Synopsis for Wake:

Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can’t tell anybody about what she does — they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant….

If you are looking for some very quick reads, you should pick up Lisa’s series. Wake is a very good introduction to Janie and later on a character named Cabel (whom I love) and Fade continues on with their story. By the time Fade comes around, a few people know about Janie’s ‘gift’ and she’s getting better at controlling it. Cabe is there along Janie trying to help her and work on his own problems.

I can’t wait to see what awaits Janie & Cabe in the next book. So help me! Tell me if you go out and get the books, let me know that my spreading the word really worked! lol..

from wikipedia:

Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II. Once in the field, paratroopers found this cord useful for many other tasks. It is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians. This versatile cord was even used by astronauts during STS-82, the second Space Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

The same properties which soldiers appreciate in paracord are also useful in civilian applications. After World War II parachute cord became available to civilians, first as military surplus and then as a common retail product. While some commercially available paracord is made to specification, even when labeled as such a given product may not correspond exactly to a specific military type and can be of differing construction, quality, color, or strength. Particularly poor quality examples may have significantly fewer strands in the sheath or core, cores constructed of bulk fiber rather than individual yarns, or include materials other than nylon.

Paracord has also been used by many since the 1970s for whipmaking. The durability & versatility of this material has proved beneficial for performing whip crackers & enthusiasts. Since nylon doesn’t rot or mildew, it has become known as an all-weather material for whipmaking. Nylon whips have grown in popularity over the last few decades, more so in the last several years

There are many places on the internet where you can find these bracelets, but I of course, choose to buy from Alpha Zulu. I’ve found some on the net that cost around $25 but I don’t think I’m willing to pay that much for them. Anyway, AlphaZulu has decided to start picking a charity to donate one weeks profit to. For a week, started Monday, Novemer 9th, they will donate 100% of their profits to the Breast Cancert Research Foundation. For information about sizing and colors check out their  facebook page.

LtoR:The Chief (1-4 colors),The Nova (1-2 colors),The Wave (1-2) and The Mini (1-2)

November is Prematurity Awareness Month.

For Prematurity Awareness Month, I have created a band in honor of Shaye. Many of you know her story, if you are new here, click here to read about our Shaye baby.

Now for some facts about prematurity and what the March of Dimes is doing to help prevent premature labor:

Prematurity has been escalating steadily and alarmingly over the past two decades. One out of eight babies is born prematurely in the United States. Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman.

Today more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. ( 1 in 8 ) will be born prematurely. Many will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they face weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complications and death; however, most, eventually, will go home.

But what does the future hold for these babies? Many survivors grow up healthy; others aren’t so lucky. Even the best of care cannot always spare a premature baby from lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems. Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth.

Although doctors have made tremendous advances in caring for babies born too small and too soon, we need to find out how to prevent preterm birth from happening in the first place. Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery.
 
In fact, the rate of premature birth increased by 36 percent between the early 1980s and 2006. This trend and the dynamics underlying it underscore the critical importance and timeliness of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. In 2007, a small but statistically significant decrease occurred: to 12.7 percent.

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign was launched on January 30, 2003. The Campaign has two goals: (1) to raise public awareness of the problems of prematurity and (2) to decrease the rate of preterm birth in the U.S. The campaign:

• Funds research to find the causes of premature birth
• Encourages investment of public and private research dollars to identify causes and to identify and test promising interventions
• Educates women about risk-reduction strategies and the signs and symptoms of premature labor
• Provides information and emotional support to families affected by prematurity
• Advocates to expand access to health care coverage to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes
• Helps health care providers to improve risk detection and address risk factors
• Generates concern and action around the problem

Important Milestones in the Campaign

• Creation of the Prematurity Research Initiative in 2004, which funds promising, innovative research into the causes of prematurity. Nearly $11 million has been awarded to 30 grantees over the past four years, and the program has already produced promising discoveries.
• Publication of the Institute of Medicine report Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention (2005). Funded in part by the March of Dimes, this report thoroughly documented the impact of premature birth on families, the health care system and business; it also provided the first cost estimates.
• The March of Dimes initiated the PREEMIE Act (“Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early”) in 2005. This act became law in 2006. It authorizes increased federal support for research and education on prematurity. Work continues on appropriation of funding to implement the act’s provisions.
• The PREEMIE Act also called for the first Surgeon General’s Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth, which was held in June 2008. The conference brought together experts from the public and private sectors. March of Dimes staff and volunteers were key participants in each of the six work groups that developed goals for an action plan. The goals were presented to the Surgeon General at the conclusion of the conference. Achieving the goals of this plan will require both private and public resources for broad-based research, capacity building, data systems, creation of interventions, quality initiatives and a comprehensive communications strategy.
• In March 2008, a strategic review of the Campaign was completed. It resulted in a March of Dimes board resolution that extended the Campaign to 2020 and established prematurity prevention as a global campaign. Publication of the first global report on preterm birth by the March of Dimes and the World Health Organization is planned to take place in October 2009 in New Delhi, India.

