2011 Fun Times Review!

I am not typically one to copy ideas from other blogs, but I have seen a bunch of people do their own version of "2011 in review" and I thought it sounded fun :) So here you go, 2011 according to the Leys!

January- Jonathan got really close to walking! He walked well behind toys or chairs, but was still a little wobbly on his own.


February- We celebrated my sweet little man's first birthday! I couldn't believe he was already a year old. We had a really fun monkey themed party with all our close friends and family!

March- Zack spent 3 (LONG) weeks in Vietnam for work and Little Man and I held down the fort here. We spent the week of spring break in Austin hanging out with Honey and Papa where Jonathan got his first golf lesson!


April- For Easter this year, we went to Austin and joined honey and Papa and my extended family for a wonderful celebration! Jonathan seemed to really enjoy hunting for Easter eggs!

May- I celebrated my 28th birthday and the very next day we found out that I was pregnant with Little Brother! This was a pretty big surprise for all of us. We decided to order a special shirt for Jonathan that said "big brother!" and had him wear it when we went to see Nana and Grandfather and then Honey and Papa. It took everybody a minute or two to figure out what it meant :)


June- We spent some time at the beach with my family to celebrate Honey's 60th birthday! Jonathan LOVED the sand and after a few days, decided he liked the waves as well....but it took some convincing. I also spent a lot of this month being reacquainted with my good friend, morning sickness....


July- Our whole family, plus Nana, Grandfather, and Becky flew up to Ohio to celebrate some special events and see the extended Ley clan. Jonathan did *pretty* well on the flight and we had a wonderful time!

August- School started back up and that meant Jonathan got to go back to school too! He really enjoys going, so it makes me feel a lot better about having to drop him off every morning. This picture is of Jonathan at school :) I missed the first day of school after being admitted to the hospital for dehydration, but luckily it didn't last long and I was back to work by day 2! At the end of this month we also found out that Baby Ley #2 would be another boy!

September- Zack had to have knee surgery and it turned out to be a much bigger deal than we expected. He spent 6 weeks on crutches, could not drive for about 5 weeks and is still not back to his normal activities, but he is getting there!

October- For Halloween Jonathan was the cutest lion! He hated his costume though and it didn't help that it was like 90 degrees outside. Poor kid was sweating like crazy!

November- This year our Thanksgiving consisted of me being in the hospital for pre-term labor. I was there for almost a week stopping the contractions with high powered medication. Luckily, it was successful and at the end of Thanksgiving break I was discharged to come home!

December- I spent, literally, the entire month on bedrest. The majority of this time was spent on strict bedrest, meaning I could get up to use the restroom and shower. That was it. On Christmas day, I graduated to modified bedrest and was allowed to celebrate with my family :) Jonathan really seemed to enjoy the holidays this year. He loved seeing the Christmas lights and the Christmas tree and of course loved opening presents on Christmas day!

Overall we had a wonderful, blessed year! Even though we had a few medical issues to deal with, we were incredibly lucky that they all turned out well in the end. We have been blessed with a beautiful, healthy toddler and a healthy baby on the way. We are both employed, have a beautiful, safe home and a large family who love and support us. I can only pray that 2012 is as wonderful as 2011!!

I'm back!

First of all, there is no baby yet. I have started receiving emails making sure that the reason for my lack of posting wasn't because I had the baby. Nope. My lack of posting stems from a busy Christmas week and a modem blow up! However, for a quick baby update....I am almost 37 weeks and still on bedrest and taking the medication. I am seriously tired of both. I hate the medicine and I am starting to hate my house. I am praying very, very hard that I graduate from both of these things when I turn 37 weeks on Sunday. Baby Boy will officially be full term! I am so thankful to have made it this far but in a weird twist of events, I just want him here now. If he wants to come at this point, I say go for it. I am seriously a huge whale (the ultrasound last week estimated that he was over 7 pounds at 35 weeks....and yes, I know, those can be off by up to a pound. But still, 6 pounds would be good) and I can't imagine getting any bigger. My second round of maternity clothes are already too small and I am WAY too cheap to buy anymore. And honestly, if I have to watch another episode of House Hunters.....things are going to get ugly. As for the important stuff though, my doctor said he looks wonderful and healthy on the ultrasound, so really we are just buying him time now :) Thank you for all the prayers over the past 6 weeks. They have worked! Nobody, especially the doctors, expected me to make it this far. Turns out I am pretty freaking awesome at bedrest.

Now on to more fun stuff! Christmas! We had a great Christmas here in Houston. My parents came and stayed with us for a while and Zack's sister, Katie, was here also! I broke out of the house Christmas Eve (don't tell my doctor who seems to think I should only be allowed to sit on my couch...) and we had a wonderful dinner at my in-laws and then everybody came to our house for Christmas Day. Jonathan LOVED all his toys (which consisted almost entirely of sports equipment....) and he also loved having all his favorite people in the same house for so long. He just played and played and played. He was so tired, he took 3 hour naps each day and slept nearly 13 hours Christmas night! I guess all the festivities wore him out. Seriously though, it was so nice to have a change of pace around here!! And now, pictures :)

Santa came! When Jonathan walked around the corner and saw his new toys, he just stood there wide-eyed and said "whoa!"

