Freedom!

Mailey is allowed out of the bilibed! Her levels are at a 10.4, and if she is sleeping we still need to put her in the bed through tomorrow, but at least she is free! What if she hates clothes now after having naked time for 3+ days? She looks pretty happy about this bit of news!


Here are some Father's Day pictures. The oldest girl was having none of it in the first picture and the youngest girl was following in big sister's footsteps in the second. Tracen is all smiles!

ET...or a baby in a bili bed

*Update*Mailey's levels are down to a 12.3, so maybe today will be the end of the bed! and i have no idea why this link thing is here now...because i updated on my phone?

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Doesn't this pic remind you of ET? She is like a little alien all strapped in there. At least in this picture she is sleeping. Most of the time she is screaming hysterically. Pray her levels go down sooooooon. We are delerious from nursing, burping, fixing a bottle, supplementing with formula(I HATE doing this, but the nurses said formula gets the bilirubin out faster), burping again, changing her diaper, putting her in the bed, pumping, then having about 30 minutes before it all starts again. Whew! Welcome to the world little yellow baby! Now just let your mom get some sleep! And yes, I am blogging while I could be sleeping for a bit. Dedication is my middle name.


Here is a before picture. All happy on the way to the doctor for her one week visit. Little did we know... She is back to birth weight according to the home health nurses scale, so that is great. Everything else with her is fine, so pray for her levels to be at or below at 10 pronto. Yesterday they were at 19.8!

Thankful

I am thankful for...

Mailey Leslie Williams, June 16, 2009, 12:15pm, 7 lbs., 19 inches.

NO C-SECTION!!!!!

My most wonderful doctor being on call the night we went in through the next day.

UMC being such a family oriented and caring hospital.

My Pump In Style :).

My parents being there on time for her birth.

Makenna and Tracen being so loving and kind to their little sis.

Tyson not getting woozy and even being able to cut the cord...well, Dr. C made him.

Taking pictures of sweet friends that came to visit.

A cord that was long, but not nearly as long as before.

Meals I already cooked.

Mom helping out so much.

Dad driving to Waco Sunday and back to Lubbock Monday.

Mr. Art's prayers that put me into labor on his 80th birthday...we almost made it!

Being able to get around and do things so quickly with no pain.

My sweet Jesus!

Happy Father's Day Again!

I know I have so much more to say and announce...maybe the passing of a small child from my womb being number one, but with not much time, I wanted to say Happy Father's Day to Tyson! Yay for being a daddy 3 times, and for being such a wonderful one at that. We love you!

Some More to Freeze

Here are a few more recipes to freeze and some of our easy fixes we use a lot.

Banana Bread
1 1/2 c. flour (most of the time I use half wheat and half white flour when baking)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 medium mashed bananas (ready when have many dark spots on them)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 c. nuts-very optional :)

In a medium mixing bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk. In another bowl combine egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add all at once to dry mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in nuts if you like them in there. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.

To freeze let bread cool for 5 minutes, flip onto a wire rack, let cool completely. When cooled, wrap many times with plastic wrap in each direction. Wrap with foil. Place loaf into gallon size freezer bag, label, and date. Thaw in fridge for 2 days, unwrap, and serve.


Some of our quick fixes:

Quiche
pie crust
6 eggs
1 c. milk or half milk and half and half
1 c. cheese
chopped ham or lunch meat of choice
seasonings
I add some dried onion, garlic salt, and a little oregano and basil. Put all in a bowl and whisk. Pour into pie crust. Place in oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes. This is a really quick meal with on hand ingredients. We have quiche once every 2 weeks or so because it is just mixing in what you have and the kids love it. I also add spinach leaves and parmesan for something different, or leave out the meat altogether. You can just do whatever you like!


Beer Bread
3 c. self rising flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1, 12 oz. beer-just get one from Grandma if you don't have one. That's what I do. :)
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Beat together flour, sugar, and beer. Place in greased loaf pan and bake 350 for 20 minutes. Drizzle with melted butter, cook 20 minutes more. So easy and no rising and it is soooo good with a meal or with jelly for breakfast.

Freeze like Banana Bread


Edamame
I buy the box of 6 packages of microwave edamame at Sam's. I just heat it up with sandwiches for lunch or with a dinner. Kids love popping them out and they are so good for you. Try them with your family! Even Tyson eats them and that is amazing!


Marshmallow Bars
When I have marshmallows and cereals that need to be eaten, I melt them with half a stick of butter and a little vanilla in a saucepan. Then I add whatever leftover cereals I have...Shredded Wheat, Life, Raisin Bran. I also put in some Craisins or other dried fruit. Press them into a greased pan like Rice Krispy Treats. It is a mess, but uses the last of the cereals and is gooood to eat!

Peanut Butter with Anything
We put peanut butter on everything for breakfasts and snacks. Waffles, I mix it into pancake mix, muffin mixes, bananas with Craisins, apples...just whatever you can think of. Since I have one kiddo that needs all the protein she can get, I add it to a lot of things and she will eat it. I use the United Brand Organic Peanut Butter because there is no sugar in there!