To learn more about what the campaign has achieved, read Progress and Impact.

The Hunger Games From School Library Journal:

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districs, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing.

 
When I picked up The Hunger Games, I could not put it down for anything. Probably from the very beginning of the book, it had me captured. Seeing all the things that Katniss and her family have to deal with on a daily basis, and then the feeling what she feels when she has to leave everyone she loves to go compete in sick, sadistic games that the government force them to participate in. Suzanne Collins knows how to get you into the story. There were times where I actually felt scared when she was having to fight for her life or triumphant when things went her way.

I absolutely love the Hunger Games and suggest it to everyone I know!

I’m not going to post the summary for Catching Fire here because it would have major spoilers in it but I wanted to make sure and post that there is a sequel to the Hunger Games. And I know once you read HG, you will want to turn right back around to the store and pick up Catching Fire.

I had a whole year between reading Hunger Games and Catching Fire and luckily, these are the type of books that you don’t have to reread to remember what happened. As soon as I started reading CF, the first book came right back to me and I was raptured into this book nearly as fast as I was in Hunger Games. In all actuality, I probably enjoyed Catching Fire better than Hunger Games but they are so close it’s hard to tell.

Synopsis:

In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town’s founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.

But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar’ s built a business sabotaging his father’s scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they’re turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?

Then he meets Nia, the girl he can’t stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more

I absolutely loved this book. It’s completely different from any book I have ever posted about but is pretty high up on my list of favorites.  Candor brings you the Stepford-esque community. The adolescents in Candor do their chores, homework and work without complaining. The adults quit addictions and get the life they always wished for.

From the outside looking in, Candor looks like the perfect community. No backtalking from the kids, perfect grades and absolutely no rule breaking. Kid’s don’t vandalize property, they don’t steal. They are perfect.

Oscar Banks is the son of the town founder, Campbell. He has learned his dad’s secret ways of creating subliminal messages in music to control others’ minds. He has fought hard to control the messages in his own brain and helps other kids fight it too. For a small price, of course. Everything goes to plan, he has his rules. Everything happens in a specific way and if it doesn’t go as planned, it risks Oscar’s side business being discovered.

Enter Nia. She is THE girl for Oscar. She is wild, artistic, and everything that Candor is not. He has to decide, does he want to keep her in Candor and have her become one of the brainwashed girls or does he tell her goodbye so she won’t lose herself? 

Getting hooked into this book didn’t take long at all. If you’re looking for a good read and something a little different, check out Candor today!

Click Here for the original Spooktacular Giveaway post on Page Turners.

Page Turners is hosting a Halloween themed contest. The prize(s) will be a surprise, but they give you a few hints.

• A new book (one that has been released in the last 3 months) that deals with something paranormal/fantasy.
• a gift card of some kind
• Halloween movie
• lots and lots of treats

This contest is open to everyone. They will be using random.org to pick the winner. To enter, leave a comment letting them know one of your favorite things about Halloween.
~ Extra Entries ~
+1 for being or becoming a follower
+2 for guessing my Halloween ringtone
+1 for following us on twitter
+1 for posting about our contest somewhere(leave us a link).

Contest ends on Oct. 30th the winner will be announced on the 31st.

I don’t know how they manage it, but Kermit, for the past two years, have been able to put on a free concert for everyone at the celebration days. They put up a stage in front of the courthouse and everyone either stand in front of the stage or for the people who don’t want to stand for an hour and a half, you can bring chairs and sit on the courthouse lawn. I know there were so many more people there than there was last year. I heard there were cars backed up all they way outside of the city limits because so many people were trying to get in.

