Christmas with the Cowans

Last Thursday, Dec. 22, all of Nick's family joined us here in Texas for Christmas. We were thrilled to have them at our house for Christmas. Because they all live in Florida, we don't see each other as much as we all would like. So when we are together, it makes it that more special.

This was our nephew, Patrick, and Lawson's first Christmas. #3 for Malachi. ;) Needless to say, they didn't care too much about opening presents. They were just happy to be playing on the play mat or rolling around on the floor. Patrick is 6 months old and Lawson is 4 months. I think these two are going to be the best of cousins as they grow older. And....I have a feeling they may drive their older cousin/brother Malachi crazy at times. lol The three of them together are sure to wreck havoc in the years to come. Malachi is going to have his hands full with those two next year.

We didn't do anything special. It was nice to just be home and hang out. Sunday, we went to Christmas service at our church. Pastor Bryan delivered a great message as usual. Afterwards, we took a few family pics by the beautiful Christmas tree. As soon as I get a copy from my father-in-law I will upload it. We came home and my MIL and SIL cooked a wonderful Christmas meal. We ate and ate and ate. Malachi and his aunt Callie made Christmas cookies. He loved making them with her. Monday, Callie and I went shopping. Guess how much we spent?!?! $1.36. Yep. She bought a first year ornament for Patrick. The deals just were not as good as we had hoped, at least not to stand in those lines.

It was a wonderful visit and we enjoyed spending time together. Tuesday night, GiGi and Grandpa babysat while the moms and dads went to Benihanas. It was so nice to sit and chat with our brother and sister. We laughed and ate and laughed and ate.

A visit with the family can't come soon enough so hopefully it won't be too long before we get to see each other again.

Christmas in Arkansas

This past week we spent Christmas in Arkansas with my family. My niece and nephew stayed with us which made it even better (and a little louder). :) We left Friday night after Nick's game so we didn't get to my parents until about 2:30am. And I wasn't even tired!

Saturday we (except for Nick and Lawson) spent all day Christmas shopping. It was quite the adventure. Santa Claus was in town also. I really wanted to get Malachi and my niece's picture taken with him but Malachi.was.not.having.it. My niece on the other hand, was soooo excited. She said and I quote, "I've never got to see him up close, only on the fire engine at the parade" as she clasp her hands together with a big smile on her face. It was wonderful. I kinda want Malachi to believe in Santa but I won't push it. If he does he does, if he doesn't, I just hope he doesn't ruin it for anyone else. ;)

Sunday we had family pictures taken with a long time high school friend. She's an amazing photographer and I can't wait to get the CD. Malachi had only had a 20 minute nap so he was a big BEAR. I don't think we got one picture with him smiling. And did I mention how cold it was? So between no nap and the cold weather, he was a pretty unhappy camper. All well. They turned out fabulous anyway. I can't wait to blow them up and get them on my wall.

Monday we visited with my grandparents. I'm so thankful that we were able to spend another holiday with them. This was the first Christmas without Granny Brown which made it a little sad to be home but so thankful she is rejoicing in Heaven.

Yesterday, all of Nick's family arrived from Florida and Alabama and will be here until Tuesday. I'm so glad they were able to come for Christmas. This is the first time they have seen Lawson. The first time they saw Malachi was also at Christmas. Lawson is 4 months old and Malachi was 3 weeks old. Wait. What?? Did I just say Lawson was 4 months old?!!? Yes I did. I just can't believe how fast it is going by, again. He goes to the doctor next week for his 4 month check up. Not looking forward to the shots but curious to know how big he is. Anyway, I love having our famil

Ready to spend a wonderful Christmas with our wonderful family.

Just Eat Your Dinner.....

Last night I made baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and broccoli. As Nick put it, this was basically a meal catered to Malachi. He likes every.single.one.of.those.items. Did he want to eat them? No. We are cracking down on him eating his dinner because lately whatever is made, he doesn't want to eat. I will never make him eat something he doesn't like. I'm not going to eat something I don't like so why would I make him? But...he likes all of those foods, so that's what he was going to eat.

Well, he didn't eat them. He took a bite of green beans and a couple of bites of mashed potatoes and he was whining he didn't want it. So I said fine but this is your supper for the night. I told him he wasn't getting a pop tart, a waffle, oatmeal (his favorites) or anything else. He could eat his dinner and then he could have something else. (Nick was also telling him this. It's easier when both parents are on the same page.)

So, in about an hour he came to me with a bag of chips. Should I just let him eat them? It's late and he hasn't eaten yet. I don't want him to go to bed hungry. Ugh. I wanted so bad to let him eat them but I didn't. I told him no that his dinner was on the table if he wanted to eat something. Well, he chose not too. It was time for bed and he still hadn't eaten.

As I laid there in my bed, I just kept thinking about how hungry he probably was and how I was hoping that his little tummy wasn't hurting. But I knew I couldn't let him choose to do what he wanted. It wasn't a choice. There was no you can either eat this or chips. No. It was this is what's for dinner (you like it all) so this is what you can eat. It was hard but I made it. lol I'm thinking he probably didn't starve.

What do you think? Would you have chosen to let him go ahead and eat something before bed since he hadn't eaten? Or, would you have stuck to your guns and let him choose to eat his dinner or not?

Parenting is a hard thing. To do or not to do? We are responsible for these little people and to know the best decisions is just hard sometimes.

Can He Really Be 3?

November 30, 2008......Yep, that's when our world turned right side up. We had our first baby boy!! And this week, we celebrated his 3rd birthday. Where does the time go?? After his party Saturday, I watched home videos of our lives with Malachi starting from my shower for him all the way through his third birthday. He was such a chunky baby. Loved it!! And now he's 3. Tall and Slim. Smart and funny. My sense of humor. His daddy's good looks.

