Christmas Fun!!!!

Stephen worked really hard and diligently to get "the KITCHEN" ready for Christmas morning!

I couldn't resist...she's just too cute!

Same as above....she's just so darn cute!!!!

Daddy's make such great horseys!!! She was actually choking him in this picture. What a great sport!

Ok, this is one of the first pictures that I have posted where you can see my belly...no I am not about to deliver, yes, I know that you think I won't make it to full term and yes, I know how big I am!!!!!! I am blown away with how fast I've grown! 2nd baby I guess!

Did I mention in a previous blog how much I LOVE THE HOILDAYS! There is truly something about it. I just love the music, the sounds, the smells, the hustle and bustle, the excitement. I loved it before Keatyn, but no one ever told me that it could be this fun. I love buying gifts for her, I love the songs she sings, the movies she watches and the innocents of the moment. We are having so much fun as parents and we are looking forward to baby number 2!

Keatyn was just recently in her school Christmas program. She did great and sat in her spot the whole time. We were shocked! She doesn't always know the words to the songs, but we laugh out loud at her mouth...she just opens it and moves her tongue back and forth. I will try to figure out how to post the video. You too will find great humor in her singing abilities!

We are also enjoying Daddy being around the whole break. This is the first time that we will all have the same Christmas break. Stephen had enough vacation days to use before the end of the year to be at home the whole time that I am off of work. I love it that we can wake up together and play together. It is such a fulfilling thing to be home as a family.

I hope that you all have a very merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year! Enjoy your families...laugh together!

Grace and Peace!

IT"S A ....

GIRL!!!! We are so very excited to announce that we are having a girl! Yesterday was the big day and she seems so sweet. She was very cooperative and sucked her thumb the majority of the time. Not a big mover at this point, which for us is good...have you seen our toddler lately!

Keatyn was very excited and loved the pictures. We now have to convince her that we don't need to name her Dryver. This whole concept for a two year old is tough. I think she thinks I'm just getting fat!

Stephen and I both are so excited about the joy that will come with having a set of sisters living under our roof! I think about my time with my sister and how special those moments were and still are. She is my best friend and I pray that for our two girls.

Names...oh what's in a name...there is quite a story behind our girl name.
I had a Mama Nita (great grandmother) who meant the world to both me and Stephen. She was one of the most amazing women that I had ever met. She helped raise my mom and aunt and they are both amazing women, so if you knowthem, you know how great Mama Nita was. Her birthday was on baby girl Bills' C-section date...April 16th. I don't have a big sentimental bone in my body, but this opportunity could not be passed up. We decided that we would (if it was a girl) name her Addilyn (no middle name yet). We are almost 100% sure that this is what her name will be. My grandmother's name was Addie and I didn't feel like I could pass up the opportunity to use this name. If our daughter can be half of the woman that Mama Nita was, then we and many others will be blessed beyond belief by her.
My great grandmother passed away and I hope that Addilyn Bills can be the legacy that she left behind. I truly feel that this whole situation is purpose filled and that Mama Nita is very proud!

What an Experience!!!!

For Stephen's birthday we decided to go to a Robert Earl Keen concert. He was at a very small venue which was perfect for us. I can't handle the smoke and don't need to be around it being pregnant, so this was PERFECT. There is a small theater in Linden, TX where he performed. There were less than 400 people and the music was fabulous. Stephen was sooooo excited. Multiple times he said, "This is the best birthday ever!" Some of Stephen's friends from work and one of his best friends from childhood came with us. We ate dinner at 5D in Avinger and then off to the concert. It really was a great time! The boys stayed the night at Stephen's lease. All I can say about that whole experience is that boys will be boys. I am so grateful that we had this experience and if you ever get the chance to Robert Earl Keen in concert...do it!!!!

Oh and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHEN!!!!!

Finding Nemo and other Thanksgiving Fun!

Thanksgiving was a fabulous time for us. We spent time with family and enjoyed relaxing, shopping and eating of course! We took Keatyn to see Finding Nemo on Ice and she loved it. I have to say that I loved it too. They do such a great job and it is very captivating, which is great for a 2 year old. She enjoyed a snow cone, a nemo toy and almost being lost in Downtown Dallas. You must be thinking...what in the world...well, we were eating at Spaghetti Warehouse in Dallas after the show and we all thought someone else was watching Keatyn. Little did we know, she was making her way into the parking lot to see her daddy who was waiting in the car. He was in shock when he saw her round the corner by herself. This is one of those mistakes that you can't think about what might have been, but to put in your catalog of learned behaviors to watch for. Did we learn our lesson...yes we did!

