Camden turns 1!!!!

Camden turned 1 on Nov 2nd!! This year has gone by so fast! It has been a blessed year- full of sweet and wonderful moments! I am so glad that Camden is our little man! He is 20 lbs, 29.75 in long, and VERY active (which explains his lower weight!) He has 4 teeth now. He has been walking for over a month now and is pretty much at a running pace. He is climbing on everything- for Christmas I think we will just get him boxes to climb onto!! lol!! He is a very cuddly little boy who loves to be rocked and held! He laughs all the time (unless I leave him somewhere- we are struggling with separation anxiety!)

He LOVES his big brother and sister and they love him right back! They are so sweet to watch when they are playing together. Cade is a big helper and looks out for his baby brother.

God has blessed Zach and I with 3 beautiful babies and they are all growing up so fast- life is full of adventures with little ones and I look forward to even more with Camden's 2 yr of life.

Halloween 2008

I have not gotten a chance to add pictures from Halloween this year. We didn't trick or treat this year but we went to our church's Fall Harvest Party. Cade was a Pirate, Cailynn was Tinkerbell and Camden was going to be a cow. Poor Camden started running a 102 fever that afternoon so he never even got to dress up. He felt horrible but he was only teething- no illness!! Daddy stayed home with him while Cade, Cailynn and I went to the party. We had a wonderful time- the kids were worn out which is why we didn't trick or treat once we got home from the party- they didn't even ask to!!

Little Diva Cailynn!!

My little Cailynn is turning into a fashionista!!! She is Constantly changing clothes and thus leaving piles all around the house! She is SO cute though, that I cannot get mad at her for it. The picture above is one taken outside on a cold day. She was dressed in pants and a turtleneck shirt but insisted on wearing her Tinkerbell Dress (AKA- "princess dress") She continued to add 3 ballerina tu-tu's and her princess jacket. Once we got outside, she spotted her princess bike helmet and OF COURSE had to add that! She reminded me of that little boy off of A Christmas Story! She also has on her princess slip-on shoes but I did insist on socks since it was so cold.



This picture is her on a beautiful day in our backyard. She has on a Sunday dress (it wasn't on a Sunday!), a princess PJ shirt (Belle- my favorite Disney princess!), and her froggy rain boots! She was TOO cute! If you have a facebook account, you should go check out my newest video of the kids. It is too big to load on blogger so you will have to go there and look at it. She is wearing 2 tu-tus and no shirt and dancing to "This is the Day" by VeggieTales- her all-time FAVORITE music!

Photo Tag

So I was photo tagged by my good friend Bekki. (Sorry, Bekki, that it has taken me THIS long to respond to your tag!!) The rule of the game is to pick the 6th photo from the 6th picture file on your computer and blog about it. So here it goes... drum role please......


This is a picture of my OLD washing machine. We were trying to sell it to make way for our new washer/dryer (pictured below)!!! The washing machine was acting up and since it was a cheap one to start with, we decided NOT to put money into but buy a new set instead. With 3 little kids, I needed a good washing machine that would last me a while. Needless to say, I LOVE my new machine!! I even enjoy washing Camden's cloth diapers now!! We actually NEVER sold it though. Since it didn't work well, I didn't have any takers, but we plan on either donating it or selling it at our yard sale.





So now, I am tagging Karla and Lindy. Hopefully you ladies will continue the photo tagging! It is fun!

