Giving Myself Time

Hi Blog readers...if you're still there. If not, I understand. I know it's been awhile...like ten weeks. I know that that is a long time. But, like the title of this blog says, I've been giving myself time to adjust. It has been an amazing and almost indescribable ten weeks, but in the next few weeks I'm going to attempt to update my blog with things like Emmeline's birth story, her one month and two month posts, and Addison's two year old post...and maybe more...we'll see.

Here is the problem that I have. For the last ten weeks I have not gotten a full night's sleep. We are starting to get there, and Emmeline sleeping until about five-ish is doing wonders for my fatigue level, but still I can get pretty tired during the day. So, I start my day with less than a full night's sleep. I then add one extremely active and high energy toddler. Which then equals my crashing at nap time. Then, I get up at the end of nap time and once again have a very active, slightly more cranky toddler to take care of. Add picking up the house and fixing dinner and by Addison's 7:30 bedtime I'm ready to crash. BUT, my little perfect during the day Emmeline turns into a different little baby at about 7. She gets these crazy eyes and only wants to be held and suck on a pacifier until 10. At 10 I feed her, put her down and then literally crash into my bed...to start it all over again the next day.

So, if you were paying attention you might have noticed that my "personal time" during the day is the one hour that I lay down to nap, and right now a nap is my priority. It is becoming less and less of a priority and I'm looking forward to not needing a nap during the day, but for now I'm still giving myself that time to lay down and rest. Which means, I don't have any time to blog, that's right, zero, zilch. You might be wondering how exactly I'm blogging now. The answer is kind of sad, but it's simple. My sweet Emmeline got her first round of shots today and she is extra sleepy from them, so she is actually sleeping in her crib right now. It's amazing and I soooo look forward to when this is the norm and I have my evenings back. Soon, soon. :)

But, that's where I've been...giving myself time to adjust and slowly working back into a new normal. Hopefully I'll get those posts up soon. Thanks for hanging with me!! :)

The Night Before

So...I go in tomorrow to be induced. Friday was my due date, she is not here, I am progressing, she is getting bigger...and so we are ready to get this show on the road. :)

The night before you know you are going to have a baby is kind of weird. I mean, what do you do, how are you supposed to act, supposed to feel... I feel like I should be doing everything one last time, and yet my mind is in such a weird place that I don't feel like I can do anything.

With Addison I was completely oblivious to everything that was about to happen. I don't have that luxury this time. I know what is going to happen, I'm more aware of the risks and what could go wrong, I know how my life is going to change (at least I somewhat know), and I know that tomorrow could be long and tiresome and most definitely painful. I also know that that pain won't matter for too long, as I get to meet my beautiful baby girl. So tonight, instead of concentrating on all of that, with the exception of getting to meet my baby girl tomorrow, I am thinking of all of the amazing ways God has brought me through this pregnancy. I am thinking about how I know God is faithful and will be faithful for the next twenty-four hours as I labor and deliver. And, I am thinking about how God is bigger than all of my reservations, all of my worries, and all of the adjustments that are going to come to our family of three.

As I mentioned, God has been so faithful throughout this pregnancy to bring me through whatever the doctors have found, whatever the doctors have said, and whatever fears I have had. This song is one that I feel He has played for me not over and over, but only in moments when I needed to hear it.

Safe - Phil Wickham
To the one whose dreams have fallen all apart
And all your left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think you're on your own
But you're not alone
Have you heard of the one who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong it never lets you go
No you're not alone.

You will be safe in His arms, you will be safe in His arms
The hands that hold the world, are holding your heart
This is the promise He made, He will be with you always
When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.

Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you now to rise
So hear him now, He's calling you home. You will never be alone.

You will be safe in His arms, you will be safe in His arms
The hands that hold the world, are holding your heart
This is the promise He made, He will be with you always
When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.

Cause these are the hands that built the mountains, the hands that calm the sea
These are the arms that hold the lame, and they are holding you and me
These are the hands that heal the leper, pull the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to the cross to break our chains and set us free.

You will be safe in His arms, you will be safe in His arms
The hands that hold the world, are holding your heart
This is the promise He made, He will be with you always
When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.
You will be safe
You will be safe
When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms.


The first time I heard this song was shortly after all the doctors and nurses seemed to be thinking that this was not a viable pregnancy. My heart was truly feeling "tired and broken," and God was reminding me that I was not alone. That He was holding me, and that I was safe in His arms, regardless of what happened.

