Love Sessions..........

Photo shoot

2012-01-28T15:43:00.004-06:00

So my bestie and neighbor Eve took these AMAZING pictures 6 days after Ellie was born. I LOVE all of them but here are just a couple! :) I haven't been as good about taking pictures of Ellie as I was Hailey (for obvious reasons) but in my defense Hay never got a newborn photo session so hopefully they are even ;)

Birthmas-take 2

2012-01-22T20:36:00.006-06:00

So I don't know where I left off and I am too lazy to go back and read and see. But I pushed the baby girl out, they put her on my chest and I remember crying and being in horrible pain. I looked over at Steve and he was a crying mess. It was funny. He was more emotional about the girls birth's then I was! Judge me and say what you want but I am not one of those Mom's who immediately bonds with their baby and gushes over how gorgeous and in love w/ them they are. I am in a horrible immense amount of pain and I'm not really in a good mood. Maybe if I had an epidural or pain meds and was drugged and didn't feel as much as I did it would be different. Give me an hour and I am freaking over how gorgeous they are and kissing them and telling them how much I love them. But I'm just not emotional and do not react at all how I think I would. I'm just in pain and crabby. lol. It's weird.
Anywho after she came out I looked at Megan and Lydia and told them her name was ELLIE MARIE. I just LOVE her name and it was so hard to keep it secret for so long! OK so I told 2 people, my neighbor/close friend and my bff in Pittsburgh who I like never get to talk to. lol. But I knew neither of them would tell anybody and I was right :) I was excited to see how big she was, we all guessed her weighted while I was holding her up. I said 7 lbs 4 oz, Lydia said 7/11 and I don't remember if nurse Deb, Steve or Megan chimed in but I think they did. I think Steve said 6 something. So nurse Jen (Ellie's baby nurse, who did all her testing she was AMAZING and I soooo wanted her to be our night nurse when Deb left but alas was not) brought in the scale and they put her on it, Steve was holding my hand (as I was in DYING Pain from all the after birth crap ~~torture~~ they do to you) and was blocking my view when they put her on. Everybody gasped and freaked out and Lydia yelled at them to reset the scale because it SURELY wasn't right. I was so confused, and Lydia looked at me wide eyed and said it said she was 8# 5oz, EXCUSE ME? So they reset it and put her on but this time it said 8 POUNDS 6 OUNCES. That is exactly 2 pounds more then her sister! Holy cow! And I felt every pound of her! Ha. I was seriously in shock she was that big!

**Side note, Kate who said at my apt a couple weeks before that she was sure this baby was 8 lbs by looking at me then felt my belly and said she was wrong and she was only about 7 lbs was on call the next day and came in my room to check on me. We ended up talking for over an hour and she told me she totally lied about how big she thought the baby was. She said she thought I was going to have an anxiety attack if I knew the baby was that big. Hilarious! I love her to death she is so sweet and amazing. We laughed for a long time after that, and Lydia discharged me on Tue and I told her the story and we laughed so hard.

