tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254738107698026032024-03-19T11:39:02.193-07:00A Sweet Serenity...living a simple and satisfying life and loving it!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-4753500452811721802016-01-01T20:59:00.001-08:002016-01-01T20:59:37.874-08:00Sophia's Birth Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sophia is now nearly 3 months old and I'm finally getting around to finishing typing up her birth story despite starting it two weeks after she was born! Life has been kind of hectic since adding our third child in just under four years. So here is Sophia's story:<br />
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She arrived at 12:00 am on Friday, October 9, 2015 and weighed 7.0 lbs and was 19 inches long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j3YJZYUF0gVuQIO9KLs02VjrIurIha5c1kmKePXdBCaUzGxoTyUjbjGLEbB3zhDrdxi2ojnVsFmSPqQHeAM1lZcEL4yJpmbX4_EbLM6tlDaWvHIIBOCIRXEMn6HNkzpagMS04kDUqupo/s1600/Sophia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j3YJZYUF0gVuQIO9KLs02VjrIurIha5c1kmKePXdBCaUzGxoTyUjbjGLEbB3zhDrdxi2ojnVsFmSPqQHeAM1lZcEL4yJpmbX4_EbLM6tlDaWvHIIBOCIRXEMn6HNkzpagMS04kDUqupo/s320/Sophia.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">First pic with daddy. We waited to have her weighed and measured until the wee hours of the morning since she fell asleep in Alex's arms. They had a pretty immediate bond, which was an answered prayer of mine!</span><br />
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I had been saying all along that this labor and delivery would be the icing on the cake and it truly was. My first two deliveries had their challenges, but everything worked out and I had the experiences that I hoped for (except that at 21 and 17 hours long they were a lot longer than I expected). This time around, once labor kicked in, Sophia was born just 8 hours later! So here are the details:<br />
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I saw my doctor and doula on Wednesday, Oct 7. I didn't have the doctor check me because 1. It is painful and 2. It can't tell you when you'll go into labor anyway, so why endure the unnecessary pain? Maybe it doesn't hurt for everyone, but it hurt like crazy with Natalie. Later that I night I noticed some evidence of starting to dilate and had a little mini meltdown over going into labor and not feeling ready. Once I got past that, I felt a lot better emotionally!<br />
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Thursday morning I woke up after having a few contractions during the night. Contractions continued to be few and far between in the morning as well, but I figured things were starting because I hadn't had a single contraction during pregnancy up to this point and some of the symptoms of dilation and early labor were starting like they had during my labor with Julia. I called my doula to give her the update and she recommended that I drink a strong cup of red raspberry leaf tea to help jump start things. I didn't have any tea, so Alex went to the store and bought me some in the afternoon and I drank it at 3 pm. By 4:00, contractions were beginning again and coming between 6-9 minutes apart.<br />
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By 6 pm, I was getting more uncomfortable and having trouble making dinner because the were getting more intense. My mom had taken Natalie to our homeschool co-op earlier in the afternoon, dropped her off at home, and then gone home herself after I told her she didn't need to take the girls back to her house just yet. While cooking dinner, I called her and said maybe it was time to get the girls after all. I kept dropping to my hands and knees during contractions and swayed my hips through them. Part of dinner burned, but we were able to eat the main course and some sides. Mom helped clean up and took the girls to her house while Alex and I waited for the contractions to get closer together. I rested on the couch and walked sideways up and down our stairs to encourage the baby to get in the correct position as we believed she was face up instead of face down and needed to turn in order for labor to really pick up. Every time I walked the stairs, I had some big contractions.<br />
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At 9 pm, we decided to head to the hospital because I had been having contractions that lasted two minutes, although they were still sometimes over 5 minutes apart. We met my doula, M, on the way to the hospital and she finished the trip with us. When we got to the hospital, I got the last available room in the "Birthing Spa," as they call their maternity wing. Guess it was a popular night to have a baby! The nurse checked me and I was dilated to 6 cm! M was ecstatic and I think I didn't quite know what to make of that news. I had only been dilated to 2 and 3 cm with Natalie and Julia when we arrived at the hospital, so 6 cm meant that things were definitely progressing faster this time like we had hoped for. The red raspberry leaf tincture that I'd been taking for the last few months was doing the trick by helping me dilate faster and have more effective contractions.<br />
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Laboring on the bed on my hands and knees was becoming tiring and more painful, so I transitioned to the bathtub. During my first two labors, the tub stalled my labor and I ended up getting out of the water after a little while, but this time around, active labor was in full-swing and the warm water made my painful contractions more bearable. I actually laid down on my back and side in the water during contractions and was able to keep my lower body relaxed to let the contractions do their work. After about an hour or so, I felt the urge to push, so the nurse came in to check my progress and she said it was time to call the doctor and get me out of the tub. My water broke in the process of her checking me. I couldn't believe I had made it to 10 cm so quickly! My other labors were 21 and 17 hours, respectively. Natalie was born 16 hours after we arrived at the hospital and Julia was born 6 hours later, so to have only been at the hospital around an hour and a half and be told I was complete was exciting and unbelievable. I'm pretty sure that Alex had to basically lift me out of the tub with no help from me because I just couldn't move.<br />
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Somehow I got back to the bed and back on my hands and knees. I started pushing during contractions and then my doctor arrived. Soon I was yelling to be numbed, but there wasn't time for that. Then I was yelling for them to "Get her out!!!!" It hurt worse than with my first two because I didn't get that numbing shot at the very end. But, after just 10 minutes of pushing, she was born! No complications like the first two times. She was screaming, healthy, and perfect!<br />
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So far, Sophia is a calm, happy baby. Julia is completely smitten by her and hasn't been the least bit jealous. Natalie loves holding her and helps out however we ask her to. She started smiling almost from the get-go and comes to life on the changing table, giggling, smiling, and cooing the whole time. She loves to snuggle up facing your body (like she is nursing) when she is ready for a nap and will cuddle up for a snooze with whoever is holding her. Unlike her shy sisters, so far she lets anyone hold her and doesn't scream for mommy to come rescue her. The grandparents are very grateful for this as they didn't get to hold Natalie during the first few months or Julia for 8 months because they would both start screaming immediately.<br />
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At her 2 month check-up she had already gained 4 pounds, weighing in at 11.1 lbs (with clothes on, 50th percentile) and was 22 inches long (25th percentile).<br />
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Ever since her arrival, I have been soaking up every ounce of her. Since Sophia could very well be our last baby, I don't want to miss a single minute of each phase she goes through. As hard as I tried to stop her from flying through the newborn stage, she went and grew into an infant anyway. Next thing I know, she will be rolling over and sitting up, even though I have forbidden her to do so. My mama heart can't take it! I just don't want her to grow up on me! But I must say, it is a precious gift having her in my life, giving me another opportunity to soak in this quickly-fleeting moment in parenthood.<br />
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In all honesty, I didn't handle the news of having another girl well. I cried in the doctor's office the day of my ultrasound and many days afterward. I felt tremendous guilt for my reaction and strong sense of disappointment. It took me two months to wrap my mind around it and then I could finally get excited about meeting the daughter who would create our girl trifecta. And what a blessing she has been! I love every minute of being her mama. I love that I have three girls who are going to grow up to be inseparable best friends (we've been praying that over them since I was pregnant with Julia). They say that the best gift you can give your child is a sibling and watching my girls together just makes my heart burst with joy! Parenting is the hardest, best thing I've ever done. Our lives are still flipped upside down, neck-deep in the throes of Survival Mode, the daily routine full of tending to never-ending cries for help, food, attention, with little time to rest, to catch up on housework, to give as much attention to each child as I would like to give. But we are figuring it out. Someday I will get showered and dressed before lunch every day again, but for now I need to learn to accept my new normal and just embrace this gift I have been given of being a full-time mom to my beautiful babies because they are growing up far too fast and if I get too caught up in trying to do allthethings then I'll miss the beauty of this life that God has blessed me with. In this new year, I want to be more present. I struggle SO much with that. SO MUCH. I want to give my children a childhood full of memories with their mommy playing with them and teaching them and laughing! Laughing and playing games and being there when they need me. Sophia has really helped me take the first step. She has helped me live in the moment and put aside the stuff that can wait and soak up the things that are truly worthwhile. She is the best "surprise" ever!<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-72482609665021926452015-08-09T20:15:00.001-07:002015-08-09T20:15:32.867-07:00Baby G#3, Preschool, And Updates on the Kiddos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Life is crazy, busy, full of anticipation, and I am just enjoying it before life as I know it gets turned upside down and I have 3 kids under 4 to take care of. The girls keep me busy from about 7:30 am until they go to bed at 8. I have discovered more than ever this summer that I thrive on routine. Some days might feel monotonous, but if you mess with that predictable monotony, I get grumpy. So this summer, our weeks have been filled with a repetition of play time, weekly water park visits with family, housework, baby prep projects, and doctor visits. As usual, we spend lots of mornings out taking a walk, messing around in the garden, filling, cleaning, and refilling the kiddy pool and giving pushes on the swing set. I think Julia would be content to be pushed in her little pink ride-on car (she calls it her "beep beep") or in her swing all day long. Natalie loves helping check on the vegetables and picking whatever happens to have survived all the rain we had in June/July. Things are in a pretty sorry state in the garden at the moment and I'm, well, over it. Pregnant mama has worked hard and couldn't keep up with the persistent Bermuda grass and towering tomato plants that seem to grow another foot and need to be re-staked every few days. There's always next year.<br />
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We found out at the end of April that we are expecting another girl! I'll be honest, it took me quite a while to adjust to the news. This pregnancy has been NOTHING like the first two, so I was just sure I was having a boy. But now I am having fun sewing her quilt, making crib sheets and changing pad covers, and even a Christmas stocking. There's no telling when I'll find the time to sew after she arrives, so I might as well get things done while I have a chance. Natalie has named her baby sister Sophia Olaf. Alex and I accepted her choice for a first name, but have made absolutely no progress in picking an acceptable alternative for her middle name.<br />
