Thomas Family

First Ultrasounds

2010-02-12T13:26:00.002Z

Here are the first few pictures of Thomas Baby #3...

11 Jan 2010

10 Weeks 1 Day

5 Jan 2010

9 Weeks 2 Days

15 Dec 2009

6 Weeks 2 Days

Baby Bump!

2010-02-12T13:23:00.001Z

I am thankful today for the camera built into our computer, which makes it easier for me to keep up to date with belly shots during this pregnancy! I used to have to find someone to take the pictures and ended up just forgetting for the most part!

Photo taken 12 Feb 2010--14 weeks 5 days.

2010-02-06T12:55:00.002Z

A few more pictures...

I heard water running upstairs today before nap time--I had sent Logan up to go potty...... This is what I found when I got up there--Logan had made a bubble bath for the giant ducky in the sink! :)

Logan giving baby #3 kisses--week 11.

2010-02-06T12:37:00.002Z

I am so far behind, but here are some pictures from the holiday season... :)

Here I am at about 11 weeks with Lily giving the baby kisses...

Lily & Logan all dressed up...

Lily reading some news books that she & Logan got for Christmas...

Kenny helping Logan with a Transformer that Logan got for Christmas--although I think it was more for Kenny than Logan...

Kenny & I at his squadron Christmas Party...

Early Morning Adventures

2009-03-05T13:53:00.002Z

We have a permanent baby gate placed in the doorway of Logan's bedroom to keep him contained...cruel, maybe, safe, I think so! The purpose of the gate is to keep Logan and/or Lily in the room that is as child proofed as a room can realistically be. There are no dressers or bookshelves (major tipping hazards that I am seriously paranoid of), the outlets are covered...you get the idea! This was all put together so that we can sleep good at night, possibly be able to shower in the morning, and because it just seemed like a good thing to do at the time!

We never had any issues until just recently. Logan and Lily shared a room for a brief time, but we quickly learned that they wake each other up VERY early, and also keep each other up VERY late. Lily is temporarily in a pack'n'play in the other bedroom until we make a decision about what to do permanently. I think that Logan misses Lily, because he learned that he can move his toy box over to the doorway and climb over the gate. Once he's free, he goes to Lily's pack'n'play and climbs right in with her. They like to also add some of my scrapbooking supplies to their fun...grrr... Obviously it's not a good thing to have two large children in a pack'n'play with mommy's scrapbooking supplies, specifically when the older child woke up the younger child to play.

The first action I took was to remove the toy box from Logan's room. I left a few of his favorite toys so that he would not be bored. That worked for about 1 nap and 1 night... Logan soon learned that he can stand on his "digger" (as seen in a previous post) and still make it over the gate. I took action again by removing EVERYTHING from his room. He was left with his bed, Lily's toddler bed, sheets, blankets, his pillow, and a sippy cup of water. I took pity on the poor boy last night at bedtime and gave him his digger to sleep with...

At 2:30 AM this morning I was woken by some strange sounds. I thought that the noises were coming from outside since I had opened the window before falling asleep. Just then our bedroom door opened slightly, then shut quickly. I was super freaked out and half asleep, so being the silly person I am I went to see what was going on. Oh and did I see... Logan was in the bathroom with both the hot and cold water running, and by running I mean splashing EVERYWHERE! He had the bathroom light on, as well as his room AND Lily's. The funny part is what was on the floor in the bathroom. Logan had his sippy cup and his sisters cup with him...apparently he woke up in the night and was thirsty, so he went on a mission to get himself some more water. He climbed over the gate using his digger, turned on all the lights, thought he should be nice and get his sister some water too, turned on the water, and then he must have figured out that he doesn't know how to open the sippy cup to fill it with water. That must have been when he started to come get me or Kenny, but maybe thought we would be upset when we saw what he'd been up to...

Soooo, now I have to find a way to keep him in his room! I am too scared of what else he could do in the night without either of us knowing. He has already escaped from a friend's house in the early morning on a cold winter day...long story, but one that will forever have me scared of my kids running away before they even know what running away is!!! I am thinking that maybe I need to move Lily back into Logan's room so that he doesn't miss her so much that he feels he has to climb over gates to see her.... :)

Grocery Shopping

2009-03-04T12:34:00.002Z

I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to make new routines. When I did daycare we would spend Sunday afternoon doing errands like grocery shopping and going to the BX to keep the diaper/wipe supply up. Now that I am a full time stay at home mom I feel that we shouldn't waste our weekend doing errands, which I can do during the week while Kenny is at work. Choosing a day to do grocery shopping has been a challenge for me. I have tried going on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. So far I think Tuesday is my day of choice. Tuesday is close enough to the weekend that we might actually know what we have planned, but it's not so late in the week that I don't have the energy to go shopping with the kids.

Our old commissary routine consisted of me running into the store with a detailed list while Kenny sat in the car with the kids. This allowed me to shop very quickly and gave me the concentration to compare prices without being distracted. Our commissary has recently invested in shopping carts with 2 seats, in addition to the normal child seat. This has been a lifesaver to me! One problem I've found is that the kids can kick the cart, which pushes the back into the food...very irritating! The other main problem is that the kids find it necessary to fight with each other since they're within arms length. Once I am able to ignore those things, it will be perfect!

I have also learned that I am more likely to impulse buy when the kids are with me. I don't know if it's that I can't seem to focus on the list, or that I am in the store for about twice the amount of time...? The other reason I seem to impulse buy more when I shop during the week is that I tend to go in the morning before lunch, when I am HUNGRY! I've got to make a point to eat something before making that trip!

These are just some notes in my attempt to make this weekly chore easier, cheaper, and less stressful for everyone involved. What helps you when it comes to your grocery shopping? :)

Menus...again...

2009-02-20T13:12:00.003Z

Yesterday I managed to get off topic fairly quickly when I was supposed to be talking about menus...oops! The more you get to know me (as well as my husband and kids), the more you learn that I'm one of those "A man walked into a bar, what did he--oh look a kitty!!!" kind of people. Easily side tracked!

