3 months

Dear Addie Mae,

 I can hardly believe you are already 3 months old.  I love you so much I can hardly stand it.  Your Aunt Andrea always says she just wants to squeeze you and I admit I want to do the same.  You are growing up soooo fast.

RIGHT NOW

right now you love to chew on your fingers.  I think it is a few months premature but I find myself checking your gums everyday to feel for teeth.  You ALWAYS have your fingers, a toy, a blanket, or my fingers in your mouth.

something I love so much is when I am changing your diaper you hold you legs and bottom up off the table...it is the cutest thing ever.  You smile every time you get your diaper changed, you love it!

The other day you laughed out loud for your A. Andrea and A. Kelsie.  I have yet to hear your sweet giggle.

SO BIG

You are getting so big...my little chunker.  At your last doctors appointment you were almost 12 lbs, that is almost double your birth weight.  You have the chubbiest cheeks and everyone in the world likes to tell you that.

 SLEEPING

Right around 8-9 weeks you started sleeping a lot longer...from about 11 til 5:30 or 6.  Now you are in a routine that you get up sometime between 5:30 and 7:30 for your first feeding.  You however are no longer waking every hour on the hour in the middle of the night crying for your pacifier.  Daddy was great at getting up and giving it to you all night long.  You have a love/hate relationship with your hands while you are sleeping.  You like to the freedom of having your hands free but you cannot stop hitting yourself in the face and you fall asleep so much faster being swaddled.  So for now Daddy and I swaddle you.  You also do not fall asleep on your own and I am a sucker so I do not care holding you until you fall asleep.

NORAH

Norah loves you so much.  She loves to give you your pacifier when you are crying and talk to you when you have your eyes open.  She cannot wait until you are older so you two can play together.  I hope you two will be best friends!!

PLACES YOU HAVE BEEN

We love going places and you are always there right beside us.  When you were 7 weeks old we made a road trip to Oklahoma City to visit family.  You have been to the pool many times, the zoo a couple times, and lots of shopping trips, but normally you are sleeping through it all.

NEVER FORGET

I never want to forget how much you smile and love you hold onto things.  You are already inquisitive.  You know the sound of my voice and you love talking to me when you should be falling asleep.  You will give a sheepish smile through your pacifier then just babble away until your eyes get to heavy.  You stick your tongue out to mimic others when they are doing it to you.  You are so sweet and I cannot wait to see the littler personality you will start to show soon!

I just Die when I look at these

These are Adelyn's pictures we had taken when she was 2 weeks old.

AHHH!!

Blowing Dandelions photography

oh my gosh...she is 3 weeks old!

Life with 2 girls...wow!
I thought it would be a good idea to jot down a little about how the first 21 days of Adelyn's life has been.

To remember...the things you so easily forget.

The first thing that I think struck me in the hospital room on the first night is that I love her as much as I do Norah.  When we only had Norah I would often wonder, sometimes worry, that there is would be no way for me to love the next one as much as the first.  The idea of loving 2 people equally so very much was so hard to fathom...but I do, I truly love them both the same.  What a blessing that God has given us 2 children to love and care for and raise up.  I am truly overwhelmed by this thought.  God is so good and I do not take them for granted at all.  I am so well aware there are people around me that I love so dearly that would give anything to have 1 and we have 2.  So blessed and humbled by this huge responsibility, I could seriously start crying right now.

And that brings me to the next topic: Baby blues.
In all seriousness I am over them and thankful that I have not had seriously cases of being overly sad and tired.  But...for the first 2 weeks these are blues that should not be messed with.  I remember them from Norah and they were back again.  They hit somewhere around 6-9 pm and do not last long.  Just long enough to get a good cry in over something then they quickly go away.  By the end of the second week I was back to my normal self.  I seriously could find anything to cry about during these times.  I cried over Norah making pretend Wedding Cakes in the bathtub, I cried over Adelyn spitting up and sometimes I would cry about nothing, seriously sit on the couch next to Joe and just cry.  He would give me something to cry about...like our Amazon stock taking a big hit that day or the Cubs losing, so I would cry about that.  Pitiful I know, thankful they are gone, but aware that things are not perfect here on Earth and so that is why Baby Blues exist.

Another humbling experience that I would like to remember is the fact that I am not perfect at taking care of these girls.  This was something I had to realize and accept very early on.  The second day we were in the hospital Norah came down with a bad cold.  When we got home it did not hit me until 3 days later that Norah had not received cold medicine or had a bath for almost a week.  oops.  I quickly realized that just because there are 2 does not mean I can only care for one child at a time...I have to care for both.  This was hard.  Juggling the 2 of them, their needs, Norah's wants, and life is hard.  Hard but not impossible.  I came to terms with the fact that things are going to be rocky but that is okay.  Time to adjust is okay...if you know me this was big for me.  I typically like things to just fall into place immediately.  Patience was learned here.  Also it IS getting better.  Everyone was up, dressed, and out the door in 1 hour today...whoohooo for progress.

