This and That...and lots of pictures

Well it seems that my days of typing in all lower-case letters are over. It was fun while it lasted! I have actually found it easier to type my blog entries in a Word document (sometimes over the course of a few days when time allows) and then copy it to the site. Since Word self-corrects, I thought it would be a huge waste of time to go back through my ramblings and thoughts to change any uppercase letters to lowercase!!! I am well aware that many of you may not even care, but for those of you who wondered why I changed things up a bit, I wanted to explain!!!!

With that said…………..why can’t days have “pause” buttons?? I cannot believe so much time has passed between posts!! For those of you who have “checked in” over and over to see if I have updated, please accept my apologies. (I have several websites and blogs that I check periodically and when they aren’t updated regularly, I tend to feel a bit disappointed.) I hope those of you that read will continue to come back from time to time to see what is going on in our lives! I know many of you don’t leave comments, but I still like knowing that you and I are connected via this blog!! My goal is still to post weekly, but the last couple weeks have been unusually busy.
A couple quick updates since the last post…

A little over a week ago, my dear sweet mom was diagnosed with shingles. She had a miserable time dealing with excruciating pain, little sleep, painful sores, and extreme discomfort. Thankfully, she is just about over the worst part and on the mend! Hooray! It is hard as a daughter to know your mom is hurting so badly, so I am glad she will be back to normal soon. Owen and I are going to see her in Odessa on Thursday, and Owen is SOOOOOOOO excited!! He told me so!! (Austin is going to a music educator’s conference in San Antonio from Wednesday thru Saturday night so Owen and I will catch up with our favorite guy on Sunday sometime!) Wasn't it nice of Owen to send Grammy this special message in an e-mail the other day?
As of January 18, Austin and I have made some changes in our diet and are really making better choices when it comes to food. Neither of us is calling our habit change a “diet” for fear of failing, but we are looking at it as simply “a lifestyle change.” We have paid more attention to the things we put in our mouths and this awareness has made a world of difference. I have lost just under 10 pounds (but foresee that being a little less coming off this weekend --- as a result of family coming to town as well as the big game!!) I will be giving myself a couple days to get back on track before I weigh this week and hopefully the results will be good! What seems to be working for me is keeping a food journal. I write down everything I put into my mouth, so that keeps me accountable. I also make sure to drink plenty of water. Unfortunately, I have been unable to fit exercise into the equation. I have several options for working out at home, but so far, I find myself only having enough time in the day to run around tending to sweet Owen, the chores, and my students. I will definitely be working exercise into my jam-packed days, somehow…sometime, but for now, I am keeping busy and active in other ways.

Over the weekend, my older brother, Joe, brought his family to Lubbock for a visit. They arrived late Friday evening and returned home to Odessa on Sunday morning. We did lots of eating, visiting, game-playing, shopping, and laughing. It was such a nice treat to have them here for the weekend. Joe and Cindy have 3 amazing kids: Kristina/Nina is 15, Morgan is 13, and Deuce is 5. We had the cameras out quite a bit, but Nina and Morgan didn’t make it into any pictures! When I go to Odessa Thursday, I am cutting Nina’s hair and styling Morgan’s for her Valentine’s dance…so hopefully I can snap a picture or two of their beautiful faces! You can see Deuce with his baby cousin in the picture below. We had all just crawled out of bed and decided to take advantage of a cute picture opportunity!
For the Super Bowl yesterday, we had a few friends over to enjoy the game and some homemade goodies. Below is a picture of all the snacks (with the exception of our yummy bacon-parmesan breadsticks that were still in the oven at the time of this picture!!) What you see is homemade banana pudding, oatmeal chocolate chip bars, Fiddle Faddle, a variety of chips, five layer dip, veggie pizza, and Austin’s homemade salsa! Mmmmmmm. A nice time was had by all!!!

Ok, now for what you have all been waiting for: some Owen updates. Goodness gracious! This little boy is incredible. He smiles ALOT and just makes life so much more special and meaningful. His personality is getting more and more wonderful with every day that passes. At about two and a half months old, he is in the beginning stages of giggling, so of course we do everything we can to make him make those sounds! We talk to him as much as we can and long for the day when he will be able to talk to us, ask us questions, understand all the things we say, etc. Of course, we aren’t rushing him to get to that point; we are just curious and excited about his ever-changing growth and development. I often catch myself wondering “what will his personality be like?” or “what will his little boy voice sound like?” or “will he love bugs, cars, animals, or all of the above?” or “what subject will he like the best in school?” and so on. It is fun to think about his future and how we will all be growing and changing together as a family! What an exciting and awesome time to be alive.

Little Owen got his first haircut a couple weeks ago! You can see in some of the pictures below that he got the front "point" trimmed as well as the area around his ears. I also trimmed the back, but that is not visible in any of the pictures. I saved the little pile of hair for his baby book!

On Saturday evening, we introduced Owen to a super soft little blanket attached to a monkey head that reads “I’m Bananas.” He LOVED it. It was a gift from a sweet little couple from our church. He has snuggled with it several times since Saturday night and was even caught “petting it” for several minutes on the way home from church yesterday. We named him “Naner” (NAN-er) and think Owen looks so cute with his new, cozy, soft friend. What do you think?


Well, I better get going for now. Time to start uploading the pictures I have chosen for this post.

The first two pictures were taken on Owen’s 2-month birthday in the evening AFTER I posted his 2 month post on January 20.



And up to this point, this is my ALL-TIME favorite picture of the little guy......................



Happy day to all!!!
:) Carianne

2 months

owen, you are 2 months old today!

here are some things that you are up to these days:

you went to see dr. dalton two days ago. these are your current measurements – height 24 inches…head size 16.5 inches…weight 13lbs 13oz. when it comes to height and head size, you are in the 90th percentile. when it comes to weight, you are in the 95th percentile. dr. dalton checked you all over and said you were healthy, healthy, healthy!!! you got your 2-month shots and cried just a little. mommy and daddy were very proud of you!

you wear a size 1 diaper and have outgrown all of your newborn clothing. in the last few weeks, you have worn mostly 3 month clothing. you are still able to wear some of your 0-3 month clothing, but even some of that is now in the “to be put away” bag. a few times, you have worn 6 month outfits. they are a tad big on you, but not by much! you have such a cute wardrobe, and mommy is sad that you are outgrowing it so fast!

you are gobbling up your bottle at every feeding. you eat 5.5 ounces of similac sensitive formula six times a day. you have stopped screaming when it is time to burp and our eardrums thank you.

you began sleeping in your big-boy crib on january 2 and have done remarkably well. we put you to bed at mommy and daddy’s bedtime and have monitors in our bedroom to hear you. the only time you “need” us is in the middle of the night (once) for a clean diaper and a full bottle! even at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, you are adorable and so much fun to cuddle with. that really says alot, because mommy is not one to usually function very well in the middle of the night! mommy and daddy both get up to visit with each other while you are being tended to for about 45 minutes or so.

you continue to nap several times a day, ranging in length from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

you hold your neck up VERY, VERY well for a baby your age. we continue to be impressed with your strength and look forward to tummy time, which you should be ready for soon! people comment all the time at how strong your neck is and how well you hold your head up!

you very rarely cry. of course you whimper and fuss when your bottle isn’t warming up fast enough, when you have a burp or toot that hasn’t yet worked its way up/down, or when you are overly tired, but that is about it. you are lots of fun to be around!

you still enjoy car rides, and now that you are older, we have taken you more places. you got to meet some of daddy’s coworkers at his school recently and have met a few of mommy’s students. everyone who has met you thinks you are ADORABLE and people continue to say “look at all that hair!!!!”

you enjoy bath time alot more than you did during your first month of life! you like to sit in the warm water and make “happy” noises.

you love to be held and cuddled and we love having you close to us so we can enjoy listening to all the little sounds you make.

you continue to have wild and uncontrollable hair. mommy has tried styling it a few times, but has since given up! we continue to love the wild man look!!

you still aren’t crazy about your pacifier, but will take it every now and then. mommy continues to be thrilled about that!

your newest, most wonderful “thing” is smiling. you wake up smiling and smile several times throughout each day. your smiles melt our heart!

you enjoy sitting in your swing either awake or asleep. while awake, you have started focusing on the little stuffed animals that go round and round above your head. yesterday, mommy caught you smiling the entire time you were swinging. she even got a picture of you!

here are some pictures that capture the last week.

checking out olive...

loving "daddy/owen" time!!

cute as a bug!

drowsy boy...

multitasking at its best!! napping and eating all at the same time...

waiting to see dr. dalton...

cute in camo...

