My boys..

When Bradley gets home from work, Charlie rushes him..and they play, and play and play! The other night Bradley sat down on the ground to watch TV and Charlie crawled over and crawled into his lap and placed himself in perfect view of the TV! We now make sure the TV is off almost the entire day..not even for background noise..cause if we are not careful we will have a little couch potato on our hands. Its funny/disturbing how much he loves TV...especially at night.

Could never manage to get Charlie to smile at me. The TV was apparently way more interesting!!
I got beside them and just said "hey"..I was trying to get a smile. Well they both looked at me like this.....do they not have the same look. Charlie has perfected many of Bradley's looks! Bradley did not like this picture cause he looked mad..I did not think they looked mad..just serious/bored with me!!..and they both were actually having fun with "picture time", despite this look!

Love him!!

Curls..

So, I am thinking that little man might have curly hair..at least for now! I can get it curly if I try real hard , but I cannot keep it curly..it slowly straightens out. Yesterday we went to Hurricane Harbor and I put sunscreen in his hair (so his scalp would not burn) and the curls were the best I have ever seen... and they stayed all day!! So, I guess I can always resort to sun sunscreen!!

You can kinda see the curls on the side..I love this pic
This is right after his bath..and I used some of my hair product. The curls were gone before he went to bed that night!
Maybe once he gets some more hair I will be able to tell how his hair will be.
Just tossed this one in cause I love it!! He loves his pretzels!

EB..

EB=Embryo Baby...we will keep it short for easier typing!!

So..we have headed into this EB already..let me address a few things first. It took us close to 2 1/2 years of trying before we added Charlie to our family. So when thinking of baby#2..we would like to start earlier in case it takes awhile again. We have more knowledge this time around so hopefully it wont be another 2 1/2 years before baby #2, but in case it does, we would like to get started. If it works the first time around great..they would be 20ish months apart..give or take 2 months. Some may think that is to close in age..and for some it may be, but if God allows it to work out like that then Bradley and I will be super excited.

We have chosen EB for our 2nd child for a few reasons. After my second IVF(invirto fertilization) we learned that for some reason my eggs had aged faster then the rest of me. Under a microscope my eggs look similar to those of a 40 yr old. I was 25 when I started trying to get pregnant..and at that time it was too late. I am as capable as any 40yr old out there to get pregnant..but we all know how hard that is. Before you all tell me of that one person that you know that was 40 and done with kids and gets pregnant, let me share some more!! My second IVF resulted in a pregnancy that last 8 1/2 weeks. After my d/c, the results showed my baby to be Trisomy 8..a condition that in MY baby's case was incompatible with life..not all Trisomy 8's are, but mines was. This further confirmed what my Dr had already shared. My bad eggs will almost always not "work" because they are "old", but when they do I am at a very high risk for a baby with syndromes or other problems. So after that miscarriage, that information helped me be at peace with having no "biological" children of my own.

Now that I have one adopted child I would like to have all my children be adopted. Lets face it..I don't exactly have a fantastic gene pool to pass onto my kids anyway!! If they are all adopted no one can toss out "I am the REAL child"!!..but I am sure at some point someone will toss out.."Ha..I grew in her belly, beat that!!"

Anyway, if I had my way I would adopt all my children that same way I did with Charlie. Minus that one heinous day in Abilene..I love the whole process and would love to do it again. Unfortunately, Charlie's adoption cost us close to $30,000. After spending close to $30,000 on IVF...the cheapest route helped us make our decision this time!

Let me breakdown the cost for you..and these are the recent facts I have been quoted by the Dr I go to...other places might be different..

IVF=$15,000ish..not really option due to my eggs

Adoption(domestically)=$30,000. The discount the 2nd time around it like $1,000

Egg Donation(donor egg mixed with my husband)=$12,000

Embryo Adoption=$5,000

So..any questions!! Embryo adoption..for clarification..is the adoption of 2 embryos from a couple that has gone through IVF and gotten pregnant and wants no more children and had chosen to "adopt" them out as opposed to discarding them. So this child..assuming the procedure works..will be carried in my tummy for hopefully 9 months..but have neither mine or Bradley's genes, DNA or genetic make-up.This is all confusing..I know! And no, we don't meet or even see pictures of people who we adopt the embryo from...just lots of info sheets on them.

