Referrals are AWESOME!

Okay so you know the photographer I was telling you all about that did our family portraits?!?!?

Well, I referred this new, up and coming photographer to a friend of mine that needed someone for her "at home wedding" which made Lyndsay (the photographer), excited because she hadn't photographed a wedding before!

Anyway, she did a FABULOUS job and I just want to give her some more props! I am so happy that the referral worked out great for the both of them, one gaining more experience and one having these great photos to look back on for years to come!

Here are just a few photos of my friend Dani and her special day....if your looking for a photographer let me know!

...Lyndsay Vollmar Photography...

'Tis the Season

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hope everyone had a fabulous time with family and friends celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

We had a very busy, but very nice Christmas break. Christmas Eve we spent with my Mom and grandparents for Candlelight Service at Katy 1st Baptist Church. It was a beautiful service with great hymns and a great message to all. Christmas Day, we headed to my Aunt's in Humble, TX then back to Katy to James' grandparents, and then Aunt Kat's.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a few pictures with you all of Braden's very 1st Christmas! He did so well opening (with help) his gifts from Mommy & Daddy, and Santa of course!

ENJOY!

Our Family Photos

Hi everyone! How was your Thanksgiving?!?!? I hope you all had a wonderful time with your families and loved ones!

Well, I had been wanting to take some 3 month old pictures of Braden and while at it, take some family portraits for Christmas! I didn't really want to go to a store to take them, so I looked around for a local photographer that didn't cost an arm and a leg, but also would do a fabulous job! I was introduced to Lyndsay, which happens to know my husband from their High School days believe it or not! Anyway, she has started to transform her hobby into a profession, and she is absolutely wonderful!

So, here are some of them.... You be the judge!!

Tummy Time!

I'm such a proud Mommy! Braden at 12 weeks old!

Today I Am Thankful For....

FRIDAY!!!!

I am missing my little boy so much today and everyday for that matter! I catch myself having to look at a picture of him just to get me through my work days! When I get him home I just hold him and I don't let go or put him down for forever!! So, as I look at his picture for the millionth time today, I think to myself...

"Today I am thankful for Friday, for I am able to spend my entire weekend being with my baby and my husband"

Friday Thanks...

20 days until Thanksgiving.... What are you thankful for today?

Due to the horrible happenings in Ft Hood yesterday, I just have to express how thankful I am for our armed forces! It can be a terrible world out there if we let it and they fight so hard for our freedom. It can affect them in so many ways! Please say a little prayer for the families who have lost their loved ones in Killeen, Texas.

In the meantime, my thanks goes out to my brother Kris, a marine, for he too did his time in Iraq! I am thankful that he did his job and was able to come home safely to our family!

Thankful Thursday

A friend of mine has encouraged everyone to post something you are thankful for every day up until Thanksgiving this month. I think this is a wonderful idea! So, join with us and let us remember what Thanksgiving is really about!

I am thankful for such a great Mom!
She would do anything for her awesome daughter, and vice versa!

Little Monkey

My 1st Halloween! Boo!

What a beautiful weekend it was! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Halloween with your loved ones! Can you believe Thanksgiving is now just around the corner? I drove past Walgreens Friday evening and saw snowmen and Christmas trees in the windows! Oh the hustle and bustle of the holiday season... I LOVE IT! I can't wait for Braden to see his 1st Christmas tree, he is going to just love all the lights!

My Aunt Mel got me this onesie!

Anywho, our Halloween was fun! We woke up early and decided to visit the grandparents and show off our little monkey! We first stopped by James's grandparents and spent a couple hours with them just visiting and letting them see Braden. Next, we went to my mom's place where he got to swing and also meet Granny's neighbor, Romelia! Then, we were off to Spring, to our dear friend Christina's house, for her daughter's birthday party/Halloween party! We got home just in time for Trick or Treater's and Braden passed out! Haha!

Granny's house!

Something to Think About

A great mother may have several meanings for each person entering into this role. One has to remember that we are all individuals, therefore will all demonstrate different ways in caring for our young. This is something to keep in mind before passing judgement onto others. What one mother teaches and or allows their children to be around or take part in, may not be acceptable in the eyes of another mother, and this is okay because we dont all have to be alike. The most important thing to remember is that we at least honor and respect each of their decisions.

As for me and my child.... I will teach God's word, I will not allow the slandering or disrespecting of others, I will teach him to strive for better, to love even his enemies for they don't know any better or might be hurting in their own hearts. I will shield him from the destruction of today's world and the laziness which it has acquired, that it is not okay to curse one another, that a clean heart, body and soul is how God wants us to live each day. I will teach him to be polite, to have goals and morals, to not be demanding, to be a selfless man, to respect and honor the women in his life, and to pray for those who do not portray these qualities, that one day they too will see the light for a more peaceful and fulfilling life. And, as a mother, it is my duty to protect him from anything that I feel will threaten the above wishes in any way I feel necessary.

