Crafts and Old Pics

Jeremy's mom, aka G or Sharon, brought me some craft projects to make my bed rest sentence go a little faster. I finished this little pillow yesterday. It's not a great picture...I took it with my phone.

This picture of G, Faith and Grace was taken right after the girls opened all of their princess gear from G. Faith decided that she needed to take her shirt off so you could see her necklace better.

The girls playing at the mall....they just love all the climbing!!

One day over the summer the girls and I had a "girls day"! This is a picture of us at lunch....a quaint Italian restaurant in Grapevine. (this is the only way to eat spaghetti)

Happy Birthday Jeremy!!

This weekend Jeremy's family came over to celebrate his birthday. They cooked a huge meal!! I loved having company......even though I had to take a little siesta during the day. (I was up for the snacks and the meal, though) On Monday, his actual birthday, I took him on a dinner date.....I didn't get out of bed until 5:30 so that I would feel well enough to get out of the house. We went to Trulucks in Southlake and had a fantastic dinner! We were seated right by the piano....great atmosphere, great company, great seafood!!!! This date definitely made up for not being able to have our weekly date night in over a month.

The only pictures I have are of Jeremy and I right before we left the house for our date.

You should have seen my closet after I decided on my final outfit! I haven't dressed up in over a month.....my clothes don't quite fit the same :)

I should have taken my sweater off so that you could see my big belly!!! It kind of looks like I swallowed a beach ball. Round is the new curvy...ya know!

Who's Going to Wear the Crown?

My mom recently sent me the print outs of some of my dad's sermons. Until about 30 minutes ago, I couldn't open the envelope. I have read one paragraph and I am in tears....tears from laughter and sadness!!! I wanted to share how my dad started this sermon and give you a glimpse of what he really thought of pageants. (I promise I will share the rest of the sermon when I find the strength to read it myself)

(left - evening gown competition 2002)

Who's Going to Wear the Crown? Luke 10:25-28

As you know we spent week before last at the Miss Texas Pageant. At the pageant they are always trying to get you to yell and cheer for the person you are there for. I love Brook and all but I have a difficult time getting excited about that kind of competition. So I've come up with some changes I think some of the girls need to try. Some things that would raise the level of excitement.

Like when the contestant is doing their talent, you know everything is real quiet, the music is just right. Wouldn't it be more of a test of talent if they had to perform with some of the girls heckling them. You know like at a basketball game when the player is trying to shoot a free throw.

Now this swim suit competition. The first thing is I've never seen a girl at the beach wearing a swim suit with high heels, what's up with that? Take the high heels off and put flip-flops on them. And this is suppose to be the physical fitness part of the competition. But you can only tell if they look fit, so what we need is to add a little WWF to this part. You know while the girl is walking across the stage another girl run up and gives her a forearm smash to the head or maybe a body slam. Then you could tell how fit they were by how quick they got up!

The evening gown part. Anybody would look graceful in a long gown and high heels. So I was thinking you could put down a thin layer of ice on the stage. When they walk across the stage in their evening gown and high heels on ice, you could really tell who was graceful!

But you know, as good as these suggestions are, I do not believe any of the girls will try them. The reason they wouldn't is because they would be disqualified if they did. They have certain rules they have to follow to be able to win. Their talent can only be so long, their clothes have to be a certain way. They have to make good grades in college. They have rules to follow.

(later in the sermon)...The only place you will ever understand the rules for living is by reading the instruction manual God has given us, the Bible.

Cruise - I think I was about 5

Miss Texas 2003

High heels for house shoes maybe

Like I said, I will finish the sermon.....so that it will all make sense....but that is as far as I got :)

A few weekends ago, I finished the letters for Addison's room. I decided to use all the colors of her room....pink, brown and white. I also wanted them to be girly....so I added rhinestones! :)

My husband has been so supportive and caring during this whole bed rest period. Last week he came home with two dozen roses.....red and pink! Then he bought me some extremely fragrant stargazer lilies with an adorable teddy bear for Addison's room. Addison's bear is about three feet tall and has proven to be the best belly pillow for Mommy!!!!

Pictures from Gaga

My Aunt Janet just emailed my some pictures of Grace that she took on Sunday while Faith was having her special day with mommy. I don't think Grace was missing mommy at all :)

2 lbs 1 oz

Today we had another doctor visit and ultrasound. Miss Addison gained 11 ounces in 11 days!!!! I gained 1 lb 5 oz (ok.......so I gained 2 pounds). The doctor said that everything is fine. Still having the contractions of course but the bed rest seems to be holding everything steady. He did confirm today that I will be on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. I am 26 weeks today......I have been on bed rest for 20 days.....oh just a few more months to go!!!

