Getting Up-To-Date

I'm so glad it's Wednesday! Aren't you? That means we're only a couple of days from Friday and I love Fridays. Not only is it the last day of the workweek but I get to wear jeans to the office:) It's been a busy few weeks here at our house. I thought I'd take a minute and update everyone on our family. This is especially targeted at the grandparents, who love reading about Owen and Carlee Scott! Let's see, where do I begin? I guess I'll go in order of age.

Owen is doing very well at school. He seems to enjoy being around the other babies and his teacher (Ms. Joyce - we love her) has done a great job of keeping him on schedule for feedings and naps. He currently has the sniffles and a cough but we knew that would happen after his first week of school. We're seeing more smiles these days from the little man and I just can't wait for that first laugh. He's quite the laid-back baby and seems content just about anywhere. However, he's definitely good at letting us know when he's done with something (like the infant seat or playmat) - the boy can wail! His nighttime routine is working out great and for a 7-week-old baby, he's sleeping like a champ. He goes to bed soon after Carlee Scott does, around 7:30. I feed him before bed and he goes right to sleep. Then we wake him up for a little nightcap at 11. When he's done eating, he goes right back to sleep. We normally hear from him once during the night but it's nothing his pacifier won't remedy. We can't wait for the day he finds that thumb! At 5am, I feed him again before getting ready for work. So that's his night - bath/eat/bed at 7:30, feed at 11, and then he'll go until 5, where he eats and goes right back to sleep again. I can't complain! Of course, we do have nights of tummy issues and fussiness, but for the most part, it's smooth-sailing. Owen goes back to the doctor on March 11th for his two-month appointment and for five shots. I'll be sure to do a post after that to let you know how he's doing. I'm curious to find out how much he weighs. At 7 weeks old, he's already wearing 3 month and 3-6 month outfits! All in all, Owen is thriving. What a sweet and snuggable baby, he is. We are blessed.

Now for an update on Carlee Scott - our firecracker! This little girl has turned into one of the most hilarious people I know. The things that come out of her mouth are hysterical. She has the best time at school and is learning so much. She is also learning invaluable lessons about being a friend. She'll often refer to specific friends and try to tell us something about them, which we can't yet decipher. Sometimes we just hear the child's name and then some babbling. We just go "Oh really? That's interesting, Carlee Scott!" We're relieved that she has become a lot better at independent play. She played with a magnet book her Mimi and Papa gave her for twenty straight minutes the other weekend. It was really nice. She's also gotten really into Play-Doh and will sit at her desk for a long time playing with it. I'm not sure how much of it she is eating and I almost don't want to find out! Carlee Scott absolutely loves to sing and I'm impressed with her singing abilities. She definitely did not get those from me, but instead from my mom and Will's side of the family. She can sing the ABC song (missing a couple letters here and there), Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and Joy Joy Joy. She's also learning her colors and letters, but we're still in the early stages of that. Most everything is "red," if you ask her. She loves babies and will even put her babydoll (which she named "Owen," by the way) in her pretend infant carrier and say "I go Wal-Mart. Bye Bye." She loves to feed her baby too, which involves putting the baby's mouth to her belly-button. Interesting way to nurse, don't you think?! Hysterical. Carlee Scott continues to be a very compassionate child. If you get hurt, she cocks her head to the side and says "you kay?" It's the sweetest thing ever. I've also learned that there is a special needs child in her class at school and Carlee Scott has taken a special liking to her, always giving her hugs and being such a good friend. Hearing about that warms this mother's heart! As for the "terrible two's," we aren't immune. We have our fair share of screaming, tantrums, shouts of "MINE" and "NO," and some very challenging days. We're working through them as they come. It's frustrating, but this too shall pass. Carlee Scott has shown great interest in potty training recently and we've been letting her sit on the potty. She hasn't done anything yet, but she sure does love to sit there. We aren't pushing the issue. It'll happen when she's ready. So there's the scoop on Lil Bit. What a joy she is!

