Spiess-cadets

Carney Creations

2011-06-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore, but I am starting a little clothing business on the side. My goal is to go to sell in Canton and on the web, but for right now I have a group on facebook. Here is the link and some pictures of what I have made so far!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/home.php?sk=group_188104544572186&ap=1

my new creation!

2010-11-12T15:36:00.001-08:00

this is my new creation. i made this pillow all by myself without a pattern for my mom's birthday. it is also the first pillow i have ever made and about the second item i have ever sewn on a machine. i am super proud of how it turned out and compared to how much throw pillows are it was cheaper too. so if you are in need of pillows let me know and i can whip you up a couple!

Happy First Birthday Parker!!

2010-04-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

WOW! I cannot believe Parker is one (over one actually)! March 31 Parker turned one and it only seems like yesterday that he was born. Let's see....what can he do....well, he can do lots of new stuff! He can walk, feed himself real food (like a champ), babble, say a couple of words, and terrorize our dogs (which is quickly forgiven when he drops food for them). Parker is doing so much and making me TIRED! It's OK though because it is so much fun watching him. Saturday we had a March madness themed birthday. It was mostly just family (still that is a ton) and it was a lot of fun. Parker didn't quite know what to do with the cake so he decided to cry...Oh well. Then when he opened presents he got a second wind. I know why he was fussy though....his bottom two molars popped through today. That would make anybodies birthday party not fun.

Here are some Pictures of the weekend.

Here he is about to dig in!

here is the cake I made for everyone to eat.

here is Parker's own cake. he liked it!

Back in the land of the living!

2010-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

After almost a week of having a sick baby we are well!! I took Parker to the doctor on Friday because he wasn't acting like himself Thursday and I suspected him to have an ear infection and maybe RSV... Well I was right...on both parts. I have to say it really wasn't all that much fun for either of us. Parker wasn't all that fussy but he wasn't his happy self either. Parker also ran a 103.7 temp on Monday! He still wanted to play like usual but didn't want to take his normal naps which is tough. So we just played and cat napped in a very dirty house (I usually clean during his first nap) until he got better. Well Wednesday was are first full day without any fever so today we got to go to school/work. It was wonderful! Parker got to play and have fun. He is back on his schedule! I am so glad he doesn't get sick too often because it is not any fun for either of us. I am so thankful that his little body is so tough. I think that getting sick for the first time (i am not counting snotty noses from teething) at 10 months isn't too bad. I do feel so bad for every little kid that has or has had RSV recently. Poor little babies! It is just hard on the whole family. So to all of those kids who are still sick....Get Well Soon!

biscuits and shug

2010-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

I love my puppies! They are such good "kid" dogs. They do so well with Parker. They are gentle with him and let him tug their ears and tails. (I am always right there) Shug is VERY protective of Parker. I think she might think that he is her puppy. If I am wiping is face and he cries she will squirm her way in between me and Parker and not move until i quit. She will just sit there and stare at me till I move! Its the craziest thing. Biscuits just likes to smell him. Parker thinks the dogs are hilarious! When they come inside Parker thinks its the funniest thing ever. He dies laughing. Sometimes he even laughs at them when they are asleep in the recliners. To think I was worried about bringing him home with the puppies in the house!

Parker's first "punishment"

2010-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

OK before I get into my post let me make one thing clear.... yes the title of this did say that Parker got a spanking and yes I plan on spanking him whenever he is in need.
Now I do not plan on spanking him all the time...probably because he will not need it and because he has really big blue eyes that make me melt. However if he is in danger of getting hurt and he is doing something he isn't supposed to then yes even though he is little he will get a swat. Well today we were in the living room playing and the little turkey went for the outlets. (we do have plug covers on them) Well 3 times I told him no and "redirected" him and 3 times he went right back. The little turkey is fast. The fourth time he made his way over there told him no and he looked right at me, smiled and grabbed the plug cover off! Well I went over and popped his leg (it wasn't even hard), his lip went out and his feelings were hurt. I picked him up, cuddled with him and told him that was a no no and he would get a spanking if he did it again. (i don't even think he knows what i am saying) well a little later he was on his way back over there and I looked at him and said "no Parker!" Something must have registered in his brain because he crawled the other way and didn't mess with the plug!
As much as I HATED to pop his little let, nothing else was working and my back is killing me from moving him away from the plug. Plus I would rather him have 2 seconds of discomfort from a pop on the thigh than be dead from messing with the plug. I have to repeat this to myself often. I was so proud of him when he didn't mess with the plug though and even though he probably doesn't understand a word i am saying i told him so.
Any who just thought i would share Parker's first experience with getting into trouble!

Parker update

2010-01-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

Last week I took Parker his 9 month check up. The boy is huge!!! He is 22 pounds and 31 inches long (the 70th percentile for weight and 98th percentile for length)!! I can't believe how long he is! He is wearing 12 month clothes for the length and some of them are starting to get too short! The only problem is that the waists are too big!! If I put him in 9 month clothes the waist and the length are too small. Oh well! There are many things that could be worse! I have lots of people that keep this boy supplied in clothes! He had his first Christmas recently and he slept through most of it. I think he got the entire left side of toys r us too. The boy has SO many great toys to play with. I have started putting them on a rotation so he wouldn't get overwhelmed and it would seem like he had new toys throughout the year. He has started to crawl a little...a real crawl at that. He has been army crawling for a while but today he took a few crawling "steps". He is lazy though because he just went right back to his belly. Lazy sucker! Oh and he has 8 teeth! 4 on top and 4 on bottom! Is it just me or is that A LOT for a 9 month old?

Right now EVERYONE is sick. Parker, Steven, and I all have a cold! It is not fun to be at our house. I think Parker got us all sick. (really I have no idea where we got it but isn't blaming kids why we have them haha) As soon as we get over this its time to get going again with p90x. I am going to try doing the lean regimen this time. I will let you know how it goes. Well now for what you really want...pictures!

parker watching miranda lambert. he LOVES music!