LOVE LOVE LOVE this one!!

not sure that smile can get any bigger!!

swinging, staring, and smiling!!

such a cutie.

just more cute expressions...

mommy and daddy are so amazed and blessed by you, little man! our hearts overflow with love for you. God has certainly blessed us with a happy, healthy, loving boy! happy 2-month birthday!!

love,

mommy and daddy

a picture a day

i started uploading pictures a couple nights ago so the date above is incorrect. it is currently january 14, 2010.

once again, i am blogging fast!! the little munchkin is sleeping and could be waking up at any moment! he's a little unpredictable with his napping/awake schedule during the day, so it makes it hard for me to make plans. since i am staying home (and tutoring part time from home), i really don't mind all that much. he is so much fun no matter what time of day it is!!!

there are a TON of pictures of sweet little owen in this post. the pictures seen first are the most recent...just taken this morning...and the last pictures in the long list of many were taken just a few days before Christmas. i have been taking one or more pictures each day, whether it be with my cell phone or with the new camera austin and i got before owen arrived. because of time, i only added captions to a couple of the pictures that are "highlights" in sweet little owen's life. the other pictures were just CUTE and selected for the blog because of owen's expression, clothing, or pose. he continues to get cuter each day! seriously. i would never lie about something like that!! :)

it is hard to believe that owen will be 2 months old next week. he goes for his 2-month check-up (and shots) on monday! time is going soooo fast!

i really like his smile in the above picture.

i like his eyes in this one (above)!!

he just woke up in this one!! for a couple of days, i attempted to style his hair. i have since given up!

notice his outfit in the picture above and below. bad hair day. hahaha!

i LOVE LOVE LOVE this one of him in the bouncer.

january 3rd...owen with daddy on his first day of church! (his hair only looked like this a short while. by the time we got to church, it was puffy and spiky ~~~ classic owen hair!!)

owen and mommy about to leave for church.

january 2nd was owen's first night in his big-boy crib. he did well and slept between 6 and 7 hours after "talking" himself to sleep.

owen's 2-month post will be coming next week!

love to each of you!

:) carianne

growing like a weed!!

i wasn't planning on posting a blog until i had time to upload pictures from the last several weeks, but i wanted to share a cute pair of pictures. (the next "pictures galore" blog is coming soon...within the next couple of days!!)

austin selected this little outfit for owen (aka Mr. Cool ~~~ as seen on the shirt) to wear home from the hospital. the first picture shows him wearing it on november 23 while the second picture shows him wearing it on january 9. he is growing and changing more and more everyday. each day, he gets cuter and cuter. i am not lying. not even a little bit! he is adorable to the core!

take care everyone,

:) carianne

generations

i have to blog fast today ~~~ owen is napping! i just gobbled up a bite of lunch...there is a load of his laundry tumbling in the dryer and will be folded (hopefully) soon...there are some dishes to be done...etc. don't get me wrong...there are plenty of other things to do, but since his nap is not going to last until the last day of next month (haha), i better set small, attainable goals.

over the last six and a half weeks, owen has been fortunate to meet all of his grandparents and great-grandparents, except one. i thought it would be cute to showcase all the wonderful people in his life that can shower him with love and attention the way no one else can. i hear that the love of a grandparent is unlike anything else!

below each picture is a caption letting you know who is who and what names they have chosen for owen to call them! (the pictures are in ascending order according to owen's "age.")

this is austin's mom. the last i heard, she was still trying to decide between "mumzie" and "gramzie."

this is my dad. he chose "papa otis" about ten years ago for previous grandkids, so that is what owen will call him. probably just "papa" for short.

this is austin's dad. he wants to be called "grandpa."

this is austin's (paternal) grandma. she signed owen's Christmas card "great-grandma darlene." her husband, austin's grandpa, is the only great-grandparent sweet owen has not met. he was working in new mexico the day great-grandma darlene came to visit. hopefully owen can meet "great-grandpa bob" real soon!

this is my mom. she is "grammy kitty."

this is austin's (maternal) grandma. she wants to be called "grammie."

this is my (maternal) grandma. she will be "great-gramma miller." (notice the cute smile owen has for his great-gramma miller!!) right after Christmas is when we noticed owen smiling "on purpose." he will surely have plenty of smiles to share whenever any of the grandparents or great-grandparents are around!

what a lucky and blessed little boy we have! there is more love in the hearts of these people than he could ever possibly know!!

his late grandparents are surely looking down from heaven as proud as can be! i very much wish owen could have known them.

lots of pictures of owen coming soon!!

happy day to each and every one of you,

:) carianne

in memory

one year ago today, my grandmother, jean elizabeth (isley) lovell, went to be with Jesus. she was the most incredible woman, full of joy, and loving in so many ways. "gramma" as we called her, called me her "pink bundle" and would always tell me that she "loved me 90 bundles." she had such a big heart, a beautiful smile, and a remarkable personality. gramma was so much fun to be around, no matter how many years went by. i love her with all my heart. she left me with so many amazing memories, and i am PROUD to be her granddaughter.

last year, the day of her passing, my dad (her fourth of five sons) asked me to write the obituary that would be published in various newspapers. i was honored. here it is, along with a delightful picture of the little lady who i love 90 bundles!!

Jean Elizabeth (Isley) Lovell, 87, formerly of Odessa, passed away in the early morning hours of January 5, 2009 in Dallas, Texas.
Jean was born May 7, 1921 in Limestone County, Alabama to Edward and Sarah Isley. She was the youngest of their twelve children and was raised in Alabama. Jean married Paul Powers Lovell on September 24, 1938. Together, they had five sons. The family moved to Odessa in the summer of 1961. Paul preceded her in death in 1974. Once the five boys were grown, Jean went back to college. She was proud to be a member of one of the first graduating classes of UTPB. While in Odessa, Jean worked for Texas Instruments and as a substitute teacher. Jean was a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church during her years in Odessa. She often spoke of God and was grateful for His many blessings. In the last 8 years, due to declining health, Jean lived in Kermit, Midland, and most recently Dallas.
Jean is preceded in death by her parents, her eleven brothers and sisters, her husband, and her son Stan in 2001.
Jean is survived by four sons and their wives, Steve and Louise Lovell of Dalzell, South Carolina; Lon and Kathy Lovell of Dallas, Texas; Lowell and Kitty Lovell of Odessa, Texas; and Ashley and Beverly Lovell of Kermit, Texas. She is survived by six grandsons and six granddaughters, Allen, Paul, Joe, Andy, Steve, Lonnie, Lauri, Melanie, Stephanie, Jessica, Carianne, and Amanda. Jean also had 16 great-grandchildren.
If Jean could tell people the best thing about her life, it would be that she raised five wonderful boys and was truly a “mother” to them. Throughout her life, Jean loved being a mother and a grandmother. She cherished her boys, their wives, and their children more than anything else. She enjoyed painting, writing and reading poetry, learning about literature, reading, sewing, and cooking. Jean was a joy to be around, and people who knew and loved her were often blessed by her laughter and happiness.
Services to celebrate Jean’s life are under the direction of Family Services Funeral Parlor in Kermit, Texas and will take place this week in Marietta, Georgia. Pallbearers will be Jean’s six grandsons. In lieu of flowers, family suggests that memorials or contributions be made to a favorite charity or college scholarship fund of your choice.

i love you sweet gramma!

love,

your pink bundle

owen is one month old...and pictures galore!!!

owen will be one month old tomorrow! WOW!! we cannot believe how fast the first four weeks of his sweet little life have gone. we have heard it will only go faster and faster from here. along with several pictures (nearly 20, i think!!) we want to highlight these last four weeks. (i am typing this a day early since the little guy is sleeping. i never know what tomorrow will bring and may not have a chance to come to the computer!!)

dear sweet little owen, this is what has been going on in our house since you arrived:

• your exact weight and height are unknown at this point. at your 2-week appointment, you weighed about 9lbs. 6oz. and were 21 and 1/4 inches long. (your birth weight and length were 9lbs. 4oz. and 21 inches, respectively)
• you are barely able to wear a newborn diaper. we think you will be in a size 1 within the next couple of weeks.
• you have outgrown a few of your newborn outfits, but you can still wear some of them comfortably. mostly, you are wearing size 0-3 month clothing.
• you like to eat. you nursed and had formula supplemented these past four weeks, but as of a day ago, you are on formula only. your dear mommy is a bit emotional about the decision, but she knows you will continue to get all that you need from the formula your doctor recommended.
• back to food...you take a bottle well, gulp very loudly as if it is the last meal of your life, and scream bloody murder when we take your bottle away to burp you. it has become quite hillarious, actually. as soon as the bottle hits your lips again, you are content as can be...until it is time to burp you again!
• you sleep VERY well at night. usually, we can count on you to sleep about 8 hours with only one diaper change and feeding sometime between 3:00 and 4:00. you do not wake up at the same time every morning, but we are sure you will have that figured out before too long.
• you nap 3 to 5 times a day, ranging in length from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
• right now, and for a couple more weeks, you are sleeping in mommy and daddy's room in a bassinet housed within a pack-n-play. you have, however, napped several times in your big-boy crib on the other side of the house so you can start getting used to it. you are going to love your room! we hope...
• your fussy periods are not too often and can usually be contributed to gas. it is apparent that you like to burp...and you like to toot!
• you make an adorable little breathing/snoring noise when you sleep. it is a gentle, peaceful sound and mommy loves hearing it!
• you thoroughly enjoy your car seat. you have been to two doctor appointments, one trip to odessa to grammy and papa's house, a couple quick outings with mommy and daddy (very protected from the outside world if you had to be taken out of the car), and one trip to see mommy's doctor. other than that, you have been home. we won't take you to church or other places until after the new year.
• you like to scream through diaper changes, baths, and clothing changes...although the screaming has become less and less the more these events take place. we think you are finally understanding this "being-a-newborn" stuff! :)
• you like to be held and cuddled and we love that about you!
• you have wild, uncontrollable hair...and we love that about you too! it is sooo cute.
• you like your pacifier after you eat, but most other times, you could really care less about it. mommy's glad about that!
• we love you more than we ever thought possible. we are so proud to be your parents and thank God that you are our son. happy one-month birthday, little guy!

here are some pictures that highlight the last month. of course there are more, but these are the best and/or the cutest!

until the next post...

