Michener Moments

I'm still here!

2011-04-11T12:30:00.002-05:00

And still pregnant! I am just shy of 34 weeks and if you ask me, Miss Leah can come whenever she wants. Provided I can make it to Jackson, of course. For some wonderful and unknown reason, the carpal tunnel syndrome which was getting SO bad these last few weeks, has let up a little bit. Thank GOD!

I had a wonderful baby shower last weekend, thrown by my fabulous friends. Leah is going to be very well-dressed! It was such a nice shower, a beautiful day, and I am so very grateful! There are pictures on Facebook if you're so inclined to look!

The plan right now is still to induce at about 38 weeks which is just four weeks away! Aah!

In other news, most of my local friends know this but it's not been broadcast yet, but we are moving! We just passed our five year anniversary of moving to Greenville, and our house is currently on the market. We are relocating due to a job transfer for Phil, to Madison, MS. It's just north of Jackson, about two hours from here. It is definitely a bittersweet thing for us. We have made SO many wonderful friends here, especially in the last two years, and the boys love it here. It is a great opportunity for Phil's job though, and I can't say I'll miss paying tuition to a private school. It will be great, although the boys are sad...of course, Greenville is pretty much all they've known. We will definitely miss it and miss our house (y'all know I'd put it on a truck and take it with me if I could!) and friends, but we're close enough for a visit, and there's LOTS to do down there!

We're a little disappointed at the lack of traffic coming to see the house. I know with being on a cul de sac, it's not like there's a lot of passers-by. But it is a beautiful house, a fair (and negotiable!) price, and a great area. So hey, if you know anyone in Greenville who's looking to move within town, or anyone coming to Greenville, please spread the word! :)

Our plan (we all know about plans, right?) is to move in July, well after the baby is born, and in enough time before school starts.

Anyway, that's the scoop from here!

Crazy life!

2011-03-13T21:52:00.002-05:00

Life has been crazy since my last post! I am still enjoying my stay-at-home-dom very much, and starting to get my routine worked out pretty well. I am a slave to my Google calendar, but it's manageable. Carpal tunnel syndrome (thanks baby!) has really disrupted my ability to type, so I haven't been able to keep up as well as I'd like to.

A major development in the last couple of weeks (for me anyway) is that I've had to change OB/GYNs, and will be delivering this baby in Jackson, MS, at the Woman's Hospital. I'm happy with the choice but will never be okay with the fact that it was strictly due to insurance. Grrr. Anyway, at my first appointment with my new doctor (Dr. Shannon Carroll, he is WONDERFUL and the Jackson Healthcare for Women facility is a.ma.zing), we had a good long talk about my fears of quick and early delivery (ala Eli). He suggested that we would most likely schedule an induction around 38 weeks. Particularly because Eli was such a big baby (9lb 10oz), came so quickly (1.5 hours after my first contraction- Jackson is 2 hours away- do that math!), and a week early at that. He said he was concerned about the size of the baby and also didn't want me to deliver on the way. I'm thankful for that! Anyway, that means I have about 8 or 9 weeks left to go, instead of 11! Makes it seem that much quicker! Aaah!

Oh, and I failed my one hour glucose tolerance test. That was a first for me. I had to go back very early (and very hungry) last week and repeat with a 3 hour GTT. Thankfully, it was fine, so one less complication. Phew!

I have started the TERRIBLY fun process of getting the baby's room ready. There isn't a whole lot to it since the color of the wall is the same, but I did have a whole TON of girl clothes to put away. They're soooooo cute!!!! Oh, and we decided on a name, wanna know what it is?

Leah Marie Michener...like? <3

I have a group of *wonderful* friends who are throwing a shower for me in a few weeks- I cannot wait! I know this is all happening so fast-- she will be here before I know it! Yay!

2 weeks people, not too shabby!

2011-01-24T18:09:00.002-06:00

Today was my first official day as a "stay-at-home mom"! It was rough! No really, I can't complain, but I am whooped! I delivered the boys to their respective schools this morning, and between about 8 and 10 I: cleaned out 2 bathroom's cabinets, cleaned 3 bathrooms including floors, cleaned one tub, stripped beds and washed sheets, changed a shower curtain, and showered. Phew!

