A light at the end of the tunnel....

First of all, Steven and I cant thank everyone enough for all of the phone calls, emails and referrals you've provided. Your support and encouragement mean so much to us. We just continue to pray and know that ultimately we arent in control and we need to let the Lord do with us as he desires. He wont give us challenges we cant overcome and from this, we will learn. But with all that said, we are quickly seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and which was once a scary situation, has turned into us persuing just some of our lifelong goals.

God has truly blessed our family in allowing me to be a stay at home mom. I cant think of a more rewarding job then to be able raise our children. (Wow...Im still not used to the word "children" yet!) But I've always had a passion to become a nurse. Last week I woke up and realized that is something I still want to do...ultimately in labor and delivery. (Steven is secretly hoping this will cure my baby obsession!) :) anyways Im hoping to start this fall taking the rest of my prerequisites in order to begin the RN program sooner rather than later!

For Steven, this situation has allowed him to realize he wants to become a part of the union. More stability, better wages, 410K, Pension...and more!! We have a couple of friends who have referred him to some companies that are hiring and the more he looks into it, the more doors are being opened to him. Hes going to begin his commercial apprenticeship which will allow him so many more opportunities to move up and make better money. With his 8 years of experience as a residential journeyman, he's ready to move up, eventually owning his own company. *Depending on the future housing market!

We had our 3rd annual Valley Bible Church fantasy football draft yesterday and Robert and Ricci were generous enough to open up their house yet again, for some of the players and their families. Along with us, our good friends Ryan and Amy, Chris and Angela, Ben and Heather, Sarah and Allan and all of the children, respectively contributed to one packed house! Being the only female, yet again, I have a reputation to uphold (as well as a championship win from last year!)...hehe that will never get old!! I am also participating in an all female fantasy football league this year too! Should be interesting :)

Tonight we are going to Chris and Angelas house for a second installment of our Murder Mystery Dinners!! Along with us, we will be joined by Ben and Heather and Cris and Jessica!! They are always so much fun as we look forward to an evening of fellowship and fun....and food!! Good food at that..its a Hawaiian theme this time!! We are planning a trip to Maui with Chris and Angela this April to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary...and after the weather today, Im ready for some tropical climate!!

:: Please pray for the citizens of Louisiana as we've had the tv on CNN all afternoon and they are predicting Hurricane Gustav to be worse than Katrina. These people have already endured so much::

Thank you so much!!



Countdown to The Puyallup Fair - 5 Days!!

5 Weeks Old already!!

My awesome friend Stepheni has such a wonderful eye for photography...especially with babies. She took the time to visit us at the hospital when Norah was born and got some wonderful pictures of her first hours of life, so when she offered to take more pictures of Norah last week I jumped on the occasion. There are just a few of my favorite!! She also took some of baby Tyler. He was born 8 days after Norah (they're going to get married!!) It was a great evening to be had by all!! Check out Danielles blog to see more amazing pictures by Stepheni. I am truly
blessed to have such generous friends.

When it rains...

...it pours

- Jacob woke up at 6:00am (usually its around 8:30)
-Lose the cell phone
-Steven gets a speeding ticket
-Steves last day of work will be next week (laid off)
-Internet goes down
-Comcast guy has to come fix it
-Try to get gas and the station doesnt accept credit cards (waiting on a new debit card)
-Have to drive to my parents house on fumes (meanwhile praying I make it)
-Traffic, traffic, traffic...ugh!
-Hospital bills are coming daily

...nuff said
::sigh::

My Monkey!!

This is the exact expression that was on Jacobs face when we caught him in our cabinets the other day...yup the cabinets... not the ones that are accessed down below on the floor..no, that would be too easy...these are the cabinets you have to climb up on the countertop in order to access. *Steves mom has told me before that he was caught a time or two on top of the refridgerator eating bananas when he was younger. I guess its in the genes. Here is the picture of our kitchen and the exact cabinet he was in...his feet were on the bottom shelf and he was reaching in the top shelf to get his candy basket..from Easter!! Yes, he remembered we kept it up there. Time to add some more child proof locks!!