Even though there were so many people who showed up, almost every person I told that we were going to get to see Kevin Fower was like ‘Who’s that?’ and it shocked me that not many people know about Kevin. We’ve known about him for awhile now and he’s one of our favorite singers. He plays what people know as ‘Texas Country‘. He has had some nationally known hits but it still pretty small in the business.. Many might know him from his album ‘Beer, Bait and Ammo’ which is personally one of my favorite songs. I’m posting a playlist of some of my favorite Kevin songs.. including 100% Texan because it would be a sin for a Texan not to like that song

Anyway, we had a complete blast at the concert. Dani was a little upset because a friend of hers wasn’t able to join us and she didn’t want to spend the whole night hanging out with the parents but I think she got over it pretty quick.  He played a few new songs from his new album and one of them is so funny but is such a horrible song. It’s called ‘Knocked Up’ and includes the lyrics “Well you got knocked up, And I got locked up. I guess you’d say that we both got screwed. Well you got locked out, And I got knocked out. And I guess you’re gonna miss a lot of school.”   Isn’t that horrible? lol..

Dad & Shaye watching the concert

Kevin Fowler

Kevin signing Dani's shirt

Dani & Kevin Fowler

had to slip in a picture of Gager

It’s Kidd’s Kids Day! Kidd Kraddick founded Kidd’s Kids in 1991 with the hope of making a difference in the lives of terminally and chronically ill children. Each year, Kidd’s Kids offers five amazing days of suspended reality to children whose lives have been ravaged by disease. No hospital visits, no shots, no uncomfortable stares from strangers. Just five straight days of sheer joys and excitement at “the most magical place on earth,” Walt Disney World. Kidd’s Kids children and their families are given the chance to experience the exuberance of being “normal.” That is the gift that you and I can offer by supporting the Kidd’s Kids organization. Please visit Kiddskids.com or click on the link above to make a donation.

Thanks for your support!

My most recent read was Lament by Maggie Stifvater. I’ve stepped away from the vampires for now, but trust me, I will go back.  I’ve never really been that interested in fairies. Even less so than I was about vampires. But when someone tells you it’s a good book, you have to try it out right?

Lament summary from Maggie’s website:

“Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke’s feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.”

To purchase Lament from Amazon, click here.

Lament was the August Book of the Month over at Mundie Mom’s. And unfortunately for me, I received the book the day before the MundieMom chat with Maggie was supposed to take place, so I wasn’t able to join in. I probably wouldn’t have asked questions anyway, but I love hearing, or in this case seeing, the authors inspiration for the books and seeing what other people thought about the book as well.

I actually really enjoyed reading Lament. I’m not all that familiar with the fey, except for what I had read in The Mortal Instrument series so I was happy to read more about them. Maggie did a really good job writing this book.

It didn’t take me all that long to get hooked into the book and when I did, I didn’t get bored with the story. You learn more about Deirdre and her family history with the fey, then there is the mysterious Luke that you just can’t figure out.

I think if you enjoyed books like Twilight and the Mortal Instruments, you will really like Lament. Maggie also has another book out that I’m looking forward to reading but I’m going to have to add it to the to-read list for now, might get to it in a month or so. The book is called Shiver and goes in another direction, Werewolves. You can find out more about this book at Maggie’s website or purchase it here on Amazon. I think I read that both Lament and Shiver are the first books in their series. I’m not sure how big the series are going to be but I know I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the sequels.

Right now, I’m reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. This book is not in the YA section like the Twilight Saga. It is a romantic Science Fiction novel. I’m just starting it so when I get done I’ll let you know what I think. Also, be on the look out for this month’s release of Catching Fire. It is Suzanne Collins’ sequel to Hunger Games and I plan on starting it right after I get done with The Host . I don’t think I ever blogged about the Hunger Games, but I really enjoyed it, and found it to be a very quick read. I think it is still in the works, but Hunger Games (IMDb) is supposed to be made into a movie, coming out somtime in 2011, so make sure you read the book before the movie. The books are always better

On Tuesday, July 27, 2009 at 5:23 p.m., we welcomed Gage Anthony into the world. I was really nervous that last hour waiting at the hospital before they took me back to the OR. All those ‘what ifs’ were going through my head and I was making my self freak out.  But, of course, everything went fine. I got into the OR a few minutes after 5. After some prep, Dr. Raja finally made it in and not even 10 minutes later, Gage was out and they were starting to close me up.

