Kindergarten, A Loose Tooth, Baby Food and Rolling Over

Well, so far this month we've had our first homecoming week as a SE Polk Ram, a loose tooth, our first experience with baby food, and our first time of rolling over when a witness is present!!

Emma loves kindergarten. This past week was Homecoming, so she got to dress up for a theme each day. Emma loved Monday, in particular, because she got to get up, change out of her pajamas, and put on a clean pair of pajamas to go to school! She thought that was a riot.

We're also experiencing our very first loose tooth. We were at our friends' house a couple of weeks ago for supper and game night. She came out screaming bloody murder because she bit down, it hurt, and all of a sudden there was blood in her mouth! Yep, a loose tooth. It hasn't come out yet, and she thinks it's pretty cool to wiggle it with her tongue. And she thinks the Tooth Fairy (aka The Rock) will be bringing her money and either a toy or a movie. Yeah right, I think I got a quarter when I was a kid!!!

I can't believe in a week Joshua will be 5 months old. He's growing like a weed! At his 4-month appointment the doctor said he is the size of a 6-month old. Guess I don't have to question whether he's eating enough!!! Because he was eating 8 oz of formula and STILL HUNGRY, we decided it was time for baby food. So far he likes carrots, sweet potatoes, and is devouring green beans!

This weekend was the first time we ever witnessed Josh rolling over on his own. We know he's been doing it in his crib at daycare because Michelle puts him on his back and he usually ends up on his belly! This weekend he did it right in front of us...we put him on his back on the living room floor and put a toy off to the side. Three times in a row he rolled from his back to his belly. Guess we're soon going to have to start baby proofing!!!

The year is going so fast. I'll try to post pictures of Halloween. Emma is going as a medieval princess and hopefully Josh will fit into the costume Emma wore for her first Halloween...a duck!

Here's the latest pictures of the kids...enjoy!

Joshua Dean Horton

Well, he's here! Okay, he's been here for almost two months now. Yes, I've been bad once again at keeping my blog current!! Oh well, I've been having too much fun at home with Emma and the new addition to our family.

Here is Joshua Dean Horton!!


Josh was born May 18th. He has been so much fun. Now he is starting to smile more and is getting so big!!! We've already made a road trip to Cedar Rapids for a wedding, visited with family, went on a mini-vacation to the river, and this weekend we're going camping for the first time this summer!!

Getting used to a boy in the family has been fun. I've been told that boys are so much different than girls, so I'm looking forward to finding out if that is true!! So far there isn't much difference except diaper changes have to be quicker so as not to get peed on!! Sleep is something we've missed since Josh came into our lives, but it's getting better. I keep telling myself that one of these days he's going to surprise us and sleep through the night, but not yet!!

Today Josh and Emma start a new daycare and Mommy is back to work!! While I am truly going to miss being with the kids, I am also ready for more of a routine. And Emma is ready for some kid interaction!!! She starts Kindergarten at the end of August, so she is excited to spend the rest of the summer playing all day long with new friends!!

I'll try to post more pictures after our first camping adventure. Should be an interesting weekend, so stay tuned!!!

Here are a few more pictures of Joshua...enjoy!

8 Days and Counting!

Well, this will probably be my last post as the mother of just one awesome child. Next time I'm on here I will have been blessed with the birth of our son...you thought I might give up the name we have picked out, but nope!!!

Due to our little guy being breech and my blood pressure being a little high, the doctors have moved our due date up a week, and have actually decided to schedule a c-section for May 18th. Of course I would rather have a normal delivery, but it seems that I've been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I'm still a little moody, but my mind hasn't been consumed with such thoughts as, "What if my water breaks at work?" and "Do I really have what it takes to have a natural birth without an epidural?" amongst all the other questions that tend to haunt a mother-to-be's mind as the time winds down. Now I'm actually thinking to myself, "Hey, I don't have to be in labor for 16 hours!" Not that labor with Emma was bad...I slept the whole day and pushed for 15 minutes! Although recovery might be a little tougher, I'm kind of looking forward to the doctors doing all the work!!

At my last ultrasound I got to see some amazing things. The technician checked his lungs, and to see those little organs, that I think we sometimes take for granted as adults, pumping hard was such an amazing site. As adults we just breathe in and out, and we don't really think much about it until we can't breathe. When Emma was born she didn't have that first big breath and was put on oxygen for two days to help her out. I pray that all the practicing that this little guy is doing pays out in the end for him and he comes out screaming...yep, that's right...I hope he's as loud as can be!!! Of course I also hope that only lasts for the first few minutes.

Of course I got to see the heart beat as well, and that's always an amazing site. As the technician brushed across my belly I could see him moving his hands and then his feet, and then arching his back. And then I got to see the cutest thing of all...his chubby cheeks!!! It's always amazing to see an ultrasound of life growing inside of you, but this ultrasound was different for some reason. I guess maybe because it's getting so close to actually meeting him for the very first time. I'll get to have another ultrasound this Friday to make sure he hasn't flipped into position on his own. It'll be the last time I get to see my baby in black and white.

