The Penny Family

NICU Day 27

2012-02-14T11:52:00.001-08:00

Will gave his momma and daddy a valentines present by coming off the ventilator today. He is doing so good. His blood gases have been good and he should get another one tonight. He has had a few apnea and heartrate drops but nothing to serious. As far as momma and daddys nerves, we are hanging in there. We know God will take care of him and carry him and us through this. His feedings were increased today to 12ml and he weighs 600 grams or 1lb 5oz. Yeah for the 600th mark in weight gain. We are now shooting for the 700 weight gain so that is our next goal for him. Slowly but surely he will get there. So far so good on this Valentines day for Will. I'm so happy to be his momma and I have a special love for my two favorite people that I love more than anything in the world, Doug and Will. Happy Valentines Day!!!!

NICU Day 26

2012-02-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Will had another good night. He had a suppository and had some great poopy diapers for his night nurse. They have weined him down from 17 breathes per minute to 14 breathes per minute. He is getting two doses of steriods today. Dr Nading wants to try him off the ventilator tomorrow. His weight is still the same at 1lb 5oz or 590 grams. He has a chest xray and lab work scheduled for tomorrow. He has another blood gas at 5pm today but had one his morning and his blood gases were great. His feedings have not increased but are still at 11ml. They are doing some blood work tomorrow to check and see if the infection is clear and if it is the antibotics should stop tomorrow. Also, I got to put lotion on his back and he really liked it.

We are so scared again if Dr Nading decides to take him off the ventilator tomorrow. Please pray that all will go well with all the lab work and chest xrays. Also please pray that Will will be able to hold his own while being off his ventilator longer than 48 hours. We are being optimistic and very positive that he will do great. God is in control of our little fighters life.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Pictures of Will from this week

2012-02-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

I have some beautiful blonde hair

I like to sleep with my foot out like my daddy

Peekaboo! I see you!

Oh mommy, please don't take my picture again

Uncle Nic and Aunt Kim came to visit me! I LOVE visitors!!

My mommy and daddy's FAVORITE picture! I've been told I look like my daddy!

NICU Day 25

2012-02-12T12:14:00.001-08:00

Will had a great night. He is up to 1lb 5oz or 590 grams. He did gain a lot of grams over night but the doctors are cautiously watching it for tonight. He is not supposed to gain that much overnight. He did have a blood transfusion and a medication called lasix. Lasix will make you retain fluid so that could be something that has caused the weight gain. They are beginning to bring him down and wein him back off of the ventilator sometime this week. All blood work has checked out normal. The infection was not in his blood but found on the ventilator tube that was down his throat and attached to his lungs. They are still treating him with antibiotics until probably Tuesday. He is still getting 11 mls of milk. I got to change his diaper for the first time today. He has had a fabulous nurse Cheryll this weekend who has allowed me to be more hands on with him and actually make me feel like his momma. I've enjoyed the weekend with him.

Goodnight

2012-02-11T19:27:00.001-08:00

Goodnight. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!! Happy Birthday to my Pappa Smothers!! I love you!! Love Will!

NICU Day 24 update

2012-02-11T14:43:00.001-08:00

Will had a great night and has a great day. Uncle Nic is getting anxious to hear about how he is doing so Uncle Nic rest assured Will is doing great. He gained some weight so he is up to 1lb 3 oz or 540 grams. We are currently undergoing a blood transfusion for a low blood count. Sometimes he is riding the vent and gets lazy and forgets to breathe on his own. Hey it's Saturday he is resting like his momma does on the weekends. We will give him a little break but not too much. Keep praying for little Will.

NICU Day 23

2012-02-10T10:01:00.001-08:00

Will had a good night and has a good day so far. He is back to normal feedings at 10 ml and is off the TPN bag for nutrients. They are still treating his infection and he does have a hernia and probably will have to have surgery before he leaves the hospital. Hernias are common in preemie males so this is nothing that we are alarmed about. It may clear up and he may not have to have surgery but we will wait and see. The xray of his lungs are clear today. Dr Nading didn't hear that the pda had come back. So all is well in Will's life today.

Evening NICU Day 22 update

2012-02-09T15:36:00.001-08:00

Will had a great afternoon. I stayed with him most of the day and he behaved very well. He had a BIG peepee diaper which Dr. Nading was very pleased with. Never thought I be so excited about that!! He did resume his feedings at 2pm today to 7ml so little buddy got to eat something. He is back on the TPN bag for nutrients again since they discontinued his feedings but he is at a very low dose of it. His ecocardigram came back on the PDA and Dr. Nading's quote was "iffy at worse". So what he means is that the eco showed the PDA was not clear enough to tell if it had come back. So they will do another one later this week. As far as the lung infection, I was wrong. It is a blood infection and antibotics were started this morning to clear that up. The lungs are clear and still doing what they are supposed to.

Happy 3 weeks and NICU update Day 22

2012-02-09T09:44:00.001-08:00

Well once again Will decided to spring another 3 week surprise on us again. He has developed a slight infection in his lung and is getting treated with medicines. The infection is very common in preemies this size because their bodies and immune systems are not strong enough to fight it. They started him on fluids because he has decided not to urinate in his diaper. Dr Nading heard a slight murmur in his heart so they did a scan to see if the PDA has returned and we don't have the results yet. It is very common for it to return again. His feedings have been stopped temporarily due to the infection and not having enough fluids so we will wait and see when little man can eat again today. He also had to have another blood transfusion because his blood count was low.

We know God is in total control of Will's life and he has his perfect plan for him. We as his parents are always asking "why God why us" but we know without a shadow of a doubt God is using us and Will as a living testimony of his amazing strength and power. As this NICU journey continues we rely on God for things we cannot answer but trust in him that he knows what he is doing in Will's life. Therefore we may not understand everything but we know God does and we trust in that. Jesus said in John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled: Trust in God, trust also in me." We are trusting in God for that everlasting strength and love he comforts us with every single day.

Good Evening

2012-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Good Evening everyone! I've had a great day today. I'm doing much better on the ventilator and I have been holding my oxygen level pretty good. I haven't made my nurses run after me as much as they have but they've been great to me today. Did I tell you how much I LOVE my doctors and nurses?!?!?! They take really good care of me, talk to me, and love on me like I'm their own! I'm becoming a ladies man but don't tell my momma :) Good night and ya'll keep praying for me because I'm a fighter and I'm getting stronger everyday!

NICU Day 21

2012-02-08T08:52:00.001-08:00

Will was put back on the ventilator this morning. Good thing is we made it for 48 hours being off but sweet little Will was just struggling and the decision was made to put him back on. We are okay with it because we didn't want to see him struggling to breathe and we felt he was last night. I guess this is all that begins with parenting and worrying. We knew the doctors and nurses were going to make the right decisions and they did. Therefore we are very pleased with their decision to put him back on the ventilator. They told us this would happen and given his size they wanted to see how good he could do off the ventilator and they were very impressed with his progress. They told us they might try it again next week so we will wait and see. So far he is doing much better on the ventilator and breathing at 21% oxygen which is what we breathe on room air. He is much happier and is able to rest a little better. So all in all this makes momma and daddy happy too!!!!!

Thank you so much dear Jesus for showing us how strong Will is by being off the ventilator. Thank you for allowing the doctors to make the right decisions for our Will. Please continue to be with Will as he grows and strengthens to the man you have created and will continue to create. Thank you for this beautiful and most precious gift of life that we love more than anything in this world. Amen!

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

NICU Day 20 update

2012-02-07T10:01:00.001-08:00

Yeah Will made it off the ventilator and through the night and as of right now he is still off the ventilator. His blood gases were great this morning and they will take another one this afternoon. He is still in his chin strap. They have started him on breathing treatments to get rid of the secretions and he does that every 6 hours. So far so good. Please keep praying for Will and us as we make it through another day. Please pray for Will as he needs to continue to gain weight and maintain his time off the ventilator. His feedings were increased to 9ml and they will resume the Prolacta today and he will come off the TPN bag which has been supplying him with extra nutrients.

And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness and Your praise all day long Psalm 35:28

Evening Day 19 NICU update

2012-02-06T19:03:00.001-08:00

Will has done great so far being off the ventilator. His blood gases have been great tonight so he will not have another one tonight. He is in a chin strap to keep him from having his mouth open and should breathe better with his mouth being closed. Please pray for him as he continues with his new phase in life. Pray that he can continue to handle being off the ventilator and that he will have another good night. Momma and daddy are doing much better knowing that he is doing so well. We were a little uneasy today but this is all apart of the NICU roller coaster. We had to take a step back from worrying too much and listen to God and know that he is in control and he continues to perform miracles in Will's life every single day. We know the power of God and we are amazed by his mighty works he is exhibiting to us everyday.

Please say a special prayer for Will's roommate, Avery, who will undergo surgery tomorrow due to a hole in her heart not closing. Also pray for her parents too as they try and get some rest tonight even though we know it won't be easy.

Good night and here is how Will will sleep tonight.

NICU Day 19

2012-02-06T10:01:00.001-08:00

Will had another great night. He has been pulled off the ventilator about 9am this morning and is doing so good off of it. So far so good. His feedings were increased to 6ml but he is still having a little residual after feedings but nothing to be too overly concerned about. He did gain his weight back to 1lb 3oz or 540 grams so we are moving on up the weight ladder again. We give all praise and glory to our Lord for this sweet miracle and his great improvements.

NICU Day 18

2012-02-05T10:09:00.001-08:00

Will had another great night. His feedings have increased to 4 ml today from 2ml yesterday. They have given him a steroid shot today because Dr Omara is going to try and take him off the ventilator in the morning. Please pray that Will will be able to breathe on his own without the help of the ventilator. We are so worried but we know God is in control. He is doing so good so thank you so much for your prayers for our little warrior.

NICU Day 17

2012-02-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Will had another great night. He is just doing so well after the hole in his blood vessel has closed. Speaking of that, Dr Omara ordered another heart ultrasound today just to make sure that the vessel had closed and it was all clear. Will's weight has gone down to 1lb 2oz or 520 grams but that is due to all the fluid he has gotten rid of with being on the indocin mediciation for PDA and not having any milk. Will is doing so good and regulating his heart rate between 150-170. They lowered his breaths per minute down to 25 on the ventilator because it had been around 30 which means he is taking more breaths on his own without the ventilator. We are hoping he can come off of it this coming week. I'll be so happy but yet so terrified when that happens. The other good news is that Will has resumed his feedings but is only getting about 2mls every 3 hours. They are starting him off slow to not interfere with NEC which is a stomach infection he could get. So today for this rainy Saturday all is well in Will's life. When we were there visiting him, he had both his eyes open so I got to see those beautiful eyes again. Such a wonderful thing to see.