Seriously. Today is my last day of daycare, but I have already made my new menu for our first "non-daycare" week. I made some changes to help make the menu work for us, as a family, rather than for the satisfaction of the UDSA. I do not feel that my children need two items at each snack, and sometimes they just don't need meat, vegetable, fruit, grain, and milk at lunch. Some days need to be PB&J with apple slices kind of days. I also took out some of the variety. Anyone who knows my children knows that they could eat PB&J 3 days a week and wouldn't ever notice that you didn't feed them 5 different meals instead. Part of that variety is also knowing what my children like to eat and what they WILL eat. I see no point in serving them items that I know will just be put into the garbage disposal. My menu has a lot of bananas, apples and tangerines, because these are fruits my kids love (and I can count on being able to purchase them from the commissary!).

When making my menu I had to also account for the fact that I shop at an overseas commissary. Produce is...ummm...well...not appealing. One of the major concerns for me is that nothing ever seems to be in season...what I would give to have a good watermelon or cantaloupe in summer! I have considered doing once a month shopping, but then I know that we are lucky if our produce lasts 3 days, so I would still be at the commissary at least once a week anyway unless we cut produce out of our diets...UH, NO!

Meat is another concern. Most of the time the "use by" date on chicken is the same day you purchase it. The other options are to buy Tyson's 100% Natural, which is previously frozen and defrosted, meaning you cannot re-freeze it, so it must be eaten quickly, or the option of buying bags of frozen chicken pieces...icky, not my favorite. I choose to purchase the Tyson chicken, but I put it on the menu for a day right after we shop so that it is still fresh. All other meat I purchase goes straight into the freezer and I thaw it the day before or the day I need to use it.

One of the biggest reasons I have been able to give into a menu is the money it saves us. I am in disbelief of how much we save by making a menu, planning a grocery list accordingly, and sticking to that list at the store. I never realized how much food we were purchasing and then later throwing out because it went bad or expired. I now only buy what is needed for that week. Yes, sometimes stocking up can be good, but when it's never consumed it is just a waste. Next week our menu is full of dinners that will use up items in the cupboards and/or freezer that aren't being eaten. No, it's not going to be fun to eat Spaghetti-O's for dinner on Monday, but maybe that will remind me not to buy them because I think Kenny or the kids will want it.

Menus...but I got side tracked to Snacks!

2009-02-19T12:55:00.003Z

I think it is very funny how many of us grow up thinking "I'm not going to turn into my mom/dad", but in the end we are more like our parent(s) than we would ever think possible. In my case I very much like my mom, and if anything I wish I could be more like her in some ways. I have been running a daycare out of my home for 3 1/2 months, and tomorrow will be my last day. It was not for me, and I am excited to get back to being a "normal" stay at home mom. I have established a few new (good) habits due to some of the rules and regulations the daycare required. These may take a few posts to discuss, but I want to start with the MENU.

When I was a kid, my mom always had a weekly/monthly menu. For her this was a way of knowing what she needed to put on the grocery list each week, as well as a way for us to all know what to prepare and eat for dinner each night. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and side dishes were not on the menu because a routine was already in place for those, ie: eggs and oatmeal for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, vegetable with dinner, etc. I spent much of my childhood hating these menus because I never seemed to "feel" like eating any of the items on the menu; not because I didn't like that food, but because I "felt" like eating that item on a different day...you get the idea.

As a licensed daycare provider through the US Air Force I am required to serve the children breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack, all of which need to meet USDA guidelines. Milk must be served with breakfast and lunch, 2 "real"(I will explain later) items must be served at EACH snack, and lunch must consist of a meat or meat alternative, 2 fruits/vegetables (or one of each), and a grain. So a proper lunch could be peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread, peas, and apple slices with a glass of milk. Of course it gets more complicated than that, but you get the idea.

As a mom I never noticed that the kids really do seem to need breakfast, lunch, dinner AND 1-3 snacks a day. I don't know why this never hit me on the head, but it didn't. My kids would act up and misbehave during the day because they were hungry. Now I am not saying that I didn't feed them, I am just stating that sometimes kids need those crackers at 9:30am rather than just making them wait for lunch at 11:30am. Snack time was a new thing to me. By "new thing" I mean that my mom always had snack time in our daily schedule and I somehow forgot all about it when I gave birth to my own children.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand... When I say "real", I mean crackers, cheese, fruit, vegetables, etc...NOT fruit snacks, Ho-Ho's, sugar filled WhAtEvEr, etc. You know exactly what I'm talking about. We as moms have talked ourselves into the fact that sometimes it's just easier to give the children junk than to cut an apple... but is it REALLY? By not being able to feed my kids junk during the day I have learned that it is not that much more work to cut an apple, open a banana, or toss some crackers onto plates for the kids. If fact, I find that we are helping ourselves by not feeding them junk because they behave better when their sugar levels aren't acting like a roller coaster! Have you ever looked at the nutrition label for some of the "healthy" snack foods that we all buy? If you want to feed your kids junk food that's FINE, I happen to love eating junk food, but do them and yourself a favor and try giving them more nutritious snacks.

I have more to say about menus, but I will save that for my next post since you are probably falling asleep reading this...

My New Found Love...

2009-02-17T16:13:00.002Z

I have a dear friend, Ness, who invited me to go antique shopping with her this past weekend. Now you must know that I have never purchased an antique before, but I really really love looking at them. Now maybe I got ripped off, maybe I got a great deal, but regardless of any of that I LOVE my new corner cabinet!!! I spent this morning rearranging furniture that was probably too heavy for me to move, but it was worth it once I found a home for my new love in this corner of the dining room. I even filled the top of the cabinet with some of my favorite "breakables", and topped it with a serving tray that I bought in London. I must admit that I think I am hooked...when can we go antique shopping again? :)

Cute Picture of Logan

2009-02-17T16:10:00.002Z

I just thought this was a cute picture of Logan wiggling his way around under the dining room table and chairs with his bulldozer... :)

Kenny's New Toy

2009-02-17T16:06:00.003Z

Kenny has decided that he would like to learn how to play the electric guitar. He consulted with many of his friends and/or co-workers who play guitar to figure out what kind to purchase. After waiting patiently for the go-ahead from his accountant (haha me), and also the USPS, here is Kenny with his prized guitar...

