The Collins Family

Somebuggy Turned One!

2011-08-01T21:28:00.003-04:00

New Pictures

2011-05-26T12:23:00.002-04:00

The Frog!

2011-04-25T10:14:00.004-04:00

Bennett got a sticky rubber frog in one of her Easter eggs. I left her in the nursery playing to put a load of laundry in the dryer. She comes running into the laundry room yelling something about a frog and then says, "I need show Bennett" (let me show you). She leads me into the nursery and this is what I find!

I then ask her how I am supposed to get the frog down and she says, "We need a letter(ladder)in mommy's room" and leads me to my closet to get my step stool. Stinker!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T22:10:00.003-04:00

Quitting Work! (and other updates)

2011-01-18T12:08:00.006-05:00

So I had some major New Year news! Chris and I decided over the Holidays that I am going to stay at home with the girls! You could have knocked me over with a feather when he finally gave me the okay! I had not been happy at work for a while and there were SEVERAL things that occurred right before Christmas that pushed me AND CHRIS right to the edge.....so we decided to jump! :) Wish me luck in my NEW JOB!
Hopefully now I can update the blog a little more often....or not, I have been trying to put them both down for a nap for the last forty five minutes and they are both still fighting it!

Jameson will be six months old on the 29th and is growing like a weed! We recently had to take her out of her baby carrier and move her into a "big girl" car seat. Bennett is now in a booster and thinks she is something! Jameson is still not sleeping through the night and Bennett is SO sassy and loves to dance and sing at the top of her lungs. She is OBSESSED with Dora and Diego and we have to bribe her to get her to watch anything else. She has started calling Chris by his name instead of Daddy and he hates it. I think that is why she continues to do it, because she knows she is getting to him. I told her to go tell daddy breakfast was ready yesterday morning and I heard her go in the bedroom and tell him, "Chris come eat." Last night when it was time for bath and to be tucked in to bed she said "I want Chris to do it." Gotta love her! She got a kitchen and power wheel for Christmas and had a blast when it snowed here last week! We pulled her in a wheel barrow that Israel had taken the wheels and handles off of and tied to the back of the golf cart. Chris rode with her but I don't think she was impressed. She had a better time playing on the swing set and slide with the neighbors. I have not had a chance to download Christmas pictures and snow pictures from my camera but will upload them as soon as I can.

Here are some recent pictures that my dad took....

Two Month Check-up

2010-10-07T13:30:00.002-04:00

Jameson had her two month check-up on September 30th. Where does the time go? She weighed 10.4 oz. and was 22 1/2 in. long. She has outgrown her newborn clothes and is filling out her three months outfits....she is going to her first tailgate this Saturday and Bennett is going to her first GAME! I am sitting out with Jameson and Bennett is using my ticket to go in with Chris and my mom and dad....I hope she behaves!

Will Power

2010-09-14T10:36:00.003-04:00

Why is the last ten pounds of pregnancy weight the hardest to lose? They must be from the Townhouse cheeseburgers and onion rings and not Jameson! :) Hopefully going back to my routine of Smart Ones and running will solve the problem quickly because I have a ton of cute fall clothes I would like to fit into! :)

Two Year Check Up

2010-09-12T10:51:00.002-04:00

Bennett had her two year old check up on Wednesday. She is 35 inches tall and weighs 33 1/2 pounds. She had to get her finger pricked which did not phase her in the least but boy did she scream when she had to get her Hepatitis shot! Not fun! She has also moved up to the two year old room at daycare and they are taking bathroom breaks during the day so hopefully we are on our way to becoming potty trained! It will be nice when we only have to buy one set of diapers! She is definitely in the terrible twos and can throw some mean temper tantrums and LOVES to tell mommy no but she is so cute when she does it, it is really hard to punish her but we try to be consistent! We love you Miss B!

Birthday Pictures

2010-09-12T10:29:00.003-04:00

Bennett's Second Birthday

2010-09-07T13:41:00.003-04:00

Bennett turned 2 Monday! Time sure does fly by! We just had family and some close friends over Sunday night for ribs, pizza, and cake. Chris was in charge of videoing and unfortunately the videos are too long to upload onto this website. My dad took some still photos and I will add some when he emails them to me! Bennett was so excited about her new slide from mommy and daddy, as well as....
*her tea set and table and chairs from Noni and Pop
*dress up clothes and trunk from Mimi and Monkey
*shoes from Monkey
*stroller for her baby doll, peek a boo book, and Little Peoples school bus from
Aunt Holly and Uncle Rob
*Pillow Pet from Aunt Jessica, Uncle Michael, and Cullen
*and her cow bubble machine from Amie and Israel

We all just sat around and watched her play the rest of the evening! Chris and I took her to Edventure on Monday and she was TERRIFIED of Eddie! I have to say that the place looked a lot more fun on the internet than it was in person. I was very disappointed, but we had a good time being with our birthday girl none the less. We stopped off for a happy meal on the way home and was hoping to let her slide some more when we got home but it was pouring down rain, so we had a tea party and watched Shrek 2 instead! Life is good!

Cullen's First Birtday

2010-09-07T10:59:00.004-04:00

My nephew turned one on August 16th. Here a few pictures from his beach blast party!

Two Week Check-up

2010-08-12T16:37:00.002-04:00

Jameson had her two week check-up today and has gained 10 oz. and grown 2 1/2 inches! Wow! Dr. Davis said everything looks great and we go back for her two month (and shots) :( on September 30th. She has a "stork bite" on her forehead that you can usually only see when she gets fussy or hot and Dr. Davis said this would fade over time but will still come out some when she gets mad or has a fever.