:) carianne and austin

a week in review

austin and i survived our first full week alone as parents. definitely something to celebrate!! :) except we didn't really celebrate. we just sat on the couch and watched a christmas movie while trading off holding an adorable sleeping baby. celebration enough, i suppose! :)

it was great having mom here that first week to help out in various ways, but once she left last sunday, it was quite an eye-opening experience to say the least! the good news is that owen is being cared for as best as we know how...eating well, sleeping well, peeing and pooping regularly, breathing...so i guess you can say that we didn't do half bad! i still have a million-and-a-half questions, but those will all get answered or figured out in time. (i hope!) my biggest prayer at the moment is to find balance. owen is our number one priority, of course, but there are other things in my/our life that also need attention from time to time. plus, getting back into tutoring in january is terrifying me! i know things are going to work themselves out, somehow, but i just wish i had all the answers now. that is just how i am.

anyway....

here are some darling pictures from this past week. he has really been a good baby, and for that, we are so thankful. he gets fussy when he's getting changed, a little fussy when it's time to eat, and really fussy if he has any gas build-up in his little belly. we have a good anti-gas system worked out that has eliminated the "really fussy" phases from our days and nights, and what a relief that has been (no pun intended! haha). a couple of days earlier in the week were REALLY trying, but........we all survived to tell about it! praise the Lord! enjoy these pictures of our sweet, little guy! i have more pictures that were taken on my phone but i will have to upload those another time.

....................and when your sweet little olive poses so adorably with her beloved tennis ball nearby...................you just have to take a picture!

God bless you all with a wonderful week.

:) carianne

i had no idea...

things sure have changed since my last blog post! we are now proud parents of a brand new baby boy!

owen patrick billett

november 20, 2009

9:28 a.m.

9 lbs. 4 oz.

21 inches long

the feature that caught everyone by surprise??? he has a TON of hair! it's a bit hard to tell who he looks like, but i think he has my nose, lips, and chin, and austin's head shape and hair! his eyes are a nice blue color and seem to be a combination of both mommy and daddy!

5:50 a.m. on friday, november 20. about to head to the hospital.

about to head into the operating room. i already had a bag and a half of fluid pumped into me at this point! hello puffiness!!

austin wheeled owen out of the operating room and "delivered" him to the nursery for a bath and to be examined by our nurse and good friend, staci shaw! he was greeted in the hall by proud grandparents and proud uncle kyle. (i was being stitched up in the operating room at this point!)

our first family picture outside the nursery before i was taken to my room.

what a gorgeous face!! i love love love his pretty eyes!

this has GOT to be the cutest little puppy dog outfit you ever did see! thanks mrs. patty!!!!!!!

this adorable little ensemble is from owen's "aunt riley." thanks aunt riley!!

owen and dr. owen (my ob/gyn and the one responsible for bringing owen into the world safely). we love the name connection even though we did not name owen after her!

his going home outfit was a bit big on him.......

.......but he sure did look cute!

the whole hospital/surgery experience last week was brand new to me. thankfully, my c-section went very smoothly and was completely free of complications. there was, however, some annoying face-itching and swelling from the morphine. needless to say, i was thrilled to have that wear off by friday afternoon!!!!!!!!!! i was up and around by that afternoon (friday) taking walks around the room and down the halls. the nurses and doctors were all top-notch which made it very easy to enjoy my three-and-a-half-day stay. the food was good too...and the bed was oh-so-comfy!!

once we got home, it was nice to start establishing some sort of routine for us and for sweet little owen. my mom has been here for the entire week...and what a blessing that has been! she has been helpful in so many ways...from time spent with owen to helping with chores to offering "parenting" advice to talking me through some difficult emotional times. austin and i are both so glad to have had the help. (she just left this afternoon so now "real life" begins.)

there are many things i have learned this week. i am sure i will be able to add more to this list as more days pass.

in nine days of being a mother, i have learned that:

1. i had no idea i could love someone as much as i love our son. it just didn't seem possible to have that much love in my heart.

2. i had no idea how good a shower could feel after a long day of tending to someone other than myself.

3. i had no idea how the once-important "to do list" could pretty much disappear out of my mind for hours, even days, at a time.

4. i had no idea how i could survive several days in a row without checking my bank account, facebook, blog, and e-mail! granted, i have missed my computer time, but other things have captured my attention...and my heart! even my cell phone has not seen much action!!

5. i had no idea how the touch of a nine-day-old human being could make me smile bigger than my face muscles could stretch.

6. i had no idea that i would or could ever think that "poopy diapers are no big deal."

7. i had no idea how incredibly wonderful my life with austin could become in just a matter of minutes.

in these early days of being a mom and in the beginning stages of learning how to care for an amazing, tiny person, i am reminded of the love of our Lord. He made this all possible and He will guide us to be the parents He wants us to be. austin and i are so incredibly blessed and happy to have a healthy, loving, calm, wonderful little boy.

i am reminded of a quote i heard back in college that i feel is appropriate in most "life" situations, but now more than ever.

"the task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you."

God bless you all!

:) carianne, the proud mom

top ten things i am thankful for today...

greetings everyone! over the weekend, i found myself thinking of all the things i am thankful for at this time in my life. some statements will also include austin based on things we talk about on a daily basis! with it being the week before thanksgiving (my most favorite holiday of all!!), i decided to put some thought into a "top ten" list for one of my posts this week. of course austin and i are blessed in more than just ten ways...but these are some of the highlights.

10. the BEAUTIFUL fall weather, colors, and smells. just thinking about this makes me grin from ear to ear.

9. all the little things i have that make life a bit easier...running water and electricity, cars to get us from place to place, food in our pantry and fridge, pencils and paper, our vacuum cleaner, toilet paper (haha), and so on.

8. our house...a place where we can relax, reenergize, entertain, grow as a couple and as a family. a cozy and comfortable place full of character. a place we think is "just the right size."

7. a sound mind...just like everyone else, sometimes i get confused, tongue-tied, and can't seem to find just the right word, but in the end, i am glad i can get it all figured out. i suppose this is also the place i can mention being thankful for our general health! we are lucky to be healthy and able to go about our day-to-day business free of pain and discomfort.

6. a complication-free, symptom-free pregnancy...from the very first day back in march, things have been a dream! smooth-sailing! enjoyable! i could not have asked for more when it came to little owen's development.

5. our amazing dogs...they are a huge source of joy in our lives and love us more than we can fathom. they cuddle up with us, make us laugh, and enjoy being around us.

4. family and friends...phone calls, cards, visits, gifts, and e-mails. not to mention constant support and interest in our daily lives! there are so many people who care about us and love us. we are blessed beyond measure!

3. austin...he is such an amazing man. loving, forgiving, motivated, intelligent, Godly, patient. i love him with all my heart and give God sole credit for causing our paths to cross approximately 8 years ago. like most normal couples, we have our ups and downs...we bicker and fuss...we struggle from time to time...but we always come together to make things right. we always try harder to avoid mess-ups and do our best to learn from past mistakes. we always make sure the other knows how much they are loved.

2. God...how great it is to know we have Someone to go to when we have something on our hearts and/or minds, whether it be a request or a word of thanks!! we can find comfort in knowing how great He is and how much He loves us! answering prayers, helping us relax and find peace, loving us and forgiving us constantly, guiding us to be the people he wants us to be. truly, God is awesome!

and the number 1. thing i am grateful for on this very day...

1. meeting owen patrick for the first time this friday! i am feeling a wide variety of emotions ranging from excitement to anxiousness! it will be so great to see his little face, hear his cry for the first time, look into his itty bitty eyes, hold him in my arms, kiss his little forehead...what wonderful things to look forward to!!! i know God has formed him to be our child and has prepared us to be his parents! it is all part of His plan! what an amazing adventure we are about to embark upon!

i hope all of you have a wonderful week.

:) carianne

maternity pictures

last weekend and the weekend before that, we took some maternity photos to capture my ever-so-lovely baby bump! we are exactly 2 weeks away from having the "contents" of that bump in our arms! what a wonderful and exciting thought. a surreal thought, actually! this is already one LOVED little boy, so i can't even imagine how we will feel on the morning of november 20!!!

the pictures where i am wearing black and austin is wearing white were taken in odessa at noel heritage park by my good ol' mom. the bare belly shots were taken in and around our house by austin. i thought i would be able to get rid of all the icky-looking stretch marks, but my plan failed, so i just decided to post them as is! i figure those stretch marks are just a small part of the joy of being pregnant.

of all the pregnancy symptoms, discomforts, annoyances, sicknesses, etc that i have heard and read about, the stretch marks are the only think i can say have annoyed me from time to time. second to the stretch marks would have to be the swelling i have experienced on and off since the summer months. the tightness has never really been painful, just ridiculous looking.

pregnancy, overall, has been an extremely joyous and wonderful time in my life! i have loved all the "firsts"..doctor's appointments...movements...feelings and emotions...planning our lives once owen arrives...looking ahead to a different set of "firsts"...thinking about what he will be like...etc. it has all brought me so much happiness.

austin and i are very much looking forward to taking this journey into parenthood together! we are looking forward to helping owen grow up in a Christian home where he knows he is safe and forever in God's hands. we are looking forward to all the exciting times as well as the trying times that will make us all stronger. we are looking forward to learning and working together as the parents God has called us to be! we are blessed in so many ways and cannot be more thankful!

here are the handful of pictures that were the best of both photo sessions.

have a great weekend!

