Davis's Bedding

Here is a picture of the bedding we got Davis!! I LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to get it and paint his room. We also got him a new crib, it's cherry wood, so it won't be as dark!! Yep, I'm going all BLUE!!

Is Alana going to have a baby Brother or Sister?

On Valentines Day John, Alana and I went to have an ultra sound. Due to work John can’t be at my 20-week sono and we didn’t want him to miss out on finding out the sex of the baby. What a wonderful way to spend our Valentines, John says it’s the best one he has ever had. I have to agree!!

We are proud to say that Alana Marie is going to have a BABY BROTHER!! She is so excited to meet him, kissing and hugging him all the time. Telling him that she is here. So cute!! She had been telling us that it was a baby sister, I was worried how she would take the news but she has run with it. I mean RUN with it, tells everyone. At the museum the other day she walked into story time and announced that she was having a baby brother. I am so glad that she as taken it so well. Asking me if we can go to Costco and buy him some clothes (her favorite place). Her and I are going shopping this weekend while John is in Houston for him. Not at Costco but I plan to stock up on BLUE!! Since, I went all PINK with our princess we are going to have to re-buy everything. John says I would have re-brought everything anyways boy or girl, he is probably right.  

John and I are beyond excited most of you know that medical I shouldn’t have anymore children now I feel like my family is complete. I always wanted four kids but was willing to settle with three but now I think two will be fine. John says lets give it a couple of years before we make a final decision. I know he had his heart set on three as well. I will leave this up to God for now, time will tell.

My pregnancy is coming along I am much bigger than I was with Alana but still not huge just a small baby bump, if you know me you would see it immediately but to people up here in Denver I am showing at all. I think I am just hiding it well. I have already hit a bump in the road at my 15-week appt I was put on blood pressure medicine, it running kind of high. The doctor tells me there is nothing I can do, I am in great shape, small and listening to him. He hasn’t taken running or anything from me. He says we will talk about it more in a few months. I am fine for now. The only thing he told was, watch the weight gain the more I gain the higher blood pressure will go. Then followed that with I feel like I should tell you to gain more, you are so skinny. I only gained 18 with Alana and I wasn’t watching it, so I am not worried about that AT ALL.

I know you are wondering what he is name is going to be… Well, I am not 100% sold on his name but Alana and John are. After, the sono we gave her a few names to pick from and she picked Davis, and hasn’t let go of it yet. When I tell her that it might be Grant or Reid she gets upset and says “NO, IT”S DAVIS”. So, he name is going to be:

Davis Daniel Horton 

The Daniel is after his Daddy and his Ho Ho (John’s Dad).

Happy 3rd Birthday Alana!

Three years ago today a prefect little girl enter our life. Thinking back all I remember is how scared John and I where that she was coming early but excited to finally meet our daughter. I only got to see her for a second before they took her away. I didn’t know at the time how sick she was, it was only a few hours later when I asked for the 100th time could I see my daughter. When the doctor came and told us that she had to be placed on a vent, but she was a fighter. My heart sank, as any mothers would. I love her beyond words at that moment but the love I have for her now is so much stronger. It’s funny how our love for our children counties to grow with them. Alana is a fighter the doctor knew what he was talking about. It still amazes me how her strong willed nature showed at 1 day old, when she pulled her vent out. It was a long 5 days before I could hold my precious baby. I remember the feeling I had when they put her in my arms. It’s a moment no mother or father should wait 5 days for. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about how hard it was not to touch or hold my baby. It a feeling you can’t understand unless you have been there. People gave me such a hard time for holding her all time in the beginning but they had no ideal what it felt like to not hold your child or really even touch her until she was 5 days old and even then it was very limited. John and I held her non-stop for the first 6 months, we would fight over who was going to hold her or wear her. It’s funny, to think about it now.

Alana is one strong willed child, as I said before she has been since the day she was born. When she was 18 months old, it really started to come out. I smile to myself thinking of the head butting I did with my 18 month old. I would say to John, man we are in for it, she is only 18 months old. He would smile and say, it’s good to be strong-willed she will be the leader of the pack not the follower. He was just trying to make himself feel better. I showed her who was boss, well I pretend I was but knowing all long that she was the BOSS.

When Alana turned two, she was still VERY strong willed and very mommy depended. That is was is so amazing about a year in a child life how much they change. A year ago she was still a baby in every sense of the way.