Jameson Gail Collins

2010-08-03T12:22:00.003-04:00

Jameson decided to make her debut a little early than expected! I woke up with contractions Thursday monring around 1:30 and no matter what I did they would not stop so Chris called his mom to come sleep the rest of the night at our house with Bennett and we headed to the hospital. They monitored me the rest of the night and the contractions were coming every 1 1/2 to 5 minutes apart and when the doctor came to check me at 8 am I was dialated 3 cm. They did another ultrasound to make sure she had not turned and she was born at 8:34 via C section. She weighed in at 8lb. 2 oz. and was 19 in long. She is absolutely beautiful with a head full of black hair and a pretty dark complexion. We came home on Sunday and I don't want to jinx us but the past two nights she has slept from 1 or 2 until 7 or 8! I hope this continues! Bennett loves her and kisses on her all the time. She gets so excited when she wakes up and sees that she is still there every morning!

We are still alive......

2010-07-22T12:48:00.002-04:00

I promise! I know i have been HORRIBLE at updating this blog since we found out Jameson was on the way but work is well work and I am exhausted when I get home and finally get Bennett in the bed. All I want to do at that point is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but usually end up folding laundry! :)

I had a doctor appointment this morning and Jameson is breeched! They said she will likely not turn at this point because she has NO room to move around. Doc scheduled me for an ultrasound at 2:30 Monday afternoon and if she is still feet first at that point we will schedule a c-section for Monday August 2nd! I am very disappointed but know the doctor is only doing what is best!

Bennett is doing wonderful and has a SASSY little attitude that Chris seems to think she got from me some how!?! ;) She is now in a toddler bed in her new big girl room and the transition was a breeze! Now if we could just get rid of the paci! We have been making her throw away the broken ones and we are down to only two. She still has to have one in her mouth and one in her hand when she goes to bed. Her Aunt Holly gave her a new baby doll at my shower for Jameson and Bennett has to have her at all times. She sleeps with her, eats with her, and we have a melt down every morning when I tell her "my baby" has to stay in the car and cannot go into school with her. She adds "My" in front of everything, so we have "My milk (what she calls EVERY beverage)", "My daddy", "My shoes", "My baby" and "My more" when she wants more of something! :) I bought her some pull ups and a new training potty and she will sit on the potty and say tee tee but has yet to go in the potty. She will let me know she has a bad diaper by pulling at it and saying "Ewww". I think i have created a clean freak (no comments from the peanut gallery) because if she sees even a speck of lint on the rug or grass on the hardwoods she says ewww and cleans it up and throws it in the trash. That's my girl!

Bennett, Daddy, and Golf

2010-04-27T11:08:00.002-04:00

Long Overdue Easter Picture

2010-04-27T11:07:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately Bennett was not thrilled about having pictures taken that day so this was the best we got!

Ultrasound pics

2010-03-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

Nursery

2010-03-10T16:13:00.003-05:00

In response to Amy's comment.....we will not be redoing the nursery. Jameson will move into the existing nursery and Bennett will move into a new bedroom with "big girl furniture." I ordered this bedding from Pottery Barn for Bennett. It is on back order until the end of April but I hope to have Bennett in her new room by the end of May so she does not think we are booting her out of her room because of the new baby.

It's a GIRL!!!!!

2010-03-09T13:02:00.002-05:00

We are having another beautiful little girl! Miss Jameson Gail Collins looks perfect so far and is right on target with a due date of August 13th! Chris is currently looking for night shift work if anyone is hiring! :) He is a little frightened at being outnumbered and more hairbows and shoes but is very excited, even if he did say he was going to the pound to find him another male dog on the way home! I will post ultrasound pictures soon!

Much needed update

2010-03-08T15:43:00.004-05:00

Bennett had tubes put in her ears February 4th after a long horrible battle with ear infections since August! She is doing fabulous and is like a different child! She moved up from the toddler class to the "Busy Bees" class last week. I was told it was because she is so "advanced" but only got a laugh from the teacher when I asked if that was the nice way of telling me she was beating up on the other kids. Bennett is very rough and gave a kid a goose egg on his forehead not too long ago while in the nursery at church. I don't think she means to play so rough though, she loves to give hugs and kisses and can be really sweet. I just think she gets the roughness from her daddy (Chris tears flesh off while trying to give massages). My mom lovingly refers to him as "a bull in a china shop." God love him! Anyway, you can now ask, "Bennett, you got your license?" and she will shake her head and say "no, no!" A teacher at the day care taught her this and you have to see it to appreciate how cute it is but it is soooo super adorable to see her do it. She also knows what a duck, dog, and cow says. When we ask her to say Pepper, one of our dog's names, it comes out "Bobby" every time. Not sure what the mix up is there. :) She loves being outside and riding her four wheeler and got a new pair of baby pink cowboy boots this weekend and was all about showing them off to the people in Hobby Lobby, she even had to wear them out of the store with her jogging suit! Fashion statement I must say! I could just eat her up! Here is a picture of her admiring the snow back in February.

And one of her and my dad Sunday before church with her new boots!

NIne Weeks

2010-01-07T10:25:00.003-05:00

I had an appointment with the doctor this morning and he said everything is measuring right on target and all my lab work came back fine. I have my next appointment February 4th and he said we will be able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler at that visit. The appointment after that in March is the ultrasound appointment. YAY!!!!