I started crying when they told me his weight. Just all those worries about him being small or having to go to the NICU, I guess. I don’t know why I thought he might be really small because I could tell by how big my tummy got, he was already way bigger than Shaye was. He came out weighing 5lbs 13.2oz and was 18 3/4 inches long. With some big feet and hands too

 

Yesterday, Shaye had her very first day of Kindergarten. Her teacher is Mrs. Ratliff and Shaye really seems to like her. She has a couple of friends that she already knew in her class so I’m happy about that. The only bad thing that I found out yesterday was since she’s now in school and not daycare, there are no naps. That girl was so tired and whiny when I got home from work, I thought I was going to strangle someone. Other than that, she was ok. She told me all about her getting to color an apple, and that it starts with an “A”.  And that she got to play outside 3 times instead of just once. Which is a big deal, of course!

Yesterday was also Gage’s first day of daycare and my first day back to work. I know, I’m sorry I still haven’t posted a blog about his birth but everytime I sat down to start a post, I got distracted or someone needed me so now that I’m back at work, I have time to blog lol. Just don’t let my boss in on that. hehe  He went to the Dr. last week and got a good report. He is (was at the dr appt, anyway) 7lbs 1oz, 20 inches long and 13 in head circumference. I think in weight, length and head he is in the 5th percentile, so he is still low but oh well, he’s healthy so that’s all that matters. He had a good report yesterday which I’m really happy to hear. In the month that he has been with us, I have kind of spoiled him (lol) so I was worried about him crying alot for them. But nope, he ate, slept and pooped for them which is what is expected. It did make me laugh though when I got his daily report, that it took him almost 2 hours to drink 3 oz, so I’m guessing he kept falling asleep. That little fart loves to sleep. More than eating, which is way weird for a boy. lol 

We haven’t heard anything from Dani yet. I’m not sure if she ever got called yesterday because it was kind of hectic at our house, but I’m sure everything went real well. Next Thursday is Dani’s first football game to cheer at, so I’ll make sure to get some pictures of her in her Admirals uniform.

I’m hoping sometime today I’ll finally get you a ‘Gage post’ so everyone can meet the little one. Until then..

The Credit Union got about 50 tickets for all their employees and family members. Since some weren’t able to go, mom got extra tickets and took me, Mac and Jeremy. I’ve always wanted to see what the show was about and I’m really glad to have gone.

First, when you look at what they tell you wear and what not to wear, you think, “What am I getting myself in to??”

They recommend children under 16 not attend the show. So, of course, you understand right away that this will NOT be a PG show. You are asked not to wear any high heels or flip flops. No jewelery and don’t wear anything you want to get ruined by grease. There is a TON of popcorn flying!

After awhile, the popcorn throwing kind of got annoying, but it was all in good fun. Anytime the ‘bad guys’ came out on stage, there was tons of popcorn thrown at them. (We caught alot of the flying popcorn because we were sitting RIGHT in front of the stage) Also there were quite a few popcorn fights between tables. Even my dear o’ Mom decided to dump a bag of popcorn on my head while I watching the show. Seriously, when I got home last night, I was pulling popcorn out of shoes, pants pockets and underwear… Not a very fun ride back home with popcorn down your pants lol.

I wish I would have taken a camera last night because when we finally left, there was popcorn piled up past our ankles on the floor. I think I read somewhere that they pop around 800 lbs of popcorn for the shows. That’s ALOT of popcorn!

The acting was good, there were some corny lame jokes hehe  but we really enjoyed ourselves. I really liked that after the play was over, they had a lot of different acts come out and do little skits. There were girls dancing, guys dancing and lots of singing. I really hope we’ll get to go back next year. I know next time I’ll enjoy it even more because I won’t be 8 months pregnant and I’ll be able to get me one of those wonderful looking margaritas. If anyone is ever in Midland during the summer, you should really check out Summer MuMmers, it’s something you’ll never forget!

Summer MuMmers has pictures on flickr and you can also follow them on twitter!

On June 15th we had another sono done. The “guesstimation” is that he was weighing in about 3lbs 11 oz and about 17 inches which is right around where he should be.  Sandra (the sono tech) also told us that Gage has a head full of hair. And showed us where you could see it. I never would have guessed that that was hair, but ok If you want more information on that doctor visit, you can go to the baby blog post here.
32 week sono:
 

We went again yesterday for my ‘final labs’ appointment. Testing for Group B Strep and all those other things they test for We got our preregistration information and also he told us to choose between July 26th and 27th for the surgery date.  That’s an iffy choice. Yes, Jeremy & Grammer get their leo, which is what they wanted. BUT, July 27th just happens to be Jeremy’s birthday. I’m ok with either date. And everyone I ask says go w/ the 27th. It’s easier to remember since we already have Jerm’s bday then, yada yada yada… But I really want to get his opinion. I know he won’t mind but still, think it’s safer to ask.

