What a great 5 years!

Chad and I have been married for 5 years today! He is such an amazing man all around. A little history on the two of us for those that don't know....
We began dating in April 2000. My senior year of high school, his freshman year of college. Pretty quickly we were totally in love. We dated for 3 years then took a "break." This was my decision and Chad wasn't happy with it. Then a few months into the break, I wanted to date Chad again and he wasn't ready to date me. This same story went on for about 2 years. But during this whole time we each went to one another's holiday gatherings, birthday lunches, family cookouts, whatevers. We rarely had a formal discussion on whether we were going to get back together or not, or when this would happen. It was more like both of us knew that one day we would grow up and get married to each other. I never imagined marrying anyone else, and the thought of Chad loving anyone besides me made me sick.
Well, we had been "dating" if you call it that for about 2 weeks when I graduated college in 2005. We were spending a ton of time together, and neither of us were dating anyone else. I graduated somewhere around December 15. I had an interview in Birmingham on December 19. My plan was to move to another city and work for awhile to see if Chad and I were really meant for each other, or if we were just comfortable together. I had dated a few guys during the 2 years we weren't officially together, but he hadn't really dated anyone beyond 1-2 dates and I wanted him to be sure he really wanted to be with me. Well, I called Chad the day of the interview, told him I got the job and would be moving Jan. 2 to Birmingham.
Chad went straight to Jared (I know, he went to Jared) after work that same day and bought me an engagement ring that he picked out. Only he really financed it and didn't "buy" it. He had 11 days to come up with the hefty down payment, but walked out of the store with ring in hand.
On Christmas Eve he asked me to marry him with tears in his eyes in front of his parents, grandparents, siblings, aunt, uncle, and cousins. His dad leaned it to his mom after he asked me and said, "Are they even dating?"
I cried and shook like a leaf and said "YES."
When we got in the car on the way to my apartment he handed me the receipt and said, "get it insured." I saw what it cost and asked him how he was able to pay for it. He told me he didn't pay for it yet, but was planning to sell his car (he had a company truck so he didn't need his car) to pay for the down payment. He had 5 days to do this.
He put his car in the lot across from Target on Dec 26 at 6pm with a For Sale sign on it. He sold it for what he was asking by 7pm. He came up with the payment after all.

Chad was made just for me! He knows me better than I know myself which can be irritating at times. He is just who I dreamed of having for a life-long partner. He could stand to be more romantic and more spontaneous, but I am sure he wishes I were as big of a Braves fan as he, and would stand up and jump around like a lunatic when Heyward hit a grand slam this week. I'm not going to lie and say every day has been blissful over the last five years, because we have our disagreements. The first year of our marriage was extremely difficult. Mainly because he is a micro-manager, Dave Ramsey, finance/economic degree holding saver. Where I am...........not like that. But we are an awesome team and the funnest, coolest, rowdiest parents ever!!
I think it is unbelievable how deciding to go to Waffle House with some girlfriends in high-school changed my life forever. And I met Chad.
God has a great sense of humor. I am SO SO blessed.

We need a goat! And a baby update!

I have been asking for a pet goat since I was in high school. I've been asking Chad for one since we got married, however we have yet to live in a place that would accommodate a goat. I think they are so sweet and cute, and then you don't even have to mow your yard either. Well, Cohen loves goats too!
Every time we go to the zoo, which is about twice a month, Cohen's favorite thing to do is pet and brush the goats. He isn't intimidated by them at all. He's such an animal lover. Yesterday, he walked right past a goat lying down, to the bucket that holds the brushes, then back to the goat. He brushed him for a couple of minutes, until he saw another goat, then ran to brush him for a bit, then returned to the first goat! He truly cannot get enough of the goats.

 These two were from a zoo trip a few weeks back with Nana, Cale, and Uncle Kyle. Petting goats again.

Well, maybe more like pulling the goat's tail here:)

Cohen is such a joy! I love this age so much and I am so looking forward to watching him learn more and more everyday, then repeating it all with baby Sutton, then again with more children if God blesses us with more.
Cohen loves books! He can say "book" now and it is literally the first word he says when we walk into his room in the morning. He points to his bookcase in his room and says "book." He currently favors "Rainbow Fish" and "The Little Engine That Could."  He also just recently started saying "sit" and tells everyone to sit, including all the zoo animals that were not sitting. At first, I was a little unsure of what my sweet little boy was saying...I didn't think it was "sit."
Here is a picture of Cohen, Cale, and Nana reading a bedtime story together.