I just thought this pose was funny

I have to watch him like a hawk! he likes to try to play in the puppies' water

here he is at honey's house on Christmas eve

just like momma

2009-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Parker and I have a lot in common. Now we both have a love for coffee. (note: no child in the picture actually consumed coffee or was harmed by the consumption of said coffee)

Its been WAY too long

2009-12-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

I should really be ashamed of myself! It has been a month since I have posted anything and even that post was a sad excuse of a post. Oh well. The family is doing well. Parker is Growing by leaps and bounds. He is army crawling ALL over the place and just got his 5th tooth. I can see the match to it just below the surface of his gums. I should have known that this kid would be advanced where food was concerned! Now with all his new teeth he wants to eat everything. He loves to get his teeth brushed and doesn't get this love from his father. Steven doesn't even like to brush his teeth on Saturday! He is such a gross boy. Parker still loves to listen to music and if Jay Z comes on the radio or TV he will stop whatever he is doing and listen. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing just because I really like Jay Z as well. P still loves going to ACA and especially likes it since he can kinda move around more. Well that is all that is going on right this moment. I will leave you with some pictures of the family....

parker and drew playing together. it looks like me and angela playing

Me and parker in our footie pj's

he scooted under the couch. i have a better picture of him under there but i showed how gross it was.

what in the world?

2009-11-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

i was a stay at home mom that needed a very part time job that allowed me to take Parker...somehow now i have 1 part time job and 6 other odd jobs. this always happens though..i say i am only going to have 1 job but somehow i manage to get 10 others as well. its OK though...i take Parker with me everywhere and i schedule most of the odd jobs around his nap time so he doesn't care. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if i didn't live like this though. I think if I weren't a little busy I wouldn't do anything all day except watch my favorite trashy t.v. shows and lets face it I don't want Parker's role models to be the people on Maury and Judge mathis. =) No I think his role models should just stay who are now....Dwight Schrute, Michael Scott, Ron Burgandy, Ross Gellar, Chandler Bing, and Joey. He can't go wrong with these....Right?

hahahahahah

2009-11-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

Going to see Grandad!

2009-10-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we loaded up after nap and headed to Atlanta to see my dad. We had so much fun. I got to see my little sister Abbie and Parker got to have his first pony ride!!! He was an expert and rode with NO hands!! My dad was holding him of course but still it was pretty impressive! We stayed and ate dinner which was wonderful!! We had such a great time.

I also realize that I have never given my results of p90x. Well it works great! It was a challenge but totally worth it. Here are the results:

weight before: 146 after: between 133 and 135!

waist before: 30.5 after: 27

hips: before:39 after: 36

There were more measurements but I can't remember where on my arms and legs I measured! But I can tell you that they have gotten smaller! I am back into all my old clothes which is awesome! I think that within the next month or so I am going to do it again but do the lean option. I would suggest anyone do this but be prepared for a serious butt kicking.

Here is why I really shouldn't ever be left in charge....

2009-10-15T18:27:00.001-07:00

That's all I have to say about that.

6 months, or in math terms 1/2 year!

2009-10-12T10:27:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that Parker is 6 months old!! He has been such a joy to be around. Even when he is cranky he is still pretty happy. He weighs 19.5 lbs and 29.5 inches long. He is in the 99.5% for height. He is getting so big. He loves to eat food and wants to eat our food. I give him what I can and even though he has only 2 teeth he is pretty good at chewing. I recently blended frozen strawberries and lemonade for him and it was a big hit. I feel pretty good about giving that to him because its pretty much just fruit and not a lot of sugar. He can sit all by himself and balance pretty well. He only falls occasionally now. He can roll over both ways and he loves to 'talk'. He goes with me still to ACA and really enjoys that. We have started him on a sippy cup. That's going OK. He can hold his bottles by himself and he can drink from the cup but when I try to help him, he doesn't want the cup anymore. Go figure. We only have one problem....sleep. He was sleeping all through the night for a LONG time then a couple weeks ago he began waking. Now he is up every hour. Putting his paci seems to do the trick but as soon as it falls out we are up again putting it back in. So today I have begun not giving him a paci during sleep times and we are going to start a firm bedtime schedule. I got this from a book called the sleep sense program. A couple of friends of ours used it and they really liked it. I am really willing to try anything. It worked great for nap time. Parker cried for 10 minutes and then was out. He has been asleep for 45 minutes (which lately is wonderful) and is still going strong! I will keep everyone updated. Here are some recent pictures of our boy!

Cole and Parker playing at small group

My little ham

Carmen and Parker

Bright lights Big city

2009-09-28T07:48:00.001-07:00

Parker at his first Rangers game. He had just finished helping me eat my strawberry chill. HE LOVED IT!

This weekend we went to Dallas and stayed with Steven's sister Jennifer. We had such a great time. We walked for the cure, went to see some friends, and went to see the Rangers. Parker did so good especially for being dragged around all day. He really enjoyed the game and didn't get really fussy. He cried a little but it was only because he was hungry. Once he helped me eat my chill he relaxed and went to sleep. It was really great. We also have fixed his sleeping problems. If you didn't know he has been waking up every hour at night which was strange since he has been sleeping all night. I know its because he is teething and he startles himself awake at night. Well I went and got a thin swaddle blanket and problem solved. I just wished I would have thought about it when he first started it. He might wake up once to get some Tylenol or put his pacifier back in but I can handle it. I put him in it for his nap today so we will see how good of a nap he takes. Well our weekend was awesome and I have posted some pics of the great time. ENJOY!

Parker eating his dad's glove. He already loves baseball.

Getting my face painted to look like Harry Potter. It was so funny. Steven didn't want to be seen with me and Parker wanted to take the glasses. And yes I was the oldest person to get their face painted. And yes I know I am an idiot.

Me showing Steven my pretty face. You can't see but I have a lightening bolt on my forehead.

Parker, Steven, and our friend Jaiden. She just had a liver transplant and she is so sweet. It was so good to see her.

Parker and Kanyon. Kanyon is in Dallas in eating camp. He is doing great and we can't wait till him and his mom get to come home.

