Right on Target

We had another sonogram yesterday to see baby Harper. Everything looked perfect, and she was measuring exactly on target!

The girls I work with at the gym threw me an awesome baby shower :)

We decided on a middle name! Her name is Harper Reese :)

I am currently in Charlottesville, VA right now and will be until the 30th. It is so beautiful here, and the weather is so mild compared to Texas....mid 80's most of the time. Fabulous! My 3 sisters and my 2 nieces left for DC yesterday and will be coming back today. I have been in Charlottesville babysitting my 2 three-year-old nephews, Charlie and Landon. They are 2 weeks apart and constantly argue most of the time. Oh. my. goodness. Thank you God with blessing me with only 1 baby for my first time! I don't know how you twin moms do/did it.

I miss Michael and my puppy :( I have been able to skype with them the past 2 nights which makes it a little better. I have never been away from them this long...and I still have a while to go. It IS nice being away from Lubbock though!

My mission when I get back to Lubbock is to find a full-time teaching position for the fall. Prayers would definitely be appreciated.

It's a............

GIRL!!!!

Bring on the pink! Michael and I went in for a sonogram on Monday for the sole purpose of finding out the gender. As soon as the tech announced she was a girl, I turned to Michael and said, "I knew it!!" I always thought women were crazy for just "knowing" what the gender was. From the day I found out I was pregnant, I just knew she was a girl. Weird...but I knew.

I haven't scanned the pictures from the sonogram yet but will soon. As soon as I got out of my appointment, I hit the road for a month-long vacation! I got to Pflugerville around 11pm and spent the night at my friend Jennifer's house. I got to see her precious baby girls, Mallory and Kelby, and my friend Erin who is staying with her for a while.

Around lunch time on Tuesday, I went to La Madeline's for lunch (YUM!) and walked around IKEA for a little while. I absolutely LOVE that store. I wish there was one closer to Lubbock. I headed to my sister Misti's house in Bastrop to spend about a week there. I have been hanging out with Jordyn and Landon...going to swimming lessons, getting sno cones, and planning on a movie this afternoon.

I fly out Monday to VA for sister vacation until the 30th and then back to Bastrop until the 5th. That's what I call a vacation! I plan on doing some shopping for Harper :) I have already bought her 4 bows and an outfit. I seriously need to control myself.

16 Weeks 5 Days

Anyone want to guess as to whether it is a boy or girl? From the day I found out I was pregnant, I thought it was a girl. This past week I had 2 dreams, 2 nights in a row that we had a girl. Michael and his side of the family are still holding out for a boy :) The heartrate has always been between 140 and 170...and this heartrate myth states a girl. The chinese calendar says boy. 10 more days until we find out!

.....For Auntie Ann :)

Seriously, I feel like my stomach popped out over night. I know people say this...but SERIOUSLY!

16 weeks

I went to my 16 week appointment today and heard the heartbeat for the first time! I was sad I didn't have a sonogram....but only 11 more days until we know what we are having! We scheduled my c-section for October 28th at 7:30 am!
I leave you with my baby bump.

16 weeks 4 days

It's a................

BABY! Peanut doesn't look like an alien anymore :) Well...maybe in the 3rd picture! The nurse was trying to take a picture of the face.

12 Weeks

Seriously...I can't believe I am 12 weeks already! It is going by so fast. Michael and I go in Thursday for my 12 weeks appointment :) I'm so excited to see the baby again.

In other news, I have resigned my position at Wilson. We are very excited about moving back to Lubbock. I selfishly ask for your prayers as I search for another teaching position. Michael keeps telling me one more thing he is excited about every 5 seconds....

-no crop dust pouring into the house
-dishwasher!
-garbage disposal
-THREE bedrooms
-no fluoride in the water (we get letters about every month warning us not to drink the water)
-save on gas money
-no more "driving into town" for anything
-no P.O. Box
-no more roaches (hopefully)
-more closet space
And the list goes on and on :)

I have definitely enjoyed my position at Wilson but look forward to working in a larger district and learning even more than I did in my first year.

Sister Vacation (or Cousin Camp) is approaching rapidly! I will be at Amy's in VA for 2 weeks from June 15th-30th!! I am so excited!!!! Poor Michael has to stay in Lubbock and go to school :)

That is about it from west Texas...hopefully I will have another picture of baby McKee on Thursday!

9 weeks 1 day

I went for another ultrasound today to check the cysts on my ovaries. To no surprise, I haven't heard from the doctor's office on the report of the ovaries. What I do know is my baby looks great! The heartrate was 171 bpm, and it is starting to look more like a baby rather than a tadpole :)

Coming this November!