::Fast forward to today::
I was online playing around because both kids were supposed to be sleeping. Well, Norah was out cold right next to me, but I could hear Jacob talking to himself in his crib, he does this a lot so I didnt think anything of it...until I heard the sound of little feet walking around upstairs. He sounded so happy and excited. That only meant one thing... he figured out how to get out of his crib :( my little boy isnt a baby anymore *tear* We wanted to move him to a twin bed around his 2nd birthday so we're right on track to begin this transition. We'll finally be able to complete his room because his "big boy" bedding I bought him last year is meant for a twin bed!! I just couldnt believe that in a matter of a week he's gotten the urge to climb on everything!! Welcome to the world of little boys Keren!

*How could I not end this post with a picture taken of Norah today :)

(hopefully Jacob will be out of this stage before she's old enough to catch on and follow in his footsteps!!)

1 Month Old...

I cant believe my little girl is already a month old (sigh). In order to commerate her "monthly" birthdays, my wonderful friend Kim created these iron on transfers for me!! I am so thankful to her for doing this for us and am looking forward to taking her picture in these adorable onesies in the next 11 months!! Thanks Kim!!

100th Post...a little late!!

I didnt know how to check out how many posts I've written until Steven mentioned something about 105 posts the other day...I asked him where he saw that and then I felt stupid... it was right in front of me the whole time! So, in honor of post #100 (even though it's a little late) here are 100 random facts about yours truly!!
(Thanks Amy for the great idea!!)
1. If money was no option, I'd probably have 5 children.
2. My ideal dream job would be/will be a labor and delivery nurse
3. I plan on taking online classes this fall in order to complete my prerequisites for nursing school 4. I wish I was able to scrapbook more.
5. I will never buy anything with real fur
6. Even though Im not a vegetarian, I prefer to only eat white meat chicken
7. I've only had 1 bloody nose my entire life
8. I've never broken a bone
9. I met my husband when I was 17
10. ..and got married when I was 20
11. ...and had our first baby at 22
12. ...and our second when I was 24
14. I can type really fast
15. I used to be obsessed with Corvettes
16. I have a huge "Toy Story" memorbilia collection
17. I love horror movies
18. I love to drive fast
19. I could shop everyday
20. Im obsessed with football!
21. I wish I had a nice camera
22. I can't cook
23... but I would love to learn how!
24. I enjoy a glass of wine every once in awhile
25. I could eat Sakuras every night!
26. I love being pregnant
27. I was adopted when I was 3 days old
28. I am an only child
29. I had my dream wedding!
30. I love cruises
31. Im obsessed with soda...Coke or Sprite
32. Im in 2 fantasy football leagues
33. I would wear my jeans everyday if I could
34. I love celebrity gossip
35. I belong to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
36. Im addicted to myspace and blogging
37. I had a VBAC (Vaginal birth after a ceserean)
38. I love my church and try and make it every Sunday
39. I hate slow drivers
40. I try and talk to my parents at least once a day
41. I have OCD...and LOVE to clean
42. I have a crush on Matt Hasselbeck (and my husband is ok with it!)
43. Im looking forward to starting my career
44. I love to decorate
45. I lack patience (but am working on it)
46. I've had the same best friend since I was 4
47. Im glad I had my kids young
48. I wish I could dance
49. I love to play poker
50. I am a HUGE animal lover
51. I was proposed to in a bowling alley
52. I love tattoos and can't wait to get more!
53. I am a horrible back seat driver
54. I used to be an EMT and I loved driving the ambulances
55. Blood and guts dont freak me out
56. I've seen dead bodies
57. I hate veggies
58. I wish I knew how to use Photoshop
59. I've had braces
60. I love pedicures
61. Im a huge fan of Big Brother and Tori and Dean
62. My birthday is December 6, 1983
63. I make the bed everyday
64. I've only lived in 1 state (Washington)
65. I pray I will be a good mother
66. I'd rather text message than talk on the phone
67. I have an amazing husband
68. I have naturally curly hair
69. I lean towards the "right" as a Rebublican
70. I've never seen Office Space
71. I hate the color orange
72. I love to watch the news
73. I will get plastic surgery someday
74. I dont read books
75. I named our daughter after my best friend
76. I love to wear make-up
77. I've never had a migraine
78. I cry over the ASPCA commercial everytime (the one with Sarah McLaughlin)
79. I have been on TV
80. I have won on the radio
81. I dont understand why celebrities feel they have to give their kids such weird names
82. I gag easily
83. I love baths
84. Im a sucker for baby clothes
85. Im a night owl
86. I dont drink coffee
87. I get car sick really easily so I drive most of the time
88. I love to sing in the car
89. I dance with Ellen
90. I named one of our cats after a football player
91. I could eat a slurpee everyday..in fact I've had one a day for the last 3 days!!
92. I rode in a limousine to Disneyland with my mom
93. My parents got 3 hotel rooms for me and my friends on my 17th birthday!
94. I've never had a facial
95. My dream car is a Mercedes Benz (silver)
96. I catch and release spiders in our house
97. I dont like milk
98. Im not afraid to talk about anything
99. I am interested in serial killers
100. I am so blessed!!