NICU Day 16

2012-02-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Will has some great news to report today. Dr. Omara is in complete shock because he believes that the blood vessel is completely CLOSED! He delivered the news to Doug this morning and he literally hit his knees. This is a rare thing for the blood vessel to close after one dosage of medicine. It usually takes about 3 dosages for the vessel to close. But Dr Omara tells us that the vessel might open again but not to be concerned about it if it does happen again. But as of today, the blood vessel is closed.

Will is doing so much better today and looks so much better too. His heartrate has stayed between 150-170 range which is way down from the 170-200 range that is was yesterday. He had a blood transfusion yesterday and is doing so much better. It is amazing the difference a day has made in Will's life. He still weighs 1lb 3oz though but feedings should resume tomorrow. They are starting his feedings at a low dosage but at a very slow pace to help him from getting NEC which is a stomach problem that he could get.

The best news of all is WILL HAS OPENED HIS EYES! I literally could jump in the incubator and give me a big kiss. This just thrilled my soul and brought tears to my eyes. He opened his left eye first and our social worker got a picture for me and then he opened his right eye and I could grab my camera fast enough.

I see you momma and daddy

Praise the Lord my blood vessel is closed now I can get fed again

Exodus 15:26

For I am the Lord, who heals you

Psalms 119:18

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Happy 2 Week Old Birthday, NICU Day 15, and Pictures

2012-02-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Will turns 2 weeks old today. I still can't believe he is here and is two weeks old. This just blows my mind. Through this whole process, I've realized it's not my plan and never was and that it has and always will be God's plan for my life. For someone who is a planner like me, that has been hard to digest but we are living every day according to his plan for our lives, whatever that may be.

Will decided to throw us a curve ball on his 2 week old birthday. The doctors ran some tests today to see if he could possibly have a blood infection but that was CLEAR! Now he has had to go under a blood transfusion and had to be pricked again in his tiny little head. I've learned this today, even though his blood type is O+, the NICU babies only receive O- blood. Interesting, I know. He also has a blood vessel that hasn't closed near his heart and will begin a medication for that until Saturday. Therefore, his feedings will be put on hold until Saturday. What he has is called Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) which is the most common heart problem in premature babies. Before birth, much of a fetus' blood goes through a passageway (ductus arteriosus) from one blood vessel to another instead of through the lungs, because the lungs are not yet in use. This passageway should close soon after birth, so the blood can take the normal route from heart to lungs and back. If it doesn't close, blood doesn't flow correctly. In some cases, drug treatment can help close the passageway. If that doesn't work, surgery can close it. With all that being said, Will's has not closed and they are treating it with medicine until Saturday.

Please continue to pray for Will and us as we continue this journey in the NICU. We have experienced some great days but today was one of those days that we will just have to climb back up that hill to reach the top and continue this roller coaster ride. Please pray that the medicine will work and Will's vessel will close without them having to do surgery on down the road and that we will be able to keep his weight gain and tolerate his feedings once he gets put back on them on Saturday.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Now for PICTURES

Happy 2 week old birthday to me. I got pricked in the head today for my birthday!

He loves to have his arm above his head when he's on his back

Tummy Time, my favorite!!

My mommy keeps a close watch on me

I love to hold my mommy and daddy's fingers

Psalms 139:13-14

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

NICU Day 14

2012-02-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Will had another good night. They have increased his feedings to 11ml and the prolacta should take effect here in the next few days and hopefully we will see some weight gain on this little fella. Dr Omara has ordered some routine blood work tomorrow and also another head ultrasound. Pray that all is well with those tests tomorrow. That is all for today. I have a few pictures to upload but that will be later.

Thanks for all your prayers and keep them coming!

Afternoon NICU Day 13 update

2012-01-31T14:50:00.001-08:00

We went to see Will this afternoon and learned some more information about him. They are beginning him on Prolacta with the breast milk. Prolacta is a human milk fortifier and is going to help increase the calorie intake and promote more weight gain and growth. Dr. Omara might take Will off the ventilator next week to see how Will reacts to being able to breathe on his own. But this is all depending on how he is still breathing on his own the rest of this week.

Please pray that the prolacta will work and Will will continue to gain some weight and that Dr Omara can take him off the ventilator and that Will will be able to breathe on his own.

NICU day 13

2012-01-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

Will had another good night. Thank you Lord! He is being rotated from his belly to his back to help relieve some of the apnea spells and the doctors say it is working very well. He is really enjoying being on his belly. His weight is back up to 540 grams or 1lb 3oz. His feedings have been increased again to 10ml every 3 hours. Yeah for that! He is getting his pic line out today which is great because they normally keep it in for 30 days and Will has had his in for 13 days and the doctors believe it is not necessary for him to have it in anymore. He is getting a few blood tests done tomorrow to check all his levels and another head ultrasound as well. So all is well in the life of Will in the NICU.

Thank you all for your prayers! We are feeling them everyday and are still being strong for Will. God is amazing and we are beginning to see his amazing power and prescense over our little Will each and every day. The doctors have warned us there will be ups and downs so we are trying not to be too overly excited over his daily improvements but are rejoicing and praising God for those days that we get good news. Continue to lift him up daily in your prayers as well as the amazing staff, doctors, and nurses at the NICU.

NICU Day 12

2012-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to write this blog post all morning but the internet has been down at the hospital. So thank you all for being patient.

Will had another great night after an apnea scare he had when we were up there visiting that put his daddy into a state of shock. He is much better today and his daddy was able to rest easy knowing that Will was doing better. Apnea spells with preemies this small are completely normal. They bounce back out of it within 10 seconds.

His feedings have been increased from 6ml to 8ml and he is COMPLETELY off the TPN bag and he is getting all the nutrients from the breast milk that he needs! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! He weighs 520 grams or 1lb 2oz which is down 20 grams from yesterdays weigh in. All his blood gas tests and chest xrays came back normal. He has been flipped over and is doing a little tummy time to try and ease the apnea spells. The respiratory therapist said he would be on his tummy for about 48 hours and he assured me this is good for him to do. So all is well in Will's life.

I found this prayer in a book that someone gave me so this is my prayer for Will for today and always.

Thank you for this treasured child of mine. Although you have entrusted him to me, I know he belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care. Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please supply what I lack. Keep my child walking on the path that leads to eternal life. Help him to overcome the temptations in this world and the sin that would so easily entangle him. Dear God, send your Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide him. Ever assist him to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love. May he serve you faithfully with his whole heart devoted to you. May he discover the joy of your presence through daily relationship with your Son, Jesus. Help me never to hold on too tightly to this child, nor neglect my responsiblities before you as a parent. Lord, let my committment to raise this child for the glory of your name cause his life to forever testify of your faithfulness.

Thanks for you prayers for Will and us. Will is growing stronger everyday so please continue to pray for him and the doctors and nurses that are attending to his bedside. It is still a day to day process that will continue but overall we have been pleased with his growth and the strength he is showing.

NICU Day 11

2012-01-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Will had another great night. He is up from 5ml to 6ml every 3 hours. So his feedings have increased! YEAH! He gained 10 grams and is up to 540 grams but still 1lb 3oz. They will do another blood gas test tomorrow as well as a chest xray to see if his lungs are still functioning well based on what the machine is saying. Pray that those tests go well tomorrow.

Thank you God for my sweet Will and his daily improvements! I pray that you will continue to put your loving arms around him and keep helping him grow stronger each and every day. Thank you God for this amazing gift of life! How can we ever repay you for such a perfect gift? Amen!

NICU Day 10

2012-01-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Will had another great night! His feedings have been increased from 4ml to 5ml every 3 hours. So that is great news and he is getting and taking the breast milk like a champ! His weight has increased to 1lb 3oz which we haven't seen in a week. Praise the Lord our baby boy is growing! His new ventilator is still working perfectly and he is adjusting well. As well as getting nutrients from the breast milk he is also getting additional nutrients from a bag that has a IV line running to his arm. They are going to lower the nutrients from that bag because he is getting more than he needs from the breast milk.

Please continue to pray for Will as he continues to grow stronger and in size too. He is doing well with his feedings so please pray that he will continue that. My milk is doing well but please continue to pray that I can continue to produce enough for him and to continue to nourish and help him in this way. Thanks again for all your prayers! God is amazing and is blessing us through him in so many ways! Continue to pray without ceasing! We are rejoicing and praising God with all the little steps he is taking!

This momma is slacking in the picture taking business so bear with me and I will get a few recent pictures uploaded tomorrow or soon.

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

NICU Day 9 - January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Will is still doing great! Somethings have changed but that is good! He is on a conventional ventilator (which is much quieter) and breathing on about 24% oxygen. We breathe on about 21% oxygen. The ventilator is helping him get about 25 breaths per minute at certain intervals. Basically, he is breathing on his own and the ventilator will help him breathe when he needs those extra breaths. He is out from under the bilirubin light for today. They have increased his feedings from 3mls to 4mls every 3 hours. He is pooping and peeing regularly. They are beginning to prick his little foot to take blood because they have removed the needle from his head. He is still trying to open his eyes for me but has not done that yet.

So today little Will is still progressing. I'm sitting here in his room today for a while just to be near him and reflecting on the amazing power of God. To take this little baby from me at just 24 weeks and to hear that he is improving each and every day, we just have to stop and give all the praise and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Wow, I'm completely stunned at the awesomeness of his grace and mercy that he has placed over our little Will.

Please continue to pray for our little fighter! We draw our strength from him each and every day. We are resting well. Doug has gone back to work and I will continue on and try to get in a routine. I am going to be sitting with him every day as he continues to grow stronger. Please continue to lift up the amazing NMMC NICU staff, doctors, and nurses as they continue to press on and take care of our sweet Will. Where would we be without them?

Matthew 19:26: But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Happy One Week Birthday, Will

2012-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, time flies! I can't believe it has been a week since Will was born. It has been a complete whirlwind of a journey. I'm so thankful that Will is still doing well in the NICU. We went to see him today and sang Happy Birthday to him. Yes, I'm cherishing each and every day I get to spend with him. So Happy One Week Old Birthday sweet Will! I hope we get to celebrate many more!

Enjoy these sweet pictures of Will. Unfortunately he is under the light again for jaundice. We are hoping that we get you a new ventilator tomorrow since you have outgrown your other one and are beginning to take more breaths on your own. Yeah for the small improvements!