Speaking of Gods Grace...we have been blessed by great friends and family.  We have had so many meals delivered to us we have been so overwhelmed by Gods provision.  Seriously...I think last night was the first night we cooked hamburgers ourselves...it is awesome and so unbelievably helpful and something we do not take for granted at all!

Something hard:
nursing!
I think one of the hardest adjustments has been nursing little miss Addie Mae.  I am going to sound like a whiner here because Adelyn could not have been an easier baby to nurse.  If you know anything about newborns you know they either get it right away or they don't, and if they don't it is a hard uphill battle.  Well Adelyn is a pro-seriously had it figured about right away.  So what is the problem you ask...my selfishness.  These first 3 weeks I have wanted to quit so many times I cannot even tell you.  IT is pitiful.  I have been looking for any excuse possible to quit.  I will tell you...it is not fun, it is tiring when YOU have to be the one to get up at night because YOU have to feed them,  painful, stressful at times because you do not know how much they are getting, time consuming, and a little lonely when you have to leave the room at some sort of party or function because you are the only one that can feed your baby.  
BUT...for all of you who think it cannot be done.  IT CAN BE.  BY God's grace the last few days have been easier.  We have the hang of things, I am trying to not be so consumed by the selfishness that so bitterly enraged me over this issue and I am learning to enjoy the time with Adelyn and plan my time wisely around feedings.
The nights also have not been bad.  I get up usually somewhere around midnight, then again around 2 or 3, then again around 6.  I am so thankful, and a little surprised, that I feel restful everyday.  I am not tired, dragging, and longing for the day she sleeps through the night.  I am thankful.  Thankful that God has provided a way to feed my child that is easy {at times} and so cost effective.  I am thankful for the bonding that Adelyn and I have and that she knows me and I know her...because we spend over 4 hours each day next to each other!!
Hard yes...worth it right now...yes.
Now...if something happens and I had to stop tomorrow I would not feel guilty...I want to keep the big things the big things and not make small things Big things, if that makes sense.

So...when I had Norah I came home and immediately was able to button my jeans up, so it should not come as a surprise that I was expecting the same thing to happen this pregnancy.  Well...it did not.  It has been 3 weeks and I cannot even fit into the pants that I used to pull on and off without unbuttoning...can you say humbling?  Well...such is life and I am sure my hips will go back to a normal size soon.  I have been thrilled with the recovery from my c-section and I have been able to go to the gym and work out for a week now.  It has been great to have energy to workout.  I do not think I realized how achy and the lack of ability to move I had in those last few weeks of pregnancy.

I am thankful that the weather has dipped below 100 degrees. DO not get me wrong...I love the weather hot, but with a newborn it is so unsafe to have her outside for any amount of time in that heat so I was feeling super trapped inside.  No pool, no walks, no zoo, nothing.  At least now she can be outside for a little while in the shade. 

Last but not least I think I need to address the fact that I have been super shocked that not all 2 babies are the same.  Despite the similarities of pictures from the 2 girls {see below} they could not be any more different.  Norah was a GREAT sleeper, I thought all babies slept great.  Adelyn does not sleep hardly at all and when she does she grunts and moans the entire time.  Norah also had no problems with any reflux or anything.  Addie on the other hand always seems to have an upset stomach, poor thing.  She spits up entire meals and is cranky often. 
 
                                      Adelyn 1 weeks                                 Norah 3 weeks

                                                                   awwww sisters!

so much good stuff...God is good, we are thankful!

she's here...she's here, and i love her!

THE DATE

 our sweet baby girl arrived right on schedule.

June 20, 2012 

10:39 am

THE GENDER

a girl

THE NAME

Adelyn Mae McVicker

We seriously struggled over a name for the entire 36 weeks we knew we were having a baby.

There were contenders and we threw out all the names we ever considered.

Adelyn was the only one that we consistently would come back to time after time.

and we love it.

As for the middle name...

 it took until the morning we were leaving the hospital for us to finally settle on that name.

I am not sure why the pressure of naming another person is so hard on us but in the end I think our little Addie Mae fits her name perfectly.

THE DELIVERY
The delivery could not have been smoother.
We dropped Norah off at a friends house so she could go to VBS at church and we arrived at the hospital at 8:30.
We calmly sat in the prep room and by 10 they were taking us back.
Joe was so calm this time around which made the experience super enjoyable.
My biggest fear was of the spinal because the last time I had one it made me super nauseous and was not that effective.
Well thanks to good friends, it all went well.
We had a good anesthesiologist that was recommended by one of our friends.
She was great.
The spinal took and although I did experience intense nausea it went away rather quickly.
The attending surgeon was also a friend so I really felt as though I was in good hands.
The doctor worked quickly and within minutes she was out.
I of course am the last one to see her.
I kept asking Joe what she looked like and he just kept telling me she had a round head and a squishy face.
Not the description I was looking for but still funny that is how he chose to describe her.
She weighed 6 lbs. 8 ounces and 18 1/2 inches long.
She was crying and perfect!

THE LOVE
We could not feel more loved by the people in our lives than we do.
We have so many people who want to be around us;
to serve us, spend time with us, and share in these moments with us.
I think I kept telling Adelyn all day long, "do you see ALL of these people around you who love you so much!"
I truly felt so blessed by our family and friends who loved and served us those days in the hospital.

