The Yingst Family

My Little Boy's BIG 13TH Birthday Party!!

2011-12-05T19:04:00.018-06:00

Happy Happy Sweet 13th Birthday, Peyton!!!

I cannot believe what seems like just a few short years ago (which in all reality was 13 years ago!!?) I welcomed the most beautiful little boy into my life!! It was such a scary transition for me... but, I fell in love instantly! My first born, my son, my love, Peyton! He has the sweetest soul and still brings such happiness into my world!! He is so loving towards everyone that he comes in contact with... and everyone remembers him! He has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love! Happy 13th birthday, my sweet son!! It's hard to believe that you are no longer a child, but now a teenager. I love you infinity and beyond!!!!

So now that the mushy part is over... LOL... I wanted to share his 13th birthday party with you. For Peyton's 13th Birthday party, we decided to rent a huge room at venue in the city he was born! It was a fabulous room and quite reasonable! For Peyton's party theme, I let him decide his theme this year. It took him months to decide, but he chose our local College Mascot theme, Razorbacks (Surprise.. Surprise!! LOL). I always feel bad for him because his birthday falls the last day of November (right after Thanksgiving and right before Christmas!), because attendance is LOW... but, the most important people were there and that's all that really matters! My mother and sister, Jen, didn't get to come (first birthday they've ever missed) because they were home sick with a stomach virus (perfect timing, huh?!). Two of his best buddies were there, too - Shane and Gabe! The kids at the party swam afterwards and had a fun afternoon!

Here is a picture of his invitation I had designed (by a shop off of Etsy):

Here are some pictures of his Party Decorations (Custom made and store bought):

Here are some pictures of his Party and Guests at his Party:

Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated Peyton's BIG 13th Birthday... This was not only a birthday party celebration, but a milestone celebration!! We LOVE you... Happy Birthday, Sweet Son!!!

Khloe's 2nd Year Birthday Portait Session with Myra!!

2011-07-08T18:52:00.009-05:00

Here are some fun pictures of my daughter during her Portrait Session with Myra! She was not very cooperative this day, but I thought overall they turned out pretty cutsie! I brought several of my own props, so we could add lots of her birthday party colors to the pictures. I ALWAYS have portait sessions before my kids' birthday parties, so that I can blow up their pictures... and place them all over the party place (on easles) for everyone to enjoy during their party!!

Here is my big 2 YEAR OLD... Miss Sassy Pants herself:

We had such a fun time posing... Happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl!! XOXO

Khloe's Sweet Shoppe Birthday Party!! (7/2/2011)

2011-07-08T18:16:00.052-05:00

It is extremely hard to believe that my little girl just turned TWO! My, OH MY, how time truly flies... can someone stop time, please?! I wanted to share her party here on my blog for all my friends and family to see. Everyone has been asking me for details and lots of pictures. So, here you go...

I absolutely love planning events and especially my kids' birthday parties. It brings such joy and happiness into my life to put together something unique and special to each of my children! I started thinking about her 2nd birthday party ideas immediately after her 1st birthday party was over. The serious planning for her 2nd birthday began about 5+ months before her actual party. So, for 5 long months, I dedicated each day uncovering cutsie details on how to make her 2nd birthday party nothing short of AMAZING!! The only two downfalls to the whole party were: (1) Her cake toppled in the car on the way to the party from the cake shoppe (that was an hour away). I cried for an hour before her party began because of this AND it ruined the majority of my day. AND (2) Her party weekend competed with 4th of July parties and so many other birthday parties. Out of 40 invitations mailed out, only 9 families (Note: 9 of 40 invitations mailed) graced us with their attendance! And, of those of you who came... THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU!! I worked SO hard on Khloe's party and I'm so glad you were selfless and got to see the completed production! ;)

I decided to have Khloe's birthday party outside this year... under a covered pavillion at her Papa/Nana's Ranch in Missouri. I thought it would be much cuter for pictures, but I regret having it outside, because I think the heat was hard for guests to handle! In this area, it's not the heat so much, but the humidity that accompanies the heat... not a good combination! But, we made the best of it and opened the pool after the cake ceremony for guests to enjoy some fun in the sun and mostly cool down! Last year, it rained ALL day on her birthday... and not just rain, but downpours... luckily it was indoor! So, next year I'll need to come up with something in between.

I tried to customize Khloe's party as much as possible. Every little detail of the party was precious... and that special touch for my sweet baby girl!! I know she's only 2 years old and probably won't remember anything about her 2nd birthday party, but she can reflect back on the pictures to know just how much she was loved by her mommy (and other family: Nana, Papa, Daddy and Bubby who helped with the party)!

Let me back up a little bit... The theme of Khloe's birthday party this year was "Khloe's Sweet Shoppe." It was a candy/lollipop birthday party with bright pinks, turquoise, lime green, purple, yellow and orange. There was a candy buffet for our guests to enjoy after Khloe's cake ceremony. I had small paper bags laid out neatly on the buffet for guests to scoop their favorite candies in. There were so many rare candies set up in customized candy jars around the table. There was, also, a gift/goody bag table, food table, drink table and cake/cupcake table! It all flowed together nicely! I was quite proud of my party planning ability! :)

I'm going to take you through ALL the details from the last 5 months of planning Khloe's Sweet Shoppe Birthday Party... Enjoy the pictures!!

The pictures above were some of the decorations. They were all so time consuming and very detailed...

Below are some pictures of Khloe's Sweet Shoppe Party Set up... It was SO hot ouside!!

Here is the Birthday Girl, herself... Interracting with all her guests and enjoying the festivities!

Okay that was just a FEW of the pictures from her party. I'm irritated because the actual party pictures were horrible... I hired a girl to take pictures at Khloe's party and she did a less than impressive job. So, that's what I am stuck with. Boo. But, I did use my Canon T1i to take all the decorations pictures before the party (thank God or else they would have been horrible, too!). I hope you enjoyed her party... it was a blast putting everything together! Happy 2nd Birthday, little Khloe Elizabeth! You your party "Khloe's Sweet Shoppe" rocked!!!!

XOXO

Kevin's Summer Regionals in Branson (6/16-19/10)

2011-06-20T13:43:00.021-05:00

Kevin had his company Summer Regional Meetings in Branson again this year. We stayed at the Hilton Branson Landing. It was our second time to stay on the property since it opened... and it such a lovely hotel!! He works for Edward Jones Investments and the region we are a part of (and have been for almost 10 years) is wonderful... we have made so many close friends in the region and we always look forward to seeing each other every summer! We brought our children (Peyton and Khloe) with us... it was a good time for all!

I got inspired to get back on my blog and start blogging (since it had been several months again), because there are several spouses in the region who maintain their blogs more regularly than I do! LOL A little inspiration goes a long way!

Kevin was recognized for several accomplishments in the region and brought home a box full of placque's and other awards! He is so passionate about his career and really works hard... I am very proud of him... and I know one day he will shoot for the stars and land a very high position within the firm! Kevin works for the BEST company on Earth! We are grateful! I love you, honey!

Here are some pictures of our family and friends at the 2011 Edward Jones Region 39 Family Summer Regional Meetings in Branson!

Our Hotel Room in Hilton:

These were the balloons the clown made for my children (a tank and a unicorn)at the welcome dinner the first night:

Here are a couple pictures at Dixie Stampede...(We weren't allowed to take pictures in the facility):

These were pictures the last night at the Awards Dinner:

The man on the left in this picture is Jim Weddle, CEO of Edward Jones!! Very rarely do the Financial Advisors get to meet Mr. Weddle at a Regional Meeting!

Here are other random pictures of our friends in Region 39:

(Our friends: Brandon and Sarah Wilson)

(Our friends: David and Carole Dalton)

Thanks for a great time Edward Jones Region 39!! Until next year.... XOXO

Peyton's Baseball Season Begins - Spring/Summer 2011

2011-04-13T12:09:00.021-05:00

Peyton is on yet a new team this year... The Royals. I love baseball so much! Most of you know that I come from a long line of baseball players/coaches in my family, so you can say it's in our blood! ;) Last night was Peyton's 2nd game of the season. The team played well, but had one rotten inning, which caused a loss for the team. Peyton played very good last night... getting some outs... scoring some runs. Go Peyton! He is perfectly comfortable playing 3rd Base... it's his favorite position! AND, he's good at it! He played so well that the coach sent us a private email after the game and told us that he was proud of Peyton and he played very well today! He also informed us that his permanent position will be 3rd Base for the rest of the season... yeah!!

Here is a picture of him guarding his position:

Here are some pictures of Peyton's 1st hit:

Khloe LOVES the outdoors. She was so cute... plopping her bottom down on my jacket by my chair, lounging in the chair with her peanuts, cheering her bubby on and so many other cute things! LOL

Here are some pictures of Khloe at her bubby's Baseball Game:

AND... MORE pictures of Peyton playing Ball:

Way to go my sweet boy!! I'm so proud of you and am looking forward to an EXCITING baseball Season! XOXO

Khloe's State Pageant (4/9/11)

2011-04-12T13:52:00.010-05:00

Khloe has been in several pageants in the last 6 months. I really enjoy the natural beauty pageants (and they are NOTHING like Toddler & Tiaras on television). Khloe's latest pageant (this past Saturday) couldn't have gone more wrong (and it was her State Pageant). It was Saturday (April 9th)... it ended up being a half day pageant, but it was supposed to be an all day pageant. When I showed up, they showed me the schedule change... which was irritating, because Khloe's Papa and Nana were going to come but wouldn't be able to now. I found out at 9:30am that the beauty division of her pageant had been moved up by a couple of hours and would be at 10:30am (one hour from when I found out and called my mother in law, Mary). I called her and she wasn't even ready, which indicated that there would be NO WAY they could make it from Missouri to Springdale in time. My husband was at his dear client's funeral (of course took priority over his daughter's pageant, because she was a dear old lady he admired) and my son was at his first baseball game of the season. BUSY DAY!

Khloe was in a fantastic mood when she arrived at the Holiday Inn for her big day. She was definitely Miss Personality at that time. She shined so much that the ladies (including the Director) noticed and practically begged me to put her in the Personality contest, as well as the other categories that she was already registered in. The main categories that my daughter was in was "Sleepwear", "Best Dressed" and "Beauty." I never put her in Photogenic, because Khloe doesn't take great pictures and is much more darling in person. Her outfits were nothing like the other girls' competing. Her attire was absolutely darling... and both custom made for her! Both hair accessories she wore with her outfits were custom made, too (by her mommy dearest). Her beauty attire was made to mimic the outfit that she never got to wear for her Valentine's Day pageant (remember, the one sitting on my doorstep hours after her pageant was over). LOL Anyway, I asked her Nana to make a replica of it, except in different colors for this state pageant. It turned out DARLING!

Here are pictures of Khloe's Sleepwear attire she wore for her State Pageant:

Here are pictures of Khloe's Beauty attire she wore for the same State Pageant:

Unfortunately, Khloe did not win any of the categories at her pageant. She did not want to cooperate at the pageant and decided to do whatever she wanted on stage... including, whimper and sit down and be stubborn. Aside from that, though, she did okay considering her beauty division was right in the middle of her nap time. She was hot in the pageant room and on stage - they needed to cool the room down a lot more than they did. It was miserable for me, too. She only competed against one little girl in her age division for the sleepwear contest. She didn't win, though (which completely baffled me because her outfit was so different than the other little girl's outfit and was custom made - unlike the other little girl's). She didn't win Best Dressed either... which completed irritated me, too, because she WAS the best dressed. Everyone in the audience was in shock... total shock. I heard them mumbling that they didn't understand that. Khloe's outfits were the only outfits custom made and completely stood out from the other girls'. The whole thing was a MESS! She received 2nd Runner up... which is not even worth announcing! I know that sounds snooty and ungrateful, but really I'm not being that way at all. Khloe was the cutest there and I felt like the judges were punishing her for being "overdressed" compared to the other little girls (who were all wearing solid white church dresses and simple bows). I was so frustrated (although, I didn't let it show) that when they called her 2nd Runner Up (and that being the only recognition she received), I took her trophy... went to the changing room... grabbed our stuff and left immediately (not being a poor sport; I just didn't feel like sticking around). I emailed the director when I got home telling my displeasure with the judges ability to judge and how everyone knew that Khloe should have AT THE LEAST won Best Dressed. I wasn't hateful to the director at all, but she needed to know that I knew it wasn't right. Oh well...

This pageant helped me decide what I want to do going forward with Khloe's pageants. I think I am going to wait until December this year (Khloe will be 2 1/2 years old by then) to start taking pageants more seriously. She is in her terrible 2's already, so that will give her time to mature a little. She will be better behaved/disciplined by then. Two is such a HARD age for little girls. There are a lot of changes around that age. Anyway, we are not done with the pageant world, but we are going to take a long break. I am going to put her in dance instead. She LOVES music and loves to sing (her own words) and dance. It's her favorite. So, why not start something she loves in the meantime. :)

Here is a picture of Khloe at her pageant with a little girl in her age division (They adored each other and kept holding hands and running down the halls together):

Thanks for letting me vent... Ha! I'll be spending much of my time these next couple of months preparing for Khloe's 2nd birthday party. I have some fun ideas, already! Hard to believe she turns two years old in 2 1/2 months. EEK!

