know the time that we will leave this place or the time that God will come back. It could be tonight, it could be next week, the end of days could be nearer than we think. I do not know, only one person knows and I want to have NO DOUBT in my heart of my salvation when that time comes. Are you sure? Are you constantly bogged down by your sinful nature? Do you think that God has forgotten you? Could your time be tomorrow? I am so sure that my friend did not think that. I want to know for SURE that when my time comes I will go to heaven, and be singing and dancing, laughing with my mammaw and pappaw, seeing my aunt diane, watching as the world turns with my MawMaw, or doing Oil of Olay facials with my Mimi (the smell of Oil of Olay reminds me of her). I want to be rejoicing with my first love, Jesus Christ.

This morning, I went to church, thinking I did not have to walk down during the invitation at church. No one knew that I was having these struggles with my salvation. (devil working on me again) Then the preacher started talking about when you are saved in your younger years then you fall out of line, turning to sin when you know it is wrong. How people sometimes just stay at that point, in the wilderness, getting deeper and deeper into sin and never ask for His forgiveness. Was this the Lord using Bro Phillip as a vessel for me today or what, I think so. (so a God thing) Needless to say, I went forward in front of God and re-dedicated my life to Him. The peace that I have had today has been wonderful, and this by far has been the best decision of my life. I know that I was not perfect, and that in the future I will fall short of the glory of God, but He is always there and He knows my heart, and knows that I Love Him.

Love

Caryn

Who is that girl?

It seems like just yesterday I had this sweet little angel face baby girl that could do no wrong and light up your day with a smile and BIG hug. This past week, that sweet little angel face baby has gone out of town and left her twin, Temper Tantrum Baby.


What happened to her? If we are outside playing and I pick her up to bring her inside, she starts screaming and throwing her head back crying. She cries so hard she sometimes forgets to breathe. Or, it is night night time, and we pick her up to get in the bed and the same episode happens, along with some hair pulling, her own hair, (noticed last night that she may even have a bald spot). Yesterday, at the bookstore she started throwing stuffed animals in the floor, this was my cue to get my books paid for and head for the door, and she started screaming. An older woman and some random man were looking at me with a face like, "hello, this is a bookstore not romper room- control your child."


So, what was that? Why is she turning into a crazy child? I am trying to keep it together, but it is tough. Sometimes it makes me want to scream and cry (not pull out my hair) but scream and cry! Does anyone have any pointers? My mother was over this morning and witnessed an "outbreak of uncontrollable emotion" and she told her to sit on the naughty blanket (it was all we had, no naughty mat around, so we used Brayden's swaddle sheet). I am not a child beater, but I have swatted her on the hiney (she just laughs it off, and I feel horrible), or I tell her no, no!, she doesn't get that either, but she has added it to her vocabulary. So are you a spanker or a spooner user, stand in the corner or time out in a naughty spot? Remember, she is only 18 months, I cannot ground her or take away her car!! WWSD? What Would the Supernanny Do?


I am praying daily for patience and so far so good, but Sophia may not make it past this stage with out some hair loss, whip lash, or losing her voice.


It is kind of funny, these outbursts last for about 5 minutes and then after she is done she comes up and says "momma" and grins showing all of her teeth, like nothing ever happened. Who can figure!


Love yal,


Caryn

My Baby is 2 Months Old...

Sigh... Where on earth is the time going? He is already 2 months? The days, they are a flyin!

Well Brayden, what have you been up to?

You weigh 9 pounds! You are long and lean, 19 1/2 inches. Your toes and fingers are the longest ever, just more of you to love on!

You have red hair and blue eyes.

You are all about eating. You stopped that whole nursing bit at about 5 weeks. The bottle is your best friend. Every 2-3 hours you will have about 4-5 oz of soy formula. (smells rank, but you are such a fan)

Sleeping.....well, you do sleep. In the past week or so you have started sleeping about 4-5 hours at a time (at night). Yah, for mommy and daddy, we don't look like total zombies anymore. You nap on and off through out the day, they range from 30 minutes - 1 1/2 hours. I think that if I held you all day, you would probably nap the whole time.

You are wearing outfits that are in the 0-3 month range, and you look adorable.

Size 1 diaper, when you are exposed, you like to pee everywhere (gross)!

This past week you have started making little noises and smiling.

You are very curious.

I think that you recognize me and your daddy, because you smile when we are in your face.

Your sister adores you. She is constantly hugging and kissing on you. There is not a moment that goes by that she is not pointing at you saying, "bubba?" She probably thinks that you were brought home purely for her entertainment! She loves to give you a paci (she has trouble getting it into your mouth, it gets your eye 8 out of 10 times!

