Coming up with gift ideas.

     Are you a happy, jolly person this time of year or are you the Bah Humbug type?  I am both. I love the thought of Christmas time.  I absolutely love watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, decorating the tree, and making Christmas cookies with Jae. That being said I dread the part of trying to find gifts for people. Gifts are hard enough to buy when you are on a tight budget, but throw in the fact that 90 percent of the people on your list are either ungrateful or expect you to spend tons of money on them makes for a stressful situation. I truly hate the thought of going Christmas shopping (except for shopping for my children) because of this. I have pondered and pondered on what to get these people for Christmas this year. I have even thought along the lines of making certain foods for them. But, every person on my list can't have this or that  or the majority of them don't like sweets. So, if I do decide to make food items then I have to make so many different foods, that it cost more than if I just bought them something. I LOVE to give gifts,but I get stressed just thinking about this. 
     What do you buy for the guy who already has what they want and if they don't have it they can buy it for their self.  What do you buy for the woman who does not want anything for the kitchen and does not want anything bath and body related.  What do you buy the guy or girl that does not have a hobby or favorite thing to do? I have ran out of ideas (at least ideas within my budget) for these people.
      I am sure there are tons of other people out there that are in the same place as me. If you have any ideas for gifts for male or female gifts for teenagers (preteens too) or adults please let me know . I am in desperate need of ideas! Feel free to leave a comment below.



  

Time for change on this blog

      I have to admit, that I haven't been that dedicated to this blog. It crosses my mind a lot, but I just don't post on here but maybe once a month. So, I decided it was time for a change. I gave the Blog a new name and a Fresh new look. I am hoping this will inspire me to write more. For a couple of months now I have had the recurring idea of starting up a whole new blog. It sounds weird but when I had the other name on this blog I felt as though I could only blog about my family. Now with the name House of Haggard; I feel like I have more freedom to blog about recipes, organizing, current events, and my family all in one blog. 




So here's to happy blogging!!

Apples and Apple Sauce

So, Last week I took Jaelyn to the Apple Orchard to pick apples. We took my sister in law and niece Becky too. I had the great idea for the girls to pick apples and then we could make home made apple sauce together. After picking apples I quickly realized that there was not enough patience left for making apple sauce. The girls did a great job picking ripe apples. Each one filled up a orchard bag full. Jae and I decided to make Apple Sauce a couple days later. The recipe (which I found on Pinterest) stated "once you eat this you will never want to eat store bought apple sauce again." Oh my, were they right. Not only did it taste wonderful, but it also made my whole house smell like Fall! (which is my all time fave scent.)

    They were so proud of their last apples they picked.

                    The apples we used for the sauce

 She thought it was pretty yummy too! before you ask one cup is milk and the other cup is juice.

Our little man is already 7 months old!

My little man has turned 7 months today! what? wait, where has the time went. I truly believed that since I was staying home with Jordan and not working all the time that the time would go much slower. Boy was I wrong. It is going just as fast but I am able to actually realize and enjoy everything he does in the process of growing up. I can't believe it has been 3 months since I have blogged (a lot has changed in 3 months). Jordan has finally started to grow in height and he is slowing down on gaining weight. He is a perfectly healthy and Happy boy. His nickname should be smiles or happy.  My little man now has started to roll over a little. Jae was rolling over at 4 or 5 months,but Jordan has just now started. On Saturday oct. 12th He finally rolled from his tummy to his back and to his tummy again 3 times. Usually he will only roll from tummy to back or back to side.( he just can't figure out how to get his arm out of the way.  He wants to crawl, but he can't lift his belly off the floor. In the last few weeks his little legs have finally grew enough that his feet can fully touch the floor while he is in his walker. He has also started going forwards in his walker. Just a couple steps though. I am sure in just a few short months  he will be zooming around the house in his walker and rolling everywhere!

Jordan is now :
26 inches long
16.7 pounds
still sleeps through the night.
goes to bed around 10pm and wakes up usually between 8am and 9am
he drinks between 24 and 30 ounces
he eats usually half a jar of baby food and later a bowl of cereal
or he eats half a jar of baby food 2 times a day.
                                                           
                                                       He likes to blow bubbles .