The next significant time I heard this song was when the doctors thought Emmeline's little heart would not be able to function properly outside of the womb. Woa! That seemed almost unbearable, and as I was driving away with this information I turned on my car, and the words, "the hands that hold the world, are holding your heart" came over the radio. Wow, what an amazing God. Suddenly, this song was just as much a promise to my little unborn daughter as it was to me. No matter how her heart was when she was born I knew God was holding it.

Then, finally, everything began to smooth out. She was growing strong and healthy, God healed her heart as far as the doctors could see and I heard the song again. This time I heard the promises that God had given me through this song, but more than that I heard the words, "Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life, is the very same voice that calls you now to rise," and I was almost overcome with the thought that, no my little girls do not know this. They do not know God's promises, they do not know of all the things He is capable of. And not just that they don't know this, but that it is my responsibility to teach them this. And more than anything in the world I want them to know this God and serve this God that I know and serve.

So as I go into tomorrow, that is what I am going to be concentrating on, the promises God has given me through His Word, the ways He has been faithful to see me through this pregnancy, and how amazing and awesome the privilege of being a mother is.

And now I am ready...can't wait to meet this precious baby girl that God has entrusted into my arms for a time. Praise the Lord for miracles!! Thank you for your prayers!! I'll update as soon as I get my head back on straight...no telling when that will be. :)

Nesting

With ten days until my due date I feel like I am in a constant state of preparation, and my mind is always thinking of any thing I could possibly do now to make our transition with Miss Emmeline a little easier. Not only am I constantly cleaning, but things like routine trips to the store have now become a search for things that would be good to have on hand after the baby comes. Like today, I bought four cans of green beans to have on hand as sides for the meals I have frozen, and four jars of chicken sticks as easy meals for Addison. Along with frozen fruit and veggies in case we don't get a chance to get fresh produce for awhile. I am constantly picking up our house, just in case, and making lists of things that need to be done. Really, she just needs to get here, because let's be honest...these lists are never ending. Laundry never stops, dust never quits settling, dishes are always getting dirty, bathrooms always need to be cleaned, and the pantry and fridge always need restocking. For some reason I did not have these feelings with Addison...I think it has something to do with being a full time stay-at-home mom now...just like as a teacher you get your lesson plans all ready for your sub while your away. Getting the cleaning, food, etc. all together before Emmeline comes is like my version of getting my lesson plans ready for my sub.

What has hit me lately, though is my overwhelming desire to spend as much time as possible with Miss Addison. And this creates an interesting dynamic when mixed with all of the things that I'm trying to get done plus my severe lack of energy. But, I suddenly feel like I need to spend every second possible with her before both of our worlds are forever changed and it is no longer just she and I. I have been very blessed in the last week with some very sweet moments with her, at the park, and running through sprinklers, discovering ABC's, and learning to count to three. Running errands, picking out a new pair of sunglasses, silly faces, playing animals a million times, learning new songs, laughing as we play pretend, picking out cookies, cuddling, blowing bubbles, and coloring. I am so thankful that we have had these moments together recently. I know we will still have special memories together after Emmeline arrives, but these first almost two years with Addison will be cherished memories as I was learning how to do this mom thing, and getting to spend most every day with just the two of us.

Hmmm....this is not at all what this post started out to be...I guess I will try to write the post I was intending to write tomorrow. I guess for some reason I needed to write this one too. :)

38 Weeks

Well, last week was full term, and now this is just another week...number thirty-eight to be exact. Thirty-eight, and counting...can my belly possibly get any bigger?! I guess we'll see, haha. :) How far along: 38 weeks

Size of Baby: my ultrasound at 36 weeks 6 days measured Miss Emmeline to be 7lbs., so she is probably at least 8 lbs. by now...Addison was born at 7lb 4 oz...oh dear. :)

Maternity Clothes: I strongly dislike getting dressed in the mornings! But, my mom got me this super cute, fun necklace to wear with my not so attractive clothes to make them cuter and I think more than anything, make me feel better. :)

Gender: don't worry, Miss Emmeline Kate is still our little girl.

Movement: someone has forgotten to inform our little Emmeline that she is out of room, she just keeps kicking and moving like crazy, but at least she is in the correct position for delivery - if she doesn't wiggle her way out of it!

Food Cravings: lime ice cream bars (made with real lime juice) - they are phenomenal, you should try them!

Food Aversions: hmmm...there's got to be something that doesn't sound good...