:) carianne

weekend dessert deliciousness

for halloween, austin and i had some friends and family over for the evening. austin's mom, grandma, and brother (kyle) were here as well as kyle's girlfriend and married friends of ours (james and amy). we had potato skins, chips and queso as appetizers followed by austin's delicious homemade chili, my cornbread muffins, crackers, and all the yummy chili toppings (cheese and sour cream). it was quite a feast!!

for dessert, i made something called a chocolate cobbler. it was a recipe i got in a newsletter online and thought it was worth trying. let me just start by telling you...there is no picture because it got gobbled up SO fast! before i could even think about grabbing the camera, the pan was sitting in the bottom of the sink...empty. here is the EASY recipe.

Chocolate Cobbler

• 6 tablespoons REAL butter
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (i used a little more than this, maybe closer to 2/3 cup or so)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1-1/2 cup boiling water
• vanilla ice cream (hot fudge sauce is an option at this point, too, but i don't think it is necessary!)

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in an 11X7 inch baking pan or glass casserole dish in a 350 degree oven. Combine the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, pecans, 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla in a bowl. Spoon clumps of the mixture over the melted butter. DO NOT STIR TO MIX.
2. Mix 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder together in a small bowl and sprinkle back and forth over the batter. DO NOT STIR TO MIX.
3. Next, pour the boiling water over the top of the sugar/cocoa mixture. DO NOT STIR TO MIX.
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. The recipe says that some people enjoy it warm and others like it cooled completely. That is totally up to you!!

on sunday, we had a few friends over to our house for small group. the same friends mentioned above, james and amy, invited us to join a small group back in may that they had been a part of for some time. we really like people in the group and have found it to be a fun time of laughter, food, and fellowship! david works with special needs children on the texas tech campus, chad owns a bakery in a town about 15 minutes from lubbock, sadie is a police officer, amy is austin's mom's assistant choir director at monterey high school, james works at a cigar shop, and that leaves austin and me! there were a couple others in the group at the time we joined, but one moved and the other began traveling on weekends so he is not available to meet with us any longer. sometimes we do bible study, but if only a couple of us are available, we may just do games or a movie and enjoy snacks. whatever we do together, it makes for enjoyable sunday evenings! next sunday, we are all getting together for "thanksgiving dinner." the next week, james and amy are out of town, and the next week, OWEN WILL BE HERE!! so, if austin and i were going to be a part of it, we needed to do it this coming sunday! thanksgiving is a holiday that needs to be celebrated all month anyway, so i think it is great to have a big feast with friends so early in the month!

so, last night, we had spaghetti, cheese garlic bread, green beans, and tossed salad. it was sooooo delicious! for dessert, i made the most incredible banana pudding and wanted to share that recipe as well. it is from a mary kay cookbook that was given to me at one of my bridal showers! i did a couple things different than the recipe called for, so that is the version i am providing you with below!

Banana Pudding

• 1 small package of banana cream instant pudding
• 2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding
• 1-1/2 cup milk
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 16 ounces whipped topping (get only 8 ounces to use in the pudding mixture if you don't want to spread the top of the pudding with whipped topping. i only use 8 ounces and decorate the top differently, so that is up to you. basically, 8 ounces if you want it in the pudding only and 16 ounces if you want to use half in the pudding and half on top!)
• 3 medium bananas mashed very, very well.
• 3 bananas to slice and use in the layering process
• 1 package of vanilla wafers (i got the mini nilla wafers)

Preparation

1. Mix puddings, milk, sour cream, 8 ounces of whipped topping, and mashed bananas with a hand mixer until smooth. It will look a little lumpy from the mashed bananas, but you will be able to tell when it is 'smooth.'
2. In the bottom of an 11X7 inch baking pan, cover the bottom with vanilla wafers. (I guess you could crumble cookies for this layer if you wanted to!) Directly on top of the nilla wafers, place banana slices to cover. Place half of the pudding mixture and spread evenly over cookies and bananas. Repeat with nilla wafers followed by bananas and spread the rest of the pudding mixture over the top. I decorated the top of the pudding with alternating rows of banana slices and nilla wafers, but at this point you may be running low on nilla wafers! If you chose the 16 ounce whipped topping option, you can spread that on top of the last half of the pudding mixture instead of using bananas and cookies.

once again, there was no picture of the beautiful dessert. it, too, was gone in an instant.

i better get going for now. i just wanted to share two very yummy desserts that were quite easy and quite "a hit" with our guests!

take care one and all,

:) carianne

update and shower fun "lubbock style"...times two

greetings everyone! i seem to be falling behind on my blog posting. i have no excuse, really...life is just happening all around me.

as i sit here this evening, the fall breeze is blowing outside, our dogs are sleeping (big surprise) and austin is relaxing on the couch preparing for a new week. i know, i know...we billetts need to calm down!!

we are a mere 26 days away from our lives becoming alot more eventful than they are right now. excitement galore!!

i am in the process of gathering and packing my things for the hospital. i've got the cozy pajamas, the comfy robe, warm slippers, various toiletries, a puppy coloring book with a brand new box of crayons, a couple novels, a handful of magazines, a crossword puzzle book, etc. of course my main sources of "entertainment" will be holding owen, visiting with any company that decides to come visit, and walking up and down the hallway hoping to regain mobility as quickly as possible following the surgery.

this tuesday, following my doctor's appointment, we are taking a tour of the labor and delivery floor at the hospital where owen will be born. both austin and i are looking forward to finding out some specifics and finding out how things will go on that blessed day!

over the weekend, my mom played "photographer" and took some maternity pictures of the mommy- and daddy-to-be a local park. there are still a handful i want austin to take of just me, so once they are complete, i will post some of our favorites.

showers have been the highlight of many of our weekends the last couple of months. not only have i been able to see dear family and friends during these times, but i have also unwrapped many wonderful gifts that will be utilized by our sweet boy. it has been such a blessing (and relief) to have so many people reach out to us as we prepare to become first-time parents. everyone has been so good to us and we are beyond appreciative. i've said it before, but austin and i are TRULY blessed by the people in our lives.

on october 11, we had baby shower #3 at the home of one of my students here in good ol' lubbock. the hostesses at this shower included 5 amazing ladies...debbie tucker (mother of a student i have homeschooled for two-and-a-half years), karen boynton (mother of one of my first homeschool students), cindy pratt (friend of my mother-in-law), patti poff (mother of austin's best friend), and billie lu billett (my mother-in-law). the shower was held in the living room of debbie's gorgeous home. we had cake, fruit, nuts, mints, punch, and baby booties filled with m&m candies (blue, of course!!) here are some pictures that capture the fun and beauty of that day!

here are the ladies mentioned above: (from left to right) patti, billie lu, me, cindy, the beautiful alyssa jayne (standing in for her mom, karen, who had to work that day), and debbie.

this white blanket was made by karen boynton. it is knitted in a diamond pattern and has a texture that i love! i am sure owen will love it too!! so cozy and special!

do you recognize the adorable "clothesline" letters? they were made by my best friend, riley, and were originally created for the odessa baby shower!!

this past friday, october 23, baby shower #4 was held at the middle school where austin works. it was a come-and-go, casual occasion since it took place in the teacher's lounge during the teachers' lunches. we had a light lunch followed by yummy cake! we only took a couple pictures at the school, but then once i got back home, i arranged the gifts on the coffee table for the third picture seen below. one of the highlights...we received a car seat (for austin's car) from the assistant principal who really cherishes austin and all the selfless work he does around the school. he can always be counted on, and she wanted us to know how much she appreciated that! she had me go last week to pick out the one we wanted, so i did a bit of internet research and then headed to babies r us to make the final decision! we are quite pleased...and once again, ever-so-grateful!
i hope all of you have a wonderful week. i will be getting that post together with maternity pictures as soon as the last few shots are taken (this week i hope!!). i will close with one of the pictures taken on saturday showcasing my 35-week bump/hemisphere. 3 people in the last 24 hours have made comments about how owen has dropped...and how they think i am just days away from giving birth. one lady simply said (to my mother-in-law) "she won't make it to the 20th" while another told austin "i bet he's here in 10 days or so." all i can say about that is YIKES. YIKES. YIKES!!

until next time,

carianne

shower fun..."odessa style"

i write today OVERWHELMED with gratitude for many reasons! last weekend, october 2nd and 3rd, austin and i were in odessa for the big football game between ohs and phs (the red and white were victorious!!) as well as our second baby shower!! there were ten hostesses and a couple "junior" hostesses. i do believe that these ten ladies thought of everything...and i do mean EVERYTHING! i have no idea exactly how long plans were in the works, but all the details of that afternoon were top-notch! i had such a great time getting to soak up the eye-catching details as i entered the room, visiting with guests, laughing and catching up with family and friends, opening gifts to be utilized by our son upon his arrival in a mere handful of weeks, snacking on goodies of all kinds and sipping punch...etc. it was definitely a fun time, to say the least! below are 17 of my favorite pictures! thank you, riley, for sharing!