He loves his new bike! I am so glad the sun has finally come back so he can ride it OUTSIDE now...

Jonathan ate almost as much good food as I did. Almost....

He got a new set of golf clubs and ever since, he walks around with one in his hand. He always looks like he is about to hit something/somebody with it, but so far he has been good. He must take after his Papa....he just likes to have a club nearby in case there is a ball to hit :)

Let me just say....bedrest is stupid.

And by stupid, I mean that it is a totally necessary evil that is completely working and keeping this baby cooking much longer than he would have if I wasn't on bedrest. That being said, it is stupid. And boring. And annoying as crap. I am trying hard not to complain too much to anybody other than my Mom (who doesn't have a choice since she is the one with me all day, every day) but I just need to vent for a minute. Here are some things I wish I was doing right now....


-Playing with Jonathan. I desperately wish I could pick my son up and give him huge kisses and hugs and love on him. In a semi-funny note, the other day my Mom was picking him up at the babysitter and she asked "where is Mama?" and he said "on the couch!"......funny and yet depressing all at once.


-Christmas shopping. I don't even have any money to go shopping this year (thank you Memorial Hermann for taking all my money in the last few months) but I would give anything to go to Target and just walk around. I would just stand in the Christmas department and look at pretty Christmas trees listening to great Christmas music. Oh and I would stop at Starbucks on my way in and buy a peppermint hot chocolate to enjoy while I stood in the Christmas department. Oh man that sounds so good.


-Going to Christmas parties. So far I have missed 3. Each week I ask my doctor if I can go to one and each week she says no. I guess that is my fault for doing too much wishful thinking. Of course, never one to learn my lesson, I have lots of hope that she will say I can go to Bible study this week!! The good news is that I didn't have to spend a ton of money on a maternity cocktail dress for Zack's company party! But still.....


-Baking. I am craving cookies and cakes and candy and breakfast breads and muffins and all kinds of other awesome stuff. The kicker here is that I have to spend like 12 hours a day watching a TV that almost always ends up on the food network. And every single episode right now is Christmas related. Just this morning I watched Paula Deen host a cookie exchange. Can you say painful much??


So anyway, that is what I wish I was doing on this nice Saturday. Well, I guess it is nice. I don't even know what the temperature is.... But, I will say that at the end of each day, I am proud of myself for making it another 24 hours and keeping Baby Boy healthy and safe for a little longer. As much as I hate to admit this, I am now a firm believer in bedrest. So I will sit here and continue baking this precious little guy, but you guys get busy baking something awesome in your own kitchen. And bring it to me. Just kidding.........kind of :)

Bedrest survival kit

I know this doesn't apply to most of you, but that's okay :) Well actually, it totally applies to some of you because I am pretty sure you will get sick in the next year and think to yourself, "Man, I am so bored lying here on the couch. What should I do?! Oh, I know, I will consult Katy Ley's blog!" So here are a few of the things that have helped me keep my sanity over the last 2 weeks while I have been stuck in a bed/couch!


1. Crappy TV. Some of my favorites include: My First Place and Property Virgins, Top Chef, Real Housewives of anywhere (although I will say that RHO Atlanta is probably the best and most entertaining) and Teen Mom. Don't forget, I admitted it was crappy. And I know you all watch stupid stuff too, so don't be so quick to judge....


2. This laptop. I mean, how else will I know when my facebook friend that I have actually never met (and never will) has bought new toilet paper and wants to make sure I know that it is the most amazing toilet paper ever!? And what if I miss a post on my Babycenter.com birth board?! What if my babycenter friend who I have actually never met (and never will) has a back spasm and I am the last to post "T&P for you!!".....how would that look to the rest of group?!


3. Food. Obviously. Here are some favorites right now: Goldfish, Clementine oranges, apple juice (this one is totally random and makes me feel like a 5 year old) any kind of chips, peanut butter and jelly, and sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. For example, if anybody has this lying around their house and wants to bring it over....hint, hint. Oh, or monkey bread. Or fruit pizza. Or cookies.



4. A huge, bigger than your head mug for water. This seems ridiculous, but if you have half a days requirement of water just sitting next to you, it will save you a coveted trip to the kitchen (which you get like 2 of a day) This will allow you to go to the kitchen for more important things. See #3.


5. Your cell phone right next to you. I know this one is obvious, but nothing is more frustrating than having your phone ring and realizing it is in the other room. And you cant just jump up and go get it so you have to sit there and listen to it ring while all the possible scenarios for who it might be run through your head. Obviously the first scenario would be that your good friend is on her way over with cake and she is almost there but if you don't answer she will think you are gone, therefore bypassing your house and eating the cake herself. The other option would be that it is your doctor calling to say "I can sense you are actually in labor, even though you can't tell (because you have no idea anymore what is a real contraction and what is a "deal with it, you are fine" contraction) so get to the hospital immediately!" and of course if you don't answer the phone or get the message for a few hours (when somebody gets home who can go get your phone) you will have your baby on the bed/couch because you missed her call.