Parker, Jennifer, and I at the diabetes walk.

here is parker in his swaddle blanket. he looks like an inch worm. It is so funny to see him in it. As soon as he gets in it he just becomes so calm. I also found that they make variations of these for ages up to 2 years. Looks like Parker is going to get swaddled for a long time.

5 Months

2009-09-18T12:34:00.001-07:00

Ok so I should have done this post a couple of weeks ago, but when Parker turned 5 months we were in Galveston. Better late than never I always say. Parker is getting so stinking big. He has 2 teeth on the bottom and is acting like he is getting more. He is such a trooper. I didn't even realize he had cut his first tooth until Jackie said he thought he saw a tooth. He really wasn't very fussy. He is a little fussier with these but still not bad at all. He can sit on his own if he props himself up on his hands for a pretty good while. He loves to play with his toys and loves to roll over onto his tummy....but he HATES to roll back over. He can do it but just not all the time. Plus if you get too frustrated and mommy will come and roll you back over why would you want to roll yourself back? He loves to flirt with EVERYONE! This kid is so stinking happy. If he is fussy I know that something is wrong with him. He loves to play with his feet and eat them. I love to see his curious nature. I feel so blessed to have him and to be able to stay at home with him. I do work 2 days a week at ACA in the 12-18 month class and Parker gets to come with me. He does so well and loves it. He loves to see his friends Cole and Blaze. I know he just wishes he could just get down and romp and play with them. Well Parker is waking from a nap so I will just leave you with some pics.

i love this picture of drew! he just looks so comfortable.

there is nothing like the love of a boy and his beagle.

This is how he has started to nap sometimes. it makes me giggle.

chase looks so happy about his chocolate.

this is the funniest face. it looks like he wants to say "hey let me tell you whats going on here."

Running on empty

2009-08-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

For the past week and a half I have felt like I have been running on empty. I have felt so exhausted. I just thought that I was tired because of Parker but then I started having problems breathing. I felt like it was impossible to take a deep enough breath. I was also having other problems but they don't really need to be broad casted its kind of gross. I finally decided to go to the dr and it turns out I'm just really anemic. I've been anemic before and I never knew it could cause me to seem out of breath. It also causes insomnia and I have not been sleeping well at all. When I heard the symptoms I thought I have most of those! I am so glad its just something simple and not my asthma flaring up.

Also I have the best husband EVER!! He watched Parker all weekend and let me get some much needed sleep and rest. He took him to church and let me have some alone time. He is so great. It makes me happy to see how attentive he is towards Parker. You would think that no father loved their child more than Steven loves Parker. He has also been very understanding for the past couple of weeks about my tiredness. Especially since I have a tendency to brush off my symptoms and just think that I am being lazy. He is actually the one who talked me into going to the Dr. I love my husband and I am so thankful that I have him.

This is how I found them on Saturday. Aren't they cute!

mystery of the cranky baby solved!!

2009-08-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

So my after my post the other day, I thought things were getting better. Boy was I ever wrong. Parker cried ALL day. I felt so helpless and frustrated. Nothing I was doing was helping him. When I would stand and hold him it would get better most of the time but after a while my arms were jelly so I had to put him down. It was awful not being able to comfort him. Well Steven got home and helped me out but he had to go to his men's softball game. Luckily Susan and BJ came over to help. They were amazing! They brought me dinner and held Parker so I could have a break. I was so thankful I almost cried. (I think the frustrations of the day helped with the urge to cry.) When Steven got home, he put Parker to bed and I took a MUCH needed relaxing bath. The next day he was so much better. I even left him with my sister to go to the dentist. I felt better leaving him with her just in case he got really fussy. Around mid afternoon it all started all over again. He hadn't taken a good nap all day and I kinda knew it was coming. He cried and cried. I tried everything. I knew something was wrong with him because he is Never like this. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was. I ended up standing with him for over an hour and a half just so he would sleep peacefully. I finally had to put him down and ten minutes he woke up. He was better for a while but then when we put him to bed the fussiness was back. Steven said it was because he was fighting sleep. I knew that wasn't all it was. Well this morning I figured it out. He is constipated!! I never thought I would be so happy about that. At least now I know what it is and I can help him. WOOHOO!! I just want my little boy to feel better.

UGH!!!

2009-08-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

I love my child so much but this morning was very rough for me. Last night Parker went down at 6:30 instead of 8:00. I knew this wouldn't be good for the morning but I didn't want to try to keep him up because if he needs to sleep he needs to sleep. Well he woke up at 3:45 this morning ready to eat. He usually will wake up around 7. So I dragged myself out of bed and gave him a bottle. He drank most of it and slept till about 6. Thankfully Steven went and got him and took him to the livingroom to play so I could get a little more sleep. I do not know what was wrong but something just wasn't suiting Parker. I could hear him fussing from the bedroom so I got up to help Steven. Between the two of us we could not figure out what was wrong. We both burped him and that didn't do anything to soothe him. If we put him down he would cry. If we even sat down with him he would cry. He wasn't hungry and so I thought his teeth might be hurting so I gave him a small dose of Tylenol. I hate just giving him Meds but I didn't know what else to do. Steven had already gone to work by this point and I was on my own. Well about 15 minutes after the meds and 15 more minutes of standing and walking with him, I decided to try some gripe water. When I gave him the gripe water he just about fell asleep as he drank. Then it dawned on me that he was still tired and was fighting sleep as hard as he could. I tried to put him in his crib earlier but he wasn't having any of that. I knew that wouldn't work so I tried the bouncy chair...no luck. I was running out of options. I said a small prayer, crossed my fingers, hoped the planets were all aligned and put him in his swing. He tried to fuss but i put his passy in his mouth (which he finally took) and 5 seconds later sweet quiet peace filled my house. I would go back to sleep but I have consumed so much coffee I probably couldn't go to sleep if someone knocked me over the head. So I will just sit and enjoy my quiet for as long as it will last.

For your viewing pleasure....

2009-08-12T09:06:00.001-07:00

my boy Parker. Look at those eyes!! I hope they stay that color.

It looks like he is bullying his dad. haha

Yum Yum food

Drew is pounding bubbles with a bat. good times.

so precious!