Khloe's Sweetheart Pageant on 2/12/2011

2011-02-13T11:52:00.008-06:00

My daughter competed in her second pageant, which was the "Sweetheart Pageant" for Valentine's Day. We had ordered her pageant attire in January for this particular pageant and I couldn't wait to see Khloe in it! But, because of the TWO major snow storms that hit us over the past 10 days, her shipment of her outfit was delayed because they couldn't get delivery trucks to our house. I was in high hopes that her pageant attire (that was OVERNIGHTED on 2/8/11) would finally be in my hands before her pageant on Saturday (2/12). However, Friday came and went and there was still NO DELIVERY! I didn't know what to do at this point, because the pageant had two divisions (Beauty & Valentine's Wear) and I had not a clue what she was going to wear - especially since I was still snowed in and couldn't go anywhere! Well, I found some make-do outfits for her in some of her 18mos clothing totes I had bought early on. They were really adorable, but nothing compared to the outfit I had ordered for her and was ANXIOUSLY awaiting to be delivered! Atleast it was a backup outfit if I didn't receive her outfit by Saturday morning... before leaving for the pageant (which was 45 minutes away from our house).

Saturday morning came and I just KNEW her outfit would come, but it DIDN'T! I was sad! We were forced to leave the house at 12:30pm to make it to her pageant by 2:00pm. We were there 5 minutes late, but they were running late anyway. I got Khloe's contestant # pinned on her and was ready for the pageant to begin! There were some really cute little girls there... AND, they all had the most darling outfits themed for Valentine's day (with hearts galore). All I could find for Khloe was a pink and white polka dotted Mud Pie outfit with matching hairbow... it had to work!

Here is the Pink/White Valentine's Wear outfit Khloe had to wear because her custom outfit never arrived:

(As you can see it was adorable, but not quite Valentine's enough like the other girls'!)

Here is the Beauty part of the Pageant... Khloe's dress was so cute, but maybe I should have had her go out without the hat because it was pressing down her face~ LOL!

(And, boy, she strutted her stuff... LOL!)

After she walked out of the floor both times, they had the girls line up again and they announced the winners in each age division. I knew because of attire, Khloe would get docked points... and she did. She ended up being 1st Runner Up (2nd Place) in her age division. 1st Runner Up is good, but not Queen! :( But, atleast she won another trophy - she really loves her trophies! ;)

Here are some pictures of her walking in front of the judges (there were three judges):

Well, overall, she did pretty good... would have probably won Queen had she wore the right attire AND if we had received her outfit we had made for her for this pageant. And, guess what was sitting on our front door step when we got home from the pageant? A box WITH HER PAGEANT OUTFIT in it! Grr!!! Go figure! LOL

GOOD JOB, KHLOE.... WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, SWEET BABY GIRL! XOXO

Massive Snow Storm - Winter 2011

2011-02-13T11:15:00.011-06:00

I have not seen this much snow in our area since I was a little girl. Wow! I felt like we were in Canada or something! Over a two week span, we received more snow in two snowfalls than we did in 2009 & 2010 combined! On 2/1/11, we received a total of 12" of snow... On 2/9/11, we received another 24" of snow! That is a total of 36" of snow in basically a week. It will not be forgotten!

Here are some pictures of my family during the first snow fall on 2-1-2011:

Here are some pictures of my family in our backyard (Khloe wasn't thrilled about the snow!):

Will post more pictures SOON of the 2nd snowfall (24") on 2/9/11.....

Kevin's 33rd Birthday Festivities...

2011-02-01T17:17:00.024-06:00

My husband turned 33 yesterday, but we started celebrating his birthday on Saturday. It was a good time for all! He specifically told me 'NO presents or parties'... but WHO in the world could let some one's birthday (especially their HUBBY'S birthday) go quietly - not this girl! Hee hee!

Saturday, I planned a surprise birthday dinner for him at Copeland's of New Orleans in Rogers. He had plans directly beforehand with his buddies Cody and Keith, so they were able to help me get him there without him knowing. There were several of our close friends there to surprise him as he arrived. Our friends that came were: Kevin and Kim O'Neill, David and Shannon Inglis, Tom and Stephanie Thomas, Keith Sharp, Jeff and Kris Wrona and Cody and Christiane Burnett!! Good times... good times! We all arrived at the restaurant at 6:15pm and Kevin and the guys arrived about 6:45pm... so it worked out perfectly.

Here are some pictures of our group at Copeland's:

After Copeland's... half of our group went to a Pajama Party in Shadow Valley for Ben Banks birthday, too. I was kind of nervous about showing up in pajamas, because I don't wear pajamas in public. I didn't know what other girls would be wearing... BUT, I went for it. I wore some fun hot pink pajamas with zebra accents. The guys all looked less than impressive, but it ended up being fun! I loved the Espresso shots... Mmm!!!

Here are some pictures from the Pajama Party:

Kevin's actual birthday was on Monday (1/31), so since we had all the fun possible with friends... it was now time to have a nice, peaceful dinner with just our family (including Kevin's parents). We went to Red Lobster and enjoyed a lovely dinner and had a good time visiting with each other! Since I never go anywhere without my camera, I captured some pictures at dinner on my husband's birthday!

Here are the pictures from our dinner at Red Lobster:

A great weekend celebrating my husband's 33rd birthday... until the next one... Happy Birthday, Kevin! We love you!!

Amanda's Baby Shower (Baby Asher)

2011-01-22T19:57:00.018-06:00

Today, Khloe and I went to our cousin, Amanda's, Baby Shower. It was at Crumpet Tea Room in Pinnacle Hills Shoppes. Before we arrived we had actually gone to the Bentonville Crumpet Tea Room Express (closer to our home) and realized that I goofed on the location, then glanced at the invitation to see that it said the Rogers location... and proceeded to the Rogers location (not realizing the location had moved to Pinnacle Hills - LOL), until I called my mother-in-law, Mary, on the phone and confirmed the location. Nothing like confusion when you are already running a tad bit behind. Yikes!

Amanda's due date is the first of March , so she is weeks away from giving birth to Baby Asher Isaac Foster! This is her second child (and son)... she is such a sweet girl and great mother! Her first son is Miles... and he is such a little cutie (who looks just like mommy Amanda)! I'm sure Baby Asher will look more like his daddy, Matt! Did I mention that Amanda was one of my Bridesmaids' in my wedding years ago?!

As stated before... the Baby Shower was at Crumpet Tea Room. If you have not been there, it is a must go! They have varieties of teas and coffees: flavored iced teas and hot teas... and lots of yummy healthy snacks! Especially their delicious orange rolls... Mmm! I think I might take Khloe there for one of her birthdays when she is older and have an actual tea party with her friends... Oh joy! Can't wait!

Here are some pictures of Amanda and her Baby Shower guests:

(Above: Her Yummy Cupcakes... Well, they looked yummy, I didn't eat one! LOL)

(Above: This picture Amanda was making an "Awe" face and saying "Awe" as she waited for everyone to start their "Ewes and Awes!" Ha!!)

(Above/Below: This is the group of girls at Amanda's Shower at the Crumpet Tea Room.)

(Above: Isn't Amanda Styling... and she's almost ready to pop! Cute outfit, Mommy!)

(Above/Below: Khloe sitting with her Nana at the Shower... Couldn't leave her out!)

(Above: Aunt Anita and my Mother-in-Law, Mary)

(Above: Pretty Miss Kameron, Anita's granddaughter and Amy's little girl)

(Above: This picture is of FOUR ladies- Kizzy, Amanda, Amy and Marci -at Amanda's shower who are ALL Pregnant!! Remind me NOT to drink their water... Ha!)

(Above: These 3 ladies - Kizzy, Amanda and Alicia - are bonded for life... all involved in ministry and good friends!)

(Above: Amanda and her adorable pregnant belly!)

(Above: Amanda and her frient/party hostess, Marci)

(Below: The next 5 pictures are of Little Miss Khloe getting loved on by her Great Aunties and Great Uncle!)

(Above: Uncle Stan and Khloe... playing and being silly!)

(Above: Khloe with her Great Grandma "Mamaw")

(Above: Khloe with Great Aunt Sheila - Great Uncle Stan's wife)

(Above/Below: Khloe cuddling up to her Great Aunt Anita!)

(Above: Amanda with her Dad Stan!)

(Above: Amanda and her Aunt Anita)

(Above: Amanda and her mother-in-law, Sheila)

(Above: Amanda with Mamaw)

(Above: Uncle Stan stealing kisses from Miss Khloe!)

(Above: This is the room that Amanda's Baby Shower was in... Neat Arch!)

(Above: Amanda with her husband's family)

(Above: Amanda and her Aunt Mary)

(Above: Last but not least... Amanda and I!)

Overall the party was great... it was so nice getting to visit with all our friends and family. And, it was so good getting to see the Mother of Honor, Amanda, and her adorable baby belly!

We cannot wait to meet you Baby Asher... Congratulations, Amanda, Matt and Miles!!!

Melissa Parrish's Surprise 30th Birthday Party

2011-01-10T14:22:00.026-06:00

Saturday night (1/8), we went to our good friends' (Cody and Christiane Burnett) house for a delayed surprise 30th Birthday Party for our friend, Melissa Parrish! She is such a sweet girl... she is married to Joel Parrish and they have the most adorable (and styling!!) 11 month old baby boy (Greyson).

The party was supposed to be a surprise, but Melissa said she thought something was up when her husband asked her four times what she was wearing (when they were getting ready for what they thought was a quiet dinner with Cody and Christiane). Then, when they arrived the Burnett's little boy, Mason, was peeking out the window as the front room lights turned on and then off. Of course, she suspected something at this point. LOL

Here is Melissa walking in the house to hear "SURPRISE"... with balloons all over the floor in front of the door!

Even though she wasn't really that surprised, she still didn't know who was going to be at the party. She wasn't feeling real well (the cold junk that has been going around), but she still enjoyed seeing everyone! Even though Melissa turned 30, she was still several years younger than everyone there... puppy! ;)

Here are the group of us girls at the party:

(Left to Right: Christiane, Kris, Birthday girl/ Melissa, Kasey Christen and Me)

Here are the group of guys at the party:

(Left to Right: Joel, Jake, Jeff, Cody and my hubby Kevin)

Great looking bunch of people, huh?!! They are all so wonderful! We always enjoy all our gatherings with this group of fun people!

Here are other Random Pictures taken throughout the Evening:

We had a good time visiting with everyone! Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Until the next event.... :)

Christmas Afternoon at My Parents' Home

2011-01-09T12:06:00.007-06:00

After opening gifts at our house, we loaded up into our car (with all the gifts for our gift exchange) to my parents' home in Springdale. All four of my mom's kids were there with their families. Khloe was dressed in the most adorable Christmas outfit and her brother opted not to be in any more pictures once we got there. LOL

Here are some pictures:

I love my mom!! I have the best little sister (who is 12 years younger than me) in the world, too... Jennifer! My kids adore her!! XOXO

Christmas Morning in our Home 12-25-2010

2011-01-09T10:50:00.011-06:00

This was Khloe's 2nd Christmas experience. She was halfway in to all the gift unwrapping, but next year she'll be even more ready and anxious! Like I tell everyone... this year was her "practice" year! Ha! It was a good morning... and the kids really enjoyed their gifts! I am just thankful for two healthy, precious kids... God is good!

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning:

Khloe got lots of fun toys... she'll be busy for a while! Kevin and Peyton's biggest gift was their tickets to the Spurs Basketball game in Houston... their seats are 4 rows up from the court floor... right in the midst of all the action... they will be able to touch the players if they want. Be on the lookout... you might see quick snapshots of them at the game on April 1st. How exciting! Kevin got me a bunch of hiking gear: new hiking backpack, jacket and hiking boots. Peyton got a lot of accessories for his Wii... including games, Pulse game chair, etc. Peyton got his first serious camera (Canon Powershot 14.1mp). He also got a lot of clothes (boring). Kevin got other fun stuff - including at hiking scope, Chrome Harley Davison Trailer Hitch cover and etc. Overall... Christmas was a success in the Yingst home! Merry Christmas all!

Pre-Christmas w/Kevin's Parents in Branson

2011-01-09T10:27:00.006-06:00

As I said in the earlier post, Kevin's parents treated us to a full weekend in Branson - two weekends before Christmas. They were so generous to not allow us to pay for anything... I couldn't have been more blessed with such thoughtful, generous, loving in-laws!

Here are some of the Branson pictures:

Good family times in Branson!!

Pre-Christmas at Yingst Ranch

2011-01-09T09:37:00.018-06:00

Christmas this year was overall pretty good. Kevin's parents were heading out of town a week before Christmas in their 5th Wheel (to get a little R & R for 6 weeks) to Southeastern Texas. His mother works herself to the bone and never can rest if she's home, because she always has to be doing stuff with her hands... making bows, sewing outfits, marking items for her antique booths and everything else under the sun. Not to mention their ranch log home is huge and takes a lot of work to maintain, so rest is much needed on her part. Kevin's dad is a hard worker, too. They are wonderful people!! Kevin's mother is a CPA during tax season, which for her begins the 1st of February... so, they needed that 6 weeks relaxation/break before she began her stressful tax season! :) Before they left, we celebrated a small gift exchange with them and wished them a very merry Christmas!