So there you go. Next time you are on bedrest or just stuck on the couch, make sure you have these 5 things readily available. Otherwise you might just starve to death and then have your baby on the couch.

A Letter From the Future....Part 2

Dear Newly Pregnant Katy,

As promised, here are the rest of your important rules and lessons. Now remember, if you chose not to listen to these, that is your own choice....but seeing as we are the same person and what you do pretty much affects me directly, I ask that you take them seriously. This is serious business....stop being selfish and just do what I say.

Love, 32 1/2 Weeks Pregnant Katy.


#14- Like I said, at 31 weeks you will be admitted to the hospital. When you get there (alone because Zack is at his own appointment and Jonathan is with Nana) you will be scared and uncomfortable. You will be thrilled with yourself thinking that you had pre-registered. Too bad logging onto Memorial Herman's website and merely looking at the form doesn't mean you pre-registered. You actually have to fill stuff out and submit it (I know...picky, picky...) please remember to do this around week 26 when the nurse at Dr. Storey's tells you to do it. It will save you lots of time when you are already freaking out.


#15- As soon as Dr. Storey mentions Magnesium Sulfate, you will start to freak out because of the thousands of hours you have spent on Babycenter. According to your "friends" on your birth board, this medicine is the devil and will make you want to die. Don't worry, it's not that bad. You will look like a huge, puffy, bright red tomato, but other than that, it's not too bad. Don't try to rip the IV out of your arm before the "poison" hits you....that will only embarrassing and awkward for everybody involved.


#16- Unfortunately, your little "staycation" happens to fall over the Thanksgiving holiday. Please do not expect the hospital cafeteria to make anything worthy of being a Thanksgiving dinner (doesn't everybody in the world know that sweet potatoes are supposed to be made with all kids of butter, brown sugar and marshmallows?! Duh..) You are lucky because your mother-in-law will make a great dinner (for those jerks not stuck in the hospital) and your sweet husband will bring you a plate of leftovers. This is super nice of them, but it isn't the same as getting it the first go around. Just don't get your hopes up.


#17- As far as dealing with nurses....believe me, you are tempted to be a jerk when they come in every hour ALL NIGHT LONG. You will want to nail your door shut, hide under the bed, figure out a way to fake the monitors into thinking you are hooked up when you really are asleep (hiding under the bed)....but try not to do that. I learned quickly that just being polite and respectful will get you a lot farther. They will bring you extra pillows, smuggle you in Sprites in the middle of the night, not give you the stink eye when you ask for the 18th time where the light switches are....just be nice. No matter what.


#18- This will be a hard one for you. I know you love Dr. Storey and trust her completely. But I promise that every other doctor in the world is not as stupid and incompetent as you think they are. Remember that it is the Thanksgiving holiday and Dr. Storey just won't be available the whole time. The other doctors you see are very nice and most likely didn't get their degree online from a community college in a third world country. The good news is that Dr. Storey is cool enough to come check on you almost every day you are there, including Thanksgiving when she stops by, all dressed up, on her way to her own family celebration.


#19- Once you get home, it will take you negative 10 seconds to realize (surprise!) bedrest stinks. The biggest lesson here is....do not fight it. Zack won't let you roll over without asking "What are you doing!? Why are you moving!?" Your Mom will drive to Houston literally the second you tell her she can and your in-laws will email and call every day asking if you are sitting still. It's just the way it is....there is nothing you can do about it. Turn on the TV, open the computer and get comfy. And stop complaining....turns out there are like millions of women out there who have been on bedrest. Nobody really cares that your back hurts or your feet are puffy or that you feel more stupid with every second that passes.


#20- And most importantly....bedrest works. You will keep that baby cooking for a lot longer being on bedrest and suffering through 80 episodes of "House Hunters" a day, than he would if you were still free and capable of walking around. As of right now, you have successfully stopped pre-term labor, gotten your contractions under control and slowed down dilation. All within a week. That's pretty impressive. Just keep going. I promise, you can do it :)

A letter from the future....

Dear Newly Pregnant Katy (May 2011)

As a service to you, I am writing to let you know some pretty important things about your pregnancy and where it is headed. You can thank me later. In about 32 weeks, you will ignore the important advice of your doctor (because you think you are smarter than her) and you land yourself on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. I know, stinks huh? So please read these rules and lessons carefully and follow my instructions perfectly. I don't think there is much hope for you this time around, but maybe by the 3rd baby (we can talk about that later) you will have learned your lesson.

Love, 32 Weeks Pregnant Katy (November 27, 2011)


1. Just because you are craving something, try not to give in every time. For example, you are going to walk into HEB one morning and the smell of donuts will be so overwhelming and delicious that you will eat 2 of them. I promise, this will NOT help your morning sickness.


2. Just because you can still button your pre-pregnancy pants when you are 12 weeks along, don't do it. I promise that the muffin top you create with this ensamble will not be pleasent for anybody.


3. Drink water. LOTS of it. This will help later down the road, I promise.


4. Just because you can "relate" to every woman on TLC and Discovery Health because you are both pregnant, doesn't mean you need to watch every single episode of a Baby Story or anything related to it. Believe me, watching other women give birth will not help you out.