I was able to have lunch with Simon today at school, which he was SO excited about. By then it was time to get Eli. We delivered a trunkload of stuff (clothes, shoes, toys, and old carseats) to HOPE ministries in Greenville, delivered some maternity clothes to a friend, and came home! We are so lucky that Eli's daycare provides him with lunch before he comes home. What a deal that is! Anyway, Phil ended up at home for the afternoon because of a rescheduled meeting. Before I picked up Simon, I made beds, washed the kitchen cabinets, and started dinner! As I posted on Facebook, I'm not exactly sure where my bon-bons are. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm hoping that my new life will suit me. Phil is expecting a little too much in the cooking department, but once I get myself into a schedule, I might be able to work on that.

I did have another ultrasound after my last post, unfortunately my pictures aren't that great. But it is still a girl! Getting her room ready is at about the bottom of my list of to-dos, but I am looking forward to it!

Until next time!

Well well well...

2011-01-07T21:40:00.002-06:00

I hope y'all like my new template, because WHAT a pain in the butt I've had changing it!

Let's see...it's been a week! It was the kids' first week back to school. Eli was a little sickly over the weekend, so I decided to take him to the doctor on Tuesday. It was the freaking FLU. I was shocked. It was our first official flu diagnosis, ever! Of course, the year I'm pregnant. LOL Simon and I have had shots, but Eli had not yet...bad mommy!

He and Simon were put on Tamiflu...Simon has never had any problems, and Eli is on the mend. But geez. I guess it's that time of year. Lots of kids at Eli's school were out today with either the flu, RSV, or a stomach virus. Yay!

I had my 20 week doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Simon came with me, hoping we'd have an ultrasound that day, but it was scheduled for Monday instead. Pictures to come! He really liked hearing the baby's heartbeat, he is going to be blown away by the ultrasound!

I am starting to get some ideas put together for the baby's room. We are keeping the limey green that has been in Eli's room, and Eli is moving in with Simon. Eli's current room is being overtaken by hand-me-downs that people have been kind enough to give us. She has SO many cute clothes already! Good lord, I am overwhelmed! This painting has become my "inspiration" for her room:

Cute huh?

In other big news, I resigned from my job yesterday! My last day of work is the 21st! I'm fuh-reaking out. Actually, I was freaking out...I'm getting better. LOL. It was of course, not an easy decision to make, but I think it will be good. I have lots to do before Miss Leah Marie makes her appearance. I'm working on learning how to be a "housewife" for awhile. I may return to work (someplace else) later this year, but we'll see. I may like this new gig. ;)

Well, almost a year later!

2010-12-29T13:52:00.002-06:00

I shouldn't even apologize anymore for my lack of updating. See? I'm not sorry. I'll try to get you up to speed!

Well, Merry belated Christmas to everyone! We had a great Christmas and are enjoying the company of Phil's parents for the rest of this week.

2010 has been a year of surprises, you could say...

The main one being that I am currently expecting our third child, a girl, who is to be born in May. Without going into too much information, let's just say that this was a RIDICULOUS surprise to us. There just aren't words to describe it. However, it is what it is, she is going to be a joy, and her older brothers are SO excited to welcome their new little sister.

Other than that big news, we are doing just fine. Eli just started in the Pre-K room at First Presbyterian preschool and is just the funniest little character on the planet. Our sweet Simon is winding down Christmas break of second grade! Phil continues to work for Terral Seed. He had a very busy year of travel, and 2011 might be worse. And I am working, for now, for United Medical, still, doing sales. Expect changes to come regarding that. :)

Well, that's my check-in for now. I shall try to be better to update, really, I promise.

My attempt to catch up!

2010-01-17T07:55:00.003-06:00

I see it's been since before Thanksgiving since I've posted. Mercy! Let's sum up quickly, shall we?