Parker is 4 months old!

2009-08-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

It is so hard ot believe that Parker is 4 months old!! Last week he got his shots and he was such a little trooper!! He cried of course when they gave them to him but then he was just fine the rest of the day. he is 27.5 inches long and 17 lbs! He is growing so fast. When we were at the doctor, she said that we could start trying to give him some baby food. Well there is NO going back now. He loves it. He can eat a whole size 1 jar at a time and would probably eat more if I let him. He smiles and talks all the time. Its too cute. One day I will try to post a video of it one here. I would post more pictures, but I have seemed to have lost our digital camera. That really stinks, but Steven's dad has two cameras and he is letting me borrow one of his. The Chief is the best ever. So when I get the camera this week the pictures will continue. Parker also rolls over from his back to his tummy. He doesn't do it very often but still he does it. He is also starting to accept that from time to time he must lay on his tummy. He tells me of his distaste for it often. Well not much new going on in our world. I am done with summer school and I am officially a stay at home mommy! I am so excited. Although I still have to find a part time job to make up a little difference, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know.

3 years of marriage, wow its been a while!!

2009-07-23T12:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, and I totally forgot it until Steven called me and told me.
I am horrible! Oh well. Things are just so crazy and I don't really keep up with the days in the summer. Whoops. I love being married especially to a great guy like Steven. I hope for many more years of happy life together.

Happy Birthday Steven!!

2009-07-17T09:52:00.001-07:00

Today is my husbands birthday! He turned 27 today. Wow, he is getting old just like me. I have a few things up my sleeve for him today. Suzanna and Molly Beth Neal are going with me to pick out his present. I am pretty pumped about that. I know that they will really help. They are a couple of awesome girls and I am glad thier mom is letting them come with me. They really love Steven.

I feel so blessed to have found Steven. He is a great man, husband and father. I think I love him more now than when I first met him. So with that, happy birthday baby!

Destin and Working Out

2009-07-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

So I finally got some pictures from Destin to post. We had such a GREAT time when we went. Parker was such a great baby. He would just sleep and sleep while I laid out. He even got into the pool and in the lazy river. He absolutely loved it!!! One time he even fell asleep in his floaty in the pool. It was so cute. I also got to be with my dad on his birthday along with my sister and her family. It was so nice to have everyone together on his birthday. We haven't done that in a long time. I also got to have some of my FAVORITE grape soda. Its called Grapico. It is the best stuff, but you can only find it around Alabama. They had it in Florida so I got some. It is so good and it reminds me of going to Alabama for our family reunions. Then when we got back from Florida, I went to my moms and her husband Jackie bought me a case when they were in Alabama for our family reunion!!! I was so excited! He is such a great guy. We love him soooo much. He is thoughtful and sweet. He treats my mom so wonderfuly. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Anywho here are some pics the trip.

Kaylynn

this was the view from my dad's condo

Me and my boy

The lazy river

another view of the beach

Dad and my little sister

Deanna (Kaylynn's sister) and kaylynn

Parker (how cute is that smile!!)

Me and Meagan.

ok so now about my workout. For a week now Steven and I have been doing P90X. It is the best workout EVER!! It is kicking out butt. I want to stay with it so i think i will post on how I am doing each month. Its kind of embarassing but I'm going to post my weight and my measurements each month to keep me accountable. I am only doing this because I know they will only go down. Well thats the idea anyway. so here we go:
Day 1
Weight: 146
Chest: 36
Waist: 30.5 (ugh)
Hips: 39
Right thigh: 23
Left thigh: 23
Right arm: 12
Left arm: 11.5

Next update after day 30.

The 'beachin' days of summer

2009-07-01T15:40:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let the blogging nation know that I am sitting in Destin, Fl. on vacation. WOOHOO!! The only thing that would make it better would be if my husband could be here. Parker is the cutest waterbaby EVER!!

Wolverine underwear and Biker Chicks!

2009-06-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend Parker had his first big road trip!! We went to Austin to my cousin Andy's wedding. This was a pretty big deal. My Aunt Teresa died this past October and one of the things she wanted was that her boys marry thier girlfriends. Well, Russell the youngest boy married in May and Andy married this weekend. I know that she would have been so proud. It does my heart good to see them happy and married. I love both of my cousins so much and wish them all the happiness in the world. Their new wives fit into the family so well and are absolutely perfect for their husbands. I couldn't have picked better people for them if i would have tried. I just wish my aunt could have been there, but I know she peeked down from Heaven to see them.
Well now to tell you about the Wolverine underwear. When we went to Austin on Friday, Parker and I road down with my mom, her husband Jackie, my granny, Angela (my sister), and my nephew Chase. Well about an hour into the trip my nephew told me about his new underwear. He was so proud! Let's face it, who wouldn't be if they had Wolverine undies!! All of the sudden he said he wanted to call Steven and tell him about them. I thought this would be so funny to listen to so I dialed the number and gave him the phone. I probably should have put the speaker on because when Chase told the person on the phone about his underwear I thought it was Steven. Um...It was not! Turns out it was the receptionist Valerie at Stevens work. I can only imagine what she thought when she answered the phone and the voice on the other end said, "I have Wolverine Underwear!" I do love my nephew!!!!
Biker chicks:
It turns out that the same weekend as Andy's wedding there was a HUGE biker rally!! Boy if you ever have the option to go to Austin for a wedding the same weekend as a biker rally I would suggest you go!! The profanities and motorcycle engines practically sang me to sleep at about 2 am Saturday morning. The smell of stale cigarettes and vomit on the way to a continental breakfast sure makes you hungry. Oh and there are some good looking biker chicks out there. If i haven't said it before, I will say it now....I love ladies in leather that is 4X's too small when it is 100 degrees outside. That is SEXY! I swear if they weren't so scary looking I would have knocked down every Harley in the La Quinta Inn's parking lot that next morning.

