An Embarrassing, But True Story

I have never considered myself a super neat freak. In fact, if you ask my mother, my sister and I did not get the clean gene passed down from the Scoggin/ Lang women (my mother's family.) My MiMi, my mom, and my Aunt Kim are all very neat and orderly people. In fact I have to give props to my aunt who's house always seems to be clean despite having 3 young children. But that is one thing that I have never been. I wouldn't say I'm nasty or dirty, I just tend to wait until the last minute to clean or I get in a mood and I don't stop till it's clean. I just had one of these spells last week. We moved all of our furniture and I cleaned baseboards, Derek cleaned out our pantry, and I really felt like I accomplished something and I slept better that night. Well, it's been a week and I must admit that our laundry is backed up and our house could use a touch up.

Anyway, the reason for the story. About 5 weeks ago, I came home from work and was talking to Derek and we heard a cat. Well, of course we think that the cat is in our house. We look everywhere for this thing. See there had been a cat roaming around our house for a few days and we had even caught it in our garage. So we thought that it may have snuck in while I was taking groceries in or something. We found no cat. So we decided that it must have been outside and there was nothing to worry about until Sunday. We got up Sunday and did our morning routine. Mason had a "muddy" diaper and Derek decided it put it in our garbage can in our kitchen. Please do not ask me why because I don't have the answer. So we come home from church Sunday afternoon and it smells really bad in the house. So we thought that it was the diaper. Derek takes the diaper out and I spray Lysol and continue with my day. We went to Justin and Miranda's house that evening and came back home to the smell again. I spray Lysol, clean up around the house, mop, and light some candles. Monday same smell. And finally last night, I came home from Justin and Miranda's again and thought that I was going to pass out. Not good for a pregnant woman. It smelled so bad in our house, I was thinking about going to my parents house. I woke up this morning to the smell again and when mom came to get Mason, I asked her if she smelled it. Well DUH! Of course she smelled it and she says it smells like something has died under our house. So my mind goes back to 5 weeks ago when we heard the cat. Come to think of it, we haven't seen that can in quite some time. About a week in fact. So needless to say, I called my old faithful dad and asked him to come by the house sometime today. He of course reminded me that I have a husband and that THEY will check under the house this afternoon.

I know it's disgusting! I am just hoping that some other women will share their stories or comments and that I am not the only one this has happened to. Hopefully they will find the "source" of the problem today and I can have a "clean" fresh smelling house soon! Sorry, no visitors until then, I don't think I even want to be there!

Update On The Bates Family

Not much to report for the Bates family, but I will give you as many updates as possible.

Mason: HE'S WALKING EVERYWHERE! It's so cute to watch him walking around. My favorite is to watch him after he's had his bath and we have drenched him in his baby lotion and his hair is curling up in the back and he has his pajamas on and his little tummy sticks out while he's playing. It's too precious! I love when he's walking around playing with his toys. He entertains himself which is a blessing. I can remember Kaitlin being that way when she was little. I just hope he doesn't sneak off and eat dog food like she used to do. I guess I don't have to worry about it- we don't have a dog. We are also working on a tooth. No it's not the top middle ones, but as Derek likes to call mine, it's a fang tooth. So we will have 2 bottom teeth and two fang teeth. Just call him snags. I don't understand how that works, but it's starting to look quite funny. He's sleeping a lot better. I think the walking is making him tired. Thank you Jesus!

Max: He's a growing boy! He's getting bigger everyday and kicks and moves around a lot. He's not really to the point where you can see him moving, but you can definitely feel him. I get to look at him all the time here at work! Be jealous ladies:) That's a perk of working at a doctor's office! He looks a lot like Mason's ultrasound pictures. Derek got to come to the office and look at him and agrees that he looks a lot like Mason. We can't wait till he gets here!