Thanksgiving was wonderful, we had a great trip home to see family. We spent the first part of the week in Tuscola with Phil's family, and then travelled to Cincinnati to spend Thanksgiving with my family. The boys were great, and other than a little sickness on my part, it was a great trip. I also got to meet my best friend's fiance, FINALLY. That was a lot of fun.

December was a busy month with lots of travelling for Phil, and lots of Christmas parties and things like that for both of us. December was just a blur! We did get to go back to Monroe, LA, for Phil's annual Christmas party, which is also turning into our annual Christmas shopping extravaganza. Any time we get a whole night away from the kids is a good time, but add really nice dinner, breakfast out and shopping?!? At Target?!? It's the best day of the year!

Christmas itself was wonderful, probably our best ever. We didn't have anywhere to go, nothing to do but hang out with each other. I don't think I left the house from the Wednesday before Christmas to the Sunday after...bliss! The boys were spoiled from us, from Santa, and from their grandparents. Highlights were Simon's DS and some new Wii games, and ELi got a Toy Story bike and some bitchin cowboy boots! *I* am the one who got spoiled the most, by far! My wonderful husband got me a new camera, a Keurig coffee maker, a under-the-counter Ipod dock, and a KINDLE! I was so excited to receive that and I absolutely love it.

Poor Phil did not get a whole lot for Christmas (I swear he is the hardest person to buy for, ever), but he is intending on starting our spare room remodel, hopefully soon. We have a 400 square foot unfinished room in our house which used to be the previous owner's shop. It is now going to be the "man room" and as soon as we can get a solid recommendation on a contractor, we'll be under construction!

After Christmas, my in-laws came for a visit and stayed for about a week. That was fun. Phil and his dad love to tinker on house projects the whole week. They mounted the TV on the wall this year, which prompts Eli to ask on a regular basis, "why is that TV in the sky?" He cracks me up!

So now we're back to school, work, church, and SOCCER! Simon has decided that no really, he DOES want to play in the spring. So I guess we're going to have to bundle up and do that again. He also started with Scouts last month, so we're keeping him busy.

Well, that is enough of an update for now. Maybe my new years resolution should be to be a better blogger. I'm not going to hold my breath!

Good Lord, I'm still here!

2009-11-13T21:53:00.003-06:00

I am the worst blogger, sorry.

Let's see. What's been happening with us? Soccer is done for the fall (and Simon doesn't want to do it in the spring, yay! I mean, oh shoot! LOL) so life doesn't seem quite so crazy. We are still busy with church, birthday parties, and life in general. And planning our trip to Illinois/Ohio next week. We'll be leaving Friday afternoon, stopping halfway through and then travelling to Tuscola, IL. We'll be staying there until Tuesday and then going to Cincinnati. I'm excited in general for the trip, but I'm really excited to be in Cincinnati. I haven't been there since last Thanksgiving. There are SO many people I hope to see, and I'm hoping to squeeze everybody in. I'd need at least a month to catch up with everyone!

Phil just told me tonight that he is going to be travelling, pretty much until Christmas. Le sigh. I was hoping he'd be done for awhile. No rest for the wicked, I guess.

I got a new phone, that is news, right? It's a HTC Hero and I love it. It's taken me this entire week to get used to it, and I'm not sure I am yet, but it's a fun little toy. Sadly, this is a HUGE event for me. Ha!

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving a little early to those of you who read this blog! I'll try to update after our trip!!!

2009-10-27T21:53:00.004-05:00

We have been enjoying (sort of) a rainy fall here in Greenville! I know we've only lived here 3+ years now, but I don't recall this cool of a fall yet. Or this rainy. It's a little depressing.

But it is still fall, which is great, and we are wrapping up soccer (a pretty worthless season due to the rain) and staying busy with school. This week is of course Halloween. Tomorrow night is our church's fall festival, aka the first night the boys get to wear their costumes and overload on candy (at least this week). Simon is going to be Anakin Skywalker, and Eli is going to be R2D2. My little Star Wars men. Love them!