upon entering the fellowship hall of first presbyterian church, guests could read a scrabble-inspired door decoration. very cute idea, mom!!

the clothesline idea was riley's! four adorable puppy outfits and the letters of our little boy's name decorated the fireplace area in the room. the diapers on the table were filled with "sweet poo." guests were asked to figure out which melted chocolate candy was in each of the ten diapers. my friend from junior high and high school, nikki, won the prize!

at the sign-in table (manned by one of the junior hostesses, our niece, morgan) guests received a candy pacifier necklace made with white lifesavers and yellow lemon drops. even the glue holding it all together (powdered sugar and water) was edible!! thanks for the special added touch, aunt bev!

also at the sign in table was a piggy bank painted by my very dear friend, kimberly! the bank was for anyone who wanted to contribute to owen's college fund! it's never to early to start saving for that ever-so-important college education! when all was said and done, we ended up with a deposit totaling $77.90! we are so grateful to everyone who contributed.

you've most likely heard of a diaper cake, right? well, have you ever heard of a diaper doghouse? this little doghouse sat on the gift table and was constructed by several of my family members! the doghouse is cardboard covered with diapers; the dog was made using washcloths, receiving blankets, safety pins, and a couple rubberbands. the dog bowl is made of a diaper genie refill filled with plastic outlet covers to represent dog food. the best part of the whole thing?? when i lifted the lid, there was so much baby stuff PACKED into the actual house! even the "attic" was stuffed...with what else? more rolled diapers! it took forever to look through it all...but it is all stuff we will use with little owen!!!

here is one of the 2 cakes...mmm mmm good! i love cake! this one was from sam's and was fabulous! many of the snacks in this picture and the picture below were homemade including cookie truffles, crinkles (i think that is what they are called...a crispy sugar cookie), date balls, etc. thanks to everyone who contributed something to the goodie table!

the guests seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, the food, the company, and the gifts! it was great having so many people there to celebrate owen's upcoming birth! austin, owen, and i are truly blessed.

the table decorations were adorable! they were little wrapped boxes with doghouses and stuffed dogs inside! the look was completed with flowers and balloons. the long white sign on each table thanked guests for sharing in this special time. the little yellow cards were "advice for the mommy-to-be" and for these, i am truly grateful! i wish more people had filled them out! the tables were also sprinkled with confetti and baby boy mints! so cute! this particular picture shows a bone over the doghouse opening that reads "olive." there was another with "shelby" and then the rest were without signs. of course that was just another special added touch having our 2 lovable pups represented!

yay for the hostess gift!! this is owen's little "jumperoo," or as my older brother likes to call it...the "jump-a-tron." austin and my brother, joe, came to the church before the shower and put it together. it is such a cute little play center and we are sure owen will enjoy it!

speaking of hostesses...here they are now! from left to right, we have morgan (junior hostess and niece), staci (childhood/lifelong friend), mom (and of course, owen's grammy), me (the mommy-to-be), riley (best friend of 15 years!!), mari (riley's mom), cindy (my sister-in-law), aunt bev (the maker of the pacifier necklaces and many of the goodies on the goodie table), deborah (longtime friend), and camille (junior hostess and flower girl at our wedding in 2004). not pictured and unable to attend were kimberly (owen's bank-painter), kristin (riley's stepmom), and aunt kathy (the one in charge of the corsage). i am so thankful for all these wonderful ladies and feel so loved and blessed to know each and every one of them. owen is one lucky little guy!

what a belly! people were supposed to cut a piece of yarn that they thought would fit around my waist. (what waist??) haha. this was "measurement time." the closest to the actual diameter won a prize!

this is riley and me! riley, as mentioned above, is my best friend of 15 years. we have been through what seems like everything together! i am so thrilled that she is a part of my life and would trade absolutely NOTHING for her, her friendship, and all that she means to me. she is such an amazing, funny, loving, caring, generous, positive woman of God and i love her to pieces! she is owed so much thanks for all she did to make this baby shower an incredible time for me and my soon-to-be little boy!

this is me opening one of MANY wonderful gifts! i wish there was a better word than 'blessed' to describe how i feel as a result of this day! blessed is all i can think of. i thank the Lord daily for all He has given me through the love and support of my family and friends!

this is my cute mom and me! she is almost as excited about owen as we are! she is an amazing woman and grammy...so thoughtful and generous. i am one lucky girl...lucky and blessed to have a mom like this one!

i just LOVE the expression on my face. i also like the way my hair looks in this picture! :)

those are the highlights of my odessa baby shower! it was such an enjoyable time.

another post coming soon,

:) carianne

owen!!

profile view and 3-d view of owen..

30-week appointment and shower fun

i'll get started with our 30-week update. owen is doing well and looking cute! we saw a few more 3-d ultrasounds today, but still can't tell who he is going to look like. i guess we will have to just be surprised! :) his chin is adorable, as are his chubby cheeks. he must have gotten those from his mommy! here is what mommy looks like at 30 weeks. it looks less like a "bump" and more like a "hemisphere" now!
i hope owen looks like his daddy!

in less than 9 weeks, owen will be a part of this world. amazing. these days, my time is spent tutoring, doing maintenance-type chores, working on getting things finished up in the nursery, sorting and organizing "stuff," etc. i really think i may get it all done, but then i add more chores and errands to the list, and then i am not too sure! my plan is just to enjoy the lovely fall season, do what i can when i can, and hope the rest falls into place at one point or another. life is so good right now and i can feel the blessings of God all around me.

we had our first baby shower this weekend at our church in brownfield. it was held in the fellowship hall immediately following the church service. some of the wonderful ladies in the church made sandwiches of various kinds and had chips, cookies, and punch for everyone in attendance! it was quite thoughtful...and quite yummy! following lunch came the presents. :) (there is another couple in the church having a baby, but only the dad was able to be at the shower. his wife is currently in the hospital with pregnancy-related complications, so he and his mom opened the presents for their little girl, ava.) it was so cute to see a table full of pink-wrapped gifts right next to owen's table of blue-wrapped gifts! our photograpeher snapped a picture of owen's table before the gift-opening began.

(our sister-in-law, cindy, was the "gift writer," niece morgan was the photographer, nephew deuce was the "gift-getter," and niece nina labeled herself "the observer.")

owen received alot of nice things: diapers, wipes, clothes, a few toys, a bumbo with tray, blankets, giftcards and money...we are so blessed by wonderful people in the church. here are a couple pictures of the "spread" once we got it all home, unloaded from the car, sorted, and "posed."

the following pictures are just some candid shots during the shower.

we are very much looking forward to next weekend, october 3, when we will have a shower hosted by some of my dear friends and family in odessa. i am excited about the shower and can't wait to visit with people i don't get to see often (or haven't seen in a very very long time). fun will be had by all!!

until the next post,

carianne

almost finished!

greetings family and friends! our little owen is growing, growing, growing! he will be here in no time! because of his size at the 24-week ultrasound several weeks ago, our doctor advised us to be prepared to welcome him into the world by c-section! we chose a date ~ november 20 ~ and are getting more and more geared up each day. we have an ob/gyn appointment tomorrow and our 30-week ultrasound the following monday. we will find out more about his current size at that time. starting this week, i will be going to the doctor every other week. needless to say...I AM BEYOND EXCITED ABOUT MORE FREQUENT VISITS!!

here is my 29-week bump. owen is moving more and more inside that cute bump and i just love it!

owen's room is coming together slowly but surely. we have the crib, changer, and dresser in place but are still lacking the rocking chair and bookshelf (to be hand-crafted by my dad).

some of the pictures show things that got completed last weekend and some were completed this weekend. there are still a few details yet to be tackled, but they will get done during the next couple of weeks!

the outside of the door has polka dot letters that match the ceiling fan. i adhered the letters to the door with the greatest invention ever ~ velcro!!

this is the crib our nephew, deuce, used back in his younger days. he said he would be happy to let his cousin, owen, have it!

these are the wall hangings i made out of fabric and an old pair of blue jeans.

here is the dresser with the "puppy tales" lamp.

the changer is currently a storage area/organization area, but will soon be cleaned off and ready for diaper-changing! i have already purchased the lightweight denim fabric (matching the border of the bedding) for curtains. the "puppy tales" valance will hang in front of them, but because i am using a double-valance set up, the curtains will still be able to slide left and right to allow light in or keep light out.

this is the corner where the rocking chair will go. it belonged to my gramma lovell and is having to be "repaired" and painted (courtesy of my dad) from the days when shelby, our lovable pooch, chewed on everything in sight. we have decided to have it painted the caramel color from the block wall.

this is the hamper's temporary home. this corner will eventually house the homemade bookshelf i spoke of earlier.

we have organized the diaper collection we have thus far and sorted packages by size. we have also washed and folded/hung any new clothes owen has already received in addition to some hand-me-downs that seem nearly brand new. there will eventually be a round mirror hanging above the dresser, but we are still trying to figure out how to hang it since the main stud is not centered on the wall. the 3-foot diameter mirror is quite heavy and we do not want it to be a safety issue. then there are the curtains. our lives are busy, busy, busy, but it sure has been fun to work in some "nursery time" over the past few weeks. the room is such a bright and happy place...it is just fun being in there!

happy week to all!