Ticks

2009-05-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

I Hate Ticks!!!! They are horrid bloodsucking little creatures!! When I say I hate them I really mean it. Thursday our 8th grade when to the nature center in Tyler. I was in charge of the GPS activity. The activity was pretty fun but we had to go through the woods. Well when I got home that day I found 6 ticks on me feasting away!! You know sometimes I get anemic, and I need all the blood I can get! Do you think the devils really cared? No! They just latched on and sucked away. I was probably the equivalent of an all you can eat buffet. The worst part is early the next morning I scratched my head and what do you know, another one in my hair! YUCK! So when I got to school I had to get my head checked for any more ticks. It was 3rd grade all over again when I got lice from a softball helmet. All I need now is to sit on the front porch while my mom puts RidX on my head and pick away and the nightmare will be complete.

Parker's babysitter

2009-05-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is an ode to Parker's babysitter, Tonya Irwin. Tonya takes such great care of Parker while I am at school. She puts my mind at ease. I would be going crazy with worry if she wasn't watching him. I know that if anything was wrong with him she wouldn't hesitate to call me. She also takes the most wonderful pictures and the other day she took some of Parker. He looks so cute.

Parker is 1 month!!

2009-05-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Why does it always seem like the times you want to just creep by always seem to fly by? Parker is over a month old and pretty soon I will be going back to work. Man I can't believe it. Even though I don't get a lot of sleep, it has been totally worth it. He has already grown so much and he even smiles!! Don't think I am crazy but he has also rolled over a couple of times. Now I don't think Parker is super advanced but I do think that he is really strong and has long legs and arms that help him get over. I am proud of him. I love that every morning after I drink my coffee, he lays on my belly and snuggle till he falls asleep. I love watching my husband change diapers and fall asleep on the couch with the boy on his chest. So I leave you with some of his 1 month pics.

No sleep and still going strong!

2009-04-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

You would think that getting barely any sleep your body would just shut down. Well suprisingly mine hasn't. Believe me I do wish that I could get atleast 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep, but I can't and I can still function!! I was very surprised at this. Although I do believe the lack of sleep is affecting my dreams. Now I have always had very WEIRD dreams, but it seems like lately they have just gotten weirder. Last night I had a dream that Steven was an infomertial salesman. He was actually the guy that does P90X system. (its a workout program if you missed the million commercials) Well in my dream I wanted to get the program and he told me that I wouldn't be able to do it because I was a sissy. I know its weird. Also the weirdest part was the fact that on every appendage he had he had on 3 sweat bands and REALLY short shorts. Richard Simmons short. I wonder if there is any cure for this? This Friday I am leaving Parker with Steven for a night while I go to my cousin's wedding. Please be thinking about them and maybe say a little prayer. They are going to need all the help they can get. I know that Steven will take really good care of Parker, I just don't know if they will have enough milk. So Steven might have to give Parker some formula and I don't know how Parker will take it. I am just going to go to Houston and try not to check in every 5 minutes.

Well I

will leave you now with some pictures of Parker...

This was the first bath!!! He was not happy, He gets that from his father. Steven doesn't like to be clean either.

Welcome to the world Parker Spiess!!

2009-04-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

March 31 we welcomed Parker to the world!! He is 21.5 inches long and weighed 7lb 1 oz. He is Tall and skinny just like his daddy. We are so blessed by him and thank God for him everyday. It is amazing how having a child can make you love your husband that much more. I didn't think I could love Steven any more than I did but after Parker was born I found out that I was wrong. Steven took such great care of me and of Parker. I couldn't have done anything without him and his strength. He stayed calm when things got rough in labor and didn't even blink when I might not have been so nice. He helped me when I couldn't get around and he let me lean on him when I didn't think the pain would end. So I love Steven more today than I ever thought possible. Well I guess some of you might want to see pictures so here he is..... Parker Edward Spiess!

Please don't judge me...

2009-03-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

Ok so I found a paper that I wrote in college and I have decided to post it onto my blog. Please don't judge...its not like its a boring research paper. I think its kinda funny but you might not. Its a paper about when I had my appendix taken out about 5 or 6 years ago. I don't know how many grammatical errors there are. Let me know what you think! (well unless you think it stinks, then you can just lie and tell me how awesome it is.