All we've been hearing for months now is about his Veggie Tales party. So finally, the day came...he got to have his Veggie Tales party. That kid had so much fun. And was in a good mood considering he didn't have a nap. We were blessed by so many friends who came to help us celebrate. Some we don't get to see as often as we like but still, they came to make this day special for Malachi. Puppet Show??? What what???!!! Yeah, we had one and.it.was.funny!!! Nick and Steven did a great job. lol

It was an amazing day with amazing friends. Thank you Andrea for making the chili. Thank you Karissa for making the amazing cake and cupcakes. So good and so cute!! And thank you Karolyn for helping pick up.

Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

We had a wonderful time in Arkansas for Thanksgiving. Being with family is always a great way to spend the holidays. My niece and nephew got to spend a couple of days with us. Malachi absolutely loves them. Thanksgiving day we went to my grandparents. All of my mom's family gets together and has Thanksgiving lunch. I'm so blessed that I still have my granny and grandpa. I'm sooo thankful that they were able to meet Lawson and see Malachi again. It was good to see everyone again. I wish it was more than once a year. We had lots of fun watching Malachi play with Jordan and Addison. I would just love for them to live close together. Since Addison and Jordan won't be able to come to Malachi's birthday party, they decided to have a little party at my mom and dad's. Addison decorated Malachi's cake all by herself. :) Friday we watched the Arkansas/LSU game. Boo. Boo. Boo. That's all I can say. It was a great Thanksgiving break. We loved having Nick home with us all week. We are so looking forward to these next 3 weeks passing quickly so he can be on Christmas break.

I'm so thankful for my family and that we have each other. On 60 minutes tonight they were interviewing homeless children. Two kids lived with their dad in a truck. Their mom passed away and the dad was a carpenter doing what he could to make it. Listening to this 15 year old girl and 13 year boy talk you would think they lived in a home. They were so mature and so thankful for what they did have. The girl said that she would see other homeless people and want to help them. Amazing. The kids were simply amazing. And they made me realize once again, that even though we are not rich, we have a roof over our head, warm food to eat, and a warm place to sleep. Thank you Lord.

On the way to Arkansas the Lord really showed us that he hasn't forgot us. On three different accounts he showed his faithfulness to us. One was our gas that we got. Nick used our debit card and got gas. He couldn't remember if he paid for it so he decided to go in and get a receipt just to make sure. When he looked at the receipt it showed paid but with a MasterCard. Still didn't think anything about it. Someone else had paid for our gas. Coincidence? Maybe. A mess up by that person? Possibly. But with the other two things that had taken place we knew it was God. Our tank had been filled and we didn't have to pay. Not a lot of money at the end of this month so driving to Arkansas was like a wing and a prayer. But once again, God showed himself to us. He wanted us to be reminded that we can trust him with EVERYTHING. I hope this Thanksgiving that there was something to remind you that God is for you. He hasn't forgot about you. Just keep trusting him. Pastor Bear and the worship team sang a song this morning and this is the part that burns so deep in my heart and mind. "And right now, in the good times and bad. You are on your throne. You are God alone."

My Sweet Grandparents

The Holidays Have Begun.......

Friday Nick had a half day at school and he is out this entire week. We are so thankful and happy that we have him with us ALL week long. Therefore.....the holidays have begun. Thanksgiving is Nick's favorite holiday. When I asked him why, this was his response. "First because there are a lot of football games and food. Second because there is a lot of hanging out with family time without the expectation of giving or receiving a gift." So true. Thanksgiving is just a time we can hang out and be thankful that we have each other.

Everyday on facebook (I try too everyday at least) I post a different reason that I am thankful. Besides Jesus (because I am always so very thankful for him), I am most thankful for my family. I've said it a million times before but I will say it again and again because I don't ever want there to be a doubt in their mind about the way I feel about them. I have the most amazing husband and sons. They fill my heart with such joy and happiness. One of my greatest fears is having to face life without them. I am thankful for the love we have for each other. I am thankful for the good times and even the bad times that we have. Lord knows we have our moments but in those times we pull closer to each other. I'm also thankful for both sides of our families. I believe we have the greatest families ever! In-Laws that I adore and parents I love dearly. We will be heading to Arkansas tomorrow after Nick's basketball game. I can't wait to see my family that I haven't seen in a couple of years. They haven't seen Malachi since he was 1 and it will be their first time to meet Lawson.

And of course before I go I must mention my lovely's a little bit more. Nick is doing an incredible job at school as the 7th and 8th grade computer teacher. His basketball team is of course doing great. So far they are 2-0. Last year he was 10-0 so we are hoping for a winning season again. ;) He's also one of the Varsity Assistant coaches. Needless to say, we are busy busy busy this time of year. With games on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays and then he has practice on Wednesdays and Thursdays until late, by the time the weekend gets here we are sooo ready to just do NOTHING. This vacation is much needed and we are so ready to spend time together.

Malachi is about to turn 3. I just can't believe. He is talking more and more in full sentences. Saying things that I just can't believe he's old enough to say. He's loving school and everyday he comes home singing some song that they have learned. I'm so proud of him and the little boy he is. My BIG boy I should say. :) For a while now, he has known his colors, counts to 20, shapes, ABCs, recognizes all of his letters and numbers, counts backwards. He's no exception but we think he's EXCEPTIONAL.

Lawson just turned three months on Friday. My my my....where has the time gone?? Lawson is such a little delight. He's smiling and laughing, cooing and gooing. He LOVES to talk and to be talked too. He's already putting his hands together. He follows noises and objects really well. He recognizes us as soon as we say something to him. Lawson LOVES when Malachi talks to him. He loves his big brother and big brother loves him. These two have my heart.

It's Been Awhile...

