Fabulous Fuston Family

Harper's 1 year pictures

2010-07-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

Well you know I'm a huge advocate of my friend Andi's photography! She does an AWESOME job and is always so patient and sweet with Harper....probably even when she shouldn't be! ha! And, as always, she over-exceeded my expectations on Harper's one year pictures! It was one of those super HOT days, so we decided to shoot late afternoon and it was p-e-r-f-e-c-t! Harper was in the best mood and she was just hamming it up for the session! Here are a few from her session and you can hop on over to Andi's blog to see a few more! These are quite possibly my fave so far! Sweet girl and Baby Stella.....bless! :)

And, we decided to shoot at the newly renovated courthouse in Woodbury because I knew Harper's Papa would really appreciate it and cherish these forever....

Temper Tantrum 411

2010-07-11T20:49:00.003-05:00

Okay...so I'm having a little bit of a dilemma! My sweet baby has started throwing fits....and it's absolutely KILLING me! Typically it's when she's getting tired, but that's still no excuse. Now it drives me crazy when parents act like they have no control over their kids....please don't think I'm that kind of parent! Harper knows what "no" means, but like any kid, she doesn't always listen. So, if any of you out there reading this have had the same issue, what did you do? I mean I just feel like she's so young to be throwing fits....is she? This is obviously my first....so I need help! ha!

Another friend suggests that she loves this book and I'm thinking about buying it to read while I'm on the beach. Have any of you ever read or know anyone who has read this book? Is it worth a read?

Now let me say...we do believe in spanking, and Harper does get little spankings occassionally. But I think she's too young to be spanking all the time, so we redirect, distract, and do anything else prior to spanking. That's why I'm hoping this book or some of you will have some suggestions for me! Thanks!

xoxo, Kara

Date Night!

2010-07-08T00:42:00.004-05:00

Well, I don't get many date nights....so I have to choose them carefully! But, this one was even more than I expected....it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! However, this was not just an ordinary date night! I went on a date w/ two of my all-time favorite gals to see our all-time favorite vampire!

That's right....we went on a date to see ECLIPSE and it was WONDERFUL! Brandon thinks it's hilarious that most nights I'm out by ten at the latest...but I can stay up until 2 am to watch a stupid movie about vampires and warewolves! ha! And, I totally see his point, but it's ooohh soooooo good!

If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a fan of leaving my baby when I could be spending quality time with her. I hate leaving her every day when I have to work...so I DO NOT leave her when I do not absolutely have to. But, when the movie is at midnight, I'm able to put her to bed and then leave. That way, I don't have anything to feel guilty about...and I think THAT is why I am able to enjoy myself so much! And, Brandon is totally okay with it as long as he doesn't have to go! ha!

We were joking inside the theatre that by the time they get all the movies out, all the teeny-boppers will be middle-aged. lol Which means I'll be a senior citizen! ha! If you wanna make yourself feel old....go to a Twilight movie and stand in line w/ a bunch of teenagers! lol I always say I'm afraid I feel out of place...so that's why I take 2 kiddos with me! lol I just love it...and Edward! OH MY! I just can't help myself! lol How many of you are Twi-lovers? And, of course, the infamous question....are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

xoxo, Kara C:

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

2010-07-08T00:00:00.003-05:00

Yes really...I'm back! I had decided that I wasn't going to blog anymore because I feel like it takes time away from Harper. But then I realized that I missed it...and the only 2 readers that kept up w/ us missed us too! ha! But, most of all, I miss having our life scrapbooked to look back on one day! I can't tell you how many times I've gone through the archives to find something...like how much Harper weighed at 3 months! Now, I'm sad that I missed the last few months of her first year. But I'm back....and I'm ready to blog!

I don't know that I'll go back and try to blog about everything I skipped, but I'll definitely be hitting the highlights....especially her big birthday bash!

I'm happy to be back and I hope there are still a few people who check on us...and maybe more will start once we get back in the swing of things! I can't lie...I've been busy and having lots of fun during my blogging break (of 6 months! ha!) but I'm ready to share!!! So check back daily for the next few days! I promise not to disappoint!

xoxo, Kara C:

Baby Name Mania!

2010-05-07T15:59:00.006-05:00

I LOVE BABY NAMES!!! Like seriously, I sit around all the time thinking about cool names that I could potentially name my children one day….it’s sad I know! Ha! I usually don’t participate in Kelly’s SUYL weekly topics, but this was one that I just couldn’t pass up….plus I am trying really hard to get back into the blogging trend! So here goes…

Obviously, you already know we have one daughter named Harper Claire. (Hence the reason I began reading Kelly’s blog when I discovered she had a daughter w/ the same name!) I don’t really know how on earth my husband and I ever finally agreed on a name. Boy names were done! We had decided on our son’s name before we even married. But, the girl name…not so much! I had always thought I would name my little girl Kenadie (Kennedy w/ a twist). But when the time came, that name just didn’t do it for me. Plus, it seemed like every time I would look in our local newspaper, there was a little girl named Kennedy in there. So, that name was out. We went through what seemed like hundreds of names…and either one or both of us just didn’t like it. Then, we ventured back to fall 2007, when I heard the name Harper on an MTV commercial and fell in love. Brandon said, “Now that’s a name I like!” And, I thought, “You know…I do too!” So we talked about it for a few days, and it just seemed right. And, since her first name was one that could be used for a boy or girl, I wanted a really girly middle name. I really wanted to use a family name, but just wasn’t coming up with anything. Then, I thought of Claire. My great-grandfather’s name was Clarence, so I just knew that was it. We started referring to my growing bump as Harper Claire, and it suits her to a T!

Now, as far as future baby names go…we…or should I say I…think about it all the time. I’m always coming home and asking Brandon if he likes any of my new names. Being a teacher, it’s very hard to find cool, unique names for your children. There are some names that you would never name your kids, can I get an amen on that? Lol And, then there are some that just seem to fit! So, as some of you already know, if we ever have a son, his name will be….

Knox William (or Michael)

Knox is the middle name of one of my first cousin’s who passed away from diabetes. We were super close and I knew from that moment, that I wanted to name my child after him one day. The William and Michael are the names of my and Brandon’s dad…so we haven’t fully decided which one to use! And, if we were to ever have another boy, I love the name

Liam Michael

…but that is subject to change. I love all the trendy names right now: Kiptyn, Kellan, Mattox, Kortez….so who knows!

Now for the HARD part….girl names!!!!! Ahhh….why do girl names have to be so difficult? I have a really hard time w/ this because I have so many sweet monogrammed things, that part of me really wants to stick with Harper’s same initials so that I can reuse all of her stuff. Then, part of me thinks…but once they’re teenagers, everything won’t be monogrammed! So, do I really want to do that? I DON’T KNOW!!! I know it’s stupid of me to worry about now since I don’t see any more kiddos in our near future, but it’s something to think about, right? Like the boys’ names, I love all the trendy names: Finley, Piper, Willow, Stella….but Brandon isn’t big on any of those. And now, some friends just named their little girl Stella, so that’s out! I kind of hesitate to put this out there, because the girl name industry is sooooooo competitive! Ha! But, if I were to have a little girl anytime soon, her name would most likely be…..

Hollyn Caroline

I just think it’s cute and sweet and sounds like a Kara-name! lol But, if I were to decide not to go with the HCF initials, other names I absolutely love are….

Emersyn
Kimber
Isla
Chaney

SEE WHY I STRESS OVER GIRL NAMES?? Haha Oh well…I will cross that bridge when the time comes! Thanks for stopping by and I can’t wait to explore everyone’s baby names!

Xoxo, Kara C:

OH MY!!!

2010-05-05T21:14:00.002-05:00

Has it really been since February! It can't be so!?!?! I have had soooo much going on, plus major computer problems and camera problems....so I am coming back very SOON! I love blogging and I've missed it so much...so I am happy to be back! I'm so tired right now that I just wanted to say that I'm coming back bigger and better than ever...but it's just going to take me a few days to get everything ready! So, if there's anyone still out there who checks up on us....keep checking! Lots to come soon!
xoxo, Kara C:

Just this once....

2010-03-23T12:37:00.004-05:00

This is a beautiful email I received one day and I just had to share! It is so true and has such a meaning to all the busy mommmas out there. Enjoy!

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry,

and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink,

and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off,

and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble

when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up,

or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookie ,

and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal

so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late

while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray,

I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children,

the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms,

and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly,

and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.

It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.............

SEE! I told ya....love it!

xoxo, Kara C:

Fun in the sun at Lincoln's Place!

2010-02-21T20:22:00.011-06:00

A couple of Saturdays ago, it was our first real "spring-y" day and Harper and I just had to get out of the house. Brandon has been working like crazy lately, and not coming in until later at night (one reason for the lack of blogging), so we were tired of being cooped up! So, I knew my mom would be at home, so we called to see if she'd like to join us at the park for a little while. I ran a few errands in town and then headed to Woodbury. Of course we have parks in McMinnville, but not the same kind of park that I wanted to take Harper to. Many of you have heard me mention how our first son will be named Knox. Knox is the middle name of a very special cousin of mine who passed away when I was a senior in high school. He was my first cousin and he was also a diabetic...like me! He helped me more than he ever knew when I was first diagnosed. I'll never forget the night we found out. We had been to eat dinner and my mom just knew something wasn't right with me so she finally broke down and took me to their house so we could check my sugar. When they checked it, the meter wouldn't even read it. It just read HIGH. That meant it was over 500. So, we knew what that meant, so we just sat in my uncle and aunt's bedroom floor and had a little crying session. It was then that Lincoln (who was 7 at the time) came over and crawled in my lap and said, "It's okay, Kara. If I can do it, I know you can!" Well, that's the moment I decided there was no need to be crying. He was so special to me, and I think about him everyday! That's why I can't wait to have a little boy to share this heritage with.

So, when he passed away, there was a committee formed who wanted to do something special. They decided to "fix up" a local park and make it a fun place again for kids again. AND THEY SOOO DID IT! They renamed the park Lincoln's Place and it is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!! So, Harper's first park experience just had to be there.Here we are standing by the sign and you can see my parents names under the committee group. This place means more to me than anyone will ever know! As we arrived at my parents house, I found out that my two cousins were there to play too. We had so much fun with them.Rachel even took Harper down the slide for the first time and she LOVED it!Although, I think swinging was her favorite!We even attempted to ride the pony.....but it was not a success! ha!We had a wonderful day and I can't wait to spend more time there in the future. Thanks to all of my family who joined us there to make one of Harper's "firsts" such a special memory for me! If you're ever in the area, you should definitely stop by and check out Lincoln's Place. I definitely see some future birthdays taking place there and I can't wait!

xoxo, Kara C:

The many hats of Harper...

2010-02-21T14:36:00.002-06:00

One of our neighbors and one of Brandon's friends on the volunteer fire dept. (well his wife actually) made Harper this sweet little hat. I usually don't like hats on her, but this one was sweet!However, since she's not used to wearing them it was difficult for me to get a good picture of her in it because she kept doing this...hahaha! Guess that's what I get for not putting them on her.

Then, one day while I was at my parents' house, I starting searching. Brandon's parents always have all this stuff from when Brandon and his sister were babies and I knew my mom had some stuff so I started looking. I found several sweet dresses that Harper had already outgrown, but I found another thing that I loved!!! It was a little sweater and bonnet, so I brought it home to try on her!I LOVE IT!!! Even if she does look like Laura Ingalls! ha! :)

I'll have to put more pics of her up w/ the whole ensemble! It really is too sweet and I can't wait to take it for her 9 month pictures!

Coming soon....

2010-02-20T10:06:00.001-06:00

HAS IT REALLY BEEN A MONTH? Oh my...I feel terrible! BUT, I have soooooooo many things to share...and I'll get it done soon!! I can't wait...I have lots of pics to show you of my growing girl! Check back soon!

Happy Birthday Daddy Brandon!

2010-02-19T15:19:00.004-06:00

My sweetie-pie turned the big 33 this month! Since he doesn't like to make a big hoop-lah (like my word?) about his birthday, I decided to just have a few people meet us at a local restaurant where we usually go every weekend anyway. It worked out p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y and he was definitely surprised. We didn't make a big deal about it and I thought it turned out so nice.

Since he is a volunteer firefighter, I decided to let that be the theme of his cake. It was between that or a tractor, but I figured he'd had a lot of tractor cakes in his lifetime. The cake was AWESOME!! I told her I needed one to feed 15....and I think it would've fed 40! ha:) It was so perfect and tasty, and it was cheap too....that's always a plus! Everyone kept saying how they thought it was a toy firetruck and they had no idea it was a cake! Of course the girls kept wanting to get as close as possible to the cake so they could keep their eyes on it...

And, we decided to pose for a family picture only to realize we had our niece! ha:) And, then looked what else was going on in the picture......I about laughed myself to death when I saw this picture....I was afraid her mom might kill me for posting it, but it was too difficult to resist! Priceless, right?

As Madelyn was leaving, she was loving on me, so we decided to pose for another family picture...brother and sister....

And then we tried to get one of Harper with her best little friendie, Annabella, but Harper was totally over it! She wanted down! And NOW! ha:)

It ended up being a really fun night and we were so thankful everyone came out to celebrate his birthday. We truly have the best friends and family anyone could ask for! Happy birthday, honey! Hope you had a great one!

Harper is 8 months old!

2010-02-15T15:01:00.012-06:00

My sweet little girl is getting sooo big! I still can't believe that eight months have passed since she arrived. She is our world! Brandon and I don't know what we did before she came around...we must've been really boring! ha:)

I was packing up some of her clothes that don't fit anymore and I could've cried when I had to pack up the bow she wore home from the hospital....

so I decided, just for kicks, to put it in one last time...OOOOOOOOhhhhh, how my heart broke! :( It makes me so sad that she's growing so quickly. I want her to develop, of course, but I just wish these baby days didn't go by so quickly!

However, I love how Harper is growing, changing, and doing new things everyday! She is at the age where she is so much fun! It's hilarious when we leave her playing in the living room to run in the other room for 2 seconds, and when we return, she's no where to be found! I just have to laugh when this happens because as soon as I yell her name, here she'll come crawling around the corner! She is the joy of our lives!

At 8 months, Harper is:

-wearing size 2 diapers

-wearing anywhere from 6-9 months clothes

-crawling and pulling up everywhere and on everything!!!

-babbling all the time (da-da is her favorite) :(

-has her 2 bottom teeth completely in

-eats 3-4 six ounce bottles each day plus cereal w/ fruit for breakfast, veggies at lunch, and veggies and a fruit/dessert at supper

-LOVES her yogart melt snacks

-takes 2 naps everyday and sleeps around 10 hours each night

-is really beginning to "play" with her toys

-is the absolute highlight of our lives!

Harper Claire, you'll never know how much you truly mean to your daddy and me. I'm so thankful that God chose us to be your parents because you are such a special baby to us! You're a social butterfly and loved by so many people...I hope one day you'll know how blessed you are! Love you baby girl!*By the way, Harper had to be a little model for the shop where we get many of her clothes and all of our things monogrammed, so that's where the pics came from. You can see their full post here.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T16:05:00.007-06:00

I'll have to say that this was the absolute BEST Valentine's Day ever!! Not only did my husband get me tulips and an hour massage (LOVE IT), but we sooooo enjoyed spending the day w/ Harper! She is getting to be more fun with each and every day that passes. Of course, she didn't know it was any special day, all she knew was that she got to play with something VERY fun....

TISSUE PAPER!! I'm pretty sure that is one of her favorite things right now! ha:) She could not have cared less about her presents, she just liked the wrapping. So, after I assisted her with getting all of her goodies out, I let her have a ball.And my beautiful flowers from Daddy...I wanted to have a family picture on Harper's first Valentine's Day and well...it just did not work out as I wanted...We did the timer thing and that didn't work, so I opted for a good picture to at least have....well...a picture! ha:) Harper looks tired, Brandon looks scared, and I look pasty! Lovely! lol

After church, I decided I needed to get a picture of Harper with all of her goodies since I've done that every holiday! I am quickly seeing how having a busy 8 month old is not quite as easy to get her to be photogenic as it was when she was itty bitty! BUT, while I was getting everything ready and before I got Harper ready, I caught her doing this....She had pulled her new capris off the couch and was chewing on the tags. It was so cute so I just had to take a picture! So I finally got her all ready and just knew I'd get a cutesy picture....and here's what I got...Gees! Can't a girl get a break? All I needed was a little smile....but I.WAS.NOT.GETTING.IT.FROM.HER!! No ma'am! Oh well...these will have to work! Since you can't really tell anything in this picture, I wanted some closer up of her goodies.After all was said and done, I think she was happy....cause THEN she decided to flash me one of these....Oh, how I love my little Valentine! Hope you had a happy day with your loves!

xoxo, Kara C:

Harper is 7 months old!!

2010-01-20T21:42:00.004-06:00

Well, technically, she's 7 and 1/2 months old now...but better late that never, right? ha! :) Harper is growing waaaaaaaaaaaay too fast, as I say every month, but we are enjoying her so much! She's gotten to be quite a little handful but it's so cute. She is into E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!! It's so funny...if you leave the room for 2 seconds, you better run back and check on her just to make sure she's not under the couch or playing w/ the computer! lol

So, what all is Harper up to at 7 months:

-She still sleeps wonderfully at night and usually takes a few naps through the day!

- She eats cereal and fruit for breakfast, 2 veggies at lunch, and usually 2 at night. She usually only takes around 4 six ounce bottles each day.

-She is a crawling machine and (at 7 months) she was trying to figure out how to pull up! She definitley has the hang of it now. She finally realized how to do it Sunday 1/24 and hasn't stopped since. She stands up everywhere now!

-She smiles all the time and is such a happy baby!

-She is definitely beginning to get her own little personality. We now KNOW if she doesn't like something or isn't happy! It's funny to a point...but she's gotten to where she'll throw little fits...that's where it stops being funny! lol

-She lights up when either of us come in the room...and it really is the sweetest thing I've ever seen! :)

Well, it looks like I'll be doing her 8 month post soon! ha! It's sooooooooo hard to believe that it's been almost 8 months since we had the sweetest blessing on Earth!

xoxo, Kara C:

Harper's hobbies...

2010-01-20T21:28:00.005-06:00

Watching Mickey Mouse...

Crawling everywhere and getting into everything...

Pulling up like a big girl...

Watching momma and daddy through the slats in her bed and smiling ear to ear...Making us the happiest most blessed Momma and Daddy in the world...

You gotta crawl before you walk...and Harper Claire's a crawlin....

2010-01-13T21:22:00.012-06:00

Yep...you heard me right! I had really thought that Harper would crawl before Christmas, but she just couldn't figure out how to get going! She could get practically anywhere she wanted, but she would scoot and roll and go backwards! ha:)

So, we really have been trying to convince her to come forwards! lol We've put stuff down in front of her and she's inched that way a time or two...BUT tonight she just took off. She's still a little wobbly, as you'll see, but all in all, she's got it! I text some of my friends and told them and almost all of them said, "Well now you won't be able to keep up with her!" ha:) Everytime she's in the floor playing and I go into our bedroom for something I always look behind me like I expect her to be following me....and now she actually might! :)

Just wanted to share another milestone with you! Hope you're having a wonderful week! We teachers, I know, are trying to get back in the swing of things, but it's hard after being off for almost 3 weeks! It's been soooooooo nice, but it's rough trying to get back into the groove! I'll be glad to see Friday! ha:) Then, we're off on Monday, so we get another 4 day week! You sure can't beat that! Enjoy your long weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

WHO?

2010-01-12T23:21:00.004-06:00

Who could have any worries in the world when you have this sweet face to look at and love on all the time?? I sure can't.....I'm so lucky!She just loves her little baby doll that Kaye got her. It's the cutest thing with little rolls on it's legs and arms! It's so sweet and I've never seen one like it before. Harper and I named her Mia! ha:) Harper's main goal is to pull off her hat and jacket! She loves to be naked, so she must think her baby dolls do too! Don't you just love it? I could eat her up! And, since I've been off through Christmas, and then for snow, it was t.e.r.r.i.b.l.e. leaving her this morning! TERRIBLE! I know she's taken good care of while I'm working, so that makes it easier....BUT, BUT there's nothing better in the world than being home with her. (And her daddy spending the day with us isn't too bad either! ha:)

Not a lot has happened lately, so I just wanted to share two of my fave faces with you tonight...Aren't they sweet in their Pioneer gear? I know I'm not biased at all! ha:)

xoxo, Kara C:

Christmas with the Fustons

2010-01-10T22:52:00.008-06:00

Well, I guess it's better late than never, but I finally copied over the pics from Aunt Randi's camera! It's so hard to believe that Christmas has already came and gone again! Time really does fly once you have children....and I'M NOT LIKING IT!!! I remember those terrible high school years when it felts like those four drama filled years took F.O.R.E.V.E.R!!! Now, it seems like a year goes by with the blink of an eye.

But, without further ado, here's the rest of our Christmas celebration pictures...

