My New Nephew is Here!

Jack Slade Swaney entered the world on August 27th at 8:06pm. He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21 inches of ADORABLE!
Katie did such an amazing job. I keep telling her she's my hero and I mean it! She is!! After 2 days of induction, 6 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing, Katie and Steve finally got to meet their first born.
For me, it was a whole new experience which is ironic since I have 2 children. But, I have never been in labor, never had a contraction. Forester was 2 weeks late and they finally had to go get him by c-section since he was so big (9lbs 11oz). Micah was also a scheduled c-section. SO, this was my first time experiencing labor and delivery first hand. Unbelievable and miraculous. I have a new appreciation for all the women who have delivered babies! WOW!
Below are some pictures of my sweet nephew whom I am in love with and miss dearly!

**so you may have figured out by now that Slade is a family name. It's my mother's maiden name. My grandaddy (my mom's dad) was John Thomas Slade but everyone called him "Jack". Jack Slade Swaney is named after him. My daughter's name will be Slade (after my mom's side of the family of course) Katherine - named after my sister, Katie (Katherine).

First Day of First Grade

Forester started first grade this past week. A big milestone for the Bradburn family. Forester was in half day Kindergarten last year so this is the first year of "real" all day school. 8:30-3:00. It seemed like he was gone forever. And poor Micah missed having his brother at home. He kept asking, "Is it time to go get Forester yet"? I think that question started at 10am. Forester on the other hand couldn't wait to get to school and his new class. He came down the stairs at 6:45 completely dressed down to the shoes. If you know my kids, this is not typical! Thankfully he wanted me to walk him into his class everyday this week. Don't know how long that will last but it warmed my heart.

Micah has yet to attend a mothers morning out or preschool program. But, that will change September 4th. He will attend a Christian preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's excited about going to school like his big bro but nervous that it won't be at the same place or the same class. He would choose to be with Forester all the time if he could. I'll let you know how that first day goes...

Update on my sis. Katie is scheduled to be induced on Monday night/Tuesday morning. Yay! So, Jack should arrive no later than Tuesday August 26th! My next post will be pictures of my new nephew!!

It's a GIRL!!

Slade Katherine Bradburn is due to arrive by c-section on December 1st and we couldn't be more excited! Pete had always wanted a daughter so his dream is coming true. I am THRILLED! Hair to play with! If you know me, you know how much I love to mess with hair. But, I promise not to dye Slade's hair before she's a tweenager.

The boys are super excited about having a sister and I think they will be great big brothers. This little one will be protected! I've been busy reorganizing the house so I can get started on a nursery. Micah is getting kicked out of his room and my office will become his new bedroom. Thankfully, he's excited about a new room. I have crib bedding picked out and can't wait to start painting the walls. I'm in the 2nd trimester and I'm feeling SO much better these days. I even have some energy! Woo-hoo! God is good!

Meanwhile, my sister, Katie, is in her 38th week of pregnancy and is more than ready for little Jack to arrive. So far, no signs of labor. She isn't sleeping well and is having lots of typical aches and pains that come with the last month. So, lets all pray she goes into labor tonight, ok? Hopefully my next post will be announcing Jack's arrival!

It's SUMMER!

Do you remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait for it to be summer?? For me, I didn't enjoy school at all, so being out of school was the best part and of course NO homework! But I loved all the summer fun. I could have sleepovers and live at the pool, go to Stone Mountain (I grew up in Atlanta), and play at the lake. We also got to stay up an hour later in the summer - a huge treat!! I loved summer. I still love summer. It's like taking a big deep breath and relaxing in a hammock. Life just slows down a bit and it's fantastic. This can also be a challenge for me and my personality though. Taking a break or slowing down comes easily for me. In fact, I can convince myself most of the time that I need to and actually deserve it! I could easily live in a never ending lazy Saturday for quite some time. I LOVE my pajamas...and reading...and naps... But, I have children. The never ending lazy Saturday is not conducive when raising children. I took the first week of summer "off" and I heard a lot of: "what can we do now? I'm hungry (again!), I'm bored, what else can we do?" No schedule is no good. So, I'm working really hard at having a schedule this summer - and a fun one! So far it's going pretty well but I would love some input from other moms and dads out there. How does your family fill the long summer days? What are some of your favorite activities? So far, the highlight of Forester and Micah's summer is catching small frogs in our backyard. They've made a little home for them (OUTSIDE) and they are up to 7 frogs! Now, Forester is trying to figure out how to catch and kill flies in order to feed them to the frogs. How cute is that? I love my boys!!

Here's some pix of Slip n Slide fun.

Bradburn Baby Due Thankgiving 2008!

Well, it's been 3 months since my last post which makes complete sense to me because it's been 3 months since I found out I was pregnant!! This is wonderful news and a huge answer to prayer (well, mine anyway...not so sure about Pete's)! Unfortunately morning sickness hit right away and HARD. With Forester, I felt a little green from time to time until I hit the 12 week mark. With Micah, it was much worse -24/7 nausea, and vomiting from time to time until 16 weeks. With this little one it started right away with vomiting several times a day and not being able to eat anything! Aren't you glad you're reading this post?? Needless to say, I have been in survival mode for the last 3 months. My goals during this time were to make sure my children and I stayed alive. Pete's new job has required him to travel A LOT so this added an extra challenge to the mix. But, we survived. I am alive and so are the boys. My doctor gave me some drugs to get me through. They have helped tremendously and I am hoping that the morning sickness passes for good in the next couple of weeks. So far, all is well with the baby. We had a great 12 week ultrasound and we're looking forward to finding out the sex at 16 weeks. 18 days and counting! I'm dying to know who's in there!! The boys are both asking for a sister - so is Pete. I think I'm a little afraid of girls....we will see!!!!