But on a lighter note...we enjoyed time with my in-laws in Clarkville. Keatyn loves the slide and the trampoline. The food was amazing and of course I ate way to much. Thanks for your hospitality Cheryl!

We headed to my parents for the Hayride Tradition and needless to say, it was cold and rainy, but we pressed on. Keatyn ended up in the cab of the truck with her daddy...why you might be asking were the pregnant women left to ride in the rain...well, we refused to ride in the car during a hayride.

Shopping was fabulous and we only had to lose our cool with one man that should have stayed at home and saved his grocery shopping until the Saturday after Thanksgiving...that situation was his own fault!!!!

Happy Holidays Yall!

Oh the sad spoon...

It's funny how you name things to help your little ones understand the severity or simplicity of the moment. We coined our discipline spoon, the Sad Spoon. I got a wooden spoon that didn't look like anything I had in my kitchen and drew a sad face on both sides. Stephen, however, felt the need to "improve" one side and make it his own. We prefer using the spoon as opposed to our hands. The spanking does work, but hitting with our hands is so contradicting that we decided on the spoon. Now I know that there have been times when I didn't have the spoon with me (I have no idea why!), so I would pop, if you will, with my hand. I immediately felt guilty. It's funny how you create these "beliefs" in your head before you become a parent and then when you actually have a child, it usually changes based on the nature of the child. Anyway, either way, we need a way of discipline in addition to the time outs that we give.

Funny story...just recently I lost the Sad Spoon...or what I really believe is that Keatyn hid it. Watch out parents, they are smarter than we think!!!!! All I can say for this part of parenting is to each his own. This usually works for us and so this is where we are for now.

Happy Disciplining!!!!! Oh and ps. Stephen's face is not smoking a cig!

Much to be Thankful for...

This past week, Stephen and I had the opportunity to have lunch with Keatyn at her school. They had their Thanksgiving Feast. We were all very excited about it. When we arrived we were seated beside a placemat that had a poem and a hand turkey that had been made by Keatyn. Before long, the kiddos entered and they were all looking for their parents...when Keatyn finally saw us, she yelled out "Daddy!". When she got to Stephen, he picked her up and the look on her face was priceless. She was completely overwhelmed and had tears welling up in her eyes. She was having trouble containing herself. It was one of the most amazing moments. I learned a lot in that moment...I see more now than ever how important being a present parent is. How important it is for us to give her our time. It's not things she really wants, she wants us and our attention and our love. Though some moments are harder than others, I hope and pray that I don't ever forget that look, that feeling of overwhelming gratefulness that I have been blessed with the opportunity to love a child. During this season, don't forget to look around and remember that we all have much to be thankful for!

Christmas is in the Air!

Really it's more about us being busy every weekend and needing to stay excited about our decorating. We decided to put up our Christmas decor this weekend. We turned on the Amy Grant Christmas CD and a little Barry Manelow and decided to get started. Keatyn is a little more curious this year and wants to "help". I kept the sad spoon close by just in case there was a glass Christmas ball or a Nativity animal that she couldn't keep her hands off of. Thankfully, I only had to use words. She LOVES the Christmas decor and in her own words "Christmas is beautiful!" I know this will be a wonderful time this year and we will really enjoy her and her amazement. There is something about this time of year. I love the smells outside, the yummy food, the lights on the tree, my 2 year old, shopping, and most of all, I love to watch Keatyn "hold" Mary and baby Jesus and see her eyes light up. I am always very reflective during this time of year and I truly stop and think about EVERYTHING I have to be thankful for. First and foremost, I have a husband who loves me and leads this family toward Christ, I have a beautiful daughter who, though embodies two right now, lights up my life, I have a family that supports and loves me and I have friends who make me laugh and lift me up. Whether it is now or July, I am thankful for all that I have been given and I pray that I do not take it for granted.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

Halloween 2007

Well, we took our little fairy to Lindale so that the fam could see her. She's not really into the whole trick or treating thing and the less candy the better at our house. We went to visit my grandparents and then headed to the churches in town where Keatyn could play some fun little games and get some candy. She wasn't completely convinced that the costume was necessary, until we told her that people wouldn't give her candy with out her wings. Hey, it worked. She wore them the remainder of the evening. At this phase of life, Halloween is more of a hassle than fun, because we have to load up in the car seat and unload. Aside from that, we enjoyed looking at our cute little fairy and adoring the little pot belly that she insisted stick out over her skirt. Oh so cute.