What I Miss: my lap, bending over, being able to stand close enough to the sink without having to bend to do dishes, Addison fitting comfortably in my lap, clothes fitting comfortably (I'm just talking about maternity clothes, I'm not even thinking about regular clothes yet)

Sleep: my nap from about 2-3 everyday is about the best sleep I get

Symtpoms: reflux, yuck! and crazy emotions

Best Moment this Week: some sweet, sweet friends threw me a little baby shower to celebrate Emmeline. It was so wonderful and so much fun to celebrate all God has done in the last 38 weeks.

What I am Looking Forward to: going into labor...honestly, I can't wait. I didn't get to go into labor naturally with Addison and I am truly hoping that I get to this time. If you want to pray that with me, that would be great. :) Also, I'm looking forward to getting to see my sisters who are coming when Emmeline comes (or shortly after), and getting to see my brother who will be home from Hungary on my due date! But MOSTLY, I'm looking forward to meeting, holding, and loving on my sweet baby girl, Emmeline Kate. :)

Maybe this will be my last pregnancy update?? In the, oh so frustrating, words of my wonderful doctor, "I guess we'll see, won't we?" ;)

Salon Time

Last Thursday Addison got her first haircut. I was super nervous about how she would do, but I actually think she not only didn't mind it, but kind of liked it. She got a lot of attention, got to look at herself in the mirror, and eat a snack or two. Haha. It is nothing drastic, obviously, there's not that much there to begin with. We just trimmed the back and evened up the sides a bit. Now she has a cute little bob. Side note: Brad had never heard of a "bob" and was very disturbed that his daughter got a "bob" haircut, lol!

THIRTY SIX!

That's right, we have made it to THIRTY-SIX! One more week and we will be FULL TERM. WOOHOO!!! :)

Goodness, look at that belly. Although the best part of this picture is the little girl in the corner that is amazed by mommy's "big tummy." :)

How far Along: 36 weeks

Size of Baby: 6lbs. 18 1/2 in. (website estimate)

Maternity Clothes: only the most comfortable ones. I don't last long in anything other than yoga type pants and maternity tees. Although, I am still putting on more decent clothes to go out of the house.

Gender: A GIRL!...and her name will be....Emmeline Kate (of course it's not on her birth certificate, but we have been calling her Emmeline since about week 19. :)

Movement: Her movements are not quite as rolling and all over the place, but she is still pretty active at the same times each day, but her movements just now feel like boney little arms, knees, and feet moving around.

Food Cravings: ice water!! This is unusual because I don't normally drink water with ice. But now the more ice the better, don't worry...I think this has more to do with how hot I've been rather than an iron deficiency or something. I'm not craving chalk or anything, so I think I'm good. :)

Food Aversions: I wish!

What I Miss: Rolling over at night without having to sit up. That's right, I can't roll over in one fluid motion...so pitiful.

Sleep: I know that everyone says that the weeks before you have the baby are to prepare you for the lack of sleep you will get. But, honestly holding a baby and not getting sleep is completely different than insomnia, having to go to the bathroom, not being able to get comfortable, hip pains, rib pains, etc. that keep you from sleeping. If I'm not getting sleep, then I at least want to be holding a sweet little baby!! Needless to say, sleep is as pitiful as my rolling over these days!

Symptoms: Increasing Braxton Hicks...praying these contractions turn into real contractions in the VERY near future!

Best Moment this Week: Getting Emmeline's room (almost) finished, realizing I have less than a month to meet this precious little girl, and realizing I haven't thought about her heart issues (or lack of!) all week...Praise the Lord!!

What I am Looking Forward To: My ultrasound on Thursday. Can't wait to see this little girl again, would prefer seeing her in person, but will easily settle for her precious image on a screen.

So much for...

...keeping a pregnancy journal. Ahhh...who's got the time?! Let's try to get a few more pregnancy entries in before this sweet little girl makes her entry into the world! :)

34 Weeks

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Maternity Clothes: yes, all the time. I even splurged and bought two pairs of maternity pajamas as I had become so uncomfortable in any pajamas that I already owned.