Derek: Derek is working on getting on with the City of Chattanooga as a fireman. Talk about making me a nervous wreck! We have a study manual and he got a letter to take his test on June 17th. So please be praying for him. He's really wanting to do this and I think it will be great for him to be doing something that he is looking forward to. They didn't have any work for almost two weeks so he got to be a stay at home daddy for a few days and really enjoyed it. He got to spend some quality time with Mason and it gave my mom a break for a few days, but I think she missed Mason:) But thankfully the Lord provides and Derek had some side jobs that he was able to do and he did an amazing job on a couple at our church's house. I don't mind to brag at all!

Brittney: Not much going on with me. I am for the most part over the sickness part of the pregnancy, but there are things that tend to make me queasy still, but I am so thankful that I am on the ladder part of it. I must say that I am huge. It's all belly, but I am pretty big. They say you get a lot bigger with your second than with your first. I believe it. I am really looking forward to mine and Derek's anniversary coming up this week. I'm not really sure what we are doing just yet, but I am still looking forward to it. It's hard to believe that I have been married to my best friend for almost a year. We have had a few bumps in the road, but everyday I look forward to being at home with him.

That's all that's really going on with us. Stay tuned for more!

Let The Cravings Begin...

It's not like me to post 2 times in one day, but I had to let the world know that I am starting to get over my sickness... Thank You Jesus! And my cravings have begun. Today's items include but are not limited to: Orange Kool Aid, Subway turkey sub with mayo, pickles and black olives and McDonald's french fries. Last night I was craving Raisin Bran. Sorry if that makes you nauseous, I'm just so thankful that it's not me that nauseated, I have to share it with the world! Have a great day!

My First Mother's Day!

I cannot believe that yesterday I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day! As lame as it may sound, I have waited for this day to come for many years. I have made the comment before that I knew the day that I had Mason I was fulfilling part of my purpose. Some people have no desire to have children, I on the other hand have always wanted children even as a little girl playing with baby dolls and even when Kaitlin was born, I wanted a baby. So yesterday was very special to me even though Mason had no idea what was going on, Derek made it special for me. I went and got a manicure on Friday as part of my "present." I always enjoy being pampered. Saturday was CRAZY busy, but I enjoyed it. Derek came home early from hunting (which by the way is a huge deal because it was the last day of turkey season) so that I could go to the Mother/ Daughter lunch at church. I look forward to this every year, but this year was extra special because my Mimi got to come in for the weekend. So it was mice us all being there together. Saturday afternoon we went to Ansley's party. Mason really isn't in to all the party scene, but he did like the swings at the park. Then we met the family to eat at Olive Garden to celebrate Mother's Day. It was wonderful! Then everyone came to my house to watch Mason's favorite, Tigger and Pooh. Then Sunday morning, I got to wake up with my sweet Mason! Derek told him to tell me Happy Mother's Day and he just smiled so that was good enough for me. Then we ate breakfast ( I cooked pancakes) which have become a Saturday and Sunday tradition in my house. I put Mason in the car heading to church where I found a sweet card from Derek and Mason and Max. Mason and Max of course can't sign or even pick out a card, but the fact that my husband went out of his way to make sure that he got a card from them, meant the world to me. Then we went to church. Every year, our church gives out roses to the ladies in our church who are mothers and I was honored to get a rose this year. Then we went out to eat and went to mom's so I could do some paper work for dad.

As you can see... there is absolutely nothing special about what I did or received for Mother's Day. It wasn't diamonds or a spa day, but most importantly, it was from the heart of my husband and from my sweet Mason. It was a day that they celebrate mother's, but I feel like every day I get celebrated when I step foot in the house to see Mason smiling at me or say Momma. There is no greater reward than being a mom. Although at times, I want to pull my hair out or just get a simple full night's sleep, I try to sit back and think about those women out there who can't have kids or have lost a child. How they long to not have that full night of sleep just to have a baby there to call them Momma.

Also it makes me realize how wonderful of a mother I have. We always get asked around Mother's Day what is the greatest memory of our mother as we were growing up and every year mine is the same. My mom had the wonderful privilege of being a stay at home mother and every day she was there to tell me to have a good day at school and ask me when she picked me up how my day was. I didn't think about it until I had children of my own how special that truly is. I can only hope that I can follow in her foot steps and be a wonderful mother. So to all the mother's out there, Happy Mother's Day!