Last weekend, we took the trip to Grady Arkansas to visit Hardin Farms and Pumpkin patch. It was a lovely day, and we really enjoyed ourselves (except for Phil depleting his rathole of cash- it was not a cheap day). My favorite part was probably the old cabins. Simon enjoyed "panning for gold" and finding some neat rocks and an arrowhead. We also enjoyed the hayride and looking for pumpkins. I took lots of pictures which are on Facebook, but here are some favorites:

My boys on the "tractor"- that is my favorite Eli face!!

Me and my babies on a very wet hay bale.

And that's what's been going on down south.

On a much sadder note, I am sad to report that we lost our dear Geeta (my sister-in-law Shannon's sister). She passed away last Wednesday after a long 6 year fight against breast cancer. We will miss her smile and will continue to pray for her family and all of her friends. Love you, girl. And with that, I will post her PSA that she wrote at the beginning of 2009. It's so important.

As we kick off another beautiful year, I thought it appropriate that we start by recognizing the importance of friends, family, faith, and health.

I really won't harp on the significance of the first three. I would venture to guess that each of you, in your own way, hold those three things close to your heart. After all, they comprise the majority of our time, laughter, heartache, fun, conflict, and joy. Friends, family, and faith. Enough said.

But the one thing that I have noticed not many women recognize the importance of pertains to the foruth aspect--health--which is a monthly self breast examination. We hear quite often, and are bombarded with each October, that no woman over the age of 35 should miss her bi-annual mammograms, and no woman over forty should neglect her mammogram yearly. Well I say, absolutely!! How many lives, after all, have been saved by those wonderous screening methods?? Countless.

But what about those younger women, who aren't eligible for a mammogram? And what about those women who develop tumors IN BETWEEN mammograms? In these instances, bi-annual and annual screenings fall frighteningly short.

Each and every woman, beginning at the age of 18, should conduct a self breast examination every month, preferably at the same time each month to ensure she is at the same monthly cycle stage. Get to know what you feel like, what is normal for you! Young women often have dense, lumpy breast tissue, and although your OBGYN may clinically examine you once per year, she does not know what YOU feel like, what is normal for YOU, what dense pocket of tissue has always been there, and what popped up unexpectedly. This is your responsibility.

A breast tumor can develop and grow in a matter of weeks. Waiting months for your next mammogram will give this tumor the opportunity to grow even more, often spreading to other areas of your body and severely worsening your life expectancy/prognosis. But when caught EARLY (very early), the cure rate is phenomenal.

So remember, ladies, to not rely solely on our medical professionals. While they are irreplaceable, you still need to play the part of your own physician each month, and check yourself. I'm not a big believer in resolutions, but a commitment--that's something we can all do. Remind the women you love to do the same. It could save a life.

SO sleepy!

2009-10-11T21:50:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy weekend! I left on Friday for Memphis with a group of girls from our church for the Beth Moore Living Proof conference at the Fedex Forum. It was a really great time. I have never been to anything like that before, and it was very interesting. I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed getting to know the people I was with a little better, even in VERY close hotel quarters! :) And, since pretty much all that's on my mind outside of Greenville is FOOD, I was glad to get some good eating in! We ate at Hooters (because every church trip needs a trip to Hooters!), IHOP, and Hard Rock Cafe.

Speaking of eating, we also had our church connection group meeting tonight and had a delicious Brunswick Stew, which I had never had before. I don't think the second bowl was necessary.

Today I started the process of sifting through toys and taking out "baby" toys. Sob. I'm going to try to donate the decent ones to church. It's going to be a LONG process. Some of these are toys that were originally Simon's. I also moved furniture (okay, nothing very big), washed sheets and towels, and went grocery shopping. It was a big day for me. :)

We are kind of enjoying a fall in Greenville, we don't get "fall" too often. Now, if only it would please.stop.raining.

One week since my last post...

2009-09-20T21:16:00.002-05:00

Yessssss!

We had a rainy week in Greenville- I think today was the first sun I've seen in well over a week! We are heading for slightly cooler temperatures this coming weekend when we travel to Illinois on Friday! I hate travelling this time of year because I *always* end up packing incorrectly. Or perhaps I do that to give me an excuse to shop. I'm sneaky like that.