Its been a while

It has been a while since I have posted on the blog. Now that Camden is walking- I have NO life anymore!!!! I really didn't have much of one before but now, I can't sit for more than 2 minutes at a time. I love it though. The beginning stage of walking is very precious. I love how babies who have the new-found walking skill, hold their hands up in the air to balance and they get so excited each and everytime they walk. It is pure joy to them!! It fills my heart with that same joy.
All three kids are doing great- everyone is healthy and happy. Cade is becoming a little boy more and more everyday- he says the FUNNIEST things!!! He told me the other day that he wanted to marry me (he saw an engaged couple from our church get a few presents and of course, he wanted presents!)
Cailynn still isn't talking much but she some how manages to get her point across. Her new discovery is climbing out of bed and waking us up at 6 in the morning. The other night she climbed out of bed and walked into the den where Zach and I were watching Heroes (great show BTW!!) She walked in there around 9:30 acting like she was going to come and sit down and watch TV with us. We looked at her and asked her
"Cailynn, did you get out of bed"
Her response "Uhuh" She then goes "shhhhh"
I ask her, "Why? Are you sleeping?"
Her response- an emphatic "U HUH!!" and starts laughing.
Camden is still not sleeping thru the night- I don't know when we will ever do that. He seems to be getting worse rather than better. I see no light at the end of the tunnel for this one, but we will perservere and survive. I will post pictures soon- I have all three kids asleep right now so I am going to lie down right now too.

Camden is WALKING!!!

Well, Camden started walking yesterday!! He is 10 mos old and ready to run!! He has been pretty sick this week with an ear infection and a fever virus but between fevers, he took his first few steps!!! He is a little champ to start walking while feeling so bad. He has been running fevers of over 102 and with an ear infection, I can't believe that he was able to walk at all!!! Zach and I are so proud of him!!! Cade is especially happy that Camden is walking. Cade and Cailynn are not in this video because they were already in bed. Camden woke up from breaking a fever and didn't want to go back to bed for a while. He is really tired in this video but he was having a blast trying to walk!! I have another video that is longer and cuter but it was too big of a file to upload onto here so go check it out on my facebook page!

Our Trip to Denver

Zach and I are still in Oklahoma but I had a little down time to write here. We drove to Oklahoma last Sunday and that trip was eventful as always. It took us right at 12 hrs. We were glad to get to his parents house. We had to travel that whole trip with a cooler full of frozen breastmilk for Camden. It made there still frozen thanks to Dry Ice. That stuff is awesome!!!

Zach and I drove to OKC on the following Wednesday and flew out to Denver. It was so nice to relax in the car and then the airplane without any fussing or whining (from the kids anyway!!!). We got to our hotel about 11 pm. But I got to sleep thru the night!! Woo-hoo!! Camden on the other hand has not been sleeping well at all while we were gone. Zach's parents are doing a wonderful job with all the kids though.

The conference was a lot of fun. Zach took a bunch of classes so I got to catch up on some reading (I finished Same Kind of Different as Me and it was an excellent book!!), keep up with my bible study on Luke, and SLEEP!! I took 2 naps while I was there. The convention showfloor was very interesting. I saw all kinds of new technology- TV's, speakers, wires, projectors. I saw one projector that was $200,000!! And set of speakers that were $190,000!!! They were HUGE!!!! Zach took some pics of those and I will have to download them on here later. It was crazy to see things that cost more than my house!!! Overall, it was very nice to walk around with Zach without any worries or time constraints. On Friday afternoon, we were going to drive to Vail, CO to visit with Zach's cousing Karen and her hubby Scott. We got a late start and the drive up the mountain was very foggy so we called and met them in Silverthorne, CO instead. We had a wonderful time visiting with them over a 2 hour dinner! They are both so sweet and made us feel so welcomed! I haven't stayed out that late just visiting with friends in a long time! It was a nice treat for me.

Sunday, we started our trip home. We had rented a car, so we left the hotel (which was a great hotel!!!) and drove straight to the airport rental car station. We arrived at the airport over an hour before our plan was supposed to take off. But unfortunately, in Denver, that is just not long enough. THe line to check baggages was so long, that we missed our flight (a mid-morning flight). They put us on standby but the next two planes leaving for OKC were full. The last plane of that day flew out at 7:30 and it was 17 people OVERBOOKED!!! We didn't want to have to spend the night again in Denver, so we got on a plane headed to Tulsa. Zach's brother Landon and his wife Tarah, met us there with a car. We took the car and drove to OKC (our baggage was there in the airport as well as our car) We got into OKC around 1am and spent the night. We got up MOnday morning REALLY early and I dropped Zach off at the airport and made my way to Zach's parents- 2 hrs west of the City. He followed about 30 min behind me. So long story short- get to the airport EARLY so you don't have to spend an entire day at the airport.