Doesn't he look happy? :)

Snow!!!

2009-02-17T15:58:00.002Z

We have recently been getting more snow than England is used to (because it's rare to get any snow here...). 1/4 of an inch of snow will put schools on 2 hour delay...hehehe... I am afraid to drive when it snows because they do not have snow plows or salt for the roads...they do put down a little bit of sand in some places... of course no one else knows how to handle a little bit of snow, so it's best to just stay at home and enjoy looking out the window with the kids and try to explain what snow is to them!

Toys in Timeout...

2009-02-17T15:36:00.002Z

My kids often abuse or misuse their toys, causing us to put the toys in "timeout". Back before I started doing daycare, I put all of the kids play kitchen "food" and "pots, pans, dishes, etc." into timeout. The reason for this was that the kids did not play with it, Lily tried to eat the "food", and it was such a mess all day everyday that I could not stand it anymore. So finally, after 3 1/2+ months, the kitchen stuff was returned to be played with. I am not a mean mom, I promise!

Logan and Lily playing in their kitchen...
Concentrating so hard...

My little chef...

No nice way to say this...

2009-02-11T06:43:00.002Z

I have been searching my mind for a nice way to explain things in this post and just cannot seem to do it. So here you go, rude, crude, and exciting (for parents, lol)!

Last night, Feb. 11, Logan got ready for bed as usual along with Lily. I quickly got Lily settled into her bed and focused on Logan. I ran and got him a drink of water and told him to get into bed. When I came back into the room he had that funny look on his face and was using the corner of the bed to stable himself. I immediately asked him if he needed to go poopy and he said yes! I told him to hurry into the bathroom and I tore off his footie pajamas and his diaper so that I could throw his onto the toilet. I walked out of the room to give him some privacy, and when I came back I could not believe it.... Logan had pooped on the toilet for the first time ever!!! I almost cried (ok I waited a little while and then DID CRY)! My little boy is growing up and I love it (sort of).

OK, so it wasn't a blood and guts sort of post, but there is never a great way to discuss poop. Thanks for reading anyway! :)

Welcome Back!

2009-02-06T13:09:00.003Z

I have posted quite a few posts today, Feb. 6th, so please scroll down, click "Older Posts", and start with the first one of the day and work your way back up to this one. The first post is titled "A Long Overdue Update". Happy Reading!

This is me being a dork (who me??? NEVER!)... when bored, take pictures of yourself! :)

2009-02-06T12:59:00.002Z

Logan can be a frustrating kid at times, but there is one thing that really drives Kenny crazy. Logan loves to dress up, sometimes in pink/purple shiny costumes, and he also loves to wear my shoes, heals, boots, whatever. I try to tell Kenny that it's ok and that all boys do this, as well as the fact that if we make it a big deal Logan will want to do it more. I'm sure none of this comforts a dad of a two year old boy, but oh well!

An example of the beautiful outfits Logan puts on... :)

I think maybe Logan realized that he needed to prove his manliness to his dad...

He carried two twelve packs of soda from the entry way to the kitchen... of course he stopped and rested a few times, but still pretty amazing for a two year old!

I think he might have even been running here...

Here is where Logan figured out that he could just scoot them...

Of course you can see Lily watching and learning, so stay tuned for "One Year Old Girl Carries Case of Soda". :-)

2009-02-06T12:50:00.002Z

My kids are a little bit confused about cameras still...might have something to do with the fact that I hardly ever get it out...but anyway... They both seem to think that being very close to the camera and trying to grab at it is a good idea. Logan will copy everything that I do while I'm trying to get a shot of him.

Here is Logan squatting down because I squatted down to his level to get a better shot. Silly boy.
Lily has recently learned to use a fork to eat with. I did not teach her this, just another benefit she has of being a second child who can copy her older brother. I am super proud of her!

Logan can be a big dork...I have NO IDEA where he got that from! ;)

I was trying to get a picture of Lily using her fork, but instead I got this "suprising" shot of her and her BEAUTIFUL blue eyes!

Logan and Lily have learned that they just fit between the tv cabinet and the pack 'n' play...they enjoy sitting there together and watching the baby.

Boys vs. Girls...Again!

2009-02-06T12:42:00.002Z

At the beginning of the year I started watching a 6 week old baby during the days. Logan and Lily have had very little exposure to babies, especially ones this tiny, so they have been fascinated with him. I often have to tell the kids not to touch the baby while I'm feeding him, so I tell them to "go get your baby", which of course refers to their dolls.

Now we all know that girls and boys are different, but here is an example that still has me laughing... (please note that NONE of these pictures were posed, I just happened to catch them in the moment.)

Lily knows how mommys hold babies...

Logan is trying out the football hold...

Or the...uh, yeah...I don't know what to call this one!

And here is one of the children I watch (who has become like a brother to Logan and Lily)...I think you would call this "palming the baby's head", LOL. :) Remember, not posed!

2009-02-06T12:36:00.002Z

Logan and Lily are both wild and crazy kids for the most part, but when they do sit down and do something QUIETLY it melts my heart and makes me get the camera out! I think this is why I have so few pictures of them... :)

Logan reading...wearing his wellies, of course!
Lily pushing her baby in the shopping cart...notice that she is also holding a bottle of milk for the baby...

Yes, Lily spends a great deal of time feeding her little baby... so cute!

Sometimes you just can't stay awake while playing with Matchbox cars!

Doesn't he look smart? Haha, I know, I'm his mom so of course I think that!