                                                                   Smiley

                                                          getting ready to roll

                                         Just rolled over from his tummy

                                            He loves his new paci.

                                   
                                                          Mr. Happy    

Jaelyn turns 4 years old and Jordan turns 4 months old!!

I can't believe that two weeks ago Jaelyn turned 4 years old. Where has time went? My little girl is growing up way too fast. She wanted a beach party. Well the closest she got to a beach party was her cupcakes. I only wish that someday soon we can take her to the ocean and beach. This girl loves to learn about anything in the ocean.  She had a blast at her party and loved every single present she got. She has decided that Hot pink is her very favorite color now. Anything that is hot pink she absolutely loves. The sunset a few days ago was hot pink and orange and she thought is was so pretty. I love this little girl and can't  believe how fast she is growing up. Next year she will start Kindergarten. I am just glad that I will still have one child home for a few more years!! Speaking of our other child, Jordan turned 4 months old already this last week. I feel as though if I blink a couple more times that he will be turning one already. I am really trying to savor these first 12 months with him.

Jaelyn had her 4year shots  and Jordan had his 4 month shots this week.  Jordan did great. He's a tough little guy.  Jaelyn screamed her pretty little head off. Then about an hour later she had a slight fever. Shots never bothered her until she was 3 1/2 years old. No more shots for Jaelyn until she is 12 years old! Jordan has to go back and get more in 2 months though.

Jordan now weights 14 pounds 6.8 ounces
He is now 24 inches long
he is 50% in  weight and 25% in height
He sleeps great. during the day he sometimes takes 4 hour naps and at night he still sleeps anywhere from 4-8 hours without a bottle. If he does wake for a bottle, then it doesn't take much time for him to go back to sleep.
He is still in size 2 diapers
He is finally starting to grow out of size 1 shoes
He is wearing 3-6 month clothing

                                               Jaelyn opening her gifts

                                                     Happy Birthday Jae!!

                                                 Her cute cupcakes

                          Birthday Princess Jaelyn turns 4 years old

                    She got her Birthday Ice cream from the Oark Store

                                       These two kiddos are my world.

                                          Jordan is 4 months old

                       Since he has been teething, he loves to chew on his fingers.

Time flys when your having fun!

Thursday our little man Jordan turned eight weeks old. Where does the time go? I am home with Jordan everyday and yet it seems like the time is still flying by. When Jae was this age I had already been back at work for two weeks. I am so thankful that we have managed to get to the point were I do not have to work anymore. I feel as though I missed so much time with Jae. I remember her from the day she was born until she was 8 weeks old and then I don't remember anything until she was 11 months old. (good thing I took lots of pictures) I worked 40-58 hours a week after I had Jae, I just felt like she was always at the babysitters. This time with Jordan I don't have to be away from him 10-12 hours a day five to six days a week, and it has already made a huge difference. I have a much better bond with Jordan from birth until now than I ever had with Jae at that same age frame. Jae didn't want anything to do with me at all. She laughed her first laughs for daddy, said her first words for daddy, only liked daddy to feed her and rock her to sleep. I look back and remember thinking that I had waited all this time to have a baby and now that I have one she doesn't even like me. Since I have been a stay at home mom the last year that has all changed. Jae tells me I am her best friend (granted she is 3 years old and tells almost everyone that) and loves for me to tuck her in bed at night and read her stories. I love being able to have a loving bond with her now. Jordan loves for me to hold him. The first week we had him home; if he was crying I was the only one that could hold him and he would stop. It is sad how much that made me feel loved. When I talk to him I can get him to smile and laugh. I love this feeling of my infant child wanting me. I love the wonderful bond I have with both of my children now.