These are all just little things we do to survive and try to eat healthyish.
Some other things I love...

Muffin packages where you just add milk for $.89. I buy the Honey Bran package and mix it with Cinnamon or Chocolate chip package. Makes 12 in 15 minutes.

Small apples, Granny Smith or Gala, that are 4 for $1.00. Just the right size for the kids to eat or for me to slice with peanut butter.

Milk at Sam's. Way cheaper.

Half and Half at Sam's. Way cheaper.

Kashi Cinnamon Wheat Squares at Sam's. 2 boxes for nearly price of one at regular grocery store. 7 whole grains, organic, and only naturally sweetened. Tracen's fav.

Craisins from Sam's. Huge and lasts forever. We put them in lots of stuff.

Strawberries from Sam's. Best quality and price.

Organic Girl spinach leaves. It is going to cost more than Dole, but look at the dates. You can find the dates on there over 2 weeks, which never happens with the other kinds. We eat it as salad, but also I put some Ranch on the plates and leaves by it and the kids just dip and eat. They call it leaf salad, yummy, yummy.

Organic fruit leathers at Target. Way cheaper than traditional Fruit Leather. Strawberry and Wildberry are the best.

Just some little things we do and like in the food category!

I'm Still Here!

I was so excited to post about Tracen's first T-ball game today! I had the camera all ready and figured out the video thing to post them on here, and guess what? He is having, well, let's just say it like it is, the runs. I have no idea why...swimming lessons and those weird bacterical things you can get from the water, his new allergy meds, Double Dave's Pizza...who knows? He was so sad to have to stay home. He put on his hat and socks to watch some tv.

Yes, I have defied the odds and predictions of my doctor and am still here. Thankfully so, but each day gets a little longer waiting! Here is the 39 weeks picture. I am so tired of taking these and am only doing it to remember one day how it was. Maybe soon I will be posting pictures of the loss of weight? Hmmm, that would be great accountability over the next months! I will think about that. Though boring, it would keep me trucking to lose these...pounds. You didn't think I was going to tell you how many I needed to lose, did you? Let's just say it is more than with Tracen and less than with Makenna. ;)

Look at that belly!

Recipes to Freeze, by Popular Demand

Here are some wonderful recipes to freeze if you ever have a few hours, umm, a day, or truthfully a few days to cook unhindered by children or husbands or laundry or life or ...well, you get the idea. If you have some time.

I will write the recipe and then how I freeze it below each one.


Beef Tips
2 lbs. lean stew meat
1 envelope Lipton Beef and Onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
3/4 soup can milk or water
Place thawed meat in crock pot. Sprinkle soup mix over meat. Add canned soups and water. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over egg noodles or regular noodles.

After done cooking and cooled, pour into gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place that freezer bag inside another freezer bag. Label with name and date and freeze. Thaw for 2 days in fridge and warm in sauce pan to serve over noodles.


Italian Meat Sauce
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 can water
1 clove garlic, minced(fresh or use jar that keeps forever)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. red cooking wine (optional, but makes it taste so good. I use Holland House)
Brown ground beef in large skillet. Add all remaining ingredients except wine. Simmer on medium low for 30 minutes. Add wine and simmer 10 minutes more.

Let cool and split in half. Each half goes into a gallon sized freezer bag. Double bag each half, label with name and date, and place in freezer. Thaw in fridge 2 days and warm in sauce pan to serve over noodles or on french bread. Each half serves a family of 4.


Chicken and Rice
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 envelope Lipton Onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
2 cups Minute rice
Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Pour into greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour. Serves 6 easily.

After mixing, pour into freezer bag. Double bag, label and date. Thaw 2 days in fridge and cook as directed above.


Chicken Enchiladas
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can Pet milk
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 c. chicken broth, save from cooking chicken
1/2 stick butter
2 cups shredded cheese
tortillas
Saute butter, onion, and green chilies in large sauce pan. Pour in soups, milk, and broth. Add cooked chicken to mixture. In greased 9x13 casserole dish layer torn tortillas to cover bottom, half soup mix, 1 cup cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, the other half of soup mix, and remaining cheese. Bake 325 for one hour. Serves 8-10.

If freezing, place layers in 9x13 foil pan. Cover in plastic wrap around and around in both directions. Cover in heavy duty foil around and around until covered. Label and date side and top. Thaw 2 days in fridge, remove all foil and plastic wrap, and bake as directed above.


Pizza Casserole
1 pkg. elbow noodles, cooked and drained
1 8oz. jar pizza sauce
8oz. cottage cheese
1/3 c. onion, finely chopped
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1 4oz. pkg. pepperoni, cut in half
1/2 tsp. basil
Parmesan to sprinkle over top
Mix all ingredients in large bowl except Parmesan. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake 25-30 minutes at 325. Serves 6.

If freezing pour into foil 9x13 pan. Wrap with plastic wrap, then foil. Date and label side and top. Thaw 2 days in fridge, remove all foil and plastic wrap, and bake as directed above.


