Life Begins At 30!

Update on me!

2012-02-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

So I know its been a while since I have posted and I promise to do better. Its 2012, a new year, a new job, a new city, a new me and a new life! I graduated Nursing school in May of 2011 and am so pleased at the career path that I have chosen. I work as a labor and delivery nurse in Shreveport, LA. I have never been so happy at any job in my life. In Aug of 2011 I moved to Shreveport and haven't looked back. I now have my own apartment and struggling to learn how to be single. I also turned 30 in August and while many people dread that number I am embracing it. It's a new decade and a chance to learn and grow and better myself as a person and a mother. This blog will be a chance to showcase my kids and my fun new life as a single mother. It will be a bragboard on my kids and also the fun and trials of starting my new life. Enjoy!!

~Abbey

My little cheerleader

2011-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

This is Cadence's cheers and dance that she performed tonight. So cute! I hope the videos work.

Overwhelmed!

2011-01-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't get to catch up on my blog like I really wanted to. I have lots of pictures and stories to put up, but I don't think I will ever get the time to do it. Life is so crazy being a mom of 3, full time nursing student and the housekeeper/cook. However I do see the light at the end of the tunnel for nursing. In just a few short months ( May 21st to be exact) I will be graduating from the nursing program and looking for a j-o-b. I'll still be a student, but it will all be online for my BSN so not as stressful and less time.

The kids are doing great, battling the sniffles off and on constantly but nothing serious. Cadence is a great cheerleader and is having a blast cheering at the basketball games. Cole is getting more into to Thomas the trains, he has over 20 character trains now and tons of tracks. Kayleigh is just about fully potty trained (YAY) and is always giving hugs and kisses and saying I love you! If you come to our house and visit you will not be aloud to leave without a hug and a kiss from her. Even the mail lady gets one. Our biggest news (this week) is our new playground. Nick has nicknamed it 6 flags over Driskill Mountain. It's huge and the kids love it. There is a little picnic table and they were able to eat lunch on it saturday and continue to play. They spent all day on it and cried when they had to come in.

Catch up Break

2010-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've been horrible at keeping up with my blog since I'm in school. But I have a lot to share and plan on posting a lot during this Christmas break. So be warned I might be on a posting overload, but for your enjoyment.

Creativity Bug

2010-06-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I need to blog about my Florida trip, but right now I'm going to blog about these toy buckets we bought the kids. We went to target and found these storage buckets and thought they would be great to put toys in. We also got them cute little clothes hampers so they can enjoy putting their own dirty clothes up. So far they are a definite hit!! The toy buckets were pretty plain, so the creativity bug bit me and we went to Wal-mart for some paint. They turned out so cute and the kids are so excited to have them personalized!

I kind of forgot I was sort of artistic ;)

EEEKK!!!

2010-05-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

A MOUSE!!! LOL! This past saturday night I was studying and our wonderful cat was sleeping on top of the couch when a mouse ran right out into the middle of our living room looked up at me and then ran off. Our cat didn't budge. Of course after I went to bed I could hear the cat running around more than likely chasing the mouse. So sunday night when Nick was home he saw the mouse run into our closet and sent the kids in after it. Later that evening we tried to get the cat to catch it but had no such luck. He pretty much ran from the mouse. Nick and I finally trapped and killed it. So we are now mouse free! :)

Kayleigh's 2nd Birthday!!!

2010-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kayleigh!!

Today is my baby girl's 2nd birthday! She is too big for her britches too. Talking non-stop, running around telling people "no, no!" Tonight we had a family party with red velvet cake and presents! She loved the cake and had a blast opening her presents!

I'm going to try to blog a bit more often, since I've done a poor job of it lately. But once I'm done with this quarter of school I will have more time to do other things besides keeping my nose in a book :)

Visiting Santa

2009-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

On Sat night we all went down to Jonesboro and saw Christmas lights and Santa! When Santa asked Cadence what she wanted she said " I want a zhu-zhu pet and... the rest is on the list!" She made Santa laugh out loud and said "Well I guess I better read the list then."

Bubby couldn't think of anything on the spot that he wanted but five min after we left Santa he started spouting out things he wanted.

As like our other two when they were that age, Kayleigh was not to fond of Santa, but she did wave by to him with out screaming. After Santa we went on a horse and carriage ride around Jonesboro. They loved it, and thank goodness mommy thought ahead and brought two warm blankets for us to cover up with.

Florida Trip

2009-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Kayleigh and I visited my sister in Florida. We had a blast. Zoie and Kayleigh had fun playing together. They got along great. I also got to spend time with my new neice Rylie, she's a sweetie and a really good baby. Here's a few pics from the week.

Picture Update!!

2009-05-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

It has been crazy these past few weeks with Kayleigh's Birthday, Nick and My Anniversary (5 yrs), getting a new puppy, and Cadence's Preschool Graduation. So I will just include pictures and not a lot of talk.

She was not happy at all with her cake or turning 1!

Our new puppy Remi, he's a yorkie/dachsund mix.

Cadence at her last day of Preschool, she is cleared for kindergarten.
A wedding where Nick was a groomsman.

Happy 1st Birthday Kayleigh!

2009-04-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to me sweet little girl. I can't believe that she is a year already. Time has flown by so fast. It seems like only yesterday we came home from the hospital. She has grown so much and has so many little facial expressions. She's not only walking, she's learned to run and chases Cadence and Cole around the house. She is such a happy baby and smiles at everyone. She also now has six teeth, two on bottom and four on top. The girl can eat too, anything you put in front of her will be gone in a matter of minutes. She loves to eat and would probably keep eating as long as you keep putting food in front of her. We are so blessed to have this wonderful girl in our lives and still can't believe she's been here a year.

Easter Weekend Trip

2009-04-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

For Easter we took a long road trip to visit family. The kids were so excited. First we drove into Dallas and saw Mimi and Pop. I had bought some easter chalk for the kids and since we don't have a concrete driveway we had to do it at their house. :) They had a blast, even Kayleigh got into the fun only she chalked herself and not the driveway. We played outside for a while; it was such a beautiful afternoon and then we came inside started dinner and while it was cooking went to the park. The next day we drove out to Lubbock, Tx to visit my grandparents, Neno & Geto. It's been almost two years since Cadence, Cole, and I have been out there. We had so much fun. I know that their neighbors said the hallway definately was not quiet that weekend with them running up and down and screaming. On Sunday, Cadence and Cole got to hunt easter eggs around the apartment and then we went to prairie dog town. It had rained a lot that weekend and was pretty cool so we weren't sure if we would see any activity, but thank goodness we did. They enjoyed seeing a few peek out of the holes and even a few more came out and looked around. There was even a little chipmunk scurrying around. We headed out fairly early Monday morning for our long trip back home and had a welcoming stop in Dallas for lunch at Braum's with Mimi, Pop, and Memo. Here are some photos from the weekend. The kids really enjoyed playing on the pianos at both places, even Kayliegh.

My New Van

2009-03-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, this is my old van. The insurance company deemed it a total loss. It was a great van and very used. I will definately miss it. But on the other hand I love my new van. I drove a new toyota sienna as my rental for two weeks and really hated to give it up. So we bought one. It's not brand new, but it is definately new to me and I really love it. Sorry, Paige but I still haven't named her yet. Can't figure out what I should name her, any suggestions? :) The kids really like it even though there is no dvd player. School started last week and I'm really enjoying being back and having that freedom that comes with it. Not having to work all the time is the best feeling in the world. I spent so much time away from home and my kids for so long that this feels like a wonderful vacation, even the studying. I'm really looking forward to what my future has in store with more school and more time at home.

