Live, Laugh, Love

It has been way too long

2010-01-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Sorry it has been so long since my last blog:(
I hope to get better at posting on a more regular basis. Since my last post we have celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas,and Maleah, Corbin, and Kaitlyn's birthdays.
I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season!
I can't believe how much all of the kids are growing up. Maleah just turned 3, Corbin just turned one, Kaitlyn just turned 4, and Alex is already almost 10 months old. Our babies are all growing up too fast!

CONGRATULATIONS Glenn & Amy

2009-09-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Darling family on the birth of baby Luke Tyler, born on September 18th, 2009, weighing 6lbs. 5oz. and measuring 19 in. long!! Glenn, Amy, Adam, and Kacey we are so happy that baby Luke is here and everyone is healthy and happy!! Congratulations again we love you guys!!

Time For An Update

2009-07-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well where should I begin? Kaitlyn is growing like a weed and changing so much, she looks like such a big girl now, and most of her baby features are a thing of the past. Kaitlyn is an absolutely wonderful little girl, although she has a bad temper that has the habit of popping up at the worst of times, we couldn't love her more than we do now!!
Our family from Alabama ( some of them) and from Georgia (minus Justin & Anna), were here for what seemed like the blink of an eye, and we all miss them so much! I love the time that I get to spend with my family from out of state, and cherish those times more than they will ever know.
Kevin and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary on July 5th, and Kevin celebrated his 35th birthday on July 11th. I am so greatful to have such a wonderful relationship with Kevin, he was meant for me, he is my other half, he is my soul mate, and I thank God everyday for leading me to him!!
My Dad and Mom are both doing well, they work a lot, and eventhough they are right up the road we don't see each other as much as we could or should for that matter.
Bob and Miranda's kids are growing up so fast. Maleah is 2 1/2 now and just an all around beautiful little girl, and Alex will be 4 months on Aug. 6th and talk about handsome, he is adorable with a little smile to match!
Bobby and Nicole are doing an amazing job with Corbin he just turned 6 months old, he is so absolutely precious, he loves to eat his baby food, he loves to bounce in his jumperoo, and he can't wait to be a big kid!
My life is pretty good I must say, I am learning so much everyday about myself. Somehow through becomeing a Mommy I have gained, self respect, self appreciation, self worth, and a backbone. I used to be a push over and let people, walk all over me, say things to me without standing up for myself, well not aymore, I have learned how to use my voice, say what you want to me, because you will be getting an earful back!!
I will end this blog post with one of my favorite quotes, "Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect, it means you've decided to look past the imperfections."

Kaitlyn

2009-06-18T08:53:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn is 95% potty trained, she still wears pull-ups at night, and she is terrified of public bathrooms! Other than that she now has peeing and pooping in the potty down pat! I am so proud of my big girl! We now have to have her "Kaitlyn Pooped In The Potty Party" complete with cake, ice cream, and balloons, because she has been doing it for over a week now! It is so very amazing and yet so very sad how fast kids grow up! All I can say is I try my best not to take anything for granted and treasure every moment I spend with Kaitlyn, because it all goes so fast!
** Hug and kiss your babies everyday, be sure to say I Love You, and treasure every moment!!**

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

A day to remember all those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom, to pray for all those who are still fighting for our freedom, and to remember loved ones that have passed on. THANK YOU to all the men and women that are fighting for and have fought for our country!! Without your sacrifice who knows where we would be today!! GOD BLESS each and every one of you for all are doing and have done!
Thinking about loved ones that have passed away is so sad, I wish that all my loved ones would have been able to meet Kevin and Kaitlyn. I know they are all watching over us from heaven and are with us through each step of our lives, and that is comforting to me.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day, remember during your days of cookouts, family, and fun to stop and say a prayer for all of our soldiers that are fighting for our freedoms, and remember all the soldiers that have fallen, and thank God for taking care of our loved ones that have passed before us.
May God bless each and every one of you!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to wish my Mom a Very Happy Mother's Day!! Then I also want to wish Miranda a Happy Mother's Day, this is her first mother's day as a mommy of two, and I also want to wish Nicole a Happy Mother's Day as well, since this is her first mother's day!
I hope that all Mommies out there have a wonderful Mother's Day! With each year that Kaitlyn and I have been together I feel even more close to my own Mom as we have shared quite a bit of what raising a child has in store. I really feel that the older Kaitlyn gets, the closer I will feel to my Mom!!
I am so very blessed to have such a wonderful Mom, and Kaitlyn is so very blessed to have a Mommy, "Mama", "Gammie", and "Mamaw" that all love her so very much!!