Next in age is ME! I'm getting more acclimated at work and I'm all caught up. It's weird being back here after a 6-week break, but at the same time, it's almost as though I never left. I'm exhausted by the end of the day, but it could always be worse. Evenings are crazy as we get home, eat dinner (thank goodness for the crock pot), bathe the kids and put them to bed, but we're getting into a nice routine. For those wondering about my lovely wooden shoe, yes I am still wearing it! The broken toe still hurts like crazy and my foot is still black and blue, two weeks later. Crazy. I have to wear the shoe for one more week. That toe better be healed up by then.

On we go to Will! He is in his last semester at seminary and doing a fantastic job (as always). He has a lighter workload this semester, which has provided us with many opportunities for weekend family time. It's been wonderful. Graduation in May is right around the corner and we can't wait! His job at church (as the military minister) is going well and he has a lot on his plate as several of our soldiers are leaving and others are coming home. Please keep all servicemen and women in your prayers.

The most exciting Alley news is that our house is officially on the market and we've signed a contingency contract on a new, bigger house! With Will's upcoming transition back into the Army and our ever-growing family, we decided it was time to upgrade from our small house to something a little bit bigger. We found a house just up the street that we absolutely adore. We made an offer, asked for several concessions which were granted, and signed the contract two days ago. It's contingent upon the sale of our current house, so we are nervous yet excited. We'll keep you posted on how that pans out.

So there you have it - a complete update. I'm sure I left out lots of things, but you get the idea. Hope you all are doing great!!!

Phone Fun

Recently, Carlee Scott has grasped the concept of a cell phone. She now understands that someone is on the other line and if you hold the phone to your ear, you can hear them talking to you. Here she is tonight, talking to Grandma. It's so cute to see her holding the phone like a big girl. So if you have a few minutes, give us a call and she'll chat with you. If you're lucky, she'll sing you the ABC song! Watch out though, when she decides the call is over, she just hangs up and moves on.

Too Cute For Words

Three Cheers For Clorox!

I may be way late in learning about these and if so, feel free to laugh at this post. However, I discovered the joy of Clorox Wipes this evening and my life will be different from here on out:) Have you all tried these things? OH MY GOODNESS - fantastic! I admit that I am a neatfreak and I have been known to dust nightly and totally clean the house every 5-7 days. I've always cleaned the bathroom with a sponge and bubble spray. It takes forever and I hate using a sponge. When I saw "safe for bathroom surfaces" printed on the back of this tube, I nearly jumped for joy! I couldn't wait to clean the bathroom when I got home. I just finished in half the time it normally takes me! This is so much easier. Hooray for Clorox Wipes! It also says it's safe for the kitchen, computer, and telephone. It's "quick and easy, kills flu virus, disinfects household kitchen and bathroom bacteria, and kills 99.9% of bacteria in 30 seconds." Music to my ears. I'm off to enjoy the rest of Clorox wonders. Happy cleaning!

What a Stud

Sibling and Bath Fun

It's been a busy week! Being back at work has been challenging emotionally and physically, but I'm plugging along. We've had some late nights and very early mornings, followed by hectic days at work and school. The good thing is that both of my children are great sleepers. Carlee Scott is a consistent 11-12 hour sleeper, and Owen does 6 hours very well (he may wake up once but if you give him the pacifier, he goes right back to sleep). However, since he is only 6 weeks old, he still needs a late night feeding. The sound of the 5am alarm signaling it's time to get ready for work is painful! I look forward to the day when Owen is old enough to sleep 11-12 hours, too! Then I can go back to my 9pm bedtime:) Big thanks to my husband, though. It's tough to get two kids up, fed, clothed and out the door no later than 6:45am. He manages to do this mostly on his own, as I am already on my way to work by then. He is SuperDad, that's for sure. Here are some photos from tonight.

Sibling love. Carlee Scott pointed at Owen and looked up at me saying "Hold Owen, Mommy?" Of course!!!

Carlee Scott loves her bathtime. The bruise on her head is from Saturday night when she fell out of her bed while sleeping. She hit the bookshelf on the way down. Ouch.

Do we have another thumb-sucker? Nah, not yet at least. This shot is rigged - Will stuck Owen's thumb in his mouth.

What a cutie pie.

Not naming any names but someone doesn't like his bath as much as his sister does.

My Boys

Whew!