Harper was sleepy..but at least Daddy cooperated...She was finally beginning to figure out how to open the presents...although she just wanted to play with the tissue paper and box! ha!Irene is all the time taking food somewhere, for something/someone, so we decided to get her a market tote to help get around w/ all of her goodies...Randall is always trying to trick everyone when it comes to their gifts. He hides money in candy boxes or in the bottom of a perfume box, anywhere.... So, this year, Brandon wanted to trick him a little bit. We put a pair of houseshoes in this huge box and then put random things in the box to help weigh it down to throw him off...and he was surprised!Harper had begun to start getting around a little around Christmas, so of course she wanted her hands on the action...the video camera! And, Uncle A tried his best to stay out of the way of the camera...but we caught him! ha:)This boy cracks me up...he's so particular about what he wears, drives, everything! So, he definitely had to make a big deal out of some sweet baby drool....Sorry Uncle A! lol He really didn't care, but we had to pick on him a little bit about it!

Harper's a busy girl!

2010-01-07T00:26:00.011-06:00

WHEW! I remember when she was all tiny and just slept and ate what felt like all the time. Brandon and I talked everyday about how much easier it was than we ever thought and that we'd like to have another one....SOON! W-E-L-L....let me just tell you...Harper has gotten busier and so have we! ha:) It's definitely not a bad thing, but it's definitely made me re-think the whole wanting to have another one soon idea! lol I enjoy being a momma sooooooooo much...much more than I even thought I would. I always say that God meant for me to be a momma and I truly believe that! But, since Harper has gotten around more, I've realized that having a kid is work! I know those of you with toddlers running around everywhere like crazy are laughing your head off saying, "She thinks she's busy now...just wait!" ha:) I know! I wouldn't trade my active 6 month old for anything in the world! It just makes me realize that two small kiddos may be out of the question!

So, what is Harper doing? Well she can get a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. she wants just by scooting and crawling backwards. She did take a few forward crawls tonight and we were so excited! Then, on Sun, Jan 3, she sat alone for the first time! I was so excited! I just kept saying Yay! and clapping my hands and she would just grin so big like she knew she had done something special! ha:) Excuse my beautiful self in the photo, I had to stay close to make sure she didn't topple over...which she's done several times! So now her new thing is crawling backwards, then she'll put out one foot and turn herself around a few times, then go from the crawling stance to sitting...and she's so proud of herself when she does this!This Sunday, we were at B's parents' house and she was sitting in the floor playing with her daddy's Mickey Mouse...She LOVES it! She would just squeal at him, then knock him over...it was so cute!

So, what else is she doing...Well we have "introduced" her to a sippy cup, but she's not real crazy about it just yet! She'd rather just chew on the tip and throw it on the ground than actually drink anything out of it! My mom thinks it's too early, and the dr. said anytime between 6-9 months, but I hated for her to be 9 months old before she ever held/saw/experienced one. So, typically, I give it to her once a day with juice and let her play with it. She's getting better and has actually learned how to get a little bit out! But here's what I think she really thinks about her new cup....

Also, Aunt Randi helped Harper contribute to a great missionary work. The son of a teacher that I work with goes to Honduras every summer to do mission work. He is graduating in May with a social work degree and going back over there for the summer. After his last trip, he and his friend began talking about how there were no libraries over there. They then came up with this idea of making a mobile library to take to these 10 (I think) close villages and letting the children check out books. WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA!!! So, she has bought several herself, but also asked if any teacher would like to pick a title to buy to send, or to donate money to go toward books they don't have yet. She's then going to put a name plate inside each book with the person's name who bought/donated it. So, Aunt Randi let Harper send two books...I thought that was a wonderful idea! Harper is so blessed to be surrounded by teachers and has a plethora of books, so I was glad she was able to do this. I plan on just giving her some money and letting her buy books that have not yet been purchased! However, she did have the Twilight series in Spanish that I was really tempted to buy! Honduras MUST be introduced to the world of Edward! ha:)

And, last but not least, the thing that has caused us the most problems...or laundry should I say! We have been going through bibs and burp cloths like C-R-A-Z-Y!!! Harper has been a drooling monster since she was almost 3 months old, but it's gotten considerably worse over the last few months. WELL, my mom found that Harper cut her first tooth on Christmas day! What a great present. As I started looking, I noticed the next day that the one right beside it was about to cut through too...and sure enough it did 2 days later. We were super duper excited to see some toothies! And she's so cute showing them off too. BUT, of course when I tried to get a picture of her toothies, she did everything but want to show them to me...

Shoot...still can't see them...So I decided to just dig for them....lol

And then the little turkey decided to flash a big smile to mommy and I got em! Yay...sweet success! lolShe is such a mess and we wouldn't have it any other way. It seems like she's growing, changing, and doing something new every single day! We have such a wonderful life and I'm so thankful for my sweet baby girl! She started doing one more thing right before we left for a birthday party tonight...I'll just have to show you later! (It's good...check back!)

I'm going to have to go to bed! I've been out of school for almost a week and it looks like it's about to come to an end...I wish we could get just one more day...but I've said that everyday! ha:) So, I better try to get some rest so I can educate some young minds tomorrow! :)

xoxo, Kara C:

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-07T00:25:00.009-06:00

I know I'm several days late...and I hope this is NOT how the rest of my year will be! ha:) I'll be honest, I really haven't wanted to do this post because it makes me sad! Sad because 2009 was, so far, the best year of my life! I think you all know why...This little angel has brought more love and joy to our lives than we ever thought imaginable! If you are reading this and trying to decide whether to conceive/adopt/whatever....DO IT!!! It is the BEST decision we have ever made in our whole life!

And, with 2010, I know that I have to plan a 1st birthday party! :( I am so excited and already shopping around for her party supplies, but at the same time.....first birthday!!! How can the first year already be 1/2 over?? Oh...the grief! lol

But, also in 2010, we have an awesome trip to the beach planned that will be super fun, my little cousin is getting married so we are working on an awesome bridal shower for her, then looking forward to her wedding, then the next weekend will the birthday party! So, I'm going to really try to build my excitement for that as I also look forward to the sun and sand....and the birthday behind me! ha:)

For 2010, there are several things I want:

1. I want to be a better Christian, mother, wife, daughter, and teacher.

2. I want to be successful in my goal of losing weight. (Ideally, I'd love to lose 50-70 lbs. Right now, I'm at 13.4....wish me luck!)

3. I want to quit worrying about the small stuff and things that don't matter and put all my faith in God. He will take care of us!

4. I want to feel like I am doing the best things for me and my family! There are days that I doubt my decisions and am filled with sadness and guilt for not being able to stay at home with my baby...but I want to know that it's what God has planned for our family!

5. I want to work on always being happy and seeing the positive side of every situation!

6. I created this blog to keep a journal of our life/what we do...and I want to be better at blogging! I really enjoy it and love all the comments, so I want to do better! I want to have this for Harper to look back on when she gets older.

What do you want to work on for the new year???

Okay...so I said I'm going to be cheerful and look forward, SOOOOO I'm going to share some of Harper's birthday stuff with you! I know I'm planning waaaayyyy ahead, but that's just how I do things! ha:) So, here are the napkins...It doesn't really have a "theme" but I'm just going to use all bright things in pink, lime, yellow, and turquoise! I've also found the invites that I LOVE!! I have it narrowed down to a few, but they all have the same idea! This was my first favorite...But then I saw these that I fell in love with too! You use a picture from each month up until 1 year...Then this is another version similar to the first, but with more picture options...Please tell me...which is your favorite?? I love them all....so I just wanna see what the popular opinion is!

This party is going to be outside in our back yard in late afternoon and on into the night. So, I see these in bright colors hanging in the trees...LOVE IT!!! Okay...maybe I can get excited about it before June! ha:)

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe 2010 thus far!

xoxo, Kara C:

ARE YOU READY???

2010-01-06T23:39:00.015-06:00

FOR A PICTURE OVERLOAD?? Because that's exactly what you're about to get! Someone told me at school the other day that they couldn't believe I hadn't done a Christmas post yet! Well...I've been putting it off because I knew it'd take me F.O.R.E.V.E.R to download all the pictures I wanted to post! We had a wonderful, crazy busy Christmas! We always do, but this year it was a little different having to pack up the whole house everytime we went somewhere...but it was soooooo worth it! Harper had a wonderful Christmas and she loved, loved all her wonderful gifts! She got several baby dolls and she would just squeal at the top of her lungs waiting on her daddy to get them out! Then, she got a dog that talks and sings...oh my! You could've heard her a mile away! She was so excited!

After Christmas with our best little friendies, our next Christmas was with my family. My mom gets up on Christmas Eve and cooks a huge breakfast. It reminds me of when we went to my MaJean's when I was little. The past few years it's been good...but now, with the girls, it's perfect! It feels so nice sitting around a big table with the whole family having fun. Here are a few pics from there...

Maddie got really quiet and went off into my old bedroom. We didn't know what she was up to and this is where we found her! ha:)Aunt Wendy and HarperMaddie's gift from Poppa and GrannaOur gift to Madelyn...but she didn't want to be that close to Harper lolThe infamous dog from Uncle Ryan and Aunt Wendy...she LOVED itI said this was the photo of the year! CRACKS ME UP!

We always just go comfy to my parents' house, then we get ready and go have Christmas with my mom's family. It alternates every year between her sister and brother's house, and this year it was at her sister's. We had such a good time. The adults draw names and we buy for all the kids. Harper got a crawling baby doll that she just loved along with some blocks and other sweet clothes and things. She racked up!

We had to have a little photo session before all the fun began...because that's just what they do! ha:) Here's great grandmother (NaNean) with her great granddaughters..But they'd rather play with each other than take picturesNaNean with all the grand- and great grandbabies..NaNean and her babies...The soon to be newlyweds with their picture mama gave them...Then the "real" fun began...yeah right! The lights kept flickering throughout the night, but then they went off for good...for a good while! lol It wouldn't have been too bad, but my cousin and Emily's fiance are quite the pranksters! Everyone who knows me knows I am a huge scaredy cat and absolutely hate Halloween! Well, they went back into the back bedroom and put on Halloween masks! I.JUST.ABOUT.DIED!!! lol Seriously, I ran in the kitchen and told my aunt to make them stop! They were laughing hysterically of course! So, anyway, once they quit picking on me, I had to feed Harper cereal...in the dark! ha:) Not an easy task! But we made it work.So after all that fun, we decided to head home since we have at least an hour drive. So we came home and crashed and got ready for the next day! WHEW!!!

So, now for Christmas...we had to be at Brandon's parents around 8:30ish, so we had to get up E-A-R-L-Y, so we could do our Christmas before we left.Finally got those stubborn stockings hung....ha! :)Then it was opening time! We had so much fun helping Harper open all her gifts. However, I don't have just a whole bunch of pics because Brandon was busy videoing the whole time! lol He had to use our new Christmas present! lolCan you tell it was early? Harper got lots of goodies....a sippy cup, some plates, some clothes, books, a bathing suit, a cell phone (that she loves like her momma!), a pearl necklace, and her two big items from Santa..

A toy box to store all of her goodies...And somewhere to sit while watching Mickey Mouse..I know this year it was more for us than her, so I tried to get her stuff that she needed also. Like our house is tiny....T-I-N-Y, if you didn't know, so we needed the toybox for storage!

So after opening all of our gifts, we headed over to Brandon's parents house. Again, Brandon had to try out our new toy, so we don't have any pictures from over there either. His parents bought us a video camera for Christmas so we could capture all the fun things Harper is doing these days! But, we are still learning how to use it! lol I love it! So, I'll have to get some pics from Aunt Randi and load them and blog even later about that!

After that, we headed to Brandon's grandmother's for their Christmas! I also enjoy this because we get to see some of the family that we don't see that often! But it is crowded so we have to move from place to place to visit with everyone!

Grandmother Fuston was so excited to see Harper...So was Aunt Linda...And Aunt Lillian....but Harper was interested in Stephen too...Then Harper got around and visited all the little girls too! And Sally even got to feed her...

After there, we had one more stop....are you counting....yes that's FOUR places on Christmas day! This time we had Christmas with my dad's family at my parent's house! We had finger foods and played games and had so much fun! It's always hilarious playing games w/ my family...my mom tries to get out of playing and then the rest of us...well...you just have to be there! ha:)Todd and Tiffany got each of the girls the Fancy Nancy Christmas book! I love Fancy Nancy so I think I was more excited than anyone! lol

This is Harper's new thing and it drives me nuts...but it is kinda funny, and of course the grandparents let her do whatever she wants!

Afterwards, we went home and C.R.A.S.H.E.D! We were all so tired so we slept in the next day. I always love to go out and see all the specials the day after Christmas and I had wanted to be at Wal-Mart at 6 or 7 the next morning and yeah...that didn't happen! ha:) But we did go later on in the day and found a few things!

And so, the end result of Christmas (and honestly this isn't even all of it)....Say it with me....ridiculous! lol But she is very loved so in turn, she has a lot of stuff! And, I promise, it didn't look near as bad once I got it all organized and put away! But, I'll have to admit, for the first few days after Christmas, I was going a little crazy with all the stuff we had laying everywhere!

And on to a few things that were pre-Christmas...

I LOVED our Christmas cards this year! A girl that's going to school for photography did our pictures, then designed our cards for us....love them!

Front...Inside on top flap...Inside on bottom flap...And on the back...

And, since we had to make room for baby in our small house, all the "extra" stuff had to go outside! So, since Brandon doesn't really use his office as an office, I decided to turn one corner into my sewing/wrapping area! Needless to say, it was a crazy mess during Christmas...

And then there was all the cooking that takes place during the holidays....

Oreo suckers that were to.die.for....And then, as you can see, my fridge was packed with all kinds of goodies...casseroles, turtle eggs, veggies, and more...oh my! lolAnd, last but not least, Annabella gave Harper a plate to write her letters to Santa on and I love it! Since Harper can't exactly write yet, I wrote it for her...but she told me what she wanted! lol

Don't you just love everything Christmas? I just hate it when people say they're glad when it's over or that it seems like a chore...that's such a shame! It's all in what you make it and I promise...I'm like a kid at Christmas! I love everything about it...the decorations, the yummy treats, the gifts, the wrapping paper, the lights....E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!

Sorry this is so long, but I just had to share! I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

xoxo, Kara C:

My baby is 6 months old!

2009-12-31T02:12:00.003-06:00

How is my itty bitty baby already 6 months old??? 6 MONTHS! It really does seem like just yesterday that I was online everyday looking for stuff for my baby and her nursery! It seems like just yesterday I was pulling into MTMC with a huge lump in my throat not knowing what to expect. It seems like just yesterday everyone was coming to see this little bitty blessing that God had sent to our family and that I instantly had a motherly instinct over! What happened to just yesterday....let me just tell you...time flies once you have a baby! I know I have heard people say that over and over throughout the years, but it has really been put into perspective now that I'm going through it!

Brandon and I used to sit and talk about how we thought our lives might change once a baby came along...we were wrong! We wondered how much sleep we would lose and if it'd be too much...we were wrong! We thought it'd be super hard to get anywhere and we'd have to stay at home much more that we did...we were wrong!

Harper is honestly the BEST thing that has ever happened to us! We love each other, but the love we feel for each other now is so much deeper than it was before. My heart is bigger and more full than I ever thought possible! She is a wonderful baby....wonderful! Makes me want a whole houseful! ha:) I am so happy and blessed, I feel like I could just BUST!

So, what's Harper up to these days...

-She eats rice cereal twice a day and about 4-5 six ounce bottles each day.

-She is a supported sitter!

-She wants to crawl soooooo badly. She gets up on all fours and just rocks back and forth. She can move her legs, but she hasn't figured out how to move her arms yet! It's only a matter of time!

-She sleeps wonderfully! Usually 8-10 hours at night, and typically 2 good naps each day!

-She never cries or fusses unless she is tired or hungry!

-She weighs 17.4 lbs. and is 26 1/4 in. long!

-She is a social butterfly, but loves her mommy and daddy too!

-She laughs and giggles at everything!

-She is becoming very mobile....VERY! We have to keep a very close eye on her at every single second now!-She is the absolute light of our lives and we don't know what we did before she came into this world! We thank God each and every day for blessing us with such a sweet, beautiful baby girl and for choosing us to be her parents! We could not be who or where we are today without His help and guidance, and we owe everything to Him!

Happy 6 months, baby girl! Momma and Daddy love you more than anything in the whole, wide world!

xoxo, Kara

p.s.-Sorry this post is late but I was waiting on her pics and her dr's appt! :)

I'm dreaming of white Christmas....

2009-12-23T00:18:00.003-06:00

Oh how great it feels to say those words! I don't think I could express the depth of my excitement for this week to be here! ONE....I am off work for 2 weeks! 2 WEEKS!!! I think that's what I'm the most excited about! TWO....it's our first Christmas as a family and we have sooo much to celebrate and be thankful for! But, of course, most of all, we are most thankful for our newest addition to our family...Harper has been such a blessing to us in so many different ways and it's just hard to put it all into words! We ooh and ahh over her every second of every day...and I know people probably get tired of hearing us talk about her...but oh well! ha:) She is our life now and we wouldn't have it any other way!

This Christmas, we will celebrate at least eight times! Yes....eight times! :) We open up the madness having our friends Christmas w/ Tommy, Erin, and Annabella. Then, Christmas Eve, we go to my parents house and have our big Christmas with them, and then my mom's family that night. Christmas day, we will start off by opening our presents that Santa left, then go to Brandon's family's house. Then, off to his dad's family's Christmas, and then back to Woodbury for my dad's family's Christmas! WHEW! And, then as if that weren't enough, we will go Sunday to do our Christmas with Ivie, and then we still have to get together with my friends Angela and Jane Ann somewhere in there! Family life doesn't equal a calm life...but, hey...we're loving it!

First off, we had Christmas w/ the Culwells. Erin and I have been doing Weight Watchers and we go every Monday night. So, usually we do something with them afterwards...so we decided just to get together for our Christmas after our meeting (that's why I'm dressed in the lightest clothes I could find! ha:) Anyway, we had a great meal, and then the girls had a blast opening their first gifts. I didn't think Harper would care too much about it, but she totally surprised me. She pulled at the paper and everything...but she just wanted to put the paper in her mouth! Oh well...it was still cute!

Harper got a gorgeous sweater dress, books, an ornament w/ a picture of her and her best little friendie, and some pj's! She really racked up! Harper gave Annabella an Ariel roller suitcase, a BFF shirt, and an ornament w/ a picture of them from the hospital when Harper was born that says "Best friends from the start!" on the back...it turned out so cute! I love having such awesome friends that we are each close with and comfortable being ourselves around. It started out with Brandon and Tommy being best friends in Kindergarten and now the wives and the daughters are best friends too! It's such a great feeling. I know that I can call on them and depend on them whenever I need anything.....A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G!! This has been a great year for us and they have been there for us each step of the way! What a great time to spend with all those you love!

xoxo, Kara C:

Lots and lots going on

2009-12-09T21:59:00.002-06:00

I think everyone would agree when I say that December is one of the busiest months of the year! Whew! But, this year, I want to make sure to sit back and enjoy the small things. This is Harper's first Christmas and our first Christmas as a family....so I am expecting it to be extra special! I can't wait! :)

Some of the things that I really enjoy that takes place during the first of the month are all of the surrounding parades. This year, we just made it to the Woodbury parade and we had so much fun standing around with all of my family. I was afraid all the sirens and loud noises would bother Harper and Madelyn, but it didn't phase them a bit! As a matter of fact, as soon as all the fire trucks and loud things went by, Harper rolled right over into Brandon and went sounds asleep! We had such a good time and even though it was very cold (it was the morning we had snow), we bundled everyone up and enjoyed the moment. After the parade, we went and had lunch with my mom and then went on the tour of homes. Has anyone else ever gone on one of those? I LOVE it! It's always so neat to see everyone's houses and businesses and the different things that everyone has. I'd love to be a part of that one day...when I have my dream house! :)

Other than that, since I've got such a small space to work with, I've had to move all my sewing stuff into Brandon's office. When we moved his desk out of the back bedroom to make room for baby, I told him he needed to set me up a corner to spread out all of my sewing stuff...not that I have much! Well, I've been wrapping presents on that desk, but I decided that I wanted to make Maddie a Christmas shirt. A lady I work with made one and I used her idea but tweaked it a little bit. Instead of traditional Christmas colors, I made Maddie's hot pink, lime green, and brown...I thought it turned out so cute for my first try! I hope she looks as cute in it as I thought it turned out! Well, as I was showing it off (HA c:), my mom's best friend mentioned that her daughter had a Christmas program at school and needed something like that to wear! WELL, I jumped right on it! I love sewing and when other people actually like my stuff and want me to make something for them, I think that is the best compliment ever! So, I made her a present shirt, ruffled jeans, and a matching hairbow! I can't wait to get a picture of her in it...but for the meantime...I guess a cell picture will have to do....Other than that, have I mentioned how mobile my child has gotten? I just knew she'd be crawling by Christmas, but she's not quite there...YET! She is so funny...she gets up on all fours, and then just slides back down on her stomach. But, let me tell you, that doesn't stop her. She is beginning to get into things and it is so funny. Last night, she even got a hold of my tree skirt and put it in her mouth...where E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. goes! EVERYTHING!!! lol But anyway, today, I needed to run in the kitchen for a sec, so I laid her in the middle of the living room floor, and guess where she ended up...How on Earth did you get there, Miss Harper Claire? Isn't she about the cutest, sweetest thing you've ever seen?!? I sure think so! She's such a mess and I love every single ounce of her! She's been such a wonderful blessing and we thank God for blessing our lives so much!