Update

2009-12-21T10:43:00.002-05:00

So I had my first "doctor appointment" today which was really just a health question appointment with the nurse......not too exciting. I kept a "Belly Book" journal with Bennett and had written in there that at the nurse appointment we also had an ultrasound. I was disappointed to find out this morning that I was not getting an ultrasound done and the nurse explained that they did the ultrasound with Bennett because I had been spotting and since I have had no complications with this pregnancy they would not do an ultrasound until around 17 weeks when we find out the sex. Now I am VERY grateful that I have had no complications but would still have liked to take a peek inside and see what has been going on! :) My next appointment is January 7th at 8:30.

As I have said many times before in my blog I am a planner so......I have decided on both a boy and girl name, for now.....I mean I am allowed to change my mind. For now we have decided on Jameson Gail for a girl (after Chris aka James Christopher and my grandmother Judith Gail who passed away in May) and if a boy the name will be Bayne Christopher (my maiden name is Bayne).

Merry Christmas!

Bennett is.......

2009-12-03T16:59:00.002-05:00

Going to be a BIG SISTER!!!! I have had three positive pregnancy tests and it was confirmed at the doctor's office today! I am about four weeks along and the due date is approximately August 10, 2010. We knew we wanted Bennett and her sibling to be about two years apart so decided we better get off BC and start preparing. Little did we know that I am fertile Myrtle and Chris has super sperm! We are very excited and will update as we find out more. Our first appointment is December 21st at 8:30 am.

I'm a FLOWER! (Halloween 2009)

2009-11-09T20:04:00.003-05:00

This one if for Uncle GOAT....(Greatest of all time)....AKA Michael....Bennett is going to be so confused with a Monkey for a grandpa and a Goat for an uncle!

Miss Cocky

2009-10-15T10:54:00.002-04:00

Overdue Birthday Pictures

2009-10-15T10:50:00.003-04:00

Ear Infections and Pig tails!

2009-09-24T10:59:00.003-04:00

Bennett had an ear infection in both ears right before her first birthday. She was on Amoxicillan for 10 days and it seemed to do the trick. On the way to daycare yesterday morning she could not quit coughing (this was the only sign of an ear infection the first time, wierd I know, but that was it, no ear pulling, nothing)so Chris took her to the doctor yesterday at lunch and sure enough another ear infection starting in the right ear. The pediatrician told me sucking on the pacifier would only increase her chances of getting the ear infections but Bennett is ADDICTED and I am not all together sure she nor I can handle sleepless nights again. For now she is on Omnicef for ten more days and still on the pacifier......they need to make a pacifier patch.

On a another note.....Bennett now has enough hair in the back to have mini pig tails! It looks a little funny because she is still pretty bald on top but at least it is a start for people to quit calling her a cute little boy!

1 year old already!?!

2009-09-08T15:19:00.002-04:00

More Pictures of Cullen

2009-08-18T10:19:00.001-04:00

Dress Rehearsal

2009-08-17T21:41:00.006-04:00

I bought Bennett a penguin costume for Halloween at the end of the season last year and I decided to pull it out last Sunday to make sure it was still going to fit....it is already a little tight so we will be shopping for a new one but I got the penguin on video anyway.....Zoe was not quite sure about the penguin....neither was Bennett!!!

Bennett at the Beach

2009-08-17T20:51:00.002-04:00

Notice the sand castle that Monkey (my dad) built for the little princess!!!

Cullen's Debut!

2009-08-17T09:50:00.006-04:00

My nephew, Cullen Wright Martin, was born August 16, 2009 at 1:25 PM. He weighed in at 7lbs. 11oz. and was 21 1/4 in. long. And yes, he has red hair!!!! One of my best friends, Brandi Poole, also had her little girl about an hour after Jessica had Cullen. Her name is Merritt Rhys Poole and she weighed 7lbs. 10 oz. Congratulations to all the new parents! We love you!

Back To Work Blues

2009-08-06T08:27:00.002-04:00

We had a blast on our beach trip and hated to come back and get back in the work groove! I will hopefully have pictures and videos posted soon. While we were on vacation Bennett learned to play patty cake, learned what a doggy says, and has also learned to call Zoe, although hers comes out Zo. She is definitely getting her own little personality and showed us her first temper tantrum while we were trying to put sunscreen on her last week.

On our way home Saturday we went to my sister's baby shower and on the way down I-26 near Clinton a man in a late 80's BMW came barreling down the interstate in the wrong direction straight towards us! Chris had to swerve over in the right lane and we barely missed a white Volvo beside us! This man did cause an SUV to flip in front of us and the family had to air lifted to a nearby hospital. The drive of the SUV did not make it and his daughter was in critical condition last I heard. The other three passengers had minor injuries. We were at a stand still on the interstate for an hour and a half and everyone was getting out of their cars concerned for the injured family and thinking "that could have been us." The man driving the BMW was arrested and charged with felony DUI.

Before we left for the beach I paid our electric bill that had DOUBLED since last month! We were in a panic trying to figure out what the source of the problem was. When we returned home I noticed something was not right with the hardwood floors in the living room. Chris got under the house and sure enough......hot water pipe had a hair line fracture in it and has been running nonstop under our house for probably about two months! We are now airing out the crawl space of the house and had the insurance adjuster out yesterday who labeled it "substantial damage"......Can I go back on vacation please??????