So everything after her birth is kind of a blur. I called Jess in Chicago, Steve called his parents in Michigan, and my parents, Nat and Hailey came up to the hospital about 2 hours after Ellie was born. Big sister was seriously overwhelmed and had a hard time. She didn't want anything to do with me but did love Ellie and held her a couple times. It was pretty sweet. I felt so bad though and wished I was "normal" and able to do more with her. Steve took her home soon after and it was just me, Meg and Ellie. Steve called me a little bit later and Hailey was freaking out screaming and crying in the car. I talked to her and calmed her down but I cried pretty hard after we hung up. It was HARD, my first night ever away from her and she was not doing well. She ended up being OK and doing great for Daddy. The 2 of them spent the next 2 days home alone together and did great. She took naps and went to bed like a champ. It was great and made me feel better.
So Ms Ellie went to the nursery to get her bath while I took one, and get all checked out. She wasn't holding her body temp very well so she was under the warmer for a little while and they wanted to watch her. FINALLY at like 10:15pm we got all settled into our post pardom room and I nursed her and chatted w/ Meg. Meg left and I tried to sleep but couldn't. We had an awful nurse Alana who was crass and grumpy and made the night not so fun. Oh well. The next day was great, the only people that visited were Mom, Nat, and Meg. It was stressful though b/c Ellie still wasn't holding her body temp and they were worried she was getting jaundace. It's a long complicated story but Kate told me the reason they were freaking out about her body temp was b/c I had strep B and it could have passed to Ellie. She was holding steady at like 96 degrees and they wanted her above 97. I of course freaked out, especially when Kate told me they would have to put her in the nicu for 7-10 days to start antibiotics if she didn't get it up soon. Oh my! Luckily later that night it shot up to 98 and held there the rest of the time. Little stinker already worrying her Momma! Ha.
Of course she ended up jaundice like her sister and had this Momma freaked out nursing as much as I could! It subsided but not until she was about 3 weeks. Her pedi wasn't too worried though and I just prayed about it lots and wasn't as hyper about it as I was with Hailey :)

Luckily everything else was great! B/c of how jaundice she was she didn't wake up much the first 2 weeks of her little life. I struggled to wake her to eat every 3 hours. It was scary! I tried everything! But the 3rd week she really "WOKE UP" so to speak, I think just life in general! She decided she hated life! She wanted to eat every hour on the hour and this Momma was tired and stressed! I think we settled now, she is super duper impatient if she is hungry and wants to eat NOW. If you make her wait 2 seconds to change her diaper she lets you know about it! :) Reminds me of a couple other people I live with in this house.........lol. She also fights sleep like her sister did but not half as bad. She is a little high maintenance but I can lay her down awake and she will fall asleep. I don't know what to do w/ that! It's glorious! We have had some long days and nights but she is a joy more then anything. God answered my prayers with this baby!

So my girl is now a month old (started this and didn't quite get to finish it. Such is my life now!) and while I LOVE my girls more then anything and they are SUCH blessings they also are a LOT of work! I broke down last night b/c Ellie had a horrible night and cried from 4:30pm-9pm. Plus Hailey finally decided she hated sitting in wet diapers and wanted to change her own diaper 4 times in an hour the other day. Not to say she wants to use the potty, but she is now forced to do so b/c this Momma can NOT afford that many diapers. So yeah we're potty training on top of having a wailing newborn, and a very demanding toddler. Oy vey! But this is life and I love it and wouldn't change it. As hard as the days are (one of my most favorite things to say is; "The days may be long but the years are short." And boy do I know that is true!) I know it's a season and soon I will want another newborn (not happening) and will miss the baby days! But I am excited for Ellie to be like 10 months, crawling, blabbing, getting into things, smiling and interacting w/ all of us. THAT age for sure I will miss and cry over! Some other random things I want to note before I post lots of pics of my gorgeous girls! (I will never ever get tired of saying "my girls!" ;)

*you totally forget how gross, yellow, and staining baby poop is
*you also forget how you change a diaper, only for them to poop in it 3 seconds later! I think one day I went through 4 diapers in a 2 minute time period. Seriously
*you ALSO forget how they shoot poop everywhere. Thank GOD for these handy changing pad things from Huggies. <3 them
*Night feedings SUCK. I can barely keep my eyes open. Soooooo hard for this Momma
*Ms Thang on the other hand thinks night feedings are great and loves to be cute and awake causing Momma to just sit and stare at her and talk to her. I'm trying to take it all in since this is the last baby an all.......
*nobody told me Hailey would be into every.single.baby.thing.in.this.house. She has destroyed Ellie's closet/changing table/carseat like 394820498 times. VERY frustrating for me.
*Hailey thinks it's her job to put all the straps on everything of Ellie's together. So when I go to put E in the swing/bouncy seat/car seat I have to first dangle E while I un-do the straps. I was warned about this but it still makes me mad and we're working on it.........
*why oh why do babies need you the most at 5:30pm when your trying to get dinner ready?? Sooo annoying!