I will confirm that all of our prayers have been answered in the last few days. We were concerned about Addison's size. Last visit she was in a very low percentile....but thanks to G's Sonic runs, she is now in the 53rd percentile. The doctor was very pleased. We were also concerned that the at home bed rest might be turned into hospital bed rest. Today the doctor told us that since I am doing well at home that I can stay here for now. He did say that we might have to do an at home iv pump to administer medicine for the contractions...but nothing for now. Addison has been our little trooper.....so strong and healthy! Jeremy and I are amazed at how much we love this tiny baby! We could not imagine not having her! It is true what they say....God's plan is much better than your own!!!!

This is her profile. I had to take my glucose test today so right before the ultrasound I drank the thick, orange sugar drink....I really don't know how else to describe it. She was very calm at first but then the sugar started to kick in!!!

This is her cute little foot. I have never been a feet person, but these little toes are intoxicating!!! Some of my favorite pictures are of her little feet.

When we were doing the ultrasound, we asked about the 4D one. The lady told us all about it and then said...."don't tell anyone!" She changed the machine and let us take a quick glance. We were able to take home this 4D picture of Miss Addison's face. (Her arm and foot kept getting in the way.....very active!)

We were very pleased when we left the doctors office today. I can do bed rest as long as she is healthy. I am trying to convince Jeremy that my chipped toenail polish is not working. I am trying to talk him into painting them for me....his response was, "as long as you don't look while I am painting them". Okay so that is a disaster waiting to happen! :) He has been wonderful!! I guess I can handle ugly toenails. :)

Choo Choo

As I mentioned before Faith was sick this weekend. But she was full of love!!! Lots of hugs and kisses....and TONS of "I love you Mommy"!!! She also soaked in all the attention that being sick brings. I can't remember a moment she wasn't in Jeremy's arms. On Sunday, she was feeling better, so we decided to have a Faith day....since Grace had one the day before. While Grace was at the pumpkin patch with Gaga, Meemaw and Cristie, Jeremy and I took Faith to ride Thomas the Train. (yep...I got out of bed...again!) Because she wasn't feeling 100% normal and the only walking I do is from the bed to the bathroom or kitchen.....we made this a very easy, slow outing.

She was excited to see the "real" Thomas the Train! I was going to ride with her but the sign said "NO Pregnant Women"....okay so Jeremy rode. These pictures aren't great (again with my phone) but it is really cute to see Faith and Jeremy on the train.

(Camera phone does not work when objects are in motion!!!) I wish I had remembered my camera.....her expressions and smiles while she was riding were so refreshing! Every time she went around she would wave to me! Jeremy said all she kept saying was, "Choo, Choo!!!"

After the train ride, we decided it was time to curl up in bed. Faith and I watch Oliver and Company while we sipped on our Sonic drinks and snuggled with Addison's new teddy bear. We then decided to paint our finger nails because the color Cristie painted them last weekend was old and we had to put a new color on. (Although my color choices are now boring....I don't have blue or green like Cristie! It is hard not being the coolest!) Faith ended up with one hand pink, the other red....one foot red, the other black. Sometimes it is impossible to choose just one color!

Although Faith was not feeling well, it was a great weekend. Jeremy and I were able to spend one on one time with the girls. I really think they both enjoyed having their own special day!

Butterfly Flutterby

I got out of the house today!!!!! My sweet husband helped me get out of bed and out of the house (I think my fit of tears, proclamation that EVERYTHING is out of control and profession that I am indeed losing my mind----definitely encourage his actions)...needless to say he is awesome and we had a wonderful afternoon.

Every year Grapevine holds what they call the Butterfly Flutterby. This is a celebration of the Monarch Butterfly migrating from Canada to Mexico....they travel through Grapevine so we have a festival!!! Faith was a little under the weather today so she stayed at home with MeeMaw (which she did not mind....when you don't feel well there is nothing like being rocked to sleep while Meemaw sings all of your favorite songs....I know, I use to love it too!). So Jeremy took Grace, Addison and I to the Butterfly Flutterby!

Grace was all dressed up with her Monarch Butterfly wings on.....every step she took she had to flap the wings because she was a real butterfly and that is how they move! This turned out to be slightly difficult because it was pretty busy downtown. Everyone was understanding when they were hit in the fanny with a butterfly wing....come to think of it....it was probably because her mommy is a large pregnant woman...compassion or fear...who knows. Grace decorated a beautiful butterfly with stamps, markers and glitter!

We all shared the best fresh squeezed lemonade while we watched the butterfly release. We didn't stay long but it was a blast. Of course, I forgot my camera, so these phone pictures will have to do.

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

I took this picture right when they released the butterflies. As you can see Grace thought it was amazing.....Jeremy on the other hand, has that look, "that's it?"