The pain in my side came quick but stayed for a while as if to punish me for something I did in a past life. I lay curled in the fetal position in my bed confused about what just happened. I rolled over to look at the clock, 5:30 am, way too early to wake up. I did not have to be at work till 10:00, so I decided to go back to sleep. Just as my head touched the pillow, WHAM the pain hit again. I felt like a knife slowly entered my side and then someone turned it in slow circles just to watch me squirm. This pain did not seem like it wanted to go away so easily. After the second wave of pain left, I decided it best that I get out of bed and go into the living room.
When I finally crawled into the living room, I saw my granny sitting in her usual recliner. She looked just as she did when I left her the night before. She sat reading the same vulgar romantic novel as she always did. Before I even had a chance to tell her about the excruciating pain in my side, she peered over her book and said, “Amanda would you mind taking out the trash since you are up?”
“Sure Granny. I would be happy to take the trash out.” I said grimacing from the pain.
So I wandered into the garage and grabbed the three bags of trash while fighting off the need to pass out. As soon as I bent over to grab the last bag of trash, the pain hit me again. This time it felt like an eighteen ton truck ran over my side. I dropped the trash and clutched my side for dear life. After ten minutes, I finally moved the trash down to the end of my driveway. I found myself sweating like a fifty year old obese man. I had no idea what ailed me but I knew it was something horrible.
When I entered the living room again, my granny looked up from her book long enough to notice the puddles of sweat on my face and shirt. She asked me if I felt ok and I told her that for some reason my body hated me and I thought I felt my insides ejecting slowly out of my bellybutton. After discussing my options with Granny, we decided I should take a trip to the emergency room. After calling my work to tell them I would not come in, Granny and I set off for the emergency room.
We finally got to the emergency room after what seemed like an eternity. Luckily I did not wait long and before I knew what happened, a doctor stood in front of me asking me all kinds of questions. I answered all the questions to the best of my ability and then he asked the million dollar question, “So do you want any pain medication?”
As I answered the question, I could not believe what I said. I actually told him that I did not want any pain medication; I wanted to tough it out. What a stupid thing to say! The doctor said ok and he would have to have a cat scan done to see if I needed to have my appendix taken out. After he left, I soon regretted my decision for no pain medicine when the stomach cramps kept getting stronger and stronger. Right when I began to think things could not get any worse, they soon did. I heard a knock at the door and behind the door stood a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
She bounded in the room like a child looking for Christmas presents. Her pony tail swung on the top of her head like a pendulum with every step. I did not think that much spunk could possibly reside in one person, but it sure did. Her hot pink scrubs almost blinded me when she came through the room. As she rummaged through every single drawer in the room, I cringed as I pondered the thought that she might have to take care of me. Then my nightmare came true, she spoke, “Hello everybody, how is everyone doing today? My name’s Candy and I am your nurse!”
Oh the horror! I pulled the paper blanket over my face and said a silent prayer. I could just see this woman getting my charts mixed up and ending up getting a prostate exam instead of going and getting a cat scan. I did not think I could handle her perkiness especially with out drugs. As I watched her grab a pair of gloves and search for just the right needle to shove into my arm, I suddenly realized exactly what she aimed to do to me. I had not noticed when she first came into the room, but she did not come in here to just give me a simple shot and then leave. Panic streamed over my body as I knew what she came in here to do. The IV bag of saline sat right next to her, and with a toothy grin she said, “OK now let me see your hand so I can give you an IV! Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t hurt at all!”
“What does she know about pain”, I thought. Here she stands wanting me to give her my hand so she can shove a needle through my skin! Is it not bad enough that my side felt as though a knife permanently embedded itself there, and now this Mickey Mouse Club reject wanted me to willingly give her my hand so she could inflict more pain upon me! I hesitated as I finally gave her my left hand. If I gave her my left hand and she managed to ruin that one I would not have too many problems because I would still have my dominant right hand. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. The needle stung as it crept into my skin. At least now I could renege on my decision to no pain medication. As Candy taped the tubing down on my arm, I found this a perfect opportunity to ask for some drugs. “Candy, do you think I could get some pain medication soon? I am really hurting.” I asked.
“Well, sure honey! Let me just go ask your doctor!” Candy said as she bounded out of my room just as she had entered. I thought what a heavenly person. I knew I liked her as soon as I met her. Ten minutes later, the angel known as Candy reentered my room carrying a Styrofoam cup.
“Well sugar, the doctor says you can not have any pain medication because you are going to get your cat scan done in a short while. Now I just need you to drink this orange-strawberry drink for me so we can see your insides better when we do your CAT scan,” she said.
I took the cup from her and thought how wonderful, I love oranges and I love strawberries. As soon as the mixture touched my lips, I knew this drink came from the devil. Every time I swallowed the drink seemed to grow! I tried drinking fast but the faster I drank the faster the drink came back up. That devil woman wanted to poison me! I finally finished the drink and glared at the face of my arch nemesis known as Candy. My thoughts of revenge on Candy soon stopped and were replaced by the pain in my side. Maybe if I could just hit my head hard enough on the wall I could knock myself out and then I would not feel anything, so I lifted my head and before I could slam it back down a large scary orderly came into my room.
He towered over me, staring as I slowly sat in the wheel chair. A slight breeze crept by giving me a whiff of his smell, old spice and cigars, not the best combination. Gigantor, I called him, came to take me to my CAT scan, or at least I hoped he came to take me there. Slowly we crept through hallways. I tried to keep track of where we went but after what seemed like the eighth left, I lost track. Finally we reached our destination and I finally got my CAT scan. After Gigantor wheeled me back to my room, I waited to receive my results.
The doctor entered the room finally, results in hand. After spending five hours in the emergency room, I would finally find out what ailed me. I suddenly thought what if I just had a really bad case of gas? I would just crawl under a rock and never come out. The doctor came in, sat down and gave me the doctor look. He then took a deep breath and sighed. Oh no, this is bad I thought. Say something doc! Quit taking your sweet time, if I am dying you can tell me. Finally he spoke, “Your test results are back and you need to have your appendix taken out. The surgeon is going to take a look at these results but we won’t need to do surgery till tomorrow. So have you changed your mind about that pain medication yet?”
“Give me all the pain medication you want doc!” I replied.
Five minutes later Candy came in with the best present a girl could ever ask for, Demerol. Alas, finally the knife stopped turning in my side and I did not hurt. As the drugs streamed into my blood, I decided to forgive Candy for wanting to poison me and let bye gones be bye gones. As all my troubles seemed to wash away with one little shot, I decided to take a much needed nap. To my surprise, my doctor’s plans differed from my own.
My doctor reentered my room in a panic, but at this point I really did not care. When I realized Kermit the Frog happened to also be my doctor, I knew something was wrong. The surgeon looked at my lab results and decided that he needed to take my appendix out as soon as possible. So Candy and Gigantor came and rushed me to the surgical ward. Next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital room with a couple of cuts on my belly and my mom by my side asking if I needed anything.
Turns out the problem wasn’t gas, I needed to have my appendix removed in a hurry. I still don’t remember much after getting the shot of Demerol, but I do know I awoke with one less internal organ and that imaginary knife finally dislodged from my side. I left the hospital later that next day, but not before Candy could take another stab at my life when she tripped on my IV tube almost ripping it out of my hand. Fortunately my side to this day does not hurt and I have not needed the services of my favorite nurse Candy.

A Shower and a day off

2009-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know that I'm suppossed to be at school today but I NEEDED a day off. I started getting REALLY cranky and snappy with my kids and I don't want to be like that with them. It had gotten to the point to where I could have made them cry with only my words. Because of that I decided that I would take today off and rest and relax. So far this is the only productive thing I have done all day and it feels pretty good. I guess I really needed the rest because I slept for 11 hours last night. I feel much better and more relaxed already and around 1:45 I will not know what to do with myself because I am going to get a prenatal massage. My wonderful husband got this for me as a Christmas present. Its going to be a good day.