It seems like forever since I last posted anything. It has been forever actually. We just now got our internet back. Thank goodness. October was a great month. We ended it by trick-or-treating in our neighborhood for the first time with the boys. Last year, Malachi was just not in to it so we just hung out with friends as their dad scared people. Might I say, I love watching him scare the older kids. It.is.so.funny!! Malachi seemed to enjoy himself until we got to the house at the end of the street. The lady giving out the candy had those "teeth" in and "blood" all over her. He wasn't to convinced that this was fun. (neither was I) Funny how when you grow up and have your own kids you get a new perspective of what's fun and what's not. I don't judge or dislike anyone for doing scary happenings on Halloween, I just don't want Malachi to encounter it right now. We will never do scary costumes, devils, witches, anything like that but if you want too, do it. It's alright with me. A lot of people don't do Halloween. There are many fall fests and trunk or treats which I love. I grew up trick or treating and we never viewed it as worshiping the devil or bad omens or anything like that. We did it for fun. I loved when my mom would take us trick or treating. It was something fun we did as a family. Well, my dad always stayed behind and handed out candy. Anyway, don't judge me for taking my kids trick or treating..that's all I'm saying. :) Here are a few pictures of my doctor and yo gabba gabba friend.

We are now into November, a month of Thanksgiving. There is so much that I am thankful for and I will be sharing some of those through out the month. I also really like to change my page to get the feel of the season. :) So yes, it will be changing to a Thanksgiving scene I'm sure.

2 Months Old.........

This week Lawson turned 2 months old. I cannot believe how fast time is going. It seriously seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital waiting for his arrival. He had his 2 month shots this week. Sad. Sad. Sad. He screamed his little heart out. Soon after, once I picked him up, he calmed down. Different than Malachi, about 3 hours after his shots he was not in a good mood. I guess his poor little legs were hurting. Thankfully though, he never had fever.

He's definitely a growing boy. He weighed 13lbs 6oz. and was 24 in. long!! Looks like he's going to take after his brother who was 14 lbs at 2 months. We just can't figure how we "grow" such big boys. lol Well, however it is, I love it!!! I love having big healthy boys.

Last night, Lawson slept through the night. He didn't wake up until 5:30 which is perfect because that's when we have to get up during the week anyway. I'm hoping that this will continue. ;)

Pumpkin Patch Time...

This Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Patch. I love the pumpkin patch as I have mentioned before. I just love getting to pick one out especially with my kiddos. This year it was extra special because my mom was able to go with us. She and my aunt came to visit for the weekend so we decided to make this the weekend we went. I'm glad she was able to go because there are so many things that our families miss because we live so far away from both of them. If you live close to your parents and they get to see their grandkids often....be thankful. Be ever so thankful.

We went to the same place as we did last year...Country Critters Farm. There are some animals to pet, ponies to ride, hayride, and the number one all time favorite...bounce houses. Yes, Malachi didn't want to do anything else but the bounce house. I was able to snap a few pictures of them but not a lot. I'm just thankful for the great weekend we had. ;)

Fall.Is.Upon.Us

Fall is finally here. I'm pretty much a summer kind of person. I.HATE.COLD.WEATHER. Hate it probably isn't even a strong enough phrase to describe it. However, the weather this summer was just unbearable most of the time, especially since I was pregnant. 110 degree weather is not my cup of tea. It completely ruins the summertime. I'm good with the weather being in the 80s. So with that said, I'm actually really looking forward to the fall.

I love fall, everything about it. I love the changing of the trees. I love the crisp in the air. (just enough for a light-weight long sleeve shirt) I love the smells of fall. I love going to pumpkin patches and getting a pumpkin. I do love this time for football. Curled up on the couch with my family while we are all curled up in a blanket. I love boots. (I need some new ones.) I love fall colors....oranges, deep yellows, browns. And in the late fall, the smell of smoke from someones house burning wood in the stove (or fireplace). Last, CARMEL.APPLES.ARE.IN.STORES. Those are just some of my favorite things about fall.

October is actually a pretty fun month. Two things: State fair and pumpkin patches. I can't wait to go to the pumpkin patch and take pictures of my lil' pumpkins. We also get to pick a pumpkin at the patch and for some reason the kid in me comes out. (It's one of my favorite things.) This week I'm going to get Malachi and Lawson a pumpkin the can decorate. We will probably go to the state fair next weekend. As always, we will be hitting the dollar hotdog stand. :) Of course we will let Malachi ride a few rides. It's so expensive but I remember when I was little and my parents taking us to the fair and riding rides. It was such a fun memory that I still have and I want to make those memories with my kiddos.

What to be for Halloween??? I.have.no.idea. They have a Veggie Tales costume at the Family Christian bookstore for Malachi so he may be Bob or Larry. Lawson..probably won't spend money on something he can't wear again unless it's like $5 or less. lol He'll probably just be in a pumpkin sleeper and may have a pumpkin hat. Who knows.

On another note, our good friend scored us tickets to last night playoff game...Rays vs. Rangers. It was a lot of fun and the weather was perfect!

It's Hard to Believe...

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I gave birth to our second addition. I don't know why it's so hard to believe, it all went just as fast with Malachi. I mean, he's about to turn 3. What?!?! Lawson is growing and growing and growing. He's definitely gaining weight just fine. He's out of all his newborn clothes. And, like his brother and mother, pants that fit in the waist, are to short in length. Boo! He's still a pretty good sleeper, at night that is. Which is good because we can sleep at night as close to normal as you can with a one month old. He normally goes to bed anywhere from 8:30-9:30 and sleeps until 2am. Then he is up again at 5. Nick has been doing the first feeding and I do the second. It is going much smoother the second time around. We're not about to completely die this time. ;) Lawson just recently started smiling at me when I talk to him. He follows us in the room if we are moving. He's very attentive and alert.

We watched the new show, "Up All Night," and well, that's pretty much what it's like with a first newborn. Why are they stronger than we are? lol (I hope the rest of the episodes are just as funny.)