THE MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET
I don't want to forget the moment when all four of us were together for the first time.

Norah was so excited to see her and love her.
I also never want to forget the first night in the hospital after everyone had gone home.
It was just Joe, Adelyn, and I.
We just sat together for hours.
We just sat there.
I love Joe so much and feel so blessed that he desires to live life fully with me.
He really is ALL IN...whatever is going on with us.  He is there!

Here they are cuddling that first night!
He looks so natural and so relaxed.

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE?
Since we have been home it has been all about adjusting.
I cannot seem to get a schedule down but the 3 of us did get out of the house this morning by 9:30 so I consider that a win.
One thing that I am more aware of than ever is how much I wish Joe was at home more during the week.
Norah and I just miss him throughout the day.
We wish he was here to spend time with us.
Places we have taken Adelyn so far:
to the park
to the pool
on a walk
 shopping
to a graduation party

Norah has been excited to help change diapers and feed her.
My recovery could not have been easier.
I have basically been back to normal since I got home from the hospital.
I was not in much discomfort and have been able to get around really easily.
We have been trying to love Norah well in the midst of the transition and figure out what life looks like as a family 4.

Week 39

THE WEEK

the week is here...she will be born on Wednesday!!!

6.20.12

THE GENDER

girl!

CRAVINGS

We went to a cookout for Fathers day and I ate boxed brownies...

I could go for more of those right now!!

SYMPTOMS

Really feeling great!

I am sore at the end of the day, but that is because I am doing a ton.

Cleaning the house, playing cornhole, shopping.

I feel so blessed that I can feel this great even though I am so close! 

Joe and I are also so surprised with how excited we both are!

I think the last time everything was so unknown,

 this time we are just so excited for the entire adventure!

I love sharing this time with him.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

She is just so excited that her baby sister will be home at the end of this week.

She wants to take her to the library, to the park.  

She wants to teach her the letters and how to read.

She cannot wait to learn how to change her diaper and rock her to sleep.

She knows it is happening and is so excited to bring her little sister home!

PRAYERS

Just praying for a calmness and easy for the rest of this week.

We will be in the hospital until at least Friday.

Joe and I are sad to not be spending time with Norah as much and we greatly anticipate being able to come home.

We pray that Norah is good and feels loved throughout the busyness of this week.

We pray for time to rest and to enjoy our new baby.

We pray for great opportunities to spend with family and friends that visit.

We pray for a healthy baby girl.

Praise God for through Him all Blessings Flow!!

Week 38!!

THE WEEK

38th week

The doctor said I am measuring full term so all signs point to go for the 20th!

THE GENDER

girl.

All of the clothes, toys, bedding, carseat, hospital bag, and everything else is in place.

So exciting!

CRAVINGS

No new cravings...same old, same old.  

What will be my excuse to eat whatever I want in a week from now??  hahaha!

SYMPTOMS

I must say...this pregnancy has been good to me.

Which I am encouraged by because it makes me excited to be pregnant again someday!

I just feel tired and cannot move quickly...anywhere!!
Norah and I spent practically everyday at the pool this week...it was so awesome!
Swimming does wonders on the stiffness I have been feeling.
It was absolutely wonderful to get to spend such good times with Norah and Joe this week.

I never want to forget the time we had as a family of three as we anticipate our family of four!

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

Norah this week wants her baby sisters middle name to be "chick fila cow".

PRAYERS
Praying for the surgery and the doctors.
The last c-section I had was a little rough.
The spinal did not work to its full effectiveness and they ended up putting me under general anesthesia.
This was hard because I was super drowsy the rest of the day.
I would like to be present more for the hours after our little girl is born!


not far now...thanks for reading!

Week 37

THE WEEK

37th week

She is officially a full term baby!

Her official date of arrival is 6.20.12 but we would be happy to see her sooner!

 

THE GENDER

girl of course.

 

CRAVINGS

chocolate chip cookies

I will say...this may be more my brain talking rather than the baby symptoms.

Pre-baby and some of pregnancy I had not eaten only minimal sweets in over a year, well after the arrival of our little bundle of joy I plan on going back on the no sweet train so I think my brain is telling me to eat as much as I can...and I am happy to oblige. 

SYMPTOMS

I hit the 30 lbs. mark...awesome!

Pregnancy shirts are starting to be too small.

These shirts that seemed huge only a few weeks ago are now not fitting over the ever increasing belly.

Joe was at camp this week so of course weird symptoms occurred.

For instance...weird light headedness at night.  Weird pains in the middle of the night.

Increased swelling at night...are you sensing a trend!  I am glad he is home!

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

I do have one thing Norah said this week that has nothing to do with the pregnancy but I love it.

We were having a conversation about self control and why it is hard to not do the right thing.  Then she said, " Hey mom, isn't self control one of the blueberries of the spirit?"

I love it.  LOVE IT!

It was a hard week with Joe not being around and she was really trying to press her limits and we had not talked about the fruits of the spirit for weeks and weeks and for her to bring it up in the midst of our discussion was precious and perfect.  