Weight still remains the same 1lb 1oz or 490 grams.

Our one week old baby

Precious feet

Precious hands

NICU days 3-8, January 21-26, 2012

2012-01-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

Will has began to make major improvements day to day. His heartrate is staying in the 160-180 range, his blood pressure is averaging between 30-40, and he is breathing on about 26% oxygen. He has begun to take breast milk by a tube that goes directly into his stomach. Breast milk gives the baby the nutrients that are needed during this time. They began him on 1 mls every 3 hours and he is taking that well and they have increased that to 3.5mls every 3 hours as of January 26, 2012. He is peeing and pooping regularly. He has had to have 2 blood transfusions so far since they are having to do alot of blood tests. Preemie's veins are so fragile and there is little blood that blood transfusions are normal in preemie's this early. The doctors have assured us that this will happen very often. On January 26, 2012 they did another ultrasound of the brain and everything checked out normal. There is no bleeding on the brain, which the doctors knew there wasn't because he has not showed any signs. They will eventually change out his ventilator because he is on the lowest setting on the current ventilator. We have been dealing with Dr. Nading and now are dealing with Dr. O'Mara. He has been on and off the heating lamp due to having jaundice which I understand is normal with newborns and preemies.
As far as physical features, Will is long legged, has long arms, long fingers and toes, and a little touch of blonde hair. He is a miracle! He is GOD's miracle to us!

Please continue to pray for Will's improvement. The doctors are happy with him and they have told us that they will continue to do what they are doing if we continue to do what we are doing. Prayer is a powerful thing and we feel them everyday, so don't give up. Pray without ceasing and constantly.

Stay tuned as our NICU story and journey continues.....

As a side note: The placentas were examined and come to find out, Drew was getting more of the nutrients and Will was not. Therefore, Will needed to be let out soon or he would have died in the womb. They tell us that this is sometimes the case with multiples. One can survive in the womb and one cannot and then when they are born it is the opposite for the twins. We may never know why and understand but we know God's plan is perfect and are relying and trusting in him to get through this day by day. We rest in knowing that Drew is with Jesus and are holding onto the strength and hope that Will will one day be home with us and in our arms forever. Keep praying, because our little guy is a FIGHTER!

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11

Here is a picture of our little miracle, Will

Here is a reference to a dollar bill. It runs from head to his knees

Drew's visitation and service - January 24-25, 2012

2012-01-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

As we began to plan and work through the struggles of planning our baby boy's funeral, you begin to think how could I do this and how can we honor Drew in such an amazing way. My dad helped us through the whole planning process and then we decided that January 24, 2012 would be his vistation at Harrisburg Baptist Church from 5-7pm and then we would have a private family only graveside service on January 25, 2012 at 11am. We decided to bury Drew over my papaw's grave. I felt completely comfortable doing this because I knew my papaw would be watching over him, playing with him in heaven, and even teaching him a few lessons about golf.

Visitation was packed with people we knew. Our Sunday School group is an amazing group of folks. They have supported us, prayed for us, and encouraged us during this whole time. A few of the guys worked as ushers and checked on us during visitation. So thank you very much! The sanctuary was beautiful with flowers from different people. Drew's casket was white and adorned with baby's breathe and blue hydrangeas, my favorite. We had a few pictures developed with us and Drew during his last day with us and those were sitting by his casket.

We wrapped Drew in white blanket that had been monogrammed with his name on it and placed a dog that had been given to the boys at Christmas by Aunt Mary. Will will have his and Drew will have his so there will always be that connection.

Drew's graveside service was perfect. Dr. Forrest Sheffield, pastor of our church at Harrisburg Baptist Church, did an amazing job. God was speaking through him because what he said was truly amazing words from God. It was refreshing to know and believe that Drew is in heaven with Jesus. We then gathered back at my parents house for lunch and to be with our family and friends.

My dearest Drew,
Even though you are not here with us, we will see you in Heaven soon. We miss you very much! When we found out we were pregnant with twins, we began praying that our children would come to know Jesus as their personal savior. You have already done that and are now with Jesus. We couldn't be more thrilled to know that Jesus is taking care of you right now. Please continue to watch over your brother, Will, as we soon will tell him about you and how wonderful and perfect you were. Yes, we will miss the times with you since we had so much for you to learn and love but we know that you will be watching over us each and everyday soaking up all that fun in Heaven. God took you from us too soon and we may never know his plan for that, but we know his plan is perfect. You have touched so many lives throughout this whole process and your short life has been a living testimony for us, your parents. We loved you more than life itself and I enjoyed those 6 short months you were in my belly having a party. You were a very active fellow and enjoyed kicking me and making me so uncomfortable. I sure wish I could have that back for just one second. Thank you Drew for your sweet and happy self. We cannot wait for that day when we all get to Heaven and see you!

All our LOVE,
Your parents, Doug and Kara

NICU - Day 1&2, January 19-20, 2012

2012-01-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

After delivery, my boys were transferred immediately to the NICU and taken under complete oberservation, given their small size and how early they were. Here is what we remember about those first days in the NICU.
Will
Will is doing great in the first hours of being in the NICU. He began breathing on about 20% oxygen. He is on a ventilator. He is enjoying life and kicking up a storm.

Drew
Drew on the otherhand has experienced some problems. During the first 2 days in the NICU he had to have 3 blood transfusions, he had to be resuscitated at about 6-6:30am on Jan 20th with low heartrate. His blood pressure has been unstable. The doctors want a blood pressure reading to stay on average around 20-30 and Drew's kept falling to around the 10's. He had an ultrasound on his brain at 8am on Jan 20th to determine if there was bleeding in the brain. The scan came back as a grade 2 brain bleed on both sides of his brain. Preemie brain bleeds range from grade 1 to 4. Grades 1 and 2 are considered minor and usually don't cause long term damage. Grades 3 and 4 are more severe and usually lead to more damage. Then Drew took a turn for the worse and about 11am on January 20, 2012, we were immediately called into his room. Dr. Nading told us about the problems Drew had been experiencing and told us it was not good and that there really was nothing more they could do. We were given the option to hold Drew for the first time outside of the incubator. We choose to do that. After we held him again, his blood pressure and heartrate began to decline again. But luckily they were able to get it back to normal range again but it was still low. They gave us the option to unhook him and take him off of everything or to try some medicine one more time. I choose to try the medicine and see what would happen. Selfishly, I wanted Drew to get better and I would regret it if I didn't do anything about it. Unfortunately it didn't work and Drew's blood pressure and heartrate would not stay within normal range. The doctors did all they could and unhooked Drew and laid him in my arms. My baby boy, Drew, died in my arms at 12:38pm on January 20, 2012.

As a new and first time mom, it was very difficult to make that decision. We put our faith and trust in the Lord and know and have a peace that our baby Drew is in heaven and playing at Jesus's feet. Boy, are we so jealous! My husband had a great idea to sing Happy Birthday to Drew and it was so moving. We were surrounded by our parents, pastors, my Obgyn, the staff and nurses of the NICU staff and the amazing doctors of the NICU staff. There was not a dry eye in that room. After we had our time with Drew, we got him ready to be taken away. We bathed him, dressed him, changed him, and said our final goodbyes.

Even though we had a short time with Drew, we never took that for granted. He was loved by so many that he had never met. We began to grieve for our son, Drew, who has gone on to be with his heavenly father but knew we had to be strong for our other son, Will, who is still fighting for his life.

"We do not grieve as those who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The story continues........

Will and Drew's birth story - January 19, 2012

2012-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

William Rice Steven Penny and Jonathan Andrew Douglas Penny entered this world on January 19, 2012 at just 24 weeks and 4 days gestation. Will was born at 9:19am, weighed 1lb 1oz, and was 11 3/8 inches long and Drew was born at 9:31am, weighed 1lb 8oz, and was 12 3/4 inches long. Their story goes like this:
After leaving Jackson, TN with our bed rest plans (read previous post), we settled in at home for a 2 week wait and see what the boys would do. I loaded up on water to regain some of the fluid around Will and laid on my left side to feel him move because he was sitting so low. Drew was very active that night and of course kept me up. I didn't sleep much that night worrying about what was to come but Doug and I prayed and relied on God to take care of me and those precious boys we have dreamed of. I had several trips to the bathroom that night (due to all the water I was drinking) and also a few bits of pain which I thought was Drew having a party in my stomach.
On Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 4:30am, I felt a gush of water and ran to the bathroom. I continued to feel that gush and immediately called the on-call doctor. I was told to head to the Women's hospital to be observed. We arrived at the Women's hospital by 5am and was checked and come to find out my water had broken and I was having contractions that I didn't know was contractions. We had not been through child birthing classes and I had already requested to have a c-section when they were due. I was soon rushed into high risk labor and delivery area for further evaluation. Luckily the BEST doctor in the whole wide world, Dr Hudson, was coming in at 7am to make his rounds. He had already been notified about me so he immediately called Dr. Hoeldtke (maternal/fetal specialist) in Jackson, TN to consult him on our options. He sat with us to explain our options. They started me on a magnesium drip to stop the contractions and then we would settle in for a long wait and see permanent hospital bed rest.

Unfortunately my boys had other plans for their momma and she was totally not prepared for this. The contractions did not stop and then all of a sudden about 20 people filled our hospital room and I heard my doctor say "We are having babies today" and I yelled at him and said NO, I need an epidural. He grabbed my face, told me to trust him and that everything would be just fine. There was no time to stop this and there was no time for an epidural. My baby boys were coming regardless of what their momma wanted. So my boys entered this world, all natural and no drugs, within 12 minutes of each other. Dr. Nading took Drew and Dr. Darling took Will to the NICU for further observation.
After all that pain my boys put their mother through, we were transferred to recovery and could go and see the boys around 12noon. I was completely in shock that my boys decided to enter this world when they wanted to, so they better not be late for another event and on time for everything.
After much rest and recovery we were able to go and see the sweet precious boys I had loved already, prayed for, and delivered. I was so excited to be introduced as their MOM and Doug was so excited to be introduced as their DAD!!!!!!!!!
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
Our story continues, so stay tuned........

Update on Will and Drew

2012-01-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to update you all on the status of us and our babies, Will and Drew. I'll try to be as brief as possible but that's really not possible since I'm talking about my twin boys here.