A New Year, A New Start

2009-02-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of the year I have been praying for a change. Whether it be a change of attitude towards my job or even be my job. Well doors have been opened and I have taken them. I will no longer be employed at Walmart at the end of this month and will be going back to school full time to pursue a Nursing Career. I am extremely calm and confident that this is the right move for me. I have yet to know if I am accepted into the Nursing program but will find out in either June or July (can't come soon enough). However I can take my prerequisites the spring and summer quarter so that when I start Nursing classes in the fall it wil be only clinicals. The most exciting part of this change is that I will be at home more with my kids. No worrying about who will watch them when Nick and I both have to work, no missing weekends with them and I will be home during the holidays with them. Being home with them is the biggest blessing that I have been granted. I will also be able to spend more time with Nick, that is another blessing.

Kayleigh is getting bigger by the day. She is learning how to walk and can now take up to seven steps. She is very good at balancing herself but when she does fall she always falls on her bottom. I guess she knows where her padding is :). She can say mama dada baba, say and wave bye bye and knows how to pester her big brother and sister. She also is getting her third tooth on the top.

Cadence is doing great in school, learning so much. She can recognize letters and even her name. She's so smart. Cole is the smartest out of all the 2 yr olds in the daycare, at least that's what the teachers tell me, I already knew he was the smartest. He's talking so much better and making complete sentances and asking questions. The year is already going by so quickly. I can't even believe that in two months Kayleigh will be one year. WOW!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

Bubby Showing off His presents

Cadence is very proud of her bean bag

All the presents are finally open, now it's time to take the toys out of the package (always more time consuming than it looks.)

Cole cheesin' for the camera with his toys

Pappy's House: Cadence's Miley Cyrus Wig(which everyone tried on, but I didn't get the camera out in time to catch them all)

Nick's present from Pappy(his dad), a 22 Ruger

Kayleigh and Aunt Faith
Cole's favorite present: Thomas the Train with tracks and extra cars and engines. He spends all day with these trains

We had a great Christmas with all of our family, and missed the part of our family that wasn't with us. We hope that this next year is filled with love, joy and multiple blessings for all. Happy New Year from The Bowman Family!!!

It's OK To say Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Is the new holiday logo for one of our local news station! Pretty bold cuz they also talk about the reall reason we celebrate, Jesus' Birth.

Last week we drove down to jonesboro and looked at all the lights and tried to get a picture with santa. We only got one, Cadence. Last year they wouldn't get near santa; this year Cadence sat on his lap but she wouldn't tell him what she wanted for christmas. Bubby wouldn't sit on santa's lap this year but was actually brave enough to reach into the sucker bin himself; maybe next year he'll sit on santa's lap. Kayleigh was asleep so we didn't even bother her to try and get a picture.

Friday was Cadence's last day at school for two weeks and they got to do something very special the last two days. On thursday Santa visited and Cadence got her picture with him and told him that she wanted a real pink pony. Then on friday they wore pajamas to school, drank peppermint hot cocoa and watched the polar express and had a christmas party.

All the presents are wrapped and my shopping is done. Now all we have to do is wait on Christmas and Santa to get here. Although Kayleigh doesn't have much patience. She wants her present now!

Teefies!

2008-11-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Kayleigh has two bottom teeth. And she will use them :) She is growing so fast. She's crawling and trying to pull up a little bit but hasn't quite figured it out. She weighs around 17 lbs and is just as cute as can be. She has started on solids, well puree'd really, but she loves it, except for the peas. She is also babbling and saying mamama. I'm excited cause Cadence and Cole started babbling with baba and dada. She is very active and has decided lately that she is a night owl and an early riser. Needless to say I don't get very much sleep.

This month has flown by so quickly. Cole had surgery on Nov. 4. He had tubes put in his ears, his adnoids taken out and his sinused flushed out. He is so much better now, a completely different child. He is more active and talks a whole lot more. He says he can hear better. The only problem is trying to keep his earplugs in during bath time.

Cadence is doing well in school and learning a lot. She's having a little problem with listening to the teachers and not wanting to take a nap during nap time but other than that she is doing great. She's been playing mommy with her dolls and loves to help me with Kayleigh. If I ask her anything to do with Kayleigh she is on it, and even can get Kayleigh to laugh when she upset. Her and Cole don't play as much together anymore because he's into his cars and would rather play alone. But he's great with Kayleigh too.

I'm very busy between the holidays at work, teaching sunday school and my small group on wednesdays. We had a fun halloween, took them all trick or treating where they filled their bags up with candy. Cadence was tinkerbell and Cole was a spider.

Busy Bees

2008-10-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't even realize how long it had been since I last blogged. A lot has been going on here from working, school, church, and dr appts. Since my last blog the ear infections that Cole and Kayleigh had went away and then the second round of ear infections came two weeks after that. We pretty much have the ear infections gone now but both still have fluid on the ears so we had to go see the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor on Monday Oct. 13. Basically they both need tubes (not fun), but thank the Lord it hasn't affected their hearing one bit. Cole is going to have tubes put in and his adnoids taken out on Nov. 4. So please pray for him and the rest of the family, as I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that he's going into surgery albeit minor but still surgery. Kayleigh, being only 5 1/2 months old, was recommended to get tubes but Nick and I feel that it would be best to wait till her ears get more mature and we are praying that she would grow out of the ear infections and we won't have to resort to tubes. Also, I don't think I would have been able to handle both of them getting tubes on the same day, too much chaos for me to handle physically and emotionally.

Nick and I have joined a small group at church on wednesday nights. It is a wonderful group with couple our age that have kids around our kids age. And the church does childcare which they love. Cadence is old enough for M&M's which I think is Music and Ministry and they feed her dinner and play. In our small group we have started a study of the book The Five Love Languages. It's really great so far and we are all learning a lot about our spouse and each other. I'm really excited about continuing the book in the next few weeks and hearing others perspectives.

The month of Oct. is a break for me from my sunday school class. Last month was very challenging for me learning how to deal with 1st and 2nd graders, plus getting all 3 of my kids up and ready for church at 9 instead of 10:45. I really loved my time in the class but I'm also enjoying going to just the service this month.

Work is keeping both Nick and I very busy. It's becoming the holiday season for me so I'm always on my toes and beginning to have to work some hectic hours. Nick is working his normal shift at the fire station along with 24 to 36 hrs extra with his part time job for Pafford Ambulance Service.

Cadence is really enjoying school, she likes to go but hates to get up in the morning. It takes me about 10-15 minutes to rouse her out of bed. She's learning a lot. This week and last week they've been learning about farms and farm animals and they get to ride on a tractor. On friday they get to dress up as scarecrows and the school has ordered them straw hats for them to wear. On halloween the whole class with dress up as scarecrows again and walk in the Minden parade. I will definately have pictures.

Happy Birthday Cadence....and me!

2008-08-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Cadence's 4th birthday. And what an exciting day/ week we have had. She started Pre-k on Friday and loved it. But because she started school she had to get her booster shots, which happened to fall on her birthday. She missed school today and all three had a dr's appt. I never knew she could scream so loud. Actually all three of them had to get shots. Kayleigh got her 4 month vaccines and an antibiotic shot because her ears are still infected. Cole got an antibiotic shot because his ears are still infected. That was not a fun day at the dr's.

After the dr I dropped Cole and Kayleigh off at daycare and Cadence and I headed to the Boardwalk in Bossier City to Build-a-Bear Workshop. She had a blast; she picked out a bunny, helped put stuffing in it, and then picked out two outifits for her bunny to wear. Then we made it a birth certificate. She named the bunny Rabby. Hehe Rabby the Rabbit. She has carried it everywhere today. But I made for a great ending to her birthday.

Last sat was my birthday and Nick gave me the day off. I went shopping and to a movie with a girl friend of mine. It was the best birthday present I could have asked for.