:) carianne

a post with no pictures...

well, my goal for the evening was to come up with a non-pregnancy-related blog post...but i have failed. i thought of many things today...but are any of them post-worthy??

i thought about my job...i like my job just fine, but as i approach owen's birth, i find myself wanting to work less and less. what i have failed to realize in these "i-don't-wanna" moments is that there are still bills to pay and that my husband is working as hard as he possibly can to do his part...so i have decided to approach each daily schedule with a "cheerful heart" (thanks to my dear mother's advice!) i have had a very good week work-wise and am looking forward to having monday off to spend time with my husband. i'll be ready to hit it again next week! cheerfully.

i thought about my upcoming trip to odessa this weekend...i am very excited to see the family...mom, dad, brother (joe), cindy, the beautiful nieces who are both growing up WAY too fast, my precious nephew who is smarter than alot of grown ups i know, and the odessa dogs! we will all be going to the odessa high football game friday night and the midland rockhounds baseball game saturday. i have been told mom is taking me shopping for a new outfit (maternity style!!) to wear to my upcoming baby shower so i am mega-pumped about that! i have also made plans to finish up baby owen's puppy quilt that was the feature of the blog post before this one. i am sure we will do lots of eating and visiting and relaxing as well...and i love all of those things a great deal.

i thought about america's got talent...i love love love the act made up of 5 sisters (fab five) and hope they win it all. they are gorgeous mothers who have danced together since they were little girls. they are incredible and i find my heart racing each time they perform because of how amazing they are. they tap dance in perfect unison and it just makes my jaw drop.

i thought of my to do list...and how every time i look over it to see what i can accomplish during my time off work or between clients, i think of 6 or 8 more things to do that are more pressing. so, i am in a constant state of "busy" but unable to cross ANYTHING off my list. why is that?????

i thought of many things i have been praying for...and wish i was better at praying. i wish i knew new and different ways to ask, praise, and thank. i really feel that most days, my knowledge and vocabulary are inadequate. i also get frustrated because i don't really feel like i get "it" all covered each day. i get so wrapped up in my list of things to do, my schedule, my unborn child, my projects and tasks that are only halfway completed, getting the dishes and laundry done...that i forget to be thankful, i forget to be gracious and glad, i forget to count my blessings, i forget that worrying does no one any good. i just feel like i fall short when it comes to giving our Lord the credit and attention he deserves. i must strive to be better at all these things.

i thought about a news story i heard yesterday...there is a family in arkansas, i believe, that has child #19 on the way. that is NOT a typo. 19 children. i know people who would give anything for just one baby to love and cherish...and these people have 19!!! i would say that is not fair, but i know all situations are handled in God's time.

i thought about money, finances, budget, debt...and then i allowed those thoughts to leave my mind while gladly letting another thought take their place.

i thought about my dogs...i love how much they love me. their eyes are so passionate. olive rests her head on my shoulder, my lap, my arm and just gazes at me with the most love-filled eyes known to man. shelby loves to look out the window, but when i say her name, she looks at me and i see the same love. it is a heart-warming feeling. and then most of the time, following this moment of love, she yawns. such a funny girl!

i thought alot about owen...but realized i was trying to think of a non-pregnancy blog post. ahhhh!! who am i kidding, though? he is in the front of my mind at all times. i try to fast forward to the day when owen will look at me, say things to me, hug and kiss me, and hand me homemade treasures. i imagine he will look at me and love me the same way my dogs do now. i think about what kind of mom i will be and hope it matches up with the kind of mom i want to be! i think about my schedule and how i hope it meshes with his little life in a way that i can be a great mom (and wife) while still helping to provide for my family (cheerfully). i thought about what those first moments, days, weeks will be like and how my life will change in one moment...for the better...forever! i could go on and on about my pregnancy...

i thought about my wonderful husband...and what a great man he is...and how proud i am of him...and how much i love him...and how excited i am that owen is his son...and how helpful he can be...and how patient he is with me during mood swings, whiny moments, crying spells, errand running, massive amounts of rambling, etc. he is such a blessing to me.

i thought about all these things...and more...but could not come up with a topic to blog about. i guess i just thought i would blog about all of it!!

...little snippits from inside my mind...a bit of journaling if you will.

...i have so much to be thankful for.

until next time,
carianne

puppies, puppies, puppies...

here is the latest project i have managed to complete for our little guy. i forced myself to sit down today and just get it done! the puppy material is from walmart and the solid colors were pieces found in either my fabric collection or in my mom's! i am very pleased with the results and am looking forward to taking it to my little quilter friend in the coming weeks.

have a lovely day,

carianne

wall hangings and other stuff

well, i finally sat down and finished owen's wall hangings! i have had time sprinkled throughout the last couple weeks to work on them, but when i am working on maintenance-type things like dishes and laundry...and tutoring...and cutting pieces and sewing a baby blanket for owen...and taking time to put my feet up and relax...and, well, you get the idea...it was just hard to get them finished! i finished the sewing last week but then had to adhere them to the canvas boards and get them secured in the frames before i could call them "done." austin is out of town until tomorrow, so i took advantage of my time and glued everything in place. i am VERY satisfied with the results. i half-joked with austin the other night that i could do sewn wall hangings as a side job...but then i thought about someone ordering the name "samantha" or "christopher" and i got scared. that is alot of letters, alot of sewing, alot of framing, alot of glue sticks...so i will stick to tutoring for now. haha!

here are the pictures i took this evening. i think the wall hangings are going on the caramel colored wall they are leaning against. we think owen will be hypnotized...mesmerized...and, well, pretty much distracted 24/7 if his crib were put against the block wall, so i think we chose the caramel wall to house his crib.

a couple weeks ago, i finished the letters that will be placed vertically on the outside of owen's door. the design matches the dots on the ceiling fan.

now, for the other stuff...please continue to lift up the dear friend i mentioned in my last post! i have been asking the Lord multiple times a day to be with her, so my hope is that she can feel His love and comfort. another friend of mine is going through a messy divorce and needs to know God is surrounding her as well. if you don't mind just taking a minute to send a prayer heavenward, i would appreciate it!

as far as a pregnancy update: i am right about 25 weeks at this point. we had our second-to-last ultrasound this past monday. owen is still "definitely" a boy, so that was good news! his heartbeat is 152 beats per minute, which is right on target. his heart and brain look good, as do his limbs, bones, etc. his belly was expecially noticeable this go-round! he's a fat little guy weighing in at about 2 lbs 3 oz. according to this things i have read, he should just now be approaching a pound and a half...hmmm. he is measuring in the 90+ percentile in every measurement they took this week! i am thinking he will be making his entrance into the world a little early! our last ultrasound will be september 21. i am hoping we get a good look at his little face at that time.

as far as how i have been feeling: still feeling great overall! i continue to nap as often as i can (daily or every other day). my feet are swelling less and less, so that has been nice! my first stretch marks have made themselves known! let me just say...i was less than thrilled about that! my weight gain has been less than ideal, but since i am growing a GIANT within me, i am not worrying about it too much. when i get yelled at by the doctor, then i will worry!

well, i guess that is enough from me at the moment.

happy weekend!

:) carianne

a bigger bump and a prayer request

my bump is continuing to grow, praise the Lord! and the little one inside the bump is already into his sixth month of development (nearly 24 weeks to be exact)! he gets music played for him several times a week, is read to from time to time, and gets rubbed a little here and there!! it sure will be nice to meet him here in a few months! i have two upcoming appointments: august 10 and august 17. the first is an ultrasound (my favorite!!) and the second is my gestational diabetes test. i hear there is a sugary orange drink involved! all i keep thinking is that i like sugary orange drinks! ;)

there's nothing new or exciting going on around here. i am still working some...but i have given myself a week off sandwiched between 2 weekends starting august 15 and going through august 23. i NEED the time to start preparing my schedule, lessons, and other tutoring/homeschooling matters before the start of the new school year. plus, i want to finish organizing and cleaning as much as i can around the house before owen's birthday! with my job, i am making some changes for the upcoming year...changes i am very much looking forward to. since the fall of 2007, i have gone to peoples' homes to tutor and homeschool, but now, i will have them come to me. what i figure is this...less $$$ spent on gas, more scheduling time as opposed to driving time, and most importantly, getting to be home with owen. i will be looking for part time help after the new year, but again, they will come here and watch owen while i work with students. in my head it all works out perfectly...we shall see!

for those of you who wouldn't mind helping me out with something, i have a prayer request. i wish to keep the details private, but hope that you would lift up a very dear friend and ask the Lord to be with her each day. she is going through a difficult time and needs "prayer warriors" to help her through it!! we all go through struggles. we all have hard times in our lives. we all ask for help when we need it. we all add people to our prayer list from time to time. it seems like such a small thing to say a prayer for someone else, even someone unknown to us, but to the person who needs the prayer, it is HUGE! i would appreciate your help. i know she will too. just so you have a little background on this wonderful person...she is a Godly woman, devoted to helping others, loving in every way, selfless, intelligent, beautiful inside and out, and very much an optimist. thanks for sending your thoughts heavenward!

take care one and all,

carianne

it's nursery time!!

this was a fantastic weekend!