We had a regular routine doctor's visit with Doctor H yesterday afternoon. There were some concerns that Baby Will was not growing properly so as a precaution we were sent to meet with Dr. Hoeldtke in Jackson, TN this morning. There we had an extensive ultrasound with both boys and that was reassuring to see literally everything. Both boys are functioning well and showing no signs of or as we know of of abnormalities. The only problem is that Will (baby A) is showing growth signs and low fluid levels. His bladder and other internal organs are functioning properly but his fluid is very low around the baby. As far as Drew, his fluid levels are perfect. Will is measuring 1lb 3oz and Drew (baby B) is measuring 1lb 9oz. Drew is measuring according to the place I am in my pregnancy (24 weeks) but Will is measuring smaller than where I am in my pregnancy. It was very hard to get an accurate measurement of Will because he is sitting really low, literally on my pelvic bone and is showing very little signs of movements when they poked and proded at him. Instead of being on his back, he is humped over and dangling his little legs and arms. They are in separate sacs so there was no mention of twin twin transfusion syndrome, where one twin would feed of another and that twin would die in the sace and would and cause me to deliver the other baby very early. So that's the good news. The bad news is there is a slight chance I could or am at risk for preterm labor and that we could loose baby Will or he could die in the sac if he continues not to grow. But both heartbeats are very strong (Will @135 and Drew @145).
With all that being said, I have been placed on at home bedrest for at least 2 weeks (but could be until the remainder of this pregnancy). I go back to see Doctor H in Tupelo next week for another ultrasound to confirm heartbeats are still there and to check growth again. I also will go back to Dr. Hoeldtke on Jan 30th for another intensive ultrasound to check again and to get our next steps which will be extended bedrest or who knows what. So it will be alot of back and forth between here and Jackson, TN checking on our babies and also alot of visits with our doctor here in Tupelo.

I was given a steroid shot to boost the growth of the babies and their lungs to see if that would help and if there is that chance I would go into preterm labor this could help but they would probably stop me and hold off for as long as possible. I go back for another steroid shot tomorrow with my doctor in Tupelo.

Our ultimate goal for these babies is 30 weeks so that is 6 more weeks. As first time parents to be of multiples and literally scared to death about the possibilities this might cause our babies, we are desperately asking each one of you for your prayers. We literally believe prayer is a powerful thing and our God is bigger than anything we can imagine.

So please pray for baby Will as he continues to grow more and more each day but don't forget about baby Drew too. Please pray for me as I am on bedrest and that God will give us the comfort and peace knowing that this whole situation is in his control and care. Please pray that he will calm our fears and concerns as we are experiencing now. Please pray for the doctors as they continue to take care of me, Doug and most importantly the babies. We will have a few decisions to make probably further on down the road, so please pray that God's hand will most importantly be in those decisions and guide us through that process.

So with all that being said, please pray for us as we are literally scared to death!

A great friend in our Sunday School class sent this to me today and it was so reassuring: Remember Jesus said, “In this world you will have troubles, but fear not, I have overcome the world.” Lay your worries at His feet; they are under His authority.

Our God is so great and our faith is so strong in him right now that we truly believe this whole situation is under his control and in his hands. Please continue to pray for us and the boys and we will update you once we know more.

24 weeks

2012-01-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 24 weeks

Size of Baby: Each baby weighs over a pound; They are the length of a ear of corn

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained a total of 12 lbs so far according to our last doctors appointment in December; next appointment is January 17th

Maternity Clothes: Yes pants and shirts

Gender: Twin Boys, Will & Drew

Movement: Lots of movements especially after I've eaten and are laying down; Drew has seem to nestle himself or poke me underneath my right boob sometimes and it is so uncomfortable

Sleep: I'm sleeping every 3-4 hours and then getting up to pee so I can tell that sleep is getting few and far in between but I still have a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Being able to walk up a set of stairs without being out of breath, Zumba, running, skinny jeans, tall heeled boots, and I can go on and on.

Cravings: Started craving Dr. Pepper (weird, I know)

Symptoms: The swelling has begun - hands (occassionally) and feet (when I'm on them for long periods of time)

Best Moment of the Week: We got our video monitors in this week and yes we have been hanging them and getting them set up just right

24 weeks

These are getting very "ugly" to look at but I guess I'll continue to post until I feel completely miserable

The nursery progress

2012-01-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

The nursery is coming along. Yes I know I'm way ahead of schedule but with twins you just never know. I'd rather be ahead than scrambling and being stressed out to finish it at the end before they decide to arrive earlier than expected. My mom is making all the bedding and it is going to be SUPER CUTE! A good and talented friend of mine did a wall painting and painted their names on wooden letters to match the bedding. It is so cute! If you get a chance and need something painted check out Glory Bee Paint Parties out on facebook. Let me tell ya, this girl is TALENTED!

Anyways here are a few photos of the nursery.

The painting my friend did

Drew's side of the nursery. We are missing a distressed frame I'm trying to find to match their bedding.

Will's side of the nursery. We are missing a distressed frame that I'm trying to find to match the bedding.

The car seats are ready and we are just waiting a while to install them.

Drew's neck straps that I had Kim at Monogram It monogram and applique

Will's neck straps that I had Kim at Monogram It monogram and applique

My $60 glider that my sister found for me at a garage sale. We bought fabric to recover the cushions and the best husband in the world added a few cans of white spray paint. Just like new. It's in the bedroom across from the nursery.

This rocker was used by my mom to rock all of us and also my sister used it to rock her children. It has been passed down to me and again the best husband in the world sanded it down and added a few cans of blue spray paint and a clear shiny finish and it looks GREAT in the nursery. My mom is making a cushion for it.

The name plaques that the boys got for Christmas from Uncle Nic and Aunt Kim

My mom finished the minky dot sheets and we have put them on the beds. Now she will start on the bed skirts and bumpers! It's coming along! YIPEE!!!!

23 Weeks

2012-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 23 weeks

Size of Baby: Each baby weighs over a pound; They are the size of a large mango

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained a total of 12 lbs so far according to our last doctors appointment in December; next appointment is next weeks, January 17th

Maternity Clothes: Yes pants and shirts

Gender: Twin Boys, Will & Drew

Movement: Lots of movements especially after I've eaten and are laying down

Sleep: I'm sleeping every 3-4 hours and then getting up to pee so I can tell that sleep is getting few and far in between but I still have a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Being able to walk up a set of stairs without being out of breath, Zumba, running, skinny jeans, tall heeled boots, and I can go on and on.

Cravings: Nothing major this week

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We scheduled our 3d/4d ultrasound visit before the twins get too squished. They nursery is coming along (another post later) and we hung the letters over their beds and a gorgeous painting my friend did.

23 weeks pregnant belly shot in the nursery by Will and Drew's beds

22 weeks on New Year's Day

2012-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 22 weeks

Size of Baby: Each baby weighs 13 ounces at last doctors appointment; They are the length of a spaghetti squash and the size of a papaya

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained a total of 12 lbs so far according to our last doctors appointment in December

Maternity Clothes: Yes pants and shirts; Finally got more clothes that will hopefully last me a while

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: Lots of movements especially after I've eaten and are laying down

Sleep: Sleep is very good since I have a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Being able to walk up a set of stairs without being out of breath

Cravings: Nothing major this week

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We celebrated a quiet Christmas day and New Years Eve. We have been blessed immensely in 2011 and are looking forward to an exciting 2012 with the new additions of our boys. We also visited Doug's grandparents in Arkansas which was our last out of town trip before the boys get here.

22 weeks pregnant

21 Weeks on Christmas Day

2011-12-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Size of Baby: Each baby weighs 13 ounces at last doctors appointment; They are the length of a carrot

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained a total of 12 lbs so far according to our last doctors appointment in December

Maternity Clothes: Yes pants and shirts; Really needing more clothes

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: More flutters and active all the time

Sleep: Sleep is very good since I have a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Being able to walk up a set of stairs without being out of breath

Cravings: Nothing major this week

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We got to see them again at our doctors appointment. Both boys are doing well and moving like crazy. They are definately complete opposites because one would move and the other would be sleeping and then vice versa. They also got the CUTEST dogs from Aunt Mary and Uncle John for Christmas! Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!

21 weeks pregnant

Christmas with the Pennys

2011-12-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had Christmas with the Pennys. Doug cooked a wonderful meal and the kids had fun opening their presents. It was a great day! I've added a few pictures to let you see what all happened in our home that day. It was a fun day!

No family Christmas is not complete without a funny pose

Here's a more serious family shot

Nic's family photo.

I have a feeling this will be our family photo next year with the 2 boys

Us with Maddie Mae and my ever growing belly

How could we not forget Papaw and Nana?!?!

They really do love each other!!!

Ross got REAL cowboy boots from Uncle Doug and Aunt Kara.

By the looks of his daddy's face, I think someone is jealous!

Kalyn opening her gifts. It was a "Dora the Explorer" Christmas for this little cutie!

Her Dora doll and suitcase

Nana and Kalyn checking out her new Dora phone. She got a Dora purse, suitcase, pajamas, panties, and a dress up outfit.

Someone is going to be a train conductor. But where is his train???

Someone may have found another present. Could it be his train set??

Ross and Kalyn opening the "suprise" package

Unfortunately he was not disappointed. He got a train set! Papaw was showing Ross how to work the new train.

Will & Drew got some great stuff too. We are set with 2 bouncy seats, a toy train, car seat activity things, and personalized name plates for their rooms. Thank you so much Nana, Papaw, Uncle Nic, and Aunt Kim

Christmas with the McMath Family

2011-12-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

Alecia and Michael and all the kiddos came in this weekend to celebrate Christmas a week early since they will have company on Christmas Day. It was a different change since we have always done Christmas with everyone on Christmas Day but things are changing and we are adjusting. Mom cooked a wonderful meal and we had fun watching Anessa, Anna Grace, and Peyton open their gifts. Anna Grace wanted Papa Bill to help her with the gifts. She was a big girl at opening her gifts this year! The kids got all kinds of toys and clothes from us and were definately spoiled by Nana and Papa Bill. Enjoy the pictures of our Christmas with the McMath family!

Anna Grace

Peyton

Maddie made a new friend with Anessa

Anna Grace and Peyton playing with Nana's coasters.

Alecia and Michael, the wonderful parents of these 3 kiddos

Someone got into Mommy's red velvet cake and LOVED IT!

Peyton holding Anna Grace's baby doll. This is bribery when he gets married!

Someone got a new pink hat

Uncle John helping Anna Grace open her new Baby Alive doll

Look Papaw Bill, I got clothes!

Being a big girl and opening her presents

Anessa got some cute clothes

Peyton got a basketball goal which he LOVED

Anna Grace and Nana Karen checking out her new cabbage patch kid. She also got a stroller to go with it! Too cute!!!