2009-02-06T12:33:00.002Z

I was bored one day, so I experimented with the camera... I absolutely LOVE this shot of Logan! His eyes are so blue!

2009-02-06T12:25:00.002Z

Sometimes I think Logan is a real pain in my rear... but then I look at this picture and think that my "little" boy is the smartest, cutest, and most talented kid ever... ;)

Lily loves to sit and read to herself, carry books around, and fight over books with Logan. Unfortunetly, she does that seem to want to sit still long enough for someone to read a book to her...soon, right?

Logan and Lily love to dress up with the dress up clothes that we have while I'm doing daycare out of our home. They both require help getting "dressed", but they pick out their own outfits!

Haha, I just think this picture is super cute with Logan and his wellies!

2009-02-06T12:18:00.002Z

After the holidays we did some reorganizing upstairs. We found something that was left out after Halloween by accident and set it aside to be put into the "Halloween Bin"... Lily found it after her bath one evening and thought it would be fun to try on...

Priceless! :)

A Long Overdue Update!

2009-02-06T12:03:00.002Z

As a mom of two kids two and under I feel like my kids are constantly growing and changing. That being said, one would think that I would have a camera attached to my hand at all times in order to capture each and every moment. One would think...but the truth is that I am lucky if the camera is used once a week! Sad, I know, but it's the truth. I just finished uploading pictures from the camera today and noticed that it was December 25th when I last uploaded any pictures, so here is an update of the end of December, all of January, and the beginning of February!

Yes, Logan is THAT white...hehe just kidding... Here is Logan all bundled up ready to go play outside. Notice he is wearing Wellies (rainboots) that he is able to put on all by himself!
Lily is our little pink princess...totally not my fault! I absolutely love this hat that she is wearing, which was a Christmas gift from the Conderman Family.

Here is a true example of boy vs. girl... Logan was given this very cool Tonka bulldozer by his cousins Jonah and Lucy. Very manly!

Lily was given a baby doll and two pretend bottles from her cousins... I never taught her what to do with a baby and bottle, she did that on her own! Very motherly!

Update...

2008-07-09T09:45:00.004+01:00

First I would like to apoligize for not writting in a long time. As it turns out, maybe I am only good at blogging every few months, not once a week or more. I seem to manage to check other blogs for updates daily, but when it comes to finding material for ours I am out of ideas.

Lily is now crawling, as well as trying to pull herself up onto furniture. I cannot believe how much my baby has grown. She eats baby food out of jars, and enjoys anything else we will let her hold and eat. Her favorites are french fries and breadsticks. Her 5 teeth do a pretty good job of tearing off pieces, but I don't think much chewing is being done. Lily is really good at keeping herself entertained, with the help of Logan some of the time.

Logan officially acts like he's two now. He climbs on everything, throws everything, whines, screams, and throws tantrums...yep, sounds like he's two. I just had to take a break and get him out of the refridgerator, where he was taking all the lids off the milk cartons. He is finally saying a few words, but still not too many. This morning he thought it would be a good idea to start taking out the filling (the wet filling) from his diaper when he woke up. Such a nice gift for me first thing in the morning!

Kenny is busy with work, as usual. He took his first test for promotion in May, and will find out results in August. We are hopeful that he did good, but of course it is just his first time testing.

As for me, I am trying to keep up with the kids and the house. I am also trying to mentally prepare myself for our trip back to Indiana sometime this month. I need to know what clothes will need to be purchased during our trip, as well as other items for the house. I have to take advantage of U.S. shopping while I can! We are very much looking forward to seeing family and friends, as well as introducing Lily to everyone.

Hope to see some of you soon!

Why I Need To Stop Procrastinating......

2008-04-28T11:18:00.008+01:00

The kids are both down for naps, and I am trying to get things together for a couple Tupperware Parties. I finished most everything and thought "hmm, I should upload the pictures on the camera so that family and friends in the states can see the kids". I plugged the camera into the computer and am in SHOCK! There are 225 pictures on the camera!!! I am horrible at taking pictures very often, and quite a few times recently we have not used the camera because the batteries were dead. I couldn't believe it when I saw what the oldest picture on the camera was, because the kids have changed sooo much. The pictures are still loading onto the computer, but I don't know how I'm going to pick out good ones to post when there are 225 pictures to choose from!

This was the oldest picture on the camera...we needed to carry clean laundry upstairs, so we put Lily in the hamper and carried her that way! I miss her being so little!!!

After Lily outgrew her co-sleeper (a tiny bed that fits between Kenny and I in our bed) I couldn't bring myself to move her straight to her crib, so here she is being a princess on our king size bed. For a while she wouldn't sleep anywhere else...I may have created a monster!!!

For a week or so Lily thought that sitting up on the couch was the perfect place for a nap. Here she is asleep with the book she was "reading".

Logan loves to play with our shoes, so here he is with my boots on his hands!

Here is a random picture of Kenny. He looks happy. :)

And Here is a random picture of me! :)

For a while I was very addicted to eating at Popeyes (I swear they put Crack in their food), so here is Logan eating a biscuit in a high chair...I know the picture is old because Kenny has been having Logan sit in a normal chair at Popeyes for a quite a while!

My "little" ray of sunshine!!!

Kenny borrowed Guitar Hero (a video game) from someone, so of course Logan wanted to play too!

Doesn't it just melt your heart to see them interact?! OK, maybe I'm just their crazy mom. :)

Logan attended a Princess Birthday Party for his friend Aubrey who turned 3. Logan and Aubrey's little brother were the only boys at the party, which was a tea party at a hotel in a nearby village.

Logan found a bottle of Pepsi and an empty box of Rice Krispies. He was quite proud of his finds!

Isn't this priceless? :)

Logan was reading his new favorite book to Lily. Thanks grandma for "Where's Spot"!!! :)

Logan with his sippy cup waiting for us to open the van door for him.

Lily in the front of the double stroller with her bonnet on. (Thanks again grandma!)

