My visit with Kacy and Jackson

Sorry this has taken me so long, but I did get to see Jackson and Kacy.

At first we thought they would be there at 8:30 am, so I was there around 8:45 with butterflies in my stomach !! I couldn't wait !!! I got in, and found out that they were running a few HOURS late !! UGH! So I got to spend some quality time with Kacy's mom and grand parents.

Kacy,Justin,Jackson,Jeff and Lori showed up around 4 pm.

Kacy was such a little mommy !! No one was allowed to touch baby Jackson without watching their hands and using the foam. Kacy Grandfather, Jackson's great grandfather got to hold him first. It was such a touching moment !! Bill was just crying telling Jackson how much he loved him....of course I lost it at that moment !!




When I finally got to hold him, I lost it again. I still can't believe that my Kacy made this beautiful little boy. He is such a miracle !! I can't tell you how much I already love my little nephew JACKSON RAY !!

What happens in Vegas.... doesn't alway stay in Vegas

Let me just begin with saying NO........Jeff and I did not get married in Vegas! I can not tell you how many time I have been asked that! Jeff's family would have been so mad at us if we had done that! Believe me, when Jeff and I get married, we will let you know!!


Our trip was exactly what we needed !! Time away from everything that was going on in our everyday lives. We had a great time. We were so exhausted though. Our first day out there was just spent exploring. We laid down at 8 pm to just rest, Jeff set the alarm for 9. Because we were going to get up and party it up ! Well the alarm went off, and Jeff turned it off. I woke up at 11:30 pm..... told Jeff what time it was, and rolled over and went back to sleep!! I think we just really needed some sleep !!

We loved our hotel, it was really cool. We stayed at the Luxor and actually spent most of our time there. We ate at an awesome restaurant there,and went to the Cris Angel show and Fantasy...all at the Luxor.

THE VIEW FROM OUR HOTEL ROOM...



OUR HOTEL...



Monday night we went to Fantasy, which is a topless show. It actually was a GREAT show. There was a live singer, and a comedian. It was awesome! I would highly recommend it! We also went to -5 bar. It was literally the coolest experience! The entire bar was made out of ice. The chairs, the tables, the chandlers, even our cups we drank out of. They give you big coats when you walk in, and gloves and boots! We only lasted in there about 45 minutes. I doubt we will ever go anywhere like that again. If you have never been to an ice bar..GO...

IN THE BAR...


OUR ICE CUPS....


We also went to the Cris Angel show, it was cool. It was part way to theatrical for me, I wish he had done more magic. But he is popular right now, so it was interesting to see him.

RIGHT BEFORE THE CRIS ANGEL SHOW....




I also got to see one of my dear friends Amber while I was out there. She was there for work.... It's nice being able to catch up with her!




Jeff and did pretty good with our money, we planned how much we could lose, and that's how much we lost!

All together we had a fantastic time! But we were ready to get home! Jeff and I are ready to plan our next vacation.... Mexico, California, New York... Hmmm where we will go !

New Job.... Jackson..... Dexter

This is a mulit-blog... I haven't blogged in a while so this one is just catching everyone up!

New Job

I totally have a love/hate relationship with working from home. I LOVE the fact that I can roll out of bed at the last minute and walk 10 feet to my office and still make it to work on time. I LOVE that I can sit around with no bra on, in my PJ's all day and still get my work done. I LOVE that I can just walk downstairs whenever I am hungry or thirsty. I LOVE that I can catch up on my blogging, emails, tv shows and movies.... all while working. But...even with all that love, I hate working from home. I miss being around people. I feel so lazy because I do stay in my PJ's all day. So granted some people would kill to be working from home, I am not one of those people. I am so grateful for the chance I have been given. It made the transition to Austin, so much easier. But I am welcoming this change with wide open arms! I am such a people person, and I think that I have gone a little bit crazy not being around people. And poor Jeff knows when I haven't talked to people very much, because I talk his poor ear off when get homes. I will be working as a scheduler for a Home Health Care agency. I think at this point I have worked just about every aspect of the medical field! Why not Home Health Care now! There is alot of potential with this job, so I am very excited !!


Jackson




My dear sweet Jackson is doing so good ! He weights 2 lbs 8oz now! I am so proud of him, he is doing just what he needs to do!! I knew he was a fighter... just like his mommy! He had a device implanted in his head last week to help drain fluid off his brain. I believe he is having another scan this week to see if he still has fluid on his brain. Hopefully not! Kacy was saying that he might transferred out of NICU soon, because all he will need to do is put on weight! I am so thankful that Jackson is doing so well !!! I can't tell you how much I already love that kid! I can't wait to meet him!