Yesterday(monday) Kayleigh turned 4 months and weighs 13lbs and 14oz. She has been cooing and making spit bubbles and its so cute. She also has figured out how to roll over from her back to her stomach. Yea!

Teacher Training

2008-08-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today after church there was a teacher training for all the elementry volunteers who will be teaching in our church's learning center. I am one of them. Starting in september I will be doing a even/odd month rotation in the Learning Center. I will be with one other lady and a couple teaching 1st and 2nd graders on the odd months. This will definately be interesting for me, but I'm going to put forth all my effort to help mold these little minds, and hopefully in return I can gain the patience for my future 1st and 2nd graders.

However, I almost didn't make it to church this morning. I had just gotten onto the interstate to head to Ruston when I notice that my van felt like it was riding funny. I was already going to be a few minutes late so I didn't pay any mind to the feeling, but I was thinking about telling Nick that I needed to replace my front tires. While in the midst of thinking about my tires, my front drivers side tire just fell apart. I had a flashback to a couple of months ago when my back driver side tire did the same thing. Thankfully, I was able to keep control and pull over to the side of the road. I got out and assessed the damage and called Nick. He was working and wasn't able to come out there right away. I thought I would change out the tire myself but a wonderful couple felt sorry for me and came to my rescue. They were on their way to Ruston from Homer to mow their daughters lawn who went to Tech. The wife saw me and made her husband turn around because she would want someone to help her daughters. When he got my spare put on Nick showed up. Lucky Nick didn't have to change out my tire.

I am definately going to the Firestone shop this time. Because they really owe me 4 new tires and they need to fix the damage the tires did to my van. It's pretty bad. I just pray that Firestone will recognize the fault is theirs and take responsibilty otherwise they will have to deal with Nick. LOL and they don't want that.

But we made it to church and then we made it home safely.

To the Dr. again

2008-08-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I took Cole and Kayleigh to the Dr because they weren't feeling well. Cole had an ear infection in the left ear and fluid bubbles in the right ear and had to get antibiotics. Kayleigh just had a viral cough and the dr said it would get better in a few days. Well two weeks has gone by and neither has gotten better. The past two nights I have been up all night because of either one. Why is it that a child who is sick does not show it until the parent wants to sleep?? They are both fine during the day but once I lay down in the bed they start to hurt. Is there a magic button I don't know about? So I got both of them back into the dr's and turns out that Cole still has the ear infection, apparently he was immune to that type of antibiotic. Kayleigh now has a bad cough and infection in both ears. It makes it so difficult for her to nurse because she is in pain so she just screams and then sucks on her fingers till she falls back asleep. Hopefully the medicine that we got today will get rid of the infections and they'll be back to their normal sweet selves.

Cadence, however, is just fine. :) She's never had an ear infection and doesn't get sick that often. Maybe its because she has so much energy that she doesn't ever slow down enought to get sick. Who knows, but thank God for health insurance!

Laughing

2008-08-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

I finally caught it, it's so cute. She was sitting between Nick's legs and was starting to root cause she was getting hungry.

He's the only one that can get her laughing real well right now.

So Sad

2008-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today all 3 kids started daycare. I'm not going back to work till thursday but I had to drop all of them off for daycare today. Cadence and Cole walzted right into their rooms and proceeded to play with the other kids like they had never been away. It wasn't hard for me to leave them there because I've done it before, but Kayleigh was a different story. When Cadence first started daycare I had already been back to work for a while so I had gotten used to leaving her for work and she was used to it. When Cole started daycare he was on formula and a bottle and I left him and Cadence at Nick's moms with her and his sister. But today is the first time I have left Kayleigh and not been in the same building. Leaving her in the church nursery was easy, cause they give you a pager and I know she's right down the hall. But to leave her and then come home, knowing I'm miles away from her was just down right heart breaking. It was difficult trying to explain to the girl how to feed her cause she doesn't take a bottle from me and I've never been around when she's been fed a bottle. And she was in such a good mood all happy and smiles and the poor thing didn't know that I was gonna leave her for about 7 or so hours. I know she's in good hands and I'm not worried about how she'll handle it, but I'm having a hard time. I knew I shouldn't linger around cause it would be harder for me to leave so I left. But once I hit that door and headed to the car I just burst into to tears. I didn't realize it would be so emotional to leave her. So now I'm home, and it's just too quiet. No kids running and screaming, no ticking of the swing, or coos from Kayleigh. Maybe it will be easier for me to handle once I actually go to work and I have something to occupy my mind away from them. However, this may make me work harder to achieve that extra income that we need to bring me home for good and the only time I will have to leave my babies is to take a romantic vacation with Nick.

Happy Birthday Bubby!

2008-07-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Cole's 2nd Birthday!! Wow I can't believe that two years has gone by since he was born. Since Nick had to work today and tomorrow, we decided to do Bubby's birthday last night. Nick grilled pork chops, yellow squash, and zucchini, and I made funfetti cupcakes with chocolate icing and sprinkles. We sang happy birthday and he got to blow out the candle. Then him and Cadence had to take a bath cause they had chocolate icing all over, and then it was present time. He had to learn how to rip open presents again, but Cadence helped him out, a lot. He got a rug that has all the buildings from the movie cars with a road and all the characters. Some cars from the movie Cars and some miniature tonka trucks, and a Diego tub trike that floats and rides on top of water. He had a great time.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Thursday night the North Bienville Volunteer Fire Dept. put on their annual fireworks show. Nick was working so I decided to take all three of them to town to watch it. We went to sonic and grabbed dinner and some ice cream and then went out to Bonnie and Clyde Trade Days to wait for the show to begin. We got there a little after 7pm but I didn't realize how late that it got dark. So we sat there till 9:04pm which was when they started the fireworks. Cadence loves fireworks and laughed when they made the loud popping and screaming. Cole, on the other hand, thought they were great for about 1 min and then started crying. Kayleigh actually did better than he did. After about twenty minutes of the firework show, Cadence got tired of hearing Cole and Kayleigh fussing and was ready to go home. Next year, I will only go to a fireworks show if Nick is with me.

I bought the kids outfits for the 4th so that I could get a picture of all three of them on Kayleigh first 4th of July. However, by the time I had the chance to get them all together Kayleigh was upset. I did get some great pictures of them in two's.

Nick cooked some barbeque grilled chicken and then we had some wonderful yellow watermelon (my new favorite). After dinner we did some fireworks. Nick had bought some bottle rockets, roman candles, and fountains. Kayleigh and Cole were both in my lap crying everytime a bottle rocket went off, so we had to keep those to a minimum. They like the fountains ( they didn't make any popping or screaming noises) and loved the roman candles. They all had a fun 4th.

Could be triplets!

2008-06-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

So I found a picture of Cadence and Cole at around two months when they started smiling and WOW, they really do look alike. You can tell them apart but they all have the same round head and chubby cheeks. Cadence and Kayleigh's smile is almost identical with the way they have their tongue positioned. It's just too cute I had to post these.

Just some cute pics of the kids!

2008-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

The one time she's not screaming when Daddy holds her. Cadence teaching Kayleigh how to cheese for the camera
I think I should put him in a modeling agency, what do you think??
Singing her heart out to a keyboard with dead batteries, we have a future star on our hands.

2 Months Old

2008-06-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Kayleigh is 2 months old today! We had a doctor appt. today and she now weighs 12lbs 11oz and is 23 1/2 inches. It won't be long till she catches up with her cousin Zoie. She also got her first round of vaccines :( She let the nurse now just how appreciated she was. And unlike the other two kids who cried till I held them, she screamed for almost 10 min afterwards, then fell asleep till we got home and then cried for the rest of the afternoon. Took another nap and screamed some more till she got the hiccups and fell asleep. Right now, it's quiet, but there's no telling how long that will last.