The Official Announcement...

As a majority of you know Mason is going to be a BIG brother in September. He can hardly contain his excitement J/K! He really has no idea what's going on. So to answer all the questions here are the following answers:

1. What is it? IT'S ANOTHER BOY! Derek was sort of depressed at first because he wants a girl so bad, but I guess there's always next time... in about 3 years!

2. Do we have a name? Yes we do. Maxwell Reece Bates. Max for short.

3. Due date? September 17th, but I am measuring a week early. I am huge! Thank God for scrubs that are forgiving.

4. Have I been sick? ABSOLUTELY! I hope I am on the down hill now, but I have my moments. Restaurants I can't eat... once again Ichiban, Formosa, or Amigos! I can't think about these places much less eat them. I have gotten sick every time I eat them. In fact that's one way I knew I was pregnant. Derek and I went to Ichiban one night and I have never been so sick in my life. I knew something was off. I couldn't eat there when I was pregnant with Mason either. I pretty much have it down to a routine of how to not get sick so if I stick to the plan, I am doing good.

On a lighter note, I am so excited about my first Mother's Day! I can't believe that this year not only do I get to spend it with my mom and MiMi, but with my own child. MiMi and Pop will be in Friday night in time for dinner then we will spend the day together on Saturday going to the Mother/ Daughter lunch at church. Then Sunday we will go out for lunch on the boys! I have waited for this day for so long and now it's finally here. I always dreamed of being a mommy and now I am to the best baby boy in the world and about to have a second one! It's a dream come true! Stay tuned for more of our incredible journey with Mason and soon to be Max!

Planning For Our Prince

It's hard to believe that I have started the planning process for Mason's first birthday! It seems like yesterday that I was starting the process for him to be here and now a year later, we are planning his birthday party. I must say that I am on the ball when it comes to planning his birthday. We have the date, location, the menu, and we have picked out cakes. Well somewhat picked out cakes. Mom has graciously offered (or I offered for her- depends on who you talk to) to make Mason's big birthday cake and his personal (hopefully I'm going to make a big mess) cake. I am so excited about his party. It's going to be a blast! I got the cutest outfit for him to wear until he eat his cake. We can't get it messed up you know!

Here are some updates on Mason... he's a full speed ahead walker. There is no stopping him now. He walks/ tries to run all around the barricaded living room. By the way, our house will never be the same because of our furniture all connecting to try to keep him in. He thinks (well and so do we) he's really something. We make sure we praise him completely when he walks. Mason walked across the room the other night to my dad and if Mason was old enough to ask, he would have received what ever he wanted from his Poppy at that time. By the way... he's still all about my dad. Mason has also extended his vocabulary. He now says Mama, Dada, K K, and Ya Ya. Although Poppy is his favorite, it make take a while to say his name. He's also mimicking sounds and learning opposites. Like when I say "Uh Uh" he says "Uh Huh!" Don't tell me kids don't know. So there is an update on Mason. Stay tuned for more.....

A Little Late, But Here Are Pictures From Easter

We got to go to Mississippi for Easter! We had a blast and I wouldn't have done it any other way. Derek and dad went hunting Saturday morning so we took Mason and the kids to the Easter Egg Hunt for Kim's church. Then Sunday morning we got (well everyone else) got to go to church while I sat in the foyer with Mason then we went to Kim's for lunch and to hide Easter eggs again! Mason was able to participate in this one a little better!

Mason, Anna Beth, Natalie and Weston!

Swinging With Ya Ya!

Playing with the Easter Eggs Sunday Morning!The Easter Bunny Came!

Discovering that he has presents!

Only interested in the eggs!
Mason acting very interested in taking pictures with me!
All about the fake smiles!
Not a great picture but I will take it!

The start of the egg hunt

Mason finding his egg!