Malachi is doing great at daycare. He loves his friends. (even though he got bit today) >( He's getting so big and really using his sentences these days. I can't believe he's about to be 3!!! I wanted to do a Cars themed birthday party since he really likes Lightning McQueen. But I decided to give him the choice because he also reallllly likes Veggie Tales. So I have asked him multiple times, mostly trying to persuade him, and it's the same answer every time. Malachi, do you want your birthday party to be Cars and Lightning McQueen or Veggie Tales? Veggie Tales!! He's says excitedly. It's hard to find Veggie Tales decor. There.Is.None. Plates, Napkins, and cups, that's all there is. Boo. I need decor. I guess I'm just gonna have to be thankful that those even exist.

Here are the boys.

One Month.

Just being his silly wonderful self.

SN: It's almost pumpkin patch time!!!!

2 Weeks Old....

Things are going well on the home front with a two year old and two week old. Lawson had his 2 week check-up and everything looked great. So glad his cord and plastibell both finally fell off. Dr. said he was gaining weight good. He weighed 8.4. He was 8.7 at birth. As I've said a million times before I can't wait to see how different and alike the two boys are. Malachi may be our tall stout boy and Lawson may be our tall slim boy. Who knows...just as long as they are healthy.

Malachi will be going to daycare for 2 or 3 days a week for a little bit. (mostly cause we still have to pay for him) But also because A. It's giving me a little time to adjust and get down a routine and B. I still want him to be able to interact with the other kids. He is such a great big brother. Tries to share his toys with Lawson. (let's hope that continues) Checks on him, tells him it's gonna be ok, etc. I love watching him interact with his little brother.

Lawson is still a great sleeper. He is so hard to wake up and feed. I hate waking him up but I know right now that it's best not to let him sleep all ni

ght. Oh how I can't wait for that day.

Nick is doing well at his new job as the 7th and 8th grade computer teacher. Once he gets his own lab (end of October) he will be much happier. But for now, he's happy with what he has and the opportunity that he has been given. I'm so thankfu

l for all that God has blessed us with.

We've all seen this picture a million times but it melts my heart and fills it with joy.

A week ago today.......

One week ago today our lives changed again. Nicholas Lawson Cowan was born on August 18 at 12:49pm. He weighed 8lbs 7oz and was 21in long. He was and is absolutely perfect. His delivery was much like Malachi's. FAST! Dr. broke my water at 12:08pm, I started pushing at 12:40pm and Lawson arrived at 12:49. That is the part that is the a lot like Malachi's delivery. What wasn't like Malachi's......THE PAIN! Malachi-felt nothing. Absolutely Nothing. With Lawson, epidural working great. All the sudden, not working so hot so the doc came in and gave me a bigger dose. Ahhhh...relief. Wait, 15 minutes later, pain like nobody's business. Dr. Morehead had told me if I felt the urge to push or felt like I needed to poop then it would be time to push. Well I didn't have this feeling with Malachi so I didn't know what to expect. Back up a bit...the nurse started turning me from side to side (she was not gentle like the other nurses) and I was getting pretty upset. I was in pain and she was annoying me. Finally, my sweet husband just simply said, she doesn't want to be touched right now. The nurse proceeds to say, I need to turn her because the baby's heart rate has dropped. What?? Why didn't you just tell us that?? I would have been much more receptive to her touching me. All of the sudden, I felt like I was going to poop (tmi I know) my insides out. I kept asking Nick if I had pooped and he kept reassuring me I hadn't. This must be the feeling the dr. was talking about. The nurses all came in to prep, the dr. came, I pushed 4 times and here was our sweet sweet blessing. And that's the story of Lawson coming in to the world.

He's a wonderful baby. And his big brother has done exceptionally well, much better than I think we thought he would. Malachi loves kissing on Lawson. He does it at least 20 times a day. He likes to hold him but not for long. He's a good helper too. From the time Lawson was born we could already tell a personality difference between him and Malachi. Malachi at birth-laid there and let the nurses do whatever, hardly cried, was very laid back. Lawson at birth-fought the nurses the whole time, cried and cried, and wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. It's fun to see how they are different and how they are a like. It's going to be interesting to see how these patterns continue. Lawson is a great sleeper. Awesome sleeper to be exact. Too good of a sleeper right now. We have been having to feed him every two hours because when I took him to the dr. on Tuesday he only weighed 7lbs 11oz. So prayerfully, he will have gained weight so we can get back on a 4 hour (at least) eating schedule. It's hard feeding him every 2 hours because he sleeps so well.

Just like with Malachi, Nick is an awesome dad. He is so patient and loving and most of all, he's the best supporter. He just recently started a new teaching job so he wasn't able to stay home with me the first week this time. Even though my mom and dad were here, it still wasn't the same without him. I need him. I want him around. It just seems I am more comfortable and can get through things with him. Nick if your reading this, I love you more than words can say and I am so thankful that you are in our lives.

As I know to well with Malachi, Lawson is gonna grow up too fast. It's hard to believe he's already 1 week old. I'm excited to see the things my boys do, watch them grow, and see them become the men of God that I know he wants them to be. I'm ready for the brotherly fights, the I've got your back bro, and the bond that will be between them and their dad. And well, we all know boys love their mommas. ;)

No Matter What The Day May Bring To You........

SN: Please excuse the way my blog is viewing, I can't fix it!!! Maybe time for a new one.
For the past couple of months, Malachi has had a new favorite song.

No matter what the day may bring to you, Keep praising God.

Whether up or down, whether good or bad, Keep your praise always.

Fred Hammond

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just take these words and apply them?? I will be the first to admit that this is not what happens when trials come my way, but it is a place that I would like to get too. Too many times we (I) get caught up in the smallest things of the day that don't amount to anything and we (I) stay fixated on that one circumstance and it will ruin our (my) entire day.

I love to hear Malachi sing this song. I love to hear him sing any song. He's a good reminder that I need to just keep praisin' God. We were in Cedar Hill the other day and something happened. I can't even recall why I was upset or anything. What I do remember? In the midst of my complaining, out of the blue, Malachi shouts out....No matter what the day may bring to you, Keep praising God. It's amazing how God can/will use anybody no matter their age to send you a message.