*Thank you Kaitlyn for making Mommy the happiest Mommy in the world!!*

Hello Everyone.....

2009-04-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would update everyone on what is going on with us. Kaitlyn is growing up so fast, she knows her ABC's, and can identify her letters, she can count to 25 only missing 1 or 2 along the way, she is very observant and notice the smallest of details, she is looking and talking like such a big girl, and she loves to help me do dishes, clean, and cook dinner. Kevin just celebrated his second year at Lowe's, he continues to be way happier at Lowe's than he ever was at Burger King, he is a wonderful Daddy to Kaitlyn, and a wonderful husband to me. Then there is me, I work hard everyday to be the best Mommy and wife I can be, I am trying so hard to lose weight, I am enjoying the time I spend at home with Kaitlyn, and I am so thankful for all the blessings that I have in my life!! I have come the realization lately that I am a very simple person, I am no where near high maintenance. As long as I have Kevin and Kaitlyn, the love of my family and friends, and the overwhelming love of God, everything else is extra, and that makes me the luckiest person in the world!!

Newest Family Member

2009-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world Alexander James Speakman (aka Alex, or A.J.). He is absolutely gorgeous! My sister Miranda and her husband Bob are the proud parents of this little guy! He was born at 12:06 p.m., weighs 8lbs. 4 oz. and measures 21 1/2 inches long. Our family is so blessed to have 2 new members born so close together, and my Dad got the best birthday present ever. Happy Birthday Daddy & Alex!!

No Baby Alex Yet

2009-04-04T05:35:00.000-07:00

As many of you know my sister Miranda and brother-in-law Bob are expecting a baby boy anytime now. I just wanted to let everyone know that Alex "I'm Never Coming Out Of Here" Speakman, has not yet made his arrival. We are all waiting as patiently as possible! I will be sure to announce baby Alex's arrival as soon as I possibly can!!

Great Weekends, and Old Friends

2009-03-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

Here is to great weekends, and old friends! The weather, the time spent with family, dinner with old friends, everything was fantastic this weekend!! I am so grateful for the days that I can take Kaitlyn outside to play. The 70 degree weather was a much needed break from the cold. We got to see baby Chase and how much he has grown since Christmas, and on Sunday we got to have dinner with old friends! Amy and I have been friends since we met in the 5th grade, and now that we are all grown-up, and married with families of our own, we still find time to see how each other doing. We both have three year old little girls, that get along as well as their Mommies do. I hope that Kacey and Kaitlyn grow up to be as good of friends as their mommies are!!! Glenn and Amy also have a little boy Adam who is one of the smartest kids I have ever met in my life!! I couldn't tell you how much pizza everyone ate, but Adam could tell you how much pizza everyone ate and how many cups of pop they drank!! He is amazing!!
I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend!

So True.......

2009-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

As a mom myself I know all of the wonderful yet life changing events that come along with the birth of a child. I have received this poem in several emails and read it here or there a few times and I wanted to share it with everyone. I hope you all enjoy it.

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom .

Such A Big Girl

2009-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Look At Me I'm Three

Our Pride and Joy

2009-02-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn is such an active 3 year old. Kaitlyn loves to play with play-doh, do jigsaw puzzles, build with blocks, color, use her imagination, and she loves to dance. I thought I would share a couple pictures of Kaitlyn "dancing".

My Love..........

2009-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day coming up on Saturday, I thought I would share a little about my Valentine. Kevin and I will be married for 12 years this July 5th (now days we should get some kind of award). Kevin is a loving, caring, sweet, strong, hardworking, dedicated, trustworthy, honest, and passionate man. He is a wonderful husband, and a terrific daddy. I have always loved Kevin, but as days pass I find myself loving him even more. I still get excited when the phone rings and I know it is Kevin calling, my heart still skips a beat when his car pulls up, because I get to see him, and nothing makes me feel safe and loved more than the sound of his voice. Kevin provides us with so much and he works so hard for us, and I am grateful to him everyday for all that he does for our family. I Love You is something we say probably 10 times a day or more, and knowing that every time we say it we mean it is such a wonderful feeling. Knowing that I have someone in my life that loves me as much as I love them is overwhelming yet amazing. Kevin and I have shared a lot in our lives together, some good and some bad, but we always come through every situation better and stronger than ever. Kaitlyn is our greatest accomplishment,she is the living picture of how much Kevin and I love each other. I am so grateful to have Kevin and Kaitlyn in my life, and I thank God everyday for bringing them to me! So, on this Valentine's Day tell the loves of your life how much you love them and what they mean to you! Happy Valentine's Day Kevin! I Love You more than I could ever say!!