She loves looking at herself in the mirror...100% GIRL! :)

Logan wearing another pair of my shoes!

Lily reading and making faces at the camera.

Logan looking behind the entertainment center for cords to unplug (100% BOY)...notice he is wearing my tennis shoes!

Lily has started turning her head to look at us...super cute!

Logan thinks Lily's toys are more fun than his.

Logan falling asleep on Kenny while he's getting ready for bed.

Logan this morning....wearing Kenny's shoes this time!

Lily this morning...isn't she adoreable?! :)

At their last appointments, Lily weighed 20 lbs. 6 oz., and Logan weighed 28 lbs. Check back for updates! :)

January

2008-02-05T14:19:00.000Z

Wow, I find it hard to believe that January is behind us and we're already into February! Our family was not very eventful in January, which is probably why I did not post a blog. I spent about a week sick with pnuemonia at the end of January, but after a few days on antibiotics I am feeling much better. Kenny has been going running 5 days a week, which seems to be very good for him.

Logan and Lily are growing like weeds, as always. Logan has added a couple words to his vocabulary, although he doesn't use them very often. He has said cheese, shoes, and ball. He must have just gone through a growth spurt because I noticed that most of his shirts are looking a little short. Another reason I am looking forward to a trip to the states! Lily seems to be close to rolling over, but it may still be a while. She is almost always happy and smiley. Her favorite thing to do is to take over our king size bed. She looks so cute and spoiled rotten laying in the middle of our bed.

Logan has just woken up from his very short nap, so I better attend to him. More soon I hope!

A New Year Begins

2008-01-01T11:40:00.000Z

This morning I am thinking back on the year that is past, and looking ahead to the new year. So much happened in 2007 for our family. We entered 2007 with Logan as a baby who was our little cutie. In February we were surprised to find out that we were pregnant with baby number two. We had always planned to have a second one fairly close after the first, but we never expected to have them this close! Soon after finding out that a baby was on the way, I had to quit my job working at Charley's at the food court due to morning sickness.

At the end of February Kenny sewed on the rank of Senior Airman. I am so proud of him and how well he has done so far in the Air Force. He works so hard to take care of us and tries his hardest to make everything happen for us. In April he sent me home to Indiana for three weeks with Logan. It was a rough trip, but well worth it. Soon after I came back home to England my wonderful mom made the journey over here to visit us. We had a wonderful time traveling while she was here. We even managed to arrange a girls-only overnight trip with my friend Jennessa, as well as her stepmom and step-grandmother, who happened to be visiting England at the same time as my mom. We had a great time!

In June we packed up our Saturn and took a twelve day road trip of Europe with some friends of ours. They drove their minivan with themselves, their two children, and the grandparents. We saw so many things while we were gone, and drove in over ten countries--France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Austria, Vatican City to name a few! Logan was the perfect age to handle long car rides and he was such a good boy. We packed the Pack' n 'play for him to sleep in at the hotels, which he did very nicely. It was a little hard to be pregnant during this trip, but luckily I hadn't gotten to the point that I was too uncomfortable yet. Overall we had a wonderful time and made soooo many great memories. How many other people our ages have seen that much of Europe??? :)

While on our road trip, we had time to think and talk about selling our 4 door Saturn so that we could purchase a minivan to hold our growing family. After we got home to England we ordered a 2007 Dodge Caravan, which arrived in November.

In August we moved into a three bedroom house on Mildenhall. It is a great house and very large! Hopefully this will be the last move for us while in England! Eric was a great help with moving. He and Kenny worked very hard to get everything out of the old house and into the new one. We also had some help from home other friends, which we are very thankful for.

In September Jennessa threw me a wonderful baby shower. She even sent invitations to some friends of ours in the States, who were so generous to send gifts here. I feel so very blessed. Logan also turned one on September 22nd. Amazing how fast his first year went!

October 17th we were overjoyed to welcome Lily Grace to our little family. She weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz., and was quite healthy. Logan stayed with Eric and Jennessa while we were at the hospital, and I was quite blessed to actually have Jennessa as my labor nurse in the hospital. She did a wonderful job helping Lily join our family, and of course Kenny was by my side. He was such an awesome coach, I don't know what I would have done without him.

In November my mom was able to come back for a visit. We weren't able to do as much traveling as we wanted to, but we did take a leisure trip to London and Norwich. She spent a great deal of time helping me with the kids and also helping me organize some things that hadn't been unpacked after the move. In addition, she helped me hang up our wedding photos in our dining room, as well as some other pictures around the house. We did get a lot done, and even spent quite a bit of time on a craft project. The goodbye when she left was as hard as ever, but we are looking forward to her visiting again when she can. I would keep her here with me as long as I could, but I know she has so much going on back at home in Indiana.

We held Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, with a total of 6 adults and 6 kids. It was a filling day, and I think everyone had a good time. We spent Christmas dinner at our friend's house, with the same crowd as Thanksgiving. We got to celebrate Christmas Eve two times with Eric and Jennessa, which was so nice.

The kids were weighed on the 31st of December, and boy have they grown! Logan weighs 26lbs. 6 oz., and Lily is 15lbs. 8oz. Wow do they grow fast!!!

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope the next year is even better than the last! :)

A few odds and ends

2007-12-11T08:09:00.000Z

OK, I know, it's been forever since I've written on here. Life has been pretty normal lately. The weather here in England has been cold and rainy, so poor Logan seems to be getting restless. We try to go to play group on base a couple times a week to help him burn some steam. There is play group this morning, but I was invited to a women's Bible study, so I think we will try that.

This past weekend went way to fast. Kenny and I went to his shop's adult Christmas party. Our wonderful friends Eric and Jennessa watched the kids so that we could have a night without children. I drank waaay to much, but luckily I have a WONDERFUL husband who took great care of me. I had a ton of fun, especially since my good friend Rachel was drinking right there beside me.