Overall, the trip was great and I am so thankful to God for giving Zach and me time to spend together and for keeping us safe throughout the trip. We are ready to get back home and settled though.

Cade's sweet words

Yesterday, my mom and stepdad had Cade and Cailynn for the day. The kids enjoyed it and mommy enjoyed having only one baby in the house- I got a LOT done!!

When my mom returned with the kids before dinner time, she told me about a discussion that she and Cade had. It made me so proud of my little Cader-tot and I wanted to share it with you.

Apparently, my mom must have snapped at my stepdad. Soon after that, my mom and Cade went upstairs to play and this is what was said

Cade: "Gramma, you just got a little mad at Papa"

My Mom: "yes, sometimes, I get a little mad at Papa and sometimes, Papa gets a little mad at me. Married people get mad at each other sometimes"

Cade: (after a pause) "When my mom and dad get mad, we pray about it"

I was so proud of him for saying that! And while, its not entirely true- if Zach and I get mad at each other, we try not to do it in front of the kids and if we do snap in front of the kids, we really don't discuss it with the kids. But what I think he was talking about was when Cade has had a bad day (meaning, mom was having a bad day too) we sit down and pray with Cade that God would help him be better the next day. I know that his Sunday school classes at church and Community Bible Study have laid a great foundation for Cade and Cailynn. I pray everyday that God will continue to bless them and bring positive, uplifting people and situations into their lives everyday.

False Alarms

False Alarms are very common in motherhood- they start during pregnancy (the miserable false laboring that takes you to the hospital only to be sent home an hour later) and continue into babyhood- stinky diapers that were only smelly baby toots, crying baby that you think is getting sick actually only needs to burp. And it contines into toddlerhood- trying to crawl, walk, or run is full of "almosts" But our most recent false alarm- moving Cailynn into her big girl bed. I know I JUST posted that we moved her! I even waited 2 full days before I blogged about it. But last night around 10:30, Zach and I had to put her side rail back up on her crib (her crib is a transitional crib that converts into a toddler bed) She just wouldn't stay in her bed. We tried for 2 hrs. With Cade, we just kept persisting and he finally figured out to stay in his bed but Zach and I started this endevour already tired so we decided to just wait and try again in another month or so. We were able to switch her bed back to her crib without waking Cade (he shares a room with Cailynn) or Camden. Hopefully, I will be posting again soon on her success in her big girl bed. Keep a lookout for that post!!

Cailynn's Big Girl Bed!!

Cailynn is now in her big girl bed!! She is growing so fast! She loves her bed and has slept 2 nights in it without getting up (at least we think she is not getting up!)


Cade is also happy that she is in her big girl bed. He is such a proud big brother and loves it when she is happy. I anticipate that one morning we will find them in the same bed sleeping. They are such different kids but get along very well.

This morning was promotion Sunday at church and Cailynn went to Ms. Ellen's 2 yr old class (Cade's class last year) Ms. Ellen is a wonderful teacher. when I picked Cailynn up from Sunday school class, Ms. Ellen commented on how different they are. She said that she had to keep reminding herself that they are siblings. She is right- Cade is a very agreable, easy-going little boy and Cailynn is full of spunk and charisma. She is a little "diva" at times!! She likes things done her way or no way! Most of that personality comes from Zach (just kidding!- I love you hunny!) Most of that attitude is just part of being a 2 year old. She is a very nurturing little girl who loves her brothers and her baby dolls.