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Tomorrow, we will embark on a new journey as a family: homeschooling. Natalie has been looking forward to preschool for quite a while and soaks up all the information that she can about the world around her. Lately, her interest in letters, sounds, and writing her name has really grown, so I am taking the leap and giving it a go. I am having a very hard time deciding whether or not to do two years of preschool with her because her birthday is so late, or going ahead and starting kindergarten next year. I am a long-term planner, can you tell? The best idea is probably to just wait and see how this whole preschool thing goes and then decide! I am nervous about how our lives are going to change once Sophia is born and I don't want to completely push schooling aside, especially when I know it will be fun and special to spend that time with Natalie. We joined our local homeschool co-op which meets once a week starting in September and has classes for Natalie's age. My social butterfly will love making new friends.<br />
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Julia is now 18 months old and is changing quickly from a baby to a full-fledged toddler. Her vocabulary includes about 40 words (not all of which are clear, but close enough that we can interpret what she is trying to communicate), her favorite of which are "I want", "eat", "snack", and "more". Can you guess what her favorite pastime is? Ha ha! The kid can put the food away!!! Her favorite foods are probably raisins, blueberries, cooked carrots, spaghetti, mac n cheese on the rare occasion that she gets it, corn, bananas, applesauce, and yogurt. Really, she loves fruit, cooked veggies, pasta, and sweets, and isn't a fan of most raw veggies and meat unless it is mixed into a soup or casserole or cut up in very tiny pieces and covered in seasoning or sauce. She can sometimes successfully do a forward roll, jumps with both feet off the ground, loves going down slides at the water park and just being in the water in general, story time, dancing, and playing with her big sister. Those two really love each other, which is a huge answer to 9 months of prayer when I was pregnant with Julia. Now I am praying that my three girls will love one another, always include each other, and be like a 3-strand cord that is not easily broken.<br />
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Natalie is my big girl. Don't try to tell her she is too little to wear red nail polish (I made that mistake) because she will just tell you, "I am too bigger! I am a big sister!" She keeps an eye on Julia and loves feeling Sophia kick. The other day, she and I were snuggling on the couch at nap time and her back was against my belly. Sophia decided to practice her soccer skills and went a little crazy. Natalie thought it was hilarious getting kicked in the back and the behind by her baby sister. She helps me tremendously from fetching things around the house, to putting things away, helping me grocery shop, picking up after herself, getting herself dressed (even if she does want to change outfits 3 times a day), feeding the dog, getting the mail, and generally being willing to help however I ask her to. She wants mommy and daddy to snuggle with her and rub her back every night before bed. Lately she has been singing along with songs on the radio and it just melts my heart to hear her sing about Jesus. She gets excited when it is my turn to lead worship at church and asks me if I am going to sing. I think there is a good chance that she'll be up there with me some day. Natalie asks me every morning where we are going and who is coming over. If I tell her that we aren't going anywhere or that no one is coming over, she asks to go somewhere and see someone. She loves going to the library, the water park, to her grandparents' houses, to church, and to play with friends. She has been fascinated with ballet for months now and loves wearing tutus, dancing around the house, watching Angelina Ballerina, and watching YouTube videos of real ballet dancers.<br />
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So that's life around here in a nutshell. Sophia will make her grand debut in roughly 9 more weeks and then things will really get interesting. I am so nervous about the transition from 2 to 3. Having Julia seemed like a breeze, but now I'm really going to be outnumbered. What if I never get a nap?! I have gotten the hang of the whole two-kids thing and now it's going to change. I just want there to be enough of me to go around and for no one to feel neglected or left out. Despite making progress on a few projects, my to-do list is still a mile long. Some of the things on it aren't important, but it would still be nice to get them done. It'll all come together. And God's grace is sufficient to help me through this next transition!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-72893758820081554972015-04-15T20:09:00.000-07:002015-04-15T20:09:04.706-07:00Pregnancy with Baby G#3 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In just under two weeks, we will find out the gender of little baby G#3. It is a lot easier said than done to not get your hopes up one way or the other, but I am trying my best to stay neutral. I will say though that my pregnancy symptoms have been very different this time than they were with both the girls. My sense of smell has been more keen than ever before, my skin has been much clearer than it was with the girls, there has been no tenderness in my chest, I haven't gotten sick at all, but the constant nausea is really getting old. I mean, I'm into my second trimester now and there is no sign of it going away. Those stick out to me as the biggest differences.<br />
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At 15 weeks, I feel huge. Not huge and uncomfortable, just bigger than I think I should be at this far along. At my first prenatal appointment, which was at 12 weeks, my doctor said I felt bigger than 12 weeks and ordered an ultrasound to check things out. He said I could come back the following week or two or wait until my next visit in four weeks for the ultrasound since I live 45 minutes away. Since we had already planned to do a gender ultrasound at 16 weeks, I figured I'd just wait until my next appointment and do it all at once. But he has me all worried about twins! Why else would he break his "rule" of not doing an ultrasound before 20 weeks? Surely it is no big deal if a woman measures ahead during her third pregnancy, right? I mean, my uterus knows a thing or two about stretching out at this point and my abdominal muscles are, well, not toned, and may never be again. But surely if he really suspected twins, he wouldn't have me wait four more weeks to find out!? We shall have all those answers soon!<br />
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Natalie wants a brother AND a sister, and no matter how you try to explain that there is probably only one baby in there, she still says she wants both and then suggests names like "Sprinkle" (because a friend and I were discussing the concept of "sprinkles" instead of baby showers) or whatever name Alex says is his favorite at the time. Julia, of course, has no clue what is going on and is more than content to try and climb all over my belly for play time or cuddles as much as her little heart desires. I have realized that it is a wonderful thing that she is so petite compared to Natalie because it would be so much harder to be pregnant with her being so young if she were much heavier. Natalie was Julia's size at just 9 months old!<br />
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I realized today after I had gotten the girls loaded into the car and then had to go back into the house to retrieve my keys that despite it being a lot of work to go anywhere with two kids, I have no intention of getting all worked up about how much harder it will be to leave the house with three littles in tow. I don't plan to squeeze in as many outings as I can with just the two of them while I still can, while it is still "easy". I'm just going to live life and enjoy whatever comes and not worry about what I cannot change. If we make it to the park every week for some special play time this summer, then great. If not, then we saved the gas and hopefully had just as much fun playing in the backyard. I suppose maybe I should savor the ability to grocery shop pretty much whenever I want to because I can still take both kids with me and have room in the cart for all our purchases because I don't foresee being able to stay sane while attempting to grocery shop with 3 kids under 4. My grocery shopping habits are pretty much guaranteed to change once the baby is born in order to preserve my sanity and energy.<br />
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I know I have done a terrible job at being fully present in the moment and I desperately want to get better about that. Maybe that can be a "pregnancy resolution". I just made that up, but it works. Be present because these years are going to fly by and I don't want to look back with regret. I want to remember as many of the details of my kids' childhood as I can. I only have a few more months with just my two girls and I don't want to forget what that was like. What they were like. Right now, they get excited at the simplest things and live life with such enthusiasm. I want that to rub off on me. What a wonderful way to live!<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-26174081017617414752015-03-12T19:48:00.000-07:002015-03-12T19:48:11.276-07:00Hope for Spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just re-read the post I wrote about Julia's first birthday and it is a little too ironic. I said that I felt like I was starting to find my "groove" and get out of survival mode and that I looked forward to what adventures lay ahead for our little family. Little did I know that just a few short weeks later, I would be back in the throes of survival mode because constant nausea and exhaustion from morning sickness were making it nigh impossible to accomplish much more than preparing 3 meals and getting the girls and I dressed every day. <div>
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But today, the sun came out so brightly and the temperatures climbed into the 60's and we actually got to spend a decent amount of time playing outside, enjoying the fresh air. Maybe the hope of Spring is just the thing to get me through this season of life. I have packets of heirloom seeds waiting to be planted and dreams of a few raised beds in the back yard for the girls and I to dig around in this summer. Easter is around the corner and just a few short weeks after that, we will find out the gender of this new little one. There is plenty to look forward to! </div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-42167935611036310802015-03-12T19:29:00.000-07:002015-03-12T19:29:46.315-07:00We Missed You, Daddy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a week of torture waiting for Alex to return from his business trip, I finally got to tell him our big news! He was originally supposed to arrive home really late in the evening, so I was going to wait until the following day and tell Natalie the surprise first and then watch as she told him that mommy had a baby in her belly. However, I was worried that she would then tell the entire world our news before we were ready for it to be public knowledge, and Alex ended up coming home several hours earlier, which gave us some down time to catch up with each other before heading to bed. With the extra time together, I knew it was going to kill me to have to stay quiet and stick with my original plan, so I quickly tried to come up with a cute way to tell him without just blurting it out. When he walked in the door, we gave each other a big hug and the idea just came to me. Thank you, Jesus. I followed him around the house like a lost puppy while he slipped in to see the girls in their bedrooms and waited for the right moment. We were cuddled in the recliner and I told him, "We missed you. All five of us." (I was counting Layla) He said, "I missed you, too." *Pause* "Wait. Five of you?...Are you pregnant?" After I said yes, he got this big smile on his face and I told him how I had known for a week and didn't want to stress him out during his trip by telling him before he left. He just shook his head and took it all in. Then he started rationalizing and planning just like I had. We discussed some finances, the need for a vehicle with more room to accommodate three car seats, looked at his preferred SUV online, and I told him how soon we could find out the gender. I'm so glad he is happy and excited! I think he is actually more excited this time than he was the last time, which is kind of crazy to me, but hey, I'll take it! This is the last time there will be a pregnancy to announce, a baby to plan for. We should soak it all in as much as possible! </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-73355201954560336772015-03-11T20:10:00.001-07:002015-03-11T20:10:02.435-07:00In the Midst of Indecision<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For months now, I have gone back and forth about having another baby. I had always planned on having four kids, but after Natalie was born, three sounded just fine to me. Then Julia was born. She started out a wonderful sleeper, but that ended at three months and even at 12 months old, she still woke up twice every night (now at 14 months old, she wakes once and recently slept through the night twice in a week! Progress!). From birth, she had a throat-grinding, painful sounding scream that took a very long time for Alex and I to get used to. Her temper is fierce and rises to the surface in an instant when you put her down, put her in the car seat, or when life just generally doesn't go her way. She is cute and smart, bashful and brave, but she hasn't made the should-we-have-another-baby-someday decision very easy. In my mind, I hoped that Alex would come around and agree that one more child would complete our little family and that Lord willing, we could become a family of five when Julia was about two and a half. Then I started getting baby fever. I blame it on Julia turning a year old. All the websites and books and baby updates start labeling your precious babe a "toddler" as soon as that one-year milestone is reached. Alex and I agreed that I was insane for feeling this way, lol. He was by no means ready to consider changing our family dynamic yet, if ever.<br />