Oh, Update on the baby.....
Ultrasound today went wonderfully. He is growing right on track, and his belly is measuring what it should be. He has dropped into his starting position which is making me pretty stinkin' uncomfortable. He is way more active than Cohen was in utero. This guy wakes me up several times per night with his swift kicks. On the ultrasound today he was stretched out with his ankles crossed. Seriously, child, do you think there is enough room to lay completely stretched out in there? I'm still hoping for a great sleeper and mild-mannered child like Cohen. I'll start Babywise the second week with this boy and hope for the best.
Life is about to get even crazier and I can't wait!!!
Kelly

Cloth Diapers!

So, I am really loving this cloth diaper thing. I still don't send Cohen to the babysitter or his Nana's house in cloth diapers because I know most people are somewhat scared of the idea. My mother used the old school kind on me, so she doesn't have a problem with them. I don't think...I haven't really asked her. Mom?
Anyway, it is easy to get really addicted to it. It is somewhat of a hobby learning about the different types and brands of diapers. My great friend Melissa began cloth-diapering with her son right around the time I started, except she dove into it pretty quickly, where it has taken me awhile to fall in love with cloth. She told me about this great website from a store in Pittsburg where she lives. It is called Happybabycompany.com. It has a ton of information on cloth-diapering and you can order basically any product you can think of for diapering with free shipping. I am SO glad she introduced the website to me.
I still have reservations about cleaning the poop from the diapers so I put in a flushable liner when I expect Cohen to poo so I can just flush the liner with poo on it, and throw the diaper in the laundry. So easy! I am planning to continue to use cloth for Cohen until he potty-trains, and also to use cloth for the new baby, who as of today, is named Sutton Henry!
Melissa has given me great advice on cloth diapers for toddlers and newborns. So I ran the cost of cloth diapers vs the cost of disposables by Chad last night, and he did agree that it sounds like a good idea. He just said, "Please don't ever wash my clothes with those diapers." Don't worry, I won't. Unless you get on my bad side:) Just kidding!
So, I would highly encourage anyone who is even remotely curious about cloth-diapers and the benefits of cloth to check out happybabycompany.com and ask friends about their experiences. I bet you will love it if  you just get started.
Off to the doctor to check on Baby Sutton!
Have a wonderful, lovely, not-too-hot August day:)
Kells

Overall, A growing boy!

We went to the doctor today for an ultrasound and my 29 week appointment. The baby is measuring normally for his head, arms, and legs, but his little belly is measuring small. The belly is the most subjective measurement though due to the lack of bones in the abdomen, and the ability for it to get squished due to position of the baby.
The blood flow to the baby is normal though, which is great. That means there is no issue with my placenta or the baby's cord.
The plan is to repeat the ultrasound in 3 weeks and keep a close eye on him. If his belly falls off the growth curve at the next ultrasound, we would begin getting weekly ultrasounds to monitor him even MORE closely. Hopefully, we will not get to this.
Great news is that he is now HEAD DOWN!!! Woo-who! I know he still has 10ish weeks to flip again, but I am thinking he is going to be a sweet obedient child and stay head down:)
Here is a great picture of his little face. He doesn't look at all like Cohen. He is going to be his own little person.

We are still stuck on the name for this sweet guy. This week we are between Sutton and Ralston. As much as we both love "Cooper" I think we are going to take that name off the list. The main reason is because we would like more children and don't want to get stuck with "C" named children.

Btw, I am SO SO excited to have a Fall baby. Fall is the best time of the year, and October is the best month of the year. Taking 3-4 months off of work during fall and throughout the holidays is going to be so wonderful. Nurses don't get off holidays, so this will be a great fall/winter. I can't wait for it to cool down a bit so we can resume our trips to the zoo.
God is so great to us, and life is so wonderful!
Kelly

Look A-Likes

Everyone is always telling us how much Cohen looks like Chad. I completely agree. I think the only trait he has of mine is my dimpled chin. Yesterday, Chad's mom gave us some pictures of Chad's dad as a baby. Well, now we have decided Cohen looks JUST like his Papa Mike. Even more than he looks like Chad.
What do you think?

This one is where they look like twins. Can you see the resemblance?
CraZY!!!



Summer Fun!

Cohen has had such a wonderfully fun summer! He goes to his Nana and Papa Mike's house on the days I work. His cousin Cale is there on the same days and they have so much fun. He loves going to his grandparents' house and seeing Aunt Lora and the rest of the family too! Nana starts the day by taking Cohen to Green Hills Starbucks for some conversation and coffee. Cohen has been somewhat of a regular there since he was born. Nana goes there every morning and takes Cohen when he's with her.  Then the boys, Nana, and Lora go for a morning stroll before it gets too hot. Recently, Co and Cale have started playing together and becoming friends. Nana said they walk around holding hands often. So cute! 
On most days, Cohen and Cale have water days with Nana and Lora.  Cohen loves the water, even a little blow-up pool is great for him. Cale isn't as excited about water, he would rather ride his big-wheel. 