Movement: Crazy moving little girl! She "rolls" my stomach all over the place. She has made all of the ultrasound techs and nurses trying to get a picture, or a heart beat laugh in frustration over her activity. I do have to say though, that when we went in to see the pediatric cardiologist she was the most still she has ever been, except when he needed to see a different angle, then she would roll right into the picture he needed. He even said she was the most cooperative baby he had ever had...what?! Such a huge God thing, that I'm sure seems so little to most people, but trust me having spent the last 34 weeks with this girl I know it was huge!! :)

Food Cravings: lime ice cream bars

Food Aversions: not anything I can think of

What I Miss: sleeping through the night

Sleep: see above...can not get comfortable! :/

Symptoms: not many

Best Moment This Week: Brad and I spent an entire weekend by ourselves. My parents kept Addison and he and I just hung out, ate out, relaxed, and even bought a car...haha. Great mini baby-moon weekend. :)

Around the World...or at Least Texas

Brad's brother and sister-in-law had their third baby, Noah, mid-March. He wasn't due until the end of April, when I would no longer have been able to travel. So, we were so excited that he came early and we jumped on the chance to go see him. Brad was already headed to Dallas for one of his Corps buddies weddings, so we decided to turn it into a week long ordeal, ummm, I mean vacation. ;) (WARNING: this is a very long post, to just get the gist you can scroll through the pictures and skip all the words... :) )

Our first stop was Dallas on Friday night. We got into town in time to make it to the last few innings of Ben's teams baseball game. It was so hot, but Addison had so much fun running around and playing. She was the dirtiest little girl by the team we left the baseball field and went to the Cheesecake Factory (yum!!). I've never been to the Cheesecake Factory when we have all been so hot and sweaty, but I'm glad that that didn't make us change our dinner destination, because it was soooo good! Ben and Jen were such great hosts and even babysat Addison for us on Saturday afternoon/evening while Brad and I went to his buddies wedding. Addison had so much fun that she actually woke up on Sunday morning at 6a.m. saying, "Ben, ben, ben". Haha, she loves her Uncle Ben, and Aunt Jen, too! :)

Addison with Uncle Ben and Aunt Jen at the baseball field.

Checking out the field with Uncle Ben.
Brad with all of his buddies at the wedding.

On our way out of town on Sunday we stopped and had breakfast with Katie (my college roommate) and her husband Jarrod, and got to see their new beautiful home. It was sooo good to see her and get to catch up, and Addison loved the blueberry pancake balls that she served and getting to run around their house.

We then headed to Austin, but stopped and had a late lunch with some of our Waco friends, the Mitchells. They had a little boy just a few weeks before Addison was born, and it was fun to get to see these two together. We wish we still lived close so that they could grow up together! But, hopefully we can keep getting together with them at least once a year...especially since

they let us know they are going to have a little playmate for our newest little girl by this fall! :)

Hunter giving Addison a sweet hug, how cute is this face?!The best picture of the two of them actually looking at the camera.

High five!

We finally made it to Austin on Sunday evening and got to spend the night with Janelle and Tim and get to see their new beautiful home. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of Janelle and Tim with Addison...but in my defense I was getting a little tired at this point...not to mention the size of my ankles... We had such a fun time for the few hours we were there. Tim cooked wonderful hamburgers and we spent most of the evening in their backyard which Addison loved because she could run around and explore while we ate and talked and laughed.

Daddy giving Addison a "ride" as we once again loaded up the car to head to our next destination.

Before we left Austin, we met one of Brad's college roommates, Robert, for lunch. Addison immediately took to him, calling him "Robbie," and wanting him to hold her. We ate some yummy Freebirds burritos and got to catch up for just a bit. Then, it was back in the car for the drive to San Antonio.

We arrived in San Antonio early Monday evening and spent that evening, Tuesday and half of the day Wednesday playing with the big kids and loving on little Noah. It was so much fun to get to meet little Noah. Addison adored her cousin Ben and would just laugh and laugh at pretty much anything he did. And if Ben was dancing, she wanted to be dancing. If Ben was running, she wanted to be running. It was so cute to see her in that kind of a dynamic. And, she was completely fine with baby Noah. I have been a bit concerned about how Addison was going to handle mommy holding a new baby all the time. And while I still think there will be hard moments, I don't think it will be as bad as I thought. Addison was so interested in Noah, wanting to touch his little bitty toes, and kiss his forehead, and hold him...she just might like her baby sister after all. :) On Wednesday, Brad and I took all three kids to the park, and then to lunch at Chick-fil-a. Whew! It was quite the adventure. Getting three kids ready to go pretty much took all morning, and then keeping three kids happy and together while we were out and about, not to mention getting three kids into carseats, was an all new experience. I'm glad we are going from one to two, and not from one to three...I would feel a bit overwhelmed! Here are some pictures from the park. I could never get all three of them together and looking at the camera at the same time...oh well.

Addison loving being in the swing.

Addison and Grace cheesing in the swings.