I've decided to start my maternity leave a day early. Hopefully I can relax a little and take advantage of no kids at home for the day. After all, it'll be the last time I'll be able to relax with no kids in the house, at least for a little while anyway! The big day is next Tuesday, just 8 days away. Wish me luck!!!
Here's our last ultrasound picture. Can you see his chubby cheeks??

Three weeks or less??!!

I was really excited when my doctor told me they were going to do an ultrasound at 36 weeks to see how big our little guy is that's been growing inside of me for the last 9 months. I'd been measuring big all during my pregnancy...and feeling big too! Many friends have made comments about how I seemed bigger than I did with Emma. And they were right. Still, I had a sense of excitement to get to see the little guy again on an ultrasound.

When the technician first said "He's breech," I have to admit I was a little scared. I knew what that meant, but I didn't know what that meant for the rest of my pregnancy. Would he go into position on his own? Would they try to manipulate him into position and what would they have to do to do that? Would I have to have a c-section? Only one of these questions could be answered by our doctor that day.

But before they could talk about him being breech, my doctor gave us some other news. My blood pressure has been elevated for my entire pregnancy, so to avoid any other issues, they are not going to let me go past 39 weeks. My due date has now been changed from May 25th to sometime the week of May 18th.

As for him being breech, my doctor gave me two options. First option was to do what they call a Version. This is where they literally push on your stomach to try to get the baby to move. 10-15 minutes of absolute discomfort with only a 50% chance that the baby will go into normal delivery position. Then there are the risks...wrapping the umbilical cord around the baby, causing the baby distress, causing my water to break, and causing the placenta to pull away from the wall of the uterus...all of which would result in an emergency c-section. Option #2 was wait until our due date, hope that he goes into position on his own, but in the meantime schedule a c-section in case he doesn't.

So I ask the doctor, "Is doing a version worth the risks involved?" Her answer was yes. Do I believe her? I'm not sure. I think so. After all, she's the professional. I guess I'm just nervous about the risks involved. A c-section doesn't scare me. I know several women who have had them. I talk to women who have never had a natural birth, and they say a c-section is the way to go. I talk to women who have had a natural birth with one child and a c-section with another...they tell me natural is the way to go. Either way, it's in God's hands, not mine.

So Tuesday I'll be going to Mercy hospital in hopes that my baby is part of the 50% of the versions that DO work. And if not, that's okay too, as long as my little guy is healthy. Either way, our family of three will be a family of four in three weeks or less and I will be very blessed to have two amazing children!!

Easter in Altoona

Well, this is the first ever Easter that I spent somewhere other than in Blairsburg with Mom! While it was a little strange not being with her on Easter, it was still a great day!

We've started attending a new church in Altoona. After our morning service they had breakfast and an Easter egg hunt. Emma had so much fun! They hid hundreds of eggs!! Emma got a nice bag full of candy, which she graciously shared with both JC and I. (Don't tell my doctor...I'm not suppose to be eating candy!)

After church my aunt Joyce invited us out to lunch at their place, so I got to spend a couple of hours with my cousins, whom I don't get to spend much time with. They're all much older than me, but it was a nice visit. We didn't eat much because we knew what was in store for us at supper time!

After visiting with them we headed to Colfax to visit JC's parents. Right away Grandma had Emma searching for more Easter eggs! But Grandma & Grandpa's eggs were much cooler...each one had a gold $1 coin in it. $10.00 later Emma thought she was rich! The Easter bunny was good to Emma too. And not only did he leave a present for Emma at Grandma & Grandpa's house, but he also sent one home from Missouri with Grandma Barb! Her two favorite presents were the Princess and the Frog movie and her toy hamster in a ball. Supper was amazing! Ribs, pork roast, potatoes, corn, watermelon, strawberries, and shortcake for dessert. Of course I had eaten enough throughout the day that I took the strawberries and shortcake home!!



In all it was a great day. And after such a busy day with full tummies, we all slept like babies that night!

Barbie? A piece of cake!!!

Well, here she is. It took both JC and I, after some frustration on my part, but between the two of us I think we made an awesome Barbie cake! And Emma's party was a huge success. If you're ever in the Altoona area, head out to Bianci Boys for some Italian or awesome pizza. It's such a great place to eat and they were gracious enough to open their restaurant 2 hours early for our party!


Emma has been asking for an American Girl doll for quite some time now. They are so expensive!!! Instead of getting her a brand new one, though, I decided to try Craigs List. Much to my surprise, I found a Just Like You doll from the American Girl collection and guess what...she looks just like Emma!! Okay, kind of. Let's just say she looks just like the doll that we would have picked had we gone online and picked out a Just Like You doll for her. And she wasn't $120!!! It was definitely a good find, and Emma loves her new doll, whom she named Kit.

It's hard to believe Emma is 5 years old. Time has gone so quickly. She is still my baby girl, but she reminds me every day that she is actually a big girl. Seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Now in a couple of short months we'll be bringing her baby brother home!