It's like yesterday in church, I did not feel like standing up during worship. I was tired, I'm ready to have this baby, I was hurting.......see a pattern of complaining? Then I looked over at Malachi (he likes to be in big church for worship) and he is just singing his little heart out. He didn't know any of the songs but he was still singing and God knew what he was singing. He would raise a hand here and there and clap and sing. I was once again reminded, it's not about me, it's about Jesus. The tender heart of a child praisin' the Lord does something to an ungrateful heart. He took my heart and flipped it. Like everything else, he was watching me. He put his little arm around my neck and patted me and gave me that little smile. It was like God was using him to ease my mind, take away my pain, and saying to me, Suck it Up! You can't praise me for 20 minutes but I gave up my life for you. Ok God. I hear ya. Loud and clear.

Although I know it's hard, especially when the news isn't what we were expecting, but I'm challenging myself and you to just keep praisin' God. It may take us a lifetime to fully grasp the concept, but all He's asking is for is for us to try our best. We will still make mistakes, we will still get discouraged, we will lose sight at times, but Praise the Lord, His grace and Mercy is new every morning.

No matter what the circumstance

I know my life is in his hands

The storms may come but not for long

My praise will keep me moving on.

Now if I'm really honest I really gotta say

That I get somewhat discouraged when trials come my way.

BUT THIS WILL BE MY CHOICE.

No matter...............

Fred Hammond

A Tribute to Summer.....

I thought since we spent Summer's birthday weekend with her, she deserved a blog of her own. Saturday was Summer's 3rd birthday party. I'm pretty sure she had a blast with all her friends. Her theme this year was Tinkerbell. (purple and green are so pretty together!) Like always, her momma made her cake and did a great job. We grilled hot dogs, the kids swam, presents were opened, it was a great time.

Summer is such a funny kid and I do mean funny. Her sneaky little ways are just too much b/c you think.....she's only 3, how did she come up with that??? It's probably much more funny to me than her mommy and daddy. Example: Hiding food in her mouth to make mommy and daddy think she ate it (even though they actually know she didn't) and then going somewhere, somewhere that she thinks they can't see her, and then hiding her food. Classic. She has a sense of humor like no other. She'll make you smile and make you laugh. She's a mover and shaker. She's beautiful and fun loving.

At every birthday party, as I look around the room, I really begin to see how our kids our growing up. You look back at the last party and think, wow, look how tall he/she is now. Look how much he/she is talking now. As tough as it is to see them growing in to these little people, it's also an exciting thing. To think, these are our babies growing up right before our eyes, knowing all the while that no matter how old they get, they will always be our little ones.

Summer Kate, the Cowans love you and we thank you for letting us spend your birthday with you. We had so much fun at Chuckie Cheese. I'm thankful for your mom and dad as well. They love you to the moon and back and always will. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Isn't she beautiful?!?!

Our First College Reunion....A Trip to Remember

Last weekend, 16 adults and 7 kiddos (under the age of 3) headed to Turner Falls in Oklahoma for a good ole reunion. This was such an exciting weekend for us all. 1. We were taking a mini vacation before school starts back and well a mini vacay at anytime is great. 2. We were seeing some friends that we had seen in almost 3 years.

The great thing about this group of people is even though we don't see each other every day, every week, every month or even every year, we are still friends. Friends as if we did see each other every day. As we all said, that is a true friendship. Seeing someone you haven't seen in months or years and it's as if you just picked up right were you left off. To me, these are the best kind of friendships because I know our friendship is valued.

Another fun and interesting thing was having all of our kiddos under one roof. We rented a cabin that held all of us. 7 kids under 3 years of age can be challenging but it was soooo much fun. To go from friends, to husband and wives, to having kids, it really makes you look back and see the places you've been and where you've been brought too. These kids had so much fun running around the cabin, playing and swimming.

It was truly one of the greatest weekends. Even though we were missing some people, I hope they can make next year's trip. That's right.....next years trip is in the works. More people and more kiddos. It should be another trip to remember.

3 Random Thoughts......

Things are moving right along with the Cowans. We are now 34 weeks. 6 weeks! I just can't believe it. This weeks dr.'s appointment was good. General checkup, heartbeat was good. We go back in two weeks and he will start checking my cervix. And then....we start going every week!!! It is just moving sooooo fast. We put the crib up last night and put the sheet on it. I'm still waiting for the blanket to arrive to see which one I am going to use. I needed something in that room besides a stack of diapers and clothes and goodies. I loved seeing all that but it just didn't make it feel like the nursery was in progress. :) Malachi helped with the bed. He said he was putting Lawson's bed together. Can't wait to have those two boys together.

Here lately, I've been noticing Malachi wanting to do things more and more like Nick. I mean, he's always copied him and repeated him but now he's really watching him and taking in everything Nick does. The other night when we were eating dinner, Malachi started eating his food. When Nick sat down to eat, Malachi would cut his eyes at Nick to see what he was eating and he would eat the same thing. And he would eat it until Nick took a bite of something else. When he's watching sports, he'll look at Nick to see Nick's reaction and then do his own. He wants Nick to play with him all the time. (don't worry Jessica, he still comes to you when he needs comforting or is tired) :) So all that to say, when I noticed this, I really started pondering it and realizing that, Malachi has a dad he can look up too. He has a dad that is there for him, encourages him, disciplines him, takes time to show him attention, etc. I started realizing how lucky my boys actually are. Not every little boy has that dad in their life. I'm extremely blessed that Nick is who is and is there for all of us. I can't wait for Lawson to be here and to be able to experience the headaches and gray hairs, I mean, the fun and excitement that these three will bring to my life. :)

In other news: This past Saturday was my baby shower hosted by my amazing friends. It was wonderfully simple. I didn't have a cute cake again....I wanted pie! So, they made banana/blueberry pie and coconut creme pie. Both were so stinkin' good. Along with some strawberry shortcake and candies and cookies......I loved it! I am so thankful and blessed to all my friends who came and showered Lawson with gifts. I am a lucky girl I must say. You would understand if you knew all these people.