Yesterday we took both boys to see Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. It was the first time Eli has been to a movie. I figured if Phil and I were both there, one of us could take him if he misbehaved. He was PERFECT. The boys didn't make a peep, no bathroom trips necessary, no whining over snacks, nothing. It was a wonderful family night out. And the movie was fantastic. By far the best "kid" movie I've seen in a long time. We all loved it.

Friday my wonderful coworkers bought Phil and I lunch for my (early) birthday (Mexican, what a surprise!). They also gave me a gift card to Cato, which I promptly spent this afternoon. And then some. I need new clothes for the reunion! NEED, I tell you!

Tonight was our second Connection Group meeting at church. This is the first year we've participated, but I think we're both really enjoying it. We take the kids to their activities at the church, and then the adults go to their group leader's home (ours is at our Pastor's home, actually) where we have dinner and just get to know each other better in a smaller group setting. It's a nice way to wrap up a weekend, and I am glad to get to know everyone in our group. AND, we met another couple who lives just around the corner, who moved here a year ago from Evansville, IN, of all places (where Phil and I went to college). What a small world.

Well, this week will be the usual soccer and maybe church, but I also have to pack. We will be leaving for Tuscola Friday morning, and Phil's reunion activities will be Friday and Saturday night. It should be a great time, as long as no mojo punch or Old Style are involved. Stay tuned.

Falling back into old habits...

2009-09-13T15:35:00.004-05:00

Of not keeping up with the blog. My bad.

We have been busy! Last weekend was Labor Day. My parents came for a visit and we ran them ragged! Friday night, we went to Fat Baby's Catfish House. I hadn't been there before, and it was very, very good. I would recommend the fried catfish as well as the blackened, and the catfish bread is good too. Yum.

Saturday, mom and dad and I took the boys to the Lake Chicot State Park pool. Although I almost got us lost by trying to get there "the quick way" via the Levee, we did eventually find the park and had a nice time at their pool. I should mention that we took this adventure because our stupid pool decided to close on Labor Day Weekend. Grr. Anyway, the Lake Chicot pool was nice but cold. It was a good change of scenery though, aside from the verrrrrry long trip to get there. Again, my bad. That night, mom and dad and Phil and I went to Doe's. It was the first time we had taken my parents, and it was a hit. Dad thought he would be charming and offer to pay the bill. We warned him, but he did it anyway. Luckily, we went to Harlow's casino that night and dad won about what dinner cost.

Sunday, we all went to Louisiana, for a visit to the High Delta Safari Park. We LOVE that place! It's in Delhi, about an hour and a half from here, and we opted this time for the wagon tour. We had such a nice time. When we first arrived, there was a fawn just walking around, and my boys went right up to it to pet it. Before the tour started, we also saw and fed a few camels, donkeys, zebras, and kangaroos! On the tour, we really enjoyed the watusi (sp?). They have HUGE horns and these gigantic tongues that they stick out at you to get your food. The camels were a little frisky and the zebras were a little shy, but we still had a really great time. And here is a little picture of my family from that trip:

On Monday, Labor Day, my parents and I took the boys to the BB King museum in Indianola. For those of you who don't know about it, he is from that area and last year they opened a museum in an old cotton gin (where he worked). This year, AT&T opened an interactive learning center that they held a ribbon cutting ceremony for. I should also mention that Simon has been learning about musicians in music class, which he loves, and he had been talking about BB King. He said that he's his favorite because he's still alive. Ha! Apparently his standards aren't that high. We weren't sure if Mr. King was going to be present or not, but after waiting awhile, a tour bus appeared and he arrived. Simon got to sit pretty close during the speeches, then they allowed us to come into the new building after the ribbon cutting. As it turns out, that entire part of the program was specifically for children, so they asked them all to come forward. Simon and Eli (part of the time) were literally sitting at BB King's feet, while a very entertaining fellow did a drum demonstration with his son. Afterwards, Simon introduced himself to Mr. King and we got a very cute picture of them together. I was so very excited about this!

Sadly, my parents left the next day, but we had such a nice visit with them. The boys were well-behaved, and despite Greenville being under a boil order the whole time they were here (and the whole week after, grr!), we survived.