Well, in about 2 1/2 weeks my maternity leave comes to an end and I will have to head back to work. Kinda sucks since I was hoping to be able to stay at home for good, but turns out health insurance is kinda important and a lot less expensive when my company pays for a good portion of it. So I must suck it up and go back but hopefully only for a little while and not permanent. However, I did put out some resumes in hopes of finding a normal desk job m-f 8-5 a little closer to home. God willing I can get a great paying normal desk job in ruston so I won't have to work the crazy walmart schedule.

So I finally caught Kayleigh smiling on camera. And she's just the cutest thing, and its so funny that when all my kids smile they all resemble each other. I don't believe I have seen any other kids who look so much alike, than mine.

6 Weeks

2008-06-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Kayleigh is 6 weeks old. She went to the dr. two weeks ago and weighed 11lbs 3oz and 22 inches long. I think she might have even gained another pound since then. She's becoming more alert and will even lay on her back in her baby gym for a few minutes. She's smiling :) And it's soooo cute. She'll even coo and make cute little gurgling noises when she happy. But the smiling is the best part. All you gotta do is just talk to her and she will smile at you. Picture of her smile to come soon when I can capture it on Camera.

Last weekend we went to Lake Texoma and spent some time with my family. My sister and her husband and daughter came in from Florida. My older brother and his wife and two boys were in the states from Thailand for a 2 month stay, and my younger brother flew in from Houston. It was a wonderful weekend for all of us. Especially the two oldest kids, Cadence and my nephew Aidan. They had a blast together, beating up on Stephen, racing on the deck, and blowing bubbles. It was great to see them getting along (for the most part) and playing together. I can't wait till all the others get old enought to actually play together, that will be so much fun.

First Dr. Visit

2008-05-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday we had our one week doctor's appointment with our new pediatrician. Kayleigh did very well, she's gaining weight and is very healthy. He did a thorough check which Nick and I had never seen because apparently our previous Dr didn't really know what she was doing. We our very very pleased with our choice of changing.

We came home from the hospital on Sunday and Kayleigh weighed 9lbs 2oz. On thurs she had gained 5 oz, which shows she's eating well (i already knew that). She's finally sleeping at night so I do get a couple hours rest at night which lets me be up and active with the other two during the day. Cole is our only early bird. Cadence and Kayleigh will sleep past 8, but Cole has to be up by 7 if not earlier.

Cadence feels like a little mommy now that Kayleigh is here. She's always checking on her making sure she's not fussing. Wants to constantly hold her or take her somewhere. She's a big help with fetching me things that I need when Kayleigh is nursing.

Happy Birth Day!

2008-04-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome to the world our newest addition Kayleigh Anne Bowman.

She came in with a small cry, weighing in at 9 lbs and 9 oz and 21 1/2 inches long.

They put me in the hospital at 6am yesterday and then started the pitocin drip at about 7am. The contractions were tolerable which surprised me. The thing is that my doctor didn't come and check me till almost 5pm. Which at that time I was only dilated about 5 cm. So 8 hours of being induced had brought me 2 cm farther than I was when I went in that morning. So when she checked me she also broke my water. That definitely sped up my labor cause by 6:14pm Kayleigh finally came. I just wish my dr. would have checked me earlier that morning and I wouldn't have had to sit all day long in the labor and delivery room. But that's all right cause she's here now and beautiful!

Happy Mothers Day!!

2008-04-23T09:14:00.002-07:00

To all the moms out there, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! Hope that it is a great and relaxing day.

Still No Baby

2008-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I was hoping that monday we would have a baby, but she was faking. We went to the hospital at 5am with contractions every 5-7 min and then once they started monitoring me they calmed down and then nothing. Pretty much the same thing Cole did to me. I guess they don't really like the hospital. But it was a good thing I didn't have the baby cause my doctor had an emergency and had to go out of town till Wed. I'd really like her to be the one to deliver Kayleigh and She would rather she be there also.

So now I'm just taking it easy. Hanging out and watching cartoons with the kids. Trying to do a little cleaning but don't really have the energy to do much. Nick and I took the kids to the park yesterday and that was fun. We stopped and got sonic for lunch and had a picnic and then let the kids run around the park for about an hour. Then it was naptime.

Today is going to be a lazy day. Nick is at work and also has his Paramedic Written Testing today from 1-3. So I'm not allowed to go into labor during that time, cause he's not allowed to have his phone with him. But I'm not too worried about that. Please Pray that he will pass this part of his test. After this he has one more part that he will have to take and he will finally be done after two years.

Tomorrow I go to a dr. appt. and maybe it'll be time, but I will let everyone know something. Until then , I'm still pregnant. :)

No More Work!

2008-04-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Yesterday was my last day at work. I'm now on a three month maternity leave. Hopefully if everthing works out well, I'll be on a permanent leave.

I went to the Dr. on thursday and she said everything looks good, just still not quite ready. I guess she wants to just be comfortable. I'm trying to wait it out because I don't want to be induced with this one. I would really like to know what if feels like to actually go into labor and make Nick rush me to the hospital. Haha. I think he's more ready than I am. He said that if I haven't had Kayleigh by my dr.s appt next thurs he's going to tell her to put me in.

So since we got our new lawn mower Nick has decided to go all out and do lots of yard work. We actually have a decent yard. He mowed, then weedeated and all while I was at work. The kids had a blast being outside with daddy all day long. They were so filthy, but they loved it. Cole got a little used to riding the mower but freaked out when he lost his boot. Cadence just wants daddy to let her drive it all by herself, she thinks she's bigger than she actually is. Our camera battery was dead the other day so I couldn't get any pictures of them riding but I will next time.

Welcome US to the 21st Century

2008-04-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we are finally dial up free!!!!!!!! Today we got high speed internet. It's wonderful. So now I can finally post at will and maybe even update pictures! We also bought a new lawn mower. It's a John Deere Riding mower and Nick is outside enjoying it. We actually have a yard, who knew it was there underneath 3 feet of grass.

So today I am 38 weeks pregnant. I'm getting more miserable by the day. I don't believe my belly can get any bigger, but it just seems to keep growing. We have the nursery ready, the bassinet/play yard is set up in our bedroom. We moved Cadence to the back seat of the van so we can put Kayleigh by Cole. Now all we need is Kayleigh to grace us with her presence. And it couldn't come any quicker. (can you tell I'm tired of being pregnant?) I'm still working though, but friday is my last day. Woohoo. Although I'm hoping to go into labor before then so I don't have to go in on friday.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to post some cute newborn pictures of our newest addition, but until then I'll be uncomfortably pregnant.

What you've been waiting for!

2008-03-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

Our snow day a few weeks ago. Cadence loved it but Cole was not to fond of it. It was too cold and wet for him. Too bad it didn't last any longer than that day. Cadence kept wanting it to snow everyday for the rest of that week.

Both just woke up from their nap. Pop was trying to comfort them, they were kind of grouchy.

Our trip to dallas this weekend. They enjoyed it very very much. Meemo came and had dinner one night and the kids cheesed for the pictures.

Pictures

2008-03-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I've been trying to post pictures, but because we have such wonderful dial up internet out in the middle of no where I've had no luck. So, next weekend I'll be in dallas at mom and dad's and maybe just maybe I'll have a few minutes to upload some pics of me in my maternity ball gown, and some of the kids in the snow and their new haircuts.