Emma is so excited to become a big sister, and she's going to be a great one. She's been giving me name options left and right, and they've now gone from cartoon names to real, and very cute I might add, names. It's fun to include her in the naming process, especially now that we've gotten past the suggestions of Spongebob and other cartoon figures she's into at that moment!

We've been working hard to include Emma in a lot of the planning for the baby, as well as taking special outings, which I will plan on continuing after the baby is here. Over Thanksgiving we took her to the water park, and we're planning another trip there sometime before he arrives. Emma has also asked if we can go to Adventureland and the zoo this summer, so those will both be good outings just for her, Mommy and Daddy. We all know that the baby will take more attention than she will, so we're going to do our best to make sure Emma doesn't ever feel left out. And who knows, maybe she won't! It'll still be fun to have Emma time every now and then!!

In over my head??

So Emma's 5th birthday is February 24th, but since that's a Wednesday, we decided to have her party on the 21st. We asked her several months ago what kind of party she wanted and she gave an undisputed answer of "Barbie!" for Christmas when asked what she wanted from Santa, again it was "Barbie!" Needless to say Barbie is the one thing she's hung up on right now. (And the Jonas Brothers, but Mom refused to have a Jonas Brothers party! I don't know, maybe I think she's too young to be hung up on this boy band...they are kinda cute, but she's only going to be five for crying out loud!)

Back to the point, from day one Emma has really wanted one of those Barbie birthday cakes that you insert the doll in the top, and the cake is the skirt of Barbie's dress. The simplest answer, go to the store and buy it. Call me a cheapo, but the cake is $45!! Seriously? So went went down the cake mix aisle, and each box of cake mix was $1, the frosting was $1.18, we have food coloring already, Grandma Barb has the decorating tools, and Emma has numerous Barbies to choose from. Now doesn't it seem logical for me to undertake this myself?? I mean, really, Emma thought I did an awesome job on her Aerial cake last year, could this really be that much more difficult??

As the title suggests, I may be a little bit in over my head. After all, my sister turns 40 and we'll be celebrating her birthday at Mom's the very same weekend. That doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to keep this promise to my angel...but I'm going to do it! Even if I'm up all night, Emma will get her Barbie!!!

See future posts for the results...wish me luck!

Baby Boy Horton and Catching Up!!

Okay, so I've been a terrible blogger. Sorry! Life has definitely gotten busy and a lot has happened since my last blog, so I'll try to keep this short but fill you in on everything going on!

Our most exciting news is that we are going to have a baby boy in May! We are very excited to be adding a little one to our clan. Emma was a little disappointed to find out it was a boy because she wanted a sister so badly. But after explaining that boys play with trucks and dinosaurs and probably wouldn't fight her for the Barbies, she was just fine with a baby brother! My pregnancy is going well. At this exact moment I am right at 20 weeks, so I'm halfway there! Things with this pregnancy are quite a bit different than they were with Emma, but I'm also older and started out heavier than I did with Emma. I have aches and pains, and I'm finally able to sleep better at night. I was having a time where I was just so uncomfortable! Aside from all the normal stuff I have slightly elevated blood pressure, so we're keeping an eye on that so we can avoid medication and bedrest!

Our next exciting news is that we bought a new (to us) Chevy Trailblazer! JC's pickup is on its last leg and we figured we had better do something now so we're not scrambling when something DOES happen! We kept his pickup and it's being stored at his parent's house in Colfax. He's hoping to be able to slowly put money into it to get it back to a well-running truck. I love my Trailblazer. It's a metallic blue color with tan, leater interior. It doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but it has enough to be fun! Unfortunately I haven't taken a picture of it yet to share with you...we're waiting for a nice day, so maybe in April or May I'll be able to post one!!!

Christmas and New Year's were extremely fun this year. The youngest in the family, Brayden, is at an age where he'll sit and tear open presents with the rest of them. We had three family Christmases, in addition to one with good friends at the beginning of December. The weekend before Christmas we celebrated with Dick and Connie. JC, Emma and I celebrated Christmas on the morning of Christmas Eve because we had a feeling JC would be plowing Christmas day. We were right! He plowed from 7am to 7pm Christmas day. Knowing this, Emma and I headed North to Mom's house when the roads were safe to travel on so that we could spend Christmas with her. We were there until Sunday. It stunk to be away from JC that long, but I figured with us out of the house he could get some rest between having to go out and plow! Last, but not least, we celebrated Christmas with my entire family on January 2nd.

New Year's Even we spent with friends in Ankeny. It was fun watching the ISU football team win their bowl game, and then we basically just hung out the rest of the night, playing Rock Band and ping pong. Emma got to go this year, so she enjoyed that. In fact, at 1:00 am when I was about passed out and wanted to go home, Emma packed in the car with JC to head to a local gymnasium with the guys so she could run around with them playing basketball! At 1:30 I finally gave in and called it quits. Emma and JC came back to the house to get me and, despite being mad that we were going home, Emma was already passed out in her car seat! It was a great night.

I'm sure there's more I could share, but I think this is enough for this posting. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the holiday season. I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's. Here's to another decade!!!