5. You can buy Goldfish crackers in huge tubs. Try to buy only one tub at a time. They will give you wicked heartburn and you have no self control.


6. Around 20 weeks you will start feeling contractions. Warn Dr. Storey. Even though everybody and their brother will tell you "that's normal, those are just braxton hicks..." ignore them and talk to the doctor. Yours are not normal.


7. When you find out that baby #2 is a boy (oops...sorry for the spoiler) try not to respond with "no, really...is it a girl?" I feel like this could be giving him a complex pretty early on.


8. You are going to gain weight faster this time. Just deal with it. Zack doesn't care, your Mom doesn't feel sorry for you and all your friends will give you a look of death for complaining about it. Just get over it and enjoy a snack.


9. You will develop a new love affair with your crock pot. Make sure and have it washed and ready around month 6 when the cravings hit.


10. Jonathan is going to poke your belly. A LOT. At first this makes you self conscience (remember rule number 8) but the first time you see him pat Zack's belly and say "baby!" it will be worth it.


11. Now this one is important.....around 25 weeks, Dr. Storey will listen to you about your contractions, give you medicine and tell you to take it easy. DO IT. Don't go strolling around the mall or Target because you are bored. Don't try to work in the yard. Don't stand at hallway duty every period and breakfast duty twice a week. Ask for help and accept it when it is given.


12. You will start to waddle earlier. Just deal with it.


13. At 31 weeks, you will be surprised with a positive FFN test. This will set a new course for the rest of your pregnancy. Don't freak out, don't start crying to Zack that you are a failure and that your body is 100% "jacked up," don't leave the house that morning for the doctor's office with nothing but a water bottle. Instead, think ahead (which you will do thanks to this letter) and take a good shower, dry your hair, shave your legs, pack a bag with a toothbrush, face wash, some jammies and a brush. Take it with you and act like you are in control. Because you are.
Thanks to me.


Now, the rest of your important lessons will come soon. I have lots to say about what to do and how to behave in the hospital, so be on the lookout for that letter. It's an important one.

So this has been fun....

In case you haven't caught any of my facebook messages, things with Baby Ley have taken quite a turn in the past week. And just in case you were dying to know details, here you go :)

Like I have mentioned before, I have what is called an "irritable uterus." This basically means that anything can send me into contractions. I have been on medication to keep things relaxed and under control for about 6 weeks (I was on the same medication with Jonathan and it did the trick until I was taken off at 36 weeks.) Well this time around, I guess my body is too used to it and it isn't working anymore.

It all started last week when I had an FFN (fetal fibronectin test) done at the doctor's office. This test basically lets you know if there is a chance that you will go into labor in the next two weeks or not. I have had LOTS of these tests over my two pregnancies and they have always come back negative. Well Wendesday morning, I got a call from Dr. Storey letting me know that the test was positive this time which means there is a good chance I could go into labor within the next two weeks. She put me on bed rest and had me come into the office to get a steroid shot for the baby's lungs just in case. While I was there, she put me on the monitor to check for contractions. Well I ALWAYS have contractions, so I wasn't too worried about this. Turns out I was having LOTS of them. And pretty regularly (about every 3-4 minutes.) I was also dilated more than she would have liekd, so she sent me to the labor and delivery floor and told me to get comfortable.

While there, I was hooked up to a "mag pump" (magnisium sulfate) to stop the contractions for 48 hours. I was given another steroid shot for his lungs and told to stay still and in bed! The mag did the trick and the contactions eased up. Unfortunately, once I was taken off the mag pump, they came back and my regular Procardia didn't stop them like normal. Apparently my body has just built up a tolerance for it. So Dr. Storey put me on ANOTHER medication (trebutaline)to try and stop them and luckily this worked. I have dilated a little more, but nothing too serious, so this morning I was released with strict bed rest instructions and a prescription for this magic drug.

I am still having some contractions, but nothing regular. Zack and his family have been SO awesome keeping things in order around the house and taking care of sweet Jonathan who doesn't seem to care too much that Mommy has been gone (not sure how to take that....) My Mom is coming to town on Monday and I am looking forward to some good food, watching people put my Christmas tree up and lots and lots of reading and TV watching. Our goal right now is to make it to 34 weeks (I will be 32 weeks tomorrow.) I still can't believe I won't be going back to work until at least Spring Break! What a weird feeling...

This obviously wasn't the way I was planning on spending my Thanksgiving (let's just say Memorial Herman did their best with their Thanksgiving meal but in the end, it was seriously lacking...) but I am so thankful that I have bought this much extra time with Baby Ley and will do whatever necessary to keep him cooking for a little while longer!

Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thankful list 12-22!

As always, I am behind the times! Here is the rest of my list!

12. I am thankful for my in-laws who have helped us so much over the past few years. Just last week they gave up one of their cars so we could take ours to the shop. When we got it back, it was still being stupid, so they went through the whole thing again. We are lucky to have them!!