Now on with the pictures...........

My not-so-little Christmas Blessing!!

Sister's meeting for the first time

With amazing Aunt Megan!!

Birthmas-UNO

2012-01-07T17:56:00.006-06:00

So I've been MIA, obviously my little sweet miracle is here. I need to blog her birth story and the days before/after it will be long and boring but I want to remember every minute of everything. We'll see how long this takes me to get it all down and how many parts I break it up to. Anywho.........
MAJOR MAJOR TMI. Even worse then Hailey's birth story!!! Sorry in advance.........this is really only for me and my memory!!

So I'll start with one of the biggest parts of the story that has nothing to do with me and my pregnant self.
On Tuesday the 20th I got a frantic phone call from my Mom. That in itself is a big deal since she is always level headed and it takes a lot to get her riled up. She was saying that my brother was not feeling well the last couple weeks and went on to tell me all his weird symptoms and what was going on. I was confused and had no idea what was going on until she told me he hadn't had pop/caffeine in over 2 weeks. I thought he was just detoxing from the evil drug that is caffeine. It can do weird things to your body. The only thing that threw me off was he had a huge hard brick in his stomach. Seriously?? It was creepy. They came over to play w/ Hailey for a little bit and hang out and he was totally NOT himself and looked horrible. Long story short, the next day I got a call from my Mom and she ended up taking Andy to the DR and they ordered an ultrasound for him later that day. We were all super worried. It could have been a tumor, hernia, infection, or number of other things. I was a mess and prayed and prayed. Basically I could handle ANYTHING but a tumor. I finally got a call from my sister later that night and it turns out not only did he have a hernia but the "brick" in his stomach was a infected mass the size of a grapefruit. NOT good. He ended up going in for an emergency cat scan after the ultrasound to confirm the findings. They decided not to do anything that night and send him for outpatient surgery the next day with a specialist at a different hospital. Since he doesn't currently have a job OR health insurance this was supposed to be the better/cheaper way to go about it.
So Thursday they go to a consult with the surgeon and he says they are doing the surgery that night at 5:30 and admit him. Of course the surgery gets pushed way back and he doesn't end up going in until like 8pm. Long story short before the surgery a tech came in, and said he isn't sure how Andy is alive, much less walking and talking and no fever. He said with the mass of infection that size he should be VERY VERY sick. Crazy.
So they had to make a 10" incision, push his hernia back in, and remove the grapefruit size infected mass. They have no idea where the infection came from or how it started. They think it was there for a few weeks, and if he had left it untreated much longer it could have been VERY very bad. The surgeon who has done 1000's of these surgery's was totally perplexed. He had never seen anything like it. I guess Brother is a medical mystery!!! Weirdness runs in the family what can I say.......
So after all that drama he was admitted to the hospital and told he will NOT be leaving for awhile to make sure he stays safe from infection and heals properly. So Christmas in the hospital was NOT in the plans :( I was quite upset but knew we were lucky he didn't have tumor/cancer and it wasn't a big deal we would celebrate later. So Friday night I was finally able to go up to the hospital to see him. I was feeling great and visited for a couple hours and then went home to put Hay to bed.
Andy was stuck in the hospital until Monday when he got discharged. It was insane, my poor parents running all over the place. He is going to have a lovely hefty hospital/Dr bill but it will all get taken care of, and I am amazed by how much God's hand and protection was over the whole situation. Crazy! He is doing better now, not 100% but getting there!

So all that to say it didn't DIRECTLY effect me, my family yes. It was stressful and horrible. But we survived. It is all tangled into my birth story though. And something I will always remember and want to remember details one day!