This is one of the attempts to get all three together. Addison was VERY upset that we stopped her swing to take this picture...as you can see. ;)

I added up the hours, and we spent a grand total of eighteen hours traveling in the car. Needless to say, between the hours in the car, sleeping in a pack-n-play, in three different houses, seeing an overload of people all wanting her attention, and late nights, Addison was a trooper! We were all very glad to finally make it home, and for my ankles to return to normal size!! But, we were also so glad we got to see so many people we loved in such a short amount of time. We truly are so blessed!!

The Big Three-O

Here is my baby bump picture at thirty weeks. This was three and a half weeks ago, though, so I'm just posting for comparison purposes.

Yeah for thirty weeks, on the downhill side now!! :)

Piggie-Tails

I gave Addison her first set of pig-tails right after she turned 18 months old. I didn't know she had enough hair for them, so I was actually surprised that it worked. I couldn't believe how grown up they made her look!

But, oh so cute!! :)

One and a Half

Trying to get a decent picture of this little eighteen month old is sometimes the most difficult part of being her mommy. I squat to take her picture, and she squats to be just like mommy...

I finally convince her to stand up, but when she realizes I'm about to take her picture she immediately walks towards me saying, "see? see?" wanting to see the picture of herself that I have not yet been able to take...

I then think, maybe going outside will help. But all that does is make this very active toddler, run...

...and run, and try to go as far as she can before mommy tells her to stop and turn around.

But, she sure is a fun little girl to play with and chase after, and now that she is eighteen months old (as of Feb.), here are some of my favorite things about Addison...

• Addison is our little parrot. She like to stand like us, sit like us, and say what we say. This usually just makes us laugh, but sometimes it makes us think, 'hmmm...don't think I want an eighteen month old doing/saying that.'


• Loves, loves her stuffed puppy. She loves on him, and tries to give him a snack, and share her water. She will even put him in her bed and cover him with her blankie so he can go night night. He is essentially the more texture friendly version of a baby doll for her. :)


• Loves to throw and kick balls.


• Wants to see the "choo choo" every time we go outside, and can recognize any train we see while we are driving.


• Talks to me all the time. We have conversation all day long...usually the same conversations over and over, haha.


• Says "hi" to nearly every person we see in the grocery store.


• Is extremely high energy and active.


• Would rather be outside ("side"), than anywhere else.


• Looooooooooooooves to swing!


• Gets very excited about going to church.


• Is very good at remembering people's names and somehow knows which people in her life are family and which are not...it kind of blows my mind seeing as how we don't get to see our brothers and sisters all that often.


• She remembers things that happened from weeks ago, ex: "Lesa, luch, chikn" - Alexe had brought chicken express to my mom's house for their lunch, a week ago. Ex. 2: As she looked through my dad's scrubs shirt pocket she said, "sushur? sushur?" Two weeks ago she had gone through my dad's pocket and pulled out a package that my dad told her was sutures. She was looking for those sutures again.


• Can identify the colors red and yellow and pink.

Pretty much, I think eighteen month olds are amazing. What Addison and all of her little friends are able to do at this stage just blows my mind. She is just learning so much and absorbing everything around her. She amazes us and makes us laugh daily. She is obedient, and tender hearted, opinionated, and silly. We are loving watching her little personality develop! What an incredible blessing she is!

A Few Pictures

I just got a new camera for my birthday and I am super excited about it. I wanted/needed a camera that was just a "bit" of an upgrade from my four year old, fifty dollar, digital camera. I felt like I was always missing the best pictures because it took sooooo long for my camera to take a picture, grrrr. But, I didn't want one of the really nice photography cameras...I have no interest in learning a difficult camera, and no interest in taking up photography as a hobby (I already have plenty of hobbies I am trying to start, haha). So, Brad got me this camera, and I LOVE it. It is soooo much better than my old one and in my twenty minutes of playing with it, I already feel like I have caught some pretty cute moments. I can't wait to play with it some more. Here are some of my first shots with my new camera:

Addison, excited about getting to go outside with her daddy (even though the wind was blowing like crazy).

Watching daddy change the oil in his truck.

Hanging out in her little car.

"Hi, mom!"

Playing with a piece of daddy's air compressor.

Look how much she loves her daddy! :)

25 Weeks

Belly pic at 25 weeks.

How far Along: 25 weeks

Size of Baby: 13 1/2 inches, 1 1/2 lbs. (according to the website)

Maternity Clothes: I have gone backwards a little bit...out of desperation. I have found some clothes that I can "make work" in this time in my pregnancy, with such ambiguous weather. Can't wait for March so I can wear my cuter spring maternity clothes!!