This was on vacation this year in Florida.

A couple of pictures from my shower.

Today I Cried.......

Ok, I didn't cry full blown tears but the more I sat on the bench in my bathroom the more my eyes filled with tears and the more red they got. But, I had to snap back to reality. Pull it together, you are about to go to work and.......... You are about to drop your son off at his new daycare!!! (insert snotty nose here) That's right, Malachi started his new "school" today. I thought I would take him to work with me this week because we are only there 3 days but I knew there was just no way I could. Especially coming off of vacation, knowing all the phone calls I would be dealing with. So, I swallowed the lump in my throat and started getting his bag together.

Getting his bag together was the easy part. Dismissing the thoughts in my head is a different story. What if no one plays with him? What if he doesn't eat enough? What if there not very comforting? blah blah blah It's finally time to leave. We get in the car and these thoughts come back and my eyes try to fill with tears again but I am not going to let that happen. Nope. I'm tough. I got this. You know that feeling, when you really just wanna let a big ole baby cry but don't want anyone to see you so you hold it back? Only then you get the feeling in your stomach, like your stomach is crying. Well, that's what I had. That feeling. And I didn't want him to see me cry because I didn't want him to think it was something bad and already have a bad perspective of his new "school."

We arrive. There it is, staring me right in the face. The place I'm about to leave my baby for the first time. (insert sweaty armpits and hot face here) We take him to his room and Nick distracts him with the play kitchen. He immediately starts playing. I'm trying to talk to the teacher and not cry. She's very reassuring that he'll have a good time. (Lady, I use to work in daycares, I know the make mom feel better speech). Btw.....Ms. Jessica and Ms. Shelby are both very nice. She told us that we could call anytime or come by and see how he was doing so that did take a little anxiety off my heart. We left.

I wanted so bad to run back in there and hug and kiss him and see what he was doing but I didn't. I knew it would not be good for either of us. Boy did this first day back to work go by slow. I didn't have my phone, the internet on my computer was down, and my baby was with strangers!!! The time just couldn't go by fast enough. When it finally came time to go pick him up I felt like we drove so slow. We finally made it. I tried not to run in. I mean, I didn't want to look like a dork or anything. I got to the door and when he saw me, he had the biggest smile on his face. He came running to me saying, mommy mommy. I picked him up. He squeezed me so tight and kissed my cheek, said mommy in the sweetest voice then hugged me so tight again. That was better than winning the lottery. Then what did he say, "Ryan's not nice." I'm thinking great. He already has had a run in with a bully. You better just watch out RYAN, this momma is on to you. ;)

They said he did good. There were a couple of times that he would ask for us then get sad and they would comfort him and he would be fine. He didn't want to eat his lunch like he normally does with new people. So Ms. Shelby had to feed him. lol He went potty all day long. PTL!!!! No accidents for the new people. And....he did good taking a nap on his mat. All in all, he probably had a much better day than mommy did with his first day of school. :)

Days of Vacation

We came to Florida last Thursday, the 23rd, to visit family. It's always nice to see everyone especially since we don't get to see them that often. To our surprise, Uncle Nejay was able to fly in also so come this Thursday, everyone will be here. Aunt Chrissy is driving in Thursday evening. We saw our nephew Patrick for the first time. He is so precious. He seems so little but I know Malachi was once that little. Sunday was his dedication. Such a wonderful experience to share with family and friends.

We have been enjoying our time at the beach. Malachi was a bit skiddish at first but now we can't keep him out of the water. He's become a brave little boy, wanting to run out into the ocean all by himself. Our friend Tyler had a puddle jumper last year so we thought we would try one out this year. So far, two thumbs up. We only have just a few more days to enjoy it, and believe me, we are going to enjoy every minute of it. More to come after vacation is over!!!

29 Weeks...

Last Monday marked the 28th week for this pregnancy. I cannot believe how fast it seems to be going. When you say 3 months left, well..that sounds like forever. But then, when you say 11 weeks.......What??? 11 weeks?? We only have 11 weeks left and have nothing done. Yowzer!!! Today is week 29. I had a dr.'s appointment this morning. Everything was good. My blood pressure was a hair low but nothing to worry about. Just gotta get my iron levels up. Lawson's heartbeat was a strong 149bpm. I love hearing it. He has been super active lately. Doesn't really like for you to touch him. lol Malachi still has no real interest in feeling my belly. No big deal. He's got to much going on I guess. ;) Here are a couple of pictures. We are excited about Lawson's arrival. Always wondering what he'll look like. Will he look like Malachi? Such a wonderful mystery awaits us.

Lawson 28 weeks

Malachi 28 weeks
In other news: Our nephew, Nathan Patrick Cowan II, arrived June 1. He is so precious and cute. We can't wait to see him and hopefully that won't be too long. His mommy and daddy are doing good and loving having their family of 3. We are super excited for them. Now introducing...

Baby Patrick
Isn't he adorable!!!???

Another First.....The Movies

Last weekend we were suppose to take Malachi to the movies but something came up and we were not able too. He would mention randomly that he wanted to go to the movies so I decided I was gonna make it happen this weekend. So, last night he and I went to the movies! It was so fun getting to experience it with him. He was really excited about the 'popcorun.' I love to hear him say it. We went and watched Rio. He did surprisingly well. He sat through the whole thing. Well, there was a point when he did discover that the movie was coming out of the wall and became fascinated with that for about 10 minutes. Then he returned to watching the movie. It's always a little stressful in these situations knowing that a 2 year old is probably going to "laugh" much louder and make more "noises" as opposed to an older child. And I thought, since this movie had been out awhile no one would be there. WRONG. There were only about 10 people there so it was good. It made me even more happy when he would really laugh at a part in the movie. LOVED IT! Karla met us their with her sister-in-law and nieces. It was a lot of fun. We have found a new outing!