Here are some pictures of PRE-Christmas with Kevin's parents at their ranch...

We got Kevin's parents framed pictures of the kids for Christmas (to take with them while they are away). They got other fun stuff from us, too, but I don't need to mention it. They decided since we really didn't need or want anything for Christmas, then they would get us "services" for Christmas. So... they came to our home and picked up Kevin's H2 and took it to get detailed from the inside out (it was much needed after all his travels/hikes in it). They got me a gift certificate for maid services to get my home cleaned from ceiling to floor and organized. I haven't used it, yet, but lord knows I need to since I'm chasing a 1 1/2 year old around non-stop all day and neglecting half of my housework (dusting and other petty stuff)! :) Peyton got money (as usual) and Khloe some adorable boutique outfits! They also treated us to a full weekend in Branson (Christmas lights and all)... not allowing us to pay one dime! It was nice... We love them!

Khloe WON her 1st Pageant - Miss Christmas Time Cutie 2010

2011-01-07T10:48:00.021-06:00

I decided it was time to start putting my little girl in pageants, so I mailed in the registration and got all the fees/paperwork out of the way and awaited Khloe's first pageant date. (I put her brother in pageants, too, when he was a baby/toddler and he won some and placed 2nd and 3rd place in others... but boys get too old for pageants and eventually it is considered weird... so we stopped before Pre-K.)

I searched online until I found the perfect seamstress to make the perfect outfit for Khloe to wear in her 1ST pageant. The lady resides in California and she has a very creative mind... making all sorts of adorable baby girl/boys clothes! She should start her own line and sell it nationally. Anyway, the outfit was pricy, but worth every penny. I sent her measurements and the outfit came back (weeks later) fitting her like a glove - couldn't have fit her any more perfect!! I was so excited to see Khloe strut her stuff on the floor at the pageant in this DARLING outfit! I decided to make her hair accessory to go with the outfit. I actually made two kufi hats all dolled up with feathers/puffs on them and gems. One was too dressy and the other is the one she wore at the pageant. The last part of her attire that I needed to find was shoes... it was a thick Christmas outfit. If she wore dress shoes, then they would not go with the outfit's consistency. So... I looked... and looked... and LOOKED... and pretty much gave up on the shoes UNTIL I found some white furry boots in her size 3-4. It was an auction and they were brand new... gap boots. Normally $50, but I bought them for $20 + shipping and they arrived in my hands two days before her pageant! Did I mention I found them the same week of her pageant! LOL

Khloe 1st pageant was set for Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 1:00pm. We were so excited. It was the "Christmas Time Cuties" Pageant. There were several age divisions and we were new to it. Several of the girls were professionals by this point and the mommies there had been a part of winning several pageants already for their little girls. My friend, Kristin, had started putting her little girl, Brinklee, in this pageant system 6 months ago... and her daughter had already won 5 titles (1st place: tiara and sash) and 9 trophies at this point. Tough competition for sure, because her little girl is a doll! I didn't really know what to expect and was quite disappointed that our little girls fell in the same age division this time and had to compete against each other. :( Not fun for us moms! Kristin's daughter, Brinklee, is actually 5 months younger than my daughter, Khloe... their age division was 0-18 months... and Khloe just BARELY fell into that age division. She turned 18 months old on January 1st, so like I said... She BARELY fell into that age division.

We were on our way to the pageant (which was held in Farmington - we live in Bella Vista... so a little drive for us), hoping that Khloe would sleep the whole way (that would be a good 40 minutes of sleep before we got there). After all, it was her nap time and she is VERY CRANKY and uncooperative if she skips her nap (I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about, if you have a baby - LOL!). And... of course, she did not get one minute of sleep... she decided to play the entire time we were in the car driving to the pageant. UGH!! I was worried that she would not even walk out there and would start crying and throwing a little fit. To my surprise, quite the opposite. Actually, she was very personable and little miss thing walking around the facility before the pageant began. Did I mention the pageant STARTED LATE (30 minutes late)... and that NEVER happens at pageants. The odds were completely against us.

Finally, the pageant started. Khloe was the last one in her age division to go out. They had to walk in a "V" stopping at 3 "X's" (one being right in front of the 3 judges table)... then, we would walk off to the end of the line and all go back out one last time for a showing to the judges. Khloe did great! She walked to all 3 spots and showed her personality in front of the judges. She actually cooperated... and had no idea what was going on... even though she was EXHAUSTED at this point!

Here are a few pictures of her walking out in front of the judges:

My husband did not have a very steady hand taking these pictures. Sorry. LOL We even had our professional Canon camera there. Oh well. LOL

Here is were they all lined up again in front of the judges... Kevin (my hubby) only wanted to picture our daughter (Khloe)and Kristin's daughter (Brinklee)in the line up. There is a little girl in between us, but I don't know her.

They had several other divisions of the pageant, including: Miss Photogenic, Most Beautiful, 2nd Runner up, 1st Runner up and all around 1st place winner "Miss Christmas Time Cutie 2010." As they were calling out the winners, a couple of the girls were winning more than one trophy. My friend's little girl, Brinklee, had won Miss Photogenic at this point. As they approached the end of the trophy ceremony in our age division, I was standing there with Khloe and she had not won anything at this point. I know I shouldn't have felt this way, but I remember standing there thinking I can't believe Khloe is not winning anything. I was disappointed. My husband could tell my expression on my face. BUT..... as they got to the last two trophies, they called 1st Runner up and it was Brinklee (her 2nd trophy)... I couldn't believe that Brinklee didn't win at this point, because she was the reigning winner from all the previous pageants... no one had beat her thus far! I had HIGH HOPES at that very moment that they were saving the best for last and would call out my daughter's name as the overall winner! They called out Miss Christmas Time Cutie 2010 winner is............ KHLOE YINGST!!! I was SOOOO excited. Oh, the pressure of pageants! LOL They came to her and crowned her (with a big, adorable tiara), then sashed her and handed her her trophy that is almost as tall as she is! So exciting!!! She was even happy! :)

Here are some pictures of the second they called her name and crowned/sashed her:

Khloe loved her trophy the most. Go figure! Ha! It was such a stressful, but successful day... my little princess won her first (of many to come) pageants! My little Chrismas Time Cutie finished the year with a bang! We love you and are so proud of you, Khloers!!!

Here are a few pictures of Khloe and her friend, Brinklee!! The cutest girls there!!!

Aren't they just precious together?!!

Here are other random pictures at the pageant:

My friend, Kristin, with her daughter, Brinklee (Miss Photogenic/1st Runner up - Reigning Winner):

It was a great time and I am thrilled to get to share this even with my friends and our parents! Hope you enjoyed the story and the pictures...

Neglecting my Blog/ New Years Resolutions

2011-01-07T10:42:00.003-06:00

Hi Friends!

Goodness... I have been majorly neglecting my Blog. I haven't posted since Khloe's 1st Birthday... which means it's been 6 months. Oops! Sorry about that. My goal is to update my Blog more often this year. Things are starting to finally slow down. Goodness, what a year! 2010 was good... but 2011 will be GREAT!

My New Year's Resolutions for 2011:
(I don't usually every make resolutions, but this year, I need to)

1. Rid myself of negativity (which means weeding out negative, mean people from my life)!

2. Get into the best shape of my life!

3. Healthy eating for my family - digging up all sorts of great, healthy recipes!

4. Be Happy and don't sweat the small stuff!

Simple enough, huh?! Yep... I think this is going to be a good year!!!

Khloe's Big 1st Birthday Bash!!!

2010-07-14T14:05:00.071-05:00

I still can't believe that my little girl turned ONE just a few short days ago! Time flies... and it really flies the more kids you have!! Wow! I am so proud of her, though... she is such a sweet baby girl!

I decided to celebrate Miss Khloe's 1st Birthday in style! Friends asked me why I wanted to go all out for her first big birthday, when she'll never remember it... my reason is because I look at it as a person will never in their life conquer as many milestones as they do in their first year of life! It is a time to recognize their growth!! My daughter will look back at pictures and know just how special she is to us... the first year is (in my opinion) the most important!

I went with zebra print and hot pink for decorations and the party color/pattern scheme. I decorated her nursery in giraffe print/pink/sage green... this was my way of giving her the zebra print/hot pink that I also loved but opted against for her nursery. :) So, I now have the zebra print out of my decoration desire. LOL It just turned out darling!! I received several compliments and I appreciate them all... after all, it was a lot of work and months of planning! So, it paid off! The party was a success! Other than the party had two small glitches: #1 - Khloe was sick and running fever the day of her party (and she is NEVER sick) and #2 - The rain decided to stay all day... and ruin the outdoor side of her birthday party (although, it didn't stop guests from swimming!).

Here is the Custom Birthday Invitation I had made for Khloe!! I had Thank You cards made to match the invitations with a picture on it of her eating her birthday cake, too!

This is a view of half the room... Included: Accent/Dessert Table, Candy/Sweets Table and Gift Table:

The other side of the room:

It took me 2+ Hours to decorate this Room Centerpiece Chandelier with Mesh Material (Kevin added all the butterflies to it!):

This is a Custom Handmade Banner that took me several hours to complete... then I ran it to the Teacher's Coop to have it laminated!

Part of the Decorations on the tables... the Zebra Print Table Runner was custom made as well... My Mother-in-Law helped with these!

This is the Cupcake Tower that I made... along with the Custom Cupcake Toppers and Custom Cupcake Sleeves:

Khloe's Zebra Print/Pink Two-Tiered Cake:

My goal was to make her party as frilly and girly as possible! It was so much fun... and expensive (even though I tried cutting as many corners as possible)! LOL It took me several hours to make her tutu for the black iron mannequin (which she also wore at her Birthday Photo Shoot on her actual birthday)!

Here is her Custom Tutu (both in her birthday picture from Studio and on the Mannequin at her Birthday Bash):

I had a Custom Birthday Banner made for Khloe for outside (with her picture on it), so guests can see it as they are arriving at the party! The idea for the vinyl banner was to have the guests all sign the banner as Khloe's keepsake. However, that idea backfired when it rained the entire time on the banner. LOL Guests didn't get to sign it... just look at it as they walked in!

I picked out some minky zebra print fabric and hot pink fabric for Khloe's Custom High Chair cover for the party. My mother-in-law, Mary, is an excellent seamstress and can make anything! So, I asked her if she would make the high chair cover with the fabric I got... I gave her Khloe's high chair cover as a pattern and told her how I envisioned it and she created it... it took her hours, but it was PERFECT!! I then took it to one of my favorite local boutiques and had their embroidering lady embroider it with Khloe's name on it. I, also, had the boutique embroider several other items for me... including the bib that Khloe wore at her party! :)

Here's the High Chair Cover and Bib: Made with Love for Miss Khloe's Big Day!

I am big into having all Khloe's special occasion outfits made through different seamstresses online. I had her Birthday Dress special made for little Khloe, along with a customized birthday hat to match! The detail on this dress is amazing! Check it out...

This is the Custom Tiara that I made for her... I had seen these before (and even bought a black one that she wore in her birthday pictures in the studio). But, I made this one! It's a real rhinestone tiara that I sewed onto a pink elastic headband!

The Real Princess in her Tiara!

And... this is her other Birthday outfit... you guessed it! Custom made for Miss Khloe to wear at her party after the cake cutting ceremony!!

On the Gift Table, I decided that I wanted to make a collage of the 1st year of Khloe's Life... So, I added pictures from all her portrait sessions (each month's birthday picture, Holiday pictures and our family picture)!

Here's her gift table and her portrait collage of all the important photos from her first full year!

Daddy did all the grilling at the Party... He was getting rained on, but loved it!!

Lastly, THANK YOU to all the family/friends that were able to join Khloe in Celebrating her 1st Birthday!!

Mommy, Daddy and Bubby LOVE you BABY GIRL!!! Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Khloe!!!!

Father's Day Weekend in Branson...

2010-06-22T09:44:00.018-05:00

This weekend we had a great time in Branson! It was crazy busy, but overall pretty fun and relaxing! Kevin had his Summer Regional Meetings with his Firm at Chateau on the Lake hotel/resort... that place is great! So much for the kids to do there... with the indoor and outdoor pool, indoor movie theater, indoor kids playcenter, restaurants, sweet shop (ice cream/specialty coffees/desserts galore) and so much more. It was nice! Of course, I forgot my swimsuit, so I didn't get to swim, but Peyton was a fish the whole weekend... and there were several boys close to his age for him to play with. He's not in many pictures, because he was off doing his own thing. LOL I would recommend Chateau on the Lake to anyone who wants to spend a weekend in Branson! Next year Kevin's Summer Regional Meetings will (once again) be in Branson, but next year we are back at The Holiday Inn & Suites at Branson Landing (that hotel is great, too!!). We hung out with our Edward Jones friends and enjoyed getting to see everyone... usually we all only get together for the Summer Regionals... and those that actually come to the Christmas Party (which we definitely need to spice up from here out... people are not excited about it anymore).