I had renewed faith through her in that.

God is at work...and for that I am thankful.

PRAYERS

Praying for the delivery and recovery afterward.

I have been thinking about the entire process of what all happens and I will say I am a little apprehensive.  It is a LOT of work after the baby is born when you have a c-section to feel normal again and I am trying not to dread the entire process.

week 36

THE WEEK

36th week

THE GENDER

girl girl girl!

CRAVINGS

Shaved ice with flavored sugar poured on it!

SYMPTOMS

The swelling has decreased so that has been a huge prayer.

Sleep is still an issue but overall I truly cannot complain too much being this close to the end.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

Norah cannot wait.  

The cutest thing she has been doing lately is talking to the baby.

She will come up randomly, press her face against my belly and say sweet things like,

"hi baby sister...you are coming out soon.  We cannot wait to meet you!"

and "i love you!"

Super excited!

PRAYERS

Well the vacation is over this week and it is back to full time nesting.

I got to organize the little lady's room.

Clothes are in drawers, wash cloths and burp clothes are all in order.

Randomly this week I felt the need to go buy pacifiers 

{weird I know...but I felt better after they were purchased}

The crib is up and the bed is made.

I also cleaned out a whole bunch of totes in the basement.

I guess when I nest I want to entire house organized and cleaned before she comes!

I also did hours upon hours of research on using cloth diapers.

I have FINALLY decided I think we are going to go for it.

I am really excited to try to use these...they are better on the wallet and the environment.

When I get them purchased I will definitely blog to let you know what I think and if I thought it was a good idea.  

Things are truly coming together.

I AM SOO EXCITED TO MEET HER!

So...after all of that the prayer is to get some good rest before she comes.
I still have things I want to get done but I also want to be as prepared as I can for her arrival and that means resting a bit more than I have been doing these days.

Also.a little picture from the week!
Gotta love the skirts and dresses!

The Beach addition!

THE WEEK

35 weeks

THE GENDER

girl.

name...still unknown

CRAVINGS

hmmm...we are on vacation so I ate so much but I cannot think of anything I was craving.

The first day we did eat at the Salty Dog cafe and I really wanted their chicken salad sandwich

I thought about that all week...I never got the sandwich.

SYMPTOMS

swelling has arrived with a vengence.

So...when our family travels to Hilton Head one thing we love to do it bike ride to Starbucks every morning.

Ever since we planned vacation it was always assumed I would not participate in this beloved tradition.

Well...We get there and I could not resist.

I was able to ride and it was glorious.

Not only was I so happy to get to participate but it was also therapeutic for me.

We would bike about 3 miles each way and afterward my hips would feel good and I was not stiff at all.

On the last day however I noticed my hands were going numb on the ride home.

Swollen hands and feet were quickly the result...and they have stuck around ever since.

Saturday we had to drive 12 hours home in the car...ohh the swelling.

Not fun.

 I also realized this past week that I think I am done being pregnant.

I am so excited to meet her that I am ready for her.

Only 4 more weeks...oh happy day!

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

She is soo excited to take her sister to the beach next year. 

She would pretend like her baby sister was floating in the ring next to her when she was in the pool.

{most adorable thing ever!}

She wants to build sand castles with her and sleep in the same room with her.

PRAYERS

Praying for continued growth for our daughter since she is small.

I am also praying for this swelling in the ankles.

It came on so suddenly I want to keep a close eye on it and if the swelling does go away I would not be sad.

Week 34

THE WEEK

34 weeks

{I am a little late...we were on vacation and I forgot to blog...but week 34 was very important so I definitely wanted to document it.}

 

THE GENDER

A little sweet baby girl...no doubt about it anymore.

 

CRAVINGS

oranges and sushi

{but I think the sushi was because I had a sushi cooking class so it was on the brain!}

SYMPTOMS

ohh the belly.

I am also noticing that I am a lot more tired and would prefer not to do too much.

 

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

We had an ultrasound this week and Norah was sad she missed it.

She said, "mom, next time you get to go see my baby sister on the big tv please don't leave me at home."

PRAYERS/PRAISES

Yes...we did have an ultrasound this week.

No...it was not planned.

At my doctors appointment on Thursday the doctor said I was measuring small.

This bit of information was not news to me.

I was actually surprised that I have been measuring correctly up until this point because I have always felt as though I was a little smaller than I should be.

So...sure enough at 34 weeks I was measuring 31 weeks.

He suggests and ultrasound then says, "don't worry most women just need to go on bedrest."

WHY DO DOCTORS HAVE TO SAY STUFF LIKE THIS BEFORE THEY EVEN INVESTIGATE!

Anyway...

so that was Thursday morning and we were leaving on vacation for a week on Friday night.

They got me in at 7:40 Friday morning.

Oh course the doctor does not say the possibilities of what could be wrong so my mind begins to wander to all of the possible circumstances I can remember from the OB class I took in nursing school a year ago.

Needless to say I was grateful for Friday morning to arrive.

My mom goes with me and we get a peek at our little girl.

And...that was just it, she is little!

Everything looked great.

There was enough fluid, she was proportionate in size.