Christmas is just around the corner, but I cannot seem to get into the holiday spirit! We didn't put up a Christmas tree this year due to Logan being at that wonderful age where he gets into everything. Last night he was able to reach up on the kitchen counter and pull his plate, with his dinner on it, onto the floor. Reason # 20055 why I am thankful for leaving the tree and all the decorations in the box.

Thomas Family Christmas 2007

Logan & Lily Christmas 2007

A Night Out

2007-11-18T14:46:00.000Z

Well, yesterday my little Lily turned one month old. Hard to believe how fast that month went! She is doing well, and growing like a weed. I went out last night with a friend and some of her friends to celebrate her birthday. She chose the enlisted club on Lakenheath, which I guess she goes to often with "the girls". I had never been, but after many many months of being pregnant and then having Lily, a girl's night out sounded like fun. As soon as Kenny came home from work I went upstairs and got ready. He then drove me to this friend's house and dropped me off so that he could come back home and put the kids to bed, along with himself.

As soon as us girls got to the club, I remembered why I do not go to clubs. The room full of slot machines along with two pool tables that were in use wasn't interesting, and neither was the room where a bunch of already drunk people watched college football. We all got ourselves our first drink at the bar and made our way to the room with the dance floor. Apparently we had picked country night, which was alright in the beginning since I love country music. The room was almost completely empty, so we made ourselves comfortable at a round table and continued to chat. The night pretty much continued like this for the rest of the night while more people joined us in that room, but only 4 or 5 different couples danced. Country dancing takes two people, and not many people know how to dance to it. Sort of a bummer, but since I can't dance it wasn't a huge loss.

I drank a little more than I meant to, but never did seem to get much of a buzz. Just as well, it's more fun to watch other people be drunk anyway. I'd rather be the one laughing than the one acting like a fool. We weren't there 2 minutes before one of the drunk airman came up to us trying to hit on us. It was waaay too early in the evening to be as drunk as he was. I ended up home a little before 2am, and luckily I was able to get some sleep.

Anyway it was nice to get out and do something I don't normally do, but I can't say it's something I would like to do often. I would much rather get together with my friends at one of our own homes. A nice evening with some games or scrapbooking or even just talking always sounds nice to me. And bonus, drinks cost less when you drink at home! :)

Another Difficult Goodbye

2007-11-11T14:26:00.000Z

Today my mom left to go back home to Middletown. She was here since November 1st, so I got a week and half with her. My mom leaving is one of the hardest things in the world for me. When she is here we have so much fun together. We weren't exactly close while I was living at home, but now she is my best friend. Last night I found myself not wanting to go to bed because I never wanted today to arrive. Mommy is an excellent mom and grandmother. We seem to fall into a routine when she comes to visit, and I would love to have her stay longer if I knew she didn't need to get back to the rest of the family.

After dropping my mom off at the tube station, I learned that Logan is nearing the age where he is going to be as upset as I am about her leaving us. Logan cried for many miles down the road, which actually forced me to pull myself together to try to calm him down. He would calm down a little while I did patty cake with him(something Grandma taught him), but then he would just start crying again. Needless to say, so did I.

When I got home today I put Logan in his bed since he was already asleep from the car ride, and I let Lily continue to sleep. To keep myself busy I did some laundry, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, fed Lily many times, and even sorted out the kids' clothes. Logan has outgrown his 18 month pajamas, as well as his 12 month jeans. Even Lily has outgrown one of her sleepers already. I can't believe how fast she is growing. I know how quickly babies grow, but for some reason it's always surprising to me.

Kenny is working the 3 day weekend this weekend on 12's. Hopefully I can find things tomorrow to occupy my mind and help me deal with missing my mom. This is one of the parts of being a military family that really sucks. I hate saying goodbye to my mom. I guess I just need to be thankful for her being able to visit us. Part of being in a big family is learning to share, no matter how much I would like to be selfish and have her stay with me for longer periods. Tomorrow will be rough, but every day that passes will be easier and before I know it I'll be driving back to Epping to pick her up and start this cycle all over again.

Lily Grace

2007-10-22T16:52:00.000+01:00

After so much waiting and waiting, we got to meet our new little girl this past week. Lily Grace was born on October 17th at 1:18am. She weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces. She was 20 1/4 inches long. Healthy and beautiful!

Lily and I were discharged from the hospital on the 18th. We drove and picked up big brother Logan from our good friend's house and began our adventure with 2 children. It has taken a bit of getting used to, but it is great. At first Logan was very rough with Lily when she was within his reach and he wanted to grab her pacifier. He is now a little less amused by her and leaves her alone most of the time.

I am very very happy to be back to my normal self. I have been sleeping at night again, which is such a great feeling. Kenny seems happy that my moods are back to normal.

38 Weeks Today

2007-10-07T09:58:00.000+01:00

Here we are, I've made it to 38 weeks! Still no baby, but I'm sure she will come out eventually. I have to keep telling myself that so that I can keep a little bit of sanity. Kenny might like to argue that my sanity is completely gone already, but then he sees my meltdowns that I hide from everyone else! Luckily this is a 3 day weekend for Kenny, so I have had extra help with Logan. I'm so glad I never had all of this discomfort when I was pregnant with Logan. Sure I was throwing up everyday, but this back pain and early contractions are getting old. I have gone to bed so many nights thinking that it will be "the night" and then the contractions go away.

I have an OB appointment on Tuesday, where they will hopefully strip my membranes. That did the trick and put me into labor with Logan, so I am holding onto a little hope that it could happen again. Walking hasn't seemed to done anything, which isn't too surprising. I figure that if carrying Logan up the stairs doesn't put me into labor, walking isn't going to either. The thing that does get strong contractions going is riding in the car to Littleport. The road is nice and bumpy.

Logan has taken a few steps this week. He's doing so much better with balancing. He can stand on his own and clap or wave or do the baby sign for all done. We're very proud of his progress. He also learned how to through a temper tantrum this week. He was sick for a few days and got spoiled, so now he thinks if he cries he will get his way. Boy does he have a lot to learn! Kenny isn't having any of it. I am trying to be strict, but when I'm tired and hurting I really just want Logan to smile and give me a hug. I know, pathetic.

