Happy Halloween!

Many, many more pictures and details of our Halloween to come, but for now,

Happy Halloween!!!

Scarves

I have no free time. Between work, Manning, MBA and sleeping, I literally have no time left...but somehow I found time to crochet two scarves last week. This means that some of the other four things were neglected and I bet you can guess which two...not my son or job...I stayed up late one night finishing the ruffle scarf and I made the pumpkin scarf while I watched the two hour finale of Teen Mom instead of doing homework. Oh well. Sometimes I have to do something that makes me happy, right?

So, I was shopping in the store where I probably buy more of my clothes than any other, maurices, and I saw a cute cream colored ruffly scarf. I loved it, but I did not like the $16 price tag. Seriously, I love the scarf trend, but they are SO overpriced. I can crochet a scarf using like $2 in yarn. This ruffle scarf took me a little longer because I made it really long. I wanted to be able to wrap it a few times and actually use it for warmth. Because of my sales job, I spend a lot of time outside in the winter going between my car and businesses or from business to business. Scarves actually serve a purpose for me now! :)

*Please don't mind the dorky self pictures...Nathan is too dumb to use our dSLR. LOL*

The "pumpkin" scarf was made with a skein of chunky yarn I already had. I really wish it was about twice as thick, but I only had one skein, and I was trying to use what I had, so this is the result.

I'm not sure if you can tell, but this scarf is basically a big circle because you join the ends together. 

Here you can see how I stitched the wrong side together. Looks sloppy, but since this is on the inside you can't see it. This is why I love crocheting. It's SO forgiving and doesn't have to be perfect at all. 

Seriously, these are probably the worst and most unflattering pictures I've ever posted, but I am too lazy to re-take them. If you have any questions about how I made these scarves, let me know! 

Blessed

Tonight I wanted to go to 0ld Navy after I picked Manning up from daycare to get a pair of jeggings to wear tomorrow. I picked him up and headed towards 0ld Navy on the other end of town. As I was driving I realized that I would probably have a hard time trying pants on and keeping Manning from crawling out of the dressing room, and I called Nathan to see what time he was taking his lunch hour. He has been working the late shift all week. He informed me he was leaving in about ten minutes so I stopped at Lowe*s to meet him and he accompanied me to 0ld Navy. As I was taking my shower tonight I started to think about how grateful I am to have such a helpful, kind husband who does almost anything for me without complaint...

which then led me to thinking about how soon we will have two sons to take care of together...

which then led me to think about the fact that Nathan is scheduled to leave for a 12-week military training when Deacon is about 9 weeks old.

AND I FREAKED.

See, my entire life I thought I'd never want to be a stay-at-home mom. I thought I'd be a working mom like my mom was, and I wanted a great career, not just a job. So, I went to college. After earning my Bachelor's and realizing how many people had their Bachelor's I began my MBA program. All of this using student loans. And now, all I want to do is be a mom. And what really is overwhelming me about the thought of Nathan leaving shortly after D is born is that I might have to be working at that point. I might be working full-time which involves over an hour round-trip commute, finishing my last two MBA courses, and being a single mom to two children under the age of 1 1/2.

I CAN'T DO IT.

I know my limits, and this is TOO much. There is not enough of me to go around. There just isn't. I'm praying and trusting that God has a bigger plan than mine, and that this is his job to worry about, not mine. Some days, that is easier said than done.

As I'm thinking about this, one thing keeps popping into my mind. Alditya. My compassion child. The compassion child that it's a stretch for us to pay for every month. The child that lives in an area of the world where such silly worries as finishing a graduate degree while being a mom and employee sound like idiotic things to complain about. An area of the world where clean water and shoes are luxuries. An area of the world where $20 that I'm going to donate towards his Christmas could likely fund the only gifts he will receive on December 25th.

So, I shut up, and go on praying and trusting and knowing that while my problems might seem big, when I step back and look at them, they might not be problems at all, but rather blessings. What a blessing to have two children so closely together when people struggle to get pregnant every. single. day. What a blessing to have a job that consumes time of my day and provides the funds for me to buy a pair of pants today with no prior consideration or saving. What a blessing to have a husband who will sacrifice to serve his country, his family, and his God. I'm so blessed.

Bullet Points

My mind is everywhere these days. I feel like I need to decompress by getting it out in bullet form, so here goes.

