Can't Keep Up!

Needless to say since I haven't posted a picture or blog in forever! I will try to get online tonight with pics from both of the girls' birthday parties. Meantime - here is what is going on with them

Cadence:
Attitude Attitude Attitude!!! My goodness this child is full of "piss and vinegar" lately. I thought that the few fits that she had at age 2 were bad, but they are nothing compared to her current demeanor. Luckily, she doesn't show this side to many - she is the perfect angel when we are out or she is at school... in fact I think her teacher thinks she is a little saint :). Also, she hasn't had any fits out in public KNOCK ON WOOD! It is just when we are at home that when I tell her to do something she says "No, my not want to!" Oh lordy, it drives me batty. I have to use my "mom voice" all the time with her. Bless her little heart, I think that SHE thinks that she is the center of the universe and her way is the only way... guess it comes from being my only little girl for 2yrs... I am hoping that she moves on from this stage quickly. I didn't even realize it, but the other day we were riding in the car and I was listening to her sing and I realized that she had just sung the entire alphabet song by herself!!!! I had no idea that she knew it all - kinda makes me sad that she is getting so "big" so quick.

Tatum:
Can we say temper temper??? This fiesty little buggar will throw herself face-down in the floor when you tell her NO about something! And she's so dramatic about it - she just colapses into screaming like you've murdered her dog or something! Every time I tell her No about something she has a little meltdown, and I can't help it - but I laugh at her sometimes! She's just like her big sissy - thinks it's all about her :). She is still just cruising... if she would get brave and let go she could walk just fine on her own, she's just scared. She is is saying several words now... Hi, Bye, DaDa, Look, GoodGirl (to any animal she sees). And she can blow kisses - it just melts me. She follows Cadence around everywhere and loves being in the water.

It is so amazing to see how similar my girls are... I thought that they would be polar opposites, I think most sisters are... but they think just alike! And they "agg" each other on all the time. I think that Dave and I will definitely have our hands full when they are a little older - they will be little co-conspiritors... That's all I have for now - Hopefully pics will follow.

OH - and about my business - I have several things made up and am ready to launch a new website and FaceBook page with pics and info - but I CAN'T come up with a name!.!.!.!.! I have been trying for about a week and still can't seem to come up with anything solid... I'm toying with a few, but nothing has just screamed - "this is your business' name". If any of you have any thoughts please let me know! Thanks :)

Misc.

OK, so I still haven't posted the pics of Cadence's B-Day Party, but I haven't had 5 free minutes in the last few weeks... and this weekend is Tatum's party, so I don't think it'll be this week either! Bless it, sooner or later I will get some pics posted.

We went to Atlanta this past weekend to visit my mom... had an eventful weekend to say the least! Cadence and I both fell and hurt ourselves and Tatum fell off the bed, so we all came home looking like we've been beat! I did win $25 (had to split the $100 prize with others) at Bingo :). I do LOVE to play Bingo when I go to Atlanta.

On a little different note - I love to craft... always have. I used to paint nursery letters for my friends when they were having babies, but I can also paint other things. I have wanted to make things to sell for a couple of years now, so I think I am finally going to take the plunge and try out making and selling custom items. I'm going to make a hairbow holder for Tatum this week/weekend and see about starting up a seperate blog and getting some pics together. Right now I want to start with Hairbow Holders, Nursery Letters and plaques, Kid Measurers, Kids Stools and Mailboxes (yes I know that sounds strange, but I love a custom Mailbox). This is going to help Dave and I supplement our income a little while he is in school and hopefully get a small business endeavor going for me so that one day I can have my own store (a secret dream of mine that I'm now throwing out there for the whole world to know :)). Please be praying for me, and if you have any ideas on a name for my tiny business let me know! Thanks All - have a great week!

Cadence Morgan Reynolds

Although her birthday isn't technically until Monday I wanted to write a few words about my big girl turning 3. I'm flipping through her scrapbook and thinking about how quickly the last few years has gone by... seems like only yesterday...