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A couple of friends are having babies or trying to conceive, which I guess is pretty common when you're still in your twenties. Everyone around you gets married and within a few years, babies start coming and conversations change from buying houses, home decor, what recipes you make that are husband-approved to cycle-charting, morning sickness, labor and delivery plans, nursery decor, to how to get the baby to sleep at night. I think that as a twenty-something woman, it's only natural for me to struggle with family planning since I am still in the midst of that "ideal" time in my life to be having babies and keeping up with toddlers and, now that I have a 3 year old, a preschooler. I have had this conversation with more than a dozen people in recent weeks. "How did you know that you were "done"? Was it hard going from 2 to 3, or 4 or 5...? How long did it take for you and your husband to get on the same page? I'm just not sure. He's just not sure. I want my kids to grow up with siblings..."</div>
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Then I realized something wasn't quite right. I took a pregnancy test. And 3 minutes later, the future of our family was decided. Two pink lines appeared. I was pregnant. Me. Who struggled for 11 agonizing months to get pregnant the first time around. Who miscarried the second time. Who has to plan and try and endure the stress and heartbreak of things not happening as quickly as I would like for them to. Got pregnant without planning it. Without "trying". Holy cow. Um, yeah. I was stunned.</div>
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I didn't say anything to Alex because he was leaving for a week-long business trip in two days and I didn't want to blurt out that ready or not, he was going to be a daddy again, but have a great time on your trip and work hard! Good luck concentrating now that I've dropped this bombshell in your lap! I tested again the next day and confirmed that the first test wasn't a fluke. Alex left for his trip the following morning, and I spent the week just dying to tell him every time we talked on the phone. Never mind that he was on his lunch break or getting ready to go sight-see with co-workers or step back into a meeting. I have news to tell you and I want to tell you right now!!! Gah! I did call my doula because she was nearly booked up for Julia's birth month when I called her at 6 or 7 weeks pregnant. She is a vital part of my birth plan, so I couldn't take a risk on her not being able to take me on as a client! </div>
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In the midst of my indecision, I feel like God stepped in and said, "Would you chill out, woman?! I have this all figured out and you just need to relax and trust me. I've got this! This is the plan. Go along with it. It's all going to be ok." So now, 4.5 days later as I'm writing this (although I will post it later), I am feeling excited, nervous, a little stressed, still in shock, but I can't wait to tell Alex. I've been praying for God to prepare his heart. I don't want the memory of the moment I tell him to forever be negative because all he says is, "Well, guess there's nothing we can do about it now. We will never get a full night's sleep again!" or "Oh crap!" Ha! And the detail-lover in me is thinking about the finances, the need for a bigger vehicle to fit 3 car seats across the back seat because there is currently something like a meager 6 inches between Natalie and Julia's car seats right now, where is the baby going to sleep, when should Julia move out of the crib, should she move into Natalie's room or stay in her room with the new baby, what will the grandparents think because I<i> know</i> they think I already have my hands full, who cares what they think, who cares what <i>anybody</i> thinks, how much longer until I can tell more people, don't forget to tell so-and-so, don't forget to take your prenatal vitamins! It's a busy place in my brain right now!</div>
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Baby G-3 is due in early October. This is just further proof of God's sense of humor: after I miscarried, we purposely waited to try to conceive again to specifically avoid October as the birth month of our second child because there are 5 family birthdays and 2 anniversaries that month, including ours. God says, "Who cares if your kid has to share a birthday party with their cousins or your anniversary?! Ain't no big thang!" (Yes, God does talk like that, in case you were wondering.) So, here we are, our future mapped out before us. Thank you, Lord, for making the decision easier ;) Seriously. I mean that. </div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-62360061929555741182015-02-04T19:57:00.000-08:002015-02-04T19:57:36.937-08:00Julia at 12 Months<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Despite not having posted a single thing in over 8 months, I do think about my little blog from time to time and how I really have zero time to write what has been happening in my life even though I do want to write <i>something</i> so that I can look back years from now and remember what it was like when my kids were little. So here I am. Julia turned one on January 16. She started walking the week of Thanksgiving, so she was getting around really well at her party. We had our families over for finger foods, cake, and ice cream, after Julia's nap. She loved her little slice of carrot cake and ate it all up! She received a stuffed owl pillow that I made to match her nursery, a cloth doll, a giraffe heating pad stuffed animal, a pull along puppy, funds to open a savings account, and a ball/block run that is kind of like a marble run/plinko game combo.<br />
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Julia has consistently woken up twice during the night for months now. We have hit a wall and she just will not make any progress in the sleep department! She is weaned during the day and only nurses during the night. Her favorite foods are pretty much anything, but she especially loves grapes, raisins, and spaghetti. She babbles constantly, but only says a few words like Da-da, uh-oh, yeah, hi, yay, and no. She finally said "mom-mom" the other day, but won't say it again! Stinker! Despite her limited vocabulary, she is great at communicating what she wants and shows that she understands what we say to her. If I ask her if she wants to eat a snack, she heads straight for the kitchen. She leans, grunts, and points to what she wants and refuses to use correct sign language and instead has invented her own sign for "more". Her favorite activities are baths, swinging, playing with dolls, and playing in the kitchen cabinets. She loves her big sisters and is interacting with her more and more all the time. It is an answer to prayer that they have grown to love each other. I'm praying that it continues and lasts a lifetime! Julia loves "patting the Bible" while you sing "The B-I-B-L-E". In the church nursery, there is a basket full of little New Testaments that they pass out to the kids while they sing that song and she goes for it immediately when you take her to the nursery and starts patting the Bibles. She dances and enjoys music and singing and loves sitting on my lap and banging on the piano when I try to practice. I pretty much practice in vain because she screams if I put her on the floor and don't let her sit on my lap to "play". She can almost run now and walks very quickly. She can climb the stairs to Alex's office in probably 20 seconds or less. She is super fast! She usually just takes one nap a day and is ready for bed around 7. She wakes up like clockwork as soon as my head hits the pillow (around 11:30 pm) and again usually between 1 and 3 a.m. and wakes up anywhere from 6:45 to 7:45 most mornings. She weighs 19 pounds and is 29 inches tall. 18 month pants are usually too long on her, but we make them work. She adores her family and has a really sweet relationship with all of us. I think I am her favorite person, but Daddy and big sis are close seconds.<br />
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This past year has flown by even faster than Natalie's first year and I am afraid that I haven't documented it very well. In true second-child form, I haven't taken as many pictures and obviously didn't write as many monthly updates. But Julia is still so special to us and we treasure every day with her. She has taught me so much about perseverance, flexibility, unconditional love, and my own weaknesses. Mothering two littles is a whole new ball game, but I think I have found my "groove" and don't quite feel like I am still in survival mode. With just Natalie, I used to get bored with the same old routine every single day, but now with two kids, there isn't time to be bored. And I like that. I look forward to watching my girls grow up and grow closer to one another. We have come a long way in just a year! Here's to many new adventures ahead!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-8883799325145536062014-05-31T09:32:00.001-07:002014-05-31T09:33:30.880-07:00Julia at 2 Months<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, I just realized I had written this post, never finished it, and thus never published it. Since blogging has been my girls' only "baby book", I wanted to go ahead and publish it, albeit out of chronolgical order, so that it would be easier to find down the road when I'm feeling nostalgic and want to read what life was like when the kids were babies. So, bear with me as I publish Julia's 2 month update while she is 4.5 months old, because <i>that's how I roll.</i><br />
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Julia turned two months old last Sunday. We went for her well child check up this past week and I had my postpartum check up as well. Miss Julia weighs 12 pounds 1 oz and is 22 inches long, putting her in the 80th and 50th percentiles, respectively. She is definitely more filled out than Natalie ever was, lol. Natalie was 11 pounds 12 oz and 23.5 inches tall at 2 months (75th and 90th percentiles).<br />
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Our sweet baby "talks" to us quite a lot and has smiles for anyone who will have a conversation of "coos" with her. She loves being held facing outward or on her belly in a Superman hold, just like her big sis did. She enjoys being worn in my ring sling, which is a lifesaver in the grocery store and outside while Natalie is playing. I remember thinking that Natalie got more fun around 3 months old, but I feel like Julia is already more fun right now because of how much she enjoys interacting with me. I think we have a social butterfly on our hands! Julia DESPISES baths and screams her blood-curdling scream the entire time until she is dry and dressed again. She came really close to rolling over from belly to back yesterday, so I am excited to see her accomplish that soon!<br />
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Julia still nurses every 2 hours and usually sleeps anywhere for 5 to 8 hours at night before waking up to eat. Hooray for babies that sleep well!!! I think she has a shallow latch, which is causing me quite a bit of discomfort still. My doula suggested trying different feeding positions to see if that helps.<br />