We picked up the van we ordered this week. We were very excited. Unfortunately, a few things do not work...the keyless entry, automatic locks, clock, radio, cd player, dvd player, etc. So in addition to all the silly things we have to have done in order to drive our new van in England, we have to get all of those things fixed as well. Normally I could probably handle all of this, but with my sanity completely gone I just want to scream. But soon we will get that all fixed and I will be very excited to be driving my mini van with my new double stroller in the trunk. Yes, I am such a soccer mom and I'm OK with that!

Hopefully next week I will not be writing about being 39 weeks pregnant, but still likely. I'm just way to impaitent to meet my new baby. :) Kenny's prediction is that she will be born on the 14th. He was only one day off with Logan, so maybe I should start listening to him.

2007-09-30T14:33:00.000+01:00

I am officially 37 weeks pregnant today, yay!!! I think everyday I am getting more and more impatient. I'm sure my friends and family are sick of hearing how "ready" I am to have this baby out! Luckily they will all come running back to my side when the little stinker comes out. ;) No one can resist a newborn.

I have my 38 week appointment a week from Tuesday. As of right now I have Logan's bag half packed. My hospital bag and the baby's bag have not been started. I don't know why I can't seem to get that taken care of. Kenny says we will do it this week on his days off. I am about 5 hours away from the end of a very long weekend of Kenny working 12's. Logan seems to sense that I don't have the energy for 12 straight hours with him, so he thinks he needs to make it even worse for me. Such a sweetheart.

Logan had his 12 month appointment this past week. He is 24 pounds, 31 inches. He had blood drawn and got some shots. I think the shots made him sick, because he has developed a nasty cough and a runny nose. He has been sleeping in his toddler bed, never even looking back at the crib. Quite a few mornings we have found him under the bed or on the floor, but overall he is doing well. Still not walking...my theory is that he is waiting until I am in the hospital with the new baby.

Thursday night I was sure I was going into labor, but I was able to fall asleep and actually slept better than most nights. No baby. I was lucky with Logan and didn't have all of these contractions before it was really time. I had the nesting instinct earlier this week and vaccumed and steam cleaned the car-- Oh wait, I started the project, got a few minutes into it, then was too tired and Kenny had to finish it. I'm wishing I would get back into that cleaning mood for a few hours. I have so much I would like to get done. I remember coming home from the hospital with Logan to a horrific mess. I was told to take it easy, but I spent that whole day cleaning the house. I think I did more that day than I did the entire time I was pregnant with Logan.

Time to go rest until Logan wakes up from his nap. I will try to upload some pictures soon.

My Weekend...

2007-09-15T21:18:00.000+01:00

I woke up on Friday morning at 4am needing to pee (a normal thing) to discover that I had developed a rash around my left eye. Knowing that I probably couldn't make a same-day appointment at the hospital, I went ahead and drove to the ER to get checked out. They got me in quickly since I was the only one there, and I saw a doctor who seemed to be in more of a hurry to get me out of there than to actually help me. He told me I had dermatitis (not sure of spelling), told me to take Benadryl if it itched, and to wash my eyelashes. He then sent me home.

I got some Benadryl anti-itch cream and went about my business. I then woke up this morning (Saturday) to find that my left eye was half swollen shut and the rash had spread to ,y nose and cheek, as well as behind both ears. Grrreat! Being concerned, I went to the ER again, with Logan. After waiting over an hour to be checked in, I was met by a very rude technician in Triage. He very unkindly told me that this is a symptom of dermatitis and that there isn't anything they can do for me... Nice guy.

Luckily for me, the doctor working in the ER today was much nicer than her staff. She took the time to talk to me and take me seriously. She actually explained things and did all she could to help me. She told me to try some hydrocortizone cream and also to try a different shampoo. I personally don't think the shampoo is the problem or solution, but at least she cared! Anyway.....below are some pictures of my "beautiful" skin condition. I feel like a freak.

This afternoon
This afternoon again
And about an hour ago...

Nice, huh?

2007-09-15T19:48:00.000+01:00

Finally I have uploaded pictures from the camera, yay!!! I knew it had been a while when I found pictures from our old house still on the camera. Anyway, here are a few...

Here I am with my pregnant belly at 30 weeks...so 5 weeks ago...I am going to have Kenny take another picture tomorrow, when I'm 35 weeks.

Here is Logan after eating some yummy lasagna. He is a huge fan of pasta, and luckily he has since learned how to eat without making such a mess!

First Haircut! Yes, I cried. He looks very much like a toddler now, just in time for him to be a big brother.

Logan has some issues with staying under his blanket and keeping his head on his pillow. It's so much more fun to roam around the crib and occasionally get his arms and legs stuck between the rails.

Weak Moments

2007-09-13T10:15:00.000+01:00

It's amazing to me how much a TV show can make me think about things I try to forget. Like the fact that things could happen to the people I love in a split second.

I feel so pathetic sitting here crying because I miss my mom. I miss my mom and my dad and my siblings. I hate living so far away from them and I hate only seeing them once a year. I would do just about anything right now to hug my mom. What were thinking wanting to stay over here for an extra 3 years? I want my family to know my babies, but how can they when I have them all the way over here??? Rationally we are just trying to do what is best for our kids, but in order to do that we almost have to shut our hearts down to how we feel.

I know I'm just being emotional and will get myself back together, but no matter what, I miss my family so much. I'll put my strong face back on and just keep looking forward to the next time I get to see them. I'll talk about next summer as if it's only a month away, and I'll forget that everytime I see them mean I just have to say goodbye again. I have to do these things or I'd be a mess all the time. I have to be strong for Logan and the new baby, and of course my ever-supporting husband, who would have me and the kids on a plane home every month if he could. I remind myself that he and Logan and the new baby are why I am strong, because they are my new family and I love them more than I ever thought possible.