Sunday was my shower at Alpine and it was AMAZING!!! I think I developed carpal tunnel from opening presents. (there were a lot) When we brought all the presents into Parker's room and laid them all out they were almost overwhelming to see. Steven and I feel so loved by Alpine and Daingerfield Church of Christ after that shower. We have just about every thing we need. I just want to say thank you for the great shower! Also, Jill thanks for not making it a Whinnie the Poo shower! I now vow to only give an appropriate amount of ring pops as presents to your son.

Here are some pictures from the shower and of Parker's room.

me and my mom and my mother in law mary sue (who hopefully Parker will call Big Momma)

Steven and I with all the presents

The presents before the massive unwrapping

This is just one side of Parker's room. There are more Presents on the other side.

Oh if anyone needs any gift bags for a baby shower I've got you covered. I have enough to last till the end of time.

Pregnancy Countdown Ticker

2009-02-20T11:51:00.001-08:00

Interested in pregnancy? Read about pregnancy symptoms
and find baby names.
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Upload baby photos and learn about breastfeeding.

Not Too Much Longer!!

2009-01-23T11:53:00.001-08:00

OK so I am sitting in class waiting for couple of students to finish their tests and it has just dawned on me how close I am to having Parker!! HOLY MENUDO!!! It is the 23rd and I am due 4/5!!! I know I will get everything done, but still its kinda scary. Its a good thing that I have a great husband that will put up with all my craziness and that will admit that he is scared too. I am also coming to the realization that Parker has to come out of me and that it is REALLY going to hurt. But I can handle it. I can be tough, partly because I know that he is only going to get bigger and he can't stay inside me.
It has been really great being preggers. We sit on the couch and watch Parker move and grove in my belly. Sometimes I think he is doing somersaults in there, and he probably is. We are cleaning out his room and getting ready to paint. This is the part I am really excited about.
Well my kids are finishing up so I better teach. We are starting to learn about the Pythagorean Theorem. WOOHOO!!

It's almost Christmas!!

2008-12-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

I really did not know how to title this post, so I decided to go with what I am most excited about. I love Christmas! I love putting the tree up and decorating it with ornaments. I love everything about this holiday. I remember when I was younger I would go spend the weekend with my Granny after my grandfather passed away so I could go decorate her Christmas tree. I can only imagine how it must have looked (let's face it I am no Martha Stewart) but my granny and my Bom would go on and on about how pretty it was. Good times.
Anyway, since I am a teacher we get to have 2 weeks off for Christmas. I am so excited about that. The students need a break and the teachers do as well. I am going to use my time to rest up and begin work on Parker's nursery. I already have some vintage looking baseball posters and a baseball clock. I have even found the material I want to use for his bedding. Everything is coming together. Well that's all going on around the Spiess house so hopefully I will write more during the break.

oh i almost forgot....here is a picture of the teachers around Halloween when we danced to thriller in the pep rally. Don't we look awesome!

It's a......

2008-11-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

BOY!! We are having a little Parker! We are so excited about this. I cannot wait to start decorating the nursery and getting everything together. Things have been really crazy around here and changes are happening all the time. We recently bought a new used car. My fantastic husband Steven traded in his truck and we bought an '07 Chevy Malibu. He never ceases to amaze me. That was a sacrifice for him and he did it without blinking an eye. He also ripped up the carpet in the living room, dining room, and hallway to put down new floors. He has all the dining room done and most of the hallway finished. I tease him about it but he really has done a wonderful job. They look amazing.

I have also been busy making more cakes with my buddy Andrea S. Its really a lot of fun to see how the cakes turn out and we are getting better at it. I will post pictures of the cakes that we have made. So if you ever need a cake you know we can do it.

Ok so for the nursery, I am planning to decorate in vintage baseball. I am going to frame old baseball cards and black and white baseball photos. I can see it all in my head. There is only one problem....I cannot find the bedding that I want. I have about deciced that I am going to have to have the blanket and bumpers made. So if anyone out there knows of anyone that can make bedding please let me know.

Oh man its been a month!!

2008-10-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

WOW have I been the worst blogger ever or what! It has been too long since I have blogged. Now, I do blog almost every day but just not on this blog. I have actually started a blog on my schools blog server where my kids can get help with homework, watch examples and explanations of that day's lesson. It really has come in handy and seems to really help the kids. I left my blog up one day when I was gone to a workshop for my sub and the sub loved it. The kids did too because they still felt like i was there. So thats my other blog. Now for the baby.
Beanie is doing great. We find out if its a boy or girl November 25. Not too much longer. Man I cannot believe that I am as far along as I am! Everyone told me that the pregnancy would fly by and I didn't believe them. So far I am thinking I should start listening.
OH and some news about the puppies....they are doing great now. They did find a hole in the fence 2 weeks ago and for 3 days they got out EVERY day. Ugh. It is ok because Steven and his dad fixed the fence and put up a hotwire. I don't think they will be getting out anymore.
Well thats all I have for now so I will try not to take so long before I post my next blog.

New Puppy, New Cake, and a New School Year!

2008-09-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok so if you know my husband Steven at all you know that it is his life's goal to "GIVE" our puppy biscuits away. Well, did we show him! We now own 2, yep that says TWO dogs. Last week we got another beagle for free named Shug. She is the best dog ever(besides biscuits of course). Shug has settled Biscuits down tremendously. One great thing about this pup is that she was already spayed when we got her. Another great thing is that she was FREE!!

So onto the new cake, I have to add another cake to my collection. Andrea and I made her husband Bryan a cake that looked like R2D2.

Now about the new school year, it is awesome! My kids are great and they have already given me several presents for beanie. One student made me a tiny mum that said Beanie.

Now here I am today with a house full of family. Its really nice, Susan and BJ and Angela and the boys are here. I'm kinda glad that their lights are out because we get to spend time together. Well I am going to go run around with my nephew!

Back to school!

2008-08-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I started back to school. In a way I was sad to have to go back but actually I am really excited. So far I have most everything to get ready in my room, but it will all get done. I did get my room painted so that's one thing done.