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Natalie still loves her little sister, but she has recently entered deeper into the terrible twos with more frequent tantrums and bad behavior. Alex and I are growing wearing from disciplining her for the same things over and over all.day.long.everyday. I have asked more experienced moms for tips on disciplining a toddler and the resounding answer is that you just survive it and one day they will get better. Not exactly what I was hoping or expecting to hear, but I am hopeful that it will ring true for us in the near future before I lose my mind and pull all my hair out! My mom says to speak out that we are going to have the "Terrific Twos" and I try to do that as I discipline Natalie for the 1, 346,782nd time. </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-53844777934212613512014-05-20T19:24:00.002-07:002014-05-20T19:24:56.419-07:00Life with a 4 Month Old<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Life won't slow down and most days it feels like I am just along for the ride. I blinked and my baby is now 4 months old. I feel like I am on the verge of a breakthrough with figuring out my new normal since Julia was born, prioritizing what needs to be done and what I want to get done around the house, coming to terms with living in "survival mode" and letting go of things that just aren't as important as being present with my girls. I made a chore chart in the hopes of getting more done around the house, but decided it was too much to handle after the first day. As long as we all have clean clothes to wear and clean dishes to eat off of, that is enough for now. It's not worth it to me to go and go and go all day long cleaning and playing, running, running, running, and then not have any energy left after the kids are in bed to enjoy my down time. So that is where I am at right now. Tired and trying to find balance.<br />
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Miss Julia turned 4 months old on Friday. She started out her life as an amazing sleeper, but right at 3 months, that all changed and she started waking up 3-5 times a night. My seasonal allergies started bothering me and it seemed that Julia's nose became constantly stuffy at the same time, causing her to not sleep as well. She teased me a bit on Friday because she slept all night for the first time in over a month, but went back to waking up a lot again every night since. Combine that with the fact that Natalie comes into bed with us in the middle of the night and this mama isn't getting great sleep.<br />
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On a more positive note, I just love Julia's little personality. She is so social and smiles whenever you talk to her. She gets bashful and turns her face away as she smiles at you, which is so sweet. She giggles when you tickle her, which has to be one of the best sounds in the world. My heart was full tonight watching Natalie talk to Julia and watching Julia smile and laugh in response. Natalie will tell me, "I want to talk to Julia! Hello, Julia! Hello, Julia! Hello, Julia!" It's like she doesn't know how to have a one-sided conversation with her baby sister just yet, but I love her heart and know they will keep growing closer as they get older. It has always been my prayer that they would be best friends.<br />
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Julia rolled over during the middle of the night one time, but hasn't rolled over again since. She has started reaching for toys and anything within her reach, including my hair, which she tries to eat. Not fun for Mama. The similarities between her and Natalie as a baby are uncanny. Both girls have tempers and scream when they are mad, both love being outdoors and calm right down when we head outside, both girls have a strong attachment to me and don't like to be held by anyone else for very long, they both love moving around a lot and standing up on their feet if being held on someone's lap. The Jumperoo has started getting some use, as well as the Bumbo chair, but Julia doesn't generally enjoy being put down for very long. I bought a Lillebaby carrier to use on walks and while out shopping instead of carrying the carseat into the store and Julia and I both love it. She sucks on her fingers or thumb and sometimes falls asleep in it and I love being close to her while still having my hands free to do things with Natalie.<br />
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Natalie seems to still be doing well having a baby sister around, but she is still really rough at times. The instant she hears Julia crying or cooing after a nap, Natalie tells me, "Julia awake!!! I wanna talk to her!" and she runs in the nursery to tell her "Hi!". It is so sweet and Julia usually smiles at her through the crib slats. She likes to hand me diapers and take toys away from Julia, which we are working on with her. She is growing into a little girl more every day. Now she helps me unload the dishwasher and wants to get undressed by herself. She has been saying nursery rhymes and little songs during the day and asks me to sing with her. Some of her favorite songs are If You're Happy and You Know It, Apples and Bananas, 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, The Wheels on the Bus, and The B-I-B-L-E. She still eats non-stop and right now especially loves candy-lope (cantaloupe) and trail mix. There is never a dull moment in our home. I just wish I had half the energy she has. Alex's nickname as a child was Taz, and Natalie sure has inherited his energetic ways. </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-35089483979205725002014-03-05T16:01:00.001-08:002014-03-05T16:01:35.234-08:00Blog Makeover!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you seen my blog's new look? I am so excited about it! My friend, Callie, at <a href="http://www.throughcloudedglass.com/" target="_blank">Through Clouded Glass</a> blog, generously offered to design a new template for my blog since she is starting her own little business on the side. She knows far more about all that stuff than I do and created something that uses all my favorite colors and captures my personality beautifully.<br />
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I found Callie's blog over 3 years ago when she was expecting her first child and we have become good friends in the years since. She writes honestly about faith and family life and is one of the most thoughtful people I know, so go check her out, make a new friend, and hit her up if you'd like to hire her to give your blog a makeover! Thank you so much, Callie!!!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-35665828796050888742014-02-16T19:16:00.002-08:002014-02-16T19:16:45.812-08:00One Month with Julia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time really flies when your days consist of juggling the needs of a newborn, a toddler and normal household stuff! I went back to re-read some posts about Natalie at 3 weeks and 2 months and I must say, I'm so thankful that Julia has not had her days and nights mixed up like her big sister did! We still get up about 3 times a night, which is rough enough on poor ol' mom, but thank goodness for nap time! (Natalie is asleep on the hardwood floor at my feet as I type...that's a new one.)<br />
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My favorite thing about having Julia in our family is seeing how much Natalie enjoys her. She tells me several times a day that she loves her baby sister and it just melts my heart. Natalie loves "reading" books to her baby sister and tries to keep Layla away from her. After Julia wakes up from a nap, Natalie sometimes says, "Eyes open!". I guess she doesn't know the word "awake" yet, haha. She recently starting giving Julia hugs and kisses before going to bed and then I hold Julia up so she can give Natalie a "kiss", too. <br />
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Valentines Day was a bit of a disaster for us this year. We had friends over for dinner and both kids were in bad moods. Julia became hysterical, I think because I waited too long to try and feed her and she got too worked up to calm down. Then I finally got her calmed down enough to eat, and Natalie started acting out. After dinner, Julia started crying hysterically AGAIN, this time because she was fighting sleep. And boy, does she have an ear-piercing "mad" cry. Think nails on a chalkboard. I took her to our bedroom and shut the door while I tried to calm her down, but nothing worked. Finally, I remembered something from a video I'd watched earlier in the day and decided to try swaddling her to help calm her. Our friends were getting ready to leave as I walked out of the bedroom, with tears in my eyes. Of course, Julia would stop screaming and fall asleep as soon as they were gone!<br />
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I'm really curious to see what kind of personality Julia has as she gets older. She and Natalie seem so much alike, but I'm sure they will have their differences. They have both liked being held facing outward or up on your shoulder so they can see what is going on around them. Both have tempers, although Julia's has only come out more recently, whereas Natalie showed hers immediately after being born. Julia loves being held...maybe a little too much. She usually wakes up as soon as I try to put her down for a nap any time during the morning. Thankfully, for her afternoon naps, she tends to sleep deeper and longer on her own in the pack n play or her cradle. I love cuddling with her, but I don't want to take away from Natalie and sometimes I feel like I'm depriving Natalie of quality attention because Julia is always in my arms. Julia usually loves the swing, which has been a big lifesaver. Another lifesaver has been my homemade Moby wrap. There have been a few times where Julia was upset and she calmed right down when I wrapped her up in that on my chest. My first and only solo trip to Walmart with both kids necessitated the use of the Moby wrap. I do not look forward to going out alone with them again before Julia is old enough to sit up in a shopping cart or the weather is warm enough to wear her from the car into the store and leave the car seat in the car. <br />
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Julia weighs 10 pounds according to our home scale. She gained 14 oz during her first week of life alone! She outgrew her newborn clothes around 2 weeks old and has been wearing size 1 diapers for about 2 weeks. If our cloth diapers fit her now, I'll probably start using them soon. Two kids in cloth should be interesting! I can barely keep up with the laundry as it is! Our poor girl suffers from a lot of gas pains and spits up far more than Natalie ever did. I feel so bad for her. I don't know if it's because of what I'm eating or what, but I wish she didn't have to deal with all that. It's definitely something to talk to the doctor about at her next appointment.<br />
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<i>Julia,</i><br />
<i> You captured my heart from the start, and I can't imagine life without you. I was worried about bonding and falling in love with another daughter, but it happened so quickly and naturally and for that I am so grateful. You give me such cute little smiles even though I don't think you do it on purpose yet. Everyone says you look like your grandma (my mom) and I agree, although I think you look a lot like your big sister, too. Maybe one of these days you'll start sleeping better at night like you did in the beginning, but until then, I'll try to enjoy our frequent mid-night cuddle sessions because all too soon you will grow up on me. I love you so very much, my sweet girl! </i><br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-21913863869414447912014-01-31T11:23:00.001-08:002014-01-31T11:23:59.830-08:00Julia's Birth Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I finally finished writing Julia's birth story, but be forewarned, it's a long one (What can I say? I'm a detail person!). Julia was "due" Saturday, January 11. Even though that day came and went with no signs of labor, I wasn't too terribly antsy about still being pregnant. Everyone at church on Sunday commented about what she was going to come and I'd tell them that I hoped the full moon later that week would bring her. To help pass the time, I sewed a valance for the nursery window using the leftover fabric from the baby quilt my mom is making and worked on cleaning out more of my crafting supplies and the desk from the nursery.<br />
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On Wednesday the 15th, I started having very mild cramping throughout the day and was hopeful that it meant real labor was imminent. Early Thursday morning, around 4:30, Natalie climbed into bed with us, once again, but I couldn't stay asleep because more painful contractions kept coming every so often. Finally, around 6:30, I got up because I couldn't sleep and began timing the contractions on Alex's phone using a contraction timer app (gotta love technology!). Because the pain wasn't unbearable yet, I figured it was as good a time as any to finally sew a nursing camisole, so I did that while Natalie ate her breakfast. What else do you do during early labor?! Unlike my labor with Natalie, which was just back labor, I was feeling the contractions in the front and the back. It was really hard for me to find a semi-comfortable position during the pain. They kept coming 2-4 minutes apart, but were only lasting 30-45 seconds (or so I thought). I called my doula, M, and let her know what was going on and cancelled my doctor's appointment that was supposed to have been later that morning. Then I went to the bathroom and saw more evidence that things were progressing. My mom came and picked Natalie up around 10:30. Alex and I tidied the house and then I got in the tub to try to help with the pain. After a while in the tub, I felt like things had slowed down, and I was getting bored, so I got out. Many women find water to be helpful for pain management during labor, but it just seems to slow my labors more than anything.<br />