Help me choose our baby announcements!!!

My wonderful friend Christia took the time to make our announcements for us, we are so thankful for her as shes done so much for me!!! Unfortunatley, her family had to move to Iowa the day Norah was born and I miss her terribly!! Thank you Christia for doing these for us!! We've narrowed it down to 2 pictures and I need your input!! Also, if you would like an announcement and I dont have your address, send me a comment and I'll make sure you get one!! So I ask...do you like picture 1 or 2...

Picture 1



...or Picture 2


Thank You!!

Little Miss Piglet!!

=

Yup, that's right!! I've officially got a little porker on my hands!! We went to her 1 month check up yesterday and she's topping the charts in the 100% percentile in height and weight...When she was born she weighed 8lbs 14oz and then she lost a few oz in the hospital which brought her down to 8lb 7oz. When we took her to the Drs at 6 days old she was back up to 9lbs and 3 weeks later we're a whopping 11 pounds!! She is also measuring at 23" that 2 more inches than when she was born!! Jacob did the same thing when he was this little too. I didnt expect our little girl to keep up with him though! The kids are both taking after Steve on this one...I am just happy she is healthy and growing strong!! She loves tummy time and holding her head up! The Dr was quite impressed with how strong her neck was and when we told him we thought she rolled over the other night, he wasnt surprised. We have to keep an eye on her now because we dont want her rolling of the couch!! She loves to scoot too!! We have a one month old already!! My goodness...I can't believe how fast the grow and how quickly time passes!! Its no wonder Im already ready for another!!

*We're going to wait awhile though, dont worry!

*Congratulations to Laura who just found out she's having a little girl!!! Eeekkk!! Add one more to team pink!!

**Praise the Lord, Steven is still employed..for now!

Ughh...

We could use a few prayers here at the Fenton household....it is almost a certainty that Steven will no longer have a job in the upcoming days. This doesnt come as a shock because as you know, the housing market/economy suck right now. When the market is down, houses are not selling and there is no demand for electricians, hence the layoffs. So yes, we're a little nervous. Not to mention we got our hospital bills yesterday...ugh!! I could never put a price tag on Norah, she was worth every penny but the timing is not good...yay for payment plans. Depending on when/if Steven does lose his job, Im hopeful the hospital will work with us to lower our bills b/c of our non existant income. With unemployment, we would be able to cover our mortgage...and that's it. I have been looking around at a possible job for me but with a 4 week old and 2 year old, daycare costs dont come cheap. I'd be working in order to pay for daycare...unless I could find a night job...and just have Steven watch the kids...I'd really hate to do that though. We're trying to remain positive and put our trust in God as He is in control.