Well, I survived my first day back! The workload wasn't too bad because I checked work email every day while on maternity leave, and I also went into the office on Saturday to get caught up. Everyone thought my wooden shoe was hilarious. It looked ridiculous with my work attire, though. I'm seriously thinking about decorating it! Owen did a fabulous job at school. I visited him at lunch and he was happy as a clam. I also got to peek in on Carlee Scott eating lunch with all her friends. She looked like such a big girl at the lunch table and it was fun seeing her have a good time. All in all, it was a good day but I am pooped! Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragement!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow's the big day - I have to go back to work. I've never seen 6 weeks fly by so quickly. Where did the time go? Wasn't Owen just born yesterday? I've greatly enjoyed my time home with him. When I was home with Carlee Scott as a newborn, I was really stressed out and overwhelmed with having a new baby. This time, I was more laid-back and relaxed and it's been so much more enjoyable. Owen will start school tomorrow and be in the same room where Carlee Scott started. The teachers are wonderful and I am completely at ease that he'll be in good hands. Just wish they were my hands. Please pray that Owen's transition to school will go smoothly and that he'll thrive in that environment!

A First For Me

It's official. When people are talking about scars and broken bones, I can no longer say "I've never broken any bone in my body." Yes, friends, I have endured my first broken bone. Which bone, you ask? MY PINKY TOE! First of all, how can something so small hurt so badly? Secondly, how could I have given birth to two children (big ones) and barely be able to stand my broken pinky toe?!?! Oh the pain!

Here's what happened. I was walking out of the bathroom last night and the pinky toe on my left foot caught the door frame. It then proceeded to be pulled up and then out (away from all other toes). I heard a crack and fell to the floor in pain (dramatic, I know). Since then, I've barely been able to put any weight on it. I decided to call the doctor today when the area under the toe (the top part of my foot) was red, black, and blue. So I hobbled in (carrying my big boy Owen in his carrier) and they took some X-rays. Not only did they confirm that it broke, but apparently it broke badly. The break is really low on the toe and it's a deep break because the toe went up and then out. The doctor said if I keep walking on it, I run the risk of the break continuing across the entire bone. To fix the problem, he gave me this snazzy wooden shoe to wear for 3 weeks.
Don't laugh;) I know you're all jealous! Is this not the ugliest thing you've ever seen? Oh well, I'll do what the doctor said. I'll wear it for 3 weeks, even though I'm embarrassed. I've already had people say, "Oh no, what happened?" If only I could say, "I broke my foot." Nope, I have to say, "I broke my pinky toe." It's been fun already seeing the reactions from those people, wondering why I'm wearing a special shoe for just a broken pinky toe. Ha! Honestly, I'm just glad it wasn't worse. If any of you want to borrow this trendy wooden shoe when I am done, just let me know;)

Valentine's Day Eve

Happy early Valentine's Day from one of my Valentines to yours!
(My other little Valentine was asleep so he missed the photo op.)

Alley News

Do you ever have one of those moments where you're planning on doing one thing and then suddenly, God has other plans for you? I had one of those moments today and I had to laugh (it's the only thing you can do!). I also had one of those moments 6 years ago when Will and I found out we were being stationed in Texas. I remember thinking, "Texas?! What in the world will we do there?" We were not happy at all. Moving here a week after our wedding was stressful and our first few days here were difficult, but we soon learned to absolutely adore this place. We love this state, our small town, our amazing friends, and our vibrant church. The past 6 years have been absolutely wonderful, even during Will's deployment to Iraq...we always had reason to be thankful we were here. However, the downside to being here was obvious: we were very far away from our family and friends in Virginia. It was (and still is) difficult being so far away from them, and we've racked up a ton of frequent flyer miles over the years. Little did we know that God had a perfect plan for us long ago when we moved here. Through the heartache of being separated and the uncertainty of military life, God provided the most amazing group of friends to surround us and be our Texas family. They've supported us in times of need, prayed for us, loved our children, and been ever-present for anything. Although God's plan was way different than mine, it turned out to be perfect.