Enough of school, now about Beanie. If you don't know Beanie is what I am calling my unborn child. The name is catching with most everyone, even Steven. I went to the Dr today and although we had to reschedule my appointment due to the fact I wasn't far enough along I did find out my due date. I am due anywhere from March 28 to April 5. Everyone in blog land hope for April 5 so I can be close to the TAKS test. Well, Steven just walked in so I am going to go greet my husband.

How many babies will there be?

2008-08-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well the answer to that question is there is just one baby. WOOHOO. Now don't get me wrong, I would have been fine with two I just think that for right now one baby would be best. Steven was so sweet watching the sonogram. He just sat there smiling like a goon, but I am pretty sure I looked pretty gooney too. It was great watching the little flutter of the heart. It makes you realize how small you are in this world and how great the power of God is. He put this tiny baby in my belly and is allowing me to carry his gift. Its truly awesome. Steven and I will not take this gift for granted and will do all we can to raise this child in a house that has lots of love for God and each other. Oh I am also not as far along as I was on my counter, I am only about 6.5 weeks along so I might be able to be there for the TAKS test. Yeah!

One or two? We will find out

2008-08-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so I think Steven and I are just freaking ourselves out, but I have a feeling (I think Steven does too) that we might be having twins. I don't know if it's from Steven's mom and Jill teasing us or what but I guess Wednesday we will find out. If there are twins in my belly Steven and I have discussed it and Jill if you are reading this we are moving in with you and Drew. Haha. Not really but we will need all the twin advice we can get. If there are twins in my tummy we will be fine and I know with A LOT of prayer and support we will be up to the challenge.

On to more news I got my first wave of morning sickness. YUCK. While I didn't yack I felt SOOO sick. I am feeling better now so that's good, I just hope it is a freak thing. Oh and if anyone is counting on what I don't like right now it is grape juice and really really sweet things. With that if any of you in blog land thought of buying me sweets and grape juice, I beg of you please don't.

Well, Wednesday I will keep you posted on how many babies there are in my tummy.

Cakes, Vacations, and Blue Steel

2008-08-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Cakes

So I have tried my hand at making cakes for my family. I know that I am just a beginner and not all that great but I have gotten better. The best so far is Steven's 26th birthday cake. I made the mistake of telling him that I was going to make him a cake shaped like his favorite Cubs hat. Well after a lot of thinking and planning, I DID IT!! So here are some of my cakes...

My sisters 30th birthday cake

My dad's birthday cake

Steven's 26th birthday cake

Vacation

Not so long ago Steven and I ventured out into the hill country for vacation. It was AWESOME!!! We had so much fun. We went to the Alamo, Schlitterbahn, floated the river, the wax museume, the outlets, and to see several movies. We were so relaxed and I slept more than I ever have. (I didn't realize that I was Pregnant at the time though) So here are some pictures from our adventures.

Ah, The Alamo. I had never been. It was pretty stinking cool.

This is our wonderful cabin. It was small, but it was all we needed and for a whole week costing $450 you can't beat it.

I had not idea Steven loved Oprah so much.

Hands down the most interesting place we ate on vacation. Yes your eyes are right, not only is it the House of Pizza but it is Chinese Cuisene! Despite the name it was actually good. I would go again if I had the chance.

BLUE STEEL

This is my absolute favorite picture of my nephew Chase. He looks like he is doing the famous Zoolander modeling pose "Blue Steel"

Biscuits and Gravy

2008-08-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Before we get started, let me first apologize in advance for any misuses of the English language. I teach math, not English so I am bound to make an abundance of mistakes. Please do not judge me and Mom if you read this yes you taught me better in 6th grade I just didn't listen. Now to start with the true blog.

This blog is dedicated to my puppy Biscuits. Biscuits is my wonderful, rambunctious, curious Beagle. Steven bought Biscuits for my 26th birthday. When we first got him all he wanted to do was sleep and snuggle. I thought I was in Heaven! Little did I know that it wouldn't take long for that to change. No one felt the need to explain (not that I would have listened) how much beagles dig!! I will never forget the first time Biscuits tried to dig a hole in the carpet. It was so cute. He just kept digging and digging not understanding why he wasn't getting any deeper. Then when we put a fence in our back yard and a doggy door in our laundry room there was no going back. Biscuits digs when ever he gets a chance. I swear he is going to end up in China one day. He even has a hole in the back yard with different tunnels! WOW he is amazing. One day I just wanted to see how deep one of his holes went so I stepped in it. Yeah it went up passed my knee. I'm telling you, one day we are going to find a very confused Chinese person wondering around in our back yard. We don't mind it so much.

One thing that he has started doing is acting like a toddler. When we are ready for bed and go to put Biscuits up he will go limp and lifeless like a toddler. I think he is throwing a fit. He will also run and hide from us underneath our bed. The only problem to his thinking is that he keeps howling, so he is not that great at hiding. I think it sweet, Steven doesn't. That is my puppy Biscuits. He is a great dog and I have really enjoyed having him with us. I can't wait to see how much the baby loves him. I know Biscuits will love the baby too. Then one day it will be time to adopt Gravy and then our little breakfast animal family will be complete.

Here is Biscuits on our bed, ready to go to sleep.

Anything goes!

2008-08-01T16:04:00.001-07:00

I figured that would be the best title for my first blog. I am brand new at this and not really sure what I am supposed to do here. I guess you just write about whatever floats your boat. So here goes nothing!

So this summer has flown by and it has been an exciting one. My awesome sister-in-law Susan got married, along with my wonderful mother, and I recently found out I was PREGNANT!! Exciting news for the Spiess family. Steven was so great when he found out. We had just gotten back from vacation the day before and we still had to unpack. When he found out, he told me to sit down and rest while HE cleaned the house. I know I am very lucky.

So far being prego is great. I am feeling fine. I really hope I didn't just jinx things and tomorrow I won't have a massive urge to yak all over everything. If I do I will be ok and I will just deal with the nausea.

Well that's my first post. It wasn't so bad after all. I have to rest because at midnight tonight I will be scrambling to Hastings to get my copy of "Breaking Dawn"!!! WooHoo! (I am so excited JD! I know you are too) So to all of you who may be reading this in blogger world, thanks for reading.