Well, as of today, I officially have 6 days and 2 hours of school left...hallelujah! I know we just had a week off for Thanksgiving break, but I'm ready for 2 more weeks off! It will be so nice to sleep in and just enjoy the time with family and friends! Hope everyone else is having a happy holiday season so far! Love and peace to all!

xoxo, Kara C:

Oh Christmas time's a comin...

2009-12-06T22:40:00.008-06:00

Have I ever told you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas?!?! Everything about it just makes me feel like a kid again. As a child, my MaJean and I were like the kiddos at Christmas. We docorated, wrapped presents, ....did everything together. Oh, how I miss my Christmases at her house!

But, I am DETERMINED to be like that with my children. I love to have the tree up before Thanksgiving and leave it up through January. There's just something cheery about your house being all decorated and smelling like Christmas. And now that I have a child....oh my! It's going to be glorious! My parents always went all out for Christmas too, but as I've gotten older, I guess everyone assumes since I'm an adult, it should be more of a chore....well it's not! NOT at all...I love to buy people things and wrap it all up! It's not even about me getting presents, I do love gifts and surprises, but honestly, this year, there's nothing I need. Yeah, I want a new car, and I'd love to build/buy a bigger house, but I don't think anyone can get me those things! ha:) But, I just love spending all that time with family...and now that I have my own little family, it's going to be that much better.

Someone referred to me and herself on facebook the other day as "that kind of mom!" Yes ma'am...I sure am and LOVE every single second of it. I think I'm "that kind of mom" because of my career. (fyi...she's also a teacher, so it may just be something about us! lol) I see so, so many children every day that has no one to care for them, no one to love on them and ask them how their day has been, no one to cook dinner for them, no one to go shopping with, etc. I can't tell you how much or how deeply IT.BREAKS.MY.HEART!!! It hurt my heart before, but as a momma, oh my! So, I am determined to be "that kind of mom!" Heck, since we need a new car, we are even talking about buying a minivan! ha:) Now, I've always said I wouldn't be a minivan mom, but everyone I talk to says they were like that until they drove one. We'll see.....lol

Anyway, onto Christmas.....I want Harper to grow up remembering all the different traditions that our family has. I want to start family traditions. I am determined to buy an Elf on the Shelf, and start that this year....I just haven't done it yet! I am determined for her to always be filled with the Christmas spirit! A friend of mine, April, mentioned that she'd heard somewhere that each year you could buy your children 4 things...something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read! WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA??? Too often, kids get in their mind that Christmas = gifts! WRONG! I think getting them something in those 4 areas would always remind them the purpose...the reason for the season so to speak. As I reflected over that, I realized we have covered all 4 areas already....the problem...we've covered them all more than once. But hey, it'll only be our first Christmas once, right? But, that's something I'd love to see established in our home. Oh how much our children would be grateful for the things they had and not upset for the things that they didn't get. They need to know that this is a time for them to cherish the moments spent with family and best little friendies...As far as Christmas decor goes, I love it all.

However, we have a small space to decorate. I always put up our tree in the living room and I've changed it's theme several times. It started out being maroon and gold, then went to white and gold (gorgeous), but this year I wanted something a little less dressy and more fun, so I went with red, green, and white and I am totally thrilled with how it turned out. I love all the bigger ornaments, and all the ones that really mean something. Here are a few of my favorite ornaments....

Do you just love the big gemstone ones? They were 50% off at Hobby Lobby.....I am totally in love with that store!

This is a snowman that my mom bought us several years back and I just wanted to do something different with him this year. So, I put him on this table with pictures of Harper and Maddie, and this is where I'm going to hang our stockings. BUT, I can't find any stocking hangers that I like...and I'm not being that picky. So, that's another thing on my to-do list!

Also, I had to add another tree to my collection this year! While at Dollywood, I saw a pink Christmas tree. I asked one of the workers if she knew where it came from and she said it'd been around for years. I knew then I had to have a tree like that. However, I'd never seen one, so I figured I'd end up buying a white one and just painting it somehow. WELL, at the beginning of November I walked in Big Lots, and guess what the first thing I saw was? Yep...a pink Christmas tree. So I bought it that day and brought it home and put it up! Oh my goodness...I love it!!! And so does Harper! She'll just lay on her changing pad and look at all the pretty lights. I'm so happy with how it turned out. I decided to try to coordinate with her nursery, so it has all pink, green, purple, turquoise, and silver ornaments on it. LOVE! And, actually, a majority of the decor on her tree came from the Dollar Tree....I love being frugal! :)And here are some of my faves on her tree...And I put this little snowman just because he was all cute and sparkly like her tree...

Then, I usually put up 3 pencil trees in the kitchen, but since we have a high chair in that corner this year, that's one item I left off. Also, we do a few decorations outside: wreaths, garland, deer, sleigh, Christmas flag....and since I was pregnant last year I didn't want to mess with it...but we went all out this year. Brandon even wanted to put the lights up around the house! I guess having a baby will really put the spirit into some......hint hint Brandon! ha:)

And, to top it all off, we have already had snow this year! That's huge for TN! We usually get a little...very little in January or February...but it's been a LONG time since we've had snow in December. So, we had to get up and take Harper out and let her experience the snow for the first time.I don't know if she loved it...she didn't really care at all. However, I do think she liked sitting in Santa's sleigh...I realize this is going to be the best Christmas we'll probably ever have. Harper is just getting old enough to really notice things, but not too big to where she bothers anything. We have been so blessed this year, and I just want all our glory to go to the one who is the reason for the season!

xoxo, Kara C:

Helping around the house

2009-12-06T22:15:00.013-06:00

So, during Thanksgiving Break, I noticed that I must not be the only one spoiling my precious baby girl! :) Of course I love to think she just wants her momma all the time, and I totally enjoy every second of it by the way! BUT, I noticed that someone must be holding her a lot of the time. I spent a lot of my week playing and singing and feeding and changing diapers....LOVE IT ALL...but I couldn't sit her down for 2 seconds and leave the room, or she would start fussing. All I had to do was walk back in and she'd smile.....so that's how I know she's getting spoiled somewhere else as well! ha:)

At one point, I HAD to do some laundry. I had laid it all out the night before into seperate piles so I could jump right in the next morning....well....Harper had different plans. She wanted mommy to sit right beside her entertaining her. And, while I'd be glad to do that every single second of every single day, I had to get some stuff done. So, I had to improvise....
Look closely....

Yep, she just sat right there until I could get just a few things accomplished. Don't worry...she didn't stay there but just a few minutes...but at least I was able to get some things out and put some things in to the dryer. I took these small tasks for granted before she came along!

Then, there was another day throughout the week when I just felt horrible. Harper and I didn't do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g all day long. We stayed in our jammies and just played and laid around all day. At one point, I was making funny noises, and she just kept cracking up! This laugh just totally melts my heart and makes everything in the world okay....

Big girl bed

2009-12-06T22:11:00.006-06:00

As I mentioned in her 5 month post, Harper sleeps in her own big girl bed now. I knew from the start that I didn't want her sleeping with us just because I know it's a terrible habit to start and one that's difficult to break. HOWEVER, what I didn't realize is how big of a transition it would be for ME!!! She began by sleeping in a pack and play in our room. Well, she had gotten to the point where she wiggled so much at night, she ended up the next morning with her head at the very top. So, I knew it was transition time.....now it was just the doing it part. Brandon and my mama kept saying I needed to go ahead and do it, but I guess I'm like a kid, and it had to be on my own terms. So, I had said by Christmas....well, one night on the way home from church, I told Brandon I thought I'd put her in her own bed and see how it went. He automatically started making a big deal about it and I told him to stop! ha:) Well, she LOVED it. She slept so soundly...but I got up more than my fair share that night. I was so worried about her and every time I'd go in to check on her she was snug as a bug! So, the next morning, I realized how silly I was probably acting, so I took pictures so I could show you how FAR she really was from us....ha:) I know you're all laughing hysterically...but hey, I am a first time mommy and any transition is rough!
She was super funny the next morning. When she woke up, she just kept looking around like, "Whoa! Where am I? This place is pretty!"So, needless to say, she slept in her crib for the first time Nov. 1st, and I am just now getting used to it. I left her pack and play set up for quite a while, hoping she'd want to come back! lol Nope, not a chance. So, I finally took it down and accepted that my baby is growing up....tear! :( I've always heard parents say that everything goes by so quickly, and yeah, I knew it did...but never expected it to be like this....she is going to be six months old in 9 days people!!!!!!! Where does the time go? And, of course, all these older mommas love making fun of me...but that's okay. I'm soaking it all in and just wondering what the 2nd child will be like?!?!?

xoxo, Kara C:

What I'll be doing Friday...

2009-11-18T21:03:00.010-06:00

YES....I will be sitting in the theatre w/ a bunch of teenagers tomorrow night to watch NEW MOON!!! I am soooo excited. Like I've said before, I swore I'd never read this series, but now that I have, I am totally addicted! I promised my little daughter, Ivie, that I'd take her to the midnight preview because it said it came out Nov. 20th...which is Friday, right? So I thought no biggie...I'll be able to crash on Saturday. YEAH....well I didn't know it came out Friday at 12:01am!!! Good grief...so I'll probably be drifting around half asleep Friday at school! Oh well....it'll be a memory! :)

But, I am super duper excited. I can't wait to see if it's better than Twilight. It was okay...but that was it. Books are always just so much better than the movies I think! Oh well...I'll definitely be taking the camera and documenting this experience. lol And, I'll also be sporting my newest addition to my wardrobe.....Whoo Hoo!!!! Team Edward all the way! Hope to see you there!

xoxo, Kara C:

Harper is 5 months old!

2009-11-18T21:03:00.009-06:00

As I say each and every day....where has the time gone?!?!? I try to cherish each and every moment because I know they are passing by oh so quickly! It's so sad, but so rewarding at the same time. How do all of you mamas out there do it? Does it get easier with each child?? I sure hope so...this is torture! lol But, I'm so glad she still lets me love and kiss all over her....because I still do a whole lot of that everyday! She is our life....

At five months, Harper is:

-Eating cereal once a day. She likes it best w/ juice or formula mixed in w/ it.

-Just moved up to a size 2 diaper. They're big, but the ones....well you were filling them too full!

-Still sleeping fabulously! She goes to be anywhere between 7:30 and 9:30 and sleeps until anywhere between 6:30-7:30 in the morning. (Yes, I know I'm so lucky...blessed!)

-She has a great personality and smiles and talks all the time!

-She takes 3-5 bottles a day, 6 ounces each!

-She wears 3-6 month clothes.

-She began sleeping in her own bed this month!!!!!!!!!! (This was VERY, VERY hard for Momma!)

-She loves her big girl bed and stretches all out and gets comfy! Makes Momma sad that you don't need her to sleep anymore! :(

-She knows her momma and daddy! (And, secretly, I think she's a little bit of a Momma's girl!)

-She still loves her bath! Loves it!

-She drools and chews on her hands and toys all the time. I'm expecting a toothy anytime now!

-She's been to Gatlinburg/Dollywood twice! She's a great traveler and loves going anywhere.

-She's the easiest baby I've ever seen!

-We are more blessed than she'll ever know and we love her more than anything in the world. We wonder what we did before she came into this world and what we did to deserve to be her parents!

We love you baby girl! You're the light of our lives!

xoxo, Momma & Daddy

Another fabulous photo session...

2009-11-14T22:42:00.004-06:00

So for several years now, I've been wanting to do a big group family photo w/ my family! Since there are babies on both sides now, I figured what time would be better? WRONG! Trying to take a group photo w/ 2 babies is nearly impossible. About the time one would start smiling the other would start crying! Looking back, it really is kinda comical, but that day.....IT.WAS.NOT! lol We threw leaves in the air, brought Mickey himself to life, held fuzzy kittens.....we did it all! However, Andi was still able to get some good photos. My parents are going to use a group photo for their Christmas cards this year, so I was so glad at least a few turned out well! Here's a sneak peak of what's to come....My beautiful parents...Our sweet little family...My brother's sweet family...And of course, the girls....I don't know how life ever felt complete w/ out these two beauties! Our life is so, so blessed in so many ways!

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Psa. 126:3

xoxo, Kara C:

Harper's 1st trick-or-treating extravaganza!!

2009-11-14T21:33:00.009-06:00

Wow! I didn't realize what Halloween was all about, but I really racked up on my first Halloween! We left around 11-ish that day and returned late, late that night! We started off in our town and went to see daddy's family first! Mommy thought it was so funny to see me riding in my car seat w/ my costume on...Our first stop was at Mimi, Grandad, and Aunt Randi's house...(sorry Gdad and Mimi, but the good pix with ya'll is on Auntie's camera!)Then we were off to see the grandmothers in McMinnville. We also ran by Uncle A's house and he was so surprised that I was all dressed up! He thought I was just going to have on a pumpkin hat! HA:) He must not know my mommy too well! lol

After we left McMinnville, we headed toward Woodbury to pick up Granna. Then we went to Lascassas to see NaNean and my Aunt Maxine, Uncle Ricky, Emily, and Nathan! They were all getting dressed up to go to a Halloween party and I wasn't too sure what to think of them!NaNean thought I was the cutest little pumpkin she had ever seen! We stayed and visited with her for a little while and I had so much fun laughing at her and rolling around in the floor!After that, we came back to Woodbury and caught my Aunt Kim, Maddie's granny, and my special Aunt Ang!They were all so excited to see me.....and I was Aunt Angela's first trick-or-treater of the night! She had me a special bag of goodies made and momma was laughing because she said only teachers would give out pencils as Halloween treats! Momma must have done that before too! ha:)

After all my visiting, we headed back to Poppa and Granna's to relax! They were so glad to finally get their hands on me....so much so that everyone forgot to take a picture of me and Maddie together in our costumes! :(Oh well....I guess we have many more years for that! Since we got home so late that night, momma got me all dressed up again the next day and made my picture with all my goodies and my cute jack-o-latern!

Momma and Daddy kept telling everyone that I am rotten...whatever that means! I just know I got tons of fun things that I can't wait to get my hands on! Hope everyone else had a wonderful Halloween too! Love you!

Harper :)

Harper's first Halloween party

2009-10-24T10:34:00.004-05:00

So our good friends, Tommy and Erin, always throw a huge Halloween party for all of Annabella's friends. And this year, we got to go! I was so excited to dress Harper all up and take her to her 1st Halloween party! She was so cute and had such a good time!I bought her costume last November when I was less than 2 months pregnant! ha:) I was blog hopping and found where a lady bought her daughter's costume at a killer price and when I visited the website, I saw this pumpkin and fell head over hills! It retailed for over $40 and I bought it for $6.99!! Can't beat that...and I thought it'd be perfect for a boy or girl! And, in my opinion, it turned out pretty darn cute....All the kiddos were dressed up so sweet, and everywhere you looked, you saw a princess of some kind! :) Annabella was dressed up as her favorite person...ArielWasn't she gorgeous? Halloween night she wore a big red wig w/ pigtails and it was about the cutest, funniest thing I've ever laid my eyes on! I'm so glad her and Harper will get to grow up together and be best friends. She is so sweet w/ Harper and we are so thankful to have such good friends!

Speaking of good, Erin throws the best parties! She just goes all out and all the little details make it awesome! Here are some of the other guests....
The sweets table...And these were some of my favorites! She made cupcakes w/ ghosts on top and these owls....are they not to die for? They are moon pies, the eyes are oreos!!!! How cute is that?

We loved it all!

We had an AWESOME Halloween! I'm not usually a big fan of Halloween, but it was so fun this year! We carved pumpkins, went trick-or-treating....it was so much fun! I guess you get to be a little bit of kid yourself when you have kids! Life is great!

Look what we did tonight...

2009-10-21T21:30:00.004-05:00

Oooohhh...it makes my heart S-A-D!! My baby girl is getting so big!! And, of course I want her to grow...just not so quickly! :(

Goodnight! I'm going to go snuggle w/ my sweetie pie before she leaves for college! ha:)

xoxo, Kara

Making my heart melt...

2009-10-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

All of you mommas out there know that it's the smallest things that make your heart melt. I have a hard time leaving my baby to go to work...e.v.e.r.y.d.a.y!!!!! Seriously!!!! But, it does make coming home that much better. However, I've also noticed that NOTHING gets done when I get home....no papers are graded, no bills are paid, no cleaning gets done...it's pitiful really! ha:) I do the laundry, but that's about it other than just picking up from time to time!

But, this is what I do instead......

Hadn't everyone rather do that than silly chores! ha:)

Please excuse the way I look...but I had to share the cuteness with everyone! And yes, she IS that happy all the time!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

xoxo, Kara C:

Pure happiness, pure bliss....the blessings of being a parent!

2009-10-19T16:39:00.001-05:00

I got this in an email from a friend and just had to share....enjoy! :)

Job Description of a Parent

POSITION: Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24-hour shifts on-call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets, and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars, and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product-safety-testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work through out the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this: You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance , no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays, and no stock options are offered, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life, if you play your cards right.
Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know,
in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do... or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

And as a Footnote:
THERE 's NO RETIREMENT ---- EVER!!

Mama's 50th surprise birthday party

2009-10-18T22:13:00.004-05:00

Technically, my mom doesn't turn 50 until this Saturday....BUT we always do a fall family cookout at their house, but this year we (me and my SIL) were in charge because we wanted to use it as the opportunity to do a surprise party for her! BUT she's like me and super nosey....so of course she caught on before we could completely pull it off....but we still kept her in the dark until almost time for the party! Oh well...we were able to get some people there that she didn't expect, so at least that was a surprise. It turned off to be very cool outside that weekend, but we still had a good crowd and a good time. We had planned on doing a hayride, but then decided we probably wouldn't do it since it was so cold...but instead, we left out at 9:30 and just drove VERY slowly! Don't worry....Harper and I (and several others) rode inside! lol That's as much of a hayride as she needs right now!

She was really surprised at how much we went into decorating a fall cookout at a barn, but we had to go all out for a party! There were many people who worked behind the scenes and helped me pull everything together....you know who you are...and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU soooooooo much!!! I could not have done it without you! So, with that, here are some pics......

The overall look.....Close up of the awesome pumpkin centerpiece Brandon carved...Decor at the ends of the table....(check out those huge ferns from Mama and Daddy's house! I wish I had a green thumb like that)....The sign in table w/ her card and all of her baby pix that Daddy snuck out to me....Her carrot spice cupcakes (carrot cake is her fave), vanilla, and chocolate cupcakes courtesy of Miss Paula...The A-W-E-S-O-M-E dessert table w/ lots of yummie goodies...A VERY special gift handmade by some great friends that go to church with them...Isn't it gorgeous?? I'm telling you...this guy can do anything! He's going to build the playhouse and play set for our kiddos one day! He's awesome!

And, last but not least, I'll leave you with one last photo of my husband's awesome carving skills! The pumpkin looked so good lit up at night...Happy 50th Birthday Mama (aka Granna)!! Thanks for everything you do for us and for always thinking about us! We love you!

Brandon, Kara, and Harper Claire

Harper....how are you already 4 months old???

2009-10-18T22:12:00.006-05:00

I know I have said it time and time again...but where on Earth does time go? This is miserable!! Brandon and I find ourselves asking where the past 4 months of our lives have gone? It has truly been the most rewarding and best 4 months of our lives, but it's bittersweet in that it is passing by WAY too quickly! With that being said, we feel so blessed and so, so fortunate to have the sweetest, cutest, good-natured four month old we've ever seen! ha:) (We're not biased AT ALL!) Harper is such a good baby....so much that I told Brandon I'm almost afraid to have anymore because I know they'll probably be completely different than her! She is just so precious!

So, what is Harper up to these days......

1. She still wears a size 1 diaper (same as when she came home from the hospital).

2. She wears 3-6 month clothes...and most 6 mons. are too big.

3. She weighs 14 lbs. 10 oz. and is 25 1/4 in. long.

4. She smiles, coos, and tries to talk ALL the time.

5. She is getting her own little personality and can squeal at the top of her lungs....it makes me laugh histerically!

6. She is rolling e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!!!

7. She now sleeps on her tummy, with her hands underneath her body, and her little booty straight up in the air...it really is the cutest thing I've ever seen!

8. She is really starting to take to her pacis, or su su as we call it, and she loves it when she naps or sleeps...but the rest of the time she couldn't care less!

9. She is such a good cuddler and loves sleeping w/ mommy....Momma loves it too! :)

10. She takes anywhere from 3-5 bottles a day. Her morning bottle is 7oz. and the rest of them are 6oz. We haven't started any cereal, juice, or baby food yet....don't know when I will....but it probably won't be too far in the future! We'll just wait and see! She's happy and healthy and I just hate to mess w/ anything right now!

11. She loves to be talked to and played with.

12. She loves to lay down and she loves TV!

13. She loves music and loves to be sang to...when we're at church singing, she just stares and smiles at the song leader! It's so sweet!

14. She's a good traveler and shopper....she just sleeps and lets mommy do what she needs to do! What more could you ask for?

We are soooooo blessed and thank God everyday for such a wonderful blessing from above. We don't know what we did to deserve to be this sweet baby's parents, but we sure are thankful he chose us to raise her and we can just hope and pray that we can raise her in a healthy, Christian household that God sees fit for her!

Hope you're all having a great week! Aren't you loving this weather?

xoxo, Kara C:

Blogging hiatus and LOTS of firsts...