This weekend, Phil and I travelled last night to the Blue Levee in Rosedale, to eat with some friends. It was the first time I'd been to the Blue Levee, in fact the first time I've been to Rosedale! It was verrrrrry good and well worth the drive. I would highly recommend it! Get the crab and artichoke dip!

I am currently reading the book "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America". It's not the quickest read, but it is so interesting to me since I live just a few miles (if that) from the Mississippi River and the Levee, and it makes me want to learn more about it. I was thinking during the drive to Rosedale last night, of how close we are to a huge part of history. It's also haunting to read in light of Katrina, just four years ago. Anyway, that's my book endorsement for the week.

And in sad news, I hate to report that my friend Vaike (pronounced like Nike), from Colorado, passed away Friday at the age of 42. She leaves behind a husband, Bill, and two adorable children, Cora, 4, and Mitch, 2. She was pregnant with Mitch at the same time I was pregnant with Eli. Less than a year ago, she fell ill with what she thought was a stomach virus. Testing revealed tumors on her liver that were already spread from colon cancer. She didn't even make it a year. She started hospice care last week and from what I have been told, was at peace with everything, not in any pain, but I think of her children and I just cry. I would not be ready to leave my kids yet. So today and hopefully, for awhile, I plan to not sweat the small stuff with my kids, and to remind myself that even their little buggings are precious. I don't know how long this will last, but for Vaike I will try my best.

And the beat goes on...

2009-09-01T21:44:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how life goes from being slow paced and relaxed in the summer to absolutely crazy during the school year. I do NOT know how people handle life with more than two kids, or kids who are closer in age than mine. I salute you!

School is in full swing (we started about a month ago, actually). Simon is in first grade at Washington School. He's doing really well, despite a few issues with remembering his homework notebook and interrupting his teacher in class. His reading has EXPLODED in the last two weeks, it's crazy. I was feeling a little guilty because we didn't do a whole bunch with him this summer, but boy did he just grow in leaps and bounds all of a sudden! So the "school" part of school is going well, he's just learning the ropes of being in first grade.

With school starts Wednesday night church and soccer! We started soccer last week. Simon is now in U8, which is 6-8 year olds, although his birthday is the cutoff date. He seems to be "getting it" a lot better than he did last year, so hopefully this will be a good season for him. He's wanting to do basketball at the Y too, which has registration next week, but we will have to see about that. Not so much because I don't want to spread him too thin, but because I don't want to spread ME too thin!

Tonight, Eli and I attended our second MOPS meeting, which was a lot of fun for both of us. Particularly because he didn't scream his head off this time. I think Simon enjoys our (me and Eli's) MOPS nights most of all. That's his time with his dad. They have beers (of the root variety, for Simon anyway!) on the porch. It's probably the highlight of Simon's month. Last month he even conned Phil into grilling him a steak. Spoiled, he is!

My parents are coming in town this weekend! I am so excited! I haven't seen my dad since Thanksgiving, and I last saw mom in June. Since our pool is closed (grrrrr), I had to come up with some other plans for entertainment. We are going to try the pool at Lake Chicot State Park, in Arkansas, and the High Delta Safari Park, in Louisiana. And it just so happens that B.B.King will be at his museum in Indianola Monday for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Simon has been obsessed with B.B.King since learning about him in music class. So we're going to try that out. It's going to be a busy weekend!! Hopefully I'll have some fun pictures!

We'll give it a whirl...

2009-08-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

I'm not going public quite yet, but I thought I'd give the blog another try. You may remember us from http://yacketyschmackety.blogspot.com or http://yacketyschmackety.blogsome.com. Those were my old blogs from a few years ago when I used to be funny. Check them out!

Anyway, this is another attempt to capture our lives as a family of four (plus dog) in Mississippi, both for our friends here as well as our friends and families in Ohio, Illinois, and everywhere else. Hopefully I will do a better job of keeping this up now that the boys are growing up and I don't have to be bothered with watching them. I'm kidding. ;)

Hope all is well in the blogsphere, I'll be back soon!