The boys new room

Complete - finally! I guess it hasn't taken too long to complete, but it feels like it has. It only took me one trip to Hobby Lobby today to get the final two things!

I put up the cork board on either side of their window with their old initial so we can hang their artwork!

Here is the dresser with their new baseball lamp!

And their bunkbeds with the Sports Theme bedding - literally it is all furniture in there! So So thankful to have a basement were they spend their time playing! At least they are always guaranteed the big room!

We splurged and got stairs instead of a ladder. My peace of mind and hopefully no trips to the ER are well worth the extra money! Not to mention more drawer space in the steps!

Added metal artwork to the wall!

So there it is - they really like their new room - let's hope they enjoy being roommates for the next 14 years!

We're making progress

in all areas!

1st- Matthew is doing SO SO good with potty training. He RARELY has an accident (like 1 every 4 days). Who knew potty training could be so easy....hmm ME bc it wasn't this easy with his brother! We are still in pullups when we go out (bc who wants to deal with that mess) although he tells me he has to go so we haven't had any accidents and of course he is still in a diaper at nap/night night time, but wakes up dry most of the time.

2nd - We have moved the boys into their own room together. Bunk beds are in and up. They both LOVE them. Matthew has done good about staying in bed and he no longer takes a paci (it had to stay in the crib bc that was for babies and not big boys). So we have been paci free for almost a week! Although he tells me "Baby Shelby DO NOT get my paci". He knows she will be going into the crib! lol I need to post pics of their new room, but I'm not quite finished getting things on the wall. And let me tell you - bunk beds are a PAIN to make up, let alone change the sheets on!

3rd- We've got some work to do to get the nursery in order. We need to take down Jackson's twin bed and store it. I have plans to paint it white for Shelby in a couple years to use. Then I need to get a fresh coat of paint on the walls, just to clean it up. We bought her fabric today and this is what it looks like:

Nana Akins is going to start working on her bedding and curtain once she gets home! I just LOVE this fabric.....girly, but I adore the blues and greens also!

Then I have been talking to my friend, Jaime, and she can paint, stencil, etc and I think we (SHE) is going to do something like this on the wall:

I am not sure if we will keep the leaves blue, maybe do the green in the bedding and hoping to add some of the simple flowers in the bedding to the tree also in the variety of colors! Love it! :)

So that's what we have been up to as of lately!

My current goal

is to get this stinker potty trained!
Wish me luck or better yet....Pray for both of us! :)

He is pretty cute in big boy undies though, huh???

22 weeks, 2 days

The belly is a growing! I am finally getting into more maternity clothes, but I really do despise them, so I am squeezing into regular clothes as much as possible! The sickness seems to have subsided at about 20/21 weeks, but the tension headaches have been in full force since about 18/19 weeks! I had them with Matthew, but this go round I seem to have them EVERYDAY compared to once a week or so with him. It also seems the meds aren't knocking it out this time around either! I still am getting sick once in a while, but I think it's bc of the headache pain when they are severe.

I have gained 3 pounds since finally getting back to my start weight. I have another appt in about 2 weeks and then they are going to do another ultrasound around 28 weeks. Nothing came back abnormal, but they didn't get a good look at her lips (checking for cleft) and the aorta bc of her position. So that's fine with me! Let's make sure she is A-OKAY and check one more time that she is in fact a SHE!

As you can tell by the picture I have a sidekick! He has completely become a Mamma's boy lately! This could be trouble for me once baby arrives!

Our 2011 Photobook

I just finished our 2011 Family Photobook (I still need to go through and make sure I don't have any mistakes and order once I get an AMAZING coupon from Shutterfly)! I am loving doing these to remember the year without having to print out a ton of pictures, scrapbook, etc! Now to get started on Baby Shelby's First Year book and begin our 2012 book once we do something fun!
Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly offers exclusive photobook layouts so you can make your book just the way you want.

The Akins Year in Review- 2011

I was sitting here thinking about 2011 - how it drug by at times and then flew by other times. We had a great year I think, but it was a hard year for us - lots of separations and some sadness, but we also made great memories and vacations to etch in our minds!

SO here's the rundown of what I can remember! :)

January: We took a trip to NC to visit with family and share in a late Christmas. We also survived living 3 days in the Atlanta Airport due to cancelled/delayed flights!

February: We faced our first deployment of the year, but #3 deployment all together.

March: Jackson turned 4 this month and we had both sets of grandparents come in to celebrate with us.

April: David turned 31 while off in the desert.

May: I turned 31 right behind David. David returned home from deployment in early May. My mom came out to visit. Harley (our Yorkie) turned 11. We also traveled to CO in late May to visit with family. While there we discovered we were pregnant.

June: Sadly after we returned home from CO, we lost the baby we were so excited about. This was just an all around tough month for me. David deployed again (#4) for a thankfully shorter deployment. Jackson also began his first year of T-ball and LOVED it!

July: I don't remember anything major this month besides single parenting it, swim lessons, splash pad, play dates, etc.

August: Bailey (our Great Dane) turned 6! David's Gma, Aunt and Cousins came down for a visit. David returned from deployment #4. We traveled to NC once again just to get away and see family! Jackson started Preschool and his first year of soccer!

September: Matthew turned 2! We found out that I was pregnant again after miscarrying! Jackson started his first year of AWANA and David (when home) and I became leaders as well! I began co-teaching the 4/5 year old Sunday School class at church.

October: We faced yet another deployment (#5). The tempo last year was just about unbearable! We finished out soccer, had a field trip with school, Trunk or Treating and enjoyed the cooler weather. Nana Akins came to visit also.

November: We just kept on keeping on! We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends.

December: My dad and brother made a trip out to go hunting. David returned from his deployment. We had our first snow! Baby #3 turns out to be a GIRL! We travel to CO for an early Christmas. My parents traveled here for Christmas week! We rang in the New Year with friends, food and fellowship!

Happy New Year from our family to yours! Here's hoping that 2012 for us keeps us together as a family more, welcoming a healthy baby girl into our lives and memories that will last a lifetime!

Christmas at our house

We celebrated Christmas Day at our house and my parents made the long journey all the way to be with us! We have been so blessed to have never spent a Christmas alone (or without Daddy) in our 5 (Christmas) years in this military life! Here are just a few of the pics from our day!

Christmas Eve Night

Santa came






Even the one on the way got some things!

And this is how it ends when a little one is woken up way before he wants to be up!

Our CO vacation

As I am trying to get caught up from the holidays and looking through pictures I am noticing that we took A LOT of them....so I will try to make this short and sweet!
We had a great time in CO visiting family and seeing my inlaws new house!
Here is just a little of what we did:

We made cookies- mmmmm

We had an early Christmas with Papa and Nana.




The boys went on their 1st General Aviation flight with Papa and Daddy and Mamma didn't have a heart attack! Jackson loved it and Matthew fell asleep..

We saw some wildlife.

We went to the Flying W Christmas Show (David and I have been to the Flying W in the summer several times pre-children, but this was also great!)


We traveled to the CO Railroad Museum and rode the train.




We had a BIG family get together and a white elephant exchange...all while watching the Broncos play!



Jackson and Papa & Nana built a Gingerbread House.


And then we were delayed coming home bc of this......




but bc of the joy and fun the boys had it was ALL WORTH IT! :)