Memphis Trolley Rides

My kids LOVE to ride the trolley downtown. We make a night of it and go out to eat at the Spaghetti Warehouse and then ride the 30-40 min trolley ride down Front St and Riverside Dr. Cade and Cailynn love to watch the boats and see all the people. It is always interesting downtown during Elvis week!! There are some pretty interesting people that sit on the trolley- and we are always meeting new and interesting people. Almost everyone we meet is a tourist but we have not met one rude tourist. They all love our city and love to meet the "locals".

If you live in Memphis and have never rode the trolley- you should do it. It is a lot of fun!

Camden's 9 mos stats

I took Camden in for his 9 mos appt this past Monday. He is growing so fast!!!

He was 18 lbs 4 oz. 28.75 inches long and 44 cm head circumfrence. He has followed a beautiful curve on the growth charts.

He is crawling, cruising, waving, and babbling. Everything a 9 mos should be doing and more!! The ONLY thing he doesn't do- SLEEP!! AHHHHH!! We are one tired household! I guess all those motor skills are making his mind work over time. Pretty soon, he should be wearing himself out and sleeping much better. I am still proud to be his mommy!!

A Mom's new luxuries!

I have to say that naps are my new luxuries!!! I have had 2 this weekend and I am a NEW mom!! Its amazing what a 1-2 hr nap can do for me! And for 2 days in a row- I am living the lavish life!!! Zach has been really good to me this weekend (he is always good to me- but this weekend was even more special to give me time to myself to sleep) In fact today, everyone in my house was asleep at the same time!! Woo-hoo! What a blessing for us. Camden is still trying to cut that 2nd tooth but he was able to take a good nap-he is worn out after church- church is tiring for little babies (and mommies and daddies trying to keep little ones quiet during the sermon)

Also, my other new luxury is Shoney's Hot Fudge Cake- yum!!! It is the best dessert in Marion! And it only cost $2.50 for a piece that feeds 2. That part is best- its cheap enough to go out and buy it than for me to make a dessert.

And days when I get both of these new luxuries- well, that's a day with extra blessings for us!

First tooth= NO SLEEP for Mommy!!!

Camden popped his first tooth about a week and a half ago. It was a LONG time coming! I have discovered something new about my baby boy... He is a HORRIBLE TEETHER!!!! The entire week prior to the precious white tooth emerging from his gum was a compilation of sleepless nights, short naps, and extreme clingyness. All of which made both Mommy, Daddy, sister, borhter, and baby completely worn out and short fused. But we perservered and made it thru it with a lot of prayer- there was much rejoicing!!! I was relieved that it came thru before Zach's parents arrived for a visit. Camden was a perfect angel the entire time and even sleeped thru the night for the first time!... and only time. Zach's parents left Sunday afternoon and starting Sunday night, we started all over again with teething his second tooth. Since then, Camden ha not slept more that 2 hours straight. He has even gone 7 hours straight with NO sleep... a long time for a little baby. I have spent many nights rocking and nursing him, while crying out in prayer for sleep for both of us. I pleaded with God to give me a full nights rest everytime I was up with him in the night. I was beyond exhausted and every night I was on the verge of tears. But, I was even too tired to cry! My body is in emergency mode. After 4 nights of little sleep, I get a phone call from my mom. She offered to keep Cade and Cailynn for me. Surprisingly, she didn't even know what I had been going thru with Camden but she just wanted to see the kids. I immediately said YES!! Come and pick them up. I felt the answer to my prayers!!!! After I got off the phone with her, I broke down in tears. My body needed the release from all the tension I was holding onto. I just sank to the ground in tears of exhaustion and releif. It felt very good actually. But to my surprise, what happened next put everything into perspective for me. Cade was playing with his legos and as soon as I started crying, I hear him say "Mommy, what's wrong?" And the next thing I know, Cailynn comes to me, and puts her arms around me and just pats my shoulder and hugs me. She gives me the biggest, sweetest smile that tells me "its all right mommy." Right there, I realized that all those nights of pushing myself, staying up with my kids, rocking them and comforting them when they were sick or hurting, is paying off. My kids are so nurturing and I am very proud of who they are becoming. I might have lost days worth of sleep but I will have years worth of joy watching my children care for others. Everything we do as parents has such a strong impact on our kids, even when you think they aren't watching. It has really given me an attitude adjustment and I am not complaining about the hard things as much. Everything we do is an opportunity to teach our kids how they should live. It makes me think of Colossions 3:17 "In all you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God thru Him." That is a lesson I want to teach my children. That in the good times and even in the hard times, give thanks to God for all He has given you. His blessings are immeasurable and are more abundant that I will ever deserve.