So now onto my little princess..........starts at my 38 week apt. I saw yet another new midwife (there are 6 in the practice, 5 of which could deliver you. I eventually saw all 6 by the time I delivered but was kinda psycho about meeting them all first before delivery) Kate. While talking to her she told me based on my belly size she guessed the baby to be over 8 lbs. I freaked out. I was like no way I am not pushing out a 10 lb kid! She then felt the baby and said she changed her mind and thought it was more like low 7's. We laughed about it. My last couple of apts were depressing, nobody was very positive I would deliver before my due date and they even set up induction apts for Jan 13th. It was a blow and I was super upset every apt I left. I would call poor Steve crying.
So my 39 week apt (Friday the 23rd) I saw yet another new midwife Anita. I decided to have her check me and see if I was making any progress, and I decided to go out on a limb and ask to have my membranes swept. I was under the assumption that they wouldn't do that until I had gone past my due date. Well, I was WRONG! Thank GOD for Anita. She checked me and I was only at like a 1. She "stretched" me to a 3 and swept. OMG worst pain ever!! I was crying. I finally told her to stop. She made me bleed and said that was a good sign! When I left she asked if I was cramping and I said no and she said oh darn! Ha. She said she hoped I did soon as that would be a good sign it worked and the baby was coming soon! Boy did those cramps start. About 45 minutes after I left my apt I was having horrible period type cramps for about 3 hours.
Thank GOD Nat & Brian were off work, they were able to come stay w/ Hay during my apt since Mom was at the hospital w/ Andy. Like I said I went to the hospital that night and was feeling good, just tired from not sleeping the last couple nights and being huge and uncomfortable.