Gender: It's a girl, we have a name...stay tuned! :)

Movement: For a long time I felt like her movements were sooo low, but now I am starting to feel a few kicks and punches about mid-belly which I rather prefer. Today at church a friend told me she saw the baby moving...how fun is that! :)

Food Cravings: Anything sweet. Currently snacking on Starburst jelly beans (try them, they are amazing). Had a Snickers ice cream bar the other day for the first time since highschool, and of course continue to crave any kind of ice cream product, but especially sherbet.

Food Aversions: Mexican food. It just never really sounds good to me.

What I Miss: the thought that I could go skiing if I wanted to...not that I necessarily would, but I would like the option. :)

Sleep: good, especially with a 45 minute nap every day when Addison lays down. It's perfect, a shortish nap for me, and then still a little time to get stuff done, I have quit feeling bad about taking a nap during this stage in life. :)

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions, which are always interesting. I had them from early on with Addison, so this is normal for me.

Best Moment this Week: Spending the entire weekend with my little family, and imagining what it will be like with another little girl in our midst and what kind of big sister Addison will be.

I am so in love with this little girl already. I can not wait to meet her. :)

My Little Chef

Lately I have been trying to involve Addison in more of the things that I do. Baking has been one of the most fun things we have started doing together. Yes, it's a little bit more messy than usual...at least I claim that she makes it more messy (I'm a pretty messy baker), but it sure is fun. And, with such an attentive audience, I get to have my own cooking show whenever she helps. :) This morning I made pancakes for breakfast, and had a wonderful little helper that loved to "stir." I mean, how cute is she?! Not that I'm biased. :)

Baby News

How far along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: my 22 week ultrasound estimated the baby was about one pound

Maternity Clothes: yes. although the last two days I have worn tops that weren't maternity. however, now that I have seen myself in these tops while pregnant, I don't think I'll ever be able to wear them again when I'm not. haha

Gender: it's a GIRL!

Movement: her kicks are becoming a lot stronger

Food Cravings: none that I can really think of, i've kind of been sick of food lately

Food Aversions: see above

What I Miss: my t-shirts

Sleep: has been surprisingly good the last couple of nights

Symptoms: hmmmmm...?

Best Moment this Week: being woken up early one morning by little girl's kicks, twists and turns. It was about 45 minutes before I needed to be up and I layed there enjoying the miracle of this little girl living inside of me.

What I am Looking Forward to: February festivities :)

It appears as though I only wear striped shirts with gathers on the side. However, this is not the case and I will make sure to show this in my next baby update. :)

Ducks in a Row

Addison is a very orderly little girl, as much as she can be at 17 months old. This is something that I think comes from her daddy and her Aunt Janelle, because quite honestly, that is not how I would describe myself. Any order that I have in my life is a learned behavior, something I am still learning, and something that I am constantly working on and trying to get better at. My point being, she did not get this sense of orderliness from me (although I would love to claim it).

Addison loves to help me clean up her toys and gets excited when she puts her toys in her toy box. Her favorite thing to do at Nana and Grandad's house, besides going "up, up" the stairs, is to empty a box set of books out of their box, and put them back in. To my amazement, the books are always facing the correct direction. (Side note: At one point Addison's Aunt Janelle saw her playing with this set of books that I had no idea where they even came from, and made the comment, "Oh, I loved that set of books when I was little." I was shocked as I had been the book reader in the family and questioned her love for these books that I couldn't even remember. Her response? "Well, I don't remember ever reading them, I just loved the orderliness of them. How they all fit so neatly into their box." I felt as if my sister had just given me an insight into my daughter's soul, hence why I say some of her orderliness must come from her Aunt Janelle.)

Addison's latest bit of order is at bath time. She has four rubber duckies, and she finds them and lines them up on the side of the tub. It makes me laugh every time. I guess she just likes to have all of her "ducks in a row." ;)

This is her new look when you ask her to smile. :)

Bundled Up

After our snow day inside I decided to bundle Addison (and myself) up and take her on a little snow adventure. Basically, I just wanted to see if she would like the snow and appreciate that it was something other than grass/concrete/dirt. I thought it would be fun...

Well, bundling up is a chore in and of itself. The first issue came with who should I start getting ready first? Myself or Addison. I decided to get myself ready first as I can tolerate mulitple layers and being slightly overheated longer than a 17 month old can. So, I get ready. No, I do not have appropriate snow clothes. Yes, I looked ridiculous. Yes, I thought about busting out the bread bags to cover shoes as my mom did with us when we were little. No, I did not rubber-band bread bags around mine or my daughter's feet, and made the decision at that moment that that should NEVER be necessary. Yes, I might have been wearing a Carhart jacket.