• Manning will be one next month. I'm trying to plan a low-key birthday party, but how low-key can it be when you're sending out 38 invitations?
• The morning of his birthday party we're having his one year/family pictures done. I'm trying to figure out what we should all wear. I think I'm going to be a little daring and have us all wear bright colors, that don't match, but coordinate if that makes sense. Last time we all wore black and white and it was okay, but boring.
• Manning learned how to wave and it might be the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.
• I'm way behind in school from Manning being sick for weeks.
• I'm even further behind on my DVR shows.
• Nathan is working closing shift four nights this week, which is NOT fun, but he's off the next TWO weekends. I cannot wait. He hasn't had any weekends off in months.
• Have you seen the new photos of Lea Michele from GQ? I don't think that Glee is a family show, or has ever been, but oh my goodness. The photos are some of the most risque photos I've ever seen in a mainstream publication.
• Rachel Zoe is pregnant and I think I'm probably more excited about it than her and Rodger are!
• This time last year we were in full-on baby preparation mode, but Manning didn't make his arrival for a few more weeks. I cannot believe how much has changed in one year. I especially never dreamed I'd be pregnant again already!
• On that note, I get super excited when I think about how much MORE different (if that horrible grammar makes sense) our lives will be this time next year!
• My iPhone keeps losing songs. One day they'll be there, and the next they aren't. I think that it might have even happened once without me trying to sync it, but even so I have no idea what's happening. I have not changed the way I sync since I first got an iPhone four years ago. Of course it can't be the hundreds of rock songs I only listen to when Nate is around. It's the ones I enjoy the most that keep disappearing.
• It's hard to imagine what my life will be like when I am done with my MBA, but it's starting to become more realistic. I cannot believe I'm only a semester and a half away!
• It does freak me out that I have no idea how or if I'll even use this MBA in any way.
• I really need to find a good hair product for "beach waves" that doesn't cost a lot. Any suggestions?
• Even though it was crappy that Nathan worked all weekend, I had the best time with Manning. I pray I'll have the opportunity to stay home with Manning and Deacon after Deacon is born.

Manning in new Elmo pajamas from Grams

Bye y'all! :)

Pumpkin Patch 2010

I've never been to the Pumpkin Patch before, but I knew that I wanted to take Manning and try to get some good pictures of my pumpkin with all the other pumpkins. Saturday we were going to be in our hometown and Nathan had drill, so we knew it would be the perfect day to take Manning. The weather was actually warmer than I anticipated, and Manning was really tired so he was super serious, but I'm still very glad we went and I think he had a good time. My mom is really busy with her job and other commitments, so it was nice that we got to spend a few hours doing nothing but having a good time. First, a few iPhone pictures my mother-in-law took of Manning and I that morning. Proof I was really there, since I'm behind the camera in all of the pictures at the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch we went to is called Papa Charlie's Pumpkin Patch. 11 months a year it is Good Time Charlie's bar, but in October, they transform the country bar into a fun pumpkin patch. My cousin Clara joined us so you'll see a lot of pictures of her too. I babysat Clara from the time she was about four months old, so it's very surreal to see her hanging out with my own baby! 

Manning's little cheeks are red from being hot, and we'd just gotten there!

Cutie pie!

Clara had fun bouncing inside the huge pumpkin bounce house. 

We rode Thomas the Train

Manning looked precious on the Pedal Tractor

And that's all, folks! 

11 Months/20 weeks

Manning is 11 Months old! I cannot believe it! Here is an update:

Manning, you have changed SO much this month, and so many things have happened!

*You have started to wave bye-bye and it’s so cute. It looks more like when someone says eh…so,so and shakes their hand down low. Funny! Just today you’ve been waving bye-bye to me when I have told you no! I guess that if I’m going to tell you no, you’d like for me to go away! J

*You’re walking more and more, but mostly you’re still too lazy to walk and you crawl everywhere, and FAST! You are still pulling up and walking, but even though you CAN walk on your own, you never want to!

*You have started throwing fits! I’m not a fan. If you know we are putting you in bed and you don’t want to go, or if we tell you no, or if you want something we won’t let you have etc, you arch your back and start crying. Lots of times you’ll throw your head back. Just today I sat you on the floor and I guess you wanted to be held, and you threw your head back and smacked it right on the wood floor! I felt so bad, but it really was your own fault you little stinker!

*You are becoming super independent. You play alone very well, which is great because I know you get lots of group playtime at daycare! You have started to follow us more around the house. If I go in the bathroom to get ready you crawl right in there and sit and watch me.

*You’re trying to give up your bottle a little earlier than you should, but I’m going to try and keep you drinking formula until you’re a year old. You’re doing better and better at eating table food and trying new things. I just can’t believe how fast you’re growing up.

*You love your mommy and daddy, but you are definitely a daddy’s boy. You’re so blessed to have a great daddy who showers you with attention and fun playtime. You love to play silly games with him and you thrive on his attention. It warms my heart.