Saturday morning (Christmas Eve the 24th) I woke up feeling pretty good. Didn't sleep much that night but what else was new. Me and Hailey took a shower and I talked to my neighbor Eve about going to Target together to grab a couple things. I tried to eat some cereal for breakfast and it made me totally nauseous and I felt like I was about to puke everywhere. All the sudden I started having these HORRIBLE cramps super duper low in my pelvis. It was killer. I laid in bed on my side and they would not subside. Now mind you I don't really know what REAL contractions feel like since with Hailey I had pitocin and my body never really contracted on it own. So I had no idea what was going on, I just knew I was in horrible pain. Then I started shaking like mad. I remember that was exactly how I felt right before I had to push Hailey out. Shaking and nauseous. So I freaked. I called Eve and she said to go to the hospital. I still wasn't sure so I did what every girl does; called my Mommy. lol. She said that was exactly how she felt when I was born. Not really real contractions, shaking, and sick and I was born in an hour and half. So I freaked. I called the nurses line, it's SUPER annoying. You get a receptionist who asks you 3904832084 stupid questions. Then she sends your info off to a nurse who is on call at the hospital, they call you back and ask you the SAME 39402834 questions the other lady just asked. Really?? THEN if they deem it important enough they have one of the midwives call you back. So over an hour later Lydia finally calls me back. She was hesitant to have me come in, I don't think she thought I was in labor. Until I mentioned I was shaking uncontrollably. That is a major sign of needing to push so she told me to come in. So I called Nat and she came back over AGAIN. I felt so bad using my family when Andy was in the hospital and every one was all over the place and stressed out. But Steve's parents were in Michigan for Christmas. The only other good thing was that Megan made it from Denver so she met us up at the Hospital after we got there. I got admitted and of course by this time was feeling much better. Long story short Lydia (who was one of my FAVORITES I met at one of my earlier apts) checked me and I hadn't changed at all from my Friday apt. Seriously?? So she made me walk (NO stopping) for over an hour and drink loads of water. I did stairs like a mad woman and didn't stop moving except to get more water. And nothing. No more shaking, or cramps or anything. So after an hour of walking and stairs she checked me and no change. So I got sent home. :( I honestly never thought I would be THAT lady in labor who gets sent home. But since I was pretty much induced with Hailey and my body never got to do anything naturally on it's own I had no idea what real labor was or felt like. So it was kinda like my first pregnancy in my defense. lol.
So we hurried home and Meg went back to her Dad's. Hay was up from her nap and totally confused. We ended up going over to Nat's and then going to the hospital to eat dinner and kinda celebrate my Dad's birthday. I told him I tried to get the Baby out for his birthday but she wasn't having it ;) So we eat dinner and I start feeling like crap. Like I honestly thought I was getting the flu. Shaking and cold, my face was super bright red and I felt hot, I was super weak and nauseous again. It was horrible. Luckily for me Andy was sitting up in a chair eating his hospital food so I just laid in the hospital bed. lol. I felt bad using the bed but I couldn't sit or do anything and be comfortable. It was so bad. I've never felt so sick in my life. We opened a couple presents and I took Hailey home at like 8. I came home and had a migraine and still felt horrible. I put Hailey down for bed like 30 minutes early in hopes that I could go to bed and get some rest to feel better. Of course this is the night the child poops and wakes up 3 times crying and won't go to bed. She FINALLY is asleep and quiet and I am able to fall asleep at 10pm. So much for going to bed early. So I slept pretty good and hard until 11:30pm when I woke up with a small gush of water and soaking wet panties. I freaked out and knew my water was leaking. I didn't get any on the bed so I knew it wasn't a full on break, just a leak like it had been with Hailey. I also knew and had thought about it since I found out I was pregnant that if this happened again I wasn't going to rush off to the hospital right away like I did w/ Hailey, I wanted to stay home and start labor on my own. (I had been told by 2 different midwives in the office that they had time limits to get the baby out after your water broke. That worried me and I did NOT want a c-section or pitocin) So I went and changed my pants and woke Steve. He of course said to try to sleep more and see what happened. So off I went to bed with new panties and a pad on. Not even 2 minutes later those are soaked. I ended up going commando and using a towel between my legs. From 11:30pm-6:50am I went through 4 towels I was leaking so much. It was horrible. At about 2:30am the horrible low cramps started again. I tried to time them but it was kinda a joke. I would go 10 minutes w/out one, then have some 2 minutes apart. It was crazy. So at like 2:45 I woke Steve up again and told him I was contracting and hurting pretty bad and thought I should call and see what Lydia thought (lucky for me she was on call Christmas Day too!). He told me to wait until the morning and see what was going on then. FINE! lol. I wasn't to happy, as his little butt went back to sleep. Ha. So I called Megan. I didn't want to call my Mom and wake her up, not knowing if she was home or at the hospital and knowing she needed sleep! Meg said the same thing as Steve and to just wait until the morning. Didn't these people know I was in pain?!??! Ha. So I laid there and tried my hardest to sleep. I think I drifted in and out until like 6am at which time I couldn't wait any longer and finally caved and called the STUPID nurses line at 6:50am. I considered calling L&D and just asking for Lydia or a nurse but I decided to be proper and tell the stupid lady the answers to her 3940823948 questions that I already answered the day before. Sure enough I answered all her stupid questions only to have to wait for a stupid nurse to call me back and ask the SAME 39408234908 questions. (can you tell I hate this policy?? lol) Only this time I got a call right away back from the nurse, imagine that Christmas Day at 7am there isn't a wait. lol. So I talked to the nurse and luckily she had a brain and just put me on hold and called Lydia, she came back on the line and told me I was having a baby today and to go to the hospital! I was so excited. So I quick called Meg and told her to come over and follow us there. I woke Steve up and we made a plan for my Mom to come stay w/ Hay. Luckily she was at the hospital w/ Andy already so she was awake and dressed and like 10 minutes away. Of course then my husband decided to eat a lovely breakfast, AND take a shower. Don't even get me started. lol. Even my Mom was yelling at him to hurry up! It was funny. And I was of course doing dishes and cleaning my house. Isn't that what every woman in labor does?? So we finally got to the hospital at like 8:45am and got all checked in. So after we got settled in the room Lydia came back in and checked me and I was at a 4. I thought for sure after all the fluid I had lost and how many cramps/contractions I had I would be further along. But nope not my luck.