Texas Tech Muffins
Beat:
4 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
Mix Together:
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking soda
Add alternately to egg, sugar, oil mixture, beating well:
1 qt. buttermilk
flour mixture
Stir in:
15 oz. box of bran cereal
Bake in greased muffin tins at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Batter stores in covered plastic container in fridge for 6 weeks so you can get out what you need, when you need it. Makes 4 dozen muffins.

Bake all muffins and let cool on wire racks. Place 4 muffins each in quart sized freezer bags. Place qt. bags into gallon sized freezer bag, 2 per gallon bag. Label and date and freeze. Remove a qt bag from freezer, open to vent, and microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute. I do this with just about any muffin mix. Then your family can take out what they need for that morning without you having to cook. :)

That is all for now...I am tired of typing. Hope this helps!

We Are Ready...I think...maybe...

I used drawer knobs that match the pink depression glass accents I used in the room that were my Mimmie's to hang the letters.

See the pink glass plates on the wall and pink glass on the shelf?


Make sure you click on this one to enlarge it. Sweet Kim made this for us, can you read the verses?



I think we are ready for this lady to arrive! The room is finished, the clothes and every other possible baby-might-come-in-contact-with-piece-of-fabric have been washed in glorious smelling Dreft, the bags are ready, the beds are ready, every drawer and closet has been reorganized, the furniture has been moved, the pack-n-play is in our room, the house is clean, the yard is done, the meals are cooked, the car seat is in the van...what else?

My Granny says she is coming today because there is a full moon. That farmin' woman might just be right. She has kind of done this more than me, and has been right with her own kids. Man, I might need to take a shower and actually do my hair. Is it ok to sleep in make-up? This is also my Aunt Bee. The source of Makenna's hair color, for all of you who always ask. Now you know.


This amazing man wants her to come on his 80th birthday, which is next Monday. He is holding out and praying daily for it. What an honor that would be for us. We adore this couple and want to be like them when we grow up.


Oh, Makenna has strep, so I guess she is not ready. Nor would anyone else who might come down with it over the next few days be ready. I am praying Tracen does not get it and that I don't get it. I get strep once a year, and I have not this year, so why don't we all pray for that to go away without infecting anyone else?

All my helpers keep going out of town, so if I call you in the middle of the night and you just kind of know us, will you come and watch my kids so we can go to the hospital? Thank you.

Here is the 37 week picture. Waiting for the swelling of hands, face, and body to go down was really just not going to happen. I might take one more next week if I keep going and going.


I have really tried to enjoy these last days of being pregnant since it will probably be my last time. She is so wiggly and crazy and I love it! Some days I think it might be happening, but then when I rest it gets better. Some days I only have a few contractions, which is nuts since I've been having them for weeks. I am so thankful she is still growing in there and not out here. I am ready sometimes, and then I am not. I have much drama getting children out of me, and I have moments of complete panic about it that rise to the surface when I least expect them to. Each night I lay down and think, "Ok, maybe another day would be good, God?!" The puffy feet are getting downright intolerable, and you might just see me in the same clothes quite often, but I will be sad when this is all over and I can't feel her inside of me. I am so grateful to all God has done in this pregnancy journey. I hate that we had to go through trying and trying, but I am also so appreciative. I understand so much more the struggle with infertility many of my friends have gone and are going through. I cry and pray from a place of truly "getting it" from my heart, because I do get it now. I would not trade that for anything. I think of one of my friends daily, crying out for God to open her womb and bless her with the child she longs for. Others have become pregnant over the last year, and I rejoice with them. I have no idea what God has in store for us. Sometimes I want to hide and not ask Him. Sometimes I want to demand wonderfulness, as if I deserve it or something. In all the worries and fears and hopes, I still have peace in him and his plans. I love Jeremiah 29:11-13. This is from The Message, which I don't use to study out of, but love how it just says it when you need to hear it.

I know what I'm doing, I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me.

I'm calling, praying, and looking, God.

T-Ball

Tracen is playing T-ball with some kiddos from church. I went to practice and it was hilarity! They all did great, but anytime Tracen gets with Meredith, they just talk and talk and stop paying attention to everything else. Here are some hilarious pictures...at least to us!

Summer, Where Ya' Been All My Life?

What Was Going on May 31, 1997

Twelve years seems like such a long time ago, but then again, it also seems like just yesterday. So many people, us including, cannot even believe it has been 12 years! We got married relatively young compared to many now, but also knew it was what God wanted for us. I am not into stating the "12 Years of Married Bliss" declarations I see. (no offense if yours has been all bliss...that is amazing!) If any of you know us, especially here in the flatlands, you know that bliss was hard to find for many years. We have been through many things over 12 years...living, dying, captivity, sorrow, joy, newness, regret, excitement, fear, hope, and freedom. The one thing we have held onto through it all has been committment. So instead of bliss, I am proud and honored and humbled to say we have remained committed to God's calling for us to be married to each other and the covenant we entered into on May 31, 1997. I cannot find anywhere that God calls us to a life of bliss, but I do know he has called us to live this life fully committed to him and to each other. So thank you, Jesus, for 12 years together. I can't ask for anything more blissful than that!

I also have a current bump picture, but let's not ruin the moment of wedding day pics with one of being about to pop 12 years later, k? :)