Here are some pictures of other Financial Advisors and their families in the Region (from this weekend)...

Sunday, after leaving the resort, we went on the Silver Dollar City (since we rarely get to use our season passes) for Father's Day. Kevin and Peyton rode several rides together... they have a great time there! The only bad thing is that it was scorching hot there, so we couldn't stay very long because of Khloe being so little and not being used to the high temperatures... plus, I HATE sweating and it seems that's all I did the whole time. Yuck! We went in the morning, too, to dodge the heat of the day, but didn't work. It was the hottest day of the year. We ran into Kevin and Sheena Oldenburgh and their kids, Katelyn and Austin as we were entering SDC. LOL What are the odds of that! Peyton and Austin are the same age, so they hit it off and became instant friends (and ride buddies). They rode several rides together before we left. Sheena and I caught up... we haven't hung out since her 30th Birthday Party last year. They are so much fun! And... Sheena and I figured out that our Kevins (both our husbands' names are Kevin) are big kids and will never grow up... they were conspiring in the corner to shoot pedestrians with water guns as they went by. LOL!! I didn't get any pictures at Silver Dollar City, because I opted to leave my camera in the car... so I don't have any to post.

We got home pretty early on Father's Day, so we took Khloe to Nana and Papa's house in Pineville (15 miles from our house). Kevin opened his gifts when he got home and then Kevin, Peyton and I went to Abuelo's and enjoyed some yummy food! When we got home, Kevin's mother brought our little Khloe home and we all finished the evening relaxing in our Hot Tub!! It was our first time to let Khloe in the Hot Tub(it wasn't very hot). We took several pictures. Overall, it was a relaxing weekend and I think Kevin had a good Father's Day! :) He is such a good Dad... the kids really enjoy Kevin's humor and adventurous personality! We love you, Kevin!

Here are some pictures of Khloe's 1st Hot Tub experience with us on Father's Day!

I love pictures... so you'll always see many pictures posted at once on my blog. I just don't like to leave out any details! Until next time...

Peyton's Baseball Season Finale...

2010-06-16T23:23:00.006-05:00

My son had a great time playing for the Bentonville Mariners this season. His coach was a really wonderful coach... we enjoyed him and his patience with the boys. Thanks, David Elrod!! Peyton moved up from Cal Ripken this year into Babe Ruth. It was definitely a more challenging league than he had previously been used to. But, he did pretty good this year... keeping up with the big dogs, that is! LOL He pitched for the first time ever this year and did good... room for improvement, but I am still quite proud of my little guy! He, also, played Third Base (which is his normal position).

Peyton has been playing since he was 3 years old. We actually fibbed about his age when he was 3 and said he was a year older... just because we knew he would excel... and he did very well in tee ball that first year! :) So, this was his 9th season to play... he LOVES baseball!! Loves it... and I come from a long line of family members that played baseball in college and minor league and are all now coaches for high schools and tech schools. :) I guess you can say it's in his blood! LOL

His team did 50/50 this season... won half their games and lost the other half. It was a short tournament, though... they lost the first game of the 4-day tournament and season over! The coach was proud of all the boys, so he rewarded them with individual trophies... so sweet! Peyton will stay in Babe Ruth next year (because it is for 5th & 6th graders... and he will be a 6th grader). We'll be checking into Baseball camps and practicing all summer until football begins.

Here are some pictures of Peyton and his team this season...

Until next year...

Walking Wings...

2010-06-16T18:52:00.006-05:00

My daughter is absolutely so afraid to let go of our hands (or whatever she is holding onto at the time) and take that courageous first step on her own. We researched until we found a cure for babys' walking fear. :) Have you heard of "Walking Wings" for babies? It is the cutest, neatest invention. It is a baby harness that has two seperate straps for support. It tricks babies into thinking they are supported at all times while walking... then, when they least expect it, you let go of the straps and they have NO IDEA they are walking on their own!! Woo hoo... can't wait to see how quick it works. Khloe has been walking extremely well in her walker and around furniture (holding onto things) since she was about 5 1/2 months old. We really thought she would be walking by 9 months... then, 10 months... then, 11 months... and still nothing. LOL She never crawled... hates it, in fact!! She scoots around the house on her bottom (HATES BEING ON HER BELLY!!!). It is the funniest thing. But, it is time little girl... our goal for her to be walking on her own is her FIRST birthday which is TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY! (It can happen... she's oh so close!!)

Here are some pictures of her walking with her harness (WALKING WINGS):

Khloe Walking with Daddy...

Khloe Walking with Bubby...

Go KHLOE!!!

Ashford Family Visit (June 2010)...

2010-06-14T12:55:00.018-05:00

My sister, Tasha, showed up in Arkansas with her two kiddos, Alexis and Baby Reed! I was excited that they came, because like I said before she told the family that she wouldn't be able to make it to Arkansas until Summer 2011!! Geez... that's a long time to make us wait. But, she just wanted to surprise us! They have a very busy Summer planned, so this was the only time she could squeeze in the trip... and I'll be honest... I was a little sad that it wasn't a couple of weeks later (so she could make it to Khloe's 1st Birthday Celebration Party). :( But, atleast she came to see us before hand.

Her daughter, Alexis, was my first niece and the first granddaughter for my mother. She is 10 1/2 years old. Her son, Reed, is my mom's newest grandbaby/grandson. He is 3 1/2 months old. I just love those kiddos... and miss them so much!!! My Brother-in-law/Tasha's husband, PJ, wasn't able to make it because of his busy career. We missed seeing you, PJ!

Here are some pictures of Tasha and her kiddos and all of us... it was a good visit!

Baby Reed (3 1/2 Mos Old)-

Tasha and Baby Reed-

Alexis (My brother's son, Ian, in picture, too)-

Tasha and I thought it would be cute getting some pictures of our babies in the new Huggies Blue Jean Diapers. Too cute! We were picture happy! The diaper was only available in a size 3 (and LUCKY to find that size!). Well, Khloe wears a size 3 normally, but Reed's bottom is still in size 1's... so it was too big... but darling! Look at how different the diaper looks on both their bottoms... hilarious!

Baby Khloe and Baby Reed Modeling their Blue Jeans Diaper! LOL!!

Here are Pictures of the Kiddos and Us having Fun at my Parents' House...

It was a good time... can't wait to see you guys again this Christmas! LOVE YOU!

Khloe's 11 Mos + Pool Fun + Sister's Surprise Visit!

2010-06-03T13:29:00.008-05:00

On Memorial Day, we decided to test out Khloe's excitement for the swimming pool by blowing up a fairly good size pool for our back deck and prepping her for the big, underground pool at Nana and Papa's house this summer. To our surprise Khloe hated the pool... and it wasn't even cold... we made sure it was luke warm for the little sweetie. :)She loves taking baths and always has... so this was very strange to me. I think she felt overwhelmed with the pool and it was really cloudy that day... just not the best circumstances. LOL

We took some pictures of Khloe in the pool... at first you'll see the joy and then the fear/anxiety (after she enters the pool).

The same day (Memorial Day), Khloe turned 11 MONTHS old. Unbelievable to mommy and daddy (and brother)! I took her to her monthly birthday photography session (the pictures were cute, but not my favorite). Then, we went home and got busy ordering more birthday items for her big birthday bash coming up! She is going to be all dolled up... I hope she's not a sweaty, irritated mess, though! A lot of her party will be outdoors. (Wish us luck... it will be roasting outside by JULY 3RD!)

My sister and her family came into town from Nashville late Tuesday and really surprised all of us... we were told over and over again that they would not be able to make it down to visit until Summer 2011. Yikes! That was too long... and we were all a bit irritated. LOL But, she pulled a big hoax on us this week! My brother-in-law, PJ, wasn't able to come down with them because of his new job, but Tasha, Alexis and Baby Reed blessed us with their presence! Yeah!!

This week has been a crazy one... Peyton is counting down the days till school is officially out. I can't believe his teachers are telling the kids that if they don't want to come on Monday and Tuesday next week, then they don't have to. Craziness! What kid wants to miss the last day of school?!

We are ready for our summer festivities to begin.....

I Can't Believe I haven't Blogged since Khloe was 9 weeks old!!!

2010-05-27T21:31:00.023-05:00

So, things are starting to slow down a little in the Yingst home... well, enough for me to take a breath and catch up on blogging. I cannot believe that I have not blogged since Khloe's 9 weeks checkup... yikes! And, she is 11 months old now. Can you believe it?? I can't! My kids are growing up way too fast... it's scary... and a little depressing!

Peyton is heavy into his baseball season right now. He is pitching for the first time this year... and playing Third Base (as usual). He is 11 1/2 years old and is girl crazy right now... he still thinks Meghan Fox is the love of his life. LOL He is graduating 5th grade in a few days and moving on to 6th (his last year in Middle School). Talk about feeling OLD... :(

Here is a picture of Peyton pitching this season...

Our family just got back this week from New Mexico. We actually hadn't planned on going together, but it turned into a family trip. Actually it was a 2 week motorcycle run for my husband and his dad and their friend. They were going to ride and explore the Westcoast... But, the first day, their friend, Bill, got into an accident and rolled his Harley with him beside it down a hill/mountain in New Mexico. So, he had the honor of spending an entire week in the Sante Fe Hospital (after an airvac ride). He broke two ribs, collapsed one lung and broke his ankle/foot in several places. Their trip was over. So... the wives to the rescue. We all traveled down there (seperately of course) and turned it into a vacation... without Bill, though... since he would be spending his time in the lovely Sante Fe Hospital after a couple of surgeries on his foot. :( Poor guy! We spent several days in Sante Fe and the rest of our time in Taos, New Mexico. It was such a neat place. We hikes mountains and stopped at many State Parks - including Rio Grande and Bandelier. Khloe and Peyton were such troopers... the car ride was nothing to them... although it took forever to get there and even long to get back. It was 14 hours there and 16.5 hours back. Not so much fun! Khloe barely let out a peep... and slept a lot of the time. You could expect that from a newborn, but an 11 month old. I must say I was very proud of her and Peyton.

We got some good pictures in New Mexico...

Here are just a few...

And, a few more...

Just a few more... ;)

Okay, so today, I am in major party planning mode! I am going crazy planning Miss Khloe's FIRST BIRTHDAY party! She will have two parties actually... one for friends and one for family/clients. The friend party will be a party for 4 babies... there is a group of us ladies whose husbands are childhood friends who all have baby's turning ONE in June (even though Khloe is July 1st - she missed June by 3.5 hrs... Grr!). This is the 2nd child for three of us in the group... and the other this is her 1st baby (Chandra McFarlane - her little guy, Jude). There will be two baby girls (one is KHLOE!) and two baby boys. So, it will be even. We met today about the party theme and ideas... I think we can make it so much fun! We all share a lot of the same friends, so this makes it easy for everyone! Khloe's other birthday party will be the following weekend - at her Nana/Papa's ranch in Missouri. My gosh, it is going to be a GIRLY GIRL Party... just wait and see the pictures. LOL I have already ordered so many custom things for Khloe... including custom address labels, postage stamps, birthday outfit/hat, custom invitations... OMG... it's craziness in Heatherville! I am obsessed with details and impressionable moments... I hope it turns out perfect and an event everyone will remember... like our wedding and baby showers!! I won't tell you the themes right now... you'll just have to wait and see! ;)

Khloe is getting so big, too. She has skipped crawling all together. Yes, she is extremely spoiled... I'm sorry to say. It actually makes me a little frustrated with her. She wants everyone to do EVERYTHING for her... and I'm not liking it! She is getting prettier every day and her complexion is flawless. :) I'm such a proud momma! She is still running in her walker and only walking around the house without the walker by holding our hands or walking along things. She's funny... stubborn stinker! She recenly got 4 teeth and has 2 more cutting through as I type this. I feel a lot more in that little mouth, too. She plays Patty Cake and waves to everyone (hi/bye)... expresses that she likes or dislikes something by nodding yes or no... and still only says momma, dadda and bub. She's getting there, though. She can hold up her index finger to tell you she's one and she LOVES food! She eats most table foods (including small chunks of meat). She only has formula twice a day (her morning nap and before she goes to sleep). She still loves baby cereal though... but WILL NOT eat baby food. LOL Again... SPOILED! She's so tiny. She still wears 6-9 months and only weighs 18 lbs. She is in the 45 percentile of all babies her age in weight and in the 75 percentile in height. She loves everyone... and smiles to prove it... often!

I'm an obsessed mommy... I get her pictures taken at the studio every month! But, when she turns a year old, I will start doing it every 6 months. :) Believe me... that will save loads of money and my husband will be proud of me! LOL I'm not going to post all her monthly birthday pictures, but I will post the most recent pictures that I took of her "playing dress up" in her adorable pale pink baby petti romper. I love those outfits... can you say DARLING?!!! Anyway, I was pretty proud of my camera and my picture taking abilities. LOL

Check them out... These were taken on 5-26-10 (very recent)...

I think that updates you on everything! I'll update you more about Kevin and I later on... I promise to do a much better job updating my Blog on a more regular basis (like the old days). ;)

Talk to you soon......