Your Honey got you a wonderful amazing bouncy/ rocking chair, and you are sleeping in this (in the pack in play, next to our bed.

We have finally started to take you out of the house. You have been to church 2 times (so far so good, the ladies in the nursery thought you were very sweet. There have been many visits to your granddaddy and honey's house. We have visited the park and the doctors office (yuck)! Today, you made your first trip to the bookstore. You started to cry after 10 minutes and had a poop diaper, so I am not sure if you enjoyed yourself.

You fall asleep each time you are in the car.

I get excited every time I see you. I think of the joy that you are bringing to our family every moment of the day. I think of the wonderful things that you will do in your future. I pray that you will be strong in your faith and always honor God first, be a sweet son, caring friend, protective brother, and always honest.

We love you so!

Mommy

The Cutest Little Thing!

This past week, Brayden and I were so excited to receive a package in the mail! I am "that girl" that looks forward to seeing our sweet mail lady everyday at 1:15! She brings cards from friends and family, junk mail, junk magazines, coupons for formula and diapers, and on Tuesday, I was extra pumped to see her because she did not deliver any BILLS (hooray!)!

The package was really for little man, but I was happy to open it and find the "cutest little thing"! From the looks of the photo, he was just as happy!

My precious friend Christy Orr Oldham (whom we used to call coolots (this also is a term for the ever so popular 1970 style gaucho pant)) sent little man the sweetest monogrammed onesie. It says "Future Tiger", and is so adorable! The tiger was our high school mascot, and we are still in the Tiger Town today. Hopefully, little man will follow in his daddy's footsteps and wear a tiger jersey!


So cute!

Thank you Christy!

Brayden just loves his new outfit! black and gold are so his colors!

Christy has the cutest website on etsy: http://www.cutestlittlethings.etsy.com/

She is so talented and makes such cute things, yal should definitely check her out!

Love yal!

Caryn and the Little Tiger!

Your first....

Most women remember everything that happens in their life. As little girls we scribble it in our diaries, as teens we move into writing in our journals, then we grow up to be a mommy and I have it all jotted down on to do lists (lists are a must, I will never forget it if it is on a list!)

In these diaries and journals you may have listed all of your firsts.....

The first kiss. (ughhh, this was so sad, I had no idea what I was doing I forgot to breath and then there was the string of spit as I jerked away so quickly. You would have thought I was electrocuted.)

Your first date. (I was dropped off by my parents at the Dixieland Mall to see a movie with Mike Archer, o- the romance for a 9th grader!)

Your first car. (the red Acura. I had it for 11 years, such a good car)

Your first day of college. (Oh-the U of A, the memories. I first class was Eng Comp 1 at 7:30 a.m., Monday morning. I was a few minutes late. My teacher, Ms. Csleyini (did not speak English very well), was very quick to tell the class she will start her classes on TIME!, yowza!) Should have taken the bus to class, that is what a smart kid would have done, but I walked to class from my dorm. 7:30 a.m.+humid sticky August morning in Arkansas+ natural curly hair= sweaty Caryn with big hair walking to class (so much for making friends on my first day at school!)

Your first job. (The Perfect Choice gift shop. It was an after school job and I ended up staying with Gwenie for years, she is like my utha mutha!)

Your first love. (real and unconditional love, my husband, then my babies)

Your first birth experience. (yikes, what a fiasco, no book can prepare you for that)

The first time you eat a chocolate cake and realize that you ate the cake and will never be able to exercise enough to get the cake off of your thighs!!

And then, your first spanx!

As I get older I have noticed that many things have changed, one of them being that my swimsuit model body has gone through "the change"! (Those of you who know me, should be laughing at that comment, you know I am not serious!) I have now had two children and eat like I am pregnant with a third. Things just are not what they used to be. I have noticed that as you age so does your body. Your skin wrinkles and things sag (I will leave it at that), some things do not bounce back like you would hope that they would!

So, to spanx or not to spanx, that is the question. Yikes!!

Yes, the under armor that sucks you in and smooths you out!

(That does not sound comfortable to me at ALL!) There are actually 3 levels of spanx: medium, super, and SUPER DUPER! Really?

Look, they do not even show this woman's face, probably because she is so sucked in that she cannot breathe!! At least she will look more flattering in her pants (like she has a problem, since she looks like a size 2!)

I could consider this swimsuit, look at how cute this is!

I am loving the red off the shoulder suit. It says yes I swim but I could go out salsa dancing in this suit! Love it!

They even have spanx for men (YIKES). I am not even gonna go there!

So, have yal bought into this? Am I the last girl on the planet to have not already purchased this stuff? Should I have been wearing this mess already? I so need to get with the program.

Hope yal are having a great day.

Love yal!

Caryn