Now, on to my daughter. Two pairs of socks, inside fur lined boots. Tights, sweat pants, and wind pants layered. Onesie, shirt, sweatshirt, jacket. Hat on head, hood over hat. Hands shoved into mittens (that she HATES).

By this point I was lucky that she had not dissolved in a heap of fits and tears. After all, I just asked if she wanted to go outside. She had no idea her, "yeah, yeah" response would elicite such a horrific result. BUT, we're dressed. Phew! Deep breath. Yeah! Time to go outside.

Pick up little girl. Say, "Let's go outside and play in the snow." Half smile response from said little girl, who at this point is I'm sure very, very confused. Open the door, wind hits little girl in face, little girl wrinkles her brow and whines, mom thinks, 'oh it will be ok once she gets in the snow' (why would I think that would make things better?!). Put little girl down on sidewalk, show her how to walk in the snow, little girl takes one step, and doubles over at the waist making her mittened hands touch the snow - crying, crying crying. Mom picks up little girl, laughs at her own crazy idea that playing in the snow might be fun for a 17 month old and goes in to now strip down all the layers that we spent the last thirty minutes putting on. Haha. Oh well. Maybe next year...?

But, she sure is cute all bundled up, right?! :)

Snow Day

As my tummy is full of stew and cornbread and I sit here in front of the fire anticipating the hot chocolate that my sweet husband is making for me, I can't think of anything better than a snow day. But, as a mom, do you ever have those mornings when you wake up thinking, this is going to be the longest day ever? Haha - I don't either. But, if I did, then hypothetically speaking, this would have been one of those mornings. A snow day to a mom with a 17 month old is kind of like a prison sentence, with a very cute and loveable cell mate. There is just something about knowing that there is no option to get out of the house all day that makes the day seem long and looming ahead - hypothetically of course. So, with that kind of attitude (hypothetically) starting my day you would have thought that I would not have had a good day, but we did! Addison is at a really fun age, and loves to play and discover and if I can just get my mommy juices flowing it's not extremely hard to find new things for her to do. Here are a few things that occupied us on this cold, snowy day.

Play-doh (or doh-doh as Addison calls it).

She loves taking the play-doh out and putting it all back in.
Trying to just go ahead and put the lid on. The play-doh doesn't need to be all the way in, right? (Maybe this is a direct result of Addison watching mommy put her clothes into her drawers?)

YEAH! It fits.

Side note about Addison's hood: I put it on her head this morning while I was working in the kitchen to try and distract her for a minute. She bent over, looked at her reflection in the oven, said, "mi?" (her word for mirror). I told her to go look, she ran to my room, looked at her reflection, laughed and left it on for the next two hours, every now and then reaching up, touching it and saying, "ha" (hat). Haha, silly girl.

We played with blocks. This was another moment Addison had to go look in the "mi." (What have I taught her?!)

We sorted beans and erasers (yes, I was a teacher, I have random supplies on hand).

She was so focused on this activity, and so good at sorting. I wasn't really sure how it would go, and was fine if she just wanted to touch, and scoop and dump, but she actually wanted to sort. She would pick out an eraser, put it in a measuring cup and then dump it in the extra bowl. She got a bean in the eraser bowl at one point and said, "bee?" (bean), "uh-oh" as she picked it out and put it back in the big tub. How cute is she! :)

Lesson of the day: Get a little creative. Stalk some creative people's blogs. Have craft supplies on hand, and salt (which we didn't have, so that will have to wait for another day). And, include your little toddler in whatever you're doing. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Addison helping me make corn bread tonight. She had a blast, and all she did was dump the measuring cups into the bowls.

YEAH for Snow days!! :)

Baby Bump

Have you heard?!! We're having baby number two. Haha. Here are some things about our little, growing, baby girl...

How far along: 21 weeks (and a couple days)

Size of Baby: three quarters of a pound and 10 1/2 in. (according to the website)

Maternity Clothes: I am in mostly all maternity clothes. I started wearing maternity pants a lot sooner this time than last (last time I was still in regular pants with a bella band...sigh), but to my credit, I also already owned them this time, so why not? ;) I can still wear some normal shirts, but am most comfortable in maternity tops. I just received two more pair of maternity pants/jeans in the mail today that I am super excited about. And yes, they just "appeared" in the mail. :)

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: With every sonogram/fetal heart monitoring that has been done (and trust me I have had my fair share of both this go around), the nurse comments on how much this baby moves. And, it has never been the same nurse to make that comment. I only feel her when I get still. I feel her movements still really low. I don't remember feeling Addison move this low down.