When Will got deployed, I remember feeling as though my world was falling apart. Why was he being sent to Iraq while I was so far away from family? It just didn't seem fair and I was mad. However, we both had a feeling that God would reveal his future plans for Will during this "wilderness" time. Will graduated from VMI with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Our plans were always to do our 4 years in the Army and then move back to VA where he'd work as an engineer and we'd have our family there. It seemed perfect. Somehow, we had begun feeling as though that wasn't the route we were to take, but we were at a loss for what the right route was. Therefore, we decided to PRAY while Will was gone and to really seek out God's plan for us.

Will had been deployed for only a month or so when I was meeting with a good friend up at church who was mentoring me. When she asked about Will's future plans, I said "I think he'd make a really good chaplain." Hearing myself say that startled me. I actually remember jumping in my seat. That thought had never run through my mind before and I couldn't believe I even said it. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and agreed. Suddenly, I thought, "That's it!!!! He's meant to be an Army Chaplain!!!" I was so excited, thinking boastfully as though I had figured it all out on my own and would then reveal it to Will (how silly of me!). As I was driving home, I contemplated on how I would word my email to Will. I didn't think it would go over too well, considering we had talked about ministry once in our relationship and it was followed by some laughs and a "yeah right." So I got home and wrote him an email, detailing why I thought he should be a Chaplain and how I felt that God had revealed it to me after many weeks of prayer.

You can imagine my excitement the next day when I got his email. Turns out, God had revealed the same plan to Will several days before and he had been asking God how on earth he should tell me, thinking as though the ministry would be the absolute last path I would want to take. I still have his email and with his permission, here's an excerpt:

Wow, I prayed last Friday that if this was really
what God wanted me to do that he would put it on
your mind as well.  Thats amazing.  I can't remember
the first time I started thinking about the ministry,
but it has always been something that has scared me.
I have never been a good public speaker and I hate
speaking to large crowds, not to mention the grueling
counselings and meetings that it seems like ministers
have to do.  I justnever saw myself doing that so I
kept disregarding the thoughts.I haven't wanted to
share any of this until I was more sure about what
God wanted me to do, so I have been praying about
his purpose for me and that he would speak to your
heart as well.  I wanted him to speak to you so that
I could get a confirmation that it is his will.  As
for being a chaplain...the idea came to me slowly
at first when I got here and we had no chaplain.
I knew that the army was short of them, but it
didn't hit me until I was in a unit that was
deployed and hadn't had a Chaplain for a couple
of months...thats just not right.  So, I decided
that when our Chaplain does arrive that I would
ask him questions about being a chaplain with out
telling him or letting him know that I have been
thinking about being one.  The more he would tell
me about what his job is and what kind of things
he does, the stronger I felt about the call.

Isn't that crazy?  This was in the Fall of 2003.  When he came home
in March of 2004,we started planning.  He departed the Army in the
summer of 2005 and began his 3-year seminary tour.  He decided to
go to seminary here in Texas so we wouldn't have to move. To prepare
for getting back in the Army, Will completed Airborne school and part
of his Army Chaplain course a couple of summers ago.  This summer,
he's going to another specialty school and finishing up his Chaplains
course.  Because of his training, we thought for sure that we'd get
stationed at a particular base in North Carolina.  We had even begun
making mental plans for where we'd live, when we'd move, etc.
Our "plan" was taking shape.

The reason I post all of this is to announce that we found out
today where we'll be stationed once Will gets back in the
Army this summer ---  HERE!  Can you believe it?  He is getting
stationed at the same base where we started back in 2002!
It wasn't our first choice but the more we think about it, the more
excited we are.

Moving to NC had it's positives:
1.  We'd be closer to friends and family back in VA.
2.  There was a possibility that Will could be assigned to a
really cool unit.

Staying here has positives:
1.  We get to stay in the town we adore.
2.  We get to stay with the friends we love.
3.  We get to stay at the church we've come to know as home.
A church that has helped us build a firm foundation of marriage
and is helping us in our parenting.
4.  We don't have to move cross-country (I had already begun
staying up late at night, thinking about how we'd sell this house,
buy a new one, and move to a brand new place with two kids
and two dogs...stressful.)
5.  Considering Will will likely get deployed soon after he
gets back in, it will be comforting to be in familiar place
with an already-established circle of support.