Things Jordan does:
 Started smiling the big open mouth gum showing smiles on 4/26/13
 Started laughing sometime that next week.
Recognized his hands and fingers for the first time on 5/3/13
started drinking 6oz bottles at one time when he turned 7 weeks old.
He will sleep 5-7 hours without waking up for a bottle too now.
Sat in his Bumbo Seat for the first time on  5/6/13
Layed on his play mat and liked it.(he laughed and kicked) 5/10/13

                   I love these two Kids! Jaelyn loves being Jordan's Big Sister

                         I finally got a picture of Jordan and I together.

                                   His first time to sit in his Bumbo Seat.

                                              He loves his bouncy seat.

                                    Big Boy Jordan turned 8 weeks old.

                         spending some time on his play mat and liking it!

Jordan's first photo session

About 2 weeks ago we went to have Jordan's newborn pictures taken. I was so impressed with this studio and the photographer. We had some family pictures done by this photographer about 2 years ago, but they were outside at a different location. She had the studio warm for Jordan and even used a heating pad to keep him warm. Jordan was perfectly comfortable and slept through the whole session. The photographer said he was a perfect model. Jaelyn loved this photographer. She was excited when she got to play with Ms. Becky's dog and go for a ride outside on ms. Becky's buggy. Jaelyn couldn't wait to go back to see her. I am so happy that we have found a great family photographer. I am looking forward to the beautiful memories over the years.

Jordan's delivery and his first month.

It was just one month ago that I had my C-section and  we were introduced to our baby boy. Jordan Andrew Haggard was born on March 14, 2013 at 8:02 AM. He was 21 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 3.9 ounces. His lungs were working really well, He screamed and screamed. In fact, I had one nurse in recovery that told me They could all hear him screaming out in  the recovery area. Jordan was born with what the doctor called "tongue tied".  His little strip of skin under the tongue is to long and in the future  could cause a speech problem. So, in a couple of months he has to have that little strip snipped.  Everything else about was perfect!

My surgery started with a little scare.  I was a little nervous that morning, especially about getting spinal block. So when they inserted the spinal block I was relieved that the pain was really Just a lot of pressure. The nurses trying to get my IV started that morning hurt worse.  But soon after the placed me on the Operating table My neck and Shoulders started to hurt so bad. The pain was almost unbearable. When Lonnie walked into the Operating Room, I was throwing up. He had this look in his eyes like he was terrified, and I thought he thought that The surgery was hurting me and that why I was getting sick. I kept reassuring him that I could not feel anything, it was just the pain in my neck and shoulders was so bad. He later told me that My blood pressure Had went up to 164/130 and then dropped extremely fast to 80/40. They had to give me meds to raise my pressure. I continued to be sick in the recovery room and the first 2 hours I was back in my room.

It is so strange that our oldest child is 3 and a half and We felt like we were new parents again. Jordan looked and did so well that they released him after 24 hours. I was doing so well after 24 hours that they released me too. That was soo fast. When we did go home I had a lot of problems getting in and out of bed
(I had to have Lonnie actually push me out of the bed) I felt like I was tearing my incision. Plus, the pain from the Scar tissue was horrible. The nurses had informed me that I had a large amount of Scar Tissue from my first C-Section.  Four days after having Jordan, my incision started to drain like crazy. One little part came open and they decided to leave it open. It drained so bad, that I had to cut up parts of the Pads the hospital gives you and put over the incision. It finally quit after about a week. After that lovely issue, I began to have severe swelling on and below my incision plus in my feet. My feet looked as bad as when I was pregnant with Jae and had Peeclampsia.  Thankfully the doctor prescribed me some diuretics for 2 weeks and all the swelling except for in one foot, went away.

Jordan is a very alert baby. He has picked up his head an looked around since the first week. He sleeps a lot, and nothing seems to wake him up easily. But, He loves to wake up around 3am and not go back to sleep until about 5am. The last few months I was pregnant with him, he would be the most active at that time of the morning. The first two weeks he would usually just open one eye or sometimes just barely open the other eye at the same time. Lonnie started to nickname him Popeye.(it didn't stick)

Jaelyn loves him so much. She walks up to him and says "Big Sister is here!" and she loves to sing to him also. She thinks he is so funny, especially when he has gas. I am very relieved at how well she has done about accepting him into the family. It just seems like we have been a family of four for a lot longer than one month.