friday afternoon, austin and i took our new best friend, "laser level," into the bland oatmeal-colored room that is being transformed into owen's room! we very carefully worked for nearly 3 hours taping a random grid design onto one of the four walls. we used 3 different tapes...tapes which we called "thick," "medium," and "skinny." by the time all was said and done in the taping stage, you would have thought thick, medium, and skinny were people we both knew! haha! it was fun working side by side taping...until we were both pretty sore for various reasons...him because of the consistent pressure that was needed to hold the level steady, and me because of the up and down of getting tape quickly and accurately from side to side and top to bottom! in any case, it was a blast working with my dearly beloved in our little boy's room.

we had plans of taking pictures at "every stage" of the process, but with the excitement of the project and an impromptu garage sale "hosted" at our house to help out a friend, we sort of went straight from horizontal lines to finished product! oops! oh well, here is a not-so-good picture of the horizontal stripes!

after the randomly placed stripes were taped from wall to wall, it was time to do the same random placement from floor to ceiling! that was a much easier part of the taping stage for some reason. welcome back "thick," "medium," and "skinny."

austin and i were exhausted from the 6:00-9:00 evening sale (as well as our few hours of taping earlier in the day) and sort of took it easy until mom and dad showed up sometime after 9:00.

saturday morning was day 2 of the garage sale, but i was in and out visiting with mom who was, at this point, beginning the painting stage! i also had several nursery projects to work on so i was doing some of that during "my-feet-are-swelling" moments! without boring anyone with too many more details, the project wrapped up about 3:30 on sunday afternoon. touch ups...check! ceiling fan installation...check! clean up...check! mom and dad are now on their way to odessa, i am about to go prop my feet up for a nap, and austin will be gone teaching a drumline camp in andrews until friday night! :(

oh, and if you are wondering...the dogs are great! loving, lazy, happy, etc. they are just perfect!

without further ado, i bring you............................................

a random, rough-edge, block design of multiple colors! it was a design collaboration between austin, my mom, and myself. we LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

looking toward the block wall from one corner of the room.

the bottom of the wall and our adorable "puppy tales" bedding.

a new ceiling fan with fan blades decorated by yours truly.

the fan and the wall in one frame.

well, my pillows are calling. i love napping...and boy, am i ready for one now!

pleased with the results,

:) carianne

wedding bliss

i missed out on last week's "show us your life" post brought to the blogging world by kelly's korner because i was out of town. this week, i am showing my dress, a few of my very favorite pictures from that beautiful day, and also our wedding party!

i fell in love with my dress...well, the mid-section of the dress...in a magazine! i knew it was the one for me...and as it turned out, it was the only dress i ever tried on! it was tough finding it so i could try it on, but once i did, i knew it would be the dress i wore to marry my dear, sweet, wonderful austin!! this is the exact picture i saw in a magazine and tore out for my wedding book: (please forgive the wrinkles...it's been in a box folded ever-so-neatly!!) the following picture is one of me in the front of the sanctuary.

isn't this next one cute? austin and i chose not to see each other before the ceremony, but this was taken pre-wedding! he was put into the room behind the door and then i was brought along from another room soon after. we held hands across the door and said "hi" to each other without ever seeing the other! i call it the "no peeking" pose! the next two are the sweetest pictures i have ever seen! i love everything about both of them! you can see the detail in my headpiece in both of these. it was handcrafted by my brother-in-law (of all people) after a similar one i found online had a $300+ price tag! no thank you! he studied the picture and set to work on this perfect, beautiful headband! i am still so proud of it 5 years later! in the kissing picture, you can see my "something old"...a pair of diamond platinum earrings that belonged to my great-grandmother. i borrowed them from my aunt, who is the current owner. (fyi, my something borrowed was the veil from my best friend, riley! my something blue was the pair of blue sequined flip flops i wore under my dress!)

the last two pictures show our lovely wedding party! i love love love the plaid skirts my girls wore. i had the dresses made from a caramel colored taffeta and coordinating plaid taffeta. they were the most gorgeous bridesmaids ever! i love them all dearly...from left to right: stephanie, anne (from germany), sunni, (me), riley, camille (flower girl), kimberly, and christina! in the full wedding party picture, what i love most is the non-traditional pose. everyone is paired with the person they walked in with, but not in the long-line-on-either-side pose that is so common!

i am so thankful for the memory of that day...and also all the memories that have been made since then! God is good!

have a great day!

:) carianne

feelin' crafty

this friday evening, my mom and dad will be coming up for a weekend visit...and to paint our little boy's nursery. for those of you who don't know, we are naming him owen patrick billett!! everyday, we get more and more excited about the fast-approaching adventure into parenthood!

the painting of the walls will be a project in itself because i am not one to just have the walls painted one color and call it "good." there will be much more to it, and mom is geared up to follow through with the idea! while she is in the room painting away, i will be stationed elsewhere working on non-paint-fume projects of my own! i have included pictures of some of my collected materials...and can't be more thrilled to add "mommy's special touch" to the room in a couple different areas. daddy will also be installing a ceiling fan sometime in the next several days! lots of exciting changes going on here in the billett household. i'll post pictures of the three finished projects as i get them done.

i continue to feel great....so great that i even hesitate mentioning my swollen ankles. it doesn't change how i feel day-to-day so it's almost not worth bringing up. they get puffy and tight but i continue to do all the right things like drink plenty of water, sleep with them elevated, etc. i even bought a pair of special $31 socks! no, that is not a typo. they were $30.99 at walgreens! i think it's funny because i won't even spend $31 on a pair of jeans, but socks...sure, why not!?!? i chose not to wear them today, but i will be wearing them tomorrow seeing as how my ankles look like FAT sausages this very moment! haha!

take care,
carianne

deuce lovell on youtube!!!

deuce has made it to the web! check out his performance at the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Deuce+Lovell&search_type=&aq=f

a VERY proud aunt,
carianne

a singing sensation

last night at the midland rockhounds game, our four-and-a-half-year-old nephew, deuce, sang "take me out to the ballgame" in the presence of about 5,000 baseball fans. his grandparents drove in from houston for the occasion, as did his great aunt and uncle from dallas and his great aunt and uncle from kermit! of course his mom, dad, and sisters were there as were my parents, austin, and me. we had seats in the box that my mom's employers sponsor, so the view of the game and post-game fireworks show was fantastic.

there was a little bit of a "singing debut" mix-up at the game, but in the end, all worked out well! a quartet scheduled to sing "god bless america" during the 7th inning stretch went immediately into their own arrangement of "take me out to the ballgame" while deuce was supposed to be taking the field. oops!! thankfully, the behind-the-scenes people came up to the box afterwards to make things right. deuce got to sing out on the field with rocky rockhound during the middle of the 9th. he did an amazing job, looked into the crowd the whole time, and did not miss a word! he got a standing ovation and at least a hundred high fives mixed with compliments on the way back up to the box. what a cutie! we were all so proud!

a party for the pups

yesssss. we are those kind of people. we like to celebrate the birthdays of our dogs...so tonight was our small party at home.

shelby's birthday is approximately june 21 and olive's is july 3.

the white cake with blue and white frosting was a big hit (although i did remove most of the frosting from the pieces they were given). we certainly don't want them to get sick on such a special occasion! the handful of presents were an even bigger hit! olive, our big girl of 7 years, received her own package of mini stuffed rawhides as well as a new canister of yummy-smelling tennis balls. oh, she loves her tennis balls! shelby, our 65-pound 2-year-old, received the larger variety of stuffed rawhide as well as a giant rawhide bone that seems to have her undivided attention even now, a couple hours after the party. shelby is our tug-of-war dog so she also received a really fun-looking rope toy with a football-shaped toy in the middle. looking forward to playing with that one!

dogs are precious to us...our lives are so much better because of our two pups! as a matter of fact, we have chosen (and received) puppy bedding for our upcoming baby boy. we fell in love with it as soon as we saw it. check it out and see what you think: http://carters.kidslineinc.com/products/collections/puppy_tales.php

love from the billetts,

carianne

PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE...

a hint of disappointment

on may 18, austin and i met our ob/gyn for the first time. i remember asking her toward the end of that visit when we would be able to find out the baby's gender. she replied "next time" ...and that was that! upon leaving the doctor's office, i made my next appointment for june 15. knowing that this was the "next time" she spoke of, we went about the next four weeks "business as usual" and began making plans for "post-june 15"...the day we would start looking at nursery details, the day we would start reading books to him/her and calling him/her by name, the day we would maybe start telling people the name we selected for him/her, etc. we were getting more and more anxious the closer we got to june 15. austin's mom, billie lu, mentioned wanting to be in the lobby on the day we found out the gender of baby billett. i mentioned this to my mom, kitty, knowing that she lives 2 hours away and had to work on this day. she told me that various things going on that day in the office and people on vacation would keep her from coming to be here.

so, here comes june 15...yesterday...a glorious day indeed! my mom called me mid-morning this day and told me her boss wanted her to be here. when the clock hit 10:30, mom was filling up her tank and heading this way. hooray!! the happy parents-to-be as well as the two proud grandmas drove to the appointment and got all settled in the room where we would be receiving the "big news." blood pressure...perfect! how am i feeling?...perfect! the doctor seemed to be wrapping up her conversation with us quite quickly! when i asked if today was the day we would find out the gender, she said, "no, at the next ultrasound" (which austin and i know is not until june 23). seeing the look on my face (although there was no break down or tears shed...surprisingly), she said she would try to see something on her machine. now, you need to know that this machine is not the best piece of technology, but i applaud her for trying! in the end, she could not make a guess based on the fuzzy picture of her screen. (the place i get my ultrasounds done is a couple blocks away...now that is great equipment!) so now the big day is june 23...or so i thought! about 4:30 on june 15, i got a call from the sonogram doctor's office letting me know we had to reschedule the june 23 appointment. tomorrow? i thought!! not a chance! i should have known. no, they are making it for wednesday, june 24. so, there it is...my hint of disappointment from yesterday.

even though we still don't know the gender, everything else is going extremely smooth!! my blood pressure is top-notch, my thyroid medication is working well and doing its job, the heartbeat of the baby is great, and i have june 24 to look forward to! i am still feeling well and have been exercising and eating well. baby billett listens to bach every night and will begin hearing stories read aloud very soon. we love the little guy or gal very much and can't wait to meet him/her.

the picture up top was taken after church sunday...my 16-week bump.

until next time...

