Saturday, February 28, 2009

Shout Out!

For the past 6 weeks, Conn has been getting up every morning at 4:30a.m., to attend a Boot Camp with these guys...

Legion Fitness & Development



Way to go, babe! We are so proud of you!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Mini Me

WOW!!! Go check out this post on my mom's blog!!! It's nice to finally have a baby that takes after my family! :)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Tiny Tunes Sunday

You Are My Little Bird

***You can click on the cover to listen to the album***

Friday, February 20, 2009

You & Your Spouse

This is kind of like the 25 things - except there are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your spouse, not just you. Then tag whoever you want to do this! Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

♥ What are your middle names? Markell and Connlon

♥ How long have you been together? It will be 9 years in May

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? We had known of one another for a while, but the first time we "talked" was on our first date

♥ Who asked who out? I asked out Conn and I drove :)

♥ How old are each of you? I am 30, Conn is 36

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? About the same

♥ Do you have any children together? We have 3 - Lily (4 1/2) Maggie (2 1/2) & Cash (2 months)

♥ What about pets? NONE

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Not getting enough sleep

♥ Did you go to the same school? No

♥ Are you from the same home town? No...but we did only grow up about 15 min. from one another

♥ Who is smarter? Conn

♥ Who is more sensitive? Conn

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Skeeter's, Sonic, McAllister's, Chuy's, Rico's...you name it, we eat there!!! :)

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Mexico

♥ Who has the craziest exes? Neither

♥ Who has the worse temper? Neither

♥ Who does the cooking? Neither

♥ Who is more social? Conn

♥ Who is the neat-freak? Well...how do you define neat freak? When it comes to our house, we are about the same. The inside of my car is always clean and we are both neat-freaks about our clothes.

♥ Who is more stubborn? Me

♥ Who hogs the bed? Me

♥ Who wakes up earlier? I am up at all hours feeding Cash, but he has been up the past month at 4:30am for a work-out boot camp that he has joined

♥ Where was your first date? August 1, 1999 to the movies to see Blair Witch Project

♥ Who has the bigger family? I do.

♥ Do you get flowers often? No

♥ How do you spend the holidays? With both families

♥ Who is more jealous? Neither of us

♥ How long did it take to get serious? We were engaged 3 months after our first date

♥ Who eats more? Same

♥ Who does/ did the laundry? I do, but he helps fold and put away

♥ Who’s better with the computer? Conn


If you read this, consider yourself tagged!!!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

LOVE This

No, I did not write this. But, if I would have, this is exactly what I would have said. :) Therefore, that is why I am sharing this wonderfully written post with all of my mommy friends out there...and anyone else who may stumble across my blog.

the mother in me

I've known I wanted to be a mother since the day I was born.

Well, probably not since the actual day I was born. That's a little extreme. But from the time I first knew what a mother was. Or maybe since when I realized that I possessed the genetic makeup to, indeed, be able to become a mother some day.

Regardless, it's been a long time. But it feels like it's been always that I've known that motherhood was for me.

As a young girl, I loved children. And drawing. And baby names. And drawing pictures of children and giving them unique names. I spent countless hours as a child, sitting up in my bed under my pink canopy, using my Trapper Keeper as a hard surface, drawing pictures of all my future children. Oh, and giving them each long, fanciful names, of course.

I was going to have twelve children, I was sure. Naturally, this was before I had any inkling what morning sickness was, had never heard of a nursing bra, forgot that I'd need to find a husband who was up for such a feat, and didn't realize a family of that size would require at least two cargo vans for our transportation.

And, although part of me would honestly, truly love to have twelve children, there are other parts of me that I don't think could handle it. My uterus, for example.

I digress.

I have basically always wanted children. Wanted to be a mother. I thought mothering would be so wonderful, so magical, and so lovely. Naming, dressing and playing with Many Small Children all day long? What could be better!?

And, even though, back then, I was a bit hazy on some of the finer details associated with parenting (you know, like dying llama hissy fits, sippy cups full of mold behind the couch, stretch marks and time outs), I still think I hit the nail on the head.

There is very little that is better than mothering.

But not exactly for the reasons I first thought. Sure, there are wonderful moments in mothering, magical memories created with our offspring, lovely late-night snuggles with heavy-lidded babies. But parenting is also hard work. And it's not glamorous. We don't often get the support we need, we struggle with mother's guilt and sometimes feel we need to keep up with the Jones'. Our children sass back and our best-laid plans are trampled on. We must often face our own shortcomings, because they are revealed to us so readily as we make attempts, but fail, at being perfect parents.

But there is good that can be brought forth from the hurt that parenting sometimes brings. Moments of revelation to be found even amidst the clamor of Many Small Children. Beauty to be derived out of the ashes of mother failure. Joy that can only be discovered in helping God create another human being. There is meaning in the mundane, a purpose beyond potty-training, and a peace that can only be gained when one has learned to calmly deal with a tantruming toddler at Target.

Having children is worth it. And, although I was inspired to start my family for one reason, Prince Charming and I have continued for another.

I love making our family.

But I don't love it for the dirty diapers, the sleepless nights, the cracked nipples or the endless whining. I don't love it for the dings in our walls, the screeching down the halls or the midnight calls.

I love it in spite of all that. And I love mothering for how wading through all the difficulties that mothering brings transforms me for the better.

Mothering is one of the toughest, most beautiful things I have ever done.

And it's totally worth it.

I desire to be an encouragement to others about starting their own family. And, to those who already have, I long to be a support, and never a hindrance, in their journey to discover exactly how wonderful parenting is.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

It's A Love Thing

Began...with donuts, cards, and flowers from daddy.



Then...we had a heart-shaped pizza for lunch.



Lastly...Conn and Lily went to their very first Daddy-Daughter Princess Ball.


Lily and Pappy
Lily dancing with daddy.

Lily and her sweet friend, Madilyn.

Who needs dancing, when there is running and jumping to be done!
I think it's time the princesses called it a night!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Love Bugs!

Lots and lots of LOVE, to you and yours!!!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Sunday, February 8, 2009

First Born...

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes.
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes...4 years
3. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? So excited!
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 25
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Pregnancy test at home
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Conn, but it wasn't until the next day when I surprised him big time!
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes, of course!
9. DUE DATE? July 21, 2004
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not one bit
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Snow cones and fruit
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Chicken from Skeeter's
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Sweet baby girl
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? At first, yes. We cried because we wanted a boy for our first baby. But, we wouldn't trade our sweet girl for the world!
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 23
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I had 3. 1 with church and friends, 1 couples, and 1 given by sweet teacher friends at school
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew about all of them
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Nope
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Memorial Hermann The Woodlands
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I labored at home for a long time. But, once I got to the hospital, I had her 6 hours later.
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Conn
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Conn and both sets of parents
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Yes.
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 8lbs. 11oz
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? July 24, 2004
30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Lily Belle McWhorter
31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 4 years and 7 months