Arkansas

Just wanted to add this little picture of our group that went to War Eagle this year. We had a fabulous time. The weather was absolutely perfect and the shopping wasn't so bad either.

A Girls Weekend

I have some dear friends that I see at least once a year. We became friends while in Seminary in Waco and the rest is history. We are in the same stages in life, have some great memories and have big plans for our future. We worked really hard last January to make a Spa trip happen this Fall. And by golly, it happened. We spent a long weekend at a retreat in Burnett, TX. We were a little skeptical on the drive out, but pleasantly surprised at the place. We each experienced an incredible 1 1/2 hour massage, each with its own unique twist, more sprouts than we could handle and an absolute amazing time of doing absolutely nothing. We talked, we cried, we laughed and laughed some more. I have to say that every mom needs this kind of time with her girlfriends. I miss being around these girls on a daily basis and I know that we were in Waco for a reason and there are days when I think it was to meet the Pitts and the Everetts. Girls, if you are reading this, THANK YOU...thank you for your friendship, your support, your understanding, your wisdom and for just being who you are. I have learned so much from these two friendships and thank God for them.

She did a stinky!!!!

To some of you this means absolutely nothing...to others, you know our excitement. We have been at this potty training thing for exactly 2 weeks and it has been a very interesting experience to say the least. We ask constantly if Keatyn needs to go teetee and beg her to do her other business in the potty too. All she can say to that is "I NEED A DIAPER!" This is very frustrating when you want your little one out of diapers. Anyway, on to my real story...This weekend I hear from the bathroom in a sweet little voice "Mommy, I went poopoo!". My response was (under my breath) "yeah, right". Much to my surprise, poopoo she did. We were so excited that I think it sent her into shock. The look on her little face was not one of being convinced she could do this again, but that of, what just happened. So now instead of it being just the "teetee bucket", we now have the "teetee/poopoo bucket" filled with prizes for each little occasion! So we look at each day as a new day and hope for the best. She's doing great!

Disclaimer: For any of you that were grossed out by this email, look at your children and realize that you have either been there or going there! And if you don't have children, be warned!

8 weeks and counting...

Well, to those of you who are serious bloggers...I apologize for the delay in posts. My computer is highly tempermental and thus the lack of the blog!!!!



Monday was my first real doctors appointments. We had our first sonogram and the little "nugget" is just precious. (When I find a place to scan in pics, I'll post them.) The heart rate was an amazing 165. I asked the nurse if she thought it was a girl...she just laughed and said they are all usually high this early. Stephen is still convinced it is going to a boy.



Our official due date is April 26th. I am going to ask my doctor if she will be willing to schedule my C-section for April 16th. I'll elaborate on the significance of that date in a later entry.



As for me and the actual day to day pregnancy...well, I am still experiencing the nausea and the headaches. I can still go to bed at 6 or 7pm and sleep until 6 am with no problem and my eating is not getting better. However, I have figured out that I only really feel sick in the evenings, which is good for me since I am working, but bad for Stephen and Keatyn. Stephen has been absolutely amazing with me and with Keatyn. He was already doing most of the daily stuff before we got pregnant, but he's even stepped it up about 10 times. Bottom line...he is AMAZING!

And the most important thing about this pregnancy is that my doctor said that everything looked great and that things seem to be progressing beautifully...I'll take all the you know what for a healthy, beautiful baby!

And the Journey Begins!!!!

Well, about 4 weeks ago, the Bills discovered that we were going to be adding to our family of three. Keatyn seems to think the idea is "ok"! She is convinced that it will be a baby sister and Stephen is secretly hoping for a boy. As for me...I'm just grabbing hold and embracing a pregnancy that is all to foreign. There is nothing familiar about this one. I am having to learn what things keep me from feeling sick and for the first time in my life, I have to make myself eat. (Why couldn't I have embraced that idea during the two years I was trying to lose baby weight?!) Anyway, we are absolutely thrilled that we are expecting and look forward to the changes ahead. Not to mention the growth. I have my first 'real' doctors appointment on Monday.