2009-10-17T10:47:00.014-05:00

WOW!! WHERE HAVE I BEEN FOR ALMOST A MONTH???? I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged...I feel terrible. People have been texting, emailing, and coming up to me asking why I haven't been blogging. Well friends, let me just tell you, I have been one B-U-S-Y little girl since I last posted! For starters, we didn't have the internet for over a week because our router went out, then we were out of town for 4 days, then one week was completely consumed w/ dinners and meetings every.single.night.....then, I planned a surprise party for my mama's 50th birthday, had student-led conferences until 9pm one night, and had to be back at work at 8am for inservice the next day....oh yeah, and Fall Break fell in to all of that too! WHEW! It's definitely been a complete whirlwind around here the last few weeks.....but it's been fun! So, sorry for the lack of blogging...but as you can see....I've been completely consumed!

First off, I want to start by sharing something special that happened at our house on Wednesday, October 7th.....it actually happened in the morning and I wasn't able to document it the first time it happened, but I caught her later that week! I left Harper playing in the floor like this...And when I returned, I found this....YES, SHE IS ROLLING OVER! And over, and over, and over!!! She's a rolling machine now! And, on Saturday, she even rolled on over to return to her back! WOW! When did she get old enough to do all this stuff? lol And now, she's sleeping on her stomach! AHHH....I know....step back moms....it's okay! I panicked too at first, but I just wake up every hour or two and feel of her to make sure she's breathing! As a matter of fact, now she lays on her belly with her hands underneath her, and puts her little booty up in the air! SO presh! :)

While we were on our mini-vacation, I laid her down the correct way at night, and when I woke up the next morning, this is how I found her....

.....hahaha...she definitely can get herself into some positions now. Sometimes she even wakes herself up because she roots herself to the top of her pack and play and hits her head! lol She cracks me up!

Also, during our Fall Break, we went on our first little family vacation to Gatlinburg w/ our great friends Tommy, Erin, and Annabella and we had a blast!!! Harper is such a good traveler and I think she even had a great time! Her and Annabella get along so well and Annabella is so good w/ her! She is such a little mother hen and it's the cutest thing you've ever seen! She'll say, "Kara, Harper is spitting out milk!" or "Kara, Harper has a poopy diaper! LOL It's so sweet!

During our trip, we did a lot of fun things and had MANY eventful moments....many to say the least. For starters, after we got in our cabin on Sunday night, we decided to go eat in Gatlinburg and walk the streets for a while. So, Brandon and I found a good little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant up there during our last trip, so we decided to take them there. It was so yummy too! Then we just loaded the girls up in their strollers and headed out. We walked in and out of many little shops and just had a great time! Want to hear something crazy....while we were in one little baby shop, I met a little boy named Knox!!! How weird is that? I've never known of another baby w/ that name until I chose it several years ago, then Angelina Jolie named her son that! Oh well....he was a doll baby! And, I can't wait to see what our little Knox will look like one day! So anyway...back to our story, after a little shopping, we decided it was time to head back to the cabin. So as we got back to our car, parked right in the middle of downtown Gatlinburg by the way, the boys were loading up, and Erin and I were packing up the strollers and she started saying, "Get in the car!" I was like well what is it? LOL I looked up toward the street and saw nothing.....then she was like, "There's a bear!!!" And, boy was there ever.....right there in the middle of the parking lot walking right toward us! I believe that's the quickest I have ever folded up that big stroller and thrown it in a vehicle. Then, her and B decided to stand outside and see who could get better pics of it....here's a sample of what we saw! (Sorry for the quality but it's a cell pic!)This was no small bear! It was just hungry and went right up to the dumpsters behind the restaurant to look for food....but oh goodness....it was so scary! We can all laugh about it now, but at the time it was NOT funny! lol

So, after all that excitement, we had a fun-filled, packed day on Monday. We got up and ate breakfast and then headed to Dollywood and it was the first time for both of the girls to go! Annabella loved everything and Harper got to ride the carousel for the first time...We had so much fun and saw some wonderful shows! It kinda drizzled all day, so we looked a little rough before we left, but we still had to stop for a group photo for the memory books...Then after leaving Dollywood, we had tickets, thanks to my in-laws and their buddies, to the Dixie Stampede that night! We've been once before and I didn't love it, but I truly enjoyed it this time. However, I did take my own spoon so that I didn't have to eat w/ my hands and I think that helped the situation a lot! ha:) The girls had a ball!!!! Annabella and Harper could not take their eyes off of everything going on...it was so cute!

Before the show started, we went out front and, of course, had to have a little photo session...and I'm so glad we did! I think they turned out so cute! I love this group photo of us all........and a little family photo........one of the little one (sitting up like a big girl).......and one of the girls sitting on one of the displays....There is such a funny story behind this picture....Annabella was NOT so sure about the whole straw horse or fake cowboy and she just screamed at the top of her lungs....I was afraid she was about to throw Harper off and jump off herself! I was there trying to convince her it was okay...but this was the best we could do....oh well! It's still super cute and still a great memory!

Overall, we had a great time and we spent the next whole day shopping, shopping, shopping...which equals fun, fun, fun for Erin and I! Whoo hoo....we had a ball and did lots of Christmas shopping!

So, sorry for the long delay...I promise to never go that long again without blogging! Thanks for sticking around to see what we've been up to!

And, I'll leave you with an adorable picture that I hope brightens your day as much as it can brighten mine! :)More to come.....

xoxo, Kara C:

I am on a winning streak....

2009-09-27T17:28:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I NEVER win anything. There could be 3 people enter for 2 prizes and I wouldn't win! lol And then a friend of mine wins everything! She's won concert tickets on the radio and she even won my giveaway w/ 40+ entries....I wish I had an ounce of that luck some days! ha:)

Anyway, recently I have won 2 blog giveaways. First I won Bethany's giveaway for an awesome birthday banner....I can NOT wait to hang this up at Harper's birthday party....well actually I can...I'm not anywhere ready for her to be one, but I do love the cute decor I'm going to have! lol It is so, so cute in person and it's something that can be used for many birthdays so I was super duper excited. Bethany makes awesome, unique jewelry, appliques, and super cute things that are so trendy right now! She's just added this line, and I think she's going to do awesome w/ it as well.

Then, last week, I won Jenna's giveaway for a necklace from Elegant Designs.....I am soooooooo excited! I haven't decided yet what I'm going to put on it, but I can't wait to see how it turns out. Natasha makes beautiful jewelry and awesome, I mean super gorgeous cakes! You should check her out! So, I know my necklace will be extraordinary!

Just thought I'd share a little luck I was having......

xoxo, Kara

You want some cute pictures of your little spook?

2009-09-27T17:23:00.002-05:00

Andi is running a super deal so everyone can have a keepsake for Halloween! Call her up and tell her the cutest pumpkin in the world sent you! <3

Things I'm looking forward to....

2009-09-26T21:12:00.004-05:00

As we come upon my FAVORITE season of them all, I am so excited because I have sooooo many things to look forward to. October is a super busy month for the Fuston's, but we have lots of fun, exciting things planned and places to go.

The first thing on our agenda is a short trip w/ great friends to Gatlinburg. We don't plan on doing much but shopping, eating :), relaxing, and spending quality time with one another! Sounds like a great time to me! ha! And, nothing looks better right now that relaxing in a beautiful cabin and staring at the beautiful surroundings.............I'm so excited! I can't wait!This month we are also going to the Autumn Street Fair, Bell Buckle craft fair, have a hayride/cookout at church, and with my family, family pictures, and of course Halloween! I'll be completely honest....I'm not a big Halloween person usually........BUT of course I will be this year because I will be carrying around the cutest little pumpkin you have ever seen....Is she not just about the cutest thing you've ever laid your eyes on? lol I know I'm not biased AT ALL....but you gotta admit....this is a pretty sweet picture!

And, even though this doesn't happen until November, another thing that I'm super pumped about is the release of this movie........I remember when I said I'd never read this series, and I did it anyway and I'm so in love with Edward! Oh my...........can't wait to see this movie. I've already told Brandon that I wanted to go to the midnight premiere and stand in line w/ all the teenagers! ha:) He said that'd be just fine that him and Harper would be at home in the bed when it was over! lol

Don't you just love this weather? If you have anything exciting coming up, please do share! I love this time of year....I love sitting by the fire in comfy sweatshirts, the beautiful colors of fall, all the get-togethers, decorating for the holidays....EVERYTHING about it!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

Harper is 3 months old!!!

2009-09-17T17:16:00.004-05:00

Wow! Has it really been three months since God sent us the greatest blessing on Earth??? It sure doesn't seem like it.
I have waited to do H's 3 month post because I knew we were going to have her pics made today, and the fabulous Andi already has her preview up on her website! I'm telling you....she is the BEST!
Harper has really changed a lot since her newborn session, and I don't think I realized how much until I saw her pics from today! She is the light of our lives and we love her more and more each and every day!
So, what's Harper up to these days....
-She still wears a size 1 diaper.
-She is finally starting to grow into some of her clothes. She is in 0-3 or 3 months now.
-She eats four or five bottles a day, and most of them are usually 6oz. each.
-She is a fabulous sleeper! She goes to bed anywhere from 7-9 and usually sleeps 10-12 hours straight!!!
-She smiles and grins constantly and now is starting to laugh out loud.
-She loves to go to church....especially when we sing!
-She is such a little socialite.
-She LOVES to be talked to.
-She is nosey rosie....she likes to be turned around facing everyone so she doesn't miss anything! lol
-She always has her hairbow and bracelet on....always!
-She loves her bff Annabella and her big cuz Madelyn.
-She loves to snuggle and is definitely a momma and daddy's girl!
-She is an excellent baby and is spoiled rotten.....and we wouldn't have it any other way!
-She'll never know how much or how deeply we love her. It's an unimaginable love that no one could have ever explained to us. She's our everything and we are soooooooooo thankful God chose us to be her parents.
We love you more than life itself, Harper Claire. Happy 3 months!
xoxo, Momma & Daddy

Take your daughter to work day...

2009-09-15T06:38:00.003-05:00

The other day while Brandon was working, his mom and sister put Harper in her "Princess of the Farm" John Deere onesie and took her outside for a photo shoot w/ daddy! When he brought her home, he was worried because he had gotten her outfit dirty! ha:) I told him it would wash right now...I've learned not to stress over stuff like that....that's what they make Dreft and washing machines for!

Well, I was just sitting here thinking about how sweet of a little family I have, and I thought I'd share a few cute photos on a Tuesday morning....Harper is 3 months old today, by the way! :( Where does the time go?

I'll do a longer post later, but I just wanted to share these!

Have a blessed day and work week!

xoxo, Kara C:

Grandparents Day 2009

2009-09-13T20:46:00.003-05:00

Grandparents Meet A Need
Grandparents meet a need
That no one else can fill;
They’re always kind and gentle;
They love you and always will.

They have plenty of time to listen,
To encourage and to care;
When others are too busy,
Grandparents are always there.

They have delicious foods;
There’s always something cooking;
They feed you scrumptious tidbits,
When no one else is looking.

They take you special places;
They’re never in a hurry.
They soothe you when you’re troubled,
And help you not to worry.

They buy you things you want,
Even things that you don’t need;
"Do what makes them happy!"
Is every grandparent’s creed.

They focus on your good points,
And overlook each flaw;
How could we do without
Our grandma and grandpa?

Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma,
For giving life a special shine;
I’m glad to have grandparents,
And happy you all are mine!

By Joanna Fuchs

Harper came into this world with so many people already loving her...especially her grandparents! We could not ask for any other four people who love her anymore. To say they are foolish about her is an understatement! She is so blessed in so many ways...more than she'll ever be able to imagine....and we are so blessed to have her in our lives, and people who love her as much as we do!

Papa, Granna, Grandad, and Mimi....thank you for all you do for us and our precious baby girl! It's obvious that she already loves you all to pieces!

Happy Grandparents Day!

We love you!

Brandon, Kara, and Harper

So much fun, late nights, and another fab giveaway!

2009-09-06T21:22:00.003-05:00

It's official...the ten days of excitement at the National Walking Horse Celebration have came to a close! We had perfect weather this year and it turned out to be a wonderful show! There has been some drama the past few years, but this year was great! Of course, all the horses were gorgeous....especially the big winner.....(what I'd give to take a ride on one of these beauties)Photo courtesy of www.tnwhc.com

AND, we went both weekends and took Miss Harper and she was also perfect! We would get her all dressed up and carry her in and she usually ate within the first hour we were there and then went straight to sleep! ha:) I joked with my parents saying I should just bring her in her jammies so I wouldn't have to change her. lol

On our last night walking into the show, we decided to stop and have a little photo shoot.....hello blog material! ha:) But I think our family pic turned out rather well...
Big cousin Madelyn was there every night we were and she was so, so good to be a 19 month old in such a small, confined location. She is just precious...She would occasionally come up to Harper and just lay her little head on Harpers.....OH.MY.GOODNESS!!!!! Talk about pure sweetness...but wouldn't you know that she'd move before we could get a picture. She is such a beautiful precious little girl and we love her to death....I'm so glad our girls are so close in age and I hope they grow up and are close friends! They are just precious. Everytime Maddie walks in somewhere, she says, "Bopper?" I was telling my mom the other day that it's so weird becuase it's like she knows she belongs to us....kids are sooo smart!

On another note....look what Miss Priss has starting doing the past week...

Oh my....guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and realize that she is her mommy's girl...and that she's more than likely going to be a thumb sucker! I have really tried to give her the paci every chance I can because I know it'd be so much easier to break her from than her thumb...but oh well! As of right now, she still does like her paci, but I'm afraid she won't once she really realizes how to suck on her thumb....but isn't it so cute? lol

Have I told you how good of a sleeper Harper is?? She eats somewhere around 6-8 every night and then wants to be laid down so she can go to sleep and she sleeps from anywhere from 6-8 the next morning. WELL, she fell asleep Wednesday night at church, so I just brought her home and laid her down and thought I'd just let her sleep in her dress..... haha:) WELL, after a few minutes, I kinda heard her squirming and chirping, but I figured she was just repositioning, so I left her alone. Then, I heard her again in a few minutes, so I thought I better go check on her and look what I found...

Ahahaha.....I laughed so hard! And, what did I do? Not grab her dress and console her...I ran into the kitchen and grabbed my camera...then uncovered her and consoled her! lol Then, I got her up and put her jammies on and put her back to bed! She cracks me up....I never knew I could love someone sooooooooooo much!!!!

Last but not least...I have to mention another fab giveaway...Bethany over at Bethany Tramel Photography is hosting a giveaway for the cutest banner you have ever seen!!! I really, really hope I win....Harper must have one for her birthday! I will have to order one if I don't win...too, too cute! Hop on over and check out her super cute stuff....she is so talented!

Well, I'm off to bed....I get to sleep in tomorrow...yippee!!! Hope everyone enjoys your extended weekend....have a blessed week!

xoxo, Kara C:

Fab Giveaway

2009-09-01T19:59:00.002-05:00

My friend, Jenna, over at the The Reynold's family blog is hosting an awesome giveaway in honor of her new website! She's giving away a fab necklace by Elegant Creations and Designs and I hope I win! :) heehee But, I'll give you the chance too...hope on over there and check out her new website, see her precious baby boy, and sign up to win an awesome necklace!

2 posts in one day....wow!

2009-08-31T13:35:00.006-05:00

People have asked me why I haven't done my normal monthly post about Harper at two months...well, she didn't exactly cooperate when I tried to take her picture! lol I tried on several different occasions around her two month birth day and she was just having NO part of it...Then, one night as she was ready to go to bed, I finally got a half-way decent picture of her. Oh, doesn't that just figure...lolOh well....I'll take it anyway I can get it! ha:)

Also, as I was looking back over past posts, I realized that there was a question I never answered. Aunt Randi asked a hard question on my 100th post about how Harper has blessed our life the most....she would ask a hard question like that! :) lol Well, I'll spare you the next 24 hours, because I could give you countless ways of how we are blessed. Mainly, I would have to say that it's brought Brandon and I closer and made us fall in love with each other all over again. It's made us realize how great the Lord is....even though we knew this before, we actually see his greatness everyday in her. We are so happy and thrilled to know that we can have a healthy baby and I can carry them and have a healthy pregnancy. This may sound trivial to some, but it's a luxury we weren't sure that we'd ever know! Being a diabetic, my biggest fear was not being able to have children...and now I know I can! Also, we went into this with totally open minds...we knew we'd probably want more children, but we took it one day at a time. We didn't know how things were going to go, but they went great....so there will be more little Fustons running around one day, hopefully! We are blessed way beyond what we deserve and we just thank the Lord for giving us the life we have!

xoxo, Kara C:

In this whirlwind we call life....

2009-08-31T10:24:00.011-05:00

...we realize more and more each day how blessed we really are. Even though I hate going to work everyday, I am thankful to have a job to return to and that gives me the hours and opportunities I have to spend with my baby girl!

I feel so overwhelmed at the moment...between school, church, other activities and trying to be the best wife, mother, daughter, friend, and teacher that I can be....I feel like I'm falling short! I am such a perfectionist, and it's just taking a little longer than I'd hoped to get into a routine that I'm comfortable with. On that note, I love, love, love blogging and reading other people's blogs...but I feel like I'm doing a terrible job at keeping up w/ that too! However, I do love knowing that I can go back through all of my posts and look at how things have changed! So, with that being said, please forgive me for neglecting my blog this week! :( I've had great asperations of blogging, but I'm just now getting around to it!

Now....onto the fun stuff....what we've been up to? Well, we are one busy, busy little family. There's always somewhere to go or something to be done...and I love it! I am not complaining! But, when Harper goes to bed around 7:30 every night....it keeps us on our toes and then we can unwind! ha:) Well, we have box seats the the National Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville and we love to go every year. It's so much fun to just sit around with family and the friends that sit around us every year and just enjoy the beautiful horses and all the festivities. They have great food...especially sweets (lol)...and I'm just loving the weather this year. Usually, we are sitting there wiping sweat from our foreheads, but this year we get to wear our jackets and be comfy! I LOVE the fall!!!! Does anyone else feel me on that? :)And Harper has been so, so good. I joked with my family saying that I should just bring her in her pj's because it doesn't start until 7 and she usually eats around 7-7:30 and then goes straight to sleep. So, whenever she begins to wiggle around 9 or 10, I take her and change her diaper and put her jammies on, then she's back to sleep. Who could ask for a better baby than that? Again...I am so, so blessed!

Maddie is so cute with Harper....as soon as she sees her, she smiles from ear to ear and says, "Baby Bopper!" It's the cutest thing you've ever seen! But, have you ever tried to get a decent picture of a 2 1/2 month old and a 19 month old??? Not an easy task...On another note, we bought Miss Harper her first horsey this year at the Celebration, and she really loves it. She just rubs on it and pulls it up near her face...so sweet! She's really beginning to figure things out....like sucking her thumb. I'm afraid it won't be long before her su-su (pacifier) is a thing of the past! Oh well.......anyway.....meet Lolly...While Brandon was holding her the other day, I decided to snap a few shots of her just on a lazy Saturday! She is soooooo stinkin' cute!!Other than that, we've had to adjust our eating as well. Last week, Harper began the week by crying most of the day on Monday and Tuesday. She would be fine when I left her in the mornings, grinning from ear to ear, but then they'd say she cried all day and just wasn't content. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but of course I kind of panicked. lol But, after a call to the dr., I figured out that maybe she was just hungry. So, I had to up her formula to 6 oz. in each bottle and sure enough...that did the trick! I felt so bad.....but at least she's all better now. As a matter of fact, after she ate one night, I began to give her a bath, and she fell asleep....(lol)....bless it!But, overall, we are still doing 'fabulous'! We constantly ask ourselves what we did before she came into this world? We thought we were busy then....lol But, we wouldn't trade our lives now for anything in the world. We both agreed that God meant for us to be parents. I told my mama on the way to the horse show one night that for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm doing exactly what God meant for me to do at this exact moment in my life. I couldn't be happier....

With that, I want to leave you with this poem that was on the front of our church bulletin yesterday! I thought, "Wow! That's exactly how I feel and I want to share it!" So, enjoy...

Happiness is something we create in our mind,

It's not something we search for and so seldom find.

It's just waking up and beginning the day

By counting blessings and kneeling to pray.

It's giving up thoughts that create discontent

And accepting what comes as "heaven sent".

It's giving up wishing for things we have not

And making the best of whatever we've got.

It's knowing that the future is secure for us,

And pursuing our tasks without fret or fuss.

For it's by completing what God gives us to do,

That we find contentment and happiness, too.

Have a great, blessed week!

xoxo, Kara C:

p.s. I'll try not to wait a week before updating ever again! lol :)

It's Football Time in Warren County!!

2009-08-23T21:09:00.006-05:00

I have always kind of enjoyed going to some games...especially basketball....but since I've moved to Warren County, I've realized that sports are like another religion around here. If you're not at the football games on Friday night, then you're nobody! ha:) Maybe not that bad, but literally like everyone is there!

Well, we started going some last year with our good friends to watch her brother play. So, I was ready to gear up for football season this year...I just wasn't sure how Miss Harper would make it. Well, she did fabulous! Here she is on the way to the game....She was telling me how excited she was to be going to her first football game and show everyone her new Pioneers outfit! :)
She was soooo good and she just let us all pass her around and she didn't get fussy until it was feeding time. Luckily, it wasn't just super hot outside, so she stayed pretty comfortable.