At Jordan's 2 week check up his weight was up to 8pounds and 7ounces. They didn't measure him correctly, so I am guessing his length was the same still. This baby gets the hiccups at least once to twice a day. He is still in newborn clothes, and if he is like Jaelyn he will be until he gets to be 3 months old. The only shoes he can wear are his puppy slippers. He has some tiny feet. All the newborn shoes are still huge on him at 1 month old.

I feel very blessed to have 2 children. I had thought after being married for seven years and never getting pregnant that we would not have any. Then I got pregnant with Jaelyn and thought it was a miracle. Then on Jaelyn's 3rd birthday, I thought okay it has been 2 and a half years and I am not able to get pregnant again. So, I decided to sell all my baby stuff, and then 2 weeks later I found out I was pregnant with Jordan. I love my children and would do anything for them. I would go through the long and bad pregnancy I had with Jaelyn all over again. And I would endure the Pain I had in the O.R. and all these weeks after for Jordan all over again too. I must say that I am relieved to know that I  have my tubes tied and I will never have to endure the pain from a C-Section again.

                                                Jordan Andrew Haggard

                           First time for me to see him.

                                   Jordan with his Momma and Daddy

                       Daddy trying to help Jaelyn hold Jordan

                                          Time to go home. one day old.

                                               My two kiddos.

                                              my world is complete with these two.

                      Sorry it's sideways. This was their Easter picture

                              My Lil man at 3 weeks old

My lil man at 1 month old.

Our family will change in three days.

     Our life as we know it is about to change in 3 days. On Thursday morning I will be having a c-section at 7:30 am to have our little boy Jordan Andrew. I am so excited and Anxious. One feeling I have that I really didn't think I would is the feeling of worry for Jaelyn. I almost feel sad for her, when I think about her only having three more days of being an only child. I don't know why I feel that way. Jaelyn is still super excited about being a big sister and meeting Jordan. She still talks to Jordan daily. She leans into my stomach and says"Jordan are you okay? I Love you Jordan!" She still calls him her baby too, and that totally melts my heart every she says it.
     I  usually never stress when Jaelyn stays a night or two away from us, but this time she is going to be staying with two different sets of grandparents for a total of three to four nights. I am already stressing about her not being with us then. I know she will be safe and happy with each set of her grandparent's, but I almost feel guilty about spending the time with Jordan without her. (Please, somebody tell me this is a normal feeling for a second time Mom!)  I guess I have had to much time to think about these things and that is why they are bothering me.
    Now onto more happy thoughts! I have been nesting like crazy the last week. I deep cleaned our oven and stove, our Fridge, and I totally cleaned out Jordan's closet and organized it. I have been cleaning cabinets and Interior doors too. I am totally determined to have all the laundry and dishes stay caught up this week. I don't want  to come home on Saturday to a dirty house at all. Plus, Lonnie will be the one cooking and cleaning at least the first few days we are back home.
     I believe this delivery will be so much better. At least I know that this time there will not be 3 hours of pushing ,17 hours of labor, and then having an end result of a c-section. This time  I have been told Surgery should start about 7:30 am and I should be out of recovery and back into my own room by 9:00am. I am so happy to think that this time I should actually have the energy  to bond with my baby.

Here are some of things that I have noticed this during this pregnancy

at first I craved Potatoes in any way! (fried, baked, or mashed)
then I craved Hamburgers.
I never really had that much morning sickness at all
This baby moves all the time and gets the hiccups a lot.
I have gained exactly 20 pounds during this pregnancy


     This is the wall Jordan's crib will be on. For now his crib is in our room.

                           
                   everything is all set to go and waiting for our lil man!

 We took Jaelyn to the park out by the River last week. She was having a ball!

                                      She love's to  hit any ball with her bat.

                                         I just love this girl!

                 This is the wall you see when you walk into his room.