Yesterday, Nick needed a haircut so the kids and I tagged along. Cole's hair was getting really long and it needed to be out of his eyes plus I felt bad for Cadence cause the back of his hair was longer than hers. But because everyone else got their haircut Cadence had to have hers, so we just got it trimmed. They were actually very good this time. Cole sat still and didn't even cry. Cadence did good, I won't say that she sat still the whole time but was still enough for the lady to trim it. Then after the haircuts we went to the park in ruston. It was a fun and eventful day.

Well, last week on wed and thurs Cadence and Cole went to the new daycare. They loved it and they were completely worn out when I picked them up. For those of you that don't know, Cadence and Cole now stay home the majority of the time with Nick. Except for the days that both of us have to work, they go to a new daycare. It's only two days a week. I told Cadence that it was actually a school because she didn't want to go to daycare. It was for babies. They will only go to the daycare until about the middle of April when I go on maternity leave and then they will be home with me full time. I'm definately looking forward to this. I'm not really sure when I'm actually going on leave I know that at the latest it will be April 18 which is a week and a half before my due date. But I'm not sure I'll get to last that long. I'm hoping I will but we'll see. I think my doctor won't let me even last that long. I go wed for an ultrasound, they are going to check the growth of the baby, and might even change my due date, depending on her size. She's really big already. I'll try to get those pictures posted next week too. Well, that's it for now.

Snow in March!?!

2008-03-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Yup! That's right, snow in march. I couldn't believe it either. And to think it was 70 degrees yesterday. No wonder we have been staying sick this winter. The kids loved it though. Cadence made the babysitter call me just so she could tell me it was snowing outside. She played in it over there and then some more after we got home. Cole liked it but kept losing his mittens and that made him mad. He does not like his hands cold. I took pictures of their first snow and will have them posted. I think we actually got between 2-3 inches of snow today, but it's all melted now and the sun is peaking through.

Well, I have just 7 1/2 weeks left to go till my due date. And it couldn't come any sooner. This has been a semi easy pregnancy so far. Not as easy as Cole's but definately easier than Cadence's. We've been getting Kayleigh's room ready but had to get Cole a twin mattress so we can transition him to a big boy bed and out of the crib to move into her room. I'm waiting on his bedding to come in so we can buy sheets and actually let him sleep in it. Not to sure how he is going to do with the freedom of the bed. Hopefully it won't be bad.

New Year! New Car!

2008-01-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally did it. Nick and I broke down and bought a minivan. It was a long time coming, but I was mostly against it. We got a great deal on it and we just couldn't pass it up. It's a maroon 2002 Chevy Venture Warner Bros. Edition. It's in excellent condition (for right now, my kids can really ruin a new looking car). Cadence and Cole just love it, especially because Cadence can't reach over and lean on Cole's carseat. Plus it has a dvd player in it and I can keep them occupied with that. It'll come in handy with the road trips I want to go on after the third baby is born. I'll post pictures soon I just have to wash it first. It's been rainy and cold and there's mud all over it.

Anyways, I'm doing good. I'm in my 6th month and starting to show it. I'll have to get Nick to take a picture of my belly. So far, Kayleigh is an active baby, she kicks me all the time to let me know I'm in a position that she doesn't like. Which so far is almost every position that I am comfortable in. But the strange thing is that she could kick me all day long but the moment that Nick puts his hand on my belly, she stops. She has only kicked him once because he just happened to put his hand there at the right moment. But she won't kick him, unlike the other two who would pound his hand everytime it was on my belly. Cadence is still excited about having a little sister and frequently asks when she is coming out to play. Cole is not sure about it, he just knows that he's not happy about the changes that are taking place in my stomach.

Cole is very well entering into his terrible two's. He's throwing fits when he doesn't get his way and can stand up to his bully of a big sister. He's normally happy all the time and loves to get into everything. Getting into the wipes tub is his favorite. He still not talking very much and he won't hardly take that passy out for anything. You have to ask him yes or no questions so he can answer with an uh huh or an uh uh.

Cadence is growing like a weed but her hair still isn't. I don't know what the deal is with that but I'm sure it'll grow one day and never stop. She talks constantly but makes sense. A lot of my friends that have kept her tell me she is the most polite child they have ever kept. Which I find hard to believe cause I don't see that at home a lot. She has a very vivid imagination and really believes that she can hear the baby when she is crying in my tummy. She will also pretend to get her out and rock her to sleep and then put her back in my tummy. It's really funny.

We have a new addition to our family. My older sister Paige and her husband Todd just had their first child. We think she was born sat night 1/19 but it could have been early sunday morning on 1/20 but we are not for sure. Zoie Allison came at a whopping 9 1/2 pounds. Probably a good thing being January even though they are in Florida. I'm praying that I don't have to deliver one that big in April. Congratulations Paige and Todd!!!!

Pictures

2007-10-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

They both enjoyed about the first 8 min of the haircut and after that got ancy. Cole does not like clippers, Mary tried to shave the back of his neck and he just squirmed and screamed.

Long time no blog

2007-10-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the spaciousness of my blog. I've been really busy lately with work and kids and everything else that just pops up. So for those that don't know it yet I'm pregnant again. I'm due April 29, 2008. So as of today I'm exactly 11 wks and 6 days. I won't find out what sex I'm having till sometime in Dec. If I decide to even find out. Morning sickness is still pretty bad, I have to take medicine just to be able to even eat anything. I keep hoping that one day I'll forget to take the medicine and I'll be fine, but so far I have to take it before 7am or I'm sick all day. Not very fun. Other than that I'm fine. Trying to recover from my kids this past week. I spent the first weekend of Oct. with my mom and my sister and no kids or husband. It was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a long time. It's hard to come home to two noisy very active children after that. But we had a great time in Dallas. We went shopping, had a pedicure and a manicure, I got my hair cut, and we just hung out and visited. It was great.

On Oct 10 both Cadence and Cole got their first haircut. It was fun. They both did really well at first but by the end they were both ready to get down and move around. Who knew my kids could be still for as long as they were? I have pictures but right now they are out in the car and it's raining cats and dogs and I just don't feel like getting wet. So I will have to post them at a later date.

Both kids are doing great. Cadence likes to pretend that she can get the baby out of my belly and hold it and rock it when she says it's crying. It's really cute. Cole still doesn't quite understand it yet but I'm sure he will pretty soon. I just hope he reacts as well as Cadence did when he was born.

Nick's doing really well. He's either up at his shop or at the fire station. His business stays pretty steady up there. We did have someone try to break in a couple of weeks ago. But because of the alarm they ran off. Not much damage was cause, they just cracked the window on his door and knocked over his flower pot on the sidewalk. The robbers were arrested later on that night after breaking into a few more businesses and a house.

Not much else is going on. We are just waiting on the news of my new nephew, hopefully it will be any day now.

First Birthday!!

2007-07-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, on July 11th Cole turned 1!!! Wow, time flies so fast now. He is so big, and has 10 teeth now that he loves to use and it hurts. He also decided that it was time for him to start walking. So on Tuesday, Alicia, the babysitter, worked with him and he was able to take 1-2 steps at a time. Then we got home and Nick got him to take 8 steps. It was so exciting!!! It's so funny too, cause he just wants to take off running and he ends up taking a nose dive to the carpet. He's been using a walker and he will push forward and run on his tiptoes, but he's starting to realize that he can't do that without the walker. But everytime he falls he giggles and tries to do it again. We haven't had a birthday party yet, we are waiting to do a joint one for Cadence and Cole. The date is set for August 11th. It should be a fun and tiring day.

So, Alicia had a 30 gallon fish tank that her and her husband were growing tired of and wanted to get rid of it. I was more than happy to inherit it, since we don't have any pets yet and Cadence loved the fish tank. Today I got it set up, and it is getting ready for some fish. Tomorrow, Cadence and I are going to take a trip to Petsmart or Petco whichever one I see first and I'm going to let her pick out the fish that she wants. She's very excited and told Pop that she wanted a Blue fish, then later that night told me she wanted a green one, and a pink one. I'm not sure where to find a green or pink one since we don't have a Dr. Seuss fish store any where around here (haha). But I think she'll pick out some good ones.