20 Weeks - Half way there!

2011-12-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of Baby: Size of a cantaloupe

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained 4 lbs at last doctors appointment in November; Next doctors appointment is December 21st

Maternity Clothes: Yes pants and shirts

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: More flutters; I can feel them more when I drink grape juice

Sleep: Sleep is very good since I have a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Zumba, cardio class, and running everyday at the wellness center

Cravings: Nothing major this week but still diet pepsi

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We registered for some great stuff at Silly Simpson's. We celebrated Christmas with my sister and her husband and the Penny family. Will and Drew got some GREAT gifts so THANK YOU Alecia, Michael, Anessa, Anna Grace, Peyton, Nana Lou Penny, Papaw Steve Penny, Nic, Kim, Ross and Kalyn. I know the boys will love their gifts when they get here. We also picked out the bedding fabric that my mom will be making starting in January. The colors will be turquoise blue and brown. SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!

20 weeks pregnant

The belly is getting much bigger and just all of sudden decided to pop out really bad!

19 Weeks

2011-12-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of Baby: Size of a large heirloom tomato

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained 4 lbs at last doctors appointment in November; Next doctors appointment is December 21st

Maternity Clothes: Yes, pants mostly

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: More flutters which I'm thinking is movement

Sleep: Sleep is much better since I bought a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Running everyday at the wellness center

Cravings: chicken tenders & Diet Pepsi (I get a headache if I don't drink a diet pepsi

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We bought a swing from a friend and tested it out with Maddie Mae. She loved it! We also registered at The Corner Shoe Store.

19 weeks preggo

Maddie Mae testing out the new swing

18 Weeks

2011-12-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of Baby: Size of a green pepper

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained 4 lbs at last doctors appointment

Maternity Clothes: Yes, pants mostly

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: A few little flutters but hoping to feel more this week

Sleep: Sleep is much better since I bought a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Running everyday at the wellness center

Cravings: Connie's Chicken tenders & Diet Pepsi

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: Our space saver high chairs came in; I am beginning to take somethings I bought to get monogrammed. YEAH!

18 weeks belly shot

17 Weeks

2011-11-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of Baby: Size of an onion

Total Weigh Gain/Loss: Gained 4 lbs at last doctors appointment

Maternity Clothes: Yes, pants mostly

Gender: Twin Boys

Movement: Felt a few little flutters that I thought were movements but unsure

Sleep: Sleep is much better since I bought a body pillow (LIFE SAVER)

What I Miss: Wearing my tall black heeled boots

Cravings: Seems like I've been eating Chick-fil-a alot lately. Don't really know if its a craving or not

Symptoms: Nothing

Best Moment of the Week: We registered at Babies R Us; bought 2 space saver high chairs on Black Friday; my sister gave me a TON of baby boy clothes; and we bought our 2 car seats, bases and double stroller from a girl who I met at a consignment sale.

17 weeks belly shot

IT'S TWIN BOYS!

2011-11-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

We found out yesterday at our 16 week doctors appointment that we are having TWIN BOYS! We are so excited and thrilled. We were not expecting to find out this early but we are 100% sure that we are having 2 boys. We suprised our parents last night with an "It's a Boy" ornament from each baby to each grandparent. They were shocked and suprised as well. We told them we were not going to find out until December 21st at our next doctors appointment but it was so evident that both babies were boys!

In case you are wondering, Baby A will be named William Rice Steven Penny and Baby B will be called Jonathan Andrew Douglas Penny. All names are family names except Andrew. They will be called Will and Drew. We couldn't be happier right now. God has truely blessed us with 2 precious boys and we cannot thank him enough! I pray that these boys will be the best of friends and love us unconditionally! I'm already on the hunt for little boy stuff. This is all so knew to me from growing up with 2 sisters. But I know I will quickly learn soon.

Enjoy the pictures of our sweet boys! I've got videos of our parents reactions so when I figure out how to upload those I will do that.

The ornaments we gave both grandparents to open from Baby A & Baby B.

It says "It's a Boy"

As you can tell there is strong evidence that both are BOYS! Again we are thrilled and can't wait till May 2012!

16 Weeks

2011-11-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of Baby: Twins are the size of an avacado

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs (according to my scale)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, pants mostly

Gender: 2 BOYS

Movement: Nothing yet

Sleep: Much better

What I Miss: Being able to eat and taste the foods I loved but hate now

Cravings: Nothing yet

Symptoms: Stuffiness in the head; Back to normal and feeling energized

Best Moment of the Week: We found out the gender of the twins!

Here is a 16 week belly shot!

Welcome Maddie Mae

2011-11-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

We would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Miss Maddie Mae Penny. She is a shih tzu poodle mix, 13 weeks old, and is full of energy. We decided to get her after our dog of 9 years, Ellie Mae, passed away about 3 weeks ago. Maddie is so much fun! She loves being outside, chasing leaves and of course eating them, and sleeping in crazy positions. I just caught her laying on her back on the couch with me with her legs sticking straight up. This reminded me of my father in laws dog, Abby. She is doing really good about potty training. So far we've only had 2 accidents and she is getting the concept of going outside to do her business. She is spoiled rotten already but that's okay with us.

Here are a few pictures of Miss Maddie Mae. I'm sure there will be more to come.

The first day we had her, we put her in the crate but she eventually figured out how to jump over it.

In the crate again

Already learning to sleep on the couch

Playing outside and loving it!

Nursery

2011-11-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

We got a great surprise when we returned home from our trip to Phoenix. Our CRIBS and CHANGING TABLE arrived!!!!!!! We were so excited that Doug, who is the BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD, put them together within 24 hours of us being home. Thank you honey for putting them together because YOU ARE THE BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I had to document the special occassion. Yes I'm only 15 weeks and already have my cribs and changing tables here and put together. I'm just planning ahead. Sorry!

The start of the changing table

Hubby is mad at me for taking his picture

Almost there with the changing table

The finished product of the changing table

The crib pieces all laid out on the floor. The first one was semi difficult and required my help and the second one was soooo easy because the hubby did it all by himself

Hubby hiding behind the bars of the crib

This is how you put the mattress thingy on the crib, redneck style. You pile the mattresses until the mattress thingy is supported and then you screw it in.

The cribs are completed!

It is all so surreal now that the room has furniture. We are just patiently waiting to find out what colors we will be decorating with. Only 5 more weeks until we know!

15 weeks

2011-11-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

I thought I should start doing week by week pregnancy updates. So here goes.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of Baby: Twins are the size of a navel orange

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 5 lbs (according to my scale)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, pants mostly

Gender: Won't know until Christmas :(

Movement: Nothing yet

Sleep: I sleep good but around 3-4am I'm tossing and turning like crazy

What I Miss: My skinny jeans

Cravings: Nothing yet

Symptoms: Just tired; Never been sick

Best Moment of the Week: The nursery furniture came in and we put it all together

Here is a 15 week belly shot. These may or may not happen every time but for this time, here you go.

Ellie Mae

2011-11-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our sweet dog, Ellie Mae, passed away on Friday, October 21st at the age of 9. She had been sick for a few days but never imagined this would happen. I was with her when she passed and it was so sad. Her vet doctor said she passed from a heart attack. She was so active and in good health that it just came all of a sudden. It has been very difficult lately to know that she is gone. We had her cremated since it was hard for us to part from her so she is in our study in the sun (her favorite spot) surrounded by two of her favorite toys, the original Mr. Bear and the Mr. Bear replacement.

Ellie Mae was our baby for 9 years and we loved every minute with her. She was spoiled rotten. She loved laying in the sun, roaming around in the backyard, sleeping in our closets, going bye bye, drinking lots of water, eating ice cubes, eating grapes, and eating bread. Every time we had a piece of bread or even opened the bread sack she would literally come running to the kitchen. She loved us unconditionally. She loved being lazy with me on Sundays as we watched football or Nascar races. She was the perfect lap dog and the best cuddler ever. She would cuddle up to our feet and we would be out in a few minutes.

We got Ellie Mae while we were in college at Ole Miss and has been with us through 2 houses and also the excitement of when we found out we were having twins. I knew she would make a great big sister because she was always very protective of us when we were by ourselves. It hurts me to know that she will never get to meet these 2 precious babies that are on the way. But we know that she will be their guardian angel looking down over them. We had some pictures made professionally that were to be used as our Christmas card pictures this year and we finally got those framed. Our family picture with Ellie Mae is hanging outside the soon to be twins nursery.

I know some of you are thinking this is crazy to talk about a dog like this but she was literally a huge part of our lives. Doug and I are animal lovers and they deserve the same amount of respect, love, and attention as anyone does. We are planning on getting another dog before the twins arrive. Since she has been gone our lives have not been the same. We lived our lives around her making sure she was taken care of while we were out of town or had to work late. We need our routine back and so we have decided to get another one to love and care for again. Ellie Mae can never be replaced and we know that but there are several dogs out there who would love to be loved by someone.

Throughout the years, we took several pictures of Ellie Mae. So as a tribute to her, we leave you with a few pictures over the years of her life.

Everytime we put our Christmas tree up, Ellie Mae thought she had to lay under it. She loved to check out all the packages to see which ones were hers.

She HATED sweaters! She would always tuck her tail and hide whenever she had to go bye bye with a sweater on.

Laying on the couch. She had the run of the house and would lay wherever she could find a good spot.

We were moving and packing boxes and Ellie Mae decided she would lay in the middle of all our boxes. I guess she didn't want us to forget her.

She loved her spot in our bed. She would curl up between us and we would always squish her and she would make the funniest grunt noises. Some mornings I would wake up and her head would be on my pillow.

Our official dishwasher licker. She always loved to lick the dishes after we would put them in the dishwasher to be washed.

Going bye bye. She always fell asleep though. Sometimes we would honk to wake her up and shout "cow" and she would bark her head off. So funny!

Outside under the ceiling fan. I was laying out this summer in my "redneck blow up" pool on our back porch and someone got embarrassed and turned around and couldn't look at me.

Sleeping in her bed. Can you see her eyes peering out from behind that hair?

Chillin' out on the bench on the back porch. This was her favorite place to lay in the summer.

You talking to me?

Her nana sent this picture to us while we were in Chicago. She loved going to Nana's house. I think in this picture she was saying "when are you guys coming back?"

Our last family of 5 picture. Yes I was pregnant with twins at the time these pictures were taken.

I hope you have enjoyed these pictures of Ellie Mae. We miss her terribly and the little things she did each and every day.

We are growing!