Khloe's 9-Week Doctor Visit...9-2-09

2009-09-04T16:03:00.004-05:00

Khloe had her 9-week doctor visit last Wednesday. She is in the 45 percentile of all babies her age in Length/Height, Head diameter and weight. Khloe weighed 10 lbs 0 oz (finally she is starting to grow a little... she is so petite!). She measured 22.5" in length. She still has the longest fingers and toes. She is going to be a tall and skinny little girl!

This week Khloe noticed her tongue this past week. You can stick your tongue out at her and she will stick hers out at you. You can also say "tongue" and she will play with it with her little lips. Too cute!! She is getting frustrated with herself, though, because she wants to grab things and she cant quite figure out how to get her hands to do it! LOL This week she is 10 weeks (2 1/2 months old). She's also been going cross-eyed trying to look at her hand, nose and paci. Its hilarious! We've been going back to church, but every Sunday Khloe and I end up in the nursery together watching service from the flat screen in there. :) She loves the praise and worship (singing) part of Sunday service, but she doesn't seem to like the pastor's word/message... maybe it's his voice... not sure. So, bubby and daddy sit through service and we rock in the nursery. Hopefully that will change soon! We're very lucky that Khloe continues to sleep through the night... she is sleeping 7-9 hours straight through... God has truly blessed us!

Peyton has been in football overload mode... lots of practices and scrimmages. I love football season.. its so much fun watching their age play! His first game is Thursday! Go Bentonville Raiders! He is loving middle school this year... he's made more friends... good times! The homework load has been moved up a notch this year... but he's doing fine with it! He's still loving his little sister... they are so sweet together! :)

I'll post more later... gotta run!

Update on "Heather's World"...

2009-08-21T13:44:00.011-05:00

Monday, I went in for my 6-weeks post-baby checkup with my doctor (Dr. Cunningham). I took Peyton and Khloe with me, because I wanted Dr. Cunningham and his assistant nurse, Becky, to see them. He has been my doctor for 12 years... he delivered Peyton nearly 11 years ago and Khloe this year. So, I wanted to get a picture of him with my kiddos. :) He was a proud doctor and even asked me to keep taking pictures so I could send them to him. LOL! What a trooper. I'm going to post some of the pictures I took... some are yellow tinted, because I took them in the clinic... and we all know how the lighting makes pictures. :)

Anyway, Khloe turned 7 weeks old last Wednesday and she will be 8 weeks/2 mos old this Wednesday. How exciting! She is growing so fast already. She has her 2 month pictures scheduled on Wednesday with The Picture People... their studio is really nice and open... and they take great pictures. Plus, you get to take them home that day - framed and all! Woo Hoo! Khloe has been smiling so much and laughing... she really thinks her daddy and brother are funny! She's hitting a major growth spurt, too... she won't stop eating this week. LOL She is such a sweet little girl! She lets us sleep all night long. She only wakes up one time to feed... sometimes she sleeps the entire night (6-8 hours straight). She got her days/nights straightened out immediately after being born - Good Girl!!! Peyton was the same way... I feel so lucky! :) Khloe is obsessed lately with looking at all the ceiling fans in our house... she will stare at them forever and just smile. I don't know what it is about ceiling fans and babies. Too funny!

Peyton started a new school this year... He is in Middle School now. Go OHMS! He is so excited to make new friends this year. A whole new bunch of 5th Grade girls to flirt with too. LOL He's so funny! A little girl gave him her phone number today (THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL!). He was so sweet to take it from her... but, when he got in the car after school he wadded it up. He didn't want to hurt her feeling by telling her he didn't want it. Sweet boy! All his friends from last year told him how different he looked this school year... he let his hair grow out all summer and he now has the Zach Efron look. :) He needs to trim it! Anyway, he likes his new school and had a great first week! His pod of teachers are really great, too! Peyton, also, started football practice this week. He is on the same team as last year (Go Raiders!). They started off the season this week with 3 (2-hr) practices and 2 scrimmage games... nothing like jumping in head first and cramming everything into one week. Coaches are good about that, though! Ha! He's playing Defense this year... he thinks he's big enough to do some serious tackling. LOL He is only 78 lbs wet. ;) Peyton has his first scrimmage game tomorrow... can't wait... Go Raiders!

I don't know if I shared with everyone before, but my little sister (Tasha) is expecting! I just found out a few weeks ago... Yippee!! She is expecting baby #2 ten years after her first child, Lexi. Congrats Tasha!! She is due in March. I'm really hoping that she has a little boy... I think she will. :) Her husband comes from a long line of males... no females in the family besides his mother. So the odds are in their favor! We are sad, though, because she just moved to Nashville... her husband's parents live there and he is going back to school to get his Masters. She is sad to be gone away from her home. We through her a going away dinner before she left... lots of friends/family sent them off with love! We are hopeful, though, that she will return in a year or two! We do not want to miss out on watching Lexi and her new baby grow up before our eyes! Besides, Khloe needs her cousin around to go to her birthday parties and play... they will only be about 9 months apart. How fun! Peyton (my son)and Alexis (her daughter)were only one year (exactly) apart. I can't wait to meet my new niece or nephew. I have already started buying baby boy stuff... I really feel that she will get her boy. :) It's funny because my brother has a boy and a girl... I have a boy and a girl... and my sister has a girl (so that means there's a boy to come to be just like her siblings... one of each!)! I'm praying... :) She's in town this weekend visiting already... and she's only been gone 3 weeks. Yeah!

Sorry I have procrastinating and not updating my blog regularly! Gosh, time just gets away from me with a new baby. :) I promise I will do better, friends!

Tootles!

Baby Khloe is Growing Fast...

2009-07-24T19:19:00.010-05:00

Baby Khloe will be one month old already on Wednesday... where does the time go? Time flies... Wow! She is such a sweet little girl. We have really enjoyed loving on her every day. Peyton and Kevin are head over heels for her... it is really sweet! I took Khloe to the doctor this week and she weighed 8lbs and 20.5" in length. She gained almost one full pound in a week's time. Craziness! Khloe has had major acid reflux and it has gotten really scary at times. She throws up through her nose alot and it takes her breath away. Several times she has lost her breath and not been able to inhale oxygen because of the throw up and I almost panicked. It is scary when almost a minute goes by and she has not caught her breath yet. Yikes! I almost called 911 one time... Peyton and I both were scared. I had to use the aspirator to suction out phlegm and fluids from her mouth and throat. I really don't know what else to do in situations like that. I need to take a baby cpr class... for sure! The doctor prescribed us medicine for her acid reflux. She HATES the taste of it though... you should see her face when I give it to her... poor thing! We still can't decide who she looks more like... she's just too little to tell. She has her dad's eyes, but her nose, face shape and lips are just like her brother's... which I guess is like me. :o) We'll see in a couple more months. I'm sure it will become more obvious.

I have been trying to get out of the house more this week... staying couped up in my house has been hard on me. We've all had a good time! But, gosh, it is still such a huge transition for me. I really thought that I wanted to be a stay home mom, but I'm not sure now. I think it's great bonding for the mom and the baby, but I also selfishly feel like I need my adult time during the day (to run errands and do things that I need to do). Who knows... all I know is that my Bridal Consulting Business is on the back burner for now. Not a lot I can do with a baby... weddings consume my weekends and with a new baby - I don't want to take that time away from her or the boys (Kevin and Peyton). I'll keep you posted on what I decide. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to stay home with Khloe, though... not alot of people can do that.

I have been a picture taking machine these past few weeks. I have gotten several cute pictures of my kiddos together and Kevin with the kids. I finally ordered Khloe's Birth Announcements today through www.tinyprints.com. They are going to be darling! I also ordered some personalized address labels with Khloe's newborn pic on it for the return address. Fun stuff!

Here are some of the pictures that I have taken these past couple weeks...

Baby Khloe's Birth Story!! 7/1/09

2009-07-19T12:08:00.009-05:00

I have been so busy adjusting to our new life with Khloe that I have neglected my blog. There are so many things to talk about...

Baby Khloe Elizabeth Yingst was born on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 @ 3:26am. She was born at Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson. She weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 20" long. I went in to the hospital Tuesday morning at 5am to be induced. My doctor was concerned that I had an excessive amount of fluid in my belly. When I got there, I was already having my own contractions... which were fairly strong! So, the nurses started me on a small amount of medicine to induce. About halfway through my Labor, I decided to get an epidural. Holy Cow... have you seen the tools they use to put one of those in. Yikes... it looks like a drill bit. Anyway, they told me that it should take effect in about 20 minutes... 4 hours later I was still waiting and they realized that they had done the trial run of the epidural, but had not turned on the medicine itself afterwards. When the meds started pumping through, it was so much more relaxing! LOL My doctor had to break my water and boy was that a mess. Remember he had told me that I had an EXCESSIVE amount of water... boy was he right! It was like running bath water at full force... the doctor and nurses were in shock. There was 4 2-liters of fluids that were relieved immediately! My doctor had only seen that much fluid one other time in his 15 years practice. The nurse had never seen that much fluid! My stomach immediately shrunk less than half its size right before my eyes! Crazy! So my entire pregnancy, I carried around majority water and less baby - aweful! Khloe was very stressed out during the whole process, so they had to stop labor several times and stick an internal heart monitor on her head to get a more accurate reading of her heart rate (which had dropped several times!). I was in full labor for 19 LONG hours and was seconds away from having to have a c-section... but, she had finally turned into full position and my body was ready to push her out! I really wanted Khloe to be born in June, but she missed it by a few hours and was born in July. I was so relieved when the labor was over and she was finally out!

Khloe is a very sweet and TINY baby girl! She rarely cries and she couldn't be a better gift from God! I really suffered with some major PostPartum Depression when she was born. I didn't know how to adjust to this new life with a new baby. Peyton is almost 11 years old, so it has been like starting over for me. It has been very hard... and unfortunately I had to talk to my doctor about it and he put me on some mild postpartum medicine. Thank God for it, because I would be a basket case right now! :( I truly thought that I had prepared myself for this change of life with a new baby... but, I never really prepared myself completely. At first, I felt suffocated and trapped... which is not a good place to be. But, I have gotten a lot better and am overjoyed to have her now! She has already been so much fun! :o) Peyton is such a good big brother... he helps me SO much with her and just adores everything about his little sister... which couldn't make me happier! He is a doll and I adore him so much! Kevin is a good daddy... he just lights up when he is around his little girl!! It has really changed him in a good way and he values that! She already has her own little attitude and she is funny! We laugh at her everyday. LOL

I went through a slight panic mode recently with her, because she hadn't had a bowel movement in 8 days... yikes! After taking her to the doctor, he said it was normal and sometimes they go a week without. But she finally went yesterday morning - which was a huge relief for us! :)She will be 3 weeks old this week and weighs 7lbs 4oz. she is so tiny and can only fit in preemie clothes still... she needs to grow! LOL She lost her cord this week... yeah!! She had her first bath on July 4th... she loves baths! Her features are starting to come in more distinguished as well... still not sure exactly who she looks like. :)

Here are some pics of baby Khloe...

Tomorrow's Khloe's Big Entrance!

2009-06-29T12:29:00.007-05:00

If you didn't know already, my doctor has insisted on delivering Khloe tomorrow at Willow Creek. I will have to arrive early tomorrow morning and start the induction process... Gosh, I thought I was ready, but now I'm starting to get cold feet (a little). It's scary thinking about the pain and how our lives are about to change. But, on the better side... I just can't wait to see the little girl that has been kicking the fire out of me every single day for the past many months. And, in my case, it is a myth that they are more snug and quit kicking so much in the last few weeks in the womb. Khloe rolls around more and kicks much harder these last weeks... and every single day - including today! My stomach looks like an alien attack if you sit and watch all the mind-boggling activity. It's CRAZINESS and a little on the freaky side. LOL So... Khloe Elizabeth Yingst will be born into the world tomorrow (June 30, 2009)! Yippee... be on the lookout for updates about my labor/delivery, pics and etc. Peyton is so excited about his little sister... he can't hardly sit still. He is literally counting down the hours until our trip to the hospital tomorrow morning... what a sweet little guy... he is going to be such a big help with his little sister! Today is his last day as an only child. :)

I, also, wanted to post some pictures on this blog of the custom pillows that I designed and my mother-in-law made yesterday at her house. We were there all afternoon and night last night and I got to leave with all three pillows we made! They are darling! I had ordered some extra fabric from the lady in Texas that made Khloe's bedroom accessories (curtains, lamp shade, etc.). The fabric came in handy for the project. :) My mother-in-law came by this morning and looked at the completed nursery (with the pillows we made last night). She also took the extra fabric (that we had leftover from yesterday's pillow project). She took an extra Boppy Pillow Cover and is going to use the extra fabric on her Boppy Pillow. It will be really sweet! When she's done with it (she always works super fast, so she'll be done today, I'm sure), I'll take it and have Khloe's name Embroidered on the top side of it and it will be really special! :)

Here are the pics of Khloe's Custom Nursery Pillows that we made Khloe...