Have a great weekend!

What's New??

2007-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Thank Heaven for disasasters that become blessings! On May 9th Cadence got dismissed from daycare for "biting", I think there was an underlying motive that just hasn't been uncovered yet. So I had to quickly find some other form of childcare for both of them cause I just couldn't see leaving Cole in that same place without his big sis. So, a lady that worked for the same place that had quit because she did not like the way it had run decided to keep kids at her house. Well, she is great! The kids love her and have a blast there. And what's funny is that there is no biting whatsoever. Funny huh? Anyways within about 2 weeks of being at the new babysitter Cadence is basically potty trained. YEAH! It's so wonderful. Now we just have to work on the night time, but I'm sure that will take a while.

Cole is getting bigger and fatter and cuter than ever. He's still the sweetest baby ever. He has now advanced from just a slow crawl to speed crawling. I can set him down and within seconds he is at the other end of the house. And quiet too, I have to search for him sometimes. He is starting to try talking. I think he has figured out mama, dada and baba. The other day it sounded like he had said Bye but I'm not sure. He is learning how to wave bye-bye and hi. He also has mastered the pulling up stage and can stand with one hand holding him up. He is startind to try to cruise on the furniture but hasn't figured out that he has to put his feet flat.

Cadence is learning to sing songs, and also has a great imagination. A couple weeks ago we were sitting at the dinner table eating fried perch that Nick caught and we were asking her animal sounds. I asked her what a crocidile said and I put my hands together like it was chomping. She mimic the movements and said "Snap, I eat fishies!" Nick and I laughed and then I asked her what a fish said. But she didn't respond with her normal response she said " Don't eat me!" Then we asked her what she was eating and she got this evil little grin on her face and replied "Fish!"

Two days later I was at work and got a phone call from Nick telling me that we had a pink alligator in the house. Completely confused I asked " A WHAT?" He said that Cadence came running into the living room crying. Nick jokingly asked her if an alligator bit her and she said "Yeah, alligator bit me on my butt" He asked her what color was the alligator and she said pink. He asked her where it was and she told him it lived in mommy and daddy's closet. (Which is really funny cause for the past week before this she would not step foot into our closet because it's scary) So, now wherever we go and a bug bites her or just whenever she feels like it she'll start fake crying and tell us the alligator bit her because he follows her everywhere.

Nick is still out on medical leave with his back. He has a herniated L5 disc in his back. He had been going to the chiropractor for a month with not much progress and is now seeing an otrhapedic specialist. He had an MRI done on monday and is going back this upcoming monday to actually see the dr and have him read the MRI to see what is wrong and what the next step will be to get it better. We are praying that he will not have to go through any kind of surgery. I will try to keep ya updated on the progress of his back. But he has been able to build up some more customers for his business since he has been able to be at the shop everyday.

My work is been pretty busy lately with summer here and it just being really really busy at wally world. I stay on the go. I'm still looking for any other career moves that are in the area because I really would like to go back to working in ruston so I can put the kids back in to the old daycare that Cadence was in. They have a great preschool program and I would really rather her go to school over there. Nothing else exciting here in the great big city of Arcadia. Hope y'all have a great weekend.

So much for a vacation

2007-05-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

My vacation started off promising, I got a little house work done, babysat my 3 week old nephew. But on Sunday I started feeling bad. Checked my temp and it was 100.2. My throat had been hurting the whole week before but I didn't think anything about it. Hadn't been around anyone that was sick. So I went to the Dr. on Monday and found out that I have strep throat. Last time I had strep was my sophomore year in Highschool. Never really thought that I would get it again. Thank goodness no one else has it. Nick's fine and Cadence is fine, I took Cole to the Dr. today cause I had to make sure his ear infections have healed up, but they haven't so he had to have a shot. :( And he still has some congestion in his chest so he got a new decongestant that hopefully will work better than his last one. Now we just got to get better so we can go visit Mimi and Pop and Auntie Paige and Uncle Todd this weekend in Dallas. For those of you that didn't remember Nick and I celebrated 3 years of Marriage yesterday, May 1. So YEAH for us!
Have a great week!

Easter Time

2007-04-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

These were the best pics of Easter. For some reason, I didn't get a picture of Mimi and Pop with the kids, what was I thinking??? But we had a great time with them here for the weekend. They brought a honey spiral ham that was delicious and Mimi helped me cook some cheese grits and boiled asparagus. It was a great Easter meal. Cole has started moving around, he can't quite crawl yet but he can scoot towards anything. And he decided to pop out 3 more teeth to make his running total 7! 4 top and 3 bottom. I'm sure the next bottom one is not far behind. He went to the dr last week for shots and he now weighs 21 pounds and is 28 inches long. Cadence's vocabulary is rapidly expanding and knows most of her animals. She talks all the time and rarely ever stops. Whenever we are in the car she now tells me everything thing we see, such as: look flowers, trees, a car, a truck. For the past couple days she has been stuck on bus and train. Everytime we see a bus or train, she says, Mommy I ride bus, Mommy I ride train. And then gets very upset when I tell her she can't ride the bus yet. So I have to tell her when she gets older she can ride the bus and that seems to satisfy her till the next time she sees one. I got some new glasses and a hair cut. I cut off about 5 inches 3 weeks ago. So much better. Nick's still working a lot, but cut down his time working for the Ambulance company so he can be at shop since his sister had her baby on April 5. Faith and Tristan are doing fine. He is the tiniest little thing. Hope you all have a great week!!

What you have all been waiting for!!

2007-04-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

PICs of the new house. I know some of y'all have seen the actuall house. But for the underprivelaged I finally have a few pictures to show you. It's really hard to find a time when the whole house is clean so I've only got a few of the rooms, I will post more later. But the pics I have now will give you a good idea of what it looks like.

This is our sitting area next to the living roomThis is our messy study^ So far the only room that constantly stays disorganizedCole's Room all decked out in Firefigter stuff. We still haven't put up all of Nick's nick-nacks but they will all be up hopefully soon. Cadence loves to show off her room.

Time Flies!

2007-02-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted last. Sorry it's been a while, I've been busy with getting the new house together and the kids and work. I will post pictures of the house soon, I just have to get them from the camera to my jump drive and the computer at the house runs so slow that it takes forever to even post one picture. So I have to update at the shop computer. So to update, Cole is now 7 months and weighs in at 19 1/2 pounds and is 26 1/2 inches long. He babbles a lot, rolls over all the time and is realizing that he wants to crawl, but his little buddah belly gets in the way and he ends up looking like a see-saw rocking back and forth. Cadence is 2 1/2 and has entered into the terrible two's. She's full of attitude and very strong willed. (my guess is she takes after her daddy)
Nick and I have decided to change our eating habits, not a diet, but just eat more healthy. So far I've lost 10lbs and he has lost 18. So we are doing pretty good. Nick's business has been doing fair, he's been getting enough sales to keep the business running. I've been doing some more regular cooking. I guess the new house just brings the domestic out in me. I keep it fairly clean, it's not spotless, but then again I wouldn't be myself if I kept if spotless. Nick's schedule changed at the fire station they now relieve at 6 in the evening, it's a change for me but I do most of the time have dinner ready when he gets home. I'm getting pretty good at making quick meals, I think the longest time it took me to make dinner was an hour, but I try to make meals that only take 30 min, cause when I'm working I don't get home till 6 and Cadence is usually ready to eat pretty soon after that and she will let me know it.
Our church has started this parenting class for the next 8 weeks. It's called Parenting is Heart Work. I've attended two classes so far and it's really neat. It talks about changing kids behavior by changing their heart. I've tried some of the things I've learned on Cadence but she's a little young to learn some of them, but I'll still keep working with her so that way when she is ready to learn it won't be such a change. Well, hopefully soon I will get some pictures of the kids and the new house up for all to view. I know you are anxiously awaiting them.
Have a great week.