Norah was little so I was not surprised to hear she will probably be around 7 lbs.

Right now they said she was measuring around 4 lbs. 12 ounces.

What a relief.

It was fun to get a little peek at her again.

She looked to have chubby cheeks that will rival her big sisters.

The technician said she has tons of hair.

After seeing her it made me even more excited to meet her.

I cannot wait to hold her and love her.

Only 5 weeks.  whoohooo!

Week 33

THE WEEK

33 weeks...holy moly.

 

THE GENDER

girl

 

CRAVINGS

hmmm....soda.  All kinds of soda.

SYMPTOMS

continued trouble sleeping.

I am also to the point where I do not move anywhere fast.

I feel as though it takes me forever to get from place to place.

This week was also full of nesting.

I worked so hard on Norah's new room.

The goal was met.

Norah is moved into her new room.

Some baby clothes have been found, cleaned, folded, and placed in the baby room.

Bottles were found {still need to be washed}

But...things are getting done.

For my birthday, which was Wednesday, my family came over and helped finish Norah's room on Wednesday and move all furniture all over the house on Thursday.

Truly the best birthday gift my family could give me.

Joe and I needed the help and acts of service is definitely speaking my love language.

I was also given a Kindle Fire from Andrea and Dave and I absolutely love it.

I never even knew I would want one...but I love it!

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

She is still super excited about the baby.

She even leans over my belly and says, 

"baby can you hear me...I love you!"  -so precious.

She also is so excited about her new room. YES!

 

PRAYERS

Praying for rest these last few weeks.

I worked so endlessly hard this week I would like to really rest and be patient for her arrival.

I am so excited to meet her!

Norah's new room!

For the past few weeks my family and I have been working tiredlessly on getting Norah's new room finished.  I think I have been nesting big time so I have been crazy about getting her room done.  Well last night...it finally was finished and she even moved in!!!

I knew I wanted to do some faux wainscoting on the walls.  I searched and searched for the right wood and could not find it so my dad had to cut each piece to be the measurement I wanted.  He is the best.  I also did not realize that I picked the only room in the house that does not have JUST 4 walls.  I had to pick the room that has many corners in it!!  Joe and my dad are true champs because they did not complain and let me go along with my crazy plan despite all the extra effort it took them!

The first thing I did is measure out on the wall what each section would look like.  This provided a template for the wall color as well as for where to put the wood.

We painted the top color first-purple.  Norahs pick.  Then I painted the squares that would not be covered by the wood on the bottom white.  
We then used a nail gun {one of my favorite things} to put all the wood up.  It was a long process with many steps.  I could not have done this without the help of Joe and my dad.  So pleased with the finished look!

She loves her room...and it gives her soo much more room to play!

Week 32

THE WEEK

Week 32

All week long I thought it was week 31 so it was a nice surprise that I was actually an entire week ahead.

Also...We scheduled the c-section so we know this little lady will be here on 

Wednesday June 20th!

THE GENDER

girl...name still miserably unknown.

 

CRAVINGS

At Youth group last Wednesday night for snack we had Chick-fila.

We were able to take home a gallon of their sweet tea.

I had never had this before...but I was craving it and drank the entire gallon.

{why do I crave things pregnant people should not be eating/drinking?!}

Also...craving granola.

I eat huge bowls of it...often!

 

SYMPTOMS

The phase of unsettled sleep in upon me.

For weeks and weeks and weeks I have not been able to turn over in bed without being woken up by pain...but this week-I cannot sleep.

I am uncomfortable.
My belly is now big enough that it lays against the mattress when I am on my side and it hurts.  

So I sleep with endless amounts of pillows.

tucked here there and everywhere!

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

Oh....she is sooo excited now to have a baby sister.

She cannot wait to get her christmas pictures taken with her.

{weird I know!}

Norah...is awesome and will be an amazing big sister.

She will also learn how to share...excited about that!

 

PRAYERS

Really just praying for the last weeks of this pregnancy.

I am not miserable yet...so very thankful for that!

I am also rejoicing in the fact that I feel as though I have been feeling better than I have for most of the pregnancy thus far.

I have been working really hard on getting Norah's new room finished.

It has been a ton of up and down, priming, painting, nailing, measuring...lots of work.

I am always exhausted at the end of the day...but glad to be able to do the work.

I have a huge goal though...we leave on vacation in a little over a week.

I want to have Norah's new room done, the nursery all put together. 

Baby stuff organized and baby clothes all clean and put away.

We will see!  

Thanks for reading!

Week 31

THE WEEK

week 31

 

THE GENDER/NAME

Girl.

Name: we seriously have no clue.

I wish we did...I think I would shout it from the rooftops if we did!

I cannot wait to meet this little lady...but I also cannot wait to name this lady as well.

We are thinking day and night.  

 

CRAVINGS

everything bad for me.

This week I really wanted a chicken salad sandwich.

I ate one..it was good!

SYMPTOMS

big big belly.

It is starting to really get in the way.

Sleeping has become uncomfortable.

 

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

On Saturday night we were at a party and there was a little 3 month old girl there.