Bennett at Ten Months

2009-07-10T16:25:00.002-04:00

Bennett is now completely off of the bottle. I almost cried when I packed them all away two weeks ago. She is quite picky about her sippy cup though and prefers the Nubby brand. She tried whole milk for the first time yesterday and seemed to like it. She has her four front teeth and "cheeses" constantly to show them off. I caught her monkey climbing up the side of her pack n play Sunday afternoon trying to get in! I guess there was a toy in there she wanted. She can stand by herself if she has a toy in each hand but has not tried to take a step by herself. She will walk if we are holding her hand. She weighs 24 pounds and can wear some of the 24 month clothes we had put up from our showers. She LOVES books and will look at a book in her crib in the mornings when she gets up until Chris and I come in to get her and before she goes to sleep each night. She "talks" constantly and if she thinks you are not listening she will get louder and louder until she has your attention. She is very ticklish and we love tickling her to hear that wonderful belly laugh. She HATES being changed and having to sit still for ANYTHING, especially waiting on her food while in her high chair. She loves to go for rides in the golf cart and pitches a fit to sit in Chris' lap and hold on to the steering wheel and "drive." She is still crazy about the water and we cannot wait for her first beach trip at the end of this month. I cannot get enough of her open mouth slobbery kisses and fall in love with her more everyday!

Bennett at Jessica's Baby Shower

2009-06-23T07:57:00.002-04:00

At Shanna's

2009-06-08T09:33:00.003-04:00

Nine Month Pictures

2009-06-08T08:28:00.001-04:00

We made the wall at SEARS!!!!

New Videos

2009-05-29T21:29:00.003-04:00

Grandma Judy

2009-04-30T08:25:00.003-04:00

We have had to move my grandmother into a Hospice House in Simpsonville. She has been batteling cancer for about four years now and has not been doing well at all since about Saturday. She has not passed any urine since this past weekend and it is causing toxic levels in her body causing all of her organs to work overtime. The doctors have told my mother all we can do now is wait. Please keep my grandma in your thoughts and prayers. Cancer is a terrible and painful disease and I hope she can have peace soon.

Splish Slash!

2009-04-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

Trying New Things

2009-04-24T08:49:00.004-04:00

I have been trying the sippy cup with Bennett at dinner for the past three nights. The first night you would have thought I was killing her! The second night I showed her how mommy could drink from the sippy cup (which she thought was hysterical) and then when I put the cup to her mouth she had no problem! Smart girl! She will hold the cup herself but doesn't quite understand that she has to tip the cup up to get the liquid to come out and then gets frustrated and starts slamming the cup around. I learned really quickly only to put water in the cup while we are learning! We are also now up to one container of veggies and one container of fruit for dinner. I cut out the formula at night and give her water with her dinner since she has become such a little porker!

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail.....

2009-04-15T22:06:00.003-04:00

Just one short funny story:

The blonde in one of the pictures is Olivia, a friend of the family. She is two and a half and she was trying to tell her mom something Easter Sunday and was stuttering over her words. Her mom, Karen, told her to "spit it out" and Olivia actually SPIT! Thank goodness we were eating outside! HA! So cute!

More Tricks!

2009-04-14T09:04:00.003-04:00

Dianne told Chris when he picked Bennett up from the nursery yesterday that Bennett pulled herself up and stood up inside her play pen three times!!!! She is getting so big! She now has two teeth on the bottom and a third on its way. We are working on "ma ma" and she says it, although I am not sure she knows that is me! She is crawling ALL OVER THE PLACE and of course heads straight to the wall outlet or shoes that were left in the floor! She still absolutely loves bath time and hates having her clothes changed. Zoe has done well in knowing the difference between her toys and Bennett's toys but Bennett.....not so much! She will be surrounded by her own blinking, singing, laughing toys and will head straight to one of Zoe's dirtiest ones and try to put it straight in her mouth. Bennett is eating second stage baby food from a spoon and eats the entire container and drinks a whole 8 oz. bottle at one feeding. She has not found a baby food she does not like but I tried to feed her grits, oatmeal, and mashed potatoes from my plate and she made faces at all three, she even gagged on the mashed potatoes. She is in 18 months clothes now and I cannot wait for it to get (and stay) warmer outside so she can wear some of the adorable summer clothes I have gotten her. She is on her last pack of size three diapers and will then move up to size fours because she is busting the sides open on the three's. I hope her growth spurts slow down now that she is crawling and moving around because I am not exactly sure what size diapers go to......we may have to potty train her before her first birthday! HA!

I will post Easter Pictures soon......I hope!

Bennett's First Convertible

2009-04-10T08:28:00.001-04:00

It's a Boy!

2009-04-03T13:26:00.001-04:00

My sister found out this morning that she is having a boy! We are so excited and cannot wait to meet our nephew/cousin!

Bye Bye Earrings

2009-03-19T08:46:00.002-04:00

Bennett's left earring back came off on three different occasions and mommy had a HORRIBLE night mare two nights ago that she choked on the earring in her sleep. The blasted thing came out again yesterday while she was at daycare (sometime earlier in the day) and by the time we got her home and tried to put it back in the hole had started closing up! SO......no more earrings! I hate it too because I thought she looked oh so cute! But then again she looks cute no matter what! :)

Six Month Check Up

2009-03-17T11:05:00.002-04:00

Bennett went to the doctor this morning. She had two shots in one leg and one shot in the other and had to have her toe pricked! Poor baby! She did fine though. She is 27 inches long, weighs 21.6 pounds, and her head circumference was 17 1/2 in. She moved from her stomach to a sitting position all by herself yesterday.....so I am told.....I hate missing the milestones! :( She is also crawling.....BACKWARDS!!!