We had such a great time!!

All Dressed Up

The girls LOVE to play dress-up. Over the summer G bought them a complete dress up set with heels, gloves, rings, necklace....the whole nine yards. Well, over the weekend the girls found some of Mommy's old crowns....this took our princess outfit to a whole new level! We are still having fun...even though Mommy has to be in bed......or as the girls say "Addison, my baby sister, has to rest".

Pumpkins

Faith and Grace each brought back a pumpkin from their adventures with Gaga. On Sunday I served my bed rest sentence at the kitchen table and we decorated their pumpkins. The girls also painted a picture for the playroom and Faith painted a picture for Jeremy's office.

Above: Grace's finished product!

We are going "abstract" for Halloween this year!!

Faith asked if she could find a place in the house for her pumpkin. It ended up in the window right beside my bed. She said that it was the best place so Mommy could see it all the time.

Breast Cancer Awareness

A woman is diagnosed with Breast Cancer every three minutes in the United States, with over 200,000 diagnosed this year alone. Every twelve minutes a woman will die from Breast Cancer. 44,000 women with Breast Cancer die each year in the United States, more casualties than the Vietnam War! One in eight women in the United States will develop Breast Cancer in her lifetime and that could be your mother, daughter, aunt, niece, wife, grandmother, friend, or you. Breast Cancer is the leading cause of deaths for African American women. Women of low socioeconomic status are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage Breast Cancer and die of the disease. Every woman is at risk for Breast Cancer and it is the most common form of cancer in women. Breast Cancer is also present in men, and by the time a man is diagnosed the disease is typically more advanced. There are more than 1.6 million Breast Cancer survivors the in the U.S. today. These numbers emphasize the enormity of this disease and that Breast Cancer touches everyone!

Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in Dallas , Nov 7 – 9th
http://cms.komen.org/komen/NewsEvents/BreastCancer3-Day/index.htm

Lace Up for the Cure with New Balance
http://www.nbwebexpress.com/information/pinkribbon.asp

Yoplait – Save Lids to Save Lives
http://www.yoplait.com/slsl/

Great Organization -- ACSCAN
http://www.acscan.org/

Dallas Race for the Cure – October 18th

http://www.komen-dallas.org/site/PageServer
http://www.komen-dallas.org/site/TR?fr_id=1030&pg=entry

TCU Frogs for the Cure Football Game and Survivor Tailgate Party!
http://www.komentarrant.org/2008%20Survivor%20Tailgate.aspx
October 16th
TCU v, BYU

Gaga's story

Today Faith and Grace are having a play date with my Aunt Janet....their Gaga! Right now they are playing at the pumpkin patch......this is the second anniversary of this pumpkin patch play date. Last year when it was time to leave, Janet had to carry Faith to the car under her arm because of the massive 2 year old tantrum that she was throwing. This is very out of character for Faith! She must have really loved those pumpkins. It makes me laugh picturing my aunt carrying a stiff as a board, screaming 2 year old to the car while her twin follows saying, "I don't know why she is crying, we have to leave....they are closing". Talk about role reversal!!!!

The girls love their adventures with Gaga! Working in their flower garden, playing in their sand boxes, staying up late and sleeping in!!!

Every time they see a pink ribbon...they say, "Look Mommy, Gaga's heart"! (Everything is pink ribbon at Aunt Janet's house.....brushes, cups, soup cans, blankets, pjs and the Christmas tree) Faith and Grace absolutely love it! Jeremy and I found pink ribbon ducks for the bath....when we brought them home we practically received a standing ovation!

Grace and Gaga also share a very special "magic button". When Grace saw Janet's port for the first time it scared her. Janet reassured her that it was Gaga's magic button!! When Grace sits in her lap she whispers, "can I push your magic button?". Grace has recently informed us that she has a magic button too......when she misses Gaga she just pushes her magic button!

Here is Gaga's story........

While showering, my Aunt Janet aka Gaga, found a lump by accident. In 1994 she was diagnosed at the age of 38 with breast cancer – no history of breast cancer in family. The cancer was stage 2. She received 6 months of chemo, a mastectomy and reconstruction.

In 2002 she had a recurrence in her neck and collar bone area and small spot on her lung. After surgery, the diagnosis was stage IV, HER 2 positive. She was told that the average survival for this diagnosis was 18 months. Aunt Janet was treated with Chemo, Radiation, Herceptin and Femara.

She lost all of her insurance in 2004.

In May 2008 Aunt Janet was told that the cancer had returned – now in her bone (chest bone etc) and Left Adrenal Gland. She resumed Herceptin and Femara (which had been stopped in 2007). She is also being treated with Zometa Infusion for Bone Cancer. Again told this is Stage IV, and currently there is no cure.