I’m really getting scared now. Well not technically scared. I would say freaked out? We now know the date that Gage will be here so I know I HAVE to be ready for this baby in a little less than 3 weeks. AAAH! There is so much to get ready and I’m freaking out that it won’t get done. We just now got to order a carseat, so that was a huge weight off my shoulders. We have a place for the baby to sleep so thats good. It’s just now getting his room ready, clothes washed and make sure we have all the little things. We’ve really put off getting his room ready because of our air conditioning  not working for the past month. But it’s down to the wire and it really needs to get done.

That’s something else I’m freaking out about. Air conditioning. I’ve been waiting for people to call me back for the last 3 weeks and we’ve still gotten no word. All we really need is more freon (sp?) but it’s like pulling teeth to get someone to answer. I’m calling back today and trying the ‘feel sorry for me, I’m 8 mos pregnant and I really need it’ spiel. Not sure if it’s going to work but with the forecast saying the next couple of days its going to be like 107°, I’m ready to try anything.

My next appointment is on the 21st so I’ll try and update about the baby around then. That is if I remember hehe.

That night we went over to Mom’s house to eat, pop some fire crackers and watch the fireworks at the park. It was a pretty good night. We got to see Jeremy for the first time in awhile. He seems like he is doing really good. I haven’t really posted anything about it but he’s about to go through a divorce. It’s a touchy subject so I’m not really going to go into it but he seems like he’s back to his old self so maybe it’s all for the best.

The fireworks ’show’ that the county put on was ok. (I guess)  It seems like every year they spend the same amount on them or maybe even more, but they get worse and worse. Mom had a next door neighbor that  was shooting some off that looked better than the ones in the show. And they didn’t spend near as much as the county would have. I have some videos of us shooting off firecrackers and some from the actual show but haven’t gotten to upload them yet. When I do I’ll try and post them somewhere.

All the way back on June 2nd, Shaye baby turned 5 years old. It cracks me up now becuase everytime she tries to do something and I try and help her, she swats me away and states “I’m 5 now, I can do it.”  That seems to be her answer for everything, “Mom, I’m 5. I’m a big girl.” Overall I think she had a pretty good birthday. On the 2nd, we went over to Mom and Jeff’s house and had a ‘birthday supper’. She got to choose everything we ate and got to open a few presents.
 

She finally got her ‘cupcake maker’ that she’s been begging for since Christmas. Plus a couple new dresses because, of course, our little princess could never have enough dresses

On June 17, we were able to have her official birthday party with her friends. I got really mad that day too because even though that I gave the daycare the invites 2 weeks before the party, they decided not to hand them out until THE day of. I know the rule of thumb is to invite the same number of kids that your kid is turning but we had an entire swimming pool just to ourselves, and I wanted Shaye to have one last party with all her daycare friends before she started Kindergarten. Since the invites weren’t handed out, I think we had a total of 6 kids there including Shaye. I guess it all ended up for the best, but I really wish she could of had more friends there.  OH well. Here are a few pics from that party, if you want to see more, click here.

I absolutely love the The Sookie Stackhouse aka Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This was the first series I was actually able to get into after reading the Twilight Saga. It begins with book 1, Dead Until Dark and is up to book 9, Dead and Gone, with book 10 being released in October 09. You might be familiar with the HBO Series, TrueBlood, that is based off of this book series. I do have to say though, the tv show isn’t completely true to the books. Of course, they had to add stuff in and change it around to make it more interesting and make it last longer, but I think they’ve gone a little crazy with the series. I’m all ok about reading about the biting and sucking blood crap but when I have to watch it on tv, it gets to me a little too much so I’ve given up watching.

Charlaine’s vamp’s are traditional vampires. They can’t be out during the day time, the have sharp pointed teeth and they are mean as hell, not including vindictive and manipulating. Plus, Charlaine doesn’t stop at vampires, there are many different mythical beings that show up throughout the series. I think these books are really good and easy reads. There was a good 6 month break in between reading From Dead to Worse and Dead and Gone and I picked it up easily. I really thought I would start book 9 and not remember anything that happened before that but she did a really good job at summarizing things that had happened in the previous books.

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life–and one of her coworkers checks out…Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn’t such a bright idea. A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that’s hard to put down, and should not be missed (Susan Sizemore)

I think if you have time, you should  check out this series. If not, add it to your to-read list. They are very entertaining and not as pg as Twilight was, if you catch my drift. These books can be found on Amazon, here.

DANI ISN’T MOVING!