So, as you determine what kind of mother each of you may be, please be courteous to the type of mother I strive to be and the son I choose to raise.

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15

Hi Everyone!

Hi friends! My name is Braden!

My mommy wanted for me to let you all know that she will be updating our family blog very soon with pictures of my arrival at the hospital and our experience, and our fun day at the Pumpkin Patch a couple weekends back! So, stayed tuned.....

Take your guess, and win a prize!!

Everyone is placing bets when Baby Braden will make his debut! Would you like to take a gander?!?!? I just might do something special for you if you come the closest or if you get it right on the day! Here's what we've got so far....keep in mind his due date is August 28th.

Andrew - August 3rd
Shana - August 8th
Allie - August 9th
Tammy - August 11th
James - August 12th
Dani - August 12th
Kristin - August 14th
Me - August 17th
TeeJay - August 18th
Trica - August 21st
Mom - 17th/21st/22nd....haha!
(she can't make up her mind!)
Mandy - August 22nd
Christina - August 24th
Heather B. - August 26th
Stacie - September 1st -- YOU WON!!

So, much to tell....

It's been SOOO long since I've really had the chance to blog about anything these days! There's been so much going on since the middle of June, so I have a lot to catch you all up on!

First, my baby shower back in June! It was a blast and just as I would have pictured it, all thanks to my lovely hosts...Shana, Ginger, my mom, and good friend, Christina! We got all sorts of goodies for Baby Braden and the food and cake were d-lish!! :)

Doctors Appointments - Well, I've had several since my last update, Lord only knows how long ago that was...I can't keep my days straight anymore! Everything is going fabulous! Although I have had a lot of swelling in my feet and legs, my blood pressure is still very good, so the doctor is not worried. I do go to Walmart, or Walgreens occasionally on my worse days just to be sure, and still BP is just fine. Weight is still steadily rising, but as long as its creating a happy, healthy baby, then I am fine with the weight gain. I am determined to get back to being a healthy, strong & fit momma after he arrives! And, thank goodness the heat will slowly be decreasing in just a few months, that will definitely help with me getting out there and staying at it! I have had my Strep B test done, which came back negative, my blood count is normal, and as of last Friday's appointment (July 24th) I am measuring at 37 weeks, although I am at 35 weeks. And, we got some great news -- I am dilated to 1cm! I know its not much, but its a start and just another sign that we dont have too much longer to go! Braden's heartrate is wonderful, constantly in the 140's, he's still very active, and he loves music on my belly, and gravitates to my right side, when I'm driving and he hears Daddy get into the car, its TOO funny and James just loves it! I go back to the doctor on August 6th, then every week after that!

July 4th, we took maternity pictures! These were so much fun! There are so many shots, but its so expensive to buy the CD of pictures so that I can share them all with you. So, for now I have the one below, the quality of the scan didnt come out very well, but in person the picture is actually really good! We also got two other poses that are hanging in his room, so maybe one day some of you will be able to see those as well!

Humm....what else.....

Oh yes, last week I went to a candle party, and I am SOO glad that I did! I'm sometimes hestitate to going to those sort of hosted parties, but this was SOO much fun, and I already can't control myself with everything I want to purchase! I just love all the scents and the burners really do a GREAT job of exposing those scents to any room! I can't wait to get my first order in.... I'm getting anxious Kristin!! LOL! Anyway, if you are interested in finding out more of this great product check out this site www.scentsy.com/kristinkotzebue

Last, but not least, we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on Saturday! We'd been wanting to try out Perry's Steakhouse, and it was absolutely delicious! They put rose petals on the table and we got a complimentary dessert sampler also that they wrote "Happy 1st Anniversary" on the plate! I did not let one single bite go past me without eating it! LOL! I can't wait to go back!

Well......I'd better get back to work! Braden will be here anytime now, just whenever he feels he's ready! 'Til next time!

Look who's starting to drop...

Mid-June

Mid-July

6 1/2 weeks left to go!!!!

Hiccups, Heartburn, and Heat!

This is what the past few days have consisited of....

Hiccups -
It's so cute! I wasn't sure at first, but now I know, little man has been getting the hiccups! I've felt them a few times now! Its funny and I wish I could see his little face and watch his reaction to them! I try drinking more water thinking maybe that will help him, LOL! Who knows!

Heartburn -
Ugh, I've NEVER experienced such painful heartburn in my life! As I sit here struggling to concentrate on the words I am typing its very hard to focus. I am a believer in waiting things out first before taking something for it, but after a couple of mornings of this, I just gave in and took some TUMS, so far, NO relief! I wish I could just lay down and relax and let it pass, but no duty calls! So, if there are any typos in today's blog please excuse them, I try to proof read quickly after writing my blogs, but right now I just dont have the patience for it!