Not only was she good, but so was the game!!! Our boys caught the ball on the kickoff and ran right for a touchdown! What a great start to the game! What made it even better was that Dekalb Co. beat us last year, so it was time to get them back!Coming from Woodbury, Dekalb was always our biggest rival, so I was glad to see Warren County beat them this year....it's funny how rivals carry on through adulthood! lol

We also got to see Harper's favorite little cheerleader during half-time...We also got a special visit from Pioneer Jake...The plans were to have the girls picture made with Pioneer Jake, but Annabella acted so scared of him this year. I'll have to admit...he is a little scary looking at first...but last year she loved him...and she still does this year...but from a distance! lol I felt so sorry for her and felt so bad because she just cried and cried like she was terrified. Pioneer Jake is a former student of mine whom I LOVE and think the world of! He is such a great, talented kid and he still comes to visit me from time to time. He tells everyone that Harper is his God daughter! ha:)

The girls watching the action...
Then Miss Annabella had to get her some loving from Harper...She is so sweet with Harper and I think they are going to be great friends when they get older! Aren't they the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

We ended up leaving around the end of the third quarter because it was already past Harper's bedtime and I don't want to get her schedule all messed up this week since the Celebration starts this week and I know we'll probably be having some late, late nights!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! I'm sure it'll be a busy one for me...but at least I'll be off on Friday! Whoo hoo!!!

xoxo, Kara C:

2 Months

2009-08-20T21:36:00.004-05:00

Oh my...I am soooooo behind!!! This going back to school thing is killing me! ha:) So far, so good though. It seems like we really have a great bunch of kids and I am really looking forward to this year. We moved all of my desks out today and moved in tables and chairs since we do so much group work, so I'm curious to see how that's going to work....but I am so excited! It makes my room look and seem a lot bigger....especially when we had 30 desks in there! Whoa! But, anyway, I absolutely HATE leaving every morning because Miss Priss is always in such a good mood! She's always grinning and cooing and trying to talk....I just love it! There's no better sound in the world! But, it does make coming home sooooo much better!
Harper had her 2 month appointment on Tuesday, so I took the day off and we ran around all day. We slept in a little bit, then got ready and headed out. We stopped by the mall for a second so I could try to find her a little outfit to wear to ballgames, and I found the cutest thing. Our school colors are red, white, and blue so I found the cutest outfit from the 4th of July at Gymboree....and the best part.....it was only $6!!! I was so excited! Then, I also found her some leggings and tights that I thought we might could use with her Halloween costume....but they didn't work so I'm going to take them back this weekend.

Anyway, we headed on over to the dr. and she did just great! She weighed 11 lbs. and 13 oz. and was 23 1/2 inches long. So, since birth, she has gained 2 lbs. and 10 oz. and grown 2 3/4 inches.....the girl is growing! She is in the 75th percentile for weight, 90th for height, and 80th for head circumference. So, I thought that was pretty good. Then, the dr. came in and checked her over from head to toe and said she was just perfect....(duh! We already knew that, right?) ha! :) But, then came the dreaded part...the SHOTS! She had to have 3 shots and one oral vaccine. So, I went ahead and dressed her and I got to hold her while they gave her the oral meds and she didn't love them too much. But, then when I laid her down for her shots, she threw a FIT!!!! Big time!!! She was screaming before they even gave her the shots and I don't know if she even knows she got shots. lol As soon as I could pick her up, she was fine. So, we gave her a bottle and she went out! So, we headed over to Target and used some super coupons and then made a quick stop by Hobby Lobby and headed home. Overall, we had a great day. She came home, ate, and went to bed! She hasn't been fussy at all really until a little bit tonight. But she also didn't sleep as long last night either so I don't know if she was just tired or a little sore, or a mixture of both! Who knows!

But, I do know one thing.....I feel soooo behind! And, we have a super busy weekend ahead, so I don't see any catching up in sight! grr..... So, I'm going to stop blogging and get back to work! I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday....TGIF! :) Hope you all have a great, blessed weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

WHEW!!!

2009-08-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

I believe this picture speaks for itself...this week has been exhausting, overwhelming, emotional....lots of things! I am so out of the groove of things, and I feel completely out of my element! BUT, I do feel like I am kind of getting back into somewhat of a routine, which is nice. I am pretty sure I always feel this way at the beginning of a new school year, but I guess this year is really throwing me for a loop with all of the new responsibilities at home.

However, I do find myself rushing home in the afternoons to sit and do nothing but this...Harper is getting so big and I just can't believe it's been 2 months already! Where has the time gone? (fyi....I'm going to do her 2 month post soon!) But, she is just the sweetest thing EVER! She has been so good lately. She sleeps all night, and last night she slept for 11 hours!!! She is so bright eyed and in such a good mood during the day, and then at night she is so sweet and cuddly. But, you might as well just keep a look out at your watch, around 8-ish, she turns into a pumpkin! ha:) She starts fussing, wants her bottles, and wants to go to bed! I LOVE IT! Most nights, after she goes to sleep, I just sit and hold her for a while.....I know it won't be long until she's running around everywhere and I just wanna get my snuggle time while I can! :(

We go for her 2 month check-up this Tuesday and I can't wait to see how much she weighs and how long she is.....I can wait for all the shots though! UGH! She has to get like 6 different immunizations on Tuesday and I'll probably be crying right along with her!

BUT...as for our weekend...we had so much fun! We did our usual dinner out with my parents on Friday night and our family trip to Wal-Mart! Then, Harper and I spent the night with my parents so they could spend some time with her and because Brandon had to get up early to go work on our fair booth! We had such a good little day on Saturday. Harper, my mom, and I just sat around in our pj's and did nothing! Well, we did a lot of things, but it was just so nice to hang around the house. Then, Saturday night, we went to eat dinner at our best little friendies house and then went to the Pioneer Pep-Rally in town! Here are the girls ready to go cheer on WC!Annabella was so excited to see baby Harper and give her the present she bought her when she was on vacation! She made her a Build-A-Bear and it was a little bunny rabbit with bows on her ears and little shorts and a tank! SOOOOO precious.....but the cutest thing......she gave her a birth certification to go with it and she named it Hopper!!!! How cute is that? That's what it sounds like when she says Harper! She is just adorable!

After eating, we left to go to the pep-rally to kick off the football season. They usually do this downtown and everyone tailgates, but this year, it was held at the middle school. Since I had never been before, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was really good. It didn't last very long, but the cheerleaders and pioneerettes all looked great and it just got me in the mood for games! And, we got to see a lot of people we haven't seen since Harper was born, so it was nice! Here's Harper with her favorite little cheerleader...It was so HOT Saturday, but luckily, it cooled off a little that night. Harper was so good and she just looked around at everything! I'm so blessed! :)

Well, I just wanted everyone to know that we were all still alive...just tired and busy! ha! But, my baby has been in the bed for an hour, so I'm off to lay down beside her! I'll try to do better this week and not wait sooo long to post! I'll definitely let you all know her stats on Tuesday after we go to the dr. Hope everyone has a great week!

xoxo, Kara C:

Drumroll Please....

2009-08-09T16:40:00.007-05:00

Congrats Angela!! Harper can't wait to see you wearing your new necklace!! I'll get it ordered and we'll hand deliver it just for you! :)

Angela decided she wanted the new chocolate color and I can't wait to see it in person! yay! I'm so excited! We actually did draw the winner on Friday afternoon, but you can tell from posting about it on Sunday, that our weekend has been kinda hectic. My plans for Friday were to clean the house, run some errands in town, and then go visit with some friends. WELL....I have learned that your plans sometimes change with a baby! ha:) I got 2 rooms cleaned and that was it! Harper was wanting her momma to hold her and that was okay with me! So, needless to say, I finally got to town around 5pm and we still haven't seen our friends. :( But, oh well....we had a good day anyway and we made plans to meet up with our friends later this week.

Then, on Saturday, my mom and I made plans to go shopping because I needed a few things. WELL, I have never been shopping on tax-free weekend and it was C-R-A-Z-I-N-E-S-S!! We started out at Lebanon outlets because I love their Gap....and I promise....there were more people there than I've ever seen before! Well, I didn't buy one thing!! So, next we decided to venture out to Mt. Juliet to Providence mall, and omg! I'm in love! I keep telling Brandon that we must go back! ha:) Has anyone ever been to Home Goods? Love, love, love it!!! If not, it's connected to TJMax and it's fabulous! They have the cutest stuff for your home and the best part...it's cheap! Santa made a stop for Harper while we were there ha:), and I bought a tub for drinks that says 'Party Time'....too, too cute! I told mama I couldn't wait until we bought/built a house so I could go there to decorate! lolSo, I ended up finding a few things and I guess I'm as ready to start school as I'm going to be. I really kinda feel unprepared for tomorrow, but I think I always feel this way no matter how many hours I've spent preparing!

Well, I'm off to bed with my baby girl. She has gotten on the best little schedule the past few days and I just pray she stays on it! lol And, if you don't mind, say a little prayer for us tomorrow as we start back at this work thing for real! ha:)

I'll keep you posted!

xoxo, Kara C:

WE MADE IT!

2009-08-03T22:12:00.004-05:00

Well, we both made it through the day without crying! ha:)I kind of had a hard day on Saturday...I was just sad all day! But, we got up and got dressed and went to my parents' house and visited with them and my grandmother and sweet Maddie and that made the day MUCH better. Then, I dreaded today all day on Sunday, so as I went to bed, I really, really prayed about it. I prayed for strength, peace, and patience. I thanked Him for having such a wonderful job to go back to. And, when I got up this morning, I was like, "I'm going to be okay...I'm not going to cry!" And, I didn't...I didn't even feel like I needed to! ha:) And, I'm soooo glad. Brandon brought Harper to town and met me for lunch and that broke up the day a little bit....so I'm also thankful that my husband has a job with a flexible schedule!

I just wanted to give everyone a little update and let you all know that I made it through the day just fine and Mimi said that Harper was perfect....didn't whimper once! So, we all had a great day! yay:)

On another note, I just went last Thursday and had my hair done and I still can't decide if I love it. I wanted a change, but didn't want to cut it all off again since I've been trying to let it grow out. So, she changed the color up just a little doing it a little darker and adding chunkier caramel streaks and more red as well. BUT, we also cut bangs and that's the part I'm unsure of. I think I like them.....do you like it better with or without the bangs? (without is easier! lol)

xoxo, Kara C:

Pure cuteness!

2009-08-03T06:08:00.003-05:00

Well, she did it again.....Andi just made Madelyn's 18=month photos, and as usual, they are FABULOUS!But, she had a beautiful model of course! :) Just wanted to share a cute baby with you to start off your Monday!

xoxo, Kara C:

A day in the life of a teacher...

2009-08-01T22:39:00.008-05:00

Well I have been a busy bee this week trying to get my classroom ready for school to start! It's a dreaded subject this weekend at the Fuston home, but I've put it off this long so I figured I better do it little by little to get it the way I wanted it. So, I went a few hours each day and worked and I feel a little bit better about it now. I thought I'd take a few pics so I could show everyone what I look at everyday at my job.....and I have to admit, it's not too bad! ha:)

Here's looking in my door from the hallway! I love how bright and colorful everything looks. Even though I teach 8th grade, I think they still enjoy having a bright and cheery classroom to come in to.This is the podium at the very front of my room (ignore all the cleaning supplies laying on top!) lol The small board is where I write their topics for their daily journal writing and the word and quote of the week.This is looking at the front of the classroom. I am adding our word wall underneath the larger board with all of the state vocabulary words. The pink board to the right is where the students pick up their make-up work when they are absent and the computer is hooked up to our flat screen TV and is where we show power points, Brain Pop, etc. I'm in LOVE with our new TV's!This is the side of the room you see when you walk in. This is where they store their journals and turn in their assignments. The class collages are something that I started my first year teaching and they're something the students really enjoy. I take lots of magazines (hence the big gray tub) and they go through them and pick out things that they like. I then make all of their photos and attach them to the middle and then they hang up all year and I send them home at the end of the year.Here's an example of what their collages may look like! This is something that I always enjoyed doing, so I make one as an example for them to look at. Now all I need is a picture...This is the other side of the room. It's where the calendar , rules, and table of contents are located. It's also the motivational side of my room. I also have a place to put newspaper clippings for when they are in the paper for something. Also, the far right side is my "All About Me" board. This is something that our principal requires us to do. It's a place for us to put up anything that is about us and our interests. The kids really enjoy looking at these throughout the year....and I had to do a lot of updating to mine this year! I had to add all the new pics of my baby girl up there.....Then this is the back of the classroom. It's my reading area and this year, I moved the desks under the bulletin board as a place for students to do make-up assignments or tests. (Also, where the zebra pillow is laying is where my other hot pink chair goes!)Then, this is my desk area and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I have my own little space and I love how it's kinda closed off from the rest of the classroom.Here's behind the desk....I still have to put up some new pics on my fridge and hang my other little bulletin board and add pics to it as well.Overall, I love the way my classroom looks. I try to make it a place where I enjoy spending time and where my kids won't hate to come! ha:) If you're a teacher (Sunday school, preschool....whatever), I'd love to see your classrooms too! It may give me some ideas for next year! Link up to this post and let's share!

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway if you haven't already! I just love seeing all the comments on that post so I may have to do giveaways more often! ha:) Remember it's over Thursday and Harper will draw a winner on Friday!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

Celebrating, Answers, & a Giveaway!

2009-07-29T23:27:00.004-05:00

I can not believe that I have posted 100 times on my blog!! I am absolutely in love with bloggy land and I am so, so thankful that I have this to look back on as we grow and change. This is my way of documenting our lives and it just so happens that a few others share in our memories with us! :)

Therefore, I want to celebrate!!! I am soooo excited to do my first giveaway! To celebrate my 100th post, I'm giving away a beautiful monogram necklace from Tabetha.

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment on this post and I will enter your name in the drawing. You should be able to comment even if you don't have a blog, but if, for some reason, you can't leave a comment, just send me an email and I'll put your name in with the others. Also, if you post about my giveaway on your blog, let me know, and I'll enter your name twice! It's that easy....and these necklaces are gorgeous! (I may just get one for myself when I get yours!) I'll let Harper draw the winning name next Friday, and then I'll hit you up to see what monogram you would like! Doesn't that sound like fun??? I'm soooooo excited! I hope lots of you enter! :)

Now for the questions....only one person asked questions on the blog. So, I'll answer those along with others that I get asked constantly....so here goes!

1. What was the best part of your pregnancy? All of it! Seriously...I had the best pregnancy ever! If you didn't know, I'm a type 1 diabetic. So getting pregnant itself was a little bit of a risk and super scary. However, I just tried to stay positive as we decided to begin trying for a child. Luckily, we didn't have any trouble. Then, I was terrified that something would go wrong or that I would be on bed rest the whole time....nothing happened. NOTHING! It was fabulous! I did have to go to the doctor a lot.....A LOT! But, in the end, it was well worth it. But, if I had to choose, the absolute best part of our pregnancy was hearing Harper's heartbeat everytime and having ultrasounds...which I had many! I just loved seeing her little face and how much she was growing. It seemed like everytime we had an ultrasound, I would say, "That's just so weird that she's inside of me!" Anyone who doesn't believe in God is just crazy! Childbirth is truly amazing!

2. What was the scariest part of your pregnancy? I would have to say the scariest part was the anticipation and not knowing what to expect. When we would go to hear the heartbeat, I was fine once we heard it. And, once I was able to feel her move, that subsided a little bit! If she was moving, I knew she was okay! Then, childbirth was probably the scariest. I thought I was going to be sick as we pulled into the parking lot on Sunday night to be induced! I just didn't know what to expect! However, it wasn't too bad once we got inside. Everything kind of moved quickly after that and they kept us occupied for the most part! I was just terrified of the epidural....but I quickly learned that that thing could be your best friend! ha:)

3. Where do you buy Harper's clothes? Everywhere! I have found stuff for Harper many different places and a lot of her stuff has been given to us at our showers. However, some of my favorite places to shop are local boutiques. Ready, Set, Grow has beautiful baby things for boys and girls and is a great place to find smocked dresses and cutesy little things. Probably the place where I spend the most money (and time other than at home) is Sew Sweet. It is a little embroidery shop in our hometown, but they have some of the cutest little outfits and dresses. And, if I find anything that needs just a little something, I take it up there for a little monogram to spice it up! If you're around here, you should definitely stop by! (I just bought Harper a few little outfits for fall/winter, some cute stuff on clearance for next year, and the absolute cutest Halloween bucket you've ever seen there.....pics to come later!) Basically, anywhere that has cute stuff for a good deal, I'm up for shopping there....I'm definitely a bargain hunter!

4. Where did you come up with the name Harper? This has probably been the MOST asked question since we decided on her name. NO, we did NOT name her after Kelly on Kelly's Korner....NO we did not name her after anyone in our family....and NO it's NOT a boy's name!!!! Honestly, about three years ago, a lady that I went to church with and taught with was pregnant. She had twin boys whose names started with an "H" and she was trying to come up with a girl's name just in case it was a girl. After church one Wednesday night, I was sitting at home watching MTV and a commercial came on and one of the guys said, "I mean look at her man. Her name is Harper...how hot is that?" And I was like, "Oooh...I LOVE that name!" But, at the time, I was no where near ready to have kids. I picked up the phone and called my friend and told her...she loved it too. But after she thought about it for a while and put it with her last name, it totally did not work! So, jokingly, I told her it sounded fabulous with our last name! lol I truly intended to name our little girl Kenadie. BUT, as we started looking for names when the time came, it seemed that everytime I looked in our local paper, there was a least one little girl in there with the same name and I didn't like that! I like names that are different that no one else has. Also, we had our little boy name picked out a long time ago, so we had to find something that sounded good with his. So, we went back to Harper and it's the only name that Brandon had really liked and I loved it...so we decided to go with it! Not long after that, Kelly had her baby and that's why I started reading her blog...because she had a little girl with the same name as mine! Now, it seems like there are tons of Harpers out there....oh well! Mine is still special! :) AND, just in case you're wondering.....our little man's name (whenever and if we have one) will be Knox William. Knox after a cousin of mine and William after Brandon's family. And, now that I have one baby....I am wanting tons more! ha:) So, I've already been looking at baby names again because it truly is addicting. Our other boy names are (and in this order):Mattox (B's middle name is Matthew), Kipton, and Kellan. Some girl names that I love (but no one else in my family really cares for! ha!): Harlow, Stella, Finley, and Piper...but I'm still looking for girls names! If you have any weird/funky names that you love and you're finished having kiddos....tell me what they are! lol

Well, I hope that answers some of your questions! I am loving this post!!!

Now, enter a comment for your chance to win an awesome necklace! I can't wait to see who wins!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

Trying to get ready...

2009-07-28T11:20:00.006-05:00

Well, since I have to go back to work in a few days, we are trying to get caught up on sleep...And, as you can see, we are doing a pretty good job! :) Speaking of sleep.....GUESS WHO SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT????You're right....this beautiful little baby girl! When I woke up this morning and it was light outside, I was so, so excited! But, then I got a little sad too...that means she's getting older...and I want her to get older...just not so quickly! ha:)She has been such a good baby lately. She rarely fusses unless she's hungry and she just looks around and at you like she really knows what you're saying. She is a huge fan of her play mat and her changing pad too...If there's ever a small thing you need to get done quickly, you can lay her either place and she'll just lay there and look around and coo! It really is the sweetest thing I've ever heard! My heart just melts to see her so happy and content.

On another note, who has been keeping up with the Bachelorette? I was once a huge fan of that show, but I like it when they stay together...which you know is rare! BUT, I loved Jillian when she was on the Bachelor. She was always one of my faves, so I really wanted to watch this season. However, we had a little something that kept us from watching several times...

Harper just was not into the show that much! ha:) But, she did let me watch it Monday and Tuesday. I was rooting for Ed...so I'm very pleased with how it turned out! However, I feel so sorry for Reid! I didn't care for him too much on the show, but he seemed genuinely hurt on the after show! Oh well, guess that's part of it! Who were you all rooting for?

Other than that, I have just been trying to finish things up in my classroom and get back in to the swing of things. I already know that Monday is going to be H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E!!!!! I am dreading it terribly! I know I have to go back to work, but it's going to be rough leaving her for the first time!

I broke the news to Harper that Mommy had to go back to work on Monday....and I don't think she wants me to either. What do you think....

:( Bless it! Pray for us! lol

As promised....

2009-07-25T13:15:00.004-05:00

Don't you just love them??? Andi designed them just for us, and as always, she did a magnificent job and we are super pleased! She is in the process of launching a new website where she makes templates to purchase or will custom design cards, layouts, etc. just for you! Check it out at http://www.andianddrew.com/. Also, she's running a great special right now for 10% off your photography session if you book during July or August! If you're interested, go here to find out more and contact her....and tell her Harper sent you! :)

Q & A

2009-07-25T10:35:00.005-05:00

So, I have some questions and I hope you do too! I have seen several people do this on their blogs and I just think it is so neat...so I'm going to give it a try. If no one has any questions, I promise I won't bore you with it again! ha:)

But, I'm open to anything....if you have any questions about anything...ASK! I'd love to answer them. People ask all the time where we buy Harper's clothes, if I'm going back to work, what my classroom looks like and how I keep it organized....I'd love to answer all of your questions if I can.