2011-10-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

The news is out but we haven't blogged about it yet. Our family is expanding in May 2012 because we are expecting TWINS! We could not be more excited about this great news. God has truly blessed us. We have waited 3 years, visited numerous doctors, and had lots of tests done and we are finally pregnant. Our story is a long one and I would love to share it with you if you know of someone who is struggling. I can recommend you a GREAT doctor in Memphis if you need one. Trust me, he is AMAZING! Just ask me! Our faith has been tested several times but we have remained patient with God and he has definately provided us with 2 great miracles.
We found out we were pregnant while in Chicago and were completely in shock because we have had so many negative tests lately. I did not believe the first test I took so I took another test the next morning and then another after we had confirmed with blood tests. Trust me, I still am in shock. Life is great! We give all glory and praise to God who is in total control of our lives. He has taken us on a trying journey and now that we are expanding and we cannot wait to see the end products of his work.

At our first ultrasound was when we discovered that we were having twins and that was on Doug's birthday and it was the best present I could have ever given him. He only wanted one heartbeat and I gave him TWO. We were so nervous that day but we knew God was in total control and I cannot begin to tell you the emotions we were overcome with that day when we saw TWO precious little babies on the screen with 2 incredible heartbeats. When you are having twins, you have lots of sonograms so we went back for another one just to make sure one of the twins had not vanished because Baby B was measuring a day behind. But both twins were there and growing like crazy. We were released from our doctor in Memphis and had our first appointment with Dr H. in Tupelo 2 days after my 30th birthday. It was incredible to see the babies again. Their fingers, toes and legs were even more visable than our last appointment. They were wiggling around and looked like little tadpoles. Babies were still growing like weeds. This time we actually got to hear the heartbeats and if that doesn't make you cry then I guess something is wrong. I'm doing good so far, just extremely tired and that comes and goes. Overall, I haven't been sick (PRAISE THE LORD). God is sooooooooo good and we cannot wait to meet these precious little ones in May. Keep following our blog and stay tuned!

I listen everyday to The Message on SiriusXM radio and every morning "changing tracks" play as I drive to work. Changing tracks is where people can call, email, or facebook a song that has changed their lives. So I leave you with my changing track "Stronger" by Mandisa. God has taken us through waves and trials but we have held onto him and he has been faithful to provide us with 2 beautiful babies. He has made us stronger and has strengthened our marriage relationship and has brought us closer to him throughout this whole process.

Stronger
by: Mandisa

Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares

[Chorus]
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you Stronger

Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares

[Chorus]

'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this

When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
In time it's gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger

More Chicago Pictures

2011-09-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears play

Chicago Harbor on Lake Michigan. There are over 5,000 boat slips to rent and all of them are booked and there is a waiting list. WOW!

Navy Pier. My conference was actually held here so I had more time to spend here. Great place!

The ferris wheel

Us along the Chicago River

Waiting on our architectural boat tour and fireworks tour along the Chicago River

Chicago night skyline

We enjoyed a fireworks show out in the middle of Lake Michigan during our night tour. The Chicago River is actually 2 feet lower than Lake Michigan so we had to sit in a Lock area to be raised 2 feet so we could get to Lake Michigan and do the same going back. It was cool and WINDY!

The view from our hotel. Our hotel was along the Chicago River. You can see the Chicago River run into Lake Michigan.

Overall we enjoyed Chicago and are looking forward to returning sometime soon to finish the things we did not get to see. The buildings are gorgeous with some much architectural detail. It was a beautiful and clean city! We loved Chicago!!!!!!!!

Chicago, Chicago

2011-09-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I went to Chicago a few weeks ago. I had to work so the hubs decided he would tag along with me. We got to see a few of the Chicago sights and had a great time. We experienced Wrigley Field and a Chicago dog, Navy Pier, Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza, and went on a double decker tour to see parts of the city. We had a great time! Enjoy the pictures!!

Wrigley Field

Chicago Cubs vs Atlanta Braves

Us at Wrigley Field

We had great seats. 4 rows behind the Braves dugout

This is Campana and he can RUN

Marilyn Monroe statue

The Cloud at Millenium Park

Chicago Tribune building

Trump Tower

A loft apartment costs $500,000 to rent down from $750,000 when it first opened

The fabulous Magnificent Mile. We did do some window shopping

Gino's East Pizzeria. YUMMY!!!!

Our Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. This was a small pizza with only 4 slices.

It was DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Had to go to the Hershey's store the Magnificent Mile

Too many Choices

My life motto

Couldn't decide what to get so I thought this would satisfy me. Unfortunately I didn't buy it! :(

We saw Woody at the Lego Store

The church where My Best Friend's Wedding was filmed with Julia Roberts

The John Hancock Building

Willis Tower (formerly Sear Tower) with the famous Skydeck. Unfortunately we didn't make it to the Skydeck.

The Willis Tower

The ever so famous Chicago Theatre

Water Place apartments. Coolest building ever!

The most dangerous building in Chicago when it sleets and ices because sheets of ice just fall off the top of the building because its slanted.

Us along the double decker tour of Chicago

Today We Celebrate 7 Years of Marriage

2011-07-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been 7 years since I stood before God and all of our friends at First Baptist Church and married the absolute LOVE of my LIFE. I could not ask for a better man to be married to than my husband, Doug. God has provided me with an amazing man who cares for me more than life itself. He cooks and can grow the BEST vegetables ever!!!!!!!! We have been through some rough and trying times here lately but I couldn't imagine going through it with anyone else but him. He has kept me grounded in my faith and also has helped me to stay positive in knowing that God is in control and will definately continue to provide for our family. So thank you honey for 7 AMAZING years and I cannot wait for many, many more years with you!!!!!!

July 31, 2004

Then

July 31, 2011

Now

By the way, I need to brag on my husband a little. He has just grown the biggest cucumber in our garden this year. He is so proud of this cucumber.

3 Kids + 8 Adults = Fun & Crazy Times at the Beach

2011-07-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a great time at the beach with my entire family. All 11 of us went and had a blast. It was very different traveling with 3 kids when we are so use to going with only adults. When you add 3 kids in the mix, it really makes for an interesting trip. We ate at GREAT restaurants, relaxed by the pool and beach, and overall had great entertainment by Anna Grace, Peyton and Anessa. Combined between Alecia and I we took over 400 pictures but I'll leave you with just a few. I have a some videos that I want to post. One in particular is of Anna Grace having a blast in the spray fountain area at Destin Commons. But I'm waiting on her momma to send it to me. Will post that later but for now enjoy these pictures.

Beach Pictures

Our view

We stayed at the Adagio in Blue Moutain Beach/Santa Rosa Beach and it was WONDERFUL

Anna Grace playing in the sand. This was her first time at the beach and LOVED it!!!

Testing the water for the first time with Papa Bill and by the look on her face she LOVED it too!

Peyton liked the water too

Nothing like playing in your boat with the sand buckets

Most of the time, Peyton preferred snoozing on the beach.

Oh what a life!!!

And she's off to the water again

Anna Grace loved sitting down and having the water run over her.

She thought it was cool to have it cover her feet too!

Crazy big sister, Anessa, enjoyed the beach too. She played in the ocean and the pool, searched for seashells, boogie boarded, and built sand castles.

Mary and John chilled under the tent

Doug "chilled" too

Also, us Smothers' sisters chilled and relaxed too

The Track

One night we went to The Track and had a great time! Anna Grace and Peyton rode rides in "Kids Country." The McMath family rode the train. Michael, Anessa, and I rode the go-carts. Here are a few pictures from that!

Daily and Nightly Entertainment presented by Peyton and Anna Grace

Mmmm...

Momma's lettuce sure is good at Stinky's Fish Camp

Playing with the cracker bowls at Stinky's Fish Camp

Playing peek a boo at Red Bar with Papa Bill

Can I have your attention?

Cafe Thirty-A

Eating good food at Cafe Thirty-A

Playing Hide and Go Seek

Discovered Uncle Doug's socks and played with them constantly

Got caught digging in the "fake" plant with "fake" sand with our sand bucket in Aunt Kara and Uncle Doug's room

Simply looking CUTE with our doggie

Playing on the rafts in the hallways

Playing with brother while Nana Karen referees

Cleaning with Uncle Doug's socks

Smiling for the camera

Group Pictures

Aunt Kara and Anessa at Cafe Thirty-A

Doug and I

Our guys

John, Doug, and Michael

The future Mr & Mrs

Mary and John

Michael and Alecia

Smothers Sisters

The Smothers Family

Sisters, Anna Grace and Anessa

Michael and all his kids

Dad, me and Doug at Louisiana Lagniape

As you can tell our trip was very fun and entertaining. Thank you mom and dad for a great trip!! Thank you Alecia and Michael for the entertainment provided by none other than your crazy kids. Can't wait for next year!!!!

It was a "touchdown" of a trip!

Grow Garden Grow

2011-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

We planted our garden back in March/April and it has definately taken off. A couple of weeks ago, we had our first cherry tomatoes and cucumbers to pick. Today we picked our first set of roma tomatoes, our first big tomato and our second cucumber. If our garden keeps growing we are going to have cucumbers and tomatoes for ever and ever. Here are a few pictures of our garden before and after.

Garden BEFORE

Garden AFTER

Cherry, Roma, and Big Boy Tomato Plants BEFORE

Tomato Plants AFTER

Cucumber Plants BEFORE

Cucumber Plants AFTER

Our tomatoes and cucumbers from our GREAT garden

Curvy Roads, Mountains, and Fun

2011-05-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Doug and I took off last week and headed to Branson, Missouri for some fun and relaxation. His cousin, Derek, was getting married in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and since Branson was an hour away we decided to stay there. It was fun and I had never been to Branson. The entire Roberts Family (Doug's mother's side) all came to Branson too and we had the best time. It was great being in the same town with all the Roberts Family and having such a great time since we don't get to spend much time with everyone.

The drive to Branson was crazy! If I saw another one of these signs I was going to puke!

Curvy roads is an understatement. On our way up to Branson, we took Hwy 160 and it was the WORST road I have EVER been on. Imagine 65 miles of nothing but MAJOR curvy roads, sharp turns, and 30 mph and sometimes 40 mph up and down the mountains. I was so ready to see flat land and straight roads by the time we got home.

Anyways, we had a great time with the family. We shopped, took a train ride, rode go-carts, and ate alot of good food. Here are some pictures of our fun times in Branson, Missouri!

All Aboard the Branson Scenic Railway!

Choo Choo!