I don’t know what changed her mind, but Mandi decided that she didn’t want to uproot her and Dani to Louisiana. I think Dani was really looking forward to the move, just because it was a change, but I know she’s really happy that she’s staying in Texas. She gets to stay on the Nimitz cheerleading squad, but has decided against staying in gymnastics. As of last Thursday, she is officially a 9th grade. Sometimes I can’t believe how fast these girls grow. I may not have been around her birth but I’ve seen Dani change from a little girl to a mature young woman. I’m so proud of her and love that i get to call her my daughter.

It’s hard to believe, but our Shaye baby will be a whole 5 years old tomorrow.  Like I said above, I can’t believe how much they change in such a short time. It just makes me want to hold on to them and let them stay young for a little while longer.

Shaye had an end-of-year Luau party at day care last Thursday. It was tons of fun getting to see her interact with her little friends. I’m sure she’ll miss these guys when she goes to Wink school next year, but I’m glad she had the chance to meet them. Without these little boogers, she wouldn’t be the same person she is today.

Best Movie Winner - Twilight
Best Female Performance - Kristen Stewart, Twilight
Breakthrough Performance Male - Robert Pattinson, Twilight
Best Kiss - Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson, Twilight
Best Fight - Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet, Twilight

I love it so much! It looks like the movie is going to have way better CGI than in Twilight. Maybe they got to fix the whole glittering in the sun thing too. Some are complaining that the wolf looks a little too “Golden Compass-ey” and that it doesn’t look real. From what I see in the trailer it looks pretty good but I can also see where it could get better.

I probably can’t count how many times I’ve watched the trailer but all I can say is OMG, I LOVE IT! hehe.. ok done with my school girl hysteria (for now) –  Tell me, what do you think about the trailer?

1.)Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right
And you need to shut up.

2.)Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five
Minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to
Watch the game before helping around the house.

3.)Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and
You should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in
Fine.

4.)Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5.)Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement Often
Misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and
Wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about
Nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.)That’s Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman n can
Make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before
Deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.)Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question,or Faint. Just say You’re welcome.

8.)Whatever : Is a women’s way of saying to hell with YOU!

9.)Don’t worry about it, I got it : Another dangerous statement, meaning.This is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now Doing it herself (again)

 Last Thursday we went to Odessa to see Dani’s end of year gymnastics show off. Personally I think she did great but she told me I better not put this video on the internet. Too bad I didn’t listen to her, huh? [Video Source]

Not that many of you know about this yet, but this summer Dani will no longer be a citizen of Texas. Her & Mandi will be moving to Lafayette, LA at the end of July. She’s already enrolled to attend Lafayette High School and is actually there today to test for GT classes next fall. We were really upset at first, especially Mac, but I think it will be ok. We’ll be missing out on alot of happenings in her life and the same for her in Shaye and Gage’s but it’s not the end of the world, we’ll still get her on holidays and summers, etc. We already have accounts set up on skype, so hopefully we’ll get to talk to her more. Plus in September when Mac’s cousin, Aaron, get’s married, we’re going to drive through Louisiana and pick Dani up. Shaye won’t be coming since it’s her first year in school and we wouldn’t want her to miss but Dani will get to spend some one-on-one time with the baby and get to see alot of family that we haven’t seen in forever. Even though Dani won’t be in Odessa next school year, she was invited to join the Permian varsity high school gymnastics team.

 Shaye baby is doing good. I go to the school tomorrow to register her for kindergarten. She tells me she wants to stay at daycare to be with all her friends and I try to remind her that they are going to ‘big school’ too so they won’t be there but it’s not really sinking into her thick skull her friend, Cameron will get to go to school in Wink with her next year so I think she is really happy about that but she would much rather him go to daycare with her lol.. I’m thinking she doesn’t really like change lol.

We went to the doctor on Tuesday for a regular checkup. From what baby center says, Gage should be around 2.25 lbs and aroun 14.5 inches. And I think that is right around what the doctor said. He told me that we’ll be scheduling the c-section for around 37-38 weeks which will be the last 2 weeks of July. That’s IF I make it that long. Mom told me to quit being pessimistic and that he could very well be a normal size baby carried full-term, but I just can’t help it.  Sorry, that’s just who I am lol.

Jeff’s daughter, Teri, helped us out quite a bit by giving us all of her youngest son’s clothes, a dresser, changing table and swing. It’s helped us out alot but there is still stuff that we need so if you are feeling generous I have a baby registry set up for things we still need.

[Original Post]