**Also I have to add when I went in on Christmas Eve my heart rate was like 121. Normal resting heart rate is like in the high 80's low 90's. So it was high but they weren't TOO worried. Every time she took it (4 or 5 times) it was in the 120's. I think the highest it got on the 24th was 127. On Christmas Day when they took it the first time it was like 130. Our AMAZING nurse Deb was super excited, she used to be an icu nurse and wanted to track me and put some weird probes on me and took it again. It came back even higher then the first time. Lydia came in laughing and said I was crazy and they ordered an EKG! Wow how exciting! Megan of course was totally fascinated and thought this was exciting too! Ha. Of course again since it was Christmas nobody was in the hospital so the guy was there in like 3 minutes. He hooked up different/more probes and took the test, I watched his screen and although I had no idea what I was looking at I think it topped out at 112. Why it dropped I have no idea. So funny. Again I am a medical mystery!! lol. Skipping ahead, after labor I took a bath and got dressed and sat down and the new nurse Donna took my blood pressure/heart rate and it came back at a whopping 150! LOL. It was quite exciting. I had like 6 or 7 nurses (I lost count) and they all knew I was the crazy heart rate girl and they didn't question it just went w/ it. It was funny. Such a weird thing! Mom and Dad told me Andy's was super high in the hospital every time they took it too. We must be way to anxious weird people who knows!

So after Lydia checked me and I got my EKG I got an IV. YUCK. It killed and I hated it the whole time it was in. Every time I moved my left arm it KILLED. Literally. I won't say it was as bad as the contractions but it was super duper uncomfortable and I think I would have felt a lot better had it not been in. But I digress, stupid strep B. So I got my antibiotics and went walking!! All 3 of us went to the cafeteria to get something for Meg and Steve to eat. I could have eaten but wasn't hungry at that point. So they ate and we hung out and talked and then Steve went back to the room and me and Meg did some more walking! We walked for like over an hour or 2? I forget. But we walked until it was time for my antibiotic was ready to come out. Thank heavens I didn't have iv fluids or have to be hooked to a pole this time! Soooo freeing and wonderful. So here is where things become fuzzy. I know contractions picked up a little. Oh when we were walking Meg's brother called and asked if she could come home for Christmas lunch. We told her to go ahead, it was going to be awhile since I was only at a 4-5 and if things picked up or changed we would call her and tell her to rush. So she left to go home and shower and see her family for a couple hours. Meanwhile we ordered room service and I had some chicken nuggets, fries and fruit. Oh how glorious to eat during labor and not be starving and have a dry mouth!!! So after we ate we just laid in the quiet. I couldn't sleep but just wanted to rest before things became more intense. After not sleeping at all the last 2 nights I was exhausted and I knew once the baby was here I wouldn't sleep through the night for a very long time! Oh how I wanted sleep but it wouldn't come, I was to anxious and excited to meet my princess!!
So after we rested for about 45 minutes Lydia came in again to check me. I was at a 6 and she asked if I wanted to fully break my water. I said yes.
*Must insert every time she checked me she would sweep more of my membranes. OMG the horror of that. It was horrible and painful and I would cry every time. She would always be doing it and I would have a contraction also. It was awful and sooooooo painful. I think I broke Steve's hand. He had to take his wedding ring off because I was squeezing his hand so hard. Bless him.

So Steve called Meg and told her to come sooner then later because they thought after they broke my water I would go pretty fast. This was at about 2pm. So right after she broke my water the contractions were HORRIBLE. Oh my they were soo intense, like the worst period cramps times 1000. They were less then 2 minutes apart and from start to finish they were lasting 90 seconds. So I really had about a minute to rest in between. We tried to walk the halls some more but it was far too painful. So I ended up getting in the tub. God bless nurse Deb she made is scorching hot just like I like it! They had jets so it did feel good for a little bit. But the contractions were so bad and hard nothing would help at that point.
Not long after I got out of the tub Meg came back. They got me dressed and in the rocking chair. Meg rubbed my head and back and told great stories.