When we made our decision, a large part for the embryo adoption was for me to be pregnant...let me stop you there. I mean this with no disrespect..I actually have no desire to get pregnant. Three years ago I got so wrapped up in "I must get pregnant", that for some time I think I lost sight of my actual goal...eventually I remembered the actual goal and that thought turned into.."I just want to be a mom". Pregnancy is not my goal, being a mom again is. I have learned that there are HUGE perks to mommy-hood minus pregnancy!! There is also a downside. Not giving birth means no paid maternity for me. My work only pays 6 weeks(they use short term disability for maternity leave) and then you can take up to 6 months by using your vacation time. I had 2 weeks notice when we got Charlie..so I took a 4 month unpaid leave. Even though I have been paying into short term disability for 3 years..since I did not give birth I did not get to use it..nice. I will also have the option to breastfeed..which will save a ton of money if the next child eats like Charlie did!!! There are more, but this post is getting way to long!!

I was going to update where we were but I will do that in a day or so..like I said this is way to long..especially when I have no pictures to include!!

Random stuff!

Just some random pictures from the last week!! When Daddy gets home from work, no one else has Charlie's attention!
This picture and the next are blurry, but I love the faces!
Love those checks..
Papa, Charlie and Grandaddy at the car show. Congrats Papa on winning!!!

This happens every time we go to the Dr...the paper is now removed the minute we get into the room! His stats from the Dr are: Weight..22.2lbs (75%), Length..29 1/4inches (80%) and his head is now in the 45%! Believe it or not he is actually slowing down on his growth!!

No one can make Charlie giggle the way Daddy can!

T-Shirts!!

If you want to support a worthwhile cause.....check out my friend Julie's blogpage. http://handstandmom.blogspot.com/ She and her husband are adopting a baby from China. They are selling t-shirts to help with the adoption costs and they are great...as someone who feels their pain of coming up with ALL that money I encourage you to order one and help them out..plus the shirts are too cute!!

Going green..

Around our house we have really been trying to be a little more "green" and organic...we could try way harder, but anything helps, right?! I just wanted to pass along a my new favorite green item. I have started using those enviormentally friendly grocery bags.the reusable ones, and I am loving them. Main reason..they can fit soooo many more grocery's in them. I left the store yesterday after spending $122.00 and could fit everything into4 bags. So when I got home to unload I just slung 2 over each shoulder and was done..as opposed to my usual 3ish trips back and forth. Anyway, I like them so much more and you can even feel a little better about yourself!!!

I tossed in a few pictures of Charlie in his green outfit to go with the green theme!!

Blow out..

No, I am not posting a picture of that!!! I was at work a few days ago and my sweet little 2lb baby had a huge, awful diaper. I was going on and on about how bad it was. "How could such a sweet and TINY thing do that?" Anyway, I got home that night and my sweet Charlie decide to continue that trend for my day!!! It's funny how I went on and on about my sweet little 2lb baby..and then I get home to my 22lb baby... Which one would you rather be changing!!

Scrub-a-dub-dub..

Last night during bath time Charlie was really preforming, of course I did not catch most on camera..cause that's just how it works!! For some reason I had the hardest time deleting pictures. I know so many of these will look the same to you, but I see different expressions and just cant seem to part with them!Look at all those rolls on his legs..awesome!!!
ALWAYS chewing on his letters..still no sign of a tooth!!
He HATES water in his face and as soon as it gets wet he starts reaching to get out! If you can dry his face off he will usually keep playing. BTW..I LOVE this picture!