Pacifier Monster

2009-03-13T21:11:00.003-04:00

Bennett does well as far as sleeping through the night without eating or needing to be changed. HOWEVER, she gets EXTREMELY upset when she looses her pacifier! So.....I thought I would remedy the situation.

It did NOT work! Now she crawls over top of ALL the pacifiers and screams because A. She cannot find her pacifier
and
B. She is lying ON TOP of the fourteen hundred I put in her crib....ouch!

Any suggestions would be helpful!

I counted six times Chris and I had to get up with her last night!!!!

However, she is still our sleeping beauty!

Six Month Portraits

2009-03-07T21:45:00.003-05:00

Miss Baby Pukes - A-Lot!

2009-03-05T08:42:00.002-05:00

The daycare called me Tuesday morning about 10 am to tell me that Bennett had thrown up all of her applesauce she had for breakfast and that she felt a little warm. She had thrown up all of her carrots the day before at lunch (all over her white ladybug sweater!). I left work to go and get her and the past two days have done more puke laundry than I ever thought possible. Tylenol kicked the fever and she never acted like she felt bad. Maybe it is a result of two bottom teeth starting to poke through!?! I know I was told wierd things would happen to her poop etc... when she started teething. Whatever the cause she seems better and held down dinner last night and breakfast this morning so back to daycare and work we go!

Finished Project

2009-03-01T18:42:00.003-05:00

I finally got my dining room furniture painted after being in our house over a year! It turned out beautifully! I found fabric and made the table runner when I could not find exactly what I had in mind. I even made matching place mats!!! Just call me Martha!

No More Gender Mix ups!

2009-03-01T18:30:00.005-05:00

I had been playing around with the idea of piercing Bennett's ears but my husband and mother had talked me out of it......that is until we were at the mall yesterday and YET ANOTHER moron looked down at my daughter dressed entirely in pink, including a matching wool plaid beret, and said, "What a cute little boy!" Bennett and I headed straight to Claire's and had her ears pierced. Chris refused to go in with me so he headed down to Barnes & Noble and left me to feel like a horrible parent all by myself. Bennett did wonderful though and I think she absolutely looks adorable (and all girl) with her new earrings! We will switch to pearls in six weeks when I can change them out.....the CZ's or gold balls were all they would use to do the piercing.

Success!!!

2009-02-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

I finally got the video of Bennett Laughing at Zoe to upload! I really thought Bennett was paying no attention to Zoe seeing as how Zoe used my stomach as a trampoline for the entire nine months I was pregnant! How could I blame her? I would be ticked too if someone was jumping on my head, back, butt etc...everyday for nine months straight.....but maybe they will be friends after all! Zoe is really protective of Bennett and sits by her anytime she is in the floor playing! The video speaks for itself! Enjoy!

Belly Laughs

2009-02-27T15:27:00.002-05:00

This video does not even begin to show how much laughing and giggling Bennett was doing last night. She was laughing hysterically at Zoe running through the house but for some reason that video would not download. I will try again this weekend but here is a quick clip I got to work! I also put one on here of her sitting in her jumper.....

Videos

2009-02-16T18:58:00.005-05:00

There is not a whole lot of action in these because of course every time she is doing something cute and I run to get the camera she quits before I can capture it on video. However, her Mimi and Papa are missing her bunches so I thought these would hold them over until they get to see her in person!

America's Next TOT Model!

2009-02-08T12:32:00.001-05:00

Catching up on pictures

2009-02-08T12:27:00.001-05:00

Back to a routine.....

2009-01-26T16:16:00.003-05:00

Bennett went back to daycare today and Chris and I both went back to a full day of work! Bennett was supposed to be done with breathing treatments Saturday but she still sounded really raspy last night so we gave her one more before putting her down to sleep. She sounded MUCH better this morning and we have not gotten a call from the daycare today, so hopefully she is all better! Bennett and I went to stay with Mimi and Papa this weekend in Greenville and got to see Aunt Jessica and Uncle Michael...we helped Jess shop for some maternity tops and looked at nursery furniture and bedding! We had a good time, as always when we go to visit! Mimi, of course, bought Bennett some ADORABLE clothes and we even got her baby sunglasses.... and laughed hysterically at her wearing them! I will try and get some pictures of her on here soon!

Sick Little Girl

2009-01-21T20:55:00.003-05:00

Bennett started coughing some late Friday night. Saturday and Sunday was more coughing with an added runny nose. I called the pediatrician Monday morning and was told as long as the congestion in her chest and nose sounded loose just to keep giving her liquids and using the bulb suction. Tuesday morning at about 4:00 she woke up with a very tight cough and horrible wheezing! I felt so helpless not knowing how to help her. I stayed up making sure she was breathing until the pediatrician opened at 8:30. I loaded her up in the pouring down snow (of all days for it snow in the Pee Dee) and headed out. Diagnosis......RSV!!!! We are now doing breathing treatments three times a day for the next five days. Bennett has been a trooper and is still smiling and giggling despite her illness. She screamed like I was killing her during the breathing treatment at the doctor's office due to the face mask, but luckily we got a nebulizer that is shaped like a little penguin (for entertainment purposes) and has a pacifier attachment to make it a little less traumatic for the little ones! She is not allowed to go back to the day care until Monday so Chris and I have each been doing half days at work to try and stay on top of things.....God bless my husband! I love him!