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I had made arrangements for my mother-in-law to pick M up and bring her to our house and she arrived around 1:30 p.m. As she watched me having contractions, she felt my stomach and said the contractions were lasting longer than the 30-45 seconds that I thought they were. I had only been timing the painful part, but my stomach was staying hard longer, making them around a minute long. That was encouraging! Now I felt like we were really getting somewhere. By 2:00, I was having back-to-back contractions that were increasingly painful, so M checked me and I was about 3.5 cm dilated and we decided to head to the hospital. My goal was to labor at home longer than I did with Natalie and avoid getting to the hospital so early that they send me home. No woman wants to make a 45-minute car ride to the hospital more than once! We grabbed a plastic tablecloth and some towels, all our bags, and the infant car seat and headed out. Thankfully, I didn't have as many contractions in the car, so the ride wasn't as awful as I thought it might be. We did have to make a pit-stop at a Dollar General on the way because I kept having to empty my bladder. I just didn't want to have any contractions in front of random strangers because, well, that would be awkward!<br />
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When we arrived at the hospital, the L&D wing did not have a clean room for me, so I went to triage for monitoring while they prepared a room. Apparently the full moon had sent a lot of women into labor over the past couple of days and the hospital had been really busy! The monitoring confirmed that I was having strong, regular contractions, but the baby's heart rate was on the fast side, indicating that I needed to breathe more during contractions to ensure she was getting enough oxygen. I was dilated to 4 cm. We got to a room and I decided to get in the tub again to help manage the pain. When that was no longer helping, I decided to give the shower a try. The hospital has awesome two-person showers with 3 shower heads on each side so that water hits you all over and feels really good when you're in labor. Unfortunately, the water temperature wasn't very warm for very long, and I ended up getting out to warm up and try something else.<br />
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M applied counter pressure to my hips while I leaned on Alex during contractions. My dad came by after he got off work around 6 pm and brought me Greek yogurt since I hadn't packed enough food to eat during labor and was hungry and needing energy. Several hours had passed since we'd arrived at the hospital and I was curious to know how much progress I had made, so we asked the nurse to check me. I was at 4.5 cm, just half a centimeter more than I had been 3 hours earlier. I was devastated. I began to cry and laid down on the bed and let it all out. My dad tried to encourage me and then decided to head home and I talked things over with M. We concluded that I had been tensing up my lower body during contractions instead of staying relaxed, which was keeping the contractions from being able to do their job, so I needed to try to stay loose in my hips and legs. After our chat, I got up to go to the bathroom for what seemed like the millionth time and I felt a pop and announced that I thought my water had broken. Sure enough, it had! It was 7:12 pm. This was a new experience for me since I had asked my doctor to break my water with Natalie and made it to 9 cm before he broke it. After my water broke, the nurse had to check me to make sure the baby's umbilical cord was not in the way and that the fluid was clear. I was dilated to 5 cm.<br />
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I sat on a birthing ball with M behind me providing that blessed counter pressure for the back labor and Alex in front for me to hold on to. I let my legs rest out in front of me with just my heels on the floor in an effort to keep my lower body relaxed. Sometimes, reclining at the waist and leaning into Alex that way felt better during contractions. It hurt so very badly! Having contractions in my belly was a new experience that I never had with Natalie, and there was nothing that helped take the edge off the pain. Strangely, pain medication was not tempting this time around like it had been with Natalie's labor. Maybe it was because I knew what my options were this time and I didn't want to be groggy from Stadol and didn't want a needle in my spine.<br />
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I went back to the bathroom, but felt the urge to push during the next contraction. M said that could be a good sign, indicating that I was "complete", but we would need the nurse to check me to make sure. She and the nurse, Misty, told me not to push, just in case I wasn't fully dilated yet because I could tear my cervix. I was dilated to 8 cm, I think. So, I had made quite a bit of progress since my water had broken and I'd starting staying relaxing my lower body. My doctor came by around 7:45 pm to check on me and said he was going to go eat "lunch", but would be back soon if I needed him. Not too long after he left, I was sitting on the edge of the bed with Alex behind me to lean back on and M sitting in front of me holding my legs, which suddenly felt like lead, too heavy for me to move myself. During one contraction, I'd ask her to keep my legs straight and the next, I'd beg for her to bend them and bring them up like they do when you're pushing. The next thing I know, during a contraction, my uterus takes over and starts pushing for me. I told M that I needed to push, but my body was doing it for me, that I couldn't control it. She got excited and got the nurse, who checked me and confirmed that I was complete! I was ready to push and it was only 8:30 p.m., a little over an hour since my dad had left and my water had broken!<br />
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It was all so surreal since I was more alert this time than I was with Natalie. With her labor, I was so exhausted from being awake for 32 hours by the time I started pushing that I was really zoned out. This time, I was tired for sure, but I wasn't falling asleep between contractions, and was more in tune with what was going on. I started out pushing while sitting upright (how I delivered Natalie), but after a while, I felt like I needed to change positions. Someone suggested I get on my hands and knees, so the nurses and M helped move me, but a contraction started halfway through, so I ended up pushing while lying on my side. After the contraction passed, they finished moving me to my hands and knees. I wrapped my arms around Alex's neck to help hold myself up. The doctor had given me two shots of numbing medicine just before I started pushing, and my legs and feet felt tingly like they were asleep. Pushing her out was soooo hard. It hurt like crazy despite the numbing medicine. I screamed for them to just get her out and finally, after 50 minutes of pushing, she was born. It was 9:25 p.m.<br />
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I couldn't see her since I was on my knees still, but they told me she was blue and not breathing because her shoulders had gotten stuck for 2 minutes and that had essentially squished her lungs on the way out. They took her to the warming table and pumped air into her lungs. I kept thinking, "Breathe, Julia! Breathe!" Finally, she cried! What a wonderful noise! Her forehead down to her cheekbones was bruised and her eyes had broken blood vessels from the tight squeeze, but she was perfectly beautiful. After she started pinking up, the nurses laid her on my chest and covered her with a warm blanket to help bring her temperature up. Alex and I discussed what to name her, and I told him that I had been thinking of her as Julia as soon as she was on the warming table. The longer we held her and got to know her, the more we agreed that she was our Julia Kate.<br />
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After an hour or so of skin-to-skin time and bonding, the nurses took Julia to be weighed and measured. She weighed 8.0 lbs and was 19.25 inches long. The nurse told me that I wasn't allowed to ever have a bigger baby because of how Julia's shoulders got stuck in my small pelvis and how Natalie needed to be delivered using suction. I had semi-jokingly told Alex during labor that IF we decided to have more kids, we were adopting. Labor was so painful! I couldn't imagine going through it again, even if I chose to get an epidural next time. And after going through natural childbirth twice, I can't really imagine not going natural again because I still feel like it's the best choice for me and our babies. (Now that two weeks have gone by, I think I could do it all again if we do decide to have another baby someday, but I'm in NO hurry!) I had discussed the possibility of going home as soon as possible with my doctor, and he agreed that as long as I was feeling up to it, he would discharge us when we were ready. We arrived home when Julia was exactly 24 hours old. My parents and brother brought Natalie back home to meet us, and Natalie was bouncing off the walls, despite the fact that it was an hour past her bedtime. She held Julia for a second and then had had enough of that. It became clear that she was more than ready for bed, but thankfully, after a good night's sleep, she was happy to see her baby sister again in the morning.<br />
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We're adjusting about as well as can be expected. Julia started out as a great sleeper, but has been waking up more frequently during her second week of life. Natalie still climbs in bed with us in the middle of the night every night, which doesn't help with our sleep deprivation. Alex was on vacation last week and worked from home this week. Natalie still seems to be enjoying her sister with very few issues with sibling rivalry. I'm hopeful that she'll learn to be gentle in time. I'm so thankful for friends bringing us meals and not having to worry about planning and prepping dinner. Julia is nursing like a champ and gained a whopping 14 ounces in her first week! One of my close friends took newborn pictures for us, so I can't wait to share those when they're ready! My hormones haven't been nearly as crazy this time as they were with Natalie, so I can say that the transition from one kid to two has been much easier than becoming a parent for the first time, but it is definitely a challenge trying to juggle the kids, housework, sleep deprivation, and self-care. I ventured out of the house by myself with both girls yesterday and well, I am in NO hurry to do that again any time soon! Mercy! It is just exhausting to drag the kids, winter coats, the car seat, and the diaper bag in and out of the car. And add to that a baby who wants to eat every hour and a half to two hours so you end up feeding her in the dressing room at Walmart and you get a shopping trip that lasts much longer than you want it to! So there you have it! Congratulations if you managed to hang in there til the end!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-42173798675390481052014-01-20T12:44:00.001-08:002014-01-20T12:44:37.475-08:00Meet the Newest Member of Our Family!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We welcomed Julia Kate into our family on Thursday, January 16 at 9:25 p.m. She weighed 8.0 lbs and was 19.25 inches long. <br />
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We came home the following evening and have been settling in quite wonderfully! I am already so in love with her and can't quite get enough cuddles. Natalie is adjusting to her role as big sister with very little problem. I am so proud of her! Full birth story coming soon!<br /><br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-78141834234716363772014-01-12T05:29:00.001-08:002014-01-12T05:29:12.695-08:0040 Weeks with Baby #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is what 40 weeks looks like! I made it! Now I've officially been pregnant 4 days longer than I was with Natalie and to be honest, it feels really good. Well, good emotionally more than physically. I'm in good spirits, staying busy with house cleaning and sewing. I finished a new nursing cover and am finally almost finished re-covering the glider rocker cushions! Maybe by the end of the day we will have my sewing machine and desk moved out of the nursery?!<br />