This is his cheesy grin that I get all the time. He is always smiling..minus ear infections. I usually don't get full on smile unless I am really working it. This is the "bless your heart, mom" smile!
Another "letter chewing pic"..somehow, it just looks a little different though! This is the best I can do for a "fowhawk"..and I cannot recreate it once we get out of the tub.Whipped by pictures at this point!
My sweet, sweet boy!

Lake Caddo... or the Swamp

Last weekend we headed to Lake Caddo for a 3 day weekend. Let me just clarify as we begin.."Lake Caddo" is more of a swamp..snakes, alligators, etc. So when I say "weekend at the lake", swimming, sunning and boats are not what we had in mind!! We spent the weekend..eating, sleeping, reading, riding the 4-wheeler or dirt bike, getting on the boat and some more eating and sleeping!! We had a great time and all the kids were so good..it was 9 kids and they were all so stinkin fun and enjoyable. Below are some out of order pictures from the weekend..sorry there are not a lot, but I did not have my own camera and mom got me as many as she could before she left town! Everyone took their turn taking the kids on rides..the 4-wheeler and dirt bike were a huge hit..not only with the little kids!
And no, there were no helmets..but we were also kinda in the middle of nowhere....and yes, we did pile as many kids on as possible!!
I look rough..but this is how your supposed to look at Caddo..for the first time since my tween years, I actually showered and then fixed my hair down there...but not in this pic!! Also, please notice our matching skulls shirts ...and no I did not plan it.
This is the one picture that I showered and cleaned up for. Bradley, Charlie and I slept in a tent. The first night I was in tears, crying on Bradley's shoulder at 4am when I could not sleep. I know it sounds whinny, but Charlie went to bed at 2:30am..so there is where the tears mainly stemmed from!! The next night he slept from 7pm-7am..sweet!! The last night though..It was FREEZING!! Charlie kept waking up..I assume cause he was cold. So at 5am Bradley just loaded them up..I had fallen back asleep..and took a drive in the car to warm up..and put Charlie asleep. I woke up at 6 and saw they were still sleeping so I took a hot shower..another I don't do at Caddo. It's usually hot enough so that all my showers are cold. Then I fixed my hair..only cause it involved a blow dryer and warmth!! My niece Katie came in and we blew dry her to get her warm and her cloths!!
At Caddo we all usually sit outside most of the day. We talk or read or whatever..put a pack and play in the middle of that circle and you have happy kids who will sit there for hours upon hours!! When Charlie would get bored we just put Brady or Reagan or Cassidee in there..and suddenly he was entertained again!Love my little mother hen..always taking care of our babies!!
Blurry, but I love this picture!

Reading with Alicia..I love that down there a shortage of hands for someone to hold your baby is never an issue!!
Please find me a child that does not LOVE Joe!!

And I will end on this WT picture!!! No, he is not touching it..even though the pic looks like it!! Mommy wanted him to touch it by laying it around his neck/shoulders...how great would that picture be..but no...everyone else said no way..including Daddy. Let me just state that it was dead and had no head..what damage could actually be done!!

So, if you were ever questioning it...yes, I am a redneck at heart!!!

Sorry about not great blogging lately, but with ear infections, selling 2 Trucks/Suv's and buying 2 cars and being out of town..little time was left for blogging! If it makes you feel better, I have not even seen last weeks Grey"s Anatomy..see, I am busy!! Also, I have not taken a lot of pictures lately..I will do better I swear!! And hopefully within the next few weeks we will get our name on the Embryo donor list..so that will give me more to blog about (and if your curious..the whole procedure wont occur till late summer probably!)

Please say a prayer for my brother Aric today. He is having surgery this morning. Please ask for wisdom for the Dr and Anesthesiologist and peace for Amber and Mom and Dad as they wait for him.

Sorry

I have been working a little extra and we have been out of town and my sweet baby is fighting another ear infection..so I am just a little beat down!! I will post some pic of my great weekend once I get them off others cameras..yes, I am so tired and beat down that I forgot my camera..I know, I know!!