Pillow One (Front):

Pillow One (Back):

Pillow Two (Front):

Pillow Two (Back):

Pillow Three (Front & Back same):

This is my last post being preggers... Yippee! Tomorrow's the Big Day!!! :o)

XOXO

Khloe's Nursery is COMPLETE!!!

2009-06-25T20:13:00.006-05:00

Today, we received the last accessories for Khloe's nursery! They turned out so darling!! The Valances were so pretty... the Lamp Shade was really big and DARLING... and the soft, minky dot sheet is going to make Khloe sleep so soundly! I'm so happy that everything is finally here!! Her nursery is officially COMPLETE! Well, I am waiting on a huge Maternity Picture from Chandi (as a baby gift) to go above Khloe's nightstand, but we left the space for it on the wall! :) Yippee!! Now, we just need her to arrive... let's get on with the show Khloe!

I have been feeling really icky today... don't really know how to describe it. There is SO much pressure on my pelvic bone and she has dropped even farther. I think I could go into labor any time... maybe tonight?!! I've been having really strong contractions off and on all day. I'm so sleepy that I can't hardly keep my eyes open. I've been trying to get to my dirty dishes in the sink all day, but standing for more than a few minutes makes me feel tremendous pressure down there and makes me a little nauseated. Hmm... sounds pretty close to labor! :) I'm having a contraction as I'm typing this. LOL

Here are the Final Pictures of Baby Khloe's DARLING Nursery... After Months of Creating and Buying - It's READY for Her!!!

Tell me what you think of her nursery... Isn't it Darling! It is all ready for Miss Khloe Elizabeth Yingst!! I think she'll love it just as much as I do!!! I'll keep you all posted on Baby News... Arrival date/time!

XOXO

39 Week Doctor Checkup - She's Almost Here!!

2009-06-24T23:06:00.004-05:00

Today's doctor appointment with Dr.Cunningham went very well! He felt for progression and said that I was 2+cm dilated, 60% effaced and Khloe is still very much in position for her big debut! Once again the checkup (down under - lol) was extremely excruciating! He felt her head and said that her head was still floating... which means that she is in position, but she is not tight in her spot to bust through on her own. When he touches her head she goes up with it. My doctor says that I have an excessive amount of fluid in my belly (amniotic sack) and it is probably why she is doing that. He said that it is going to be an explosion when my water breaks! Yikes... I hope I'm not in WalMart or shopping somewhere. I think after tomorrow, I am going to lay low (at home) and stop making public appearances (shopping or whatever else). I would hate to have a HUGE mess and be mortified/embarrassed beyond belief. Plus, commuting itself is getting to be a real challenge. My back can BARELY hold up my huge belly. Everywhere I go people ask me if I'm having twins and it is really starting to make me PANIC!!! Quit asking me this people... I only want one... and that is ALL that is in there. Please God!!

If Khloe has not arrived by next Monday on her own, then I am scheduled for induction on Tuesday (June 30). What's crazy about Tuesday is that it will be June 30 (the last day of June)... Peyton's birthday is November 30 (the last day of November)... and Kevin's birthday is January 31 (the last day of January). That's just bizarre! Kind of neat, though... easy for family and friends to remember. LOL So... right now I have 5 full days left until little Khloe is induced... if she's not here before then. I have been having constant contractions (painful and breath-taking) for the past several days... so, we'll see!! I am extremely exhausted right now!

Congrats to our friends, Adam/Chandra McFarlane, on giving birth to their Baby Boy, Jude McFarlane Sunday (Father's Day)! Also, congrats to our friend, Julie Swanson, on her little arrival, too... Baby Ryan Forrest Swanson born yesterday (Tuesday)!! Two down... One to go... That's Khloe!! :o)

FYI: Khloe's nursery rug (reorder) came in yesterday and is darling in her nursery! I, also, finished painting Khloe's nursery picture. I can't believe how long that little canvas painting took... Wow! Kevin painted the giraffe! LOL Good job, honey! I am supposed to receive Khloe's nursery valances/panels, lamp shade and minky dot sheet tomorrow. The lady that made them shipped them out yesterday! That will complete her nursery... It's so cute! She is already rotten!!!!!

Here's a picture of Khloe's completed nursery painting (Finally!)...

We'll keep you posted on Baby News as progression arises!!! Stay tuned... :)

38 Week Doctor Checkup and Peyton's Tournament Update!

2009-06-17T20:04:00.006-05:00

Today was my 38 week doctor checkup. The checkup went well... much more progression than last week - FOR SURE! My doctor informed me that I am right at 2cm dilated and almost 25% effaced. I was talking to him and a little disappointed that there wasn't more dilation than that... he said none of that matters and that I could progress so far (even in hours) and go into full labor tonight. He said that it could happen any time. So, that's good news! :) The bad news is that I did not realize it until today, but I have been retaining some major water/fluids over the past couple of days... so much that my feet/toes/fingers and ankles are really puffy. My ankles are so swollen (and this is NO exaggeration!!!) that they look like the elephant man. No joke! It scares me looking at them! I hope it's not Toxemia... I didn't even notice them at the doctor's office... my mother pointed it out to me when I went to her house afterwards. Icky! That's got to be a sign that it is the end of the road for this pregnancy! LOL My face is NOT swollen at all - Thank you, God! (Knocking on wood...) So, stay posted! I've been saying practically my entire pregnancy that I would have Khloe on June 17 (which is today!)... it's the date that has been stuck in my head for months... not sure why. Peyton thinks it will be June 27. We'll see. Today's not over... wishful thinking! LOL I have been having random contractions all day today... they are spaced out way too far to even begin thinking about timing. All I can say is... Bring the Contractions On! I've decided also that I am going to have pain meds when I deliver... unlike with my first pregnancy. I did 100% Natural -No drugs at all (I must have been NUTS because I was in HARD LABOR for 36 hours... what an idiot!) with my first pregnancy... and nuh, uh... not this time! LOL

I've started painting Khloe's Nursery pictures. I drew it out Monday night and yesterday spent several hours painting it... didn't get very far, though. Man, that's time consuming - no doubt! It will be cute when it's done, though. Below is a picture of what the unfinished picture looks like... you can see what I've painted thus far and what has been sketched and is waiting to be painted. I guess I better get on it and finish it... who know when she'll come and my hand will be full! ;)

About Peyton's Baseball Tournament...
His team (The Angels) won Game 2 yesterday in their Tournament! Go Angels! The cool thing is that they beat the #1 team (The Pirates) in the League. Can't believe it! Final Score 9-6! Woo Hoo!!! Way to go boys! They will play Game 3 tomorrow night. It should be good... if they win Game 3, then they will be playing one-on-one in the Championship Game on Saturday. Wish them luck!!

Here's Peyton on Base at 2nd...

I'll keep you posted on Peyton's Tournament AND little Miss Khloe's arrival!!

Peyton Won 1st Game in Tournament Yesterday!

2009-06-16T14:27:00.004-05:00

Peyton's team (The Angels) won their first game in their tournament that started yesterday. They played the Reds (which were a pretty good team all season - their record was better than ours!). The game was intense, because their coach (Duane) is always very competitive against our coach (Gan) in football and baseball. It was a big game for both teams. Our coach, Gan Nunnally, is always very mild tempered and such a good sport... never says anything negative to the officials. Now... I can't say the same for the Red's Coach, Duane Webb. He is a great guy normally, but don't make him mad during games... he is way too competitive to keep his composure. Yesterday, (about the 2nd Inning) Duane was thrown out of the game by the Umpire for his negative attitude and his consistant negative comments about the game. The hilarious part is that two Innings later the Red's Assistant Coach was thrown out for the same negativity. They were down to two volunteer dad's on the team to finish coaching the game. I have never witnessed such immaturity during 10 year olds' Baseball games. I'll bet they felt pretty silly after their rediculous behavior. LOL I just wish I would have camcorded the whole game... it would have been one to watch over and over again and laugh. Peyton will get a kick out of it when he's older. :) Needless to say, our team beat them (winning our first game of the tournament). Final score: 8-6. It was a close one. I was stressed out in the last inning... they were last to bat... bases loaded... two outs... score 8-6. One good hit would have made them win. Fortunately for us, the last batter struck out! Woo Hoo! We were all on the edge of our seats. Go Angels! Game two is tonight... we play a very respected and well rounded team... The Pirates. Yikes! Wish us luck!

Here are some pictures of Peyton and the team... Good job boys! Peyton played 3rd Base the entire game!

Some of our Family Maternity Pics...

2009-06-12T09:57:00.004-05:00

Here are some of the maternity pictures my friend/photographer, Chandi Gregory (Picture This! Production), took of us in my 8th month of pregnancy. I'm still waiting on the cd and can't wait to see all the pictures... she's backed up with editing, though, so I don't know when that will be. But, atleast she sends us a few pictures every now and then to keep us from being so anxious. LOL She's sweet!

A Short Update:
I am hating the fact that my arms/hands go numb while I'm "trying" to sleep at night. It just started happening these past few days. It's weird. Holding them up and shaking them does not make them stop tingling and regaining proper blood flow again. It's just weird. I don't know what that's about, but all I'm sure it has to do with the way the baby is laying and I'm laying in bed... we both are hitting pressure points that is cutting off my blood flow to my limbs. Ouch! It is starting to do that during the day as well. I'll have to ask my doctor what that's about at my 38 week checkup next Wednesday. No sleep still... I finally fell asleep this morning around 5:45am and woke up at 8:15am... I was just thankful for that!LOL

My PUPP rash hasn't been too bad/itchy lately. That's a blessing! There is nothing worse than having a bad itch - especially in hundreds of spots all over your entire body. Grr!!! As long as I stay cooled off and am not in the humidity for too long or heat or allowing the sun to beat on me, then it will not itch hardly at all. I still have the ugly spots all over my body, though. Embarrassing. But, they'll be gone for good the second Khloe is born (so I hear). :)

Yesterday, I picked up Khloe's pink nursery rug from The Baby's Room (and ran into Julie of all people - I'll tell you more about her in a minute). When I got the rug home and put it on the floor in front of her crib, I was disappointed. The pink was way too dark and not at all the same color as the rest of the pinks in her room. So... once again I have to place an order for either the kiwi-colored rug (since the pink is too hard to match) or the lighter pink rug. The part that stinks is that it takes about 3-4 weeks for the rug to come in and I'm sure Khloe will be here before that. Darn! :( That really stinks. Of course, I could just settle for the chocolate rug like it (that they keep in stock at The Baby's Room)... but, how boring since all of her furniture is so dark anyway. I want her to be able to play and stare at her rug when she's in her room. I'll talk to the ladies at The Babies Room and let you know what they suggest... it might just be the chocolate rug... since there is NO WAIT TIME. I like that part. LOL

The story about Julie is that she is due 3 DAYS before me. When I ran into her at The Baby's Room, she told me that Baby Ryan could be born any day. She was up there buying her car seat, because she has progressed way faster than me and thinks that he will be born within days. Lucky Dog! She is already 70%+ effaced, 3cm dilated and has lost her plug. I'm happy for her, but I am no where near that. I could sense her panic and anxiety when I ran into her. Wow... she's nesting hard and I can't believe that she is that much closer than me. Like I tell other friends... just because you aren't dilated or effaced now, doesn't mean it couldn't all happen in one day. It all depends on when your true labor contractions come on and then your body will catch you up. So, really I'm hoping for that for myself. That's how it was when I went into labor with Peyton (10+ years ago)... everything happened in the hospital and NOT before. :)

Note to Self: JUST BE READY NO MATTER WHAT THE PROGRESSION SAYS!!

Doctor Appt this week... 37 Weeks along!

2009-06-11T10:53:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was my 37 week doctor appointment. I was expecting more news, but I just kind of left there feeling empty. Ugh! My doctor checked me and didn't mention anything about being effaced or dilated... so I guess nothing is happening down there. I hope it just all comes at once. I am SO surprised, though, because I really feel things changing and thought he would say 'you're 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced...' - nope not this time! I'm sad. I don't want to rush her, but I am so uncomfortable and miserable and for the first time this entire pregnancy my fingers/toes are starting to retain water and swell... that part is not fun... at all! Sleep is horrid. I get maybe 1-2 hours of interrupted sleep all night long... it is very difficult for me to roll from side to side when I sleep. It's a lot of work for me to get from one side to the other. That's when you know you're belly is gigantic! I feel like I have been hit by a train and am a walking zombie these days. Let's get this show on the road... I think I will be getting more sleep when Khloe actually arrives than I am getting now. Crazy, huh?! Her kicking has slowed down a little... she's still wild crazy in there. LOL But, the only good news that my doctor reported was that she is definitely in position and ready to arrive - I didn't hear the "soon" word, though. I am hoping to report completely different news after my 38 week doctor appointment next week... keep your fingers crossed! :)

Projects this week:

1. I bought Khloe's cradle bedding... it's darling... pink minky dot material. Her wooden cradle will be in our room for atleast the first month. We'll see her progress after that. Soonafter, she will start sleeping in her crib in her nursery. So, I put her bedding in her cradle and it is awaiting her. :)

2. Last night, we assembled her stroller and car seat. It's cute! I really like it. I am tired of all the pinks, so I refused to buy a pink travel stroller and car seat. Instead, we stuck with the Eddie Bauer travel stroller that is browns/tans and a tint of green. It's very neutral... which is good... it can be used for a boy or a girl. It's ready to go. I didn't realized how heavy it was though. Hopefully it doesn't bug me when she's in it. I still need to get her pink chicco umbrella stroller from The Baby's Room... that one I don't mind that it's pink, because it is not her main stroller and it is more for convenience like walks in the neighborhood and stuff like that. She doesn't need the umbrella stroller right away, so I'll pick it up in a few weeks.