Norah was soooo cute with her.

She kept wanting to kiss her, touch her face, and love her.

It gave me hope.

Maybe she is all talk and she actually will be soft and sweet with her.

 

PRAYERS

Praying this week for continued development and growth.

As much as I do not like the size of my belly, it is a great sign to know that she is growing.

I LOVE HER SO MUCH ALREADY!

I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET HER!

30 weeks...wow!

THE WEEK

30 weeks

I know it is still far away but close at the same time.

I just primed Norah's new room over the weekend.

{with a huge help from my mom and my sister}

Not too many more weeks to get both rooms finished.

 

THE GENDER

girl.

name...unknown. still.

 

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HER/SYMPTOMS

She is almost 3 lbs. and moving all the time.

She must have just gone through a growth spurt because my belly is a lot bigger and more prominent.

I think it happened overnight.

I am serious...I woke up one day and my belly was noticeably bigger.

Trying not to complain, just uncomfortable.

Maxi dresses are my new best friend.

CRAVINGS

sweets and soda.

The two things I did not eat for over a year I crave...go figure.

I eat them now.

 

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

She is not saying much.

Because of what I talked about last week I decided to make them matching shirts.

{I will NOT be that mom who dresses them alike...often}

I just thought she would like the idea of them having a matching shirt.

So I made these out of freezer paper stencils.

They turned out cute and she liked them.

win.win.

 

PRAYERS

Still praying for Norah and the new ones relationship.  

Joe and I have been taking a parenting class and last night we learned about tattling.

whew...it was some good stuff.

I pray they are friends and are "for" each other. 

Excited to see each other succeed and cheer each other on.

Week 29

THE WEEK

29th week...approximately 10 more weeks depending on when the c-section will be planned.

 

THE GENDER

girl

 

CRAVINGS

cheese and crackers

pretzels and homemade ranch dip

Sprite

 

SYMPTOMS

She has been trying to make more room this week.

She has been nestling herself on the upper right side of my body and it is sooo uncomfortable when I am sitting for a long time and she does not move.  

She also moves sooo much at night.

It is a little exhausting.

She seems to wait until around 9:00 and does flips for like an hour.

I love staring at my stomach and watching it rumble.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

Well...right now I think she is realizing how her life will change.

We were eating lunch the other day and she said,

"hey mom...the next time we go to Disney World can just you, me, and daddy go?"

oops.

 

PRAYERS
After hearing that comment from Norah that has provoked some serious conversations between Joe and I.

We are excited that Norah will have a sister but we are well aware of the fact that Norah has lived the last 4 years of her life siblingless.

We do not think we have a child focused family and we work hard on not basing our lives completely around her...but she still has been the only child around for a while.

She has grown accustomed to that lifestyle and we are praying for wisdom and guidance on how to love Norah well in the midst of this huge transition.

God is a big God and I am so glad he loves us and has placed people in our lives that will speak truth to us.

The BEST week of the YEAR!

This week has been crazy..., let me say that again...crazy!

On Tuesday it was Norah's 4th birthday.

I cannot believe she is 4.

On Sunday we went to breakfast, just Norah, Joe and I to First Watch.

It was fun to get to tell Norah how much we love her and ALL of the qualities we love about her.

Then we took her to Build a Bear.

{She has always wanted to go}

I had a coupon...so we went!

This picture is of her washing her monkey.

She bought scrubs for the monkey to match her Nurse scrubs she has at home.

She named it Elephant Reindeer

...so we shorted it to Ellie Reign.

On Tuesday

We went to the park downtown at Sawyer Point and ate lunch outside at Montgomery Inn Boathouse.

It felt like vacation.

Then we had dinner outside at Andrea and Dave's house.

It was just a fun day to spend with her.

On Wednesday I took my huge NCLEX exam!

I was a nervous wreck.

I sped through the exam, had 75 questions and finished in under an hour.

Then you wait for the results.

It was sooo hard.

We went to dinner with Andrea and Dave to Teak in Mt. Adams and I cannot believe I was even focused enough to have conversation because I just wanted so badly to know the results!

Well...early Thursday morning I woke up, looked at the Kentucky Board of Nursing website and they had issued me an RN license!!  Such a relief!  I AM DONE!

So...even though we had full plates this entire week...I tried to keep my mind of the main thing!

IT IS EASTER!

On Friday Norah and I were able to spend some good time talking about the Cross.

Why Jesus had to die on the cross.

Who he died for.

Then that evening Joe and I took her to The Garden of Hope in Covington.

 

There they have a replica of what the tomb looks like where Jesus died.

It was cool for her to talk through why Jesus' body is not in the tomb and she loves to yell,

"because He's ALIVE!"

Then today we took Norah to a nature park where we hung out, explored, and had her picture taken.

Today I found myself being in a state of constant anticipation of tomorrow.

 I am so excited that Jesus is who he said he was!!!

I am so excited that I have a God who wanted to make A WAY for us to come to Him and be with Him!

OH PRAISE HIM!!!

I look forward to sharing in the excitement with Norah as well tomorrow!!

 It is a total side bar...but for Easter Joe and I wanted to get Norah a sandbox.