...on a happier note, we were able to catch up with our friends the last few days which has been so rewarding. We had an amazing dinner with Chris and Angela the other night at The Ram...the kids did amazing and...mmm...Raspberry Breezes are the best!! We saw that on Sundays, kids eat for 1.00 so we're already planning our next double date (pending employment!)

Ricci invited us, along with some other women from church to a lunch at her place on Friday, it was so nice to get out and fellowship with other moms, not to mention she had a/c!! The electrician who wired it for them did an amazing job :) We cant wait to go back in 2 weeks for our fantasy football draft day bbq!!

On Saturday my mom met Steven and I (and the kids) at the zoo bright and early. We wanted to make sure we were there before it got too hot. It was a success as Jacob did amazing! That morning, when I went to go get him out of his crib I asked him "Jacob, are you ready to go to the zoo...?" and he said back to me..."and see the Sharks?" "and see the fishies??"..."and see the monkeys??"..."and see the elephants??"..I was stunned. I called my parents immediately!! We were so proud of him!!

Saturday night, Jessica and I joined Heather at her house for girls night while the guys went bowling! Although I was slightly jealous I wasnt able to show the boys up, we had great "girl talk" time!! When the guys got back we all watched Mel Gibsons, "Apocalypto" which happened to be Bens favorite movie, after we got done watching it, we could see why. Steve really enjoyed it.

Today my good friend Suzie came by to see Norah and Jacob. She hadnt see her since she visited in the hospital for the birth! Her and her hubby just bought an amazing camera so she figured the kids would be a good test subject! I think she did great (the pics I posted below are from her!) They head to New York on Sunday and I am so jealous!! I know they are going to have a great time!!

Norah is 4 weeks old today...wow time flies. We take her tomorrow morning for her 1 month check-up. Im anxious to see how much shes going to weigh and how tall she is. I wonder if she will be off the charts like Jacob was or if she'll grow at a slower pace like the average baby. We'll see!! She already rolled over tonight from her tummy to her back...it took me by surprise so Im having to watch her a little more closely...Im not sure if that was a fluke or not...crazy!!

Anyhoots...its off to bed we go!!

Thank you so much for the prayers...
*will keep you updated
Keren

Wordless Wednesday!!

John Mayer look-a-like??

Somebody needs a haircut!!!


Thanks Suzie for coming over today
...and bringing your camera!!

Norahs 4 weeks old today....
Snuggling up with my little girl!!!

On A Happier Note...

Kisses from Grandma and Papa!!

Taking full advantage of our zoo membership!!

Rubbing noses with the the sea lion!!

Austin VanArsdale

I came across Austins Blog through some moms on my message board. Its about a woman who lost her 1st baby to SIDS and just lost her 2nd baby to cancer yesterday. She is weighing heavy on my heart and I just wanted to share it with you all...please pray for her and her family. If you have a second, take time to read her story, but I must warn you, you'll need some kleenex.

Getting all settled in...