Four Month Check up

2009-01-13T14:04:00.002-05:00

Bennett had her four month check up this morning and everything went great. She weighs 18.9 pounds and is 26 in. long! She is getting a little too long and chunky for her infant carrier car seat so Chris and I went to get a new one last night. She has the sweetest smile when she sees Chris and I and has started hiding her face in our chest when the other one of us makes her grin and giggle. She has started grasping and playing with her rattle and is trying to figure out how to put her pacifier in her mouth on her own, although she usually has it turned around backwards at this point. She has rolled over several times now from her stomach to her back and screams bloody murder every time. She loves her baby sit and step and watching The Smurfs, but absolutely HATES her swing and being taken out of her bathtub. She can sit and watch football with her daddy for hours. We love her more with every passing day!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-30T09:17:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful first Christmas with Bennett. She got lots of books and DVD's. She loved her Baby Einstein Beetoven DVD! She is growing so fast and is already up to almost twenty pounds! She has learned that she can hold onto my fingers and pull her bottle in and out of her mouth when she wants. Last night she did this several times just to grin up at me....I could eat her up! Here are some pictures of Christmas morning and afternoon when we got to meet Baby Preston!.

Bennett's Baby Dedication

2008-12-16T22:40:00.003-05:00

We had Bennett dedicated at my home church in Greenville this past Sunday. It was such a sweet experience and Bennett looked so beautiful in her new dress! Here are some pictures of the ceremony, dinner afterwards, and fun times at Mimi and Papa's.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-12-16T09:04:00.004-05:00

Today is mine and Chris' second anniversary! These past two years with Chris have been the best years of my life and I cannot wait to celebrate many more with him! I do not give Chris enough credit! He is an AMAZING husband and father and I do not know what I would do without him. I love you babe!

I'm going to be an Aunt!!!

2008-12-15T11:50:00.003-05:00

My sister called this morning to tell me she is pregnant! She is about five weeks. My family is so excited and have been waiting anxiously for this pregnancy. For those of you who don't know my sister had a miscarriage about a year and a half ago at seven weeks so please keep Jessica and Michael and their "peanut" in your prayers!

Ashley and Jared's Baby Shower

2008-12-06T21:04:00.003-05:00

We threw a shower for our friend's Ashley and Jared this Saturday and had such a great time! We can't wait for Baby Bailey to get here! We love you guys!

Thanksgiving at Mimi and Papa's!

2008-12-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

Country Elves

2008-12-02T15:06:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Disco Elves

2008-12-02T14:48:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Decorations

2008-11-24T20:20:00.003-05:00

I pulled out my decorations last week thinking that with a new baby it would take me forever to put everything up. However, Bennett has become quite the sleeper and I managed to get all three trees up and decorated as well as all the outside stuff up in a week! Here are some pictures of our three trees and the house from the outside. Bennett has her own pink and lime green decorated tree in her room and loves looking at the lights! I ordered a matching white tree for the dining room since those two windows are on the front of the house and I decorated it in black and silver.....the pictures do not do either tree justice....I was very pleased with how everything turned out!

Sleeping Beauty

2008-11-24T20:18:00.002-05:00

Christmas Pictures

2008-11-24T09:57:00.006-05:00

We went and had Bennett's picture made with Santa Claus on Saturday and then went to have family pictures made. Here are some from the Sears session. I will scan in the picture with Santa when I get a chance!

11th Commandment

2008-11-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

This video clip was played during our MDT trainig for my job today. I thought it was heart wrenching and was an awesome way to let the public know what Social Services, Law Enforcement, and Child Advocacy Centers such as where I am employeed, are trying so hard to cope with and overcome. The CARE House of the Pee Dee saw over 700 cases of child sexual and/or severe physical abuse last year alone and unfortunately, as soon as this video was finished playing one of the investigators on our team was called to the hospital where a two month old was suffering injuries from child abuse. I held Bennett a little tighter tonight when I got home. Please keep all the unfortunate children in your prayers!

Fighting Sleep

2008-11-04T20:07:00.002-05:00

Bennett was fighting sleep BIG time tonight! She refused to lay in her crib or on Chris' chest to sleep. This is how she was the most comfortable! She fell asleep sitting straight up! Too cute!

College Friends

2008-11-04T19:52:00.002-05:00

It was so good having all my friends and our husbands together at the game this past Saturday! Love you guys!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-04T19:50:00.002-05:00

Bennett's first bath

2008-10-29T22:34:00.003-04:00

I just had a chance to download these pictures. Please excuse the way I look....this is the same day I ended up in the ER for the Mastitis so I was not feeling all that well. Bennett LOVES her baths!

Updated House Pics

2008-10-29T22:13:00.011-04:00

I wanted to post pictures to show what an awesome job Chris has done with our yard since last year. Here are some before and after pics

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Halloween Party

2008-10-29T21:50:00.003-04:00

Amie and Israel had a Halloween party at their house this past weekend. We had a really good time and there were some very interesting costumes!

Promised Pictures

2008-10-29T21:41:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of Bennett from this past month. She is getting so big!

I Will Survive!