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Physically, things have been not so great with all three of us having a 24-hour stomach bug this week. A day of lying on the couch left me feeling really achy. My hips were so sore yesterday morning, but thankfully that eased up after being up and moving around for a few hours. And for weeks now, it has been so hard to roll over in bed! I am looking forward to being able to roll over and stand up without much effort and not having all this weight on my bladder. Yes. I am REALLY looking forward to that! <br />
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There is a full moon this week, so I'm hopeful that baby girl will make her grand entrance during that time so that we can finally meet and name her! The baby name book is packed in my hospital bag just in case we need some more inspiration... And can I just say that I am so thankful for Pinterest and it's infinite ideas for newborn photography? I found a super cute idea that I plan to recreate in the hospital. I'm so excited! Well, that's it. 40 weeks seems so surreal! Oh, and since we've moved the nursery, we've done some rearranging in Natalie's room, so I'll post some pics when I finally get around to it!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-53538650528834966302014-01-07T19:13:00.002-08:002014-01-07T19:13:31.002-08:0039 Weeks (Baby #2) & A Trip to the Bounce House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On New Year's Eve, we took Natalie to an inflatables games place for some quality family time. Our plan to feed her lunch and then head out so she would nap in the car during the hour car ride there worked like a charm. Alex stopped to get an oil change first, and she was out by the time it was finished and stayed asleep until we arrived at our destination. Groggy from her nap, it took her a little bit to warm up to the whole idea of the games, but once Alex got her going, she was unstoppable!<br />
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She amazed us with how she quickly figured out how to climb the stairs of the inflatable slide all by herself.<br />
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She enjoyed "playing" on the arcade games. I'm very thankful she doesn't yet realize you can put tokens in the games to actually play them and make them move! She was content just pretending to ride them. <br />
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The face of pure happiness: </div>
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After she wore us out (seriously, I was EXHAUSTED from chasing her all over), we took Natalie to Steak 'N' Shake for dinner. She ate every single bite of her food and then "helped" Alex pick out which shake to order.<br />
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She doesn't look impressed, but believe you me, the kid loves her ice cream!<br />
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Then she proceeded to eat pretzels and water on the way home and an entire apple when we got home. Little piggy had worked up an appetite after all that playing! We had such a great time!<br />
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It's hard to believe that our time with one child is coming to a close. It has been easy to steal snuggles lately since Natalie hasn't been feeling well and wants to be held a lot. Between stomach bugs, sinus congestion, and coughs, our family has been fighting illness on and off since October. I do not want to bring the new baby home to a house full of sickness! I've been dealing with sinus issues since the week before Christmas! <br />
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On Saturday, when I turned 39 weeks pregnant, I decided I needed to go ahead and take another belly photo. Bathroom selfies are the "in" thing, right? So, I decided, why not join the bathroom selfie club and snap a picture? Not so easy. One look in the grimy mirror and I started cleaning the bathroom. It needed to be done anyway. Never mind that it was 11 pm!<br />
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Natalie came 4 days before her estimated due date, which would be today, if this baby had chosen to follow big sister's footsteps. I'm glad that baby #2 has decided to stay warm and cozy right where she is considering that it is currently 9 degrees outside and our street is a sheet of ice. Tomorrow's high is 40 degrees, so she is welcome to come once the ice melts!<br />
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My symptoms have stayed the same. Frequent heartburn, energy that comes and goes, my legs often feel like lead and I get tired easily, no more than 3 Braxton Hicks contractions a day, very minimal swelling of my hands and feet. Baby is still moving around like she has all kinds of room in there. I don't quite know how she's managing that, but I'm enjoying feeling her on the inside while I still can.<br />
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With the weather being so cold and icy, Alex worked from home yesterday and I got a TON of cleaning done around the house. Maybe that was my "burst of energy" before going into labor? Not sure how soon before labor you usually get that burst, so who knows. We rearranged some of Natalie's bedroom furniture to make room for a play tent, I vacuumed most of the house, did quite a few loads of laundry, scrubbed some floors, dusted the living room, took a nap, and made dinner. I don't think there's much more to be done before we bring our baby girl home, and if it's not done at this point, I really don't care if it gets done. Life will go on! Besides, I'd rather enjoy time with Natalie than be busy cleaning during her every waking moment right now!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-58652167739071700482013-12-30T19:24:00.002-08:002013-12-30T19:24:53.373-08:0038 Weeks with Baby #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was my last Monday of babysitting our nieces until well after the baby is born, so I asked our 8-year old niece to take a belly pic for me. My camera is clearly not behaving lately since this picture is just as fuzzy as the last one. Dagnabit!<br />
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Out of fear of forgetting something important, I finally wrote down my pre-baby to-do list and starting tacking projects. In two days, I have packed our hospital bag, washed covers for the car seat, swing, bouncer, play gyms and cradle mattress, started recovering the cushions for the glider rocker (a project that has been in the making since I was pregnant with Natalie. Oops!), cleaned the laundry room, and written out a few Scriptures to look at for encouragement during labor. Alex brought the cradle down for me today and Natalie immediately climbed into it. She looked pretty darn cute, but I made her get out and suggested she put her baby doll in it instead. She went and got her doll, laid her down in the cradle and proceeded to rub the baby's back like I do to her. She sure knows how to melt my heart, and she's been doing a good job of it lately, too. Whenever I bend down to get in a lower cabinet or something, she'll come over and rub my back and then give me a hug and a kiss. Sometimes she even asks, "You ok, Mama?" Precious. I decided to cuddle with her in her toddler bed tonight, a feat easier accomplished in a larger bed or without a big belly in the way, and she started rubbing my arm. I tried to get up at one point, and she sat up and pushed my head back down to the pillow. Guess she wasn't ready for me to leave her just yet! I'm soaking up the cuddles and making sure to try and take advantage of opportunities to show her that she is special and I'm here for her. With all the changes that have already happened and the ones getting ready to take place, I want to help her feel safe and secure instead of anxious. <br />
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Once we get the car seat installed and bags packed for Natalie to take to my parents' and for the baby, I think all the necessary things will be done. I have a laundry list of sewing projects that I'd like to tackle, but we shall see about those.<br />
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I've had a couple Braxton Hicks contractions the last two days and plenty of heartburn as soon as I eat sugar. And have I mentioned how badly I've craved sweets?!<br />
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Tomorrow, we are taking Natalie back to an inflatable games place we first went to back in February. The plan is to feed her lunch and then let her nap in the car on the hour-long ride there. I hope she enjoys it as much as she did when she was 14 months old. She really surprised me back then. I thought she'd be intimidated by it all, but she was my little wild child, running around as fast as her little legs would take her. I'm really looking forward to having some good quality family time before Alex heads back to work Thursday and our family of 3 becomes 4. Hopefully the camera will cooperate tomorrow and we can get some good pictures to remember the day by, too!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-4742559942290566772013-12-26T19:57:00.000-08:002013-12-26T19:57:06.516-08:0037 Weeks with Baby #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been entirely too lazy with the belly pictures this time around. Weeks go by where I think about taking one and put it off again and again. I finally bit the bullet and took this one, and of course, it is fuzzy! 37 wks 3 days with still-nameless-baby-girl-Godin:<br />
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We put all the Christmas decorations away today because I was just too eager to get the baby gear out. Natalie immediately tried to climb into the baby's swing, but I convinced her to let her new baby doll go for a ride in it instead. She got a new doll for her birthday and is obsessed with it and enjoys trying to feed it her food, letting her sit in the booster seat, high chair, training potty, etc. I think she is going to really enjoy having a real baby in the house, but I am going to have to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't do anything dangerous! Recently, a friend came over with her 2.5 month old baby and Natalie managed to pick the baby up off the couch when we were distracted. Talk about a heart attack!<br />
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Pregnancy has been enjoyable for the most part. My ribs have been behaving better recently and not causing me as much discomfort. Heartburn started up a couple weeks ago, but it's not horrible. Our last ultrasound at 35 weeks showed that this little one has hair like her big sister! My feet swell just a little bit at the end of days when I've been standing a lot, but that's not bad either. Over all, I feel really good. I just want this precious little one to be healthy and take her time. Well, maybe not too much time...41 or 42 weeks of pregnancy would surely test my emotional and physical strength! I feel very blessed to have a wonderful doctor who believes in God's intelligent design for a woman's body to successfully deliver babies and is supportive of my desire for a natural delivery. We're praying that our doula will be able to assist us in my labor despite having 3 other mothers due the same day as me. She made such a tremendous difference when I was laboring to bring Natalie into the world and we can't imagine going through labor again without her guidance. <br />
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These last few weeks are going to pass all too quickly. As excited and nervous and eager and anxious as I am to meet my new daughter, I do not want to be too busy or distracted by a to-do list or my own thoughts to spend quality time with Natalie before she has to share me with a sibling. Alex had to use up the last of his vacation time before the end of the year, so he is home with us until Jan 2 and then he'll be taking time off when the baby is born, so we have the opportunity now to make some good family memories with Natalie. She is at such a fun age, despite some recent challenges with nap and bedtime routines and general discipline. God is faithful and will give us the wisdom we ask for when dealing with her. I just really hope we ALL handle the coming transition smoothly. Sleep deprivation and hormone swings make me the most nervous, but it will all be ok. Millions of other mothers have gone through it before me, so I can get through it, too! Hallelujah! </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-67744490160897221502013-12-21T17:59:00.003-08:002013-12-21T17:59:26.693-08:00More Natalie-isms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Natalie pronounces the word pineapple as "apple bapple". I LOVE hearing her say it! Cracks me up. And the kid loves her "apple bapple" as much as her mama. <br />