Over the last year our baby has become a BIG girl. To think just yesterday she was 2 and today she is 3! She is very proud to be 3 like her cousin William. She has told me at least 10 times today “Now I am 3 like Will”. She just wants to be like her cousins. Here are some things Alana has learned over the last year that has taken her from beginning our baby to our BIG girl.

In March she spent her first week away from Mommy (harder on Mommy than Alana)
In May she learned to spell her Name.

In June she told me “I not wear diapers anymore, I wear panties.” She has been wearing them ever since.

This summer she learned all 26 Letters and most of their sounds. (Now she knows them all)

She can count to 20.

She knows her colors and shapes.

She can buckle herself into her car seat.

She can get herself dressed, if she is in the right mood.

She can put her shoes on. don’t tell her if they are the wrong feet because she will tell you no there not

She knows her right from left (most of the time)

The most important one of all to Alana… She is going to be a big sister in July.

Wow, what a difference the last year as made in her life. I can’t believe it myself she is a little person now. Over the last few months, life with her has really gotten a lot easier she knows the rules more important she follows the rules most of the time. I’ve heard 3 was harder than 2 but for us I think 3 she is going to be much easier. Guess time will tell…
Here are a few pictures from her day. She had a party at school and a party with John and I. Her favorite part was that she got 2 cakes today. Her friend party is at the end of the month.

Christmas!!

I know it’s been a few weeks but I’m getting there. We had a wonderful Christmas. We made it back to El Paso just in time to celebrate it. Alana had a blast Christmas morning, she open the present in record time. We spent the day with our close friend The Hansen’s and Smith’s. The kids run round and played but Alana couldn’t get back home fast enough to ride her new bike that Santa got her. Here are some pictures!!

We woke her up!
Alana not really sure what is going on.
Her new Bike... It's all she wanted for Chritmas!

Her new doll house!

Taken OFF!!

She loves Tea Parties!!

Still more to go!!

Lovin her New Princess Bike!!

She loves her new desk, because she has to work.

What a mess!

Alana's new baby, she is going to make a wonderful big sister!

Coming Soon!

Yep, we are having a baby! After 7 different kind of pregnancy test and a heart beat of 175 I am proud to say we are expecting baby # 2 in July. If you’re doing the math, I did run 2 marathons, 10K and half marathon all before 8 weeks pregnant. I figured it out around mile 5 of the San Antonio Marathon, by the time I crossed the finish line I was 100% sure I was pregnant or something was seriously wrong with me. The fear of another pregnancy test being negative stopped me from testing right away. I waited a few days and tested, to my shock it was POSITIVE!! So, after 7 more test I believe it!! This something John and I have been hoping for a year. I wouldn’t say I have a hard time getting pregnant I would say I have major obstacle in my way such as a spinal tumors. I can’t begin to put into words how excited we are. Alana can’t wait to be a big sister! She talks about the baby all time, asking if it’s sleeping or swimming. As all moms due I worry how she will handle the new bundle of joy. They are going to be exactly 3 ½ years apart, a lot farther apart than we where hoping for but at this point I will take what I can get. So far this pregnancy has been a lot harder than Alana’s. In fact that is how I knew I was pregnant in the marathon the nausea. Its overwhelming at times, I started taking medication twice a day to help it. If I don’t take it I can’t get out of bed. I try not to complain because, it’s for my baby and I welcome it, and I would have given anything to be this sick with a pregnancy a few months ago. My blood pressure is high, part of the course I pray I can keep this baby in until July 1^st. I don’t care what I have to do I will do it. I’m seeing the doctor again in two weeks to see how my blood pressure is doing. I am hoping its better by then but I know in my heart its part of pregnancy for me. I will keep everyone updated as the months go on.

WE ARE HOME!!