Some things I wanted to ask are:

1. Have you tried to leave me comments and have not been able to? I had someone stop me in Wal-Mart the other day and tell me that she constantly tries to comment and can't. We don't know if it's an issue w/ her computer or mine. So, if this has happened to you, please drop me an email and let me know so I can get it fixed asap!

2. Who are you??? I LOVE blog-hopping and reading about other people and their lives. It has also led me to meeting some great people and making some great friends as well. I'd love for you to just leave me a comment and let me know who you are and where you are from.

And, I just wanted to say that there have been some things said to me this week that have really, really made me happy. First of all, I had a phone call yesterday telling me that she had given someone my blog address and they had called her telling her how much they loved reading it and how uplifting it was! WOW! That makes me feel so great! I can't believe people actually want to read about us! ha:) But, I am so, so glad that you do! Thank you for visiting and sharing our special times in our lives with us! We feel honored! :)

So, roll up your sleeves, and throw the questions out there! I'll answer them all in a few days. AND, I have a very, very special post coming up very shortly that you'll want to be sure to check back for! It's something I am super duper excited about!

xoxo,

My favorite outfit....EVER!

2009-07-25T10:25:00.007-05:00

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting a 'Show Us Your Life' series and this week it is all about the wedding gown! I just loved planning our wedding and looking for the perfect gown! I kinda knew what style I wanted and I knew that I wanted to blow Brandon's breath away....so the hunt was on! The weekend we got engaged, I bought a bridal magazine and the first dress in the book was the one that I had to have. I searched far and wide and finally found out that a little boutique in Franklin had one! We went the next day to see it....unfortunately....it was not as beautiful in person as it was in the magazine. It had all these huge pleats going around it and anyone w/ a fuller behind knows that those do NOTHING for your figure! ha:) So, I left there devastated and crying! lol I had just known that was it and it wasn't....oh well! So, after hours of looking and trying on countless dresses, I loaded up one Saturday with my bestie and my mom and headed to our tenth shop! I tried on and tried on and had it narrowed down to two dresses. We decided to go eat lunch while I made my decision. During lunch I kept looking at pics we had made and I made a decision...I didn't like either one of them that well! So, my best friend, Angela, said, "We are going back to that shop and we are going to find YOUR dress." Well, we walked in and this time, we got to work w/ another consultant. She asked what exactly I wanted and I told her...."sweetheart neckline, halter, heavy beading on the bodice, A-line, long train, corset back, and beading on bottom"...I was very specific. ha:) She said to give her a minute and then she goes over to the rack that I had gone through numerous times and she pulled "the gown"!!! I was like, "Where did that come from?" She said it was part of the trunk show and they had just put it out on the floor and hadn't even had time to steam it. I said, "Well that's it!" She said, "Do you not want to try it on first?" lol Of course I did, and even though it was the wrong color and about 6 inches too short, I came out of the dressing room jumping up and down saying, "This is the one! This is the one!" We ordered it right then and I've never regretted my decision!Some people just buy the first gown they see, and I wish I could've been so lucky! But, I knew what I wanted and I knew that I would know it when I found "the one," just like I knew it when I found Brandon! I needed the perfect gown to marry the perfect man!Here's a picture of the back so you can see the gorgeous train and corset! The train was pretty long already. BUT, I had imagined having this huge train that flowed behind me as I walked down the long aisle....so I added 3 feet to the length of my train when they custom ordered it. It was just p-e-r-f-e-c-t!!! And here you can see the detailing better on the bodice. It was silver and crystal beading with silver thread. Our colors were a pretty sage and silver with all colors of pink and green flowers! This day is still one of my favorite days in my life...with childbirth being close up there! ha:) Next week is wedding party and flowers...so I'll be hunting for those pictures next!

xoxo,

Don't you wish....

2009-07-25T09:54:00.009-05:00

...you could sleep this well? ha:)We were gone all day on Thursday and Harper was pooped yesterday.I was sitting around working on paperwork and on the computer and I just couldn't quit staring at her wishing I slept this well. Since Harper has arrived, I hear every peep she makes and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I had my post partum visit Thursday and everything went very well. Next on our agenda is Harper's two month visit in August! Just typing that makes me so sad....why does time have to go by so quickly?!? We have waited our whole lives for this and it just seems to be flying past us! While we were in Murfreesboro, I decided to call Harper's dr. back because she has had a little cold. We took her to the walk-in clinic two weeks ago today and he told us to do little noses and suction her out before every feeding. We've been doing that and she really hasn't gotten better. I even went and bought some Baby Vick's the other day and tried that...nothing. So, on Thursday, her eyes began to matt together. Well, of course, they wanted to see her, so luckily we were already down there and got right in. He said to keep doing what we were doing and to give her a little Pedialyte after each feeding....and I'm happy to say she's doing a little bit better. While we were there, they weighed her again....and guess what....she weighs 10lbs. and 13oz.!!!! I couldn't believe it. I knew she was really beginning to fill out, but I didn't figure she had gained that much!

Some people are always asking how things are going. Well, let me just tell you....I feel like I have a different baby on my hands! I haven't wanted to post about this because I was afraid people would criticize me....but I don't care anymore. She is happier and so am I!

So, we are 100% on formula now! She was just fussing all the time and was having a lot of trouble with belly aches and not being content. SO, since I have to go back to work soon, I decided to start trying to get on a routine where I could feed her in the morning and at night and put her on formula during the day. WELL, she was soooo much more content after the bottle feedings that I decided to try just formula on Sunday to see how she did. Oh my...we had a different baby on our hands! She didn't fuss...she ate and slept. It was so nice! It makes us both much happier!

Along with that note, she has been sleeping for 6 hours at a time at night! We have finally figured it out a little bit. Brandon stays up with her and I go on to bed. He usually put her down between 11 and 12 and then she sleeps until anywhere between 5 and 6. Hallelujah! :) Then I get up with her and we go back to bed after her feeding. Once I start back to work, I'll just stay up and get ready after this feeding.

So, like I said before, we are much happier....

Who couldn't be happy with this adorable baby by their side?

Also, I have something very, very special to me that I wanted to share with you. On our anniversary and Harper's one month, we ate dinner over at Brandon's parents house before church. When we walked in, there were two gift boxes laying there....one with Harper's name and one with ours. Well, Aunt Randi had bought Harper a bib that says "I love my Auntie." Too, too cute! I bought one for my niece as well when she was a baby, so I'm glad Harper has one now too.

Then, we opened our box....it was from Harper! ha:) It was a poem written to us. (I think she probably had a little help from Aunt Randi writing it all out!) Well, I was a teary mess after reading it. It was so sweet and so special and I still get teary-eyed every time that I read it. It's something that I will always cherish and I asked Randi if I could share it with all of you and she said I could. I wish I could write this well!

Here was our anniversary present from Miss Harper....

Mom & Dad,

Look at me a month old today
If I could talk, what would I say?

I’d probably start with how I’m glad you two decided to date,
And that Dad popped the question and chose Mom as his mate.

Without those marriage vows you took three years ago tonight,
You wouldn’t have me lying here with eyes so blue and bright.

I know I have lots of things: books, toys, and clothes,
But more importantly I have love more than anybody knows.

I know you two are great parents; you love me with all your might,
You’ll be a good example, and always raise me right.

The truth is that I’m growing up and time is going fast,
I can’t believe that one month has already come and passed.

So when everyone tells you that the house and dishes can wait,
It’s true, let’s play because before long I’ll start to date.

No, that will be a while if Dad has any say,
But that’s okay because I’m his girl and wouldn’t want it any other way.

And, Mom, you know we have this bond that only we will know,
So enjoy our time together, sit back, and watch me grow.

So Mom and Dad you see, you have a love so rare,
And I just want to say “Happy Anniversary” and I love you, Harper Claire!

The Lord has blessed us way beyond what we deserve!

xoxo,

Special post...Part 2

2009-07-20T09:22:00.003-05:00

Since last Wednesday was such a special day at our house, I had high hopes of blowing you away with this amazing post about why our day was special....well you already know that didn't happen. BUT, I did still want to post about our day, so here's part 2!

Last Wednesday marked 3 years since I became Mrs. Fuston! What a wonderful day this was. Brandon and I began dating in July of 2003 and quickly knew that there was something different about our relationship. After probably a month, maybe two, we began talking about marriage and life. I would've said yes if he had asked me to marry him then! BUT, he didn't...lol! We knew we'd get married after dating only a short while, but it took him 10 months to propose. I know that doesn't sound like a long time to many, but it seemed like an eternity at the time. The night he proposed, I had been at work and looked terrible! ha:) But, after the shock wore off and I pushed him over, I finally managed to say yes! (By the way, I didn't really push him over, but he loves to tell it that way. I grabbed him around the neck to hug him and I think he fell over....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) lol

ANYWAY, after we were engaged, we began discussing when to get married. I dreamed of a beautiful fall wedding...I just love the fall and all the colors and mums, pumpkins, leaves....everything about it. WELL, it didn't go exactly as planned. I was wanting to get married the next summer, but I still lacked 2 years to finish my degree and he really wanted me to finish school first. So, as bad as I hated to, we decided to wait until I graduated and boy am I glad we did? That would've added that much more stress to being a newlywed. So, after we knew it'd be 2 years, we began looking at dates. We began talking on July 15th and it just so happened that July 15th fell on a Saturday in 2006....so that had to be our wedding date. Let me just tell you....I know it was ours....but it was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen! We got married in the beautiful Woodbury Church of Christ and our flowers were GORGEOUS! I still love everything about that day....especially the memories. That is something that I will always cherish and remember for as long as I live. I'm so thankful to have such wonderful parents who gave us such a glorious day and for family and friends who were with us and supported us each step of the way!

SO, last Wednesday brought back so many wonderful memories. I just sat around all day looking at our beautiful baby girl and thinking about how far we've come in 3 short years! God has blessed our little life more than I ever thought imaginable!

Here are a few pics from one of my favorite days.....enjoy!I love this pic of the guys....so modern!See....I told you our flowers were gorgeous...or at least I think so! ha:)This was one of my fave pics of myself from that day...I love the effect of the lighting in this photo....LOVE it!Yes...I tripped on my dress walking back down the aisle. Oh well...all was good by then and he was stuck with clumsy old me! lolLoved the rose petal exit!

My cute little daddy...My beautiful mama....I picked out her dress and it was less than $50! ha:) However, her jewelry cost more than her clothes. lol Oh well...If you know me at all, you know I'm an organizational control freak....I believe they would title me OCD! lol Anyway, I was terrified that Brandon's friends were going to do something during the ceremony or forget something....WELL when it came time to make pics of me w/ the guys they walked in and they all had on these CRAZY ties....some were horribly ugly and others had cartoon characters on them....it totally cracked me up.....but I was oh so glad that was all they decided to pull! You never know with that group of guys! :)

And here's my handsome hubby...I know you're all jealous! :) But he's mine! Dear Brandon,

WOW! I don't know where to start....we have been through so much together in the past 6 years. You are my rock and my soul mate....you truly complete me and I don't know what I did before I found you. Although we have both changed and grown over the past 3 years, we are still connected! There aren't many couples who can say that they love each other more now than they did when they were married....well I can and truly mean it. You are the best thing that has ever happend to me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have the best God-given gift imaginable. You are my best friend, support system, shoulder to cry on, and the one whom I confide in the most. Thank you for always being there for me through everything...from going back to school, to coaching and going to all the games, to being dedicated to eating w/ my family every Friday night, letting me cry and whine when I didn't feel well, to holding my hand through child birth. Our journey makes me love you more and more with each passing day! Thank you for the best years of my life and I hope there are many, many more to come! You and Harper are my life and I love you more than anything. Happy 3rd Anniversary....just a few days late! :) Love you!

Part 1 of my extra special post....2 days late!

2009-07-16T13:04:00.004-05:00

So, I am finding it extremely difficult these days to get anything accomplished on a schedule or as planned. WELL, Wednesday was our anniversary and a special day for our little lady as well. So, here's part 1 of my special post and I'll get part 2 up soon...eventually...whenever I can! lol

Part of my Wednesday was a bittersweet day for one reason...We are so thankful and blessed to have this angel in our lives; BUT has it really been a month already?!? I can already tell that time is going to go by waaayyyy too quickly....WAY too quickly! But, on the other hand, we are so, so fortunate to have such a beautiful, healthy baby girl on our hands. She is really beginning to fill out and stay awake more so that's a lot of fun.However, that also means that I've had to get creative. She has to go where I go....SO she hangs out in her swing while I shower and get ready, and for the first time.....she hung out in her bouncy seat while I cooked dinner. I don't know if she was super crazy about it but she did really well. We are finally getting in a little routine and getting the hang of things and it is such a nice feeling. :)

Well, she is bathed and ready and now it's my turn. lol We are headed to shop a little and have dinner for our anniversary! So, I'll try to get my part 2 up soon.

Happy one month baby girl! Momma & Daddy love you more than we could've ever imagined! You have brought us more happiness in the past month than we ever knew possible! hugs & kisses,,,,muah! C:

xoxo, Kara

I just loving getting the mail....

2009-07-15T08:53:00.005-05:00

....especially when there's a disc with lots of cute pics of an adorable baby! I mean...just look at these....OH, I JUST LOVE THESE!!! Andi did a fabulous job! She is the greatest....if you are looking for an affordable photographer with lots of talent and great taste....you have to go see her.

Thanks again Andrea!

p.s.-She's in the process of designing her birth announcements and I'll upload a pic of those when they're finished.....just an fyi....they are FABULOUS! :)

I know....

2009-07-14T11:57:00.002-05:00

I know, I know.....I have the cutest, most precious baby in the world!!! Doesn't everyone agree? ha :) I find myself having a hard time getting anything accomplished these days because I just want to sit and hold and stare at her!

These days I am really dreading that cursed 4-letter word that I'm going to have to face sooner than I'd like.....W-O-R-K!!!!! It's just around the corner and I know I'm not ready and tht I'm going to be a hot mess my first day/week/month back....so keep me in your prayers! lol

I can't believe my baby girl is already 4 weeks old....it breaks my heart!Also, she is enjoying her baths more now that we've put her in her whale bathtub.....I think it's cause she can see how pretty she is in the mirror....ha:)Look at those big blue eyes....Daddy time....Oh , how I LOVE this face....

Hope everyone is having a super week! I have a extra special post for tomorrow, so be sure to check back then!

xoxo, Kara C:

Playing, Celebrating, Sleeping, Catching up....

2009-07-09T08:59:00.010-05:00

Okay....so I know I have been slacking! I have been super busy these last couple of days and so beware...this is a long post! But, on the positive side, it's full of pictures of adorable babies! ha:)

We have had to take Harper back to the hospital to lactation to be weighed several times since she was not back up to her birth weight by her 2 week appointment, and they were concerned that maybe she wasn't eating enough or something. I will be honest...this aggravated me a little because she was a 9lb baby. There are a lot of babies who don't weigh 9lbs. at two weeks. But anyway, it ended up being a good appt and I learned a few things that I didn't know before. So, after two more trips to be weighed, Miss H weighed 9lbs. and 6.2oz. yesterday! Yippee! I was excited....basically just to know that she is getting enough to eat and she is growing! Other stuff that's been going on.....WELL she cried a lot this weekend.....A LOT!!! Especially on Sunday! We didn't even make it back to church on Sun. night because she was so upset, which in turn made me upset! She literally screamed off and on for over 5 hours! We figured she had a little belly ache and we racked our brains trying to figure out why. We finally came to the conclusion that everytime she's been super fussy like that, that I've had ice cream! So, I've switched to lactose free milk and I'm really watching my dairy intake and she is SOOOOOOO much better! Thank goodness! I can take it when she is fussy because she's hungry. But when she's screaming because she is obviously in pain, it totally breaks my heart!

She looks totally healthy to me, don't you agree? (And, I notice that I ask myself constantly, who on earth could ever hurt a baby? They are so sweet and innocent!)So, as for the weekend....we had a very busy 4th. On Friday, my mom and I took her back to the hospital and ran a lot of errands. It felt so nice to get so much accomplished! ha:) Then, when we got back, we went to eat and visited with all of my dad's family at a cookout for a while. Then, on Saturday, our community had a huge celebration. So, Brandon had to get up early and go to work while Miss H and I stayed at home and got ready for the baby pageant and to make our grand arrival and meet everyone.I just love this picture from Saturday....I think her and Miss Annabella are going to be such good friends and I can't wait to see them play together! Miss Harper didn't win her category, but we all know she was the prettiest baby there! :)ha! (Also the youngest!) But, oh well. Afterwards, we just sat around, ate, visited, ate some more, and then went home to rest before the walking horse show. Overall, she was perfect all day! She ate well, took good naps, and was just perfect!Here's Harper with her great-grandmother (my mom's mom)! Doesn't she look fabulous to be over 70? I hope I've inherited some of those good genes......lolThen, Sunday was the rough day. We went to church and then to our cousin's birthday party and it was totally downhill after that! So, we rested a lot of the day on Monday and she was back to her normal happy self on Tuesday. So, we decided to get out and go visit our buddies and spend some time with them. It was our first play date!

Here was our wonderful view....It was so nice to just be outside and feeling the warm air! Harper loved it too....We just sat around and talked with our feet in the kiddie pool and the kiddos ran around and played. It was such a beautiful day and it was so, so nice to get out of the house and just visit and relax!I love this pic of Miss A! They needed to cool down with several freezer pops! lol And, it was killing them because none of the moms wanted one! They were cracking me up!Miss H decided after a little while that she needed a tan and wanted to lay out in the sun too! I can't wait to go to the beach next summer and see how she acts! Isn't she beautiful? :)After a fun-filled day, we went to the ballfield with Annabella and her mom and dad that night! We had such a fun day....it's such a good feeling to have friends that you can just hang out with and be yourself and go as you are! We are so fortunate to have such good friends and family....Harper is one blessed little girl to have all these wonderful people surrounding her!

Then, Wednesday, we just hung around the house and yesterday we went to Murfreesboro shopping with Ivie! We had another great day yesterday (but I didn't take any pics) and Harper was so good. She loves being out and riding in the stroller....it's when you take her out close to eating time that she gets upset....just ask all the people in Target! ha:)

Now today we are sitting at home trying to get some things done, and then we are going out to eat at one of my favorite places tonight with some more great friends...I am so excited and can't wait....I just hope Harper is good and full and asleep while we are there! ha:) We'll see how that goes....lol

As far as other things are going, nursing is going better and better. It is definitely an adjustment and sometimes it's inconvenient, but I know that it's what's best for her and that's why I'm sticking with it! She seems happy and content and that's all I care about!

As far as our bedtime schedule, it's also getting better. She usually eats somewhere around 9-ish and then stays awake until 11:30-12. (That's usually daddy time! lol) Then I feed her again, and she goes asleep until anywhere between 3 and 4. During that time, she is sleeping really, really well in her pack and play and I am so grateful! Then, she eats again and goes back to sleep until around 6:30-7:30. If I have something planned for earlier in the day, I stay up after this feeding. If not, we crawl back in bed and stay until the next feeding....lol After the last feeding, this is usually how Harper ends up...I don't want her to sleep with us at all. But, since it's just the two of us after this last feeding, we just lay there and snuggle for a while! Hey....she's only going to be little and wanna snuggle with her momma this once....I'm going to milk it for all it's worth! :) And, isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen? She looks lost and oh so comfy in our big bed...

Also, at first, in order for me to get a bath and get ready, someone had to be in here to watch her. Well, not anymore....I moved the swing into the bathroom, and she just lays there like a good girl and swings away! Usually she's asleep when I put her in there, but as long as she's full, she's good to go!

Onto other things that we've been doing....I ordered a centerpiece for our kitchen table a few weeks before Harper was born and the owner was nice enough to deliver it to our house since she lives close by. Isn't it gorgeous? I just loved how it turned out and I am completely happy with it. (FYI...we haven't had a centerpiece that I've loved since we got married 3 years ago....so this is a big deal for me! LOL)And, when she brought our arrangement, she also brought Harper a little something...Is that not the most precious thing you've ever seen? I thought that was so sweet and I just love it! I still can't get over how sweet everyone has been to us! Our cup overflows....

Well, I'll wrap this up now....I believe I'm getting close to writing a novel! ha:) I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and has a super weekend. Today is my daddy's birthday, so we will be celebrating with them this weekend and hopefully not doing a lot of anything! The countdown is on to the time I have to go back to work and I'll be honest.....I am NOT looking forward to it.....NOT AT ALL!! So, if any of you have any suggestions for the going back to work blues, please, please pass them on to me....I think I'm going to need them! :(

Oh well....I'm not going to think about it until it gets closer to time. Instead, I'm going to cherish every single second I have with my baby girl and just hold her and stare at her until I have to go back! So, I'm going to go.....have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo, Kara C:

Sharing the love of my 1st award...

2009-07-04T07:10:00.009-05:00

Lana and Paula of Cookies by Paula both awarded me with my first award ever!!! I was so, so excited! I am just now getting around to revealing my award and passing it on because I have been a little busy lately and I feel terrible! So, please forgive me....I totally appreciate it and I am so glad that you both thought of me.