Cohen on the left, Cale on the right holding hands without being told:)

Cohen on a stroll with Nana watching an airplane

Cale and Cohen playing in the "pool."

Cohen has also been going to Miss Lily since he was 6 months old. She watches Cohen when Nana or Lora can't keep him. Cohen LOVES Miss Lily. Her house has so many fun toys, a keyboard, a train, balloons hanging, music playing, and bright colors on the walls. It's like a kid fun-factory!  When we drive by Miss Lily's neighborhood, he says "Wola" because that's what he calls her. He gets so excited to see her. He will be spending a couple of days a week with her starting next month. There is a new girl at Lily's named London. Cohen seems to think she's cute.

On the baby front.....
We still haven't decided on a name for baby boy. We have 5 names we are trying to decide from. The first names are, in no particular order:
1) Cooper
2) Spencer
3) Sutton
4) Foster
5) Ralston
We both go back and forth almost daily on what order we list these names. Today Chad and I both like Ralston the best, but I still am pushing for Sutton. Yesterday Chad told me he wanted him to be named Cooper, yet last week he said he wanted to take Cooper off the list totally because he didn't like it at all.  This is how this entire pregnancy has been for us. We agreed that if one of us feels really strongly about one of these names, then the other of us will agree to that name. The problem is, we wavier daily. I don't mind waiting until he is born to name him, but Chad thinks we will still have the same problem and be unable to decide. I am starting to agree with him. So we really want to have a name before he arrives.
I am 28 weeks pregnant, so we have about 3 months to get this sweet boy named.
I have another ultrasound next week to check his growth since I am on a beta-blocker to control my crazy fast heart rate. Beta-blockers can make the baby small, so Dr. Yu is keeping a close eye on him. Cohen measured small, but he was almost 8 pounds! I was on bedrest for 4 weeks with Cohen due to low fluid. I am praying that I have no bedrest this pregnancy, and I am able to work until the week I am due.
A wonderful perk to my job is that I can look at the baby with the ultrasound machine whenever I want. I check him out almost every week to see what he's doing in there. I am so spoiled considering most Mommies don't see there baby but once or twice the whole pregnancy. I am slightly concerned that this boy is breech. He turned on Saturday night. I was laying in bed and I felt his feet marching on the side of my stomach. Chad and I were laughing at how we could feel his tiny little feet going crazy. Then a few minutes later, I felt those little feet really low in my stomach. I checked with the ultrasound machine the next day, and, yep, he is breech. Little Turkey!! He still has plenty of time and room to get in the correct position though. But if he is still breech in 2 weeks, I am going to start doing all the midwife tricks to get him to turn head down. I'll keep you updated!
I am hoping to have great news to report next week when I have my growth ultrasound. I'll post pictures then. Hopefully of a big boy with plenty of fluid to hang out in:)
Kelly

Look what Motherhood does to me...

I have never been one to partake in crafts. Well, not since the glory days of Girlscouts. Since I have become a Mommy I have discovered I can make so many of the cute things that I spent a fortune on buying for Cohen.
Yesterday I went to my favorite store Textiles Fabrics and spent $99 on several different fabrics to make a few things. I am making baby gifts for friends and baby Cochrane. I am also making a bedskirt for Cohen's crib. (I have decided I will buy/borrow a second crib for him because he will NOT be ready for a big boy bed at 18 months. Cohen will move into the other bedroom, and baby will take over Cohen's nursery).
Here are my projects for next week during Co's nap times.

This is a wipe case covered in cute fabric. Super easy to make!!

I got a cover similar to this for Cohen, and it was $55 + shipping!!
I'm sure I can make it for about $10 and 2 hours of my time!

I encourage all of my Mommy friends to get crafty. It is so fun to me:) It all started when I began making Cohen's baby food at 6 months when he ate his first solids. I got such a reward from knowing I was 1) saving our family money 2) putting only the healthiest food possible into my sweet child's developing body and brain.
Speaking of healthy food... There have been recent news reports on the definite link between pesticides and lower IQ scores in children when the mother consumed foods high in pesticides while pregnant, and when children themselves consumed high levels of pesticides. Sounds super scary!
Apples, oranges, and strawberries topped the list. I am not super concerned about that though because we, nor Co, eat much, if any, of those fruits. But Cohen does eat a whole bag of grapes by himself every 10 days or so! So I decided I would buy organic grapes since he consumes those in mass quantities. (Grapes were on the list with some of the lowest pesticide residue). What I shock I got when I looked at the receipt and saw that 1 bag of red seedless grapes costs $9.74 at Whole Foods!!!! It is so crazy that only the so called "middle or upper class" can afford to eat foods low in pesticides.