I am so happy to say that The Horton’s are back in El Paso, for 5 weeks but who cares we are home. I forget how much I love our house. There is nothing better than sitting in your own home, watching TV or cooking dinner. Those of you who don’t travel much miss out on the best part… COMING HOME!! I love to travel but I love coming home even more.
Over the last 3 month Alana and I have travel the country while I ran marathons and spending time family. John has been working. Poor John, but someone has to pay the bills and I am just too busy running and visiting family to think about getting a job.
In October, John headed to Houston for a two month rotation in Pediatric Surgery. Alana and I stayed behind for a little over a week and went for a visit only to come home for 3 days and head to Washington for me to run in The Marine Corps Marathon! We had a blast in Houston and in DC.
We made our way back to El Paso for a short time through Houston. Our time in El Paso was short and BUSY. I had so much to do to leave again and not return until Christmas. Alana and I got our Christmas tree up at the end of October. I wonder why it doesn’t feel like Christmas… I put my tree up 2 months ago. I was so glad when I walked in our house and everything was ready to go for Christmas!! Taking it down after only being home a week that’s another story.
At the beginning of November Alana and I headed back to Houston! John was ready for us to be with him longer than 4 days at a time. Little did he know, bring a girl this close to her family and expect her to leave and go see everyone. We had only been with John a few days and my mom and sister came to visit us in Houston. We had a blast, the kids loved being together. My sister really wanted to take Alana home with her, as much as I wanted the time with John it was hard letting her go. I kept telling myself it was only for 5 days. She would have so much fun it would be worth it. John loved the thought of having time together. I am telling it sounded great until day 2 when I was ready to have my princess back. It was weird having so much time with John without Alana running around. We had a great time going out to dinner and talking. We did talk about how lazy we must have been before having Alana.
I met my mom and dad in San Antonio the following weekend to get Alana back and run the San Antonio Marathon with my good friend Jennifer Smith. I was so happy to see Alana who by the way wanted nothing to do with me. Alana throw some good fits for me to show me what she thought about me leaving her. I didn’t care, I was so glad to be with her again. We had fun in San Antonio but Alana was ready to be with her daddy. So, we packed up once again and head for Houston. This time staying longer with John, well kind of we were at his brother’s house. He came out when he could, by Thanksgiving he was with us out there.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spending it in Houston with John’s family. We don’t see them much. It’s hard for John to get time off so we don’t make it down there but every few years. It’s not a bad thing but his family isn’t big into traveling so they don’t get out too see us much. We are big travelers so it’s fine. I ran in a 10K race on Thanksgiving with Johns’ brother and sister in law. It was their first so it was tons of fun!
The Sunday after Thanksgiving we packed up and headed to San Antonio for John to do his burn rotation. Alana and I where only in San Antonio a few days before we packed up again, this time heading to Dallas to spend some time with my family and for me to run the Dallas Half Marathon with my Aunt. I always find a way to get my runs in there one way or another. We spend 11 days in Dallas. You could say John was ready for us to be home. It was icy the day I left he told he didn’t care just drive slow but come back. I was glad to be back with John but more than ready to be home in El Paso. By then Alana was more than ready to home also. Asking me everyday if we where going home today. She would tell me she could see our house in El Paso. She is such an amazing kid, not once did she give me a hard time about flying or driving some where she took every trip as it came and had a blast. She just adapts to the situation, still sleeps through the night and everything. Really, we are so blessed with such a wonderful little girl. I hope our next one adapts as well.
After only being back in San Antonio for a few days, just long enough to finish Christmas shopping and go to Sea World we headed home! Leaving John behind of course but just for a few days he will be home late Wednesday night.
That’s our last 3 months in a nut shell. We had a blast the whole time. So, much happened while we where gone. I will have to blog more about parts of our trip in the coming weeks. I haven’t wrapped any gifts, so I better get busy. We only have 2 days before Christmas!!

John has been released from the Army for fellowship!!

This morning John got the call that he has been released from the Army to do a Pediatric Surgery Fellowship! I am SO proud of him. I can’t begin to put in to words what I felt when he told me. I was so excited at the same time sad that we have 3 ½ more years of training instead of 18 months. I know this is something he wants more than anything I want to support him but, I also want a normal life again. I watch people around us graduate and have time together that you don’t have in residence. I know that no doctor works 8-5 but at least they are around more. The hardest part of residency is you never know when/if they are going to be home. I spend my life waiting for John to call and tell me he is on his way home. This won’t change in fellowship in fact it will be worse. The hours will be longer and the call will more intense. I know that John is meant to become a Pediatric Surgeon. I don’t want anyone to think I don’t want John to do this I do because I do. I know he will be a wonderful Pediatric Surgeon. I just hate the hours that come along with it. I have been telling myself that residency is almost done. The loneness you feel is overwhelming at times. I looked forward to the end of it. Alana and I eat alone almost every night. After, I put her to bed I spend the evening sitting and watching TV alone. I know the next 3 1/2 years will go fast the last 4 1/2 have anyways. Before I know it we will be sitting and talking about the old days in residency. I am not complaining at all! I am SO PROUD OF HIM!! We had been told it was a long shot for John to get released from the Army this year. It is a true blessing!! The hard part begins now, getting a spot in Pediatric Program. Please keep him your prayers about 70 applications will be applying for 32 spots. If it’s God’s will he will get a spot.