I'm pretty sure almost everyone knows by now....but Baby McKee is coming! I had told myself that I wouldn't let the cat out of the bag until we were through the first trimester the next time around....but you see how well that worked out. It was such a relief to see the little heart flashing on the ultrasound this past Wednesday. I am only 7 weeks 3 days and definitely would appreciate all of your prayers.
I have been feeling great most of the time. I get a massive headache about 3 times a week and have constant gagging...but other than that, I feel good! :)

Ok, so here is the story....

After school yesterday, I notified my principle I had to leave right away to take my puppy to the vet. No emergency...he just needed to get his shots, and I didn't have an appointment. I walk out to my truck to get the two car seats out that I borrowed for my nieces from two teachers. Hmmm....where are my keys? Yeah, that's right...locked in the front seat of the truck. I have a 5th grade boy break into the back window with a screwdriver, and I am on my way to Lubbock. I am almost to the vet, and my friend Jo called to see if I can swing by her house later to fill out a reference form for her. Major gets his shots, and the doctor does a skin scrape of the side of his face. Mites. Gross. $88 later, we are out of the clinic.

On my way to Jo's, I turn around to check out where that smell was coming from. Yep, Major puked all over the back seat of my car. (by this point, I had switched vehicles with Michael because I simply hate his crappy truck) I immediately start gagging and make it to Jo's house. She kindly gives me paper towels and Clorox wipes. I started to clean up Major's puke while I proceed to throw up all over Jo's carport. Awesome. I finish up cleaning the car and ask Jo if she has a water hose to wash my puke off the cement. Embarrassed for me yet? Thought so. She has a water hose, but it is in her outdoor storage closet. I drag the hose out, clean the carport off, and I am on my way.

I get home and Major makes 2 neat piles of puke on the living room carpet. I left it for Michael to clean up after he get home :) So how was your Monday?

Bathroom Remodel

As most of you know, Michael and I live in a teacher house in Wilson, TX. Never heard of it? I hadn't either. I suppose only the 532 people that live here had heard of it. The day I interviewed out here, I was told if I were to be offered the position, we could live in one of the teacher houses for only $50 a month. Really? Yes, really. So after I was offered the position and accepted, we started working on the inside of the house. The walls and ceilings were cracking and the bathroom, oh the bathroom! We painted every wall, all ceilings in the house and ALL of the trim. It was VERY time consuming but totally worth it. The carpet was only about a year old so once we got the painting done, it looked awesome! Now...back to the bathroom. It was DISGUSTING to say the least. It smelled like mold. Whoever lived here before us (which I found out was the young, single Ag teacher) textured the walls AND the shower walls and painted them. Yes, he PAINTED the shower walls! Not to mention, there was a disgusting window on the back wall of the shower which was very hard to avoid while trying to get clean.If you know me at all, you know I am obsessed with taking showers. Do you know how horrible it was to take a shower in a disgusting shower for 4 months (while I waited so patiently for my husband to start the remodel)? Ok, so it could have been worse. I know. If you only knew what we grew up with :) So, we tore down the shower walls and found rotting and molded sheet rock. Awesome. Michael also discovered a leak under the house. No wonder it smelled! The plumbers fixed the leak, Michael replaced sheet rock and shower walls. I painted the walls and ceiling...and now we have a clean bathroom!

Before:

After:

And the rest of the house...

Master Bedroom:

Living Room:

Guest Bedroom/Office:

Kitchen/Laundry Room:

Not too bad for $50 a month, eh? :)

Rachel Ray

I have been reading this blog since this summer and really think it would touch many of you out there. Matt and his daughter Madeline will be on the Rachel Ray show tomorrow, Feb. 11. I dare you to watch and not cry. I already cried from just the preview.

here goes the picture overload. i flew into austin on dec. 20, stayed in bastrop at my sister's house for the majority of the time and flew back on jan. 2nd. here is my vacation in review....

i went with my sister's fam to meet santa.
jordyn and i set up a beauty shop.

michael and i went ice skating in austin on our anniversary.

we ate here for our anniversary dinner.

we celebrated christmas with a meal at my sister's house. then this crazy kid showed up on the 27th.

riley opening her very first cabbage patch baby from aunt mel and uncle michael.

kisses for the baby.

cousin bathtime.

attempting a picture for the acu today.

cousin picture at the park. (the other crazy kid with the fluffy hair arrived on dec. 28th)

my exact thoughts about grammy as well.

brother-in-law bonding at the time. (jason and andy)

andy, amy, april, and jason on the see-saw.

now do you see the fluffy hair?

we ended with a group picture of the girls, the husbands and the kids.

Maddie meet Max.......Max meet Maddie

I gave Michael his Christmas present early :)



Isn't she the cutest thing? She is a chihuahua/rat terrier mix.