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Recently, Natalie kept opening the freezer door and grabbing the ice cream ("ow keem") before dinner. I told her we could have some after dinner, so after we ate, she grabbed it again and Alex told her that mommy would share with her. She came into the dining room where I was and said, "Ow keem! Share it? Mama?" How could I say no to that?<br />
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The other day, we were listening to our Veggietales station on Pandora and the song, "I Like to Move It" from the Madagascar soundtrack came on. Natalie jumped up and down, spun around, waved her hands and "moved it" like a wild woman. Now she asks for "move it move it" quite often. I am not crazy about the lyrics and wish she'd get hooked on a catchy Christian song instead. The Veggietales station drives me a little crazy at times because no matter how I try to customize what they play, they still manage to play a ton of stuff that kids probably wouldn't like (think lots of slow songs) and there are a lot of secular songs thrown in there that I was trying to avoid by creating a Christian station in the first place.<br />
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Thursday, at her 2-year well-child check-up, Natalie made friends with just about everyone in the waiting room. My mom was with us and had been reading her a story, but Natalie decided she would rather have another grandmotherly lady read it to her instead. She said hello to everyone she saw and even tried to climb into a few laps. She is never that friendly with strangers! While waiting in the exam room, we helped her pronounce the doctor's name, so when he came in, she said, "Hi, Doctor Miller!". We ran into good friends in the waiting room as we were leaving and Natalie kept wanting the husband to zip up her coat. Then we headed to the chiropractor, whom Natalie has met once or twice I think, and she reached out all on her own and shook his hand!<br />
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I have loved watching Natalie grow and change and learn so many new things these last two years. It never ceases to amaze us when she learns new things, especially when she says or does things and we have no idea where she learned them. God is so good to have blessed us with this child. Sure, she gets under my skin and tests my patience, usually on a daily basis. It's certainly not all sunshine and roses being a mom. I just never want to take her for granted. She brings us lots of laughter and joy. I can't wait to see her as a big sister! </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-30052202298848736322013-11-14T17:27:00.001-08:002013-11-14T17:28:55.214-08:00A Big Ol' Brain Dump aka Pregnancy Dreams and Natalie-isms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Women talk about having some off-the-wall dreams during pregnancy and this time around, I have been no exception. At first, I had all nightmares, but lately my dreams just seem to be unbelievably random and well, kind of funny. I thought it might be nice to document them just so I could look back someday and remember what it was like to be pregnant with baby #2.<br />
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Two nights ago, I dreamed I married Daniel Boone. As in, the famous wilderness explorer/pioneer, Daniel Boone. Yeah. I hadn't watched any documentaries or anything that would have triggered that in my subconscious, so it must be those wacky pregnancy hormones! ;)<br />
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Before that, I had a dream that Tina Fey came to my house for my birthday along with a bunch of friends and their dogs. One friend has a HUGE Great Dane, by the way. It was a crazy party!<br />
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I started to write about the nightmare dreams, but I just can't do it. I don't think I'll ever want to remember those down the road. Lots of tragedy and sadness. No fun. So, on to a happier subject!<br />
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Natalie has been full of hilarious and/or cute anecdotes lately. Even though we are in the full-fledged tantrum-throwing phase, she can still be quite charming most of the time. Yesterday, after wearing out my nerves with incessant crying and whining for over an hour after waking from her nap, I heard her in the kitchen behind me as I was making dinner, saying all of her grandparents' names and the word "cousins". I turned around and she had her hands clasped together in front of her and then she said, "Night night. Amen." My sweet girl was praying for her family! It was the most precious thing ever!<br />
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Earlier this week, I dug out some books that I'd put away for when Natalie was old enough for them. I introduced her to Clifford, the Big Red Dog and well, she loved him. I read one book through and then she proceeded to "read" it herself, saying "Cifford" (no 'l') about every other word. She babbled on and on for a good long time.<br />
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Natalie repeats every. single. thing. she hears and sometimes it's just too darn cute. A couple of weeks ago I exclaimed in exasperation, "You are driving me nuts!" and Natalie said, "Nuts!" and ran to the pantry. I had to laugh and then deal with the mom guilt from saying that to her. She has discovered cashews and loves them. And she has an insatiable appetite these days, so it is like a constant feeding fest over here.<br />
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Baby girl wants to be held. A LOT. So she holds out her hands as if she expects you to hand her something, not like she wants to be picked up, if that makes sense, and then says, "Hole-jer?" I think she's saying "Hold her?" It's funny how she doesn't know to refer to herself as "I" and "me" yet, although I am in no hurry for her speech to develop to that point. We understand most of what she says and it's just sad when toddlers start speaking in full sentences, sounding like big kids!<br />
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I know there are more cute things that have happened lately, but my memory fails me. Natalie is in bed for the night and this mama needs to get busy sewing Christmas presents! My sewing machine awaits... <br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-56040732168415299302013-09-28T11:59:00.000-07:002013-09-28T11:59:23.513-07:00The Long Overdue Baby #2 Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's amazing how my blog post titles continue to get more and more un-creative...<br />
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It's also amazing what a poor job of documenting this pregnancy I've done...<br />
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But, alas, I finally took a belly pic and am posting it here for the world to see!<br />
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It's true what they say about showing earlier with your second baby. I feel like my belly has been noticeable since the middle of my first trimester. Maternity pants have been a must for at least a month and a half now, if not longer, but I'm still trying to make some non-maternity shirts work (see belly pic above, lol).<br />
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I've been taking fewer naps these days, although it's more out of stubbornness to enjoy some peace, quiet, and "me" time while Natalie naps and not because my energy has completely returned. It's getting there though. I started taking an iron tonic earlier in the week since I have always been borderline anemic and wanted to hopefully get a good report on my iron screening at my next doctor's appointment. The reviews of the tonic said it also gave lots of people energy, so here's hoping that the same will ring true for me! <br />
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Baby girl move around quite a bit, but is still wreaking havoc on my sciatic nerve on my right side. Chiropractic and prenatal massage haven't entirely helped the discomfort, but this too shall pass. I'm so grateful for my doula, Mattie and her beyond wonderful massages.<br />
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I'm craving sweets even more than usual, so bring on the Moose Tracks ice cream and apple pie!!! I made 2 pies this month - one for my birthday and one for company. Can't get enough apple pie! It's my favorite! I really do want to get the sweet cravings under control, so I stocked up on fruit at the grocery store yesterday and am going to try to make myself snack on that instead of the aforementioned Moose Tracks decadence. <br />
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Natalie is starting to catch on to the idea of there being a baby in my belly. Today, she patted my belly and said, "Baby!" out of the blue. I'm so looking forward to her being a big sister! I've been praying this whole time that my girls will be best friends from day one. Despite the fact that Natalie is a light sleeper, in my heart, I want her to share a room with the new baby, so we've rearranged the furniture a little to better accommodate the toddler bed being in the nursery. We'll see how it goes! Alex and I just started working on turning my office/craft room (the 3rd bedroom) into a combined office for the two of us, so that's even more motivation to make the kids' bedroom sharing work since it will allow us to keep our office set up until the day we (possibly) have a 3rd baby. <br />
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We have pretty much resigned ourselves to the idea of waiting until the baby is born to give her a name. We have a short list of contenders, and I'm sure hoping that one of them is THE ONE, otherwise, well, we're sunk. We have had SUCH a hard time agreeing on possibilities. It seems strange not having a name for her yet since Natalie had a name from day one. But, whoever she is, I'm excited to meet her and snuggle her close! Personalizing anything for her will just have to wait...<br />
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And speaking of that, a friend just gave birth to her third baby girl yesterday morning and she and her husband are still in the process of choosing the perfect name for her. I finally learned how to crochet edging on a receiving blanket, so I made one for the new baby.<br />
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My best friend's mom made two of these blankets for Natalie and they are now both mine and her favorite blankets. They are so generously sized that they can swaddle a newborn securely and still cover up a sleeping toddler. She gave me some pointers and after reading a few tutorials and ripping out a lot of mistakes, I finally figured it out. I have a blanket in progress for our new baby, too. Only 15 more weeks, give or take, and she'll be here! Man, that doesn't sound like much time. Eek! Have so much to do between now and then!<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-57334095463301104892013-09-23T19:16:00.000-07:002013-09-23T19:16:04.293-07:0021 Months on the 21st<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, Natalie turned 21 months old. I really wish that time would slow down already!Last Wednesday (9/18), we moved Natalie to her toddler bed. (I made her sheet and pillow case out of fabric from JoAnn's. Sheets are surprisingly easy!)<br />
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The first two nights, she shocked me by not getting up even one time to test her new boundaries (or lack thereof, since she isn't contained like in her crib). On the third night, our air conditioning went out, so her bedroom was too warm for her to be comfortable to fall asleep. We opened her window and let her sleep in just a diaper, but she was quite restless well past bedtime. Then she woke up at 5 am Saturday, wide awake and asking to eat. Not a good way to start the weekend. <br />
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She has shown a lot of interest in the potty recently, so I tried to start potty training her today. All along, I have been eager to be done with diapers, but after today, I'm in no hurry. Apparently Natalie is not as ready as I thought. We had NO success. It was ridiculous. Like, 3 accidents in 30 minutes ridiculous. So, I'm backing off and waiting, probably until Spring sometime once we're hopefully in a routine with the new baby. Part of me feels like a dope for thinking she could possibly be ready at this age and another part of me also feels like a loser for giving up after one day. But you know what? It's not the end of the world and life with cloth diaper laundry will go on and my child WILL be potty trained eventually, and that's what matters. Who cares if it doesn't happen right now. Just pray that I have enough energy to tackle the potty training when she's truly ready and am not just utterly exhausted from adjusting to life with 2 kids. I'm pretty scared about all that!<br />
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These days, Natalie thinks she is too big to sit in her high chair and
will only eat while sitting in a chair or next to us on the couch. She
hates wearing a bib and is getting picky about sippy cups. Um...mommy