I think playing in the sand is something Norah loves to do more than anything else is the entire world!

So...I went to Toys R Us last night as well as researched on Amazon and I soon discovered that sandboxes are really expensive.

So...I decided we were going to make our own.

I knew I wanted a sandbox that she could not climb into...because those are gross.

So...I took an old outdoor firepit that we had...Joe cleaned it out, and we made our own!

It is not perfect...but she will love it!

 We are going to put it on wheels to easily move it in and out of the garage.  

{it is actually bigger than this picture makes it look}

Have a Happy Easter!

HE IS ALIVE!

Hello Third Trimester!

THE WEEK

28th week

1st week of the last trimester!

 

THE GENDER

little girl

 

CRAVINGS

homemade pizza with olive oil {no sauce}, green peppers, feta cheese, and olives.

The Socrates from Dewey's would satisfy as well!

 

SYMPTOMS

no swelling yet...for that I am praising the Lord!

The belly is growing.

Still wearing normal shirts but all pants officially do not button.

I ordered one of these belly bands from Amazon...it is awesome to wear.

It is even allowing me to wear some shorts that would not otherwise fit.

I am really trying not to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes because I feel as though they are WAY overpriced for the amount of time you wear them so this belly band is making clothes go farther.

I hope to not have to buy too many maternity summer clothes...

{besides the bathing suit I already purchased for vacation!}

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING

She loves to play Star Wars with a boy in the neighborhood and last night she found out the girl on Star Wars is called Princess Leia so she wants to call her sister Leia!

PRAYERS

Praying for the relationship between Norah and her.

I pray they can be close and share life together.

I have a great relationship with both of my sisters and I pray the same for them.

Week 27!

THE WEEK
27th week
about to say good bye to the 2nd trimester
i will miss you!
Thankfully...there is a newborn waiting at the end of the third!

THE GENDER
GIRL. GIRL. GIRL.
The more I think about it the more excited I get about the fact we will have 2 girls!

CRAVINGS
It is weird...food in general just sounds awesome to me!
I could eat about anything, at any time.

SYMPTOMS
I think she had hiccups this morning.
I had my hand on my belly and I was feeling a very rythmic movement.
Joe felt it also...so fun!
I also jogged a 5k this morning with some serious walk breaks in between.
I have ran a 5k every month since I have been pregnant.
Every month I wonder if I will be able to do it the next month.
It was hard, I am sore and stiff.
It is good to workout though and I appreciate doing it during pregnancy.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING
oh my gosh...she has been sooo funny this week.
She is determined to feel the baby move but does not hold the patience to sit there until she does so she pretends that she can see the baby move.
She will say, "oh mom, I just saw the baby move."
It is not real movement but she wants it to be so badly.
The other day she was sitting at the kitchen table and I was walking away from her.
She all of a sudden says, "MOM! I just saw the baby move, she is in your back now!!"
Clearly does not understand the concept but I love her effort and desire to experience the baby movement.

PRAYERS
This week I have been praying for my attitude. As the second trimester winds down and the third one is beginning I am scared and not excited about it. My belly will get a lot bigger, the aches and pains will continue to rise and I pray that I can experience all of these things with an uncomplaining heart inside and out.
I am also really excited to meet her...now I just have 12 weeks to finish 2 bedrooms! haha!

Week 26

The Week
26th week.

The Gender
Girl.
Name still unknown.

Little facts about her: she weighs around 2 lbs. and the statistics say she should be around 14 1/4 inches long so I assume she is about 12 inches long because lets face it...height is not on our side!
She opens and closes her eyes and probably has found her fingers to suck on! She might even have enough hair that you would be able to determine the color and texture of it.
How awesome is our God!!
When I lay in bed at night and think about her and how she is growing inside of me it blows my mind. I think just the idea that she is inside of me is just a testament of How Big and Real our God is. What a gift he has entrusted us with.
It is so cool that just sitting here being still I can feel her fluttering and moving around.

Cravings
hmm...cravings have not been as rampant lately.
All food just sounds good to me. I find I get full really quick though because I think she is invading the stomach room a little bit.

Symptoms
My achy breaky body.
Poor Joe...my legs have started to ache more as well as my hips and back.
Besides that I feel great.
I have found a machine at the gym that seems to help me find relief from the hip pain.
It is a glorious machine.
I also have enjoyed playing tennis a couple times already this year but I must say I definitely pay for it later on in the day with stiffness.


What Norah is saying
She is constantly thinking of things she will have to teach her sister.
She will make a great teacher.

Prayers
Joe and I do not take lightly the responsibility that God places on us to raise our children. He entrusts these little lives to us to love and raise up well. I pray that I can diligently and without ceasing raise these girls to love the Lord and love others well. I fully am aware that I cannot change their hearts BUT I have faith to know that GOD can.

week 25- 15 more to go!

THE WEEK
25th week

THE GENDER/NAME
still a girl.
Norah keeps asking, "when the baby grows up will she be a boy?"
genders still confuse her.
Name is still unknown, we have one we have been saying a lot this week...it is a possibility!