Heat -
It's frickin' HOT outside, inside, while sleeping, in the car, LOL! Basically, I just stay HOT! I literally come home from work and strip down to hardly anything.....I told James lastnight, "I look rough!" I was in mismatched top and shorts, had gone straight to lay down after coming home from work because my feet and legs were so swollen, so my ponytail was an absolute mess! Anyway, I didnt care, I was finally out of my work clothes and comfortable!

Well, just ordered lunch from Jason's Deli, so I'd better go pick it up! Hope everyone else's day is going great! Take care.

This weekend's blog title.....

'FLOWER BEDS'

It's what our weekend consisted of, literally the ENTIRE weekend! I never realized how much work goes into this simple yet tedious house chore! Anywho, so we finally decided to tackle the front flower beds! The old mulch was all old and gray (great for compost, but we needed a fresher look) and the original plants and flowers planted last year when we bought the house, just didn't make it (probably from neglect)! That's okay though, we just wanted to make it our own and it was fun! Hard work, but fun! Here are a couple of pictures!

***

Our next quest was to find a teddy bear to use as a prop for the maternity pictures James and I will be taking on July 4th with Studio One! They told us that we are welcome to bring any props that we may want to include in some of the pictures. The lady on the phone gave us some suggestions, like building blocks with the letters of his name, a blanket that will be in his room, etc. I came up with the idea of having a teddy bear with a blue ribbon around his neck! So, we were off to find the right bear! James picked him out, and it just seemed perfect! And, no need for a blue ribbon!!

Our first and only stop, Toys R Us,
where we found this guy!!

***

Sunday afternoon after all our hard work we decided to take a break and get some lunch with our fellow neighbors, which decided they would also tear their flower beds out this weekend and start over, and my mom, which was taking all of our mulch and dirt compost that we no longer needed. When we returned my mom got to see all our hard work, finished! So, what did she do......took out the camera and started taking pictures. A few of those pictures were of me, so I decided to find one that I didn't mind posting seeing its been quite some time that I've shared a belly pic! Please excuse the NO makeup, the exhausted look on my face, and the boring, unflattering pose that I'm giving the camera......but that's what you get after a weekend of HOT sun and FLOWER BEDS! LOL! ;)

29 weeks, 2 days

The Wait Is Over...

If you love the Twilight Novels, you might also LOVE this television series on HBO, called 'TrueBlood' that starts back this Sunday for its 2nd Season. Its a bit more adult than the Twilight books (definitely not for the little ones or teens), but ohhhh so good! This series has the vampire/human romance that after reading Twilight, we all crave! There are werewolves and other things that interfere with Sucee and Bill's odd relationship, but oh do they try! If any of you already watch it, let me know so we can start gossiping Monday mornings over Sunday evenings episodes. If you dont watch it, you might check it out and let me know what you think. If you have DVR and your like me, a weenie, you might fast forward through the opening song....it just freaks me out, LOL! My coworkers do the same thing.

Anyway, 5 days left until the Season Premiere!!

Oh and P. S. -- you can catch last seasons reruns on HBO all this week!

28 weeks

Wow how time is flying by! It seems like just yesterday I was awaiting the first flutters of baby kicks! Now he is as active as can be, and I'm getting bigger and bigger by the minute! I had my 28 week check up this past Friday and once again I had a not so pleasing weight increase, LOL! But, whatever my little one is needing is what I will give him. Everything is looking great other that...blood pressure is wonderful, he's growing as he should and right on schedule! My next appointment is in 3 weeks and then every 2 after that until August when I'll go every week. I also took my glucose test, and I'm just waiting on the results of it to come back. Also, we are in our 4th week of our Bradley Birthing Class, and I just LOVE it! It's amazing all the different things we are learning, and it really gives you that strength each week when you start doubting if you can do this or not, and naturally for that matter. James is such a wonderful husband and coach as well. He is really taking everything in and learning and listening to what I feel will help or just plain out annoy me during labor. We try doing our relaxation exercises each evening and I'm doing my stretching exercises as I have time (which I just need to MAKE the time for, because they are SOOOO important for preparing your body). Other than that we have been very busy preparing for his arrival and slowly but surely getting the house cleaned, now if I can only keep up with it, ugh!

Anyway, I'd better get back to work, lunch break is over and I've been busy busy! I'll try and makes some more time in a few days to catch up on my blogging! 'Til then have a great week everyone!

Our hard work pays off!!

Yayy the crib is here and all put together thanks to Daddy, and his lovely assistant...Mommy!!

Daddy hiding from the camera!

Ta da!

Pictures dont do its justice!