HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!

This is one of my very favorite holidays. I love the decorations, love the childish giddyness, love the food... love it all!! So here's a peek at our kid's costumes this year-- they've already worn them a few times to our ward party, other friend's Halloween parties, and just around the house! Barrett's been toting the Elmo costume everywhere-- he is totally obsessed w/ Elmo. Hunter was too at his age. This is the first year Hannah's been something besides a princess. But she's still a pretty cute witch! Brock makes my life so easy by just being a football player- a costume we already have and wear 6x a week! Thanks Brock! And Hunter put together the skeleton costume himself. We sewed the skeleton parts onto a black sweatsuit and he looked pretty good!

The BEST PART of today is Bill is coming home! He's been gone at a training in Virginia for 6 VERY LONG weeks and he will be home at 11 am this morning!!!!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Can't say it enough! We have missed him so much. It will be so nice to have him home and with us again. (Not to mention all the help he gives me!) So we're carving pumpkins this afternoon, having a chili and cornbread dinner, pumpkin cake (didn't I say I loved the food?!), and then going trick or treating. Sugar, anyone?! Good times, good times! Have a great Halloween everyone and above all, BE SAFE!!!

It's STILL a BOY?!?

So we had our 20 week ultrasound (a week late!), and all is well!! The first question Hannah asked me when we got home was, "Is it still a boy?" Yes, sweetheart- it is STILL a boy! He's healthy and growing very nicely in the womb. Dr. Peters, the perinatologist took an extra close look at this baby's heart and everything looked great! He dismissed me from high risk status and told me to enjoy my pregnancy! YAHOOOOOO!!!! Can't wait to meet the little guy! Stay tuned for a poll on names... we're still undecided!

Happy Birthday Curran!

Last Thursday was Barrett's best buddy Curran's birthday. He turned two years old in heaven. So we sent balloons up to him to celebrate and tell him how much we miss him!! Curran was born with Congenital Leukemia and fought for 10 months like the superman that he is! His parents and sisters took such good care of him, but Heavenly Father still decided to bring him back home to Him. To read more about him, you can check out his caring bridge site at : www.caringbridge.org/visit/curranpace. Curran's mom, Becca is my best friend in California and we were pregnant together with our boys. Barrett kissed his "Tigger" balloon before sending it off to heaven. He misses you little buddy! I do too! Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

We've been "BOO-ED!"

So I pre-arranged to scare the heck out of my boys tonight! Love it! Our friend's, the Tanners, dressed up for a halloween party last night as a vampire and wherewolf (thankee Alice and Jacob! **twilight readers know what I'm talking about!!)... anyways, Len came up with the idea to ding dong ditch us tonight and when the boys go running out to see who "Boo-ed" us, he'd jump out of the bushes at them in his wherewolf costume. After the guff I get from these two boys all week long, it was about time to get mom's revenge--- so here it is, on video for ya'll to see! The boys didn't get as scared as I thought they would, but it's still pretty funny. (BTW, I pre-warned Hannah so she didn't freak out, and I was holding Barrett- he got the most scared!)

Both Boys Make the Playoffs!!

Well, they did it!!! The 9 year old Bears and the 8 year old Bears BOTH made it into the playoffs!! WOO HOO! That means dad will be home to see at least one more game! Brock had a great game today with quite a few really key blocks and some good tackles too. Brock plays offensive guard. Hunter's team cut it close, but pulled it off in the end for a 21-18 win. At defensive tackle, he really pushed through the line and got into the ball quite a few times. It was a great Saturday with lots of cheering and screaming at these boys! Good game guys!!
GO BEARS!!! GO BEARS!!! GO BEARS!!! GO BEARS!!! GO BEARS!!! GO BEARS!!! GO!!!

"OW!! That hurt like a mother!"