*Your sleep habits have regressed. You’re waking up more through the night now. A lot of this is because of your sickness I think, so now that you’re better we are trying to get the sleep habits back on track.


There are no great 11 month photos like normal because Manning was in the hospital this week. He's fought a virus for most of this month, and he became dehydrated and just couldn't get past this virus on his own. After three days in the hospital, and some probiotics, he is doing much, much better. Throughout this virus he's visited his pediatrician three times, had one E.R. visit, one urgent care visit which is when he was transferred and admitted to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Here are a few pathetic and sad iPhone pics of his first day in the hospital.

We also had to stop giving you lactose as you recover. Since you only have a month left on formula we will probably keep you on the lactose-free formula until you're 1, and then switch to regular milk. I'm still researching milk information.

Because of the craziness, Nathan wasn't even able to go with me for my OB ultrasound appointment, and this is the best 20 week picture I got. 

We found out that baby #2 is a BOY! 

Deacon Andrew BeVelle should join our family in February, and we cannot wait to meet him! 

Babywearing is GOOD!

From the moment we brought Manning home from the hospital, I loathed carrying him in his carseat. It was bulky, heavy, hard for me to carry while recovering from a c-section, akward and just not my favorite thing to do. I had purchased a structured baby carrier while I was pregnant at Target, and I soon began to use it anytime we went to the store or anywhere I could wear Manning to keep myself hands free. While on maternity leave, I frequently wore him around the house while we were home alone because he sort of hated to be put down. As anyone who has had a baby will tell you, they grow out of the wanting to be held stage way too fast to not embrace it and enjoy it yourself. I also bought a Moby wrap sling, which was super comfortable for carrying M, but I had a hard time holding him and getting it adjusted correctly.

The reason I'm writing this post today is because of the recent negative press regarding babywearing, Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing has requested that babywearing mothers stand proud. Babywearing is a GOOD thing, and when done correctly is perfectly safe for babies and toddlers. If I weren't pregnant and poking out, I'd still be wearing Manning to this day! For our next baby I'd like to get a mei tei babywearer and a ring sling as the budget allows.

I also wanted to write this post because Stephanie has one of the most influential and inspiring blogs I've read. She is a wonderful mother who truly puts her children's needs above her own, and she is a wealth of knowledge (she has four kids!). She also has a twitter account and is so nice and helpful. She's given me advice on breastfeeding and many other aspects of mothering. Because of blogs like Stephanie's, I am a completely different person. This might sound crazy, but I'm being so truthful. We all come into motherhood knowing nothing, and I think that the people you surround yourself with, whether it be "in real life" or online, are the biggest influence on the major and minor parenting decisions you make.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Exciting Week

It's been an exciting week in the BeVelle home. Manning woke up Monday morning with a nasty fever and rash. I went to work for the morning and then traded out with Nathan at noon so I could take him to the Dr. She said it was 5th Disease and that it's a virus that just has to pass. He felt awful but tried to be a good boy at the Doctor's office. I snapped this photo in the waiting room. You can't really tell how bad his rash looked, but you can tell his cheeks were pretty red. In the picture above you can see he was trying to be happy even though he had a high fever and didn't feel good. Poor bumpy faced smiley boy.

On Tuesday I had a pregnancy scare, and ended up going to the ER when I was unable to reach my OB's office. It turned out to be nothing serious according to the ER doc, but he suggested I follow up with my OB on Friday. Everything appeared safe and in good shape Friday and the baby had a strong heartbeat with 160 BPM. I actually remembered to look at my weight from the beginning and that day, and I am down about 4 pounds from my first pre-natal appointment. That is about what I thought. I wasn't in ideal shape yet after having Manning and with getting pregnant so soon after, I was starting in a off in a worse place. We find out what baby #2 is on October 12th. We are so excited to find out.

On Thursday when Manning got home from daycare I realized he'd only had a few wet diapers all day, and went about four hours without a wet diaper. He was refusing to drink a bottle and had only drank about 1/3 what was normal for him. After talking with the nurse's line, we took him to the ER to make sure he wasn't dehydrated. The ER doc (same guy I saw!) said he was fine. It took about a three hour wait to hear that he was fine. Two ER trips in one week was not a lot of fun, but we are so grateful for the positive outcomes. Manning is feeling a lot better.

I took a few pictures the other night. He has been wearing jeans a lot and I think he looks so big and cute in them. He was running around in jeans and no shirt and I just had to snap some pics of him grinning at his daddy.

Isn't he so handsome? :)

 This picture cracks me up because you can see, he has learned how to drag out every toy, but has not learned how to put them away. Y'all have a great weekend.