Mother's Day......2011

The older I get and the older my son gets, next year it will be sons :), the more I start to appreciate the act and responsibility of motherhood. Motherhood is scary. A tiny little person, that you have carried inside of you, protecting and doing all the things you know to do to help he/she be born healthy, and then, they are born and a whole new world of protection begins. Why is he crying? Is he sick? I think he has fever. I hope it's not broken. On and on go the thoughts in a mother's head. Am I doing this right? Why can't I fix them? A mother never rests. Well, I feel like I never rest. Isn't it funny how we change when we become a mother? Catching puke in our hands (mostly so it doesn't ruin the carpet), wiping that snot with your fingers, eating that candy that has been chomped on for the past 5 minutes because they don't want it anymore, realizing that that favorite shirt you love is just gonna be stained from now on, acting a little undignified to get your child to eat-it's really ok. These are all small, small things that a parent does. But, with all the cuts, and bruises, bumps on the heads, restless nights, there is no greater love than the love a mother feels for her child. It's almost like an unexplainable love. You really can love so much it hurts. I feel so honored and blessed that God chose me to be the mom to two wonderful little boys.
***My mom......what can I say, she's a superhero. I could not do life without her. She's there when I need her, she's a hardworker, she loves unconditionally, and she's what keeps our family going. She never has a lot to say but her kindness and love is enough to cover her words. I am so blessed to have such an incredible mother. She has taught me how to be a mother and I can only hope that I can be there for my kids like she has been for me.
***My mother-in-law.....I am soooo blessed to have such a great mother-in-law. Not everyone gets along with their in-laws, not everyone likes their in-laws. But I have been blessed to be a part of this family and I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law. She's loving, kind, hardworking, always there for kids and their family. (sounds a lot like my mom, huh) She's an amazing woman that I am so honored to know and be a part of her life. Thank you Lord, for giving me the women that are in my life.
***I had a wonderful Mother's Day. We all ate breakfast in bed together. I was then presented with flowers. Flowers that never die.....the best kind. They are Nick and Malachi's hands. And if you'll notice in the picture, the little bitty circles on the "stem" are Lawson's little hands. :) We had lunch together and just enjoyed being a family. I love my family more than life itself.

This was one scared momma!

Yesterday, was a pretty eventful day around the Cowan house to say the least. It truly is amazing how when you think your child is seriously hurt that everything within you just falls apart. I have NEVER been this scared as a mommy in my whole 2 years of being a mom. Ok, so Malachi is a climber these days. Saturday we found him on top of the changing table, on any given day, he will take his chair to the bathroom to play in the sink, you name it, he's climbing on it.

Yesterday, Nick and I are setting on the couch watching tv. I know Malachi is in our room because I just left there. (He was making noises in to the fan.) All of the sudden I hear this bang, as I turned my head to look in our room I see the chest of drawers falling. Pregnant women don't move that fast, but I promise you I could have beat all of you in a sprint. But it seemed as if I couldn't get there fast enough. I hear screaming and all I could do was scream over and over Nick, Nick, Nick....... When i got there, I.couldn't.see.Malachi.at.all. My heart was in a panic. I started to lift the drawers myself as Nick came rushing in and just threw it up and scooped up this scared screaming little boy. After he picked him up and I came back to earth, I finally realized that the drawers had caught itself on the bed (Thank God!!!) and all that could have possibly hit him or landed on him may have been a drawer that opened when it was falling. I searched him over, not even finding a scratch. He stopped crying and started asking, "What happend? What happened?" You were climbing, that's what happened. I've been scared before in my life, in dangerous situations, but nothing compares to thought of your child being hurt and you can't get to them fast enough.

Later that evening we went to get groceries. We are almost done and Malachi starts screaming. Not screaming like he wants his way but screaming like he is hurt. Someone, he had his leg twisted one way, his foot the other and it was stuck in the cart. His face is turning red, he's trying to move, we are trying to hold him still and that doggone leg won't budge. I'm thinking its gonna be broke by the time we get it untwisted. It came loose, he was fine. Then.....we get home, are starting to unload the groceries and I hear that crying hurt again. What else could possible happen today? Nick didn't see Malachi come up behind him so Nick is pulling the 24 pack of water out of the car and clocks the poor baby in the head and knocks him down. I mean really. I just wanted to leave the groceries in the car and go to bed.

That's about the jist of our first Sunday in May. Oh and btw....I've always thought to myself, if in a situation where it requires a strong person what would I do? I would do what needs to be done. Adrenaline really does kick in and it seems you can do anything. hhhmmmm Thank the Lord he was ok!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!! 2011

This was truly a wonderful Easter. It seems like one of the best Easter's I've had in a long time. Spending time with the three of us, since our families all live so far away, made for an awesome weekend. Malachi is getting older and starting to understand more and more. This year he had the hang of hunting eggs. But more importantly he is learning who Jesus is. We have a wonderful kids church who help us teach him about the love of Jesus. I'm so thankful for Northplace church. And now to tell you all about our weekend.

We started out Saturday morning with Nick and Malachi getting their haircuts and mommy preparing the eggs to be dyed along with Malachi's Easter basket. I love doing a basket for him. And even though it's not much, it takes me back to Easter when I was little. My mom always had a basket for us and we always hunted eggs. I think I know why Easter is my favorite holiday. Every Easter for as long as I can remember, all of the family would gather for church and friends we didn't see that often. After church was the egg hunt. It was always so fun hunting them. And then, after all that, my family would all go to my granny and grandpa's for lunch. We would just hang out, play, laugh, hide some of the eggs again, and then eat them. I love remembering those times. This was the first year Malachi and I dyed eggs. I wish I had a picture of his face when he saw his basket. He loved it! His words....OOOOHHH MAANnn!! lol We dyed eggs and then he an daddy played with his new ball and glove.