As you can see, there have been several times over the past few
years where we planned one thing, God planned another, and we
were blessed by following Him.  To some, it may look like
weakness or passiveness to give up our plan for His.  To me,
it looks like obedience.We were surprised that we didn't get NC,
but when I think about it, if we weren't going to get NC, then I'm 
so thankful we're being called to stay where we are.  At least
we weren't sent further away from family to a place we totally
didn't want to be at.  We love it here. Why would we be upset?
God has a plan.  It may sound cheesy but it's true. We learned
a while back that God's plans are better than ours so I am excited
to see what comes of this life change.  There is obviously a reason
why God wants Will here.  Some people may not understand
why we aren't devastated by this news, but I can honestly say
that although we were looking forward to being back on the East
Coast, I am already confident that we are meant to stay here.
As soon as Will told me, I laughed in surprise and then thought
"yes, this is it." It just feels right.  I'd rather live in obedience
and experience what God has in store, than follow what my
own feeble, human mind thinks is the "right" plan. Looks like
we'll be Texans for a bit longer:)  Will is excited to start
ministering to the soldiers in his new unit and is really looking
forward to joining them in late summer/early Fall.  Exciting news!!!!!

Another MEME

I just got tagged by A.K. to do this MEME and I thought it was pretty cute!

MY HUSBAND

What is his name?
William

How long have you been married?
Almost 6 years.

How long did you date?
We dated for 5 years before we got married.

How old is he?
28

How old are you?
28

Who eats more sweets?
That's a toss up. We both love them. However, I love chocolate more than he does and he likes sugar candy more than I do.

Who said I love you first?
He did.

Who is taller?
Will.

Who can sing better?
Definitely Will - I'm a horrible singer.

Who is smarter?
Will. He has a Mechanical Engineering Bachelors degree and is almost done with his courses for a Masters of Divinity degree. He's way smarter than I am!

Who does the laundry?
Me, but he helps me fold.

Who does the dishes?
Me, but he's busy getting Carlee Scott in the tub.

Who pays the bills?
I do.

His guilty pleasure?
Playstation.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
He does.

Who mows the lawn?
Will

Besides you, who is his best friend?
From back home, Geoff. From here, Nate, Josh, or Justin.

Who cooks dinner?
I do.

Who drives?
He does.

Who kissed who first?
He kissed me.

Who asked who out first?
He asked me out.

What was your first date?
It was a group date to an Easter concert when we were 17. After the concert, we went to a soccer game. Nothing fancy, but oh so much fun. He was so charming.

Who proposed?
He did. He put the ring at the bottom of an Easter basket and proposed the day before Easter. So adorable!

Who has more siblings?
We both have two siblings. He has a younger brother and a sister and I have two older brothers.

Who wears the pants?
Most definitely Will.

What is your favorite thing about him?
I don't know if I have a specific favorite thing about him. However, after 11 years together, he still gives me butterflies in my tummy and makes me laugh like no one else. He's honest, kind, helpful, devoted, considerate, sweet, funny - the best husband and father in this world. Hands down.

FIRST REAL SMILE

Owen smiled for the first time tonight!!!! We've seen plenty of smiles due to tummy issues but this was the first time he smiled when prompted. I had to make all kinds of sounds to make him do it - Carlee Scott thought it was hilarious. I love how it's more of a smirk than an open-mouthed smile. He's like, "Oh Mom, you are the silliest."

My Babies (again)

Zoo Fun

We went to the zoo this morning - all four of us! It was a lot of fun and Carlee Scott seemed to love seeing the animals. She asked to see the elephants the entire time, though, and that exhibit wasn't until the very end. I didn't think I could say "We're almost there" enough. Here are just a few of the pictures we took.

Pre-zoo photo op.

Checking out the monkeys with Daddy.The cougar. Boy am I glad there was nice, thick piece of glass in between them.

Jaguar.

Big ole rhino.

Check out this massive lion. Carlee Scott said, "Lion. He's sleeping." So funny.

This little guy was too hilarious not to capture in a photograph.

Tiger.

And finally, the elephants! I couldn't get a good shot of them, but here's Carlee Scott's face when she first saw them.

And here's Owen's face when we were at the elephant exhibit. I don't think he was as excited as Carlee Scott. ;)

My little man and me.