My Baby Is Three Today

2009-01-26T05:28:00.001-08:00

Three years ago today I was wheeled into the operating room and at 6:24 a.m. I was the proud Mommy of a beautiful little girl. Now the little 4lb.13oz., 19 in. long baby I brought home, is a 3ft. tall 32 lb. three year old girl. Kaitlyn is such a smart, sweet, absolutely precious little girl and I am so proud and lucky to be her Mommy. Happy third birthday Kaitlyn, Mommy and Daddy Love You!!!

New Family Member

2009-01-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world: Corbin Paul Schoolcraft-O'Leary! He weighed in at 7lbs.3oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. He is very handsome! My brother Bobby and his girlfriend Nicole are the proud parents!! I will be back with more posts this week! We have had a couple birthdays and a birth, so we have been busy!!

The Things Kids Say

2009-01-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn is always saying funny things and she remembers EVERYTHING. Her favorite sayings now are "it's freaking my out", "forget it", "I floated an air biscuit", and "I squeezed the cheese". The last two she got from watching weird science with me one time. Kaitlyn also remembers that I was pregnant for a short time in September/October, and occasionally mentions that "Meleah is having a baby brother soon and I am having a baby sister". It breaks my heart that I can't explain to her that a baby isn't coming, so I just tell her that hopefully sometime soon we will have a baby sister. Today she said "Maleah is going to have a baby brother soon and I am going to have a baby sister and I will rock her in the rocking chair, this rocking chair (pointing to the one in our living room)". Please keep praying that we get pregnant soon, every month that passes makes it harder and harder and I am losing hope!

Confession Of A New Mommy 2

2009-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

One time when Kaitlyn was a about a year and a half old, I forgot to feed her dinner once. I had been at Miranda's all day watching Maleah. Kaitlyn fell asleep in the car on the way home, and was still sleeping when we got home. We went inside, I laid Kaitlyn down in the pack-n-play and got started on dinner.Kevin and I ate dinner, then we cleaned up......Kaitlyn was still napping. After dinner on nice days we would take a nice walk, so Kaitlyn woke up and we got ready for our walk. When we got home I gave Kaitlyn a bath, read her a story, gave her a cup of milk, and then it was off to bed. Kaitlyn was unusually fussy, and I couldn't get her to sleep no matter what I tried. Then I finally realized the poor kid was starving, because I forgot to feed her dinner after she woke up from her nap. I felt like such a bad Mommy for the longest time after that, and I have never forgotten to feed her again.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a fantastic 2009. I wish you all the best, and I hope that God blesses you this new year with good health, the love of family and friends, and lots of happiness!!

Confession Of A New Mommy

2008-12-30T06:21:00.000-08:00

When Kaitlyn was a little over a month old, I was up for her 3:00a.m. feeding. Kaitlyn was completely soaked from a diaper that leaked, so I thought while I'm up I will start a load of laundry and throw it in the dryer at her 6:00a.m. feeding. Feeling like I accomplished something back to bed we went. When six o'clock rolled around I was more awake then I was at 3 a.m. I changed Kaitlyn's diaper and clothes, fed her, burped her, and them put her in her baby swing to play. I went to throw the laundry into the dryer. I opened the washer to start getting the clothes out and everything was covered in these slimy little ball shaped things................yep, I did it I washed her diaper along with the clothes, and everything had to be rewashed so I actually accomplished nothing, but I learned something.

New At This

2008-12-29T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog post, and I promise to get more interesting as I get used to this!! My sister Miranda, brother-in-law Bob, and my aunt Mary all blog so I thought that a new year is coming so why not start a new blog. I hope everyone enjoys sharing my blogging journey with me.