Ready for the train ride

Kalyn was all smiles and ready for the train ride

Ross and Kalyn enjoying the view

Ross was looking for Cowboys and Indians

Our view on the trian ride

Kalyn got a little bored so she played on Nana's Iphone

Then passed out in her mama's arms

Doug, Ross, and Nic cheesin' for the camera

Doug, Ross and I at the wedding

Steve and Lou

Kim, Kalyn, Ross and Nic

The Steve Penny family

The entire Roberts family at the wedding

The rest of the Roberts family with the

bride and groom, Derek and Taylor House

Playing in the hotel lobby

Doug and Ross

Ross and Kim ready to ride go-carts

Nic and Justin riding go-carts

Kim and Ross riding go-carts

Ross told Doug to make a scary go-cart face and this is his face

All in all we had a great time!

The Future Mr & Mrs John Stewart

2011-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my baby sister, Mary, who got engaged to her lovely boyfriend now fiance John Stewart one week ago today. We cannot wait for October 29, 2011 to get here! Here's to the future Mr. & Mrs. John Stewart! We love you both and congratulations!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to our mothers, Karen Smothers and Lou Penny. Thank you both for the unconditional love you show us both! Thank you for just being you and being there for us when we need it the most! We love you both! Least we not forget my sister and our sister in law, Alecia McMath and Kim Penny. Happy Mother's Day to you both! Thank you for sharing your children with us! You are both godly mothers and we pray continued blessings on you and your families. We hope that you too have had a great Mother's Day!

My mom, Karen Smothers, with Anna Grace

Doug's mom, Lou Penny, with her family

My sister, Alecia McMath, with 2 of the 3 kids she has

Our sister-in-law, Kim Penny, with her sweet family

A special shout out to LOU PENNY who celebrated her BIRTHDAY on May 7th! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU and we hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Kalyn

2011-04-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kalyn is my petite and tiny niece. She loves her Uncle Doug and screams bloody murder when he comes near her. It is hilarious! She is just flirting with him. Doug says her mother has brain washed her child in to not liking Doug. Deep down, Kalyn LOVES her Uncle Doug. Kalyn loves her bubby, Ross. They are so sweet to each other. So enjoy some pictures of Kalyn!

Her daddy sent me this picture. They think she gets her

love for chocolate from her Aunt Kara

Miss Priss

Isn't she cute?

This is Kalyn and Ross's dog, Chipper.

Kalyn is Chipper's biggest fan. It is hilarious to see them together.

Anna Grace

2011-04-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged about my nieces and nephews lately so I guess I will post a few pictures of them just to remember their many facial expressions. We will start with Anna Grace. I was browsing through some of her mother's bazillion pictures and came across this one and died out laughing. This picture is so funny because it reminds me of all three of my sisters personalities. So enjoy!

Styling and Profiling in her sunglasses.

This girl is ready for the beach

Our Garden

2011-04-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our garden is finally ready. We planted cucumbers, tomatoes, and strawberries this year. Last year, our garden got to hot and all the plants died so we moved it inside our fence under a huge shade tree. We are hoping this will work better. So here's to fresh tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers!

Strawberry Plants

Cucumber Plants

Tomato Plants

Our Garden

Winter Snow Storm 2011

2011-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Never in my life have I seen this much snow and the local news channel finally got it right. I was beginning to doubt them when they had first mentioned snow here because it always snows north of here and we never get anything at all! Everyone freaks out and runs to the grocery store to buy bread and milk. Why, I don't know?? Like everyone else, I was at the grocery store buying my groceries for the week and the lines were ridicously long! Well anyways the more and more the news reported it, the more and more I begin to believe them a little until I started seeing this happening outside my window Sunday night and started freaking out! I love snow don't get me wrong but I was really excited because the local news channel FINALLY got the weather right! So enjoy the pictures of the Winter Snow Storm of 2011.

Snow beginning to fall Sunday night

Saw this Monday morning

Backyard covered in Snow

Back of the house

I measured 4.5" of snow but it was reported that we got 6-8"

which is the most we have gotten since March 1968. WOW!!!

Our house covered in snow!

The county had come and cleared the streets but

I wasn't going to get out and explore today

Our side yard!

We have definately enjoyed our first Snow Day in 2011. We will see what the rest of the month and year holds! Unfortunately we didn't make a snowman or get outside and have a snowball fight because Doug and I have both been struggling with colds and we did not need to get out and get sick so we stayed in and enjoyed the warmth of the house!

A Smothers Christmas

2011-01-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we went to visit my grandmother who is currently in a rehab facility because she is not able to move around like she has been due to being sick lately. We watched her open her presents and spent some time with her since she couldn't be with us on Christmas day at mom and dad's.

Grandmaw Yagel opening her gifts

My mom and Grandmaw Yagel (her mom)

On Christmas Day, we had breakfast with Doug's parents and then went to my mom and dad's house for lunch and more presents with my family. It was a mad house with 3 children, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 6 adults. We finally finished with everything around 9pm. Enjoy the pictures!

Anna Grace "Miss Priss" decided she would sit in brother's chair

Aunt Mary & Peyton

Anessa & Anna Grace

Papa Bill and his babies

Anna Grace entertained us with her nilla wafers at dinner

Mary & John

Michael & Alecia

Nana Karen & Anna Grace opening gifts

Anna Grace is patiently waiting on Papa Bill to get

her dog out of the box

Miss Priss posing for a picture. She would put the bows

on her head and she looks so much like her mom, Alecia, here.

Peyton woke up and decided it was time for his gifts.

Peyton admiring whats going on

Anna Grace decided to see what Uncle Doug got

White Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" was the theme song of this years Christmas 2010. We woke up to SNOW on Christmas Day. It really felt like Christmas when you see snow on the ground. It was the first time it had snowed on Christmas day since 1930 something. I felt like a 5 year old kid again and had to go outside and take pictures and of course have a little fun in the snow.

The front of our house

In the backyard

Ellie had to go outside and enjoy it too.

Me outside in the snow

Our neighbors made a snowman!

After we enjoyed the snow it was time for presents. Doug and I are very nosy people when it comes to Christmas present peaking. We told each other this year that we would NOT peak and find out what we got each other. It worked!! It was very difficult for me not to be nosy and not find out what he got me but it was well worth it! So here are our presents we got each other!

Doug got a Linksys Media Hub thingy that he wanted.

It holds a gazillion pictures and videos. Which is good for us because we LOVE to take pictures.

I got 5 Yankee Candles which are my FAVORITE candles!!!!

My biggest suprise was a KitchenAid Mixer. I've been wanting one

for a LONG time and Doug finally got me one!

I've been baking like crazy!

He orginally got me a lime green one but it didn't go well in our kitchen.

So I got a RED one and I LOVE IT!!!!!

Plus RED is my FAVORITE color!

Merry Christmas to you!

2010-12-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love decorating at Christmas. It's my FAVORITE time of the year. My tree is loaded with red and green ornaments. I have red and green decor on my mantle. I have red and green polka dot placemats handmade by my sister, Mary. I have a red and green foyer arrangement and a red and green dining room table arrangement. Do you see a trend here? I LOVE red and green! Oh well enough of my rambling. Enjoy the pictures because I know you are dying to see.

Front door entrance

My tree with all those presents. I even have red and green wrapping papper.

My foyer table. This arrangement is new and I LOVE it!!

My dining room table. Also my sister made my table runner too.

My kitchen table

Of course, we can't forget the nativity scene.

My Christmas cards

Its a Penny Christmas

2010-12-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas at our house this past weekend with the Penny clan. Of course, it was a Christmas full of food, crazy group pictures, and the wild and crazy kids. Christmas is always fun when you have Ross and Kalyn involved because as we all know all the attention is focused on them. Why not?!?!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of our wonderful and crazy Penny Christmas.

The entire Penny clan

This is what happens when you ask the guys to take a picture together

And this is what happens when you get two brothers together for a picture

Nana and Papaw with their grandchildren

Nic, Kim, Ross, and Kalyn

Doug, me,and Ellie Mae

Now onto the gifts!

Opening presents

Ross got a Buzz Lightyear suitcase

But he wanted to put his bats in there

Kalyn got a baby doll and doll clothes

Ross got 380 pieces of Double Bubble from Uncle Doug

He LOVES bubble gum!!!

Ross ready to go with gum in his mouth and his suitcase packed with his baseball bats

Kalyn decided to investigate the suitcase

Miss Priss in her new boots

By the end of the day Miss Priss passed out in the middle of the floor with her boots, paci, and baby doll!

Home of the Month

2010-11-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

We came home to a great suprise Thursday afternoon to see that our neighborhood had voted our lovely home for HOME OF THE MONTH for November. I cannot begin to tell you how excited my husband was when we received the news and the lovely sign for our yard. We've been in our house for 2 years and they reward Home of the Month every month and my husband gets very jealous and competitive when he sees that our neighbors have gotten Home of the Month and we haven't yet. So he perfects the yard and makes it look perfect. So thankfully all his hard work has paid off and we have FINALLY been awarded Home of the Month. So please enjoy these beautiful pictures of our home and let us gloat in our (mainly his) glory of being chosen for Home of the Month! Thank you neighborhood association because you have made my husband's dream come true!!!!!

The sign in our flower beds

Our lovely home

The front of our home

Our fall "people" made it look better

Anna Grace is ONE

2010-10-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Anna Grace McMath's 1st birthday last Sunday. I know I'm late in posting this but its been a crazy week! Anna Grace got lots of presents, for a one year old, and really enjoyed her cake. She had cake all over the floor, wall, and herself. Typical, I guess. Oh well enjoy the pics of my precious one year old niece, Anna Grace.

The Birthday Girl with Uncle Doug and Aunt Kara

All ready into her new toys

Riding her new toy from mom and dad

Daddy was trying to make her walk

but all she would do was fall over

Singing Happy Birthday and getting ready for cake

Mmmm this is good!!

You can definately tell she enjoyed the cake

Happy mommy and daddy with their baby girl

The aftermath

Happy 30th Birthday Doug

2010-09-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Doug's 30th Birthday!!!! I'm out of town on a business trip so I can't be with him today to celebrate but we celebrated last Friday night with a dinner trip to Mount Fuji in Tupelo which is a new Japanese restaurant. It was delicious!!!! I ordered some sugar cookies that had the number 30 on them to send to the Ole Miss football game with my mother and had them as a suprise for him to see as well as a singing birthday card. Doug didn't want anything too embarrassing because he's having a hard time turning 30. I also hid his birthday gift in my closet with a sign that said "Happy 30th Birthday." Here is that picture.

My parents also gave him a new Ole Miss shirt too.