3. Yesterday, I put her pink closet organizer together with the cloth drawers. It took me forever. I had to carry in one piece at a time because it is heavy solid wood... but I didn't want to wait on Kevin to get out of work. I was anxious. Boy, did her organizer make a difference in her closet. Wow! It made SO much extra space. I would recommend any mom buying one for their baby's room. With all the extra space for storage, it comes in very handy. I love it... it's pink and I coordinated it with chocolate, pink and green drawers (to match her nursery colors).

I had told you before that her swing and nursery rocker were assembled this week, too, right? I love them too. I am posting individual pictures of each of these items. I don't want to spoil the surprise and take pictures of the entire nursery, because I'm still waiting on her curtains (valances/panels), lamp shade, embroidered blankets and rug. So, when they come in... which should be atleast in the next week or so, I will take pictures of her entire nursery and share them on my blog. Won't be long... :) I am going to finish filling up Khloe's hospital bag and my bag, today.

The only craving I have had lately is water, water and more water. I don't know why, but for the last 5-6 months, I haven't been able to drink ANYTHING ELSE but water... no sprite, tea, juices... nothing but water! I guess it's a good craving to have. I CRAVE it. I will drink 10 or more 16-20 oz bottles of water each day. At night, I wake up several times to find myself drinking full bottles of water in one breath practically. I'll easily drink 3-4 bottles of water in the middle of the night. Craziness! That could be a lot of the pressure in my stomach. I don't know where all that water goes, but I'm sure it is part of the factor making me uncomfortable and Khloe squirm so much. LOL

20 Days to Go and Counting Every Second...

Baby Shower #2 for Khloe - 6-6-09...

2009-06-08T11:09:00.014-05:00

Saturday was my second Baby Shower for Khloe. It was great, because this one was for all my friends from school, best friends and my side of the family. The girls were a lot of fun. For some reason last weekend everyone had family events going on, so a lot of the girls on my guest list couldn't make it... I was sad. But, my friends that did make it were some of my BEST FRIENDS and I love them to death! Thanks ladies for making it a great day... and thanks to my lovely Hostesses who put alot of time into making the shower a fun one - Kentrina, Rachel and Amy! The games were great, Kentrina... thanks girls! The shower started at 1pm and wasn't over until 3pm. All the gifts were fun, too! I have friends/family with excellent taste. Khloe got a lot of adorable outfits, gorgeous blankets (Thanks, Chandra!), a darling painting (hand painted by Rachel and Amy - nice job, ladies!) and tons of necessessities that I needed for her.

We are about done with the nursery, too. Yippee! Kevin put her Nursery Chair together yesterday (it's a Best Chair - they're great!) and I love it! It's Loman Green and it matches her nursery perfectly! Woo Hoo! It fit perfectly in there... we just had to rearrange a couple pieces of furniture to make it work. But, it's perfect now. Kevin has hung some pictures and a couple balls from the ceiling for me. It's all coming together. I have been organizing Khloe's dresser drawers and closet and bathroom, too. Yesterday, I cleaned out the guest bathroom closet (the bathroom that will be hers and is connected to her nursery). I took almost everything off the shelves and put all her shampoos, lotions, powders, bath toys, tub, bathrobes, towels and washclothes in there. Wow... things are becoming very organized... Hooray! There are some things that we still need, though, for her room... humidifier (MUST have for all children), contour changing pad for her changing dresser, her nursery rug (to go in front of her crib), cradle bedding (the cradle will be in our room for atleast the first month or so), diaper genie and closet organizer with drawers. Those are all things that I will get this week. Since I finally bought the diaper bag that I wanted, I will spend part of my day today packing it for the hospital... you never know when her big arrival will be. I will be 37 weeks along on Wednesday and at 37 weeks they are considered FULL TERM, so it is safe to deliver at any time. I'm really thinking she is going to be here a couple of weeks early... it may just be a wish, but atleast I'll be prepared!

Here are some fun pictures from my Baby Shower on Saturday...

One of my cakes that Kentrina ordered for the Shower... cute!

I'm standing by Rachel/Amy's painting for Khloe's Nursery - Nice Job, Ladies!

These Next Pictures are of the Belly Measuring Game... The girls had to cut a piece of yarn and guess how big my belly was. They all came up afterwards to see how close they were. They had to cut their excess string and whoever's string was shortest (after measureing me) won!

Terri measuring her string - Uh... WAY OFF GIRL! LOL She must have thought I was GIGANTIC! :o)

Sheena & Terri's strings were the LONGEST... They lost! Their strings almost fit around me TWICE... LOL!!!

Kim and Laura had the Shortest Strings... Thanks Girls! LOL

The Next Shower Game was cute, too. The girls had to draw with Crayons what they thought Khloe would look like when she is born. They were not allowed to look at their drawing, though... and had to draw the picture with the paper plate on their foreheads! Hilarious... They all CRACKED UP the entire game!

Julie is holding up her plate - her pictures was one of the final three. She drew a reddish brown haired girl with a bow in her hair (LOL).

Andrea is trying hard to draw Khloe - too funny!!!

The girls laughing hysterically trying to draw Khloe without looking!

Angela's Picture Won - She is the only one that drew Khloe with blonde hair.(Kevin and I both had really blonde hair when we were infants.)

Gift Opening Time...

A Group Picture of the Ladies that attended my Shower - Love you ALL!!

I'm standing with two of the Hostesses of my Shower - Kentrina (L) and Rachel (M). Thanks girls for a fun time!

After the Shower, I headed to Peyton's Baseball Game...

My sister, Jen, and I... (if you look close, you will see Peyton behind us in the outfield!)

I will post a new blog Wednesday after my 37 weeks doctor visit and tell you the progress... I'm hoping to hear that I'm dilated and effaced and it will only be a few more days. LOL Wishful thinking. I do want to know if she is in position ready to come out into the world, though. I'll keep you posted!

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend!! Have a great week, too! XOXO

Peyton's Last Day of School - 6-4-09

2009-06-04T22:29:00.005-05:00

Today was Peyton's last day at Cooper Elementary... his last day of Elementary school period... and his last day of 4th Grade. Next year he goes on to Middle School in Bentonville. He is so excited! I can't believe how fast our kiddos grow up... it's quite depressing. He will be 11 years old in November. I just can't believe it! He is a good boy and I think what he is most excited about next year is having his own personal locker AND more girls to choose from. Hee hee! Boys... they are so funny!! He had his share of girlfriends at Cooper... let's see what happens next year. I love you, little guy!

It has become a tradition of ours to take a picture of Peyton getting into the car on his last day of school each year... he always holds up enough fingers to show the camera what grade he is going into. So, this year, he jumped in the truck and held up 5 fingers - standing for 5th Grade. It was a bitter/sweet day... apparently, Peyton's favorite teachers cried today. They were such great teachers and it stinks that they won't be at his middle school next year... I just love them! Especially Peyton's favorite teacher - Ms. Deronda Ray!

Here are two pictures I took of Peyton when I picked him up today...

This one is our traditional last day of school photo - Peyton's holding up 5 fingers for 5th Grade!

This one is another picture of Peyton pulling out his project that he has been working on this last semester at school. It's a beautiful bowl... I love it!!

Lisa's Baby is Here... Bella Grace!

2009-06-03T21:44:00.006-05:00

My cousin, Lisa, had her baby yesterday at Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson (which is where I'll be delivering in a couple of weeks). Her baby was born at 10:47am (6-2-09). She named her Bella Grace. Bella weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 19.5" long. She was a little thing. It was amazing how fast she clinged to her mother... she instantly new her mom and was very calm when her mother talked to her (that just amazes me!). Anyway, she was a little doll. Congratulations Lisa!

Here are some pictures of Baby Bella...

INTRODUCING BABY BELLA GRACE...

KEVIN HOLDING BABY BELLA NEXT TO MY BIG BELLY...

BELLA GETTING CLEANED UP & HER SHOTS IN NURSERY...

ALISA & HER BABY SISTER, BELLA...

MOMMY LISA AND BABY BELLA...

MOMMY FEEDING HER NEW SWEET BABY GIRL...

BELLA GRABBING JEN'S FINGER...

MY LITTLE SISTER, JEN, (BELLA'S 2ND COUSIN) AND BELLA...

LISA ADMIRING HER NEWEST ADDITION TO HER FAMILY...

PEYTON & ALISA ADORING BABY BELLA...

Welcome to the world, Baby Bella Grace!!!

36 Weeks Doctor Check-up...

2009-06-03T21:23:00.003-05:00

Today was my 36 weeks doctor checkup with my doctor (Dr.Cunningham). It was a good visit. I didn't have to wait at all (I usually don't...considering her has been my doctor for almost 13 YEARS!)... so that's always nice to walk right in and be seen! Yeah! But, my belly is definitely measuring nicely. It won't stop growing. Becky, my doctor's assistant/nurse, commented today that I was ALL BELLY and how cute she thought it was. I beg to differ... I just can't bring myself to think my belly is cute this late in the game. LOL I had my Strep B Test done today (had no idea that the swab was going were it went... LOL!), so hopefully all is good there! I did gain several pounds since my last doctor visit... they commented that the majority of it is water retention at this stage and lots of amniotic fluids, so it shouldn't be hard to lose the bulk of it during labor. Yeah! Dr. Cunningham brought in one of the other doctor's today to just look at my PUPPP Rash... it's pretty rare, so I guess he wanted him to see what it looked like up close. LOL He must have been a new doctor. I still hate this stinking rash... it still itches and drives me crazy. Some of it has gone away, only to leave nasty purplish/red scares behind (kind of like the scars you keep for year after having chicken pox as a child... GRRRR!!!!). I am going to need a skin peel all over my body after this... maybe some lazer, too. (Not kidding!) Hee! I mentioned that I would love for Khloe to be born early to my doctor and he said it's fine as long as I make it past one more week. In one more week (37 weeks) all babies are FULLY developed and are considered FULL TERM, so it's safe to deliver any time once you hit week 37. PLEASE GOD... LET KHLOE BE BORN EARLY!!

I am getting more and more uncomfortable by the day and my belly has dropped SO much that it feels like my belly is falling and I'm having to carry so much extra weight. I am so sleep deprived, too... I think I'm averaging maybe 2 hours of sleep a night lately. I can't find a comfortable spot at all... most of the time I find myself sitting up and trying to get some sleep. I usually don't fall asleep until around 5am or so. Then, I get up at 7am to take Peyton to school (thank God tomorrow is the last day of school... Whew!). I have so much pressure at the bottom of my belly and my back... just miserable. It's getting harder and harder just to walk. :( Plus, Khloe is still such an active baby in my womb... man, she just does not quit stretching, kicking, twisting, turning and just plain throwing a fit... it has been hurting me lately so much that the only thing I can do to make myself feel better is cry. I cry pretty much every day because of all the discomfort! :( She will be so worth all the pain and discomfort once she is here. I just can't wait for that day!!! Hurry up, Baby Khloe!

Some other good news... The Baby's Room called me today to tell me that my rocker/glider for Khloe's nursery is already in. Yeah!!!! I can't believe how quick that was. I ordered it in a green fabric, so it should look cute in her nursery with her colors and theme. :o) I'll pick it up tomorrow! My last Baby Shower is in three days (Saturday)... I'll post pics as soon as it's over!

Our CRAZY, BUSY Weekend...

2009-06-01T13:46:00.005-05:00

This weekend was another VERY BUSY WEEKEND... but, at least were accomplished! :)

Friday night, Peyton had a baseball game against one of the better teams in the Bentonville League. They crushed the other team - with a score of 13-4. It was a great game... they all played so well! Friday was also their team pictures... I'll post them when they come in! I'm loving Peyton's hairstyle... it's not too long and super adorable (for a boy)!

