New picks...

Just wanted to get some new pics on here. I may be going to FL for the end of the week; my Auntie died last night & I wanted to make it to her memorial. She was very important to me & my heart is aching...

His future's so bright...

Lovin' his walker

Happy boy during our "morning hour" that we sit on the front porch & have our coffee.

The start of "Fall Ball."

Sissy Bear being a big helper!!

If only he really ate this good... he's tough to feed.

Still baby blues..

Is there a baby in that high chair??? Hey, does anyone have a spare phonebook??

Nevermind, we'll just use this little pillow to give him a boost (He-He).

Diva at the ball game!!

Esten's other woman...

This is Mrs Danielle...

She is Esten's other woman...

And he seems way too happy about it!!

But, how could she possibly resist such a cutie!!
The beautiful smile & Baby Blues stole her heart...
We have known Mrs Danielle since the first day we put Brayden in daycare @ 2 years old. She also took care of Adria when she started @ the same daycare. Thankfully, the Lord moved her to Burleson so we could share our Esten with her when Mommy has to go to work. Apparently, they have all kinds of fun & snuggle time while I'm away... but at least I get cute pics from her! Thank you bunches Mrs Danielle!!

The 102 degree Wedding

Introducing Brandon & Shannon Pollard; August 9th, 2008.

My brother in law & his new wife.Yes, it was 102 degrees & the wedding was outside; but.... it was a beautiful wedding!! Thankfully, only the ceremony was outside and the reception hall had kickin' AC.

This is how Shannon arrived to start the ceremony. It was very enchanting!!


The gown was beautiful and so was the outside area where the ceremony was held!!



Brayden all dressed up! He was so careful to watch his step so they didn't fall!! The flagstone was a little uneven...



Adria in her glory... she is such a diva as usual.



This is Parker, my nephew. Brandon's son.


I can't believe how perfect this pic is of Donovan; such a CUTIE~!



Esten was soo good throughout the whole event. He had a cute pair of overalls on, but he got too hot.

Brandon & Gerean, my mother in law.

The $48 up-do.

Dancin' with Hailey, Adria's cousin.

I love this picture of Donovan & Adria. As always, Daddy's little girl.

10 Reasons Why I love My Mommy...

Okay, after the last blog about my Tonsillectomy, I find it only fitting that I share with you all that I made it through this awful experience because of my mother. She flew in the night before my surgery to take care of me & my family so that my whole life didn't fall apart.

Words cannot express, and money cannot buy the gratitude that I have in my heart for her selflessness. As always, I didn't even have to ask; she knew my heart & knew that I needed her to help me get through this. Jokingly, she told my Daddy that I am her needy, sickly child & she had to come help me; insult to injury & I'll take it!! So, here goes:

#10) She's not afraid to fly..often (Thank God!!).

#9) She loves Donovan for who he is and not just because he's my husband & she has to.

#8) She cooks... a lot. She's always feeding someone. You may not necessarily like what she's made, but no-one will ever go hungry with her around, whether it's the thousandth time you've eaten with her or... your very first bite of rice cereal (Esten's first August 30th)

#7) She is my best friend; and she is a good friend to have. She values a good friendship; even if your friends are your new found 10 toes, that friendship is to be cherished.

#6) She's creative and enjoys other's creativity. Especially when the creator is a grandchild building the world from playdough (my nephew Jett)

#5) She doesn't want to miss any of life's "moments." Whether it's your first day of kindergarten or 3rd grade, enjoy the moment.

#4) She's a very hard worker. She puts in a full days work, no matter what she's doing. I'm half her age & she wears me out. She has no problem stepping up to the plate, picking up where I've fallen & running my household so that I can heal.

#3) She has healing hands. They may not have the "sweetest" bedside manner, but they have more love to share than any person I've ever met. Whether it's rubbing bourbon on a teething 4 month old's gums or grinding chicken rice soup up in a baby food grinder for her 31 year old daughter 3 times in one day, you can be sure her hands work from her heart.

#2) She is supportive; I mean a "real" supportive. Not the kind of supportive "to make you feel better;" but the kind of supportive that makes you a better person. She's the strong, honest support that gets the job done mixed with just enough love that you can relax and know you are in good hands.
#1) AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT... because she is real, and caring, and awesome. She is a God sent to every life that she touches. She is there when you need her; or even just when you want her. She will drop everything she is doing, get on a plane, arrive in a city 1200 miles away from her home at 11:00 at night... just beacuse, at 31 years old, I am scared & I need her. God has been good to me and I can only pray that I can be the Mother to my kids that she has been to me.

Where have I been??!!

Well, it all started the day after my brother-in-law's wedding on Saturday August 9th... you know, the one outside that Brayden, Adria & Donovan were all in?? Well, we made it through it... and I have some fabulous pics of my awesome new sister-in-law to show you all ...later... (sneak peak)..

...anyway, the next day (Sunday) I was so exhausted I could barely get out of bed. I figured it was just from getting through the wedding in the heat & still nursing... blah, blah, blah. Well, Sunday night I realized that I was getting sick... summer cold; no biggie. Monday I felt awful & by that night I had spiked a 102 fever (FYI: I rarely spike a fever). Tuesday AM I woke with a sore throat & went to see my PCP for antibiotics. I continued with the high fever & the sore throat got worse; much worse. I woke up Wednesday@ 4:30am ready to go to the ER; my tonsills were so swollen & the pain was unbelievable. So, Wed I went to my ENT for an "acute episode" of chronic Tonsillitis. He changed my antibiotics to Levoquin (Ungodly expensive $30-40 per pill!!) and the real fun began...


I was promptly scheduled for a Tonsillectomy the following Thursday (8/21). Now, just for background, I was supposed to have a tonsillectomy as a kid but circumstances (single mother with 3 kids & no insurance) prevented it. Another ENT strongly recommended I have it done about 5 years ago... I never did reschedule with him... However, in this case I was not given the option to postpone the surgery. I asked my ENT if it could wait until after I was done breastfeeding.. in about 8 months. His said if it was only 3 more weeks, maybe he would consider postponing it; but 8 months, no way.



Yeah me... I don't carry around a lot of fear; I've had three previous surgeries, I've given birth 3 times. And I would do any of these things again, if needed. But I have lived in fear of a Tonsillectomy since my later teen years. As I said earlier, I was urged to do it 5 years ago... and ran like the wind from that ENT's office & never looked back.



I was scared to death; scared to tears. But, come Thursday am, there I sat in the AMH day surgery room... it didn't help that my surgery was almost 2 hours late. Needless to say, I lived through it (sorry to disappoint a few of you)... but FYI, all of those horror stories you have heard about a Tonsillectomy as an adult... THEY ARE DAMN TRUE!!! I was scared to death for a reason; this was the WORST medical experience I have ever been through. It is a long, painful, awful recovery; I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (...even though there are a few people on my list who deserve it). I had to go back to the ENT on post-op day #6 for steroids & a stronger pain med (Dilaudid); the pain med I had wasn't strong enough & my throat was so swollen I could barely swallow my own spit.



Since I started the steroids, the recovery is moving a little faster & I'm finally starting to feel better. And just as a side note, I have been breastfeeding through all of this; it has been very stressful. My supply dropped way low & thankfully I had a bunch of frozen milk. Hopefully, my body will be able to rebound from barely eating or drinking for 2 1/2 weeks & I won't have to supplement Esten with formula. For whatever it's worth, I've lost 10 pounds since all of this began; I've been so miserable, it's hard to even be happy about that.



So, a BIG Thank You to my friends & family who have called (hope my Mom or Donovan updated you) & sent cards... your thoughtfulness & prayers are very much appreciated.