update...

Can you believe it is mid-August already??!! The CORN -dog days of summer are here... aka the good ol' steamy heat and the Iowa State fair! Also, the girls start school in a little over a week. Madison will be in first grade Morgan will attend preschool (age 4) three mornings a week. I can't believe school is here again...where did the summer go?

This next week we are on vacation...staying home...Tim's brother and his family will be here (@ Gma nad Gpa Stout's in Ankeny) for the week. FUN TIMES! The girls will love playing with their California cousins, Evan (3 1/2) and Sydnie (2), this week.

Well- that's all there is to report right now...I will leave you with a few pics I took yesterday!

Are you serious????? mastitis and bed rest!

Well- things this week have been a little crazy... by Wednesday evening I was in the midst of full blown mastitis (fever, chills, sore and inflamed right breast)...I had to wait for Tim to get home from work so I could go to the doctor...not driving yet and I have 3 kids and myself to get out of the house........I tried calling the doctor having them prescribe something over the phone to my pharmacy, but they said they HAD to see me first...HELLO????...3rd baby, had this before, I think I know what it is...anyway saw doctor and went on antibiotic numero uno, doctor said no breastfeeding for 5 days, only pumping, and rest...how do I do that now that I 3 kids and a hubby....Thursday Timmy stayed home with me and the girls, went and got me a hospital-grade pump and I slept and pumped all day....as of Friday i was feeling better, but the right breast was still inflamed and very red....numero uno antibiotic wasn't working and so back to the doctor I went....drove myself this time.... (Gma Stout had already come and taken the girls to the park and on a picnic for most of the day)...got a new antibiotic....pumping was soooooo hurting on the right side and I was getting ZERO MILK....I was getting MUCHO emotional and MUY frustrated...as you can only imagine....called lactation lady at hospital (we had been conversing quite a bit up to this point and she knew all details) we went in for an appt today....she gave me a larger piece for pumping b/c my breast/nipple was so swollen and getting blistered from my current shield causing all of the pain on top of the infection pain....and she put my on bedrest for the weekend and she said if the breast didn't look better by Sunday (give #2 antibiotic 24-36 hours to work) then she wants me to go back to the doctor again....she doesn't want me to end up in the hospital on IVs or to have me form an abcess in the breast.... ahhhhhh! So now I pump/rest/nurse Mason the left when can and rest and watch Gilmore Girls DVDs.....Tima nd the girls have been great! Timmy is trying sooooooooo HARD to get the house stuff done, keep up with the girls, run errands, and play nurse to me......what a man! what a mighty good man! Praise the Lord for hiM! Mason is GREAT! He eats, sleeps and POOPS! He has been FABULOUS throughout this whole ordeal! PRAISE GOD!

well, time to get back to bed! Please pray fora speedy recoverY!

It's a new day....

Well today was a NEW day for me as a mom....i was home alone this morning! Morgan has started preschool 2 days a week to help get her adjusted to school before I start subbing full-time at G-view, covering a teacher's maternity leave, and she sarts attending full-time. It was just weird! I felt a little NAKED! However, it was nice to run to the grocery store by myself and take a little time to alley hoot and just enjoy looking around!

It was a wake-up call too b/c I know those days will be few and far between once the newest Stout arrives this summer. Not that I don't want this baby, it just reminded me of how some of my "freedom" will be taken away for a short time! I have learned one thing as a mom, TIME FLIES!

Well- the girls are ready to dinidh up baths and get their PJs on. Tim will be hoem soon! I made a yummy dinner tonight: Bruschetta Chicken bake from Kraft recipes and Cheddar Garlic Biscuits (like Red Lobster)...it's a favorite meal around here!

all talk....we've got no game!

yep...it's true! All talk about fixin' about the house and no action!

ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Well, with the weather as YUCKY as it was this weekend we didn't get much accomplished. We were planning to go out Saturday am to pick up supplies, but the weather had just barreled in so fast that we didn't get out. We praise the LORD that we kept our power all weekend, but we did lose our land phone line & Internet access from Saturday night until this am....I couldn't wait to check my e-mail this morning!!!! I felt so out of it! We did enjoy relaxing and vegging out. I had cleaned both Thursday and Friday this past week and I was zonked! Oh well, we'll try again this weekend. Oh and we did watch a triple header of basketball on Sunday! Ohhh....and the Oscars were fun to watch, but I fell asleep before they were over....they lasted FOREVER!!!!

One thought...we are repainting our sun porch....we have yellow now, any suggestions for a new color??? THANKS!

more snow??more cold??? BRING IT ON!!!

Why yes, we are still in the arctic circle here and today we added about 5 more inches of snow to this frozen tundra! As a result of the snow, Madison has a SNOW day from school which wea re all really bummed about b/c they (grades K-2) were headed to Ames to see Suessical. I am not sure if it will be rescheduled or not. Also, today Tim took a "sick" day and we are all home enjuoying vegging out and enjoying the day as a family! We had a Valentine's breakfast this morning....pink pancakes, decorative paper plates, napkins and cups, and we exchanged cards and Valentine gifts. I gave Tim a pre-paid coupon to pick up the new Toby Mac CD when it comes out next week and he gave me the newest Rascal Flatts CD (yes, I still am a country girl!) We gave the girls their present last Friday night...they got the video, High School Musical. It has been a great day so far! I think we really need these "days" off once in a while!