Food Cravings: rainbow sherbet, something about rainbow sherbet just seems to go really well with my pregnancies

Food Aversions: potato chips, cheese-its, goldfish crackers, pretzels, basically that entire food group (yes, I consider that a food group). I craved these things sooo much at the beginning of my pregnancy, and now I am not even tempted by any of them (thank goodness!).

What I Miss: sleeping on my back, and eating something besides TUMS for dessert

Sleep: it's actually starting to get better, I seem to have found a rhythm with the whole potty break in the night and not really wake up thing

Symptoms: heartburn, and slight back aches, and I can't use my left foot to do things like take off my right shoe, close a drawer, scoot something over (I know that's a weird one, but it's big to me because I keep forgetting and then there's the pain...if I could just remember...), oh and I tend to forget a lot of things... :)

Best Moment this Week: getting the new baby bedding in! it's adorable!!

What I am Looking Forward to: my ultrasound on Thursday morning, just love seeing this baby girl!

Here is my 21 week baby bump. I didn't take baby bump pictures with Addison and am determined to this time, although it's taken me 21 weeks to get one taken. Hopefully, posting this picture will keep me motivated to take these pictures.

OH! I almost forgot! Due date is June 10th! Eight days after our fourth anniversary. :)

Since August

Whew! I know that my last post was in October, but my last official update was in August. YIKES! "Where have you been? What have you been doing?" you might ask...Hmmm.... Doing life, I guess?!

August was a blur and a whirlwind with a first birthday and a vacation to Colorado.

September started all things routine, like Bible study, MOPS, etc. (I went through an entire Bible study without ever blogging...unbelievable!) Plus, I started lacking energy big time towards the end of the month...started giving myself the quit being lazy speech...

October third, WE'RE PREGNANT. YEAH!!! And that's pretty much where October and November went. I was exhausted with Addison, but I don't think I knew what exhaustion was until I became pregnant with number two. Not only do you not get to take a nap from the time you get home from work until you go to bed at night, but you are chasing a toddler all day long. Plus, my hormone levels were a little off and so I had to take a hormone supplement that made me even more tired (and a little crazy - like I hated the feeling of makeup, didn't want my hair to touch my face, clothes with seams - SEAMS - forget it, and feet touching the floor without socks, no way!) I was simply in "survival" mode at the beginning of my pregnancy. I would literally lay Addison down for her nap and almost run (well, it would have been a run if I had the energy) back to my bed to sleep until she woke up again. Thankfully, I was not sick with this baby like I was with Addison, just a little nausea here and there but nothing unmanageable!

December...HOLIDAYS. Soooo much going on. All such wonderful stuff, cookie exchanges, craft days, dinners, and coffees, shopping, shopping, shopping, family, and more family, sick baby (twice), and so much fun! PHEW! Can I be honest, though? I'm always a little bit glad when it's all over and our lives return to normal!

January, pregnancy two starting to sink in. I know,you're probably thinking I've known since October and it's just now sinking in. But, because of a lot of stuff going on at the beginning I just wouldn't let myself completely believe it, until we found out we are having a little GIRL! Her last ultrasound looked perfect. She's a little mover, for sure, and measuring perfectly and organs working and just perfect. So we've picked a name (GASP! shocker, I know), bought her a few outfits (no she probably doesn't need anything more than what Addison already has, but she's a different little girl with a different little personality, so maybe she does need it ;)), and just received her bedding for her room. With this little girl her room is going to be done in reds, browns, and bright yellows. I am sooo excited about seeing it come together and just love her bedding! I am twenty-one weeks now and figure it's time to really start planning for this little one as she is already half-way here! AND, best part...I feel her move all the time and Brad felt her move for the first time last night. All so exciting. Addison has no clue yet what is going on, but we try to talk to her about it every now and then, so maybe it will help her understand a little better when we bring a new baby into our house. Luckily, she loves watching "babies," so if she is not upset by mommy holding another baby, hopefully she will love watching this new baby in her life!

I know you probably weren't looking to read a book tonight, but I felt like I needed to write all of that in order to document a few things and be able to go from there. Less words and more pictures coming soon. Tonight I just needed to get the ball rolling. :)