Next week she will be undergoing her 3 month PET Scan, Bone Scan, Heart Scan etc.

Help find a CURE! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!!!!

Little Girls and Dinosaurs

Mom and I prefaced our safari adventure with a trip to the Dinosaur Park. This was the perfect adventure for Faith and Grace. They love dinosaurs! Yes, in our playroom we have a ballet bar, dress up basket and a cooking station, but the one basket that comes out every time is the dinosaur one!

yes...we have a place for everything in the playroom....containers for the tea party set, balls, arts and crafts, trains, weebles, blocks, books....oh you get the picture. But let me tell you, this OCD action of mine has paid off.....the girls enjoy cleaning up and will definitely let anyone know if something is being put in the wrong container.

Back to the point, the girls have always loved dinosaurs, lizards and snakes. In fact, when mom and I went to get them a bike....we left the store with a rubber frog and a ball. When the girls were rewarded for being so good in Target, we left with a rubber snake and a dinosaur!

The girls had a great time looking at all the dinosaurs! Faith would run up to the dinosaur turn around and say "cheese"! She loves pictures! Grace would just run to the next and say, "Mommy let me show you this one....it is really big". She acted like we had been hundreds of times! They were fascinated. They were also able to dig for dinosaur bones and pick out a toy in the gift shop. We left with a shark tooth, piece of amber, mystery bone, snake and dinosaur puzzle!

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.

~Walt Streightiff

It's a jungle out there!

A few weekends ago my mom and I took the girls to the drive thru safari near Glen Rose. It was very warm, but there was a little shower while we were there so it cooled things off. The girls loved throwing food out to the animals.....in fact they loved throwing food out to the grass! At first, they had a little trouble getting the food out of the car, when we ran out of food all we had to do was look on the floorboard and dashboard. :)

The girls favorite part was feeding the giraffe. A baby had just been born.......it was amazing to watch the mother and the baby interact. The girls just loved the fact that the giraffe was so "personable". He came right up to us....stuck his head in my window and then through the sunroof. The girls were standing on the console with their heads out the sunroof....so the fact that they were able to literally kiss him was exhilarating! While the giraffe was eating the food we gave him, a big string of drool came leaking out of his mouth, into the car and down the side of Grace's face. She let out a knee slapping, belly laugh! She still talks about it! Faith was a little unsure about the fuzzy things on the giraffe that kept tickling her.....(his whiskers)!

After we out stayed our welcome with the giraffes.....(the people behind us started honking....but a little horn doesn't stop a mother of very happy twins)....it started pouring!!! The rain moved the animals. We watched herds of them run across the land....it was an amazing sight.

This was definitely one of my favorite adventures with my mom and the girls!

Church with DeeDee

Faith and Grace love going to church with DeeDee (my mom)! They don't get to go with her often, but when they get a chance they have a blast. In fact, when they were smaller it was DeeDee's Jesus and "DeeDee's bible tells me so". When they wanted you to sing Jesus Loves Me.....they wanted you to sing DeeDee's song. Their innocence is so refreshing!

My mom has been so influential in my girls' lives. I am so thankful she is such a strong Christian inspiration for them. I know their connection will only grow and I am so thankful for that!

After church mom grabs lunch and they head to the park to play and eat! She emailed me some pictures she took on her phone at their last Sunday picnic.

Faith

Faith with her big drink!

Grace having fun!

Grace having lunch

Doctor Visit

Today we went to the doctor. He said that Addison is doing great but I am still on strict bed rest. I go back Friday morning for another check-up and ultrasound so I will share new pictures then. I did lose 2 pounds so he said that on Friday we might have to make a decision about hospital bed rest or maybe just an IV at home.........neither sound very good to me! He did give me new medicine to try for the next two days.....it is designed to stop contractions.

I just have to say...my husband has been an absolute angel! He has to do so many extra duties these days. Seriously....I can't even put my own socks on right now :) Dinner, house, grocery store, laundry and there is a large pregnant woman at the house that some might consider "high maintenance". Not to mention work....only 12 to 14 hours a day! I am so blessed!

Needless to say, I will be on this computer a lot. I have some adventures that the girls and I went on recently that I will share later. First things first....my mother-in-law is bringing me food, medicine and several episodes of 24.......yes she is awesome!

So as Jeremy said this afternoon, "all we can do is say a few prayers....well maybe a lot of prayers".

Addison Cooper Bell

Jeremy and I have been so fortunate.....we have been able to see Addison several times throughout this pregnancy. In fact, I think there has only been one visit that we haven't had an ultrasound. Last week during the ultrasound she tried to get her thumb in her mouth but when she missed she decided to rub her eye instead. I get to feel her everyday......the kicks, punches and hiccups! It is so amazing to get to watch her too!