13. My small group from Sunday school. They are awesome. And funny. And they give me another reason to look forward to Thursday nights other than The Office (which is quickly going downhill since Andy took control of the office....)

14. Any baked goods with the word pumpkin in the recipe.

15. The magical 8:00 hour of each evening. Jonathan is asleep, I am on the couch eating dessert, DVR is playing, Zack is home....it's just nice.

16. The fact that I only had to go to work 2 days this week. That being said, these 2 days have felt like an entire week. 8th graders have the odd assumption that since it is a holiday week, they shouldn't have to do ANY work. And any teacher who makes them do work "is the worst teacher in the history of the world!!" <--A phrase I hear quite often since I won't let them listen to their IPODS while I am teaching.

17. That Zack has off the entire week! Nobody deserves some time off more than he does.

18. The sweet lady that watches Jonathan everyday. I have always been thankful for her, but now that I am being faced with the reality that she will not have room for the new baby, makes me realize how lucky I have been to have her this entire time.

19. Thanksgiving food. Oh man, I have been drooling for weeks just thinking about it. Not only am I thankful for having a good excuse to eat like a mad woman this year, I am more importantly thankful that we even have the means to make and enjoy a feast like that. We are truly blessed.

20. My Dad's carpentry skills. He is currently making Jonathan an awesome piece of furniture for his big boy room! He builds things and then my Mom picks out colors and paints it. Everything has always turned out beautiful and I can't wait to see the newest special piece!!

21. Friday nights. These tend to be reserved for family time. Zack typically gets home early and the three of us go out to eat. This week it was Freebirds (which is something I am thankful for in and of itself...) It is so nice to have a chance to sit and reconnect at the end of a long week.

22. Can I repeat? I am extra thankful for Zack this week. My contractions have been worse lately and on top of that I woke up Sunday feeling pretty crummy. Zack stayed home from church and let me lay around ALL day while he played with Jonathan, entertained him, took him to the park etc...I know this is what Dad's are supposed to do, but he also had work that needed to be done, but he put it aside and put on his Daddy hat so that I could rest. Not to mention I had been a total brat all day Saturday, so I really didn't deserve that type of treatment. He is a good man.

So there you have it. As always I am amazed by all the things I have been blessed with over the past year. God is so good!! Hope you and yours have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!

My belated "thankful" list!

As always, I am a little behind the times. Every day I log onto Facebook and see all the great things my friends are thankful for and I think to myself, "what a fun idea! I should do that too!" And then I forget. So I am playing catch up. Here are the first 11 things I am thankful for this month (in no particular order!)

1. First and foremost, I am thankful for the people that love me, support me, care about me, deal with me, put up with my drama, listen to my ranting and raving, answer the phone even when they know it could turn into a long "all about Katy" phone call....you know, all those people.

2. This little boy. This picture is actually about a year old, but seriously, it is a tough one to beat :)


3. While it pains me to actually say this at this time of the year, I am thankful for my job. Obviously I am not thankful for the super crazy chaos that I have to deal with on a daily basis, but I am thankful that I even have a job in this economy. I am also thankful that the people I work with are cool and make coming to work everyday fun!

4. I am thankful for cooler weather and the fact that I actually turned my heater on in the car this morning, so that when I got back in after dropping Jonathan off, my car was super warm and toasty!

5. I am thankful for days when Jonathan is happy to entertain himself....like this :)


6. I am thankful for my crockpot. I am thankful for the website http://www.crockpotgirls.com/.

7. This week I am thankful for a good check up with Dr. Storey for Baby Brother and also for a good check up with Dr. Torn for Jonathan! I am thankful that we have doctors in our lives who we can trust and we know want the very best for us!

8. I am SO thankful that Little Man LOVES to sleep! He took a while to sleep through the night when he was an infant, but once he started, he never looked back. He also took two long naps each day until he was around 20 months old. I know this is a huge gift!


9. I am thankful for my sister-in-law, Katie. She LOVES her nephew to the ends of the earth and when she is able to be here with us, she is a huge help with him! In fact, she is coming to see us today! Yay!

10. I am super thankful for my own Mama (and Dad!) I am blessed to have a Mom that I am pretty much best friends with. We talk on the phone multiple times a day, e-mail multiple times a day, Skype when we can (although this is mostly for Jonathan's benefit) and I would be lost without her! She also loves Jonathan with all her heart and is willing to drop anything to help me with him. Many times this has meant waking up at the crack of dawn to drive to Houston to watch him when I am sick or he is sick and I can't take the day off.

11. And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for my amazing husband. He works himself to death to provide for us and while I really wish he could find a job that allowed for more time at home, I am thankful that he is dedicated and loyal to the job he currently has. He has sacrificed so much over the years as he studied for his CPA exam, passed it (thank you Lord!) and advanced through the ranks of his company. Not only that, but he is an excellent Daddy. It makes my heart proud to see him with Jonathan. He might not have a lot of time with him, but Zack makes sure that the time they do spend together is valuable and cherished. I am lucky to have him. And lucky that he puts up with me :)

So there you have it.....my list up until today. It might be another week or so before I catch up again, but the thoughts are always there. I lead an incredibly rich and blessed life. I should be announcing the things I am thankful for daily....but you know, that little thing called "daily life," tends to get in the way!