Saturday, Kevin met up with his buddies and went canoeing on the Elk and they camped out Saturday night. Their intentions were to float 28 miles in two days and have a great time. Kevin's good friends, Ken and Jackson, were in town from Tulsa (Skiatook, OK) and Jackson brought his brother and a friend of his from Rogers. They all were between 31 & 45 years of age. Somehow the trip went terribly wrong. Kevin was tired on waiting on incompetant/slow pokes the entire weekend and because of it he would go ahead of them and stop to hike trails or fish in fishing holes. He said it was like dragging 40 cinder blocks behind his canoe the entire trip. The other guys (besides Ken) were apparently very immature and putting a damper on Kevin's enjoyable (or what was supposed to be an enjoyable) weekend. Anyway, somehow on Sunday, Kevin waited for the other guys to show up (he had gone on without them to enjoy some fishing that morning). They never showed and apparently had taken the easy way out and caught a bus ride to the camp ground they were supposed to end their float trip at (leaving Kevin behind). All the guys had brought their cell phones on the trip and of course Kevin did not have his because he takes the outdoors very seriously and leaves all that behind... it's called trying to survive and accomplish "roughing" it. Kevin waited for them for over 3 hours and none of them showed up. He called me and told me there was a change of plans and I was to pick him up at the Low Water Bridge because the guys were not with him (he borrowed a cell phone from some other canoers that were close by to call me). Long story short, I picked him up and even though he was not happy with the other guys that had been on the trip with him, he still called them (once he was in the car with me) to see where they were (and because they had one of his canoes). The point they were waiting at was the originally planned end point... but, they had gotten a ride and loaded their canoes to get there. They were so angry at Kevin when we got there and were cursing at him and kicking his canoe and acting very juvenile. The sad thing is that one of the guys that was making a butt of himself was one of Kevin's good friends from college... he was even a Groomsman in our wedding. Needless to say, the words that they said to Kevin were inappropriate and out of an anger rage... and unfortunately, there were some long term friendships that ended that day. But, Kevin doesn't need to be around trash like that... so, I'm fine with it and I know he is, too! I couldn't begin to tell you the horribly mean things they were saying to him and threatening to do to him. I'm just glad my hubby didn't kill them! LOL He kept his composure and was the better person (which is unlike him to allow people to walk on him like that). I'm proud of you honey!!

Saturday early afternoon, I went to a friend's baby shower. Chandra McFarlane's. She is 10 days ahead of me in her pregnancy and is expecting a little boy in THREE weeks! It was a good time... she looks so cute preggers! The hostesses were wonderful, too! The shower was from 2-5pm on Saturday. Chandra, Julie and I are all friends and we got pregnant within the same same week and a half last year. Chandra is 10 days ahead of me... Julie is 3 days ahead of me... and I'm hoping I have Khloe at least 2 weeks early. I think my belly is so much bigger than both of theirs. I don't know why... I hope Khloe is not an enormous baby... that labor will not be fun! LOL

Here are some pictures from Chandra's Baby Shower on Saturday...

Peyton had two baseball games on Saturday, too. Unfortunately, they didn't win either game. Gosh, those boys. They are all great players, but they have so many off days. Wow! Afterwards(since I was still at Chandra's shower), Peyton left his game with my parents and went to their house in Springdale. It was a long day. When I went to pick Peyton up after the shower, I swiped my little sister (Jen- who is 18) and had her come stay the night with us... because Kevin was on his canoe/float trip.

Sunday, Jen, Peyton and I went to my favorite coffee shop (YUMMY - Kennedy Coffee)and enjoyed some yummy specialty drinks and then headed on to Springdale (Tyson Complex) for a surprise 29th Birthday party for my brother-in-law, PJ (my sister's new hubby). He wanted to have a family/friends softball game for his birthday, so my sister (Tasha) made it happen that following weekend. He actually turned 29 on Wednesday. Tasha goes all out for birthdays, so it was a huge deal. We cooked out and there were around 50 people that showed up. Fun in the sun! I wish I could have been a part of the game, but I don't think it is wise for a 9 mos pregnant woman to be playing softball. LOL The party was from 1:30-5:30pm. I had to leave around 4:30pm, though, to pick Kevin up in Missouri from his horrid float trip. LOL Wow... busy busy weekend... told you! :o)

That's all I have for you... I hope you all had a great weekend! My cousin, Lisa, is getting induced at 5am tomorrow... she is supposed to be having a little girl. Anyway, I will be at the hospital tomorrow for that. My 9 mos (36 weeks) doctor visit is Wednesday... that's when he check to see if I've dilated any and give me the Strep B Test. Then, this Saturday is my 2nd Baby Shower (this one my friend/cousin is throwing). It will be another action packed week and weekend... no doubt!

Memorial Day Weekend...

2009-05-26T17:19:00.002-05:00

This year, it was hard for me not to do our normal lake festivities. I LOVE being on the river or the lake during Memorial Day weekend, but not this year. Pregnant woman... not so much!

But, we did enjoy some time with lots of Kevin's family members at The Yingst 2009 Family Reunion. They were expecting around 100 family members, but it turned out to be closer to 50 or so. The food was yummy. Kevin's dad's band played, a lot of kids and adults swam, there were horseshoe games going on, 4-wheeler rides, marshmallow (smores) roast and much more. It would have been a better time for me if I weren't waddling around. Wow... this girl can waddle! LOL I was on my feet most of the day and Khloe didn't appreciate it... she was putting a load of weight on my bladder and made me take 5 million bathroom breaks. LOL She didn't kick a lot when we got home... and I could tell she was just as exhausted as I was... she slept until the next day (which is very unusual for her - usually she kicks the fire out of me constantly!). Anyway, because of my 3rd Trimester Pregnancy Rash (PUPPP or PEP), I could not be in the sun a lot. Just the humidity was causing my rash to flare up and itch like crazy... no fun!!!! I just can't stand it anymore and am going to resort to the steroid shots or early inducing for permanent relief. I look like a freak without clothes on. The rash has spread from my belly to my inner thighs, shins, arms, hands, neck, breast area, sides and part of my back and bottom. It just doesn't seem fare! No relief... nothing helps ease the itching. I'm sad. I read about it all the time on the Internet and they continue to say that the rash only affects less than 1% of pregnant women... comes in the third trimester... usually only occurs in first time pregnancies (not me!), those carrying boys (not me!) or woman carrying multiples (I pray not me!). So strange! But, the reunion was an okay time... it was all weekend.

Kevin and Peyton went hiking yesterday for Memorial Day and I stayed home and caught up on some chores and rest. I have still been knocked down with chest congestion and allergies... stinks!! Anyway, they left at 9:45am and returned around 8:30pm or so. An ALL DAY hike trip. They hiked the Kings River. They were sweet enough to bring home dinner... it was yummy! Kevin decided to drive down some very tight trails and risk scratching his Hummer due to all the low hanging limbs on trees. Sure enough... today I look at his truck and there are massive scratches all down both sides of his truck. How dumb!! That's only about $2K worth of fun... Ugh Boys!!!! but, I guess they had a really good time. Kevin loves the outdoors and took some beautiful pictures of wild flowers throughout their hike. Neato!

Today I bought some more adorable little dresses and rompers for baby Khloe... Yes, Momma is OBSESSED!!! I just cannot help myself! She does not need any outfits for a year or so... None! Her closet is fuller than mine! Seriously! Kevin has no idea how much money we have spent on her so far. Wow! I just can't wait for her custom bedding accessories and rocker/glider to come in... only a few more weeks and her nursery will be complete! Hooray!

35 Days to go... AND COUNTING!!! People still keep telling me that I am only 2 weeks out. I pray they are right. I would not mind having her 3 weeks early. Gosh, I look like I could have her ANY DAY now! LOL

Until next blog... chow!!

Baby Shower Invitation (Too Cute!)... & Yingst Family Reunion Info!

2009-05-22T18:25:00.006-05:00

So, this week my good friend, Kentrina, mailed out Baby Shower invitations to a lot of my friends (this is my second baby shower... this one is mainly for friends and my side of the family). When I opened the invitation from the mail, I was pleasantly surprised! She did an AMAZING job designing them... she's a pro! I loved them... they are DARLING!!! She used the print and colors of Khloe's nursery... and voila... the cutest shower invitation EVER! I am registered at The Baby's Room in Rogers and I know the ladies up there pretty well. Anyway, they wanted Kentrina to give them one of my Shower invitations (because you get perks from their business by doing so) and they LOVED it! They even sent me an email telling me that it was the most adorable invitation they have received, yet. Neato! Good job, girl! Kentrina has been a very good friend of mine since 6th grade. She's one of those friends that you can go months without talking to and when you do talk about you just pick up exactly where you left off and it feels like you haven't missed any time away from each other... a guess another way to put it is that she is "a friend for life!" Sweetie! I'm sure the shower will be just as sweet as the invitations... looking forward to it! I just hope I don't go into labor before the shower... I sure feel like it lately. Yikes! The shower is two weeks from tomorrow. LOL

Here's a picture of the darling invitation for my baby shower... AWE!!!!

This weekend is Kevin's family reunion at his parents' ranch in Missouri. They are expecting around 100 people... yes, there are that many Yingsts! Crazy! Most of them are camping out on their property all weekend. Craziness! It should be a good time! Between us and his parents, though, we spent around $1000 on this event... I hope everyone enjoys it for that cost! LOL!!! There will be horseshoe tournaments, golf tournaments, horse trail rides, the underground pool will be open and there will be water games (water basketball teams), Kevin's dad band will play much of the weekend, hourly drawings and SO SO much more! I'll post pictures at the end of the weekend (probably more like Monday). LOL

On a last note... I ordered Khloe's Custom Valances/panels, lampshade and minky dot fitted sheet for her nursery today. Amber McGilvray in Fort Worth, TX with Love Bug Bedding will be making them this time... not the same lady in New York. They should be done in a few weeks and will match her crib bedding perfectly. I cannot wait to see them! Yippee! That should do it on all the baby ordering. I'm done with all the custom made stuff... thank goodness! It gets to be stressful when you're trying to figure out how you want something designed for a nursery. Wow! LOL

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone... and please be smart and SAFE!

Only 39 days to go..... WOO HOO!!!

XOXO

34 Week Doctor Checkup... Only 42 Days to Go!

2009-05-20T14:39:00.003-05:00

This morning, I had my 34 week doctor checkup at my clinic. It was nice to walk straight into your room... have your doctor walk in and examine you... and walk out minutes later! That's why I schedule EARLY morning appointments... because the doctor isn't behind if you're the first appointment and there is NO WAITING! Go Me! LOL Anyway, baby's heartbeat was perfect and my belly is still growing. Nothing new to report. I complained, though, to my doctor that I can't hardly stand the Pregnancy rash that I have (it's call PUPP). It is horrible! It keeps me up every night and my poor husband has to listen to me scratch (tear into my skin, rather) all night long. It is horrible... horrible! Like I said before... go figure that I would get the stupid rash... I have some bad luck sometimes. :( The rash spreads when it's hot, so my doctor instructed me to take cold showers (even getting up in the middle of my sleep and taking a cold shower), take Pepcid and Zyrtec (or Benedryl) and continue putting benedryl creams and sprays all over. The rash is now covering my ENTIRE belly, inner legs, inner arms and breast area. Talk about having a miserable 3rd Trimester! :( Stinks!!!!! Anyway, my doc said if those things didn't work all together by this weekend, then we will discuss steroid shots. I have been so good about not taking ANY medicine this entire pregnancy and I cannot imagine whimping out now and getting steroid shots of all things. Ummm.. Nah! The rash supposably disappears completely when baby is born.... but, gosh... that's SIX more weeks!!

So... everyone thinks that I am carrying multiples, still. They tell me constantly that my belly was tiny before the pregnancy and the way it sticks straight out and teh way that I am carrying her indicates multiples. Either that or I'm farther along than I think I am. Everyone says twins or only 2 weeks left. LOL We'll see... I hope not!! I wouldn't mind the "two weeks left," though. LOL My belly is double the size it was when I was pregnant with Peyton (10 YEARS AGO)... I just don't understant. And it is ALL BELLY - not an ounce of my own fat. It's as hard as a rock. Weird!

Haven't completed Khloe's nursery, yet... although that is my goal! As long as I can get my husband to agree to hang the pictures in there. LOL He is so busy lately. He moved his office from BFE to right across from Lowe's in Bella Vista today... so he has been busy with all of the office transition stuff. His location now is very visible and I know his clients will appreciate it more! But, as soon as her nursery is 100% complete, I will post pictures! I can't wait to see the finished project myself.

Peyton won his baseball game last night... good job, bubby!!!! I'm posting a couple of pictures of him at his game last night. He had a GREAT hit into left field. Go Peyton!

Julie Swanson's Baby Shower - 5-17-09

2009-05-19T09:50:00.006-05:00

Yes, my weekend was overloaded... one event after another! Funny how that happens. LOL

Anyway, my friend, Julie Swanson, had her Baby Shower on Sunday, May 17th @ 2pm. It was a good time... and good getting to compare bellies with Julie. I still think my belly is enormous compared to hers (we are only 3 DAYS apart... crazy, I know!). Julie was a glowing. She really enjoys being pregnant and is really valuing every minute of it (unlike some one I know... me!). She got some really cute gifts and the weather was perfect. The sun kept casting a shadow on everything, so I tried to take as good of pictures as the sun would allow. :o) Julie is a sweet girl and I was glad to be there for her!

Here are some pictures of Julie (with Baby Ryan in her belly)...

Julie's Cake with Baby Ryan's Initials... Ryan Forest Swanson!

Some of her Gifts that her guest brought for Baby Ryan!

Julie Showing off her Baby Bump... cute!

Julie opening gifts... Velveteen Rabbit & Book!

Another shot of Julie holding her Baby Bump... The Sun was Bright!

Julie and I comparing Baby Belly Size... Hmm... Looks like I win??!! Yikes! LOL

That's it... good times! Congrats Julie!