Hard to believe he's almost 5 weeks old!

MEME

I was tagged by Heidi for a MEME -- 6 random thoughts/habits/quirks, about me. I had to laugh and my first thought was, "only 6?" I am the quirkiest person I know and it's a wonder that I have any friends at all, or a husband for that matter! At any rate, here are my 6...

1. Due to my Type A personality, I am a list-maker and spreadsheet-maker. Each day has it's own to-do list and if I need to plan something, a spreadsheet is likely involved. I will even make my grocery list and when I am done, I will re-write it in order of placement in the store. It's ridiculous, I know. I am also an endless planner. I have to plan everything. I plan months ahead for birthdays, Christmas, trips, events, and anything involving our finances. I carry my Daytimer planner around everywhere and if it doesn't get written down in it, it's probably not going to happen.

2. I'm a neat-freak. There's no doubt about that. Everything has it's place or "home" and my eyes can immediately tell if something has been moved. This applies to my house as well as my car.

3. Although I don't like to scrapbook, I am obsessive about having all of our photos in albums that are labeled with date ranges (yes, I have a labeler and I love it). So far, we have 10 albums from our 6 years of marriage. I'll take pictures, upload them to Snapfish, order the ones I want, and as soon as they arrive via mail, I'll put them in the albums that night. I can't sleep if I don't do it that day. Once the photos are in the albums, I delete them from the camera.

4. I love football, but don't like to watch games on TV in groups. Will is really the only person I like to watch games with and he puts up with my running commentary throughout the entire game. For some reason, I tend to comment on every play. It makes Will laugh so I guess it's okay.

5. I have a fear of being misunderstood, especially when it comes to gratefulness. Because of that, I will write a thank you note for just about anything, just to be sure the person knows how thankful I am.

6. I love to write. I almost went to school for journalism but decided last minute to go the business route. I always saw myself as a newspaper writer or something like that but things just didn't pan out. That's okay, I blog now:)

I tag Laura and Kerry.

Carlee Scott's First Haircut

Carlee Scott had her first professional haircut today! She did such a great job of being patient and still. We were proud of her! As we walked out of the salon, she patted her head and said, "Mommy, hair pretty." Too cute.

I've been frustrated with her hair for a long time and didn't know what to do with it. It's very thin and fine (like mine), but has waves and curls and a cowlick (like Will's). I tried trimming it once but she was too interested in what I was doing to sit still. Tonight we took her to the place I go to and my stylist did a fantastic job of making Carlee Scott feel comfortable. We also determined that we're in an in-between phase and until the top/front part of her hair grows to match the length of the back, it'll be a little unruly. If only we could teach her to stop pulling out the clips and bows we use to hold it back! We'll keep working on that.

Four Weeks Old Today

I took Owen to his 4-week appointment today and he now weighs 11lbs (90th percentile)!! BIG BOY! The doctor said he looks fantastic and is "gaining weight like the plague." :) I was relieved to hear that he's healthy, strong, and doing great.

GOOOOOOO GIANTS!!!!!!!

THE GIANTS WON! THE GIANTS WON! THE GIANTS WON!

Oh my goodness, OUR TEAM WON!! We just finished jumping up and down screaming in our living room! Goooooooo Giants!!!

My boys watching the game.

I love these guys.

Owen looking a little skeptical that the Giants can pull it off.

We're number 1!!

My Babies

Happy Birthday, Noah!

A great way to spend a Saturday morning is at a 3-year-old's birthday party! We just got home from Noah's party (the son of our friends, Nate and Julie). Carlee Scott had a ball and immediately fell asleep when we got home. Too cute!

Not sure what I found so funny in this picture but something sure was cracking me up!

Carlee Scott is getting the hang of it!

I don't think this is how you play the game but it looks like fun.

Check out the tickets she was winning.

Birthday boy blowing out the candles.

Carlee Scott and Jessica (Josh and Laura's little girl). Check out the boo boo on CS's lip. She fell into some furniture at school yesterday, busting her lip, cutting the area right under her nose, and even causing a nosebleed. Ouch.

Will (sporting his Giants support) and Josh

Laura and me

It's not a party without cake!