We are half way through this pregnancy now (20 weeks yesterday) and I am feeling SUPER! I am at the energy stage and ready to get things done around this place...I have been cleaning cupboards out, cleaning closets, organizing clothes that are upstairs in storage and I feel like have to get more done before I get into teaching in April through May! Also, I was motivated to CLEAN and DECLUTTER after watching Oprah last week. She has some guests who lived in clutter messes to say the least and that motivated me a ton! I am getting antsy to finish painting our room (the last room to get done since we moved into this place 4 1/2 years ago) and redo the inside of our front porch celing (we have to redo the track celing, but we are going to drywall it now). Other than that, not much to share. Please pray for my husband's sanity as I am sooooo motivated these days!!!

Well- time to get back to the family! Have a great day!


P.S> I cannot wait for SPRING! I even bought paper towels with Daisies on them b/c I needed a SPRING pick-me-up!!!!!

it's 2007???? aghhhhhhh.............

Time is flying past here at the Stout house....I cannot believe the holidays have come and gone and Valentine's day is rapidly approaching....I love the colors: red, pink, purple..and after Valentine's Day it sometimes means that Spring is only a month to a month and half away.
This update is long overdue, but at last I have FINALLY found a moment to sit and share our Holiday photos and excursions with you all! WE had a WONDERFUL Christmas season! We headed to Minnesota for Christmas and we enjoyed time with not only my family Christmas Eve morning, but some of my extended Shogren family as well. It was sooooo SPECIAL to spend time with my Auntie Laura and Uncle Oscar in their home. THEY SPOILED US ALL!!! We also spent that day with their children & grandchildren (my cousins and second cousins), Chad,Terri & Julia and Steve, Jessica, & Oskar! We had a fabulous time! The girls LOVED spending time with their little cousins!!! Christmas day we hung out with my parents and just vegged out and the girls played the WHOLE day with all of their amazing gifts. We returned home for a few days of work and then on New Year's Day we celebrated with Tim's parents! Boy oh Boy, did we get spoiled! Grandma & Grandpa Stout spoiled the girls rotten, too!!!!
Overall, we had a very blessed holiday! My favorite memory was making a birthday cake for Jesus with my girls at Gma and Gpa Shogren's house. It was a holiday cake, with green frosting and holiday sprinkles, and we even put a candle on the top and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Also, just an update on Baby #3, we are at 15 1/2 weeks and last week we heard it's heartbeat. It was being a little wiggler, it wouldn't hold still!!!! The heart rate was 148....hmmmm????? We are not planning on finding out the gender of this baby.....we are going to be surprised! The girls are PRAYING for a baby brother, and I know deep down Tim is hoping for a son, but whatever gender this baby is we will rejoice & say THANK YOU to our LORD for the indescribable gift!

The Stout family now.....

Madison is in school ALL day now and LOVING it! Tomorrow she has her first library day and today she was telling all about "circus tag" that they played in P.E. today.... She is even starting to read...WOWZA! Madison loves to play on the computer these days and we LIMIT her to 15 minutes a day...she plays on PBS kids, Nick Junior and a few educational sights that I have found.

Morgan is still spunky and GROWING like a weed....she is loving having Mommy to herself all day, but she really misses her big sister. We are still working on some preschool work at home, 2-3 days a week, and she knows and recognizes all of her colors, numbers, letters and shapes...She is almost writing her name all by herself! Morgan loves to dance and listen to music...Her favorite toy right is her sit & spin... b/c it plays fast, peppy dance tunes and she can hit and dance forever. She'll even say, "Just a minute Mom, this is my favorite song!"

I am still cleaning every week (1-2 days) and then watching a friends kids the other three...I will be done cleaning in February sometime and I am done babysitting then too. I am looking forward to getting back into subbing 1-2 days a week and just getting some house cleaning & projects done before I start subbing full-time (a teacher will be on maternity leave) at Madison's school in late March/ early April. We have nursery themes picked out for both a boy and a girl and we have "HELP" all arranged for after our new one arrives. In the next few months we will begin work on the basement...we are putting in a bedroom for the girls, a full bath and small family room and small laundry area. Our small group has volunteered to help us as much as POSSIBLE! Praise the LORD!!!

Tim is doing GREAT at work and he is really enjoying his new job. I can't believe he has been with Beneficial for over a year now! Tim is busy being a great hubby and father. He LOVES taking the girls on "dates" to Petsmart and Target and sometimes out for ice cream or hot cocoa. He is playing basketball every Saturday and He is lovin' that! I wish he didn't work so late on M-T-TH nights (he works 9-7:30), but it'll be okay once it gets light out again.

Well- this is a book! Pics to follow.....