2008-10-28T16:52:00.003-04:00

We survived the first week just fine and I am finishing up my second day at the office in Florence. I really miss Bennett while I am gone but it is so nice to use my brain again!!!! I just completed my first "real" interview along with my report to Law Enforcement and my billing.....I really like it so far! OH! BTW.....Bennett slept from 11:30 last night until 7:15 this morning!!!!!! I also weighed her about a week ago and she was already twelve pounds! The child is a porker! I will hopefully get pictures of her sitting in her bumbo seat uploaded to the blog soon!

Back to Work!

2008-10-17T20:21:00.002-04:00

Or should I say the first day of my NEW job! I hope I have not bitten off more than I can chew with a new job and a new baby but an offer was made to me that I could not pass up! I will be one of two forensic interviewers at The CARE House of the Pee Dee. I will be interviewing children who have made allegations of sexual and/or physical abuse. I start my Finding Words training Monday in Columbia for a week and then will be at the office in Florence starting on October 27th! I am very excited about my position but very sad and nervous about leaving Bennett at the same time. She will be staying with a lady right down the road from our house and I am thrilled we found her! My WONDERFUL dad is coming to stay with us next week to help ease Bennett....or should I say ME....into our new routine! It will be nice to know I have back up in case I cannot get myself and Bennett ready and out the door for my hour drive to Cola....I am NOT a morning person!

New Pictures

2008-10-05T19:52:00.006-04:00

We went to Sears Friday and had some pictures taken of Bennett. I was very pleased. Here are some of the poses from our session.

Bennett's first tailgate!

2008-09-29T11:48:00.002-04:00

We took Bennett to the game Saturday and she did great! She got to see her Aunt Holly who did a great job with her and then she slept most of the night in her pack n play. This gave mommy some much needed fun time! Bennett is sleeping at three or four hour stretches now, which is awesome compared to the beginning of last week when her nights and days were completely mixed up. I start back to work October 20th and definitely have some mixed emotions about this!!!

2 Week Check Up

2008-09-24T21:12:00.002-04:00

Chris and I took Bennett for her two week check up today. She weighs 9 pounds 11 ounces and is 21 1/2 inches long! Everything checked out wonderfully and she is scheduled to go back for her shots on November 12th....poor baby. I am not looking forward to that appointment.

Mastitis

2008-09-24T21:07:00.002-04:00

I had to be admitted into the hospital Saturday morning after battling Mastitis since Wednesday. I started feeling bad while shopping with mom and Bennett in Hartsville Wed. afternoon and just chalked it up to over doing it to soon. I knew by Wed. night that was not the case. I called the doctor Thursday morning and they called me in an antibiotic. By Saturday, I still did not feel better and had a temp of 101.3. Chris took me to the ER (doctor's orders) and we waited four hours to be told I would be admitted for IV antibiotics. I was discharged Monday afternoon around 4:30 or so. Needless to say, we are through with breastfeeding and I am so glad to be back home with my Bennett!

I'm A Little Gamecock!

2008-09-14T19:13:00.003-04:00

My mom and sister came to keep me company and watch the game on TV while Chris, my Dad, and brother-in-law went to Cola. Here are some pics of Bennett in one of her MANY game day outfits!

First trip out of the house

2008-09-14T19:05:00.002-04:00

By Thursday I was going stir crazy so Chris and I loaded Bennett up and went to Florence to pick up her birth certificate, show her off at my office, and pick up a few things at Target. Bennett did wonderful!

Update

2008-09-11T12:24:00.003-04:00

First let me apologize to those of you whom I have neglected to call with an update....I am not sure where the day goes! :) Bennett is doing well and is changing every day. Breast feeding is a little harder than I thought it would be and we have now resorted to feeding her two ounces of formula and two ounces of pumped breast milk at every feeding. She is a little pig!!! I was a little nervous because she had not had a poopy diaper since Monday but boy did she make up for that last night and Chris was up with her.....way to break him in, huh? Here is a new pic of our peanut and some Aunt Holly took at the hospital.

The Best Birthday Present Ever!

2008-09-09T00:57:00.004-04:00

Bennett Claire Collins graced us with her presence at 12:27 PM, Saturday, Septmeber 6, 2008....on her mommy's 29th birthday! My water broke really late Friday night and we arrived at the hospital at 1:30 Saturday morning. I was in labor for eleven hours and let me just say.....epidurals are a WONDERFUL thing! Bennett weighed in at eight pounds six ounces and was 20 and 3/4 inches long. She had lots of dark hair, her mommy's nose and her daddy's lips, eyes, and FEET!!!! We love her sooo much and are trying to get into a routine at home now. We were discharged from the hospital at 10:30 am Monday morning and within the first 30 min. at home she had to eat and have two stinky diapers changed! Life is in full swing!

How Many cm I have dialated....

2008-09-03T16:02:00.002-04:00

.....Zilch, Zero, Nada!!!! The doc did say I have thinned some but still have not dialated at all. So now we wait some more and go back to the doctor Tuesday morning if nothing happens before then! Have I mentioned how MISERABLE I am? AND, apparently I have now formed an awful snoring habit! Chris had to sleep on the couch last night it has gotten so bad! UGH!

Go Cocks!

2008-08-29T17:55:00.003-04:00

I went to the game last night!!! I had another doctor visit yesterday morning and had still made no progress, so I decided what the heck, maybe walking around at the stadium will put me into labor.....no such luck! My next appointment is Wednesday morning and IF I have progressed on my own they will induce me Thursday morning....if not,I will wait another week! The doctor did tell me he thinks she weighs about eight pounds!