We went to the hospital at 12:00 a.m. on August 23rd 2007 to be induced. I was already a week overdue, and showed no signs of going into labor myself. I want to also preface this story by noting that I was holding my breath the whole time I was pregnant. I took 6 at home pregnancy tests before calling the doctors office to schedule an appointment and I was SCARED to death! My mom called to wish me Happy Birthday on December 12th and I busted out crying and told her that I had just found out that morning that I was pregnant and Dave and I weren't ready. After having a couple of surgeries for various female problems I wasn't sure that I'd ever have a baby. Then just 3 short months after Dave and I got home from Jamaica we were shocked to find out that we were expecting. I had some spotting at the end of my first trimester and immediately thought that I was miscarrying. I remember Dave driving me to Summit after church that Sunday and holding his hand as tears just rolled down my cheeks. Turned out that I had a few other embryos that were dissolving and I wasn't losing the pregnancy, but they did several tests and finally an ultrasound to make sure. That was the first time that I saw Cadence move. She was like this tiny little jumping bean with arms and hands (makes me cry right now). I was so proud of those ultrasound pictures ♥. I had a dream when I was about 8wks that I was having a little girl, but we had to wait until I was 21wks to find out, and sure enough - we were expecting a little princess :). I didn't gain much weight and had an aversion to meat of any kind the whole time I was pregnant with her... and I was still holding my breath. I was excited on the outside, but SO scared to get my hopes up on the inside. When it finally came time to be induced I was so anxious I wanted to scream. SO... when I went in to be induced they immediately gave me a tablet of cervadil to encourage my cervix to dilate. By 6 a.m. I still had not dilated AT ALL, but Dr. J went ahead and broke my water to see if that would jump start dilation. After about 9 hours of contractions I finally decided on an epidural but was still only dilated to about 6cm. At one point the nurse rushed into the room and flipped me onto my side and put an oxygen mask over my face because Cadence's heart rate had dropped so much due to the long labor. As I lay there hour after hour I kept thinking "This is it... she's going to die, I've made it all the way to the end and my baby isn't going to survive this." I wish, looking back, that I would have had more faith in God about it, but I was so emotionally exhausted that I couldn't make myself believe that it was going to be OK. Finally, at about 11:00 the doctor came in to check me before going home and discovered that I was fully dilated. Due to having surgery on my cervix before, it was extremely scarred and resistant to opening. When the doctor checked me before I could push she said "Your baby is face up", which makes it impossible to get the baby out. Luckily, she was able to turn Cadence in just a few short minutes and I began to push. I remember that everyone was saying encouraging words while I was pushing (which wasn't long) but I didn't hear any of it (I saw it later on the video)... It seemed almost quiet in my mind as I was waiting for what I knew would be one of the most important moments in my life. I heard Dr. J say "The cord is around her neck.. (pause).. and her body". "Oh but I've got that off, and it looks like she's coming out with her arm first". Then it happened. A tiny tiny little conehead was laid up on my belly and she was howling like a baby calf. When she heard me talking to her she quietened down and was as awake and alert as she could be. She formed an immediate connection with Dave and seemed to be winking at him from the start. When the nurse took her from me to get her cleaned up I just started sobbing. I don't think that anyone can truly understand or describe that moment when you realize the gift that you've been given in your brand new baby. It's like God just chose to grant you this one miracle and it's so overwhelming. I knew then that she was meant to live and I was meant to be her mother.

That was 3 years ago and I still remember it so well. I've cried the whole time I've been writing this entry just because I still can't get over how blessed I have been to be Cadence's Mommy. She has brought so much joy to my family and Dave's family and has made my whole existence worthwhile. When she started pre-school last week I thought that I would have a breakdown, but she has surpassed all my expectations and has taken to it like a fish in water. She has always been a troublesome little thing, a diva, and a rambunctious child her whole life, but I couldn't imagine her any other way. I feel strongly convicted that the whole reason for my being put on this Earth is to be my baby girls' Momma. They have brought so much meaning and joy to my life.

Cadence's First Day of Pre-School

I don't know if I've ever posted about this, but since Tatum came home from the hospital Cadence has been sleeping in the bed with me. Dave works 3rd shift, so the girls and I are home alone at night (don't worry, we have PLENTY of protection) so I haven't really tried to push her out of the bed with me. So last night, as we were laying in bed, she was rubbing on my nightgown and giggling at me (a usual thing for her) and I couldn't help but shed a tear. I knew that this morning I would wake her up and get her ready for her first day at pre-school and it was going to be bittersweet. Cadence woke up in a great mood today... excited about school from the start. She walked into her class, sat down, and said "Bye Momma!" So I left her there... went to the car... and had a little cry :). My big girl is so... ... BIG! She did great all day at school and was really excited to go to the new sitter, Mrs. Ashley, 's house. Her and Tatum did really well there this afternoon and Cadence threw a fit when Dave went to get them because she didn't want to leave! I could not have asked for a better day for my baby girls. God has truly answered my prayers.

Fair Pics

Busy

I know that I'm seriously slacking on posting Fair pics... but I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off lately! I am SO busy this month - here's what's going on:
Aug. 10 - Cadence's first day of pre-school. OMG - I don't think I could be any more emotional about this. Where has time gone? I remember holding my breath for the 9 1/2 months I carried her and now I'm holding my breath for her to start Day School.
Aug. 15 - Father-in-law's Birthday, we usually do dinner for this
Aug. 21 - Cadence's Birthday Party - finally got the silly hats and centerpieces for this made last night... This is also mine and Dave's 4yr wedding anniversary. I don't think we'll be able to go out on this night or maybe even weekend, but maybe soon after
Aug. 23 - Cadence's 3rd birthday. I have to work this day, but I still want to make it special for her so I'm thinking I'll take her a present home.
Then September will be here and we'll have Tatum's birthday bash to choreograph!
I'm hoping that I'll be able to take a couple of pics tomorrow of Cadence going to her first day of pre-school, so maybe I'll be able to post these along with the Fair pics. Everyone please say a little prayer for all the little ones starting Day School tomorrow :/

♥ Winner's Circle ♥

I don't have time right this minute to post the pics, but I promise I will soon. Just wanted to tell the world that BOTH of my baby girls got 1st Runner Up in their DeKalb County Fair Pageants!!! I felt like I was on cloud 9! I wasn't really that surprised that Tatum placed because she just cheeses all over the place all the time and she grinned so big to the judges. But Miss Priss didn't really show off her beautiful smile in her pageant... the judges got to see Miss "I'm hot and really tired of this mess" face :). She still placed though! Also, Cadence got to ride several rides and play several games this year. I can't wait to post the pics, hopefully I can get it done tonight or tomorrow.