Later that afternoon we went to the community egg hunt right down the street. Tons of "crazy" people. :) We had fun though. It was fun watching Malachi get the eggs. After the hunt, we got ourselves some cotton candy and popcorn and headed to the bounce houses. This boy would stay in a bounce house ALL day. He was plum tuckered by the time we left. But rest assured, HE.DID.NOT.TAKE.A.NAP :( Around 5:30 we went to some friends house where we had a potluck. So much good food and so much fun watching the kiddos hunt eggs in the front yard. Laughing with friends and hanging out......perfect end to a perfect day.
Sunday morning we went to church (like we always do) and listened to the wonderful message Pastor Bryan had for us. It was such a wonderful reminder of just how much Jesus loves us. Praise the Lord, HE IS RISEN!!! After service we took a few Easter family pictures. I'm so thankful for these two wonderful people I have in my life. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband (who by the way cooked Easter dinner for us) and a wonderful little boy. I can't wait until we have Lawson with us to share all of these memories.
This was a perfect weekend. Family, food, and remembering that Jesus died on the cross but 3 days later he rose again!!!!

I can't breathe!!!

What in the world am I going to do this summer?? I'm 20 weeks right now and I already feel like I can't breathe. I can only imagine what this summer will be like. I guess I'll be lounging in the kiddy pool quite frequently. It's so interesting to me to see the differences between my two pregnancies. Malachi......felt fine at 5 months. This time...still gaggy, want to sleep ALL THE TIME, out of breath, etc. I can now see Lawson kick and moving. Sometimes though, just like his brother, he kicks and it does not feel good AT ALL. My favorite thing right now is at night, Malachi will kiss my belly and say good night baby Lawson. It's the sweetest thing EVER.

Malachi is growing like a weed. Obsessed with being outside. This year we are prepared with a breathing machine. Thank goodness!! Sunday we took him to the circus. He loved it. His favorite things were the elephants, motorcross bikes, and the human canonball. He is fascinated with motorcycles. His face was priceless. While they were doing their tricks, he would say Be careful. lol He's so funny. Speaking of funny....he's really in to laughing at himself right now. When he tells us something or when he does something silly, he will just laugh and shake his head. He tries to do it when he knows he's in trouble too. Potty training has been going great. He tells us when he has to go poop and pee. It's great. I knew at some point we would have the set back phase and well that happened this weekend. It was like he decided, nope, not using the potty today, really don't feel like going to all that trouble. All well, everyone has accidents. I'm so proud of him though. He really has been a big boy using his potty. And...like any man I guess, when he goes poop, HE HAS TO HAVE THE FAN ON! Seriously???

Here are my boys both at 20 weeks.

Malachi at 20 weeks

Lawson at 20 weeks

Queen of the House!

That's right, I said it. I am now officially queen of the house. Wednesday we found out we are having another little boy, Nicholas Lawson Cowan. We plan on calling him Lawson. Due date: August 22. At first, I was a disappointed. I really did want a little girl. What? She was disappointed? She isn't happy? Of course I'm happy. But ANYONE who was wanting one and found out it was the other deep down inside, you feel that disappointed. And if you say you don't, well then yes, I think you are lying. Don't judge.

So moving on.....I am thrilled to be having another boy! Malachi is going to have a brother, a road dawg to hang out with and play with. I often find myself sitting and thinking about if they will be alike or if they will be different. Yesterday I started thinking, well what if one wants to play summer football and one wants to play t-ball. What will I do? I can't go to one and not the other. How will I divide myself? LOL I know, if that's all I have to worry about then I will be ok. ;) I'm now loving the thought of having boys surrounding me. The protection and the love........what a great feeling. And now, I have become QUEEN OF THE HOUSE! :)

Am I nervous about having two kids? A little. My biggest worry? Making them both feel equally loved and my attention divided. I know I will love them both the same but showing them that it just seems hard. I know it will be fine and all adjustments will be made. At least this time I don't have to be so panicked about that dagum circumcision. Geez. That stressed me out more than anything with Malachi. lol

Here is what Malachi has picked out so far for his baby bruder. I want to keep him as involved as possible and let him help make decisions. Well you know..................

16 Weeks....

This Monday I turned 16 weeks. Why is she blogging about 16 weeks you might ask? Why not 15 or 12? Well, I'm trying to capture this pregnancy at the same times I was pregnant with Malachi. So, at 16 weeks is when I took a picture with Malachi. I'm not sure why, but this pregnancy seems like it is going by so much faster than my first one. I'm equally as excited so maybe its just that I'm not as "worried" and I know the things to expect. With Malachi, I probably called the Dr. once a week maybe once every two weeks. The only time I've called this time was to make an appointment or to find out blood test results. So....I think I'm doing pretty good. In just a few weeks we will find out what we are having. Boy or girl???? I would be lying if I said I didn't sway one way or another.....I really would love to have a little girl now. But, with all that said, as long as he/she is healthy who cares. We are trynig to find creative ways to tell our parents this time what we are having. Since we live so far away from all of them, it's hard to come up with something. With Malachi, we couldn't wait to do something creative, we called them right up to tell them He was a BOY! So hopefully when the time comes we will have thought of something, if not, we'll just call them again. lol :)
I was hoping the gagging and nausea would be over by now but it's not. I can tell it's getting better, I just want it to go AWAY completely. All in all, it's been good. I started really feeling the baby move last week (15 weeks). I can't wait for Nick and Malachi to be able to see it move and feel it. I'm wondering what Malachi will think or will he even care.

This week we are on spring break. Praise the Lord!!! Work has been crazy lately so I'm ready for a break. We are ready to spend all day everyday playing and doing things with Malachi. We also plan on getting his room painted and fixed in to a "big" boys room.

Baby #2 on the left and Malachi on the right.