After having 4 babies, I now know the meaning of that phrase! But that is the pain I actually crave when I am pregnant. I LOVE the first feelings of labor because I know what follows it- a darling newborn baby to cuddle! But pain without a reward? Come on now! So last week I threw out my back. Talk about pain. I was pretty much in bed for 3 days while everyone around me picked up the pieces and helped out- thanks girls! That was a pain, but it's feeling better now.
So, today, I went to the OB for my prenatal checkup. All went well- gained too much weight(in my opinion!), but that many trips to Taco Bell will do that to anyone! After my appointment was over, my doc asked me if I wanted to get my flu shot there at her office. Now, this is the mom who wants to be a nurse, who really doesn't have a fear of needles, hardly cringes w/ blood taking, and gives her daughter a shot everynight. I don't have issues w/ shots. So, I said, Sure, no problem- cuz I certainly don't want the flu! The nurse comes in a few minutes later to give me my shot and I CANNOT even tell you how DANG MUCH that shot hurt! Like a mother! Seriously!!! I've had flu shots before, they don't hurt. I held in the pain instead of bawling like a baby, and put on my happy face as Barrett is crawling up on the exam table to take a peek at mommy's arm. After the nurse left, I kinda held my arm and took a deep breath, put Barrett in the stroller and made my way for the door.
Just as I walked into the waiting room, the nurse calls my name and says, "Mrs. Sivley, can you please come back to the exam room?" Great! What now? I for sure thought there was something wrong w/ my urine specimen and I had a UTI or something like that. She comes in and VERY apologetically tells me that she gave me the WRONG SHOT!!! What? No wonder it hurt so bad! She actually gave me the HPV immunization to protect me from cervical cancer. Nice! She told me she was sorry and that they wouldn't charge me for the shot, which costs $120 normally (gee thanks!). She also told me it is not harmful to the baby or me to get it while pregnant, so no worries. Then, she holds up the REAL shot and asks me if I still want my flu shot. No problem! I've got one good arm left! That one hardly hurt at all and I was on my way in minutes... so that was my excitement for the day- 2 shots in this mama of 4 1/2, one which hurt like a baby, one which hurt like a mother!!! OWEEEEE!!

Big Orange Pumpkin Patch

Well, Barrett and I went on a fun date today! We went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch in Celina, Texas. It was SO FUN!! He was a cheezer, of course, smiling it up big time! He looks so old!

They had a petting zoo, complete w/ goats, sheep, donkeys, and good ol' Texas Longhorns! He had a blast feeding the animals. They also had a really fun hayride, afterwhich we got to go pick out our very own pumpkins. It was a fun fun day! Love you B!

One of those HEART picture moments!

So I don't set an alarm... my kids ARE my alarm every morning at 6:45 a.m. I hear their alarms each go off individually and I hear them get up, get dressed, brush teeth, make beds, (I've got them trained well, huh?!) and then they all come downstairs and drag me out of bed! Brock and Barrett are usually the first ones down, with Hunter close behind. Hannah takes a little more time to make her bed- so she's usually last.
This morning, my sweet Hannah girl was FIRST. She came down in her cute outfit I had layed out for her last night, all dressed and ready for the day. "Good morning mom!" she said. I rolled over and hugged her from the side of my bed. She hugged me so tight and I pulled her up into bed with me. She was just so cuddly- my cute little five-year-old kindergartner! I said, "do you know how much I love you?" "How much, mom?" I stretched my arms out as wide as I could and said, "THIS MUCH!!!" She then started singing our song: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." and she sang it twice, all while snuggling with me. It was one of those moments I will remember forever. This is my precious little girl! My little girl who told me, "You owe me big time mom for putting that picture of me crying on the computer!" My darling little girl who I worry about day in and day out, wondering when the day will come that we'll be heading into another heart surgery or something else that just happens to pop up in her health. I will cherish this morning's hugs, kisses and song and know that it won't last forever! Whether she grows up and gets "too big" for that, or heaven forbid, something should take her away from me, I will never forget the picture my heart took this morning. I love you Hannah girl!!!

Announcement!!!

And Hannah's simply devastated!!! The poor girl! You would have thought we told her she was grounded for a year! She truly thought she was having a little sister-- and SO DID I! I had to hide my sadness, I didn't quite display it as obvious as Hannah did, but I was a bit bummed to realize those darling girl clothes I have in the attic may never get used again!! The important part is... HE is a healthy little guy and right on track for an early March delivery! We couldn't be more thankful! Now- to choose a name..... I'm about out of boy names by now!

All is well in the Sivley household. It's so nice to have the 3 older kids at school all day- it really makes for some quiet times for both Barrett and I! Barrett enjoys tearing the house apart all morning while mom is catching up on emails, cleaning, and getting ready for the day. Then it's a quick clean-up before we run errands and get back home in time for OUR nap. I am enjoying our one-on-one time, and I'm pretty sure he is too!

Football is ALMOST over! Don't tell my kids, but I am CHEERING!! These 6 day a week football days are really wearing on this old pregnant mommmy. Hunter got a great sack this past Sat., and dad was even there to witness it! He was back in town for a glorious 2 days this weekend. He's off again for another few weeks of saving the world--- one terrorist at a time! We miss him though!

More posts and pictures to come-- gotta go save my house from the BARRETTMEISTER!!!