It's been a while!

I suppose an apology is in order for my lack of posting.....but seeing as not that many people read this and even fewer read a post that has no pictures of Little Man, I won't worry too much about it.

Things have been pretty calm and uneventful around our house lately. Last week my parents (Honey and Papa!) took Jonathan with them to Austin for an extended stay. While I missed him terribly, it was pretty nice to be able to get some things done around the house, sit and be lazy. Zack and I were able to go on a fun dinner date with our good friends, the Scibas, plus do one of our other favorite activities....run errands. No, I am not lying. That really is one of our favorite things to do on a Saturday :) All the while, Jonathan had a BLAST with Honey and Papa. I would upload some of the pictures and videos they sent, but my computer is prehistoric and doesn't want to let me. He was able to go on lots of golf cart rides, see lots of deer, feed the donkeys, play at the park......lets just say he wasn't thrilled to come home to boring Mom and Dad!

Little Brother is also doing well. We actually do have a name picked out (and Zack has even officially approved it!) but I am not quite ready to announce it to the world. If you really want to know, you can ask though :) As far as the pregnancy.....all is well and he is still cooking just fine, but I am feeling every bit of almost 30 weeks pregnant. My contractions are pretty bad if I don't take my medicine (Procardia really does do wonders to help ease them!) or drink A LOT of water. On top of that my legs have decided that they don't really need much circulation throughout the day, so periodically they will turn bright red and get all tingly. When that happens in conjunction with the swelling at the end of the day.....whoa! I look like one hot Mama! I never had any swelling with Jonathan and very little of the circulation issues, so this is a new treat that Little Brother has cooked up all on his own! That being said, I am trying my best to stay off my feet and keep them elevated when at all possible. Unfortunately, working full time and taking care of a toddler makes that a little difficult. The GREAT news is that I am super close to Thanksgiving break and then only a few weeks away from Christmas break!! I can already smell the sweet potatoes and green bean casserole....mmmm......

So that is about it. Jonathan is doing awesome, Zack is working a billion hours a day like normal and I am a huge, contracting, puffy ball. Life is good!

Halloween is not really his thing...

Let's just say that Halloween and all that comes along with it, is not really Jonathan's thing yet. Well, let me rephrase that....everything but the candy and food that comes along with it is not really his thing. My boy can put away pumpkin bread like it's nobody's buisness...but as far as costumes, pumpkins, seeing other people dressed up....he is NOT into it. Case in point, his own costume.....





Thursday night we met Sue and David up at the hospital where she works for a fall festival. Jonathan basically stood around and stared at people who were dressed up. He wasn't really scared, but he didn't really like what he saw. What he did like was the chicken strips and fruit box he got for dinner that night :)




Saturday night, we had our first family attempt at carving a pumpkin. He seemed interested in it at first, but as soon as we tried to make him put his hand in the pumpkin and pull out the gooshy stuff.....he was like "peace out!" and he ran off to watch Chuggington. Zack on the other hand had a great time and even though our family pumpkin looks all kinds of ridiculous and we almost burned the house down at one point, I would say it was a success. Maybe next year the little boys will enjoy it as much as Dad!






I was cleaning out the closet in Jonathan's new bedroom and pulled out his infant car seat. He knew immedietly what needed to be done.....he had to lay claim to his stuff before his little brother had the chance to. He sat here for a long, long time. I'm not sure if it was because it was comfortable or if it was because he was scared he would lose it again if he ever got out of it. I LOVE the serious look on his face. I mean, this is a real deal seat check.




And finally, what weekend would be complete without a little late night drive....sans clothing.

A random update :)

While most of you are well aware of the happenings in the Ley home, I thought I would share just a little update as to what has been going on lately for those I don't get to talk to often!

For the past few weeks, Jonathan has had a cough that I attributed to his asthma and a cold. By Thursday I decided to take him in to see the doctor just to make sure everything was okay. Poor baby.....he had a double ear infection and inflammation in his lungs from all the coughing and asthma. It is times like these that I am so thankful for our pediatrican! She hooked Jonathan up with some good medicine (my boy LOVES himself some Amoxicillian!!) and by the next day, the cough was better and the pain he seemed to be in Thursday night was easing up. I seriously love her. If you need a good recommendation for a Pedi, please call me!

I haven't mentioned much about Baby Ley #2. I guess this is just the curse of the second baby. Jonathan takes up so much of my time and energy, that I often just forget to update about his little brother! Things are going pretty well and I am now 27 weeks pregnant. I go on Wednesday to have my gestational diabetes test and I am praying all goes smoothly! I am still having lots of contractions, but since I recognize them this time around, I am not as concerned. I just drink a butt-load of water and try to rest when possible. Unfortunately, that is super hard with a toddler and a husband still on crutches (part of the time!) But I am doing my best. Baby Ley moves a lot (mostly at night) and seems to enjoy kicking Jonathan when he is cuddling with me before bed. I sure hope this isn't a sign of things to come! I will admit that being pregnant the second time around is super different. I love that I am not nearly as nervous as I was with Jonathan. I can enjoy all those little kicks and punches without counting them all the time to make sure I have 10 within the given 2 hour period. I do not however, love the extra weight I have gained or the fact that I am so exhausted all the time I can barely stay awake past 8:30 each night. I just want to sleep for a LONG time and I know, believe me I know, it will be a long time before I get to sleep again.