For the past few days I was debating weather to take the kids out with me to run some errands and each time, I decided against it. We thought about purchasing a double stroller but after weighing all the pros and cons we decided to just wait until Norah can hold her head up better and then we will invest in a med/lightweight side by side double stroller and for now, Steven would just push Jake in the umbrella stroller we have and I'd take Norah either in the Bjorn or in the travel system. The double strollers I had previously looked at were not only expensive, but incredibly heavy as well. I quickly began to get stir crazy (there's only so much vaccuuming, cleaning, laudry and organizing that can be done!!) I've never been a homebody and it was killing me that we couldnt just "go out". So after just a few days, I decided I was going to go ahead and search the "list" aka Craigslist, when all of a sudden...I get an email from my good friend Renee, who at the time was needing some minor electrical work done on her house...as her and Steven were figuring out how much it would cost she mentioned that she had a practially brand new sit and stand stroller she had decided not to use...and asked if we'd want to trade! Deal!! What a blessing for that to come into our hands, and at a perfect time too!! We test drove it on Friday with my parents and Steven at the Pierce County fair! It was wonderful to have both kids together and Jacob loved that he could sit or stand!! We met the Graham firefighters and Jacob got to "drive" the firetruck, he was in heaven...and he even got a picture on Steves lap in the drivers seat!! He had a great time watching the big kids go on all of the rides...I cant wait for him to be able to experience the timeless joy of fair season!! Saturday, we visited the Puyallup farmers market for the first time and we were so surprised to see how many people and vendors show up to this weekly event! We are going to try and go a lot more often now!! Everyone had a blast! Steve and I stayed up on Friday to watch the opening ceremonies of the olympics where we were blown away with the amout of time and effort and special effects that went into making this such a spectacular event!! What an honor to be able to participate in these games!! I felt pretty crummy Friday morning... but thankfully my mom came by to watch Jacob while I took Norah to Sugarbabies my new favorite store... hands down!! When at my friend Morgans house on Wednesday, I came across a headband of her daughters, and I knew I had to pick one...or two of these up!! The creator of these adorable headpieces is Jamie Rae and I came home with the Raspberry Rose headband and hope to pick up the Truffle Pink Rose hat later this week...but I am already picking out the next couple to match some more outfits!! When I got home I was surprised with a visit from my good friend and hairdresser extrodinare Danielle!! She had brought us over dinner with flowers and some "adult drinks" and these wonderful chocolate cookies!! Thank you Danielle, for making our night!!! We were blessed with over 15 dinners the last couple weeks and cant thank everyone enough for taking the time out of your days to drive all the way to Orting just for us!! Now that life is back to normal and meals on wheels was over with, I decided I needed to stock back up on food again, and take the kids to Wal-Mart today...(sigh) I was extremely nervous about handling this task by myself b/c Jacob would have to sit in the cart while I wore Norah in the Baby Bjorn, but I am pleased to announce it was a success!! I was so happy and so proud of Jacob for obeying and I rewarded him with a fruit snack and popcicle when we got home!! I have been so blessed with Norah as shes been so easygoing (I think she already knows how crazy her big brother his and is cutting me a break...for now!) but she only cries when shes hungry. Her umbilical cord finally fell off yesterday so she got her first real bath and loved it!! (Will post pictures asap!) Shes been sleeping through the night since day 1 from around 11:30pm to 7:00am, I nurse her and then shes back down again until about 10-11am. Its allowed me to get Jacob up and running (literally) and spend that extra time with him in the morning, its our special time together!! I thank God everyday for the 2 little blessings he's brought into my life...and for such a wonderful, loving and devoted father, in Steven!!

On a special side note: Today, on Christys blog, Norahs photshoot was her featured post, go here to check out what she had to say!!

Norah's First Photo Shoot!!

Where do I begin?? I can't thank Christy enough for everything shes done for us!! She set up meals to be delivered to our house, she took the time out of her crazy busy schedule to do maternity pictures for us, she hosted a couples shower for Steven and I and spoiled us with some melt in your mouth pot roast and gourmet cupcakes and if thats not enough in itself, she came over to our house (loaded with more packages of diapers!!) to take pictures of Norah and her first few days of life. Steven and I couldnt be more thankful for this amazing friendship thats blossomed so much just over the past year, all because of a playgroup that once started at the hospital we all delivered our babies at!! I am so thankful to be able to call you my friend! You are so full of talent beyond belief and we are honored you would do this for us. It means so much! To check out more of Christys most recent photos, check out her blog in which she updates daily here....These are just a few of my favorite pictures Christy took...it was so hard to choose out of 138 pictures!!...Enjoy!!