The Waiting Game

2008-08-22T00:06:00.002-04:00

I had a doctor appointment this morning and still have made no changes. She did say Bennett has dropped and is head down. I know first time moms usually go past their due dates but I am SOOO ready to see her AND to NOT BE PREGNANT ANYMORE! I am starting to wonder if I can learn to walk again without waddling???!!! :)

Jessica's Surprise Party

2008-08-06T13:44:00.002-04:00

My Brother In Law planned a surprise party for my sister's 25th birthday. Here is a picture of the two of us from that night. I Love Her!

Child Birth Classes

2008-08-06T13:25:00.002-04:00

Chris and I had our first Child Birth class last night at the hospital. The class if the first three Tuesdays of the month from 7-9 pm. They showed us a birthing video last night and I was really worried how Chris was going to react. He surprised me and handled it very well, although he still says he will be at my head looking me straight in the eyes the whole time.....and I thought men were supposed to be tough! :)

Lamar Shower

2008-08-01T11:00:00.004-04:00

I had my second baby shower this past weekend at my house in Lamar. It was wonderful! My very best friends, Wendy, Robyn, Ashley, Amie, and Jakette were the hostesses and they did a GREAT job. They made me a diaper cake and a scrap book with pictures and notes each guest had written to me and Bennett! These are five of the most amazing women I have ever met and I truly cherish each of their friendships! Love you guys!

34 Week Visit

2008-07-30T12:16:00.003-04:00

The medicine they put me on is working. They have restricted me to desk work only (no travel). My blood pressure is still perfect and Bennett's heart rate was 154. They estimate she is around four pounds. I go back next Thursday. The end is drawing near (or shall I say beginning)!

Contractions

2008-07-25T01:05:00.002-04:00

I woke up around 12:30 am Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to go the restroom (again) and had horrible pressure in my lower abdomen and back. I chalked it up to my growing belly and fought the rest of the night to go back to sleep. I went to work Wednesday and felt the same intense pressure and pain throughout the day. I again thought it was nothing more than Bennett laying on a nerve or something. I ate lunch around 12:30 and by 2:00 had not felt Bennett move (she is usually very active after I eat). I called my doctor and was told to come in immediately. By 4:00 I was in the hospital hooked up to a monitor to check her heart rate and my contractions. I had four or five within the first twenty min. of being hooked up. The doctor choose to admit me and gave me a shot of medicine to stop the contractions. I had to take this same medicine in pill form every six hours throughout the night. The contractions thankfully slowed to only three throughout the night and I was discharged at 9 am with instructions to continue taking the meds until further notice, not to stand for more than ten minuets at a time until Monday, monitor Bennett's movement (she is moving up a storm now and her heart rate was great the entire time....145) and contractions (no more than four in one hour time). I go back to the doctor Wednesday morning and can return to work Monday morning if I feel up to it. The contractions never made me dilate so let's all hope and pray the medicine does what it is supposed to do for the next couple of weeks while Bennett "bakes" a little longer!

First Baby Shower

2008-07-20T14:31:00.002-04:00

We had our first baby shower in Greenville last Sunday afternoon. I was overwhelmed at the number of people that came and their generosity! Chris and I are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. Here is a picture of both of my grandmothers, my mom, my sister, myself, and of course Bennett!

Belly and Nursery Picture Update

2008-07-09T20:45:00.002-04:00

So I am not a photographer.....the nursery pictures did not come out well. The star mirror has green polka dots on it and the ribbon to hang the wall letters are green with white polka dots. Everything is coming out MUCH brighter than it really is but you get the idea anyway.

The Collins Family

Somebuggy Turned One!

New Pictures

The Frog!

Happy Easter!

Quitting Work! (and other updates)

Two Month Check-up

Will Power

Two Year Check Up

Birthday Pictures

Bennett's Second Birthday

Cullen's First Birtday

Two Week Check-up

Jameson Gail Collins

We are still alive......

Bennett, Daddy, and Golf

Long Overdue Easter Picture

Ultrasound pics

Nursery

It's a GIRL!!!!!

Much needed update

NIne Weeks

Update

Bennett is.......

I'm a FLOWER! (Halloween 2009)

Miss Cocky

Overdue Birthday Pictures

Ear Infections and Pig tails!

1 year old already!?!

More Pictures of Cullen

Dress Rehearsal

Bennett at the Beach

Cullen's Debut!

Back To Work Blues

Bennett at Ten Months

Bennett at Jessica's Baby Shower

At Shanna's

Nine Month Pictures

New Videos

Grandma Judy

Splish Slash!

Trying New Things

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail.....

More Tricks!

Bennett's First Convertible

It's a Boy!

Bye Bye Earrings

Six Month Check Up

Pacifier Monster

Six Month Portraits

Miss Baby Pukes - A-Lot!

Finished Project

No More Gender Mix ups!

Success!!!

Belly Laughs

More Videos

Videos

America's Next TOT Model!

Catching up on pictures

Back to a routine.....

Sick Little Girl

Four Month Check up

Merry Christmas!

Bennett's Baby Dedication

Happy Anniversary!

I'm going to be an Aunt!!!

Ashley and Jared's Baby Shower

Thanksgiving at Mimi and Papa's!

Country Elves

Disco Elves

Christmas Decorations

Sleeping Beauty

Christmas Pictures

11th Commandment

Fighting Sleep

College Friends

Trick or Treat

Bennett's first bath

Updated House Pics

Halloween Party