Zack is doing really well with his recovery from knee surgery. He went to the doctor last week and was given the green light to drop the crutches when he is home and only use them for extended walking trips. This weekend we were able to go to Central Market and walk around, which is one of our favorite family errands! It took him a little while to make it through the store, but he did it :)

So that is about it. Other than being super busy and extremely tired, we are doing great! Oh and as an added bonus, I discovered last week that Freebirds is opening literally 5 minutes from my house in just a few weeks. Now I know there are plenty of Freebirds haters out there and a few crazies who say Chipotle is better (that is pure insanity to me) but I for one, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Freebirds and I can hardly contain my excitement. Let's all pray that my gestational diabities test comes back clean because if they try to tell me I can't eat it.....oh man.

More weekend fun!

Like I mentioned in the last post, we spent the weekend at Honey and Papa's house in Austin. We had a great time! Saturday morning we woke up and drove into Marble Falls to eat breakfast at the Bluebonnet Cafe. After a huge breakfast, we headed out to a really fun pumpkin patch to let Jonathan play. He loved it!

That afternoon, (after the nap incident) Papa and Jonathan went out to play some golf. My parents are lucky enough to live right on the tee box of their neighborhood country club and Jonathan LOVES to run out and pretend he is playing! If you look closely, you can see his little tongue sticking out.....he must be concentrating pretty hard on his swing :)

By the time we left Sunday, he was so sleepy he couldn't even stay awake long enough for us to get gas and get on the road. Literally, he was out in about 3 minutes and stayed asleep for the majority of the ride!

We have a climber!

It has been a long few weeks with Zack still on crutches, me working and being 6 months pregnant and Jonathan...well, being an almost two year old, so this weekend we packed up the car and headed to Austin to relax and have some fun! Probably the biggest surprise of the weekend happened Saturday afternoon....

We put Jonathan down for his nap in the little portable crib my parents keep at their house. It's a little smaller than a pack and play and he has always loved it! Well, when we put him down, the Aggies were playing and we were all hanging out in the living room eating good food and having a great time. Needless to say, Little Man did NOT want to miss the party. So after about 10 minutes of him fussing/yelling in his room, it gets pretty quiet. We all figured he had fallen asleep. It was right about then that Little Man strolls into the living room, walks right over to the veggies and dip and starts going to town.....as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He didn't even look at us as if he had done something wrong/new/exciting. He just sauntered in and helped himself to some food and football. He has learned to climb out of the crib.....and push open the door....

The whole thing made me a little sad to be honest. My baby isn't a baby anymore. I just sat there after he had fallen asleep (for real this time) and thought back on the past two years. First he refused to sleep in his bed. Then he had to sleep in his car seat, placed in his bed because of his terrible reflux, then he refused to sleep unswaddled, then he needed a little bag to sleep in since he refused to stay covered up with blankets, now he is bag/swaddle/blanket free but he can climb out. My sweet little baby is all grown up. It won't be long before we make the transition to his actual big boy bed.....what in the world will I do then?! I am going to be a hormonal, crying, blubbering mess.



This is Jonathan sleeping in the portable crib at Honey and Papa's when he was about 5 months old. He was still being half swaddled but he sure looks tiny and peaceful. Now imagine the same crib, but with him hiking his leg over and sliding down the side.....a little bit of a different picture huh?? :)

Uh oh.

We have an animal lover on our hands. And while this isn't really a bad thing, Zack and I are not really "animal people." I grew up with a sweet, clean, good smelling cat. He grew up with a dog, but has no desire to have another. Neither of us really want a pet. Maybe ever... Jonathan on the other hand, LOVES animals. His first word (other than "agua") was "dog." He had never even seen a dog, other than on TV or in a book, and yet he knew exactly what it was. Since then almost his entire vocabulary has been made up of animals and the noise they make (well, except "mine!")

This weekend we took Jonathan to Dewberry Farms to see the animals and play in the pumpkins. He had a blast!! As soon as we got there and he saw a huge clump of ducks and geese, he ran straight for them. He wasn't shy at all. Of course I was a little concerned about him running into a large herd of anything, but the animals behaved themselves and so did Jonathan. A match made in heaven. He then proceeded to stick his sweet little hands and fingers into the pens of every other animal they had....sheep, turkeys, goats, ponies....and thankfully, none of them fought back against the little invader. We made it home with all 10 of his pudgy little fingers :)

I am very glad that Jonathan is comfortable around animals and appreciates them for the blessing they are. However, I am not looking forward to the day (which I fear is coming sooner rather than later) when I start to hear "Mom, can we get a dog!?" over and over again.


Hanging out with the sheep. Luckily the sheep didn't care (or even move for that matter) that Jonathan was "talking" to him.

Checking out the goats! I tried to get a picture of him sticking his hand in the goats mouth, but I wasn't quite fast enough. That and I was trying to keep his fingers from being nibbled off....

I just love this picture :) He fell asleep on the way home and when we woke him up to bring him in the house, he was NOT happy. He stayed like this with Zack for a long time until I was able to pry him off and put him down for a nap. He then slept for 3 hours!! Zack still can't carry Jonathan or move around much with him, so these quiet, still moments are like gold for them :)

Things I'm loving this week!

It's already Thursday and I haven't gone all hormonal pregnant woman crazy on anybody, sent THAT many kids to detention or screamed at Zack for doing something "wrong." I consider this a win for me :).....and for Zack. And my students. And the strangers who could possibly be on the receiving end of my craziness.

Here are a few things that have contributed to my good mood this week:

1. I took my charm bracelet into James Avery the other day and they agreed to fix it, free of charge! Every time I have something of theirs break, it is hit or miss if they will cover it. This time they will! YAY!

2. Lately I have been really struggling with the whole "NOTHING sounds good for dinner" thing. Oh and the "Don't even THINK about asking me too cook something" thing. And Zack has been totally cool with it! We made homemade pizza two days in a row and I convinced him to let me have one of my favorites last night. I guess as long as he gets fed in the end, he doesn't care that much :)

3. Tonight is our small group meeting. That always makes me happy. And people usually have awesome dessert/snacks. Obviously that makes me happy too! Oh crap, speaking of, I need to read my chapters for tonight.....yikes!

4. Jonathan has been really good this week (if I ignore pooping in the bathtub, peeing on me for the first time in MONTHS, spilling my huge class of water all over the floor while trying desperately to steal my straw and pulling his plate of corn and meatloaf off the counter and all over the floor.....) But seriously, we have played outside a lot, read a lot of good books, learned some new words.....he is a pretty awesome kid!

5. My students have been much better this week! I had to write one up yesterday for being totally ridiculous, but other than that, all is calm in the classroom. It helps that they had a test for two days. Even the nutty ones know not to talk during a test because I WILL slap a big fat zero on their test for cheating before they even have time to stop their conversation! Next week is library week too....double win! Oh! And the librarian feels bad for me because all my school t-shirts are too small and I totally look like a stuffed sausage kolache in them, so she gave me 4 library shirts in a bigger size to wear on spirit days! Okay, granted the one I have on today is neon green and makes me look like a huge lima bean, but who cares? Beggars can't be choosers!

All in all, a good week. Friday better not disappoint!

Our Weekend!

I was recently inspired by a few of my more experienced blogger friends to create a post devoted to documenting our weekend/week in pictures. And while we didn't do anything very exciting, we had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful weather!

First we spent a long time Friday afternoon at the park for the first time in months...it was only 90 degrees! Jonathan discovered that throwing rocks on the slide (yes, he is THAT kid) is probably the most exciting thing to do there!



Saturday we spent a lot of time cleaning up the yard and playing with Nana and Grandfather. We are truly blessed that Grandfather (David...and yes, we all realize how ridiculous it is to expect a 2 year old to say Grandfather....) has been willing to come and mow our yard every weekend since Zack's surgery.





We recently had our trees trimmed in the backyard which left a lot of twigs and branches all over the place. As you can imagine, Jonathan had a ball with them! He actually spent a long time trying to get Zack's attention (who was working inside) by drumming on the back door with his new drum sticks!





Saturday night, Zack, Jonathan and I went out for dinner. While we were waiting on Zack to get in the car, (you know, it takes him a while with the crutches....) Jonathan discovered the joy of being in the car and NOT being in his car seat. He crawled all over the place and was not very happy when it was time to get buckled in. Guess I should have anticipated that...



Sunday morning we had some time to just relax, eat breakfast and read some books. It was also finally cool enough to justify wearing the sweet little Dutch slippers cousin Shakinah brought him from Holland. He brings them to me almost every day and wants me to put them on him. Luckily, the time seems to have come when he can wear them every morning :)





Finally, Sunday afternoon Honey and Papa drove in from Austin and brought a new toy to play with! We spent all day yesterday playing with his new car, working on his big boy room and coming up with ways to change around the nursery for Baby Boy #2!




All in all, it was a wonderful weekend! I am praying next weekend is just as nice and we can hit up the Katy Rice Harvest Festival!

Thank you Lord

Sometimes I forget to stop and say thank you for the amazing life I have and the beautiful blessings I have been given. I was reading the blog of a friend earlier this morning and as I read about the pain she has been drowning in after the loss of her toddler, I can't help but sit here and cry (at my desk. at school. while students walk past my door and mutter about the crazy teacher crying in her classroom) and desperately wish I could hold my own son right this second and tell him how much I love him. And so, today, I say thank you Lord.

Thank you for this man, who loves me and his sons with all of his heart.

And thank you Lord for this precious little boy, who fills my day with so much joy there are no words to express. And for his little brother who is already a loved member of this family.

I thank you Lord that you have entrusted me to be their Mommy and their wife. It is a gift that I have never and will never take for granted.