Sorry it's been so long...

2007-08-30T11:38:00.000+01:00

We finally have internet again!

We have mostly gotten settled into our new house, and after a long wait we have internet. I just got the computer set up this morning, so hopefully soon I will be uploading pictures of Logan and our new house. We have a lot more room now, but of course there are those few boxes full of things that just don't have a place. I am hosting a Tupperware Party on Friday, so that has helped me get a few things taken care of (such as the computer).

Logan is currently napping, which is about the only time I can get anything done because of his love of following me around and "hanging" on my legs. He doesn't seem to have a clue that his world will be changing soon with a new sibling, but he has gotten a little more cuddly than he has been. We think he is about to grow, because he is constantly tired and is eating everything in his reach. He thinks his board-books in the car are things to eat. Yuck! We have started Logan on whole milk, so he gets 4 oz. of formula mixed with 4 oz. of milk. Oddly enough he doesn't seem to notice a change. Such a good kid!

I am 32 weeks pregnant and boy am I feeling it! I am trying to take it easy and be patient. I am very ready to be done being pregnant (at least for a few years). The thought of pants without elastic around the waist is wonderful. I look forward to wearing a nice pair of jeans and sipping on some Sangria! Ah the strange things pregnant woman fantasize about!

Recent Events

2007-08-05T10:48:00.000+01:00

Ah, another week down. I am 29 weeks pregnant today. We have had a couple nice surprises over the last couple weeks.

The first is that we were offered a 3 bedroom house on Mildenhall Base, so we will be moving in on Saturday. I am so very excited. I think Kenny is going to scream if I obsess about moving any more, but I just can't help it. I think about moving night and day. I constantly plan out where the furniture is going to be placed, how I will arrange my new kitchen, what we will do with an extra bedroom, and how nice it will be to have a bathroom downstairs. Currently our house only has an upstairs bathroom, which obviously was not designed for a pregnant woman with a 10 month old.

Speaking of that 10 month old, Logan gave me a little scare the other day. I had to use the bathroom, so I left Logan downstairs, where it's 95% baby proof, and I ran up the stairs. Knowing that he can only get up one or two stairs, I had no fear that he would get into anything. He normally just waits at the bottom for me to reappear. After being upstairs for about 2 minutes I heard the grocery bag at the first landing making the "crinkle crinkle" sound. OOPS! I ran out of the bathroom to discover Logan almost up to the first landing. Boy did he look proud of himself!

The second surprise we have recently had is the news that Kenny is finally moving to day shift!!! This is something I have been patiently (well, sort of) been waiting for. Kenny has been on swing shifts or nights almost entirely since I arrived here shortly after we were married. I have always wanted Kenny to be on days, but until Logan was born Kenny didn't exactly want to move to it. Eventually he learned that swings are hard with a family, and spent much time trying to talk management into moving him. Finally his hard work has paid off and he starts day shift tomorrow. I can't wait. It will be a whole new experience for me to be able to cook dinner and actually have Kenny come home to eat it!

Hopefully this week we can adjust to this new schedule and also get things packed and ready to move by Saturday. Logan is trying to make up a new nap schedule for himself, but he can't seem to decide if he would like to give up his morning nap or the afternoon one. He has been testing both, which leaves him very tired by the day's end. I have been trying to take him on long walks in the afternoons/evenings, which he finds very exciting. He loves watching the cars and trucks pass us.

Another goal for the week is to replace the batteries in the camera and take some good shots of Logan. When I accomplish this goal I will post some pictures and share his adventures with you all!

More Adventures with Logan

2007-07-22T12:02:00.000+01:00

Logan is now at the age that he enjoys playing with other kids. So much fun!!!

Here is Logan with his friend Mia. They are attempting to share, how cute!

Logan playing at Mia's house. The other kids always have much better toys!

Logan and Mia taking a trip to Ely in the car with their moms.

Logan proving once again that mommy's kitchen "toys" (a funnel) are so much more fun than all of his toys.

Logan is 10 Months Old!!!

2007-07-22T11:55:00.000+01:00

Along with being 10 months old, Logan has discovered the stairs!

Climbing...

After being caught, we put up a gate. Obviously just another thing to climb.

Here Logan made a ramp out of the gate with a bag of old clothing.

Adventures with Logan

2007-07-22T11:37:00.000+01:00

Logan loves getting into things.........

Here is Logan trying to get into the armoire which holds the computer.

Here is Logan "stuck" holding onto the dining room table. He has since learned how to get himself down from this position.

See all the toys? Of course the empty box that daddy gave Logan is much more fun...until he fell and his head landed in an empty toy bucket!

"I fell on the teddy bear!"

How can we not love this little boy?

Just Like My Mom

2007-07-18T13:29:00.000+01:00

I am a
Canna

What Flower
Are You?

2007-07-08T22:11:00.000+01:00

My wonderful husband got to spend the afternoon with Logan today so that I could go to a Pampered Chef Party without a baby. It felt so nice to get away for a few hours, but I love the huge smile I got from Logan when I got home. It's so nice to feel loved and missed rather than feeling as if I can never make him happy. I would do anything to see that little guy happy.

Speaking of Logan, I took him to a WIC appointment this week and he weighs 23 1/2 lbs.!!! No wonder it feels like we are always carrying around a bag of bricks! He is 29 1/4 inches tall, which is also quite amazing. Hard to believe how big our "baby" has gotten.

I am 25 weeks pregnant today, and feeling pretty good. Ready to be done being pregnant, but that will come soon enough. Still no name picked out.

2007-07-07T00:28:00.000+01:00

Logan in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris while we were on our European Roadtrip in June 2007.

2007-07-06T16:38:00.000+01:00

So I've never really done this before, but after reading blogs of my friends and family I think it is time I tried. I am so interested in keeping up with what is going on in their lives, hopefully I can keep them updated on the lives of myself (Kate), my husband Kenny, our son Logan, and our little baby girl who will be born in October.

Wish me luck!