I started this blog so that my close friends and family could keep up with us and our progress with the pregnancy....never in a million years did I ever, ever think that over ten thousand people would have looked at my blog!!! It makes me happy to know people enjoy reading it because I love updating it(even though I've been doing a horrible job of that lately) and sharing our little life with anyone who cares! :) So, thank you so much Lana and Paula.....you girls are the BEST!

"This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So, I am passing this award to these lovely ladies:

1. Andrea-This girl and I go WAY back....I mean over 20 years and that's saying a lot considering I am only 25. ha:) She is super sweet and is super successful. She is the very talented photographer who took our maternity and newborn pictures and we love her dearly.

2. April-I went to high school with April and she is one of the sweetest and kind people I have ever known. I have never heard her say anything bad about anyone and I just love reading her blog....it is so uplifting and encouraging. Her and her husband are in the procoss of adopting a little boy from Taiwan

3. Amber-I also went to school with Amber and she is also one of the sweetest girls I know. She got married the same month as Brandon and I and then her son was born about 6 months before Harper. She has a beautiful little family and I love keeping up with her through her cute blog.

4. Tabetha-Tabetha and I also go way back. We have been great friends since our freshman year and I love her to death. We worked together during high school and we share many, many fond (and funny) memories. She is kinda the reason I started blogging. I looked at a bunch of other people's, but when I started keeping up with hers, I thought that was a great way to keep in touch.

5. Annette-Annette is April's mom and she is my best commenter! LOL She is so, so sweet and she is always checking on us and Miss Harper and we deeply appreciate it. She is expecting her first grandson VERY soon and I love reading all of her updates.

6. Tara-Personally, I don't know her...but I read her blog, and I know that if I did, we would be great friends! ha:) She has the best attitude and outlook on life and I enjoy reading all of her uplifting and funny stories. She also has a beautiful baby boy and I enjoy seeing all of his super cute pictuers.

7. Brandie-Brandie and I met when I ordered an awesome canvas from her....let me tell you, this girl is super talented. I love checking her blog and seeing all of her new creations. She is so sweet and great to work with.

8. Natasha-This is another blogger that I do not know personally, but we keep up with each other through bloggy land. She is also super talented and makes all kinds of cute jewelry and AWESOME cakes. I will definitely be calling her in the future to make some cakes for us. You must check out her blog.

Now, go check them out for yourselves!

What a super fun weekend?!?

2009-07-02T12:45:00.002-05:00

Well I told you all about the fun, fun weekend we had with all of our visitors. WELL, I also said that Andi was there and took some hilarious shots....As you can probably tell, there is definitely a story behind this photo....let me explain so this doesn't end up on the Cannon Wire and people talking about my daddy for his dancing skills....ha:) This was supposed to be a picture of the "adults" from back in the day! lol WELL, Daddy and David have a history of picking on each other....c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y!!! So, as Andi was trying to take the pic, Daddy was putting bunny ears on David, and then David would rub Daddy's knee....etc, etc. So, Daddy thought he'd be funny and put his arms around the men and act silly. Well, when he saw Andi try to snap a picture he tried to hurry and move his arms and vwah lah.....he looks like he's dancing like an Egyptian!! Cracked me up....we were in tears when we saw this image! Good times, good times!

But, as for the ladies....We were totally on our best behavior! I miss seeing all these girls so, so much! We were all the best of friends and were together constantly. It was so good seeing them all at the same time and talking about old times.....wow! I sound really old when I say that! We definitely should try to at least make yearly trips to visit one another....we have too much fun together to let it go this long again!

Good times! Just thought I'd share!

xoxo, Kara C:

p.s.-Thanks for the pics, Andrea! I stole them off your blog! lol :)

Oh Goodness Gracious....

2009-07-01T22:39:00.001-05:00

Did you know anything could be soooo cute??? Awww....I am so, so, so in love with this little girl...and these pics. My very talented good friend, Andrea, came out to the house today to snap some pictures of Miss Harper...she was not very in to it, but Andi got some wonderful shots. Go here to see her preview....I can't wait to see the rest! I foresee this one gracing the front of her birth announcements! What do you think?

Well, I'm off to bed with my beautiful baby and husband....I have truly been blessed with the best life anyone could ever ask for!

Have a great rest of the week. We, of course, have another full weekend ahead....full with our first horse show, baby pageant, huge 4th of July celebration....so many, many pics to come from the weekend....hopefully!

xoxo, Kara C:

Everything you've always wanted to know.....LOL =)

2009-06-30T18:49:00.002-05:00

ABC's of me....

A-Age: 25

B-Bed Size: Queen

C-Chore you hate: Dusting

D-Dogs Name: Buster

E-Essential start t0 your day item: shower and Diet Coke

F-Favorite Color: Ooooh...I have a bunch....brown, pink, yellow, purple....the list could go on and on

G-Gold or Silver: Real jewelry-white gold, costume jewelry-either!

H-Height: about 5'10

I-Instrument you play: haha funny

J-Job Title: 8th grade English teacher

K-kids: 1 newborn, Harper

L-Living Arrangements: with the hubs and daughter

M-Moms name: Wadene

N-Nickname: Depends who you ask...Sissy, Hun, KK...I answer to pretty much anything. lol

O-Overnight hospital stay besides birth: tonsils in 5th grade and delivering a baby most recently

P-Pet Peeve: Ugh! Where do I start....I, also, am very OCD and a perfectionist....let's see....I don't like liars, cheaters, people who live beyond their means and think they are better than others, gossipers, DUSTY furniture, a messy house, disrespectful children,....again the list could go on and on.

Q-Quote from a movie: "No one puts Baby in the corner" from Dirty Dancing...my fave!!!!

R-Right or left handed: Right

S-Siblings: One brother, Ryan

T-Time you wake up: Which time? LOL My schedule prior to Harper was around 6 during school and whenever I felt like it during breaks. These days I am up around 11:30, then around 3, and back up somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30. But, hey, I'm not complaining!

U-Underwear: Yes, please! The bigger the better! ha:)

V-Vegetables I dislike: Turnip greens, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, and several others

W-What makes you run late: These days....baby! LOL But, usually, oversleeping and working around the house instead of getting ready!

X-Xrays: Oh goodness....all over! Head, back, chest, jaw, knee, foot, teeth....

Y-Yummy food you make: Omelette, corn pudding, brownies, meat loaf, goulash, chicken cordon bleu, ....I don't know....I cook what we like! So we are biased! lol

Z-Zoo Animal: Giraffe

I tag Andrea, April, Amber, Lana, Emily, LeAnne, Paula W, and anyone else who wants to participate!

Busy, busy weekend

2009-06-30T16:46:00.003-05:00

We started off our busy weekend with a WONDERFUL visit from some GREAT friends from Florida. They lived here for two years when we were younger (I think K-2 grade, maybe?) and we became the best of friends. We spent almost every weekend together and we were so, so sad when they were relocated to Florida. Over the years, we have visited back and forth some during the summers, but we haven't seen them since 2002. Since then, we have both gotten married, I've had a baby, her mom was diagnosed with cancer on several different occasions, .....lots of stuff has happened. SO, this was the year for them to come to TN and then we are planning a trip to Destin next year and we are going to visit with them while we are there also. Anyway, they came out to our house to meet Brandon and Miss Harper and we just had a great visit.

That night, we all went out to eat and to Wal-Mart (but just for a second because H screamed the entire time we were in there!) Then, on Saturday, we had a family reunion, and then went to my parents' house for a cookout and our other bestie from back in the day, Andi (the one who made our pics), came and we had the best time! We laughed and giggled like we hadn't spent any time apart. It was soooooo nice to visit and reminisce over long, lost memories. Andi took some hilarious photos from the night, and I'll post those when she sends them to me. I can't wait to see them!

So, after all that, we were able to rest a little on Sunday before we took Miss H to the dr. for her 2 week checkup yesterday. Well, she is still 20 and 3/4 inches long and still only weighs 8 lbs. and 11 oz. Since she was not back up to her birth weight, they sent us back to the hospital to meet with the lactation consultants again. I knew she was getting enough, but they wouldn't listen to me! LOL So, anyway, we had to go over there, feed her, and see how much she gained after eating. And, sure enough, she gained a full 3 oz. after eating. SO, they said they thought she was getting enough, she just needed to eat more often. SO, we did what they said and it totally messed our whole little night schedule up and we were up til almost 2am with a screaming baby! We were furious! Brandon said where is the dr. and lactation consultant now?!? LOL It made me laugh! But, after she finally went off to sleep, she slept until 7:45, woke up and ate, and then went back to sleep until 10:45! Hallelujah! So, needless to say, I haven't gotten much of anything accomplished today! ha:) Oh well, I'd rather spend the time with this little girl...Oh goodness....I CAN NOT believe she is already two weeks old. Time is going to fly by and I am going to be really, really sad! (But isn't she beautiful?) I know I'm biased, but she is my baby and I guess I can be!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week. I've gotta get off of here and get busy...we are having newborn pics made tomorrow and I've got to get everything ready! Tootles!

xoxo, Kara C:

We are alive!!!

2009-06-23T10:11:00.008-05:00

....and sleep deprived! LOL I have been meaning to post the past few days but these days I find myself holding an adorable baby, sleeping when I can, and visiting with all of our wonderful company.It has been quite a whirlwind around the Fuston house the past 6 days. We have had 2 dr's appts, lots of great company, not a lot of sleep, and trying to figure out our new roles as parents. We are loving the new responsibility God has blessed us with more than we could have ever imagined. Finally, I feel like I am getting a sense of myself again and getting back to the old me...just a more important me with a very important job on my hands.

So what all have we been up to? Well, let me see....we came home on Thursday and then we had to take Harper back to the dr. on Friday to ensure that her jaundice levels had not shot back up since we came home. Her levels were normal and she had gained an ounce and a 1/2 overnight (so up to 8lbs. 10 1/2 oz. now). So, the dr. said she was great and we don't have to go back until her 2 week checkup. Then, on Saturday, we just hung around the house and had several visitors.

Since Sunday was Father's day, Brandon wanted to have everyone over and grill out and since it was his first big day, I wanted to do what he wanted to do. So, all of his family, all of my family, and our preacher came over and we grilled out and had a wonderful time. While all the ladies were getting everything prepared for the meal, the grandfathers were patiently waiting because they had their hands full....But something tells me that they didn't mind their jobs that much. What do you think? :)

We had a great day and Brandon had a wonderful first Father's day. This lady made his gift from Harper and I thought it turned out perfectly. Thank you so much, Tabetha! It is a bible bookmark and the back says, "The first man a little girl falls in love with is her daddy." Awww....I love it sooooo much (and so did he)! He also received several cards, a photo album, some money, and his sister got him a frame with our first family photo in it....so sweet! I love it and it's something I'll always treasure. After we got home from the hospital, I asked B if we had a picture of the 3 of us after H was born and he said he didn't think we did.....luckily she had one on her camera! Thank goodness for family! LOLThen, after church that night, my uncle, aunt, and cousins came over to meet Miss H. They have been in Orlando all week and weren't here for her arrival, so they were anxiously awaiting for us to get home from church so they could meet the new addition to our family. I think they liked her....can you tell? LOL

So, after a fun-filled Sunday, I began to feel kind of bad that night. I really didn't think a lot about it (just figured I had overdone it like my mama keeps telling me) but then when I would wake up to feed Harper, I would just be shaking like crazy. I finally decided that I must be getting sick and decided to take my temperature and it was 101.3!!! My temp usually runs lower than average, so I freaked out. I called my dr. the next morning, and by then it had gone down to about 100 and she said if it went up again to call back and they'd have to bring me in. Well, early that afternoon I decided to check it again and it was over 100 again, so I had to make a trip to the dr. on Monday afternoon, and they decided that I must have a bladder infection. UGH! But, at least it was something small that's easily treatable.

Then, yesterday we had some more great visitors and stayed at home all day. Two of my great friends came out to see Miss Harper and they just loved all over her....and it gave mommy time to bathe and put on normal people clothes! ha:)After they left, we had some more friends come by to see her and they played with Harper and I enjoyed watching their little girl. Is she not adorable? She was also a 9lb baby and she began sleeping through the night at an early age....hope Harper decides to do the same! ha:) We will see....So, as you can see....we have been B-U-S-Y!!!! But, I have loved every single second of it. In addition to all of our visitors and adjusting to life with a newborn, we have had several very important "firsts"......

Our first church visit...This is also a picture that I will always cherish because he is also the preacher that married us and if it weren't for him, we would not be where we are today and have this precious baby in our lives that we are so, so thankful for.

Harper's first bath (at home)...

Her first swing ride...

Her first time laying in her crib (and she totally loved it by the way!)...

First visit with Great-Grandmother Fuston...We are having an absolute ball with our little girl and we can't wait to see what all this new life brings. Several have asked me if it was what I expected or thought it would be, and I honestly don't know how to answer that! I knew I would love her, that was inevitable. But, the depth of that love is something that I could've never imagined. I knew I would look at Brandon differently, but the way I love him also changed....he appeals to me in a totally different way than he ever did before. I just don't know how to put it into words......it is the most life-altering decision we have ever made in our lives and it is the best thing we have ever done! We are loving every minute of our new life!

Well, I'm sorry for the super LONG post, but this may just have to be how they are for a while...long and a few days in between. LOL We have a super, super busy weekend planned and I'm curious to see how it's all going to go with a newborn! ha:) We have friends coming in from Florida and staying with my parents, then we have a family reunion, newborn pictures to make, cookouts......ahhhh!!! I'm going to go crazy if we can't slow down soon! So, now that it is 3:30 am and my post is finally finished, I think I'm going to go try to rest for a while until our next feeding. OH, and by the way, the nursing is going really well. Harper has had to take a few bottles and she's adapted to those too, but she'd rather me feed her as opposed to the bottle, so that's a good thing. AND, some other good news.....as of tonight, I am 2 POUNDS away from my starting weight before getting pregnant......2 POUNDS!!!! That's the first time I've been excited getting off the scales in a long, long time! LOL

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying this gorgeous weather! Talk to you soon!

xoxo, Kara C:

WE ARE HOME!!!

2009-06-18T17:08:00.007-05:00

I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a few days, but yesterday was kind of a hard one for me. First of all, I did not sleep Monday or Tuesday night...AT ALL!!! But, it was my choice, I think I was running on a huge adrenaline rush. Harper was wonderful, though! (And, by the way, Daddy slept great! ha:)

Anyway, I had planned on getting up Wednesday morning, getting ready and packing, and coming home to sleep. WELL, Miss H had other plans. Her dr. came by to do her assessment that morning and he said she had developed jaundice pretty badly. Her levels were 12.7, which was over the 95% mark. I was like, "Okay, no big deal...lots of babies have jaundice." Then he said if it goes untreated, it could cause brain damage. LET THE FLOOD GATES OPEN!! I just started crying and crying! I knew she'd be okay, but I guess with the hormones and not sleeping in 2 days, it finally hit me. So, yesterday, she had to be put under lamps and we only got to see her every 3 hours for only 30 minutes at a time and that was purely to feed her. So, we still had to get everything packed up and they gave us a complimentary room to stay in next to the nursery. I finally cheered up close to lunch and it turned out to be a pretty good, restful day. And, once I could see her, and knew she was okay, I was okay. (Look how cute she looks....I told everyone she was the coolest chick in there laying in the tanning bed w/ her shades on. LOL)

So, this morning, the dr. came by and checked her levels again and they were down to 9.7, which is below the 40% mark. He said he never thought it would go down that much over night....then he said, "But obviously your baby likes to surprise me!" ha:) She's being stubborn w/ him now! lol So, we have to take her back to the dr. tomorrow just to make sure they haven't gone way up today and then she should be good to go. So, we packed up and headed to Rock Island....

Look at one of the many items we had to load up in the car...Have you ever seen such beautiful flowers? These were literally carried into the delivery room just minutes after Harper arrived. They have opened up and are blooming beautifully! The card was extra sweet too. It read "Even though there is another girl in my life now, I think you'll understand. I love you!" Say it with me....awwww!!!!! Brandon has been great, if I haven't said that enough.

This is a pic that Brandon took with his phone.....He loves it when her eyes are wide open and she's looking around! And, have I told you how much I love double chins now? LOL

And, as far as the breastfeeding is going, it is going really well. She eats really well and my milk came in today and I didn't even realize it! LOL I guess that was a first for the lactation department. ha:)

So, we are doing WONDERFUL! I don't know if we have ever been happier. Brandon is doing great and is so, so much help. He has done anything and everything I have needed him to without saying a word! (Maybe we should have more kids! ha:) Harper loves her new home and her new room and she was so good the whole way home....she was snug as a bug in her carseat.As we got closer to home, I told B that we needed some milk, bread...you know a few necessities from the store, so we stopped at the new Dollar General they just built a few miles from our house. While he was inside, Harper was telling me how much she loved shopping! I think she wants to go soon.....what do you think?

Well, I'm off to feed my baby....

xoxo, Kara C:

NO WORDS...

2009-06-17T04:21:00.004-05:00

Well, as you can tell by the pics above, the grandparents and aunts/uncles don't like Harper at all.....not a bit! ha:) Brandon and I have been blessed with such wonderful, loving families and I just love sitting back and knowing that Miss Harper will grow up being so loved by so many. I had to ask B's sister now if she understood what I felt when I saw Madelyn for the first time. She is leaving for a short trip tomorrow, and her exact words were, "If I knew it was going to be like this, I would not be going!" I'm telling you....being an aunt is wonderful! (Although, I do now think that being a mommy is a little bit better!) lol

Today has been another fun filled day here at the hospital. Brandon counted up tonight and we have had like 56 visitors or something like that!!! 56!!! Are you kidding me....I didn't even know that we knew that many people! LOL I am sooooo overwhelmed....so many people love this little girl (and I can't really blame them:) and have prayed for her over the course of this pregnancy, and a simple 'thank you' just doesn't even seem like enough to say! Where do I start? EVERYONE has been great...from the dr's, nurses, FAMILY, friends.....I just can't get over it. It makes me wanna have 10 more kids....just kidding, just kidding (my MIL probably just got really excited when she read that!) LOL We are so, so, so blessed and I don't even know how to express my gratitude. SO, I'm just letting anyone who wants to hold her and love on her, because everyone means so much to us and we know that her safe arrival is a blessing...why not share her?

Other things that have been going on....I am really convicted to trying breastfeeding...I WANT to do this! It is so good for her, and it's the way God intended! So, we made several attempts yesterday, but they kept saying that the first 24 hrs, they really don't eat anything. So, this morning, the lactation consultant came by to help. It was wonderful....Harper did great. So, we have "attempted" to feed her every 3 hrs or so, sometimes we were successful and sometimes we were not! But, that's okay! I am going to do this!!! She has really done exceptionally well, and of course, I am as big of a worry wort as ever! (It really is ridiculous now!) lol But, we are going to do this and we are going to succeed....I am convinced! Please pray that everything works out the way I hope it does.

Well, right now, it is waaaaaaaaaay early in the morning, and our baby is in the nursery getting shots and bloodwork drawn. Oh goodness....I'm sooooooooo glad I don't have to witness that! I just can't stand to hear her cry, even though she does have the cutest cry that I've ever heard! :) She obviously has been passed around a lot the past few days, so she was a little fussy tonight, but she calmed down and took a nice long nap. I just hope they don't make her too mad in the nursery before they bring her back to me! :( Well, I have about an hour to nap before it's time to try to feed her again and then it'll be time to get up and begin getting ready! So, I'm going to go....

But, before I do, please know that I mean this from the depth of my heart....THANK YOU! Whether you have checked on us through phone, email, facebook, blog, or visited.....thank you! Thank you for your prayers, concerns, gifts, phone calls, visits.....the list could go on and on and on! I know it hardly seems like enough, but like I said in the beginning, I have no words!

Love & Peace to all!

xoxo, Kara C: (aka...Harper's Mommy, best title anyone could ever have)

Pure happiness....

2009-06-16T00:30:00.001-05:00

The loves of my life.....

So this is what love is all about....

2009-06-15T23:44:00.006-05:00

Oh my goodness...what a day! Well, we started out by checking in last night to be induced. They started the IV and got me hooked up to all the monitors and began the citotech to start the process. Plans were to break my water and start the pitocin early morning. WELL, my body had other plans....sometime around 4am, my water broke and I was already dilated to a 5. So, we called the parents and told them that they may want to come on whenever they could get ready. Around 5am, I got my epidural....honestly, the sleep meds they had given me earlier had me drugged and I really don't remember a lot of anything that happened this morning until about 10am.

So, from this point, they really started to monitor my sugars and check me every hour. After reaching a 5 so quickly, I then went to a 6, 7, 8, and eventually a 9 more slowly. Around 1pm, we began talking about when to start pushing. We decided to wait until 2, get checked, and go from there. Well, Harper was down low, but not officially crowning or in the birth canal. So, they had given me several more doses of my epidural, and I was N-U-M-B!!! I thought, "this is great!" Well, around 2, I was fully ready to start pushing, BUT I was having a little bit of pain in my left side and hip. They said they hesitated to give anymore meds just yet.....WELL, needless to say, they finally concluded that I had hot spots on my left side and I DELIVERED THIS BABY WITHOUT ANY MEDICATION ON THE LEFT SIDE!!!!! Not a walk in the park to say the least. Oh my goodness...if it were not for my wonderful, loving, patient, and kind husband and mother, I would've had a c-section....seriously!!! I felt every single contraction on my left side and Harper must have been on a nerve. So anyway, after about an hour of pushing, they called for the doctor and I had about had all I could take at this point....but, eleven mintues later, the most wonderful blessing, God given gift was handed to me and it made it ALL worthwhile!