Toofies!!

2006-12-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

Bubby got his first set of teeth last week on thurs and fri. And he just turned 5 months today! He's a fast teether. He's been teething for the most of a month and a half, but he wasn't bad at all. He just wanted to naw on a hand or a finger. Now that the teeth are through he's the happiest baby in the world (and the cutest!) But I am kind of partial. Anyways, the four of us made a quick trip to Dallas this weekend to see Mimi and Pop and pick up the Honda. We had some fun. Cadence was excited to see them and she had a blast at the Galleria play ground. We enjoyed our weekend albeit short but still fun. Have a great week.

So not Susie!

2006-11-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I don't have a reputation for being Susie Homemaker, but aren't these some yummy looking cupcakes? I spent a couple hours baking cupcakes for my church cakewalk. We have a Fall Fling tomorrow and something just came over me last sunday and I wanted to bake something.

Well, Nick just thought this was hilarious. Being as I hardly ever cook. When I told him that I was going to wal*mart to go buy stuff for the cupcakes he asked me if I was just gonna buy some ready made cupcakes and put them in a home container and claim that I made them. Of course, I told him no, I was actually gonna bake them. He then started laughing. The rest of the conversation went like this:

"Hey, I've baked a cake before and it was really good" "Yeah, but that was the second time, remember the first one?"

(the first one was bad, I tried to make a two layer cake and both layers came out of the oven looking really fluffy and good, however when they cooled off they looked like two really thick pancakes and tasted like stirafoam)

"Yeah, but the cake mix was old and probably bad which is why it came out bad, but the second one was pretty good, the only problem was I put to much icing between the layers that the top layer was starting to slide off." "Well, your 1-1, and you can always buy cupcakes if they don't turn out right."

Such a supportive husband huh? Well, Cadence and I taste tested my cupcakes and so far I'm batting 100%. I hope they'll be a big hit at the cakewalk. I'm planning my next baking project(hmm maybe thanksgiving), maybe dinner tomorrow night.

1st Trick or Treat

2006-11-01T19:14:00.000-08:00

Isn't She the cutest kitty in the world!

Cadence had a ball going trick or treating for the first time. Although the bag might not have been the best choice since she couldn't figure out how to hold it open for the candy. But she still managed to get a full bag. After about 30 min she kinda got sidetracked and just wanted to wander around the neighborhood and also into the peoples houses. I was glad I went with some friends otherwise I would have had my hands full with her and Cole. He did come but I couldn't find him a costume so he wore a bright orange tigger sleeper. They had fun. Nick had to work so I told him that next year he gets to take them.

...And yet we are still waiting

2006-10-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the contractors are supposed to come out this week and work on our land to build the dirt pad and put in the septic tank. So pray that it doesn't rain so they can get all the work done and we can get our house in.

Nick opened a store to sell his car audio/mobile accessories in Arcadia. He's been building a counter and a sound board for displays and spending time getting it altogether so he can open to the public Nov. 1st.

Cadence has picked up the funniest thing. I always call her baby and she has decided that she will call everyone baby. "here you go baby", "I want juice baby", "thank you baby". It's really funny.

Cole has found his thumb. So now whenever he sits in his bouncer he has his thumb in his mouth. It is so cute. He's also showing signs that he's not far from rolling over.

Well, I believe that's all I have to update for right now.

You know it's hunting season when.....

2006-10-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Paige: You think a camo shirt is bad for a church team? Try Oct 1st till like Feb.

Well, I started back to work. It's not too bad. I do miss my babies a lot though. :( But the great thing about my new position is the hours. I only have to work 45 hours, and I get to write my own schedule. So if I need a certain day off, I can take it. It's gonna be really nice.

Well, we have an update about our new house. It was ordered on friday the 6th and sometime this week the crew will come out to our lot and prep it for the trailer and then sometime after that it will be delivered. So we are looking at about 3 weeks and we will be in it. YAY!!

Baby Milestones

2006-09-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know Cole has been cooing. And it's so cute. But yesterday Nick actually got him to laugh. I figured it was a little too early since Cadence didn't acutually laugh till after she was three months. But all babies are different. Nick got him to laugh about 4 times and it was so adorable I wish I had gotten it on video. Well, I have exactly one week till I go back to work and I kinda have mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm going to miss being home with both of them and seeing Cole grow. On the other hand I'm kinda going crazy being in such a small place all the time with really nowhere to go except running errands to wal mart and no time just to myself. At least work will be my time, but it's a new position and everybody else who's in that position has been at it for 3 months and I'm gonna hafta catch up. Well, that's about all the excitement going on at the bowman household. Have a great week!

Back to the doctor

2006-09-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had to take both Cadence and Cole to the doctor. Cole got a cold and the medicine that he got last week wasn't working. We found out he has a sinus infection so he was prescribed an antibiotic and an alergy medicine. Hopefully he doen't turn out like me and get a sinus infection every time the seasons change. He does seem like he's getting better since he got the new meds. As for Cadence, she has had this rash that I figured was from her pullups, but as it turns out she has impetigo. Which I had no clue is a bacterial infection and only antibiotics can cure that. Fun day yesterday. Thank goodness for insurance, I'm so glad that they put prescription coverage on my insurance last year. In the two weeks that Cole hasnt' been to the doctor he gained 1/2 pound. That boy sure knows how to eat. Well, have a great weekend.

What a Whopper!

2006-09-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Weighing in at 12lbs 12oz and 23 1/2 inches at the Doctors today, he is healthy and a little upset that he had to get 3 shots. Poor thing, he's been
sleeping it off all day long, of course the infants tylenol has a little effect on the sleeping. He did get diagnosed with a little acid reflux and he got some medication that should take care of all the spitting up in a couple days. She also noticed his tongue, which I had noticed when I was still nursing him. The skin that attaches to the bottom tongue is normally at the middle towards the back of the tongue. His is right at the tip which is why he can't stick his tongue out of his mouth and he also had problems latching on which made it very difficult for me to breastfeed. The doctor said not to worry about it now since he can eat well but if it affects his speech as he gets older it will have to be clipped :( Hopefully it won't come to that, I'm sure it's a painfull process.

Well, Labor day weekend the kids and I tagged along with Mimi and Pop for a lovely road trip to Lubbock. I had a blast and so did Cadence. However, I'm pretty sure that I wore both the grandparents and great-grandparents out and as they loved our visit they are probably glad we are gone. I really appreciate Pop, he really helped me out with Cadence I could
have never done it without him. Here are some pics from last weekend.

Cadence's Birthday

2006-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't have a birthday party but she did have a cake. And she also got some great presents. From her Pappy she got a great little red wagon and then from us she got a tricycle. From Auntie Paige she got some great necklaces and bracelets that she loves. And some cute clothes from Mimi and Pop. Here are some pictures from that day.