CRAVINGS
UDF chocolate malts which happen to be on sale currently!

SYMPTOMS
belly getting bigger.
it is hard to bend over.
I was pulling weeds and playing tennis this week.
Both activities were hard to bend over multiple times.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING
She is constantly asking when her baby sister will arrive.
I really should get her a calender.
She knows we still have to make it through her birthday, Easter,
mommys birthday, daddys birthday, and vacation before the baby arrives.

MOVEMENT
Norah really wants to feel the baby move but she is not patient enough to do so.
My favorite thing is to lay down at night and watch my belly flutter.
She is sooo active in the late evening.
This week was the week of my NURSING SCHOOL PINNING!
Norah said to me the day of...
"mom, I hope the baby doesn't kick while you are getting pinned that could hurt."
ha.

Week 24

THE WEEK
24 weeks and counting
The second trimester is winding down.

THE NAME
Okay..this is a touchy subject.
There is nothing we both LOVE.
We have read through hundreds of names, tried a few out for a few days...and VETOED them all.
I really would like to have a few names picked out then narrow it down after she is born, but even that is hard right now.

CRAVINGS
I just eat...a lot.

SYMPTOMS
I feel like there are just a few more weeks of feeling "GOOD" before you just cannot wait to meet her and for her to be out.
I already feel myself getting excited to meet her and hold her and love her. CANNOT wait!
I am feeling bigger and the belly is starting to get in the way.
We are going on vacation just a couple weeks before our due date {shhhh, do not tell my doctors}
so I bought a pregnancy bathing suit...ewwww.
All worth it...but ewww none the less.

WHAT NORAH IS SAYING
Norah bought a baby doll with her own money this week.
She is going to learn to change her diaper, wrap her in a blanket, and she is even struggling to come up with a name. She is excited to take care of her baby and learn how to care for the new baby well.
Love her and I am excited to see her be an amazing big sister.

PRAYERS
I am so excited to meet her I just pray that we can raise her well and do what is right with raising both of our daughters.

craft day monday

Today was supposed to be a trip to IKEA but when I woke up feeling gross

with a sore throat and stuff Norah and I decided to do crafts.

Norah worked on painting a cupcake


While I worked on making some clipboards for my school friends for a little graduation present.
At the hospital clipboards are a great asset to have when caring for patients.

I just bought plain clipboards from Office Depot

and made them beautiful!
Then tonight Norah and I played an intense game of bowling
Wii style.
{I had a good game!}


Now I am waiting for Joe to get back with some Icees
{our favorite late night treat and perfect for a scratchy throat!}

Have a good week!

Week 23

The Week

23 weeks and growing
still in pre-pregnancy clothes but probably not for much longer

The Name
...sorry to say there is still no progress on the name...
we don't even talk about it at all.
I think for now we are stuck

Cravings
Pepsi.
I am a coke person, not a huge fan of Pepsi. Pregnancy is weird.

Symptoms
feeling pretty good really.

What Norah is saying
Okay...so Joe works for amazon.com and from his work we get
a Britax {an expensive carseat}So we were at Babys R Us checking out the different brands in person deciding
which one we are going to buy at Amazon.
{we always shop for things in stores then go home and buy them on amazon,
does anyone else do that???}
So Norah sees us looking at new carseats and she says...
{in a little bit of a screaming voice}

"WHAT...why does the baby get a new carseat??
What is WRONG with the orange one I used???"

ha...it was pretty hilarious but she was really upset.
We then explained to her that nothing is wrong with hers but someone is buying us a new one.
Yes it was hilarious...
but disturbing because this was the first in many times she will think life is not fair when compared to her sister.

Prayers for the little one
Continually and long waiting prayer for her little heart that she will come to know the Lord and live her life for Him alone.

Things I want to Buy
this diaper bag from Pottery Barn kids

what a difference a month makes

it is crazy how my life has changed in the last few months. As of January 1st I no longer work at the bakery. My mom decided to downsize her business and so with me graduating it made sense to not work there anymore. Well I immediately worked in my role transition for school 12 hour shifts for 5 weeks!! This was a crazy schedule but I loved every minute of it. In the midst of that I had my last 2 HUGE nursing exams which I am happy to say I passed. Now I am DONE. Role transition is finished and I do not have one more test to take before graduating. I only have two more weeks before I am a:

{The pinning ceremony is Friday March 16th!!}

Life now is totally different. I find myself looking around the house wondering what I need to be studying and working on. Yes...I know I still have the national board NCLEX test to take and I will study for that, but as far as the hoops that I had to jump through for school...there are no more!!

Norah and I get to hang out all the time. We shop, play, go to the zoo, cook, and have fun. It is so nice to get to hang out with her all day long. We also get to do a lot of training. We are currently going through a parenting class at church called Growing Kids God's Way. If you have a 3 year old or older, I highly recommend the class. It is so great to learn how to raise our kids with a Biblical theory as well as provide practical ways in which to raise our kids.

I do plan on getting a job as a nurse...not sure if that will happen before our little girl comes or not, but in the mean time I will enjoy this time I have. I also look forward to summer so we can hang out by the pool:)