Dexter



Dex is just getting bigger and bigger. We took him to the park last weekend. Jeff took him into the creek. He was not sure about it at all !! Finally he started to warm up to it, and he would walk down the creek with Jeff. He is just such a sweet dog! We love him!!


Proof that Jeff loves Carter........

March for Babies

Hello. As you might be aware, my family has been touched by the March of Dimes mission to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. That's why I have formed a Team to raise money and participate in March for Babies. Please join me in our fundraising efforts today by sponsoring our event.



Contributing to the team online is fast, easy and secure. You can donate directly from my personal web page with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my web page.


I am also looking for people who want to show their support and walk with me. The walk is on 5/09/09 in Austin. If this is something you are interested in doing, please let me know, and I will get you the appropriate information.



The money we raise for March for Babies will help:

...support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects

...educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby

...provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care

...push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children.


My website: http://www.marchforbabies.org/carlarae

Dexter the Great Escape Artist.......

So this morning I wake up to the jingle jangle of Dexter's tag. I thought, I must be dreaming! So I snuggle down more in my warm bed. But again I hear the jingling of a tag. So I get up and low and behold Dexter is running around the upstairs sniffing around. He just looks up at me with his big eyes, like "Hey mom, I got up here all by myself, aren't you proud of me!!"

I yelled for Jeff,"Umm your dog is out of his cage!". And those who know Jeff knows that he has quite a colorful vocabulary. So you can just imagine what came out of his mouth. When I went downstairs I looked in his cage. What he had done, was push thru the barrier that separates the big side of the cage, to the smaller side. And he just went out the other door.

So he is just a really smart little puppy, or is he just the beginnings of a Marley?

So far he hasn't chewed anything up, or thru anything......Yet!

Till Next Time~
Carla Rae

Faith....

We use our faith everyday. We use it on the little things in life, like we have faith that if we leave our house at 7:45, we will make it to work by 8:05. We have faith that the new recipe we are making will turn out great, even though we had to substitute this for that. We have faith that the lotions and potions we put on our face will make us instantly look younger and smoother and wrinkle free. We have faith that when we send our boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, and children away for the day to school or work, they will return safely to us. We have faith that the Spanx will make us look amazing in that new dress.

I have realized these past few weeks how strong my faith is !! Not only in those silly little things in life. But in big things, like how I just know that Jackson is going to be ok. I don't know how to describe what I feel, beside just faith that he is going to fight this fight and win. I have faith that Kacy, Justin and Jackson will be this amazing little family.

I have faith that my life is headed in the right direction. I have faith that I made the right decision to move to Austin to be with the man I love. I think most people feel that they should only rely on their faith when things are bad, or they are unsure of what will happen. I think that you should have faith everyday, all day. Not just the bad ones.

Have faith in everything you do!

Faith is like electricity, you can't see it but you can see the light!!


Till next time,

Carla Rae

Kacy and Jackson

This is one the scariest things I have had to deal with. The thought of losing one of my best friends, is just about unbearable. But the thought of losing her and her baby is just crushing. I have known Kacy since my freshman year of high school.. She has always been my bright and shiny yellow spot in life. She is the person I called at 3 am when my dad passed away, she is the person I called at midnight when my mom passed away. Kacy and I have defiantly had a roller coaster friendship. But God has seen us thru it all. I have been praying harder then I have prayed in a really long time these past few days. My heart is breaking that I can't be there with her and tell her to hang on for that precious baby. Hang on for Justin, and for Karen, and to hang for me. I know, that's incredibly selfish of me, but I can't lose her. The thought of it just tears me to pieces. I love my JoJo !!!! I was so excited when she told me I was going to be an Aunt. She sent me an email, and that's all it said, was Carla your going to be an AUNT!!!! I called her the minute I read it.. I was literally screaming in her ear I was so excited. Its amazing how much I love Jackson, without even meeting him. Just seeing his fragile body in those pictures. I know this blog is just a bunch of rambling, but please please please pray for Kacy, Jackson, Justin. They are such an amazing family. They need to stay that way. Please pray for Kacy's mom, she just shipped her husband away to Iraq, her son is in the navy and now this. And last but not least, please give me the strength to deal with what ever God's plans are for Kacy and Jackson.