:) carianne

240 pieces

i have no new baby updates to report so i thought i would write a bit about my most recent hobby...sewing!!

i decided back in the fall that i wanted to learn to sew, so with a little help from my mom, i was up and going in no time. originally, i had my gramma lovell's sewing machine, but on the first day of sewing tutorials, we found that it was not working properly. i remember being very disappointed because i had watched my gramma sew and sew and sew on many occasions during my childhood. i loved sitting on her bed watching her cut out patterns, patch blue jeans, put together pieces of fabric for a unique project or two, assemble sections for a quilt top, etc. i never asked her to show me the "basics" of sewing because it all seemed overwhelming to me...this button, that button, turn this, press that, the impossible task of trying to thread the needle, etc. and then there was that darn pedal! i just remember enjoying being in the room with her while she went about her crafty business! i also remember thinking to myself...how could hands and brain and feet and eyes all work together so effortlessly and enjoyably without mistakes? i didn't know then, but i do now! granted, i am not the skilled seamstress that my grandmother was, but i sure like what i have tried so far...straight-line sewing! haha! i am not at all ready to jump into sewing designs onto fabric, making clothing repairs, busting out a pattern for a three-quarter sleeved shirt, etc. just keeping it simple with good ol' straight lines!

with gramma lovell's sewing machine out of commission, i was off to sears with my dear husband to buy a sewing machine. it was not too expensive and would serve me well for all my straight-line adventures! in less than an hour, i was back to my mom and dad's house...and ready for my first sewing lesson. oh, and gramma lovell's machine has since gotten fixed, so now i have that one to use as well. how exciting!

i have completed two sewing projects since that first lesson, both quilt tops! the first one is currently in odessa awaiting its final touches. the quilt top is about the same size as a full-size bedspread and shows a lovely combination of browns, reds, creams/pale yellows, olive greens, and accents of black. it is a pattern of squares with a border made of stripes. once i had it all done, i took it to a little old man here in lubbock who quilts on a machine in his garage. he is the cutest little man you ever did see! once he has done his magic, and the quilt top is quilted with a back, the binding is left up to me. my mom knows what to do next...so that is where i stand with that one.

most recently, i tackled a project that was pretty gutsy for my second-ever sewing endeavor. i saw a pattern at a local fabric store that looked like a puzzle. pretty cool!?!? so, i picked it up and decided sometime soon after that i would make a quilt for one of my students who was graduating from high school. i've known this girl over two years and she is one of my favorites...so it was decided! i picked out black, white, and green fabrics with her by my side and got to work one saturday. the cutting took forever and the number of pieces i would be sewing back together in this puzzle formation was 240! holy cow! what was i thinking? so, many sewing sessions (which translates into many hours) later, i have finished the top of the quilt.

what do you think?

ok, so i thought of a baby update...we finalized our boy and girl names two weekends ago on the way home from church! hooray! june 15 is right around the corner...we will find out which name we will be using and begin calling baby by name! we love love love love both our names, but are keeping them a secret from everyone until a later date. i am still feeling great and have more energy than i did in trimester #1. (i still try to nap every other day or so though!) i have finally gotten a small bump...a bump that i love. i absolutely love big pregnant bellies and can't wait til mine's bigger!

time to go for now...

take care one and all.

:) carianne

test results and other updates

well, we know the test results of part one of our birth defect screening. all is well with the blood sample as well as the neck measurement! the nurse said everything looks good! yay! we will have one more screening on june 23 when we go back to the doctor.

we go to the ob/gyn on june 15 and should find out if we will be buying pink clothes or blue clothes! that will be an ever-so-exciting day! we are in the process of selecting names (one set of each so we are prepared either way)! we are leaning toward an original name for the baby's first name and giving a middle name that is named after someone we know...family member, friend, etc. we really like the names we have selected thus far and are now just narrowing down our middle name options! it is all so exciting!

on tuesday, when i had my 12-week sonogram, i was exactly 12 weeks and 3 days along. during that visit, i was surprised to hear the nurse tell the doctor that the baby's measurement was around 13 weeks and 3 days. yikes! baby billett is already larger than average. i guess that is to be expected since austin and i were both large babies! i'll be interested to see how things progress.

summer is upon us and we are both glad as can be! austin is starting his master's degree this summer and i am going to have a few tutoring clients to work with. i will also be making time to volunteer at the haven animal care shelter, work on baby stuff, sew quilt tops, organize the garage and have a garage sale, as well as work on other miscellaneous tasks in and around our house! it's going to be busy...but i can smell productivity!

take care one and all,
:) carianne

heartbeat

greetings!
yesterday, austin and i got to hear baby billett's heartbeat for the first time. it was sort of like a horse trotting underwater...a very refreshing sound! the doctor said everything sounded good and that the little one's heart was beating around 160 beats per minute. i asked when we find out if "little one" is going to be wearing blue or pink and she said next time! woo hoo! my next scheduled appointment with her is june 15! i am already soooo excited, as is austin.

this afternoon is a sonogram and birth defect screening with a different doctor. i am anxious to see how much the baby has grown. my hope is that everything is going fine and baby's development is right on track! we chose to have the screening done just so there aren't any surprises later...we want to be prepared for every possible scenario.

i guess that is all for now. i am thankful that i continue to feel great and that my schedule allows for napping.

take care,
:) carianne

mother's day weekend

technically, i am not a mommy yet...but I AM a mommy-to-be!!!
austin and i had a nice weekend, mostly spent in odessa. we ate, visited, relaxed, went to the midland rockhounds baseball game saturday night, and then ate some more...mom made a cake that was quite deeee-lish! we also had a wonderful breakfast of homemade pancakes and bacon this morning before coming back toward lubbock. we went to our church in brownfield and then i came home and napped for awhile. later in the afternoon, we took austin's mom out to dinner for mother's day and had a yummy mexican food dinner. now we are home for the night. we played with our "girls" out in the backyard, got a few things taken care of for the week, and are getting ready to watch the finale of the celebrity apprentice. we have followed it on and off throughout the season so we are interested to see who wins.

baby billett is now the size of a fig. making progress! hooray! before long, i will be showing...and i am sooooo excited about that! i am still feeling great. well, except for the sore throat and cough i have had all week. the sore throat is gone, but the cough lingers. hopefully it will be gone soon and i can have a normal-colored throat again! right now, i am VERY thankful for popsicles!

hope all of you readers out there...all two or three of you...have a wonderful week!
:) carianne

early in my pregnancy

so as of today, may 7, i am 10 weeks and 5 days pregnant. i had my first appointment on april 14 and found out from a sonogram that we are dealing with one embyro, and not two! you should have seen the relief on austin's face! on tuesday, may 5, i had an appointment to meet one of the nurses i will be seeing many times throughout the next several months. it was basically a meet and greet, a time to review paperwork and medical history, q & a time, etc. then i was sent over to another building for bloodwork. my next appointment is my 12-week appointment on may 18...and from what i hear, we should be hearing the little beating heart within! that will be soooo exciting and i am looking forward to that visit a great deal! the following day i will have a birth defect screening.

as far as how i have been feeling...pretty great overall!! the only difference in the way i feel now as opposed to pre-pregnancy is that i am more tired, more often. i am thankful that my current schedule allows me to nap almost daily. another thing is that i have alot of (annoying) vivid dreams now, which was not the case in the past. the last thing...a no brainer...is that i am hungry more often. i am very grateful that i am one of the "lucky ones" who has not had to deal with any nausea, morning sickness, discomfort, etc. i only hope the next six and a half months are as smooth sailing as these first two and a half have been!

i am keeping a journal where i jot down random things at random times about things i hear, things i feel, things i eat, people i talk to, and so on. i hope to get better and better at giving my journal a few minutes of attention each day, instead of a couple times a week. i am sure that as i get further and further into the pregnancy, there will be more exciting things to report! all you moms out there can probably confirm that!

well, i guess that is enough out of me for now. i have a few things to do around the ol' house!
:) carianne

my first blog

greetings family and friends! i have decided to leap (excitedly) into the world of blogging! i hope to keep everyone informed about our jobs, dogs, home projects, interests, upcoming events, and lives in general. the most exciting (and newest) news is our upcoming bundle of joy! we decided in february that we would start trying to start a family, and well...we will have a family around thanksgiving! currently, i am a private tutor and homeschool teacher of mostly high school students, and austin is a middle school band director. we live in lubbock, adore our two dogs, and love our home! stop by once in a while to see what we are up to!