Overall Doug has had a great 30th birthday. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Doug!!! Enjoy your fried chicken from your parents, your day of NFL football, and peace and quiet away from me!

Welcome Peyton Davis McMath

2010-09-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

My sister, Alecia, had Peyton Davis McMath on September 3, 2010 at 11:38pm. He weighed 7lbs, 15 oz, and 20 1/2 inches long. This is the first boy on our side of the family. We are very excited to have him here! We left after the terrible Ole Miss game (another day another post) and headed to Memphis to see Peyton. He is precious and everyone is doing great! Enjoy the few pictures that I have of him. I know there will be more as he changes!

It's a BOY!

Aunt Kara and Peyton

Passed out after a long day of football!

He was wearing his football onesie that I got him!

Precious Baby Bro

Also a gift from Aunt Kara

He's in the "daygown" that my mom made for him.

It's a dress in my opinion!

Precious little feet

Peyton's Shower

2010-08-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Memphis last weekend to celebrate with Alecia and her Sunday School class as they honored the expected arrival of Peyton Davis McMath. Alecia got some great things for Peyton. Our family has no clue what to do with a boy so we are a little excited about his arrival. She is due September 5th and he can't get here fast enough! I'm sure he will be loved by all and already is!!!!

Diaper Cake

Cake! YUM!!

All her gifts

Her gifts for the 3 McMath kids

Baby Bro, Lil Sis, and Big Sis

Peyton's football outfit

Only to be worn with Ole Miss colors

Another cute little outfit

Peyton's diaper bag made especially by Aunt Mary

Handmade blankie made by a good family friend

More outfits

His first pair of Nike shoes

Can't forget about this little cutie patootie, Anna Grace.

She is crawling, loves playing patty cake and is excited about her new baby brother, Peyton.

Looavul, Looeyville, or Louisville

2010-08-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

However you want to pronounce Louisville, all in all its a great city! I was there a few weeks ago for work and had a great new city experience. We worked most of the time and didn't get to explore the city much but had a reception at Churchill Downs Derby Museum which was soooo cool and another reception at 4th Street Live. If you have never been to Fourth Street Live, its in downtown Looeyville and has a great atmosphere. There are shops, restaurants and great bars to party it up in Looeyville. It was a great trip other than the horrible traffic outside of Nashville. Enjoy a few pictures I took in Looeyville!

The HORRIBLE traffic we encountered outside of Nashville

Churchill Downs Derby Museum

My beautiful Derby hat

Fourth Street Live

Happy 9th Birthday Anessa

2010-08-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Anessa's 9th Birthday but she celebrated with her friends with a Water Party. It was fun! She had water slides, water balloon fights, and a true water fight. I was too busy being the "water girl" since it was so HOT outside that I didn't take any pictures of the water activities. I did take a few pictures of the presents and activities held inside. So Happy Birthday Anessa and I hope you had a great 9th Birthday Party!

The Birthday Girl

Eating with all her party friends

Her cake that was SO DELICIOUS!!

Opening presents

Of course Anna Grace had to join in on the water activities

At the end of the day, this almost 9 month pregnant mom was EXHAUSTED!

Fun Weekend at Smith Lake

2010-08-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Smith Lake with the Penny clan a few weekends ago and had a great time. It was very relaxing! We had a seadoo and Doug's fishing boat with us. I think the seadoo was used more than the fishing boat. We rode the seadoo and tubed behind the seadoo as well. Ross loved getting on the seadoo and wanted Uncle Doug to go "real fast." It was a great weekend so enjoy some of the pictures!

Our cabin

Uncle Doug and Ross on the boat dock

Rossman and me and our funny faces

Precious Kalyn

Ross, Nic and Kim on the seadoo

Kalyn and Nana chilled on the porch and watched everyone

Rossman and his Lighting McQueen trunks and life jacket

Doug tubing

Overall we had a great time! Thanks Penny family for a great time!

6 Years

2010-07-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today is our 6th year Anniversary. I can't believe I've been married to the most amazing man in the world for 6 years. He treats me with respect, cooks for me, takes care of me when I'm sick, and even is supportive when times are tough. Speaking of cooking for me, instead of going out we decided to cook delicious steaks on the Big Green Egg. He cooked me pancakes for breakfast too! Life is good! I feel so loved and thanks honey for an amazing 6 year journey. I can't wait for many more years together!! Love you and Happy Anniversary!!!!

Destin, FL

2010-06-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Just returned from an incredible week at the beach in Destin, FL, a place we love going to. We decided this year to go with mom, dad, Mary, and John to go with us. We had the best time. We were incredibly LAZY to say the least and enjoyed every minute of it. Our day consisted of sleeping in, Doug cooking us all breakfast, laying out/swimming in the ocean, lunch, laying out/swimming at the pool, dinner, and then John bartending for us and relaxing at the condo at night. Doug was our chef and John was the bartender. We stayed at the Silver Shells Beach Resort and Spa and had a great condo. Our elevator opened up into our foyer so we had our own personal elevator too. The resort was huge and had an awesome swimming pool. There were NO SIGHT of tar balls of oil anywhere to be found on the beach just a bunch of YUCKY and SMELLY seaweed. You just had to hold your nose and swim right through it. We had some great seafood and enjoyed every single minute of our beach trip. Can't wait to go back next year. We are already planning it!

Now for an overload of pictures!

The view from our room

The awesome HUGE pool

Mom and Dad doing what they do best - Reading

Our ocean view from my chair

My theme song for the week was "Toes" by Zac Brown Band

"I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand

Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand

Life is good today. Life is good today."

Our first night at Louisiana Lagniappe

Mary calls it "Louisiana Landpole"

This is what happens when you let Mary take your picture

and she is not use to your camera

Mary and John waiting to eat at Crab Trapp

Our wait was an hour so we started taking pictures of ourselves

This is a tradition for Doug to eat almost 2lbs of crab legs at the Crab Trapp

The aftermath of Doug's crab claws

We played putt-putt golf at The Track

Dad, the golf pro, showing us all how to putt.

Dad ended up winning and I finished next to last!

Doug made a HOLE in ONE

And so did Mom

The Wii traveled with us to Destin

and Doug played MarioKart all night long

The aftermath of Doug's and Dad's steamed shrimp (with heads) at Harry T's

Mary and John at Red Bar in Grayton Beach.

The best place to eat at!!!

Doug and I at Old Bay Steamer in Fort Walton Beach.

This was recommended to us by the waiter at Red Bar. VERY GOOD!

Mary tried steamed shrimp and crab legs for the first time

Mary and John's steamed shrimp got into a battle at dinner.

Look how big those shrimp are!

We are looking forward to next year's trip to Destin and I'm sure I will have more pictures to show!

Tomatoes and Green Peppers

2010-05-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

We have decided to plant a garden this year. Doug's grandfather is a very good gardener and he encouraged us to try one this year. So we did and we have 12 green pepper plants and 12 tomato plants. I hope they last long so we can enjoy them! I can't wait for some delicious tomatoes. I don't care for green peppers. If the garden works and lasts all summer, then I guess we will be trying to grow more next year. Doug's dad has already requested some more plants for us to plant. So I guess it will be a garden for everyone!

Here are a few pictures of our garden!

Green Pepper plants

Tomato Plants

First green pepper

Little itty bitty tomato

Doug watering the garden!

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

Red-Neck Swimming Pool

2010-05-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Since I will be here in 3 weeks, soaking up the beautiful sun in Destin, FL I decided to get some sun before I go and not get burnt while I'm there.

I invested in what Doug likes to call "a red-neck swimming pool." So let me introduce to you my inflatable swimming pool.

Since I don't have a real swimming pool and Doug will not invest in one in our HUGE backyard, I decided to buy a $13 inflatable swimming pool. Yes, I'm a dork but hey it's summer and why not?!?

I laid out today and this is what Ellie Mae did to me while I was out there.

I guess she was embarrassed of my inflatable swimming pool. I just like to think that it was the fact that it was 90 degrees outside and she was directly underneath the fan. Oh well! I guess I have embarrassed my dog and my husband!

So cheers to a GREAT SUMMER!

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great Mother's Day weekend! Nic, Kim, Ross, and Kalyn made a suprise trip in and we grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs on Saturday at our house. Ross wanted to play baseball all day and the weather was so perfect for it! We stayed outside all day and had a great visit. On Sunday, we ate lunch with my family and went to the GumTree festival, an annual tradition with us. All in all it was a great weekend. I forgot my camera on Sunday so no pictures from that. Here are a few pictures from Saturday's baseball day!

Kalyn got a hold of some oreos and LOVED them!

Papaw and Ross

Doug and Ross getting ready to play baseball

Kim and Kalyn chilling on the back porch

Nic and Steve playing baseball

Ross waiting to catch the ball from Doug.

Ross would run away from it!

Hilarious!

My cutest baseball player I know!

Catching the ball

Ross got dirt in between his toes and it bothered him

so we had to get them cleaned before we played again

Licking the dirt out between his toes!

Kalyn and Aunt Kara

Lots of Rock

2010-04-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

We have a ditch beside our house that is basically a huge mud hole when it rains. All the kids in the neighborhood like to ride their 4wheelers and golf carts through the ditch and sometimes through our yard. We will even catch kids playing in the ditch with good clothes on. YUCK! So to stop this mud riding through the ditch, "mean" Doug decided to order some rock to fill the ditch. Well Doug ordered 24 tons of rock and his plan was to put out all the rock by himself this weekend. I thought he was crazy and should have rented a big machine to move the rock in the ditch instead of killing himself by doing it all alone. Well look what happened when I walked outside Saturday morning to see his progress.

24 tons of rock

The neighborhood kids showed up and decided to pitch in on the help

Then the boys wanted to climb on the rock hill

So Doug had enough of that and also the kids were getting bored after a while so our neighbor, Chris, decided to offer his tractor. Whew, we were definately greatful for his assistance.

So the boys had to sit back and watch

Look how much rock we STILL have left. Ugh! We are trying to offer it to our neighbors.

But the ditch sure looks good!

Tulips Tulips Everywhere

2010-04-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

I love spring because that means Tulips start blooming. One of my favorite flowers is a tulip. They are so pretty in every color they come in. I love going to Oxford around the Lyceum and seeing all the gorgeous tulips they have there. Well I wanted to plant some in my flower beds so last fall I did and I was so anxious to see if they would come up this year. And guess what, THEY DID and are in full bloom! Here are a few pictures!

Red Tulips

More Tulips

All colors of Tulips

My favorite color Tulip, pink!