Being sick and being mommy is NOT easy

So last week, I was sick with this yucky cough and overall exhaustion (more so than just being pregnant) Of course, my kids werent sick so they were as active as ever. They watched A LOT of TV that week and I barely cooked. but we survived and everyone is in one piece. It turns out it was just the pregnancy sickness but still it was yucky.
Kids find ANYTHING to get into while mommy is not paying full attention. One time I found his room in disarray- Cade had dumped ALL his stuffed animals throughout his room and pulled all his books out of the closet and strung them across the room too. When I walked in, he was sitting on his bed surveying the whole situation as if wondering how he did all that. Cailynn was sitting in the middle enjoying herself flipping through all the books. The next day while I was taking my shower Cade had come into the bathroom and pulled out my box of 500 count Q-tips. When I stepped out of the shower I saw Cailynn eating one (that's not unusual) with about 3 more in her hand. Cade was VERY quiet at this time. When I walked out, there were a few on my bedroom floor and I thought- no big deal. But when I turned the corner to look into the den- there they ALL were. Strung out on the floor like flower petals at a wedding. Being HUGE and pregnant I thought- there is NO way I can get down and pick these up so I made Cade pick them all up. He did well, but it took about 20 minutes- 2 year olds have no attention span. I did my part by trying to keep cailynn from eating all the cotton off the tips. 1 yr olds eat everything they put their little hands on.
Now, I don't take my shower unless Zach is home to watch the kids for me.
I love my kids dearly and i know that things like this will happen many more times. All I can do is sit back and try to laugh about it. It really is cute when you see their little faces- they had had a lot of fun both times.

First time Blogging

So I am entering the world of blogging for the first time. Let's see how it goes :)



Just a little intro into our rapidly growing family. We have made A LOT of changes over the past 5 years when Zach and I got married. We have had 2 babies and have another one due in November of this year. We have a little boy Cade that is 2.5 yrs old and a little girl Cailynn that is almost 16 mos old. They are 18 mos apart but already act like they are twins. We are having another little boy, Mark Camden, due November 9th of this year. We are still in shock that we will have 3 KIDS in 5 years!! I feel like I have been pregnant for 3 years straight! They are all special and beautiful though. All are gifts straight from God into our home and we couldn't be happier knowing that He has given them all to us. Of course, I can't forget to add my first baby (though not one I delivered)- our miniature dachshund Mattie. She is 3 years old now. The kids love her. Cailynn is alsways opening her mouth wide (her way to give kisses) for Mattie (I know- YUCKY!) and Cade just loves to rough-house with her. Mattie on the other hand likes the kids but insists on her place of refuge (behind Mommy and Daddy) We are her source of protection.



Zach has quit teaching!! He now owns his own business in Home Theaters doing the sales, designing, and installations. He has intelligently named it Holcomb Audio Video Technologies (or Holcomb AVT for short). I am extremely happy that he is doing something that he has a passion and drive for. So far, it is going well. As for me- I am a stay at home mom. I would have to be a brain surgeon to cover the cost of daycare for three kids these days! I love my job though. It is definately the hardest thing I have EVER done but I wouldn't trade it for anything.



Besides all that- we are still living in AR, still very active in our church, but still wondering where God really wants us to be.



Throughout the posts, you will be reading A LOT about our kids, a little about Zach and I and probably nothing about politics (I have to draw the line somewhere)



Enjoy getting to know us!! And WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!!!