hates cleaning up unnecessary messes, so just wear the bib and use the
no-spill cup, please, child!!! She is obsessed with apples and asks to
eat them all.the.time. We took her to an apple farm and Alex let her
mooch off an apple with him, so now she prefers to bite right into the
whole thing instead of having me cut it up for her. I made an apple pie last week and Natalie kept asking for "Ah-pie". She
can say "apple" clear as day, but for some reason, she hasn't figured
out how to say it with "pie".<br />
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We take a lot of walks around our neighborhood, and recently, we've been leaving the stroller at home. In some ways, it's nice not having to push a 30 pound stroller with a 26-pound toddler in it, but our walks last twice as long since we're constantly having to tell Natalie to keep moving. She likes to watch for animals and airplanes, pick up rocks, mystery berries, acorns, and flowers along the way. At least she's observant, enjoying nature, and getting some energy out! She asks to take a walk pretty much every day and even goes into the laundry room where we keep Layla's leashes to make sure her puppy gets to come along, too. Speaking of Layla...it is now Natalie's regular job to feed the dog in the morning and evening. She gets right into it, too! Sometimes she even tries to sneak a 3rd feeding in there in the afternoon...<br />
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Any time you ask Natalie a question, she answers with the cutest little "yes". My mom asked her something like, "Does Mommy have a melon in her belly?" and Natalie said, "Yes". Thanks, kiddo! Needless to say, she's pretty agreeable these days! She says well over 100 words and has finally started saying Grandma ("Damma". She has been saying her other grandparents' names for quite a while). She came up to me the other day with her hands clasped together and said "pray". So we did, and then at the end she said, "Amen!" It was precious!<br />
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I'm loving the age that she's at right now. Everyday is full of new things she has learned and figured out. It's amazing how quickly kids pick up on things! She loves to give kisses and asks to cuddle. She is definitely both a mama and a daddy's girl (just what we prayed for!). We're working on tantrums and how to not be upset when she doesn't get her way (like when mean old mommy doesn't choose the grocery cart with the car on the front for her to ride in). It's strange to actually be able to almost carry on a conversation with her now. She seems so grown up and yet still so much like a baby at the same time. I think she is going to be a great big sister! We had lunch at my parents' house after church yesterday and Natalie cuddled up next to me and started rubbing my belly. It was the most precious, sweet thing ever. She's never done anything like that. My mom tried to take a picture, but, as usual, Natalie's 6th sense for when the camera is out kicked in and she stopped being all cute. <br />
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So, that's life with a 21-month old Natalie! Never a dull moment around here and we wouldn't have it any other way! </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-67098082808855095802013-09-10T13:15:00.000-07:002013-09-10T13:15:11.906-07:00A Funny Bacon Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm back from oblivion just for a quick little story so that I don't forget it. Today is my 27th birthday. I woke up and popped some cinnamon rolls and bacon in the oven for a quick birthday treat/breakfast. Natalie has become quite the little fan of bacon and kept asking for more. We thought she'd had enough because she reached up and put a small piece on the counter like she didn't want it anymore, so Alex took it and fed it to Layla. Well, Natalie didn't like that at all. She ran over to Layla yelling, "No! Bacon!" and tried to pry the dog's mouth open to retrieve her bacon. I.love.my.child. Bless her heart! Hahaha!</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-57527673610417991582013-08-26T19:47:00.001-07:002013-08-26T19:47:46.402-07:00Before I Forget These Moments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the eyes of a 20-month old, every day is full of possibility. Opportunities to learn something new, to find new trouble to get into, maybe convince Mommy to give you a treat or two. Natalie is literally growing up before my very eyes and it is exciting and heart-wrenching at the same time. Her vocabulary has exploded to include approximately 80 words (I counted it up yesterday and today) and she's even started putting a couple phrases together like "shoes on", "want this", and "here, mama".<br />
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I wanted to remember a few moments and details that have stuck in my mind lately before I forget them. Yesterday, Natalie handed me a half-chewed piece of green pepper, so I told her to go throw it away in the trash and she ran to the kitchen to throw it away and then ran back to me yelling "Throw in trash!", all proud of herself. I was proud, too! Maybe it seems strange that I am proud of something like that, but she is just becoming so independent, plus that was only one of a handful of times that she has said two or three words together.<br />
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The grandparents have all gotten a kick out of Natalie's latest antic: checking mommy for a dirty diaper. Yeah. I guess she figured that since I pull her diaper back to check if she's clean or not that she should check mommy, too...<br />
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Natalie loves playing chase. She gets Layla to run after her in the backyard and just giggles and cackles and squeals in delight. When we're inside, she says, " 'Mon! 'Mon!" (c'mon) so that we will chase her around. <br />
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My independent toddler loves trying to buckle the chest clip on her car seat, the buckle in shopping carts and the buckle on baby swing on her swing set. She is starting to dislike eating in her highchair and prefers siting in a regular chair. Don't even think about trying to hold silverware for her or she will probably refuse to eat. Yogurt used to end up all over her face, hair, and bib, but now she manages to get the majority in her mouth. The first thing she has been asking for in the morning is to put on her shoes and a bow for her hair. I walked into her room to get her out of bed the other day and she immediately said, "Mommy! Hi!". Melt. My. Heart.<br />
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She might be growing up much faster than I'd like, but I'm going to do my best to remember as much about these busy days as I can and be a better mom tomorrow than I was today so that when my daughter looks back on her childhood, she will have fond memories, too. </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-90238595611783284232013-07-31T18:07:00.001-07:002013-07-31T18:07:21.138-07:00Baby #2: Boy or Girl?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Thursday, our little family headed to our doctor's office for a gender reveal ultrasound! They didn't offer this option when I was pregnant with Natalie, so we went a little further away to Lexington to find out early (16 weeks) with her. The excitement of a new baby joining the family is just too much for us to contain, apparently :) They quickly took us back to the ultrasound room where we got to take our very first look at Baby Godin #2. Seeing your baby for the first time, even if it's on a tv screen, is just surreal and oh so wonderful. So, after convincing the baby to move it's little foot out the way, the tech froze the frame and said, "Here it is! It's a..." I was honestly surprised at her announcement because the ultrasound looked very different from Natalie's, but we'll take her trained and experienced word for it...it's a girl!!! <br />
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Very early on in this pregnancy, I had hoped for a girl because I wanted to Natalie to grow up with a sister. I love my sisters dearly and can't imagine life without them. Getting to raise sisters who are close in age is sure to be an adventure. <i>Disclaimer: After the initial excitement of this pregnancy settled down, I got excited about the possibility of having a boy as well. We had a boy name picked out, which really vamped up my eagerness to find out the gender, so I was going to be really excited either way! </i>We are still working on choosing this baby's name, although we are finally making some progress! Alex and I both agree that choosing boy names is far easier for us as we have very different taste when it comes to girl names.<br />
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On the Saturday after our ultrasound, we invited our parents, local siblings, nieces and nephew over for a gender reveal party. I was absolutely exhausted and thus did not put forth as much effort into cute decorations or any party games as I would have liked to, but it still turned out nice. And the main focus is finding out the gender anyway, right? The week of the gender reveal, I learned to crochet baby booties and found a cute pattern for a boy's style bootie and a girl's Mary Jane style shoe and went ahead and made a pair of each. I wrapped each pink bootie in several layers of tissue paper for each set of grandparents to open.<br />
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My mom (in the blue shirt) said she had managed to stay neutral on the boy vs. girl debate, so she felt genuinely excited by the news that she would have a 5th granddaughter (there are no grandsons on my side so far!). My mother-in-law said she had anticipated a boy, but she was happy about having her 5th granddaughter as well. <br />
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We spend the rest of the party just visiting, noshing, and tossing baby name ideas around. We had a really great time!<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-725473810769802603.post-69529919100910103502013-07-09T13:04:00.000-07:002013-07-09T13:04:25.214-07:00NH Vacation Part 2: The Rest of the Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The day after we arrived in New Hampshire, we went to a family reunion on Alex's mom's side of the family. The kids swam in the ice cold water of the swimming pool pretty much the entire time we were there. The adults, however, only endured the water for a few minutes at a time to appease the begging children :) Natalie enjoyed playing with some water toys on dry land:<br />
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Alex's Aunt Kathy had a tire swing in her yard that made for a great photo op:<br />
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Tuesday, we went to a creative playground that reminded me so much of the wooden playground we had where I went to kindergarten. They seriously need to build one of these where we live. The closest one to us is 75 miles away. I wish I'd taken a picture of the whole thing because the little kiddy area where these pics were taken does not do it justice.<br />
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At the same park, there were walking trails that led to this river (we are so not a photogenic family!):<br />
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Friday, we hung out at Alex's Aunt and Uncle's for a few hours. Except for the first few days of the trip, it was around 100 degrees and soooo humid the whole time we were there. Natalie and Alex tried to cool off on a hammock in the shade:<br />
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Natalie looking fly in daddy's sunglasses:<br />
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Before we headed home on Saturday, we stopped to say goodbye to Alex's Grammy, Aunt and Uncle. Natalie was barely awake and hadn't eaten breakfast, hence the look of sheer delight on her face...ha!<br />
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We drove home separately from our little caravan so that we could stop to visit my lifelong friend, Boo, and her husband, Tim, in Pennsylvania. We have been friends since we were two years old. She was my maid-of-honor and now she's expecting her first child, a little girl, in August. Boo was a good sport and let us get a belly pic at 7 in the morning before we headed back on the road. </div>
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So, that about sums up our vacation! Natalie was a great little traveler and didn't get very fussy in the car. We kept her supplied with snacks and she watched a little Elmo, but for the most part, she napped, ate and played with toys and books. When we got home, she was excited to see her puppy, Layla, again and ran around the house doing a dance. I think she was glad to be free from her car seat after two long days of car riding! </div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12068605024725952723noreply@blogger.com0