Best Friends Already

2006-08-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Nick's best friend, Ben and his wife had Riley in May. He's a cute, good baby too. Anyways, I was at their house on my birthday and right before
I left they were actually awake at the same time. Riley has this swing that Cole just loved and slept almost the whole time we were there. Now we just have to get all four boys together and get pictures. Nick's cousin and her husband Zach had Caden in March, and then another friend of Ben and Nick's, Joey and his girlfriend had a boy, Grant, on Aug. 14. We know that we are gonna have our hands full when they get older, but it will sure be fun

alright, so we have an update on the house situation. Yesterday we got a call from the law firm that is checking the title which was the last thing before ordering. And they said there was a tax lien on Nick's dad, so we got that paid today and then went over to Tilleys (which is where we are getting our home from) and made sure all the colors were right and everything was where we wanted and all the extras were correct. So, once the mortgage company faxes them the clear title then he orders our house. Should be no later than Tues and then a week and a half ( which is how long it will take to manufacture the house) we should have the house on the land and then 3-4 days it should be completely set up. YAY finally a time line I can handle and it's realistic! Hey Paige-soon I'll be living the American dream, can I borrow your cat for the 1/2? I'll let you borrow Cadence and Cole for the 2 for a little while ;) Stay tuned for the blog about Cadence's birthday tomorrow, coming soon!

We have locals!

2006-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, after waiting for what seemed to be forever, our satellite company finally got local channels for our area. After much fighting with the company and the idiots that come to work on it,the second guy that came out actually got it to work and figured out the first guy didn't have a clue what he was doing. So YAY we actually have local channels.

Happy Birthday to me(yesterday)!! Thanks to everyone for wishing me happy birthday. I don't feel like I'm 25 but I guess when I get my car insurance discount it'll help.

I spent most of the day yeseterday at a friends house and we took a couple of pictures of the babies, and after I got the first picture uploaded somehow the website had a problem and I can't get any more uploaded.
But this is Cole at 6 weeks, getting chubbier by the day! Ain't he cute!? He's rolly polly and getting more fun by the day!

Still waiting, but closer...

2006-08-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we have come so much closer to getting our new house. We are awaiting the title of the land to be found clear(which it will) and then we are also waiting our trailer to be appraised for trade in value. Hopefully it will be close to what we want for it. And last we will have a final interview with the dealer to make sure all the colors and features are correct before they order and then we wait for it to be made and delivered. During the time we are waiting the dealer will come out and make all the improvements to the land. We get a gravel driveway, new septic system, trees cut and the uneven land leveled . It's gonna be nice to have someone actually come out and get things done. So I'm hoping by the middle of sept I will be moving into my new house!!!! (if not sooner)

Over the river and through the woods

2006-08-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

We went to Mawmaw Shirley's for the weekend and had a good time. Cadence had a blast playing with Debo, the huge pit bull. He's a big baby and loves kids. She was really scared at first but by the end of the weekend she started warming up to him and would actually pet him and give him a hug. If he hadn't had a shot in his back the week before then she would have been able to ride him like a horse, but he was a little sore.

She told us that she wanted a dog like Debo. Maybe one day she'll get a puppy. Mawmaw enjoyed having us stay, she thought Cole was just adorable. And she said the he looked like Cadence when she was a newborn.

So here is the picture I promised. He needs a haircut badly.

But you can see his moustache fairly well. Isn't it just lovely!!! HAHA!

Have a great week and a nice laugh!

I hate Dial Up

2006-07-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

So it's taken me almost a week to even update cause everytime I try to upload pictures the phone rings and I have to answer it, so it kicks me off. Plus with our lovely dial up it takes like 10 min to upload one picture and if I try to upload more than one it takes forever and then times out and nothing gets uploaded. Such a wonderful thing that dial up. But no phone company can seem to be able to get dsl or cable out here in the stix. Maybe one day the can advance to what they claim they are capable of.

Ok, off my soapbox. We took Cole to his first doctors appt this past tuesday. He had gained a pound and grew 3/4 of an inch. Doctor said everything looks good and he's healthy. So YEAH!

Cadence enjoyed Mimi and Pop's visit so much last weekend. She loves her little potato head and buddies, so far we still have all the parts. Wonder how long that will last?

This weekend we are taking our first road trip. Even though it will only be 2 hours one way it's still the first. We are heading to Atlanta, Tx to visit Nick's grandmother. So far Cole is her third great grandbaby and she is just excited for us to be coming.

I wish I had a picture of Nick to post but I don't just yet, after this weekend I will. He had traveled back in time with a look from the 70's. The Fire dept. updated their facial hair rule where the guys can grow their moustache and inch below their lip and also be able to have a soul patch. Well Nick has taken advantage of that, plus his sideburns have gotten long and I'm sure it wouldn't take much to connect them to his moustache. Anyways, he looks goofy, and not to mention it makes him look older(dated). But he likes it and it makes me laugh so I'm not gonna make him shave it. But I will definately get a picture.

Have a great weekend!

Trying again

2006-07-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

He's so laid back, can't you tell!

So, I had a whole page written earlier this afternoon and I was waiting on these pictures to upload and somehow Cadence figured out how to turn the computer off and it shut down and I lost the whole page. But I was mainly just wanting to put these pictures up cause they are just the cutest.
Yesterday Cadence was just really wanting to hold Cole, so she laid down and I laid him next to her and then ran to get the camera. They are so sweet together. She's such a loving and helpful big sis. Anyways, she is anxiously waiting on Mimi and Pops visit tomorrow, I will definately have pictures of that. Have a great day!

Just the three of us

2006-07-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so yesterday Nick had to work and it was just me, Cadence, and Cole. Mom, I salute you! Two kids is tiring, I don't know if I could handle two more. I'm worn out after trying to keep Cadence from bothering Cole when he's sleeping, and trying to nurse him and watch her. Thank goodness for my travel swing, that comes in mighty handy at bath time. And wow I forgot how much infants sleep, I just wish Cadence would take more than one nap. But even getting her down for that one is a struggle. She does however go to bed so much easier with the twin bed, after bath she gets in her jammies, brushes her teeth, and climbs into bed. It's sorta a routine now, but it's great cause she's in bed by 9 and soon asleep. Cole on the other hand decides that after his 10 o'clock feeding he wants to stay up till his next one at 12, then he'll sleep and wake up every two hours on the dot for nursing. Much better than his up all night long the first night we got home. He's adjusted very well, and noises won't bother him. I ran the vacuum last night and he didn't even budge, that boy can sleep through anything, of course that's good considering how loud his sister can be during the day. Today Nick is back, so I get to rest some. Although he gets Cadence riled up. But he gets to deal with her. We are still waiting to see if she is going to turn into a daddy's girl, so far not so much. Anyways, nap time is over and it's feeding time. TTFN

BowmanFam is on the blog

2006-07-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I finally decided to do what everyone else does and blog. Since I have the next 11 weeks to be at home with my 2 kids I'll need something to do when they are napping or in bed.

We made it home from the hospital finally on Thurs night. They let us leave about 9:30pm. Cole is doing wonderful, he's a strong, healthy baby boy. No jaundice thank goodness, no glowworm again. His coloring however is very red. Nick is 1/16 indian and it came out in him. When he gets mad his skin doesn't get any redder, it can't. But he has the sweetest cry, when he does cry, which isn't often at all. He has a big appetite also his feedings usually last about 30-40 min. Longer sometimes when he takes naps during them. He is sleeping a lot, but still manages to keep us up most of the night. Cadence is a loving big sister, always wanting to hold him when he starts to cry. She'll raise her hands and say 'mere, 'mere. She constantly wants to be around him and giving him kisses. However, she shows small signs of jealousy, she's started sucking on his passy and she'll sit in his swing when he's not in it. I try to get her involved in the diaper changes, I've let her wipe his bottom and she'll even throw the diaper in the trash. She loves it. It's so neat seeing how he reacts to the world and remembering when Cadence was that little and how she reacted. He is so much more laid back and content which I thought would have been impossible cause of how laid back and content Cadence was at that age. She also has much more of a temper than he does. I think he takes after me! Well it's bedtime for mommy, I'll post more later with more pictures.