She is absolutely gorgeous (I know I'm not biased at all....lol) and she is healthy. The dr. guessed her at about 8 and 1/2 pounds and I was convinced she was at least 9....and she weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. and was 2o and 3/4 in. long.....beautiful and healthy....I LOVE IT!!!!!

We have had lots of visitors and phone calls and we appreciate and love everyone more than they will ever know. I am sooooooooo thankful that I was able to have a healthy pregnancy and a pretty good delivery and now our family feels complete. We are blessed so much more than we deserve and I can't sleep just thinking about how happy I am and how complete I feel. As I finish this post at 12:25am, I am sitting in my hospital bed, holding my beautiful baby girl, and listening to my wonderful husband snore because he is so worn out from being by my side all day......what more could a girl ask for?

Headed toward the big D and don't mean Dallas...

2009-06-14T21:52:00.007-05:00

It's delivery time in Tennesse and we are READY to have this baby. Today, I am 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant and we should see our baby girl tomorrow....I am sooooooooooo excited!

So, we are all checked in and plugged up to all the monitors....now comes the hard part...trying to rest! I really, really, really would love to rest....but I really, really, really don't see that happening. lol They are going to be checking my sugar every 2 hours until I go into full blown labor, and then it'll be every hour! I'm ready to go into full blown labor....lol

And, now comes the hard part.....WAITING!!! Oh my goodness, I am just wanting to get up and do something...anything! But, that's okay...it'll all be well worth it in the end, I know. But, I'm not gonna lie....I am now officially nervous! Guess it's good I waited til now, huh? lol

As long as I have this one by my side, I can make it through....and by the way, he is absolutely fine! Several of you have commented or text me wanting to know if he was hurt, and no he left without a scratch. Of course, he didn't tell me anything about it until it was all over...thank goodness!! That would not have been good for my nerves. lol

Well, I will be sure and keep everyone posted on our progress. And, I'm going to address this this one time and this one time only....I have a blog for MY own purposes, to document OUR lives....I love my blog because I can keep all those who care up to date on what's going on....if you just want to be nasty....do it elsewhere. I have far bigger fish to fry than worrying about someone who doesn't even have the nerve to sign in with their real name making stupid comments! We are us and we claim to be no one else!

Love and peace to all.....I'll talk to you soon!

Please pray for a calm, peaceful delivery and I'll definitely let you know what's going on.

Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments and concerns....talk to you tomorrow!

xoxo, Kara C:

What we're doing...

2009-06-13T12:27:00.002-05:00

Well, what have the soon-to-be parents been up to on their last day at home.....

Let's let the pictures speak for themselves, shall we???

As for Momma....And, as for daddy...

Ahhh....will Monday ever come????????

Advisory Warning...

2009-06-11T13:50:00.004-05:00

There should seriously be an advisory warning on this show.....NO one who is pregnant or wanting to be should watch this show....take my advice! LOL Several years ago, I loved to watch this show. Even then, I would tear up and cry from time to time. Well, what on earth was I thinking when I turned it on today while folding laundry.....I DON'T KNOW!!! In a matter of seconds, I was squaling!!!! (Like that southern word?) LOL I think I'll block that channel until after Monday!

xoxo, Kara

Winding down & nursery updates

2009-06-10T21:09:00.005-05:00

Well we are officially down to 5 days.....I CAN NOT believe it is here already. We went for our ultrasound on Tuesday and they checked her growth, and we were expecting around 8 lbs. and they couldn't get a great image, but they estimated her at about 8lbs. 5 oz. Soooo....it looks like we may have a 9 pounder on our hands! :) Needless to say, she is out of room!!! You can tell by the pic she was ready to smack us for bothering her so much! LOL Other than that, we've just been trying to get a few things done and finished up around here before we leave out on Sunday.

Someone told me today that I needed to update and tell how I was feeling and what my emotions were. Well, as I thought about that I don't really know what to say. Today, I am tired! I didn't sleep well at all last night and I have felt groggy all day! However, I did get some things accomplished in Harper's nursery today, so that made me feel better, of course.

As far as my emotions go, I am happy, sad, ready, excited, nervous, shocked, loved, tearful....I just don't really know what to feel. I THINK I am ready to have her....I just don't know what to expect! I know she's probably a lot easier to take care of where she is, lol, but I'm sure we'll both be much more comfortable once she's out here. Then, I just wanna cry at times. Not because I'm sad, but because it's all going to be over soon and I'm going to miss being pregnant. But, also, because I know it's going to be overwhelming. I am SUCH an organizational, planner, neat-freak and I know this is going to throw my life into a whirlwind. I am completely okay with that....I just hope my nerves can handle it! Please, please, please pray for us this weekend. Everything has gone soooooooo smoothly so far that I'm just waiting for something to go crazy! I would love for things to continue smoothly and easily! ha:)

Okay...here's what I've been wanting to do for a while....nursery updates! yay!!! Here are some before pics of Harper's room (I can't even believe myself how much it has transformed!):AND NOW LOOK HOW CUTESY AND GIRLIE HER ROOM IS.......oh, I love it!And, this little stroller was made especially for Miss Harper. The sweetest man that I waited on all the time when I was a waitress made it for her. How cute is that?!? He signed and dated it and I am so glad he did....I am so thankful to have gifts like this for her so that I can pass them down to her when she's older and tell her about the stories behind them. I think I'm going to make a cute little cushion to put down in it and then put her baby dolls in it.

As you can tell, we are blessed way beyond what we deserve. These next few days, I want to get our house cleaned and finish packing and getting everything ready to have our daughter. I am going to say a few extra prayers over the next fews days and just thank God for all he has blessed Brandon and I with. We have each other, we have a home, and we are about to have a family....what more could anyone ask for?

I go back to the dr. on Friday to get checked and to make all of our final plans! I will definitely keep the bloggy world posted over the next few days and probably more than ever during delivery. I can't wait to introduce Miss Harper to the world!!! Ahhh...that sounds so nice! Can't believe it's real and that it's almost here!

Love & Peace to all!

xoxo, Kara C:

Not that you care what I've been doing....

2009-06-07T07:41:00.005-05:00

Since I had such a long post on Wednesday, I thought I'd wait until I had something to tell before I posted! Needless to say, we haven't done anything super exciting the last few days. We've been gone a lot and spent some great time with family and friends, but I forgot to take my camera until last night. :(

On Thursday, my best friend Angela and I got together for lunch and she brought over my b'day present. We met her mom at LaCazona and then we went for a shopping spree at Big Lots! LOL Actually, we went so maybe I could find an outdoor rug and something cute for my back door....no luck w/ those things, BUT we racked up. They had a bunch of Martha Stewart stationary for $2!!!! You can't put great paper products on that much of a sale and not expect teachers to go crazy! So, we bought all kinds of goodies!! Then, that night, B and I went out to eat w/ some of our best friends, Tommy and Erin, and their little girl! They wanted to get together one last time before Miss Harper arrives....it was kinda sad! :( This was the last time that the 5 of us will go out to eat without another little girl....exciting but also kinda sad! Oh well, at least from now on, Annabella will have someone to play with besides us! :) I'm sure she'll enjoy that!

Then on Friday, I had to go back to the dr. for my non-stress test and to get checked! Well, guess what......NO CHANGES!!! I mean, I guess no news is good news....she's just not ready. But, I was hoping to at least be dialated to a 1.....oh well! I called my mom as I was leaving and told her, "At least we know Harper loves her momma," she wanted to know what I meant, and I said, "because she wants to stay in there....she doesn't want to come out and meet everybody else!" LOL Of course I was kidding, but I do think she loves her momma already! ha! =)

Then Friday night was Relay for Life in Warren County. We have never been, so I had told B earlier that if I felt okay, then I wanted to go check it out. It was a lot of fun, and we got to see a lot of people that we don't get to see that often, so it was nice!

Now, on to Saturday....since next Saturday I am liable to be a basket of nerves and frantically trying to finish up some last minute to-do items, I thought that this Saturday I wanted to just get out and do some things that I wanted to do. So, my mama and I headed to Cookeville to do some shopping.....and this time, I didn't buy H a thing! Shocker, I know?!? We went to Ready, Set, Grow to look for a thing or two...but I didn't see anything that I had to have. Then, we went to lunch at my favorite....Cheddar's! Sooooooo yummy!! Then, we went to Kirkland's, Old Navy, and TJ Maxx! We racked up! I was needing a few odd and ends for here and there around the house and then Old Navy had all dresses and skirts for $15, so I spent my b'day money there! Then, I went over to TJ Maxx to tell mama I was done shopping and ended up buying 2 new chairs for horseshows and such and some cutesy shirts for AFTER H is here! I was so excited to buy something cute and back to normal size! LOL

After our shopping trip, we were off to Woodbury to a horseshow.....guess who shows in the very first class that we can't miss....By far the cutest horse rider I've ever seen....don't you agree?Showing off her winning blue ribbon....LOLReady to go somewhere....With her FAVORITE aunt and cousin....lol (I told B to take our pic and to be sure and shoot down so I didn't look huge....well, here's the result...the sun was in our eyes! Oh well...you get the gist of it...)Overall, we had a nice weekend! We are definitely on the countdown now! Next Sunday, we will be going into the hospital to begin the process to have this little girl. Right now, I am feeling good. I FEEL ready....whatever that means! I just hope and pray that everything goes as planned and goes smoothly....I know that no matter what I think may happen or what I expect, there are going to be some kinks thrown in there....I am flexible! I just hope for no huge surprises! I'll keep you posted....please keep us in your prayers!

Well, I've got to get ready for church! Enjoy this beautiful day!

xoxo, Kara C:

Wordy Wednesday!!!

2009-06-03T10:49:00.008-05:00

WARNING: THIS POST IS LOOOOONNGGGGGG! :)

WHEW!!! Yesterday absolutely wore me out!! We had 3 appointments to make on top of errands to run ALL over the place. We started out the morning with B getting up and going to pick up a piece of machinery that he had bought on Saturday. While he was gone, I got ready and got our clothes ready for the day. As soon as he walked in the door, he changed and we left again. We headed to Smithville to drop off a dish to have an arrangement made for our kitchen. From there, we headed to Murfreesboro. We had an ultrasound at 10:45, then an appt. w/ our dr. at 11:15. The ultrasound went great....she scored 8 out of 8 on her biophysical profile and the tech told us again that she appeared to have a whole lot of hair! YAY! Then, we met with our dr. for the last time until Miss Harper makes her arrival.....ahhhh!!! So, we asked some generic questions about delivery and so forth, and we are as ready as we are going to be. :) As soon as we finished up there, we headed toward Vanderbilt for my diabetic appt. BUT, since we had a little time to grab a bite before the appt, we went to one of my fave places....Pancake Pantry! Yummy in my tummy! It was sooooo good! So then, it was off to the dr.....I haven't seen my actual endocronologist since I was about 10 weeks pregnant, so needless to say, it was a little shock to her. LOL That dr's appt went well and then we were off to do the fun stuff.....we had to run by a boutique in Green Hills to exchange a pair of shoes that my mom bought Harper and then we stopped by another to just look around. I surprised myself because I didn't buy a thing! (I guess it's hard to buy anything when she doesn't need anything! ha:) Then, we headed back to M'boro and ran into 2 wrecks! eeekkk! I was so thankful B was with me and could navigate us around the areas that were backed up. I am sooooo bad at maneuvering my way around on the interstate, so needless to say, we got back much sooner w/ him driving. When we got back to M'boro, we had to run by Marshall's to exchange something and look for some shirts, then we went to Kirkland's on the search for one specific thing I wanted for our bathroom and they didn't have it, then we went to Payless because it's BOGO time and I absolutely love, love that store....and still didn't buy a thing. LOL BUT, one of the funniest things we saw all day was this sign outside of Payless....B had to stop and make a big joke out of it and take a pix and send it to everyone in his contacts w/ a message that said "Please come support my wife. We need the money to buy diapers!" He's such a dork....but I love him! :) At this point, my sugar was low, my stomach was growling, and I was getting grouchy! So, we stopped at Slick Pig for a bite to eat before heading home. Again, yummy in my tummy! Then, we just had to make a quick pit stop on our way home to see our precious niece and THEN, finally we were homeward bound! Oh my goodness!! We left at 9 am and returned around 8:15 pm!!! Geeesshhh!!! I was totally wiped out!

So, I went to bed early and decided to get up and get some things accomplished this morning before I head out to my hair appt! So, here are some updated pics of some things that have been going on around the Fuston home.....

Here's looking into Harper's nursery from the hallway....This is probably where I will spend much of my time once we are home. Also, the crocheted piece above the rocker was handmade by one of our neighbors and it is so bright...thought it looked cute over the rocker!Her chest of drawers, as you can tell, still looks pretty much the same. I'm waiting on her lamp shade to get finished so that will help it look a little more complete. I haven't decided for sure what's going to go on the wall above this yet......hmmmm......decisions, decisions!Then, I decided not to hang the mirror above her dresser. I am going to hang this canvas w/ something in the middle (maybe a pic) and possibly a couple of shelves with some memorabilia from special events in her life. I haven't totally decided how I'm going to do it yet, therefore, it's not finished! ha:) Oh well....it will come together in time!Here's a close up of the canvas. Is it not to die for? It was a gift from some of our neighbors and it matches her bedding perfectly!Here's the other canvas.....again....to die for! It's going to be soooo darling hanging above her crib. I'll post more pics when everything is completely finished!Here's a close up of her crib canvas!Okay....now off to the stuff that MUST be done. Can you guess what I'm going to be finishing up this weekend???That's right....PACKING! I have put it off absolutely as long as I can! It is that time and I need to get it done so I'll be prepared just in case this little girl decides to come on early! ha:)

Next, we have sooooo much that goes on during May and June. And, with this baby coming, I have had to plan ahead....so I have been getting prepared for some upcoming birthdays and Father's day as well.In addition, I have to get all of our goodies ready for the hospital. We are having custom cookies made for favors by the awesome Ms. Paula so that part is all taken care of! But, we are taking little goodie bags to give all of the nurses that take care of us during our stay just as a little thank you! I need to get those all finished up as well.....And, last but not least, I received another Mother's Day present Monday! Aunt Randi bought me this adorable little photo album for my purse to put Miss Harper's pics in. It came from Initial Outfitters and I love, love, love it! I can't wait to fill it up! LOLWell, I guess that's about it for now, folks! We are just nesting and trying to get ready for the biggest change of our lives! I'll keep everyone posted of the events over the next 12 DAYS and then we will for sure be posting while at the hospital.....I'll have to show Miss H off to the bloggy world! :) That sounds so nice...knowing she's going to be here! YAY!

Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day and this beautiful weather....I'm off to get my hair done! Tootles!

xoxo, Kara C:

TOO tired......

2009-06-02T21:48:00.002-05:00

to think...

to type...

to update...

to take pix....

to upload pix....

I'll hopefully be well-rested and ready to talk your head off tomorrow!

Zzzzzzzzzzz....... Kara

Updates....

2009-05-29T18:20:00.002-05:00

We found out yesterday at our dr's appt that we have made absolutely NO PROGRESS!!! None, zilt, zero.......GRRRR!!!!! So, we are still scheduled to be admitted on the 14th to start the inducement. That's so close, but yet so far away! THEN, my dr. proceeds to tell me that she will see me next Tuesday and then after that I will see someone else until THE DAY HARPER IS BORN!!!! Oh goodness gracious....I about had a heart attack?!?!? Why, you ask? Because she is leaving on vacation next Friday and will not be back until the Sunday that I am admitted. Oh geez.....I about fell off the table! Not that Harper wants to come any earlier (heehee), but just because! Oh well....I plan on waiting her out. I really want MY doctor to deliver Harper because she is the one who knows us best! Please pray that everything continues to go so well and that her birth is as easy as the rest of the pregnancy has been. ha! That would be marvelous!

On top of all that, I am going to be soooooooo busy this next week that it'll probably fly by as quickly as the last few have. I have an eye appt Monday; diabetic appt, ultrasound, and ob appt. Tuesday, hair appt Wednesday (yay!), off Thursday, and then the non-stress test Friday! WHEW! So, this next week will be gone before we know it then we'll be down to ONE WEEK!!! I am so, so excited! I can't believe we are this close to becoming a family!

And, on top of everything yesterday, it was our last day of school! WHOO HOO!!!! I think I was way more excited about the end of the year this year than the kiddos were. I have had about all of work I can take.....I love my job, but I was about at my limit! Being this pregnant at the end of the year was rough. BUT, I am so, so, so thankful to have a job and to have been able to work through the entirety of this pregnancy. What a blessing!

Well, as the pregnancy journey dwindles down, does anyone have any suggestions, comments, or anything that they would like to share??? Since this is our first, we are really in the dark....we don't know what to expect. And I consider this a good thing! :) I have an abbreviated list of what to bring to the hospital, but is there one thing that you can think of that we need that you forgot? Or is there one thing that you wish someone would have told you before you had your child? etc. Please share!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys the gorgeous weather we are supposed to have!

xoxo, Kara C:

You might be a redneck if......

2009-05-25T22:37:00.004-05:00

You push your granddaughter around in a wheelbarrow for recreation! ha :)

But could there be anyone any cuter riding around in a rusty wheelbarrow than this???

We had a great cookout with my family and played, just a little :), with this sweet little thing! Goodness....I LOVE her sooooo much! She just makes me smile. She was picking flowers and blowing kisses all night!

She has us all so wrapped around her little finger.....however I think Poppa is the worst!

Smelling the flowers.....

She is such a mess and her Uncle B and Aunt KK love her to death! We ran by their house on the way home tonight to pick up an extra carseat base for B's truck, and when we walked in, she started giggling and jumping up and down when she saw us....cracks me up!!! She loves company! She is such a sweet little girl and we can't wait for her to meet Harper....I can't wait to see how she acts w/ her!

Off to bed.....have a great 4-day work week! (2 and 1/2 days for me.....whoo hoo!)

xoxo, Kara C:

Getting ready....

2009-05-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have started having some contractions! Well, they aren't too bad until they disrupt my sleep! I mean....c'mon people...I'm about to have a baby! Don't I NEED to be sleeping now??? Geesh! Anyway, I have been doing pretty well with it all, but I am no longer bittersweet about the feeling....I am ready to have this baby! Since we had to stay home over the weekend and "take it easy" (ha! my dr. doesn't know me too well....this is very hard for me to do!), I decided to go on and start getting ready.

Saturday morning, Brandon and I got up and went to eat breakfast. We then ran some errands around town and went to Wal-Mart to stock up for a while! After we got home and had all the groceries put away, I did have to sit down and rest for a while. I felt HORRIBLE!!! Then, later on in the day, I cleaned out the inside of my car and Brandon vacuumed it out for me. Then, guess what I did??? I put the car seat and base in there....just in case! The dr. told me to go ahead and get all packed and ready a few weeks ago, and I just couldn't do it. It still seemed too early. Well, now that I am actually feeling pregnant, I figured I didn't know how much time we had left so I might as well go ahead and get ready for it! Also, I have Harper completely packed and ready to go and I even started getting our things together....things that we could go ahead and pack and not really miss if I didn't go for the next 3 weeks! Then, I finished straightening up in H's nursery, although there are still several minor things missing.....pictures on the walls, curtains, lamp shade....you know....nothing too important. But, once her room is completely finished, I will definitely post pics! I love it! Everything has turned out so cute and I could not be happier with it! So now, we are ready.....or as ready as we are going to be....to bring Harper home. Her pack and play is set up next to our bed, and we are ready to put her in it!

With all that being said, B and I have to go to the hospital today for our non-stress test since this is such a hectic week and the dr's office is closed today. Then we go back Thursday for our ultrasound and to get checked....we will know more then. Hopefully, I will have made some progress! I'll be sure and keep everyone posted. After our appt. today, we are going to stop by my parents' house for a little cook-out (yum!) and then we'll be ready for a full day of inservice tomorrow! (BOO!) Oh well, we only have 2 days left.......AND I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!!!

Hope everyone has a very happy Memorial Day! Say a special prayer for those who have lost loved ones or who have loved ones fighting for our freedom!

xoxo, Kara C:

Looking forward....

2009-05-21T21:25:00.004-05:00

Who else can NOT wait to see the Twilight sequel? Now, let me remind you, I swore I'd never watch or read any of this series, and I am so, so, so sucked in to this phenomenon!!! Now, I will admit, I was so glad that I read the books before I watched the movie, because the movie was disappointing. I really hope this one is better! And, I might just be in line w/ the kiddos and tweens waiting to watch this on opening night....that is if I can find a babysitter! ha:) Just kidding, just kidding!!! There's no way I'd leave my baby to go to the movies at midnight, but I will have to see it!

Hope everyone is having a good week! We had plans to go away for the weekend, but considering I started having contractions Tuesday night, my dr. said that I probably needed to stay close to home, rest, and drink plenty of fluids....fun! fun! Oh well...it's getting close to that time! We only have 2 days and 2 hours left with kiddos this school year and I am so ready to be at home and await the arrival of Miss Harper. Hope everyone has had a Happy Thursday!

xoxo, Kara C: