BOY or GIRL????

We are less than a week away from Baby Keene's first photo session!!!! At this point, I can't imagine the emotion, the joy, the excitement, the amazement that comes along with seeing the life that God has blessed us with! I can't imagine it, and I definitely can't wait to experience it!!!

On top of all that (as if that's not enough!), we will also find out whether Baby Keene is a boy or girl!!!! We thought (very briefly) about waiting to find out the sex; however, it's a surprise whether you find out at 20 weeks or at 40 weeks, right? So, we'll just be getting that surprise a little sooner! That, and I can't wait to personalize the nursery and start preparing for Baby Keene. To do that to the extent I want to, I need to know whether Baby Keene is a boy or a girl.... :) I can't believe in just a few short days we will know which God has blessed us with! It really seems like just a few days ago we found out we were having a baby! Time really does fly by! (And when I think of all we still have to do and we are almost half way there, I stress myself out! Okay, breath Tiffany, just breath!)

Everyone keeps asking me if I have a "feeling" about whether I'm having a boy or girl. I really don't! Should I? What am I supposed to feel? Wes thinks we're having a girl because he has had two dreams and it was a girl in both. I haven't had any dreams!!!! Either way, we truly do not care, we just pray for a healthy baby. At some point, we would like both a boy and a girl, so which ever this baby is, it doesn't matter. Though, even if we end up having all children of the same sex, that would be fine too because we trust that God is in control and HE has an awesome plan in store for us and our family!

However, it is fun to think about what Baby Keene will be....

Will Baby Keene be a BOY?
* Both Bridgette and Holli (my sisters) have very strong "feelings" that we're having a boy. (Why do they get to have "feelings" and I don't?!) And, according to Holli, she is right about everything 99.8% of the time, so she is right about this! :)
*Wes's mom says it's a boy (though, she wants it to be a girl since she has 2 grandsons already!)
* One of my books claims that research shows that mothers who are prego with boys eat more than those prego with girls. WELL, I definitely find myself "bellying up to the fridge" pretty frequently (to put it in the terms my book used!).
* Wes and I have attended the same Sunday School class for 4 years now. Since then, there have been like 11 or 12 babies born to couples within our class. They have ALL been boys! Yeah, hard to believe, but definitely true! I mean with statistics like that, Wes and I are pretty much settled that we too are having a boy!
* If Baby Keene is a boy, he will have LOTS of buddies considering all those boys in our SS class!
* I have not had any kind of sickness. Not once during my pregnancy so far (knock on wood!). Many have told me this means I'm having a boy.
*When I was growing up I always wanted a big brother....

Will Baby Keene be a GIRL?
* Both my Mom and Dad say we are having a girl. My Mom has always said that my first born will be a girl and that she will be very strong-willed and independent like me. (I think that's my Mom's nice way of saying she hopes I get coming to me what I put them through growing up! You may find it hard to believe, but I was a somewhat difficult child--well, teenager--at times!)
* Jasmine, Wes's sister, says we're having a girl.
* Wes has had those 2 dreams that we are having a girl....
* If we have a girl, she will definitely always have a date to the prom with all those boys in our SS class! Of course, Wes says if we have a girl, we have to stop being friends with all y'all once our daughter reaches middle school! LOL!
* There is an old wives' tale that when you have a girl, you tend to "carry all over." I definitely feel like that's just what I'm doing! :)
* Some women I work with held my wedding ring on a string over my wrist to see if it would move in a circular motion or back and forth in a straight line. (I had never heard of this method for 'guessing' the sex of the baby...) Apparently, if it moves in a circular motion, the baby is a girl, if it moves in a straight line, it is a boy. Well, it moved in a circular motion.
* I always wanted a big sister growing up.... (I'm the oldest)

I don't know.... What kind of "feeling" do you all have? Leave a comment with whether you think Baby Keene is a boy or girl and in a matter of days we'll know if you're right!!!! :)

Nick Names

Poor Baby Keene..... Undoubtedly, he or she will be given a nick name or two (or ten!) by Mommy and Daddy. It will probably be embarrassing, maybe even humiliating by the time he or she is in middle school, but it will definitely be cute and endearing! The reason I am so sure such a name will be endowed upon him or her is because just today I have probably called each of my two dogs by three or more nick names and do so regularly.

Baby's nick names include:
* Baby Girl
* Puppy
* Puppy Girl
* Presh (short for Precious)
* Doodle Butts
* Punkins

Lacy's nick names include:
* Lacy Bear
* Sissy
* Sissy Girl/Bear
* Snuggle Bugs
(She doesn't have as many because she hasn't been around as long as Baby has!)
Of course, they are both referred to as "the girls" or "girlies".

The funny thing is, they know these names and respond to them. That's how often they're used.

While I was talking to Baby Keene the other night, a nick name just slipped out! I immediately just stopped and Wes and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. We know he or she is doomed....

How about you all? Do you have nick/pet names you use for your kiddos? My friend, Kristin, had a whole post about all the nick names for her precious little girl, Sarah Kate. I'm assuming this is something all parents do, though I didn't really have any growing up, other than "Tiff" (which, by the way, everyone in my family calls me. I don't remember the last time they used my full name, whether talking to me or about me.). Share those cute little names, Mommies! :)

Are You My Mother?

You know the children's book, "Are You My Mother?" It's the one where the baby bird falls out of his nest and goes around asking various characters if they are his mother in an attempt to find his mama. (A top 5 favorite of Makenzie, that's for sure!) Well, Baby Keene is hearing voices now, and today especially since I had 4 ARC meetings, I couldn't help but smile as I thought, "Baby Keene will definitely know that I am his or her mother when he or she comes into this world!" I mean he or she gets to hear me talk at least a million words a day! Especially on a day like today that is full of meetings where I talk for 30-45+ minutes nonstop reviewing evaluation results with parents, conference with school counselors, meet with students, and work with teachers on student concerns. (And that's a day without dictating a million reports!) Not to mention lunch breaks with co-workers, singing in the car on my 30-minute drive to and from work, and the one-sided conversations I have with him or her regularly! The poor child HAS to be somewhat tired of hearing Mommy go on and on all day long. Maybe that's why he or she enjoys Daddy's bedtime stories so much! ;)

Embrace the Belly!!!

I always thought when I became pregnant, I would show off my belly at every opportunity. I mean that's one of the fun parts of being pregnant, and a woman with a round pregnant belly is beautiful; it's an outward sign of the beautiful life that God has blessed her with!

However, for some reason (I'm sure it has to do with the "twin comment"), I've found myself avoiding certain clothes for fear of appearing "too pregnant". I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I've actually opted for clothing that didn't make me look "that pregnant", partly explaining my long-time battle with maternity clothing (which definitely add to the pregnant look and are now inevitable). After talking with a friend about this subject Friday (thanks Donna!), I've decided I'm robbing myself of one of the perks of being pregnant, and one of the things I was looking forward to!


So..... I'm now embracing the belly! :)


As a side note, I can't take full credit for this "decision"..... Even though I'm all-about-the-belly, Baby Keene has weighed in (literally) on this one as well. Baby Keene has made his or her existence fully known over the past couple weeks. Some people comment that it happened almost over night; however, since Wes pretty much follows me around with the camera, I can assure you that it has been a steady progress! :)

So here is a picture of Baby Keene at 17 weeks, in utero of course, for all of cyber world! Isn't he or she absolutely beautiful?! :)

Time to Share all those Secrets, Mommies!

So, I went into Baby's R Us last week to get a couple gifts for baby showers I had this past weekend, and let me just tell you....that place can be VERY intimidating to a first time mommy-to-be. I've been in there thousands of times before, but this time, as I strolled past all the bottles, car seats, lotions, bedding, etc., I thought, "Oh my gosh! I've got so much to get! How do I know what's the best and what I need for Baby Keene?!" There are at least a thousand and one different types of bottles, with just as many nipples; two hundred types of strollers, pack-n-plays, and car seats; and a million and one of everything else! To avoid a feeling of complete despair (and I'm not even registering yet!), I quickly grabbed a few items off the registries I had and bolted. WELL, almost that is. Of course Baby Keene HAD to have a couple items (see the picture). And, yes, Baby Keene picked those items out, not Mommy. Mommy was heading for the door!



So, after that experience, I thought who better to ask than you great Mommies out there who have been there already! PLEASE! Share your wisdom. I'm completely open to advice in this area! What are those "must have items" and those "total waste of money items, I never used it more than once?"



For example, what are the best bottles? And what makes them the best? Are drop-ins better? (I plan to breastfeed.) And speaking of breastfeeding, what about a pump?! Those things definitely range in price!!! Is the $400 one really worth it? (Keep in mind, I will be returning to work after 4 or 5 months and will need a pump that gets the job done quick, fast and in a hurry!) Or, does the $150 one do the job?

What about bottle sterilizers?? Is that a necessity or will the sanitize function on the dishwasher do the same thing?

What about a pack-in-play? I've heard people swear by them, then I've heard people who didn't use them at all... What about a changing table in the nursery? Those of you who have been to my house know Wes and I hang out a lot in the basement. I don't see myself running up to the nursery every time a diaper needs changed.... Is a changing table something that can be skipped? Maybe just use a changing pad on the dresser for when the bambino is little?

A bumbo, my sister swears it's a must have, as well as a boppy.

And what about those diaper genies? Did y'all use those? Do they really work? When I babysit for family and friends, I just use a good ol' grocery bag and have Wes take the stinky diaper immediately to the garbage in the garage. :)

Anything I might not think of, or any little secrets y'all know of?
Help a first time Mommy out! :)

Okay, I hope you all aren't getting tired of hearing what an amazing husband I have... I don't want to be that girl that goes on and on about how wonderful her husband is and how lucky she is and blah, blah, blah... But, I cannot help it! He is amazing and he is wonderful and I am so, so, so lucky and extremely blessed!

Last week, my lower back was bothering me a little. Now, I'm not complaining too much because I'm well aware that it only gets worse from here, not something I'm looking forward to. Wes has been great with massaging my back from time to time, which is great. However, last week, he made a trip to Baby's R Us and brought home a Snoogle, a long body pillow that's shaped in a specific way to align your body and make you more comfortable, especially when pregnant. I just love the fact that he went out of his way to find something to make me more comfortable.

To top that, he also brought home some maternity clothes for me on a separate day! Yes, you read that right, Wes was at a department store, shopping the maternity clothes section! Can you just picture Wes pulling clothes off the rack, trying to decide what size I would need and putting together an outfit!? He brought home a pair of capri's and three tops. I am extremely limited to what I have available in my closet that still fits, and it is a daily battle to find something to wear. Wes to the rescue, once again! :)

Anyway, the theme of this post is that I do have an amazing husband, one that I come no where close to deserving, but that God has blessed me with. Believe me, I thank God EVERY day, multiple times a day, for that blessing! And I thank Wes for loving me the way he does! MFEO!

16 Weeks and Lots of Perks!

Baby Keene was 16 weeks old on Friday!!! According to www.thebump.com, that makes him or her the size of an avocado. (Last week, though I didn't post it, he or she was estimated to be the size of a naval orange. I'm not sure how an avocado is bigger than an orange, but I'll go with it...) In addition to getting bigger and longer, Baby Keene is beginning to be able to pick up voices. Which is a good thing, considering Daddy and I have been talking to him or her for quite some time now! It's good to know that we are actually being heard now! Now, when we read baby books to my belly and have random conversations with the baby, it's not in vain!

Another important milestone..... I think I felt Baby Keene move!!!!!!! It's hard to know for sure since I've only felt it that once, that I know of. Wes and I were on our way home Saturday night and all of a sudden, I felt a very strong 'fluttering' feeling. It was so exciting! I had a smile on my face for several minutes and was just holding my breath, trying to feel it again. Wes put his hand on my stomach, which is really funny because, unfortunately, Wes won't be able to feel the baby move on the outside for a bit yet. Believe me, he can absolutely NOT wait to feel Baby Keene move!!! Anyway, I haven't felt the movement that strong since then. There are a few times when I'm not sure if it's the baby moving or just .....ahm...gas. Then again, it's really hard for me to lay still, which is how some of my books recommend you be to feel movement this early.

It's definitely exciting, that's for sure!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mommies out there!!! I hope each of you had an amazing Mother's Day, surrounded by the sweet ones that you are so blessed with!



After a great Mother's Day church service, I spent the day with my family in Henry County. Wes spent the day in Springfield with his family. We absolutely hated to spend the day apart, as much as we hated to miss out on seeing each other's family. Usually this is something that can either be avoided or Wes and I will run around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to be in 2 places at once. Today, we didn't have an option. So, after going to church and Sunday school together and having a quick lunch at home, we went out separate ways. :(

Aside from that, the day was a great day! We grilled out at mom and dad's, the kiddos played and played. We played cornhole and hill-billy golf, and enjoyed the company of family. Aside from spending the day with my mom, I spent the day with two of the world's best mommies, my sisters. I love ya'll!!!!

You are my "I love you!"

Does Mother's Day include mommies-to-be?

I didn't expect much for Mother's Day because I'm not 'officially' a mother (yet!!!). Okay, that statement is not completely true... I will admit that I did expect a card from Wes. But, not in terms of "He better get me a card," but more so because Wes is the King of card-giving. He always has been, since we were 16 years old. He gets me a card for every occasion, and for no occasion at all. And he doesn't just sign the card, he writes me a sweet letter in every card. I have saved them all, since 1996, so I have lots and lots and LOTS of these sweet cards from the love of my life. They are absolutely priceless to me. I have them in a plastic tub in the closet of our guestroom. Every time I clean that closet out and try to cram more "stuff" in it in some sort of organized fashion, I contemplate moving that tub to the attic. After all, I could just keep a smaller shoe-sized box for the cards I get and then move them to the tub in the attic twice a year or so, to save space. However, I always think that the attic would make them less accessible and if our house ever caught fire, or I had only a matter of seconds to grab what I could before escaping for whatever reason, I would definitely grab that tub. (Along with a notebook I have full of letters that my mom wrote to me from the time I was born until I was 2 years old, and the bar stools I have that used to be my grandmother's -- not that I've thought about this too much or anything!)

Anyway, so now you know that I did expect that Wes would get me a card. But that's not all.... Aside from being the King of card-givers, Wes is also the best gift-giver. His gifts always have meaning behind them. He puts so much thought into the gifts he gets me. He is so good at this! I admit, I'm not at all! I am a procrastinator, and when it comes to gift-giving, unfortunately, I'm no different. It's usually the week of whatever the event, and I'm trying to rack my brain for a meaningful, sentimental gift. Sometimes I hit the lottery, other times it's some new socks and a video game (which Wes is thankful for, no doubt). My gifts are usually practical, that's for sure; but Wes's gifts that he gives, they are always meaningful and sentimental. He's a true romantic at heart!

With all that being said, Wes actually didn't get me a gift directly, but the gift he did get was the best gift EVER!!! I truly will cherish it forever. The gift he got was for Baby Keene. It was the book "You Are My I Love You." Now this book is sweet enough. It tells the story of a baby bear and it's parent (could be either mama bear or papa bear) as they go through a day of activities. Each page says "I am your ____________; you are my __________." It ends with "I am your good night kiss; You are my I Love You." However, it wasn't only the book, but the letter that Wes wrote to Baby Keene inside the front cover of the book. I got through the first line and, or course, started crying. Wes literally had to read it to me because I couldn't read it. (Of course, I had already started tearing up while reading the card Wes got me and what he wrote inside it, that by the time I got to the book, there was no hope!) Here is a picture of the book and the sweet letter Wes wrote inside. I'm hoping that if you click on the picture that it will be large enough for you to read the letter. We will have to get a duplicate copy of this book, because once Baby Keene is big enough to reach and grab for things, I won't want him or her to have access to the book for fear he or she may rip or damage the book. It is definitely a keep sake! He or she may not be happy when they are 5 months old trying to put the book in his or her mouth and Mommy is grabbing it away saying, "No, no, no!" However, I'm sure when Baby Keene is older, maybe about to me a mommy or daddy his or herself, he or she will appreciate that I took the extra effort to protect this very special book.

Thank you, Daddy! You are already the very BESTEST Daddy in the whole world, and Baby Keene loves, loves, loves you so, so, SO MUCH!!! (And Mommy is head-over-heals in love with you!)

Wes, YOU are MY I Love You! And, Baby Keene, YOU are Mommy's and Daddy's I LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Spring!

Spring is here and summer is fast approaching. The reason I know this is the case is because when I came home from the gym earlier in the week, I heard not one, not two, not three, but FOUR mowers going on our street. Wes was one of them. Subdivision living is funny, in so many ways, but the one that relates to this post is the "my-yard-looks-just-as-good-as-if-not-better-than-your-yard" mentality. It's inevitable that when one neighbor begins to mow their lawn, at least one or two more will follow. Sometimes I think I can literally hear the husbands inside their homes say to the wives, "Well, there goes (Wes, John, Jeremy, Glenn, Scott....) mowing his lawn, guess I better get ours done...."

Summer is also a time for outdoor projects to get done (or maybe just started if your life is anything like ours!). When I came home from helping out with the basketball clinic at our church this morning, Wes was at the neighbor's, about 12 feet off the ground! Him and Jeremy are working on putting up a roof over Jeremy and Jamie's deck. When they finish their deck, ours is next. Considering that the sun sets in the back of our house and we rarely use our deck because its so hot back there in the summer, I cannot wait for this project to be completed!!! (I'll be sure to catch a photo of the two of them working and post it soon!)

Today is a great day for some outside work. I love working on the yard, especially the landscape. Wes and I have plans to go to Lowe's today, along with a million other places on our errand run. We'll see what we are able to accomplish, or at least "start" on today! :)

Happy Spring ya'll!!! :)

Tiny Confession

Okay, I have a tiny confession... No, nothing like whatever you're thinking. I just wrote a post without being completely up front with ya'll....

The post I'm referring to is on March 8th and titled "The Million Dolla Question." It's the one where the boy in church asked his father if Wes and I would have kids. Do your math, it's obvious that I knew when I wrote that post that we were prego. Some of you commented that you thought I would end the post with such an "announcement" and BELIEVE ME, I wanted to!!!!

The "interesting" thing is that the very Sunday that the boy asked the question, we were pregnant and did not yet realize it!!! Wes and I knew we were pregnant when we were only 2 weeks along, pretty early on. I wrote that post about a month after the incident. It was the Sunday before Wes and I found out we were pregnant. So, does that boy have some kind of telepathy? Maybe I should go ask him whether he thinks we're having a baby boy or a baby girl.... Hmmm....

It was cute when he found out we were in fact pregnant. He came over during the "welcoming" part of our church service and congratulated us. He knew his dad had told us the story, and he thought it was pretty funny himself! :) I just might have to hunt him down this Sunday....

Derby '09

Wes and I went to Keeneland on Derby Day. Yeah, I know, we went East when the Derby is West, but Keeneland is a lot less crowded, a little more low key, which suits our style. After coming really close to hitting a pretty nice exacta (we had 1st place, and there was a photo finish for 2nd, with our horse coming in 3rd by the hair of it's chin...so close!), we were thinking maybe lady luck wasn't on our side. Which would have been fine, we had a really good time and wouldn't have counted the day as a loss at all. However, before leaving to have dinner at Malone's (one of our very favorite places that we don't visit too often since moving to Shelbyville), we decided to place some bets on the Derby. At the last minute, Wes went with Mine That Bird. He based this last minute decision on the jockey, same one that had the awesome win in the Oaks with Rachel Alexandra. So, our $2 bet was enough to cover our dinner at Malone's, which is always nice! :) I'm sure there are some very happy people who made a decision to go with a long shot that day!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Derby Day!!! I've seen so many pictures so far and all I got to say is that I got some friends that are way more fashionable than me! Hats and all, very impressive ladies!!!

14 Weeks and Counting!

Baby Keene is now the size of a LEMON! Not a very sweet fruit, but bigger than a lime, which means Baby Keene is growing, growing, growing! As a matter a fact, right now Baby Keene is thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and even making urine and breathing (amniotic fluid). Keep it up Baby Keene!!!! Mommy and Daddy already love you so, so much!!!

Happy 6th Birthday Joshua!!!!

I'm a little late on this post....(Baby Keene has taken over my post subjects.)

Our nephew, Joshua, turned 6 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) on April 12th. Wow, I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT believe he is 6! It just doesn't feel like it's been that long ago that I was feeding him baby food and chaning his diaper when he would visit! They grow up fast, that's for sure!

Joshua is such a smart boy. He goes to a magnet school where half of his day is taught in Spanish, including math and science. He LOVES sports, especially football and basketball. And he is REALLY good to be only 6 years old. He is the best big brother ever, very protective, especially when it comes to his little sister Makenzie. It's so sweet to see him tend to her. He will make such a great big cousin to Baby Keene! If we have a boy, there is no doubt he will attempt to follow his big cousins, Joshua and O'mauri, everywhere and try to do everything they do. (And I'm sure, get on their nerves!) :)

Happy Birthday, Jay! We love, love, LOVE you very, very much!!!!

Here is a picture of Joshua and his mommy.

This year, Joshua's birthday fell on Easter, so it was doubly fun for him. He got Easter gifts as well as birthday gifts. He was so happy and thankful for everything he got. To top it off, the weather was great, especially for some kite flying.
Here are some pics of Wes helping Joshua to fly his kite.



Below Dad is helping O'mauri with his kite. (You can see Baby is in the mix and Lacy was around somewhere!)
Makenzie was way more concerned
with her Easter Eggs :)










Here is a picture of me holding Tatum. Next year at Easter, I'll be holding Baby Keene!!! Wow, by then, Baby Keene will be over 5 months old!!!!