I hope to be posting on a regular basis now that I'm coming out of the fog.

Time Flies

In the last couple of months we have reached a milestone. Micah is potty trained. For other moms out there reading this you know how big this is. If you have young kids and haven't endured this process you're dreading it. If you have conquered this task, you're so glad it's behind you. Me too. But, I've found myself in an unexpected place. I was in the grocery the other day and it had been awhile so I needed - everything. When I need everything I usually take a trip down every aisle because I'm sure I'm forgetting something. So, just like always, I made the trip down the "baby needs" aisle, got to the end and realized I don't need anything from this aisle anymore. This is the first time in 6 years I haven't needed to travel down that aisle. 6 years! So, a boring trip to the grocery became "a moment" for me. In a way it's a great relief and it's so nice not to have to change or BUY diapers anymore, to have kids that can do things for themselves, etc. But, it's also hard to realize that my babies are growing up. A part of me wants them to stay little forever. To need me forever. Everyone says it because it's true: time flies.

The Battle That Satan Won

Last night we got word that my cousin, Noah, overdosed yesterday and died. It's devastating and sad on so many levels. Noah is one of 4 children of my Dad's brother, Mike. I believe he was 26. He started doing drugs when he was 10 years old and has never stopped except for the occasional stint in wilderness camp and more recently in jail. Noah was sentenced to prison a few years ago for attempted murder because he stabbed a guy. This of course was related to the drugs. It seemed prison was the best thing that had happened to him. He had transformed himself inside and out. He was released from prison shortly after thanksgiving and only survived in the real world a few short months. Here is an excerpt from an email my Dad sent about Noah's release. It seems so hopeful which makes it all the more sad.

"I visited Mike after Thanksgiving, learned this good news: Noah gets out of prison tomorrow. Mike and Norma say he is profoundly changed inside and outside. Outside, the skinny, unhealthy kid has become a competition bodybuilder. He now weighs 210 pounds. He'll be living at Mike & Norma's, working for Mike. You might want to drop him a note to tell him that you care and that you're praying for him. I don't think he has many people who do either."

I feel horribly guilty. I didn't write him in prison. I didn't write him a letter when he got home. In fact, the last time I saw Noah he was probably 10 and before that he was 2. I don't even know what he looks like as an adult. I want to post a picture of him but I don't have one. And yet, he's my family...and he's gone. My dad has been asked to speak at his funeral and I know he is agonizing over this. He is devastated by this loss. And, what do you say?? We know Noah read the Bible in prison but we don't know if he was saved. I don't think there are many positive things to say about the way this drug addict behaved - he wasn't himself , ever. At least not after the age of 10. He wasn't the person God created him to be. He was a drug addict. I wonder who that person was under the addiction. I wonder what the plans were that God designed when He created him. Before the enemy had him in his clutches and took him down. I'm just sad. Really sad. Sad that I didn't try. Sad that I didn't share Christ with him. Sad that he's gone. He was in North Carolina. I could have visited him. I could have gone and come home in one day. One day. But, I'm sure the deeds of "that day" were too overwhelming. Like any of that crap matters. Not really. Not when it comes to salvation. Life or death.

I'm learning a lesson and it's a painful one.

Please pray for our family and my Uncle Mike, Aunt Norma, and Noah's siblings, Shane (wife, Deepa), Josh, and Claire (husband, Preston).

UPDATE: Noah was a Christian. He gave his life to Christ in 2005 while in jail and completed several formal Bible studies which he was very proud of. He lost his battle with addiction. He fell asleep in this world but woke up in the arms of Jesus. Praise God! Therefore, we can be sad and miss him but rejoice that his struggle is finally over and he is truly free.

Balance?

It's been way too long since my last post. I feel horrible that my last post was up for so long because that was a really bad day. Really bad day. I don't always feel that way, and I guess it just felt good to get it out since I'm not a crier. Perspective is everything! Yes, I may struggle but I am so incredibly blessed. I have a body that functions well, feet that can walk or run, all 5 senses, a roof over my head, food to eat, a husband who loves me and children that teach me more about who God is and how He loves us , and more than I EVER wanted to know about myself (ouch!). My life is my dream come true. I LOVE my life!!!



Moving on...it's a new year and I'm not one for resolutions. Why set myself up for failure? (tee hee). I do try to set monthly or quarterly goals though. If I don't accomplish them then I move them to the next month or quarter - not as much pressure but still working on something. This month my main focus is to DE CLUTTER my house! We moved into this house a year and a half ago and there are still boxes in a closet that have never been reopened since moving. I'm guessing we don't need whatever is in there. I'm not the most organized person but I wish that I was. I think people like Katie Brown are amazing (not my sister, she's more than amazing!...the TV chick) . I am constantly purchasing things that will get me organized. I LOVE the Container Store. Strangely enough, I still have little piles of things everywhere. Hmmmm. What does that mean? It must be my strong Sanguine personality that gets in the way. Why unload and load the dishwasher when you can play Chutes and Ladders with the kids instead? In that moment, I honestly could care less what my kitchen looks like - it's just stuff, it's just dishes. Does it matter? Eventually, yes. So, I want to find the balance. I love that I am spontaneous, and that my schedule is packed. I may run around like a crazy person sometimes and I'm always drowning in laundry, but I truly believe my life is more fun! ...until I'm completely overwhelmed with all that needs to be done around here. So, maybe my goal this YEAR should be balance. I think I could apply this principal to every aspect in my life. ...but that's a topic for another blog.


I'm off to reorganize! Anyone wanna come over and help me?