**So I must tell her story she told. I told her when I found out I was prego I wanted her in the room knowing she would calm me down and make me laugh. I was in the worst part of the contractions and in transition so she asked me if I needed some comic relief. Lydia was sitting with us and trying to make me feel better and keep me calm during the contractions which was AHAMAZING. So I told Meg YES I needed something to distract me from the pain. She told me that a couple weeks ago when she and her b/f Andrew moved into their house together they went grocery shopping and did a big shopping trip together. He bought a bottle of shampoo and she yelled at him and asked why he needed ANOTHER bottle when he already had 5 in the shower. He mumbled something about needing it to wash his fruit. She was like "huh" and thought she heard him wrong. So they get home and he starts washing his GRAPES with the shampoo!! Meg freaks out and was like "what are you doing???" I guess his Mom washes fruit with shampoo so he does it too! LOL. It was hilarious me and Lydia are DYING. To funny. I told Meg to buy her own fruit and I need to email her a recipe I found online to make your own fruit wash ;) **

So the time between 2pm and about 4:30pm is one big painful blur. I was in the rocking chair for a LONG time and it was horrible. I think I got checked again at some point and was 8. So they told me to get in the tub and that it would help. I didn't really want to, it's a lot of work to get in and out and dry off and all that but they promised me I would feel better and it would take the edge off. So I did and again Meg and Lydia sat in the bathroom with me. I kept freaking out during the contractions. They were SOOO horrible, way worse then I remember them being with Hailey. The pain in my tailbone was the worst. I will never forget the pain. I was dying and in horrible pain and kept telling Lydia I couldn't do it anymore. I just wanted to be done and go to sleep and not be in pain anymore. I don't care what people tell you, when your in the middle of that kind of pain NOTHING anybody says will make it better. Not even thinking about your baby coming and being there soon. You just want to be done. N O W. It is horrible. I even joked at one point that I wanted drugs. Megan knowing I was NOT going to use anything got huge eyes and said "yes yes give her something!" totally serious. Lydia refused and I was joking and wouldn't have taken anything even if they offered. But trust me I do know and understand why people get an epidural. If I wasn't so against them and heard so many horror stories I would have been all over not feeling that pain.
When I was in the tub and dying Lydia told me if I felt like my body needed to push to do it and see how it felt. I did a couple times but it didn't feel natural and I just wanted relief. So I got out of the tub and dressed again and in the bed. They put the squatting bar on the bed like I asked and they told me to just lean on it and see how I felt and let my body push when I needed to. I think it was about 4:15pm or so by this time. So I just hung out until I had a contraction and then put my arm pits over the bar, and squatted on the bed putting all my weight on my feet. It was WAY different but felt good. It was weird, it was like my body just wanted to have a HUGE poop. Sorry for lack of a better phrase, but that is exactly what it was. It was such a great feeling to just let my body do it when it needed to and for how long it needed to! Nobody counting and making me do things that it didn't feel the need to do! So so so amazing. Again this is why I switched to a midwife instead of an OB sitting there texting on his phone the whole time!
I kept using the squatting bar for awhile, until I was so sore and couldn't use it anymore. Then I was in a weird sitting position on the bed, not laying but not really sitting. It's hard to explain. Nurse Deb had 1 leg and Meg had the other helping me. I was pushing with all my might and it was taking MUCH to long and to many pushes in my opinion. I wanted this baby out NOW! Steve asked if I wanted to tell Meg her name, if that would help but I didn't until she was out and on me. Then I would tell. How mean of me right? Ha. It was the one thing I had control of!
Finally after an hour and a half of pushing I started doing it effectively and her head was crowning. Holy moly. They call it the ring of fire for a reason. Honestly as her head started coming out I just wanted somebody to shove her back up in me and leave her there. I kept thinking that, just push her back in this is too horrible I am going to die! It sounds so weird, Hailey's birth was soooo traumatic and horrible, I think I blocked all the pain from my memory and only remember how horrible everything else was. I guess I couldn't handle remembering everything! This time though, it was amazing and wonderful but the most horrible painful thing I have ever done. Ha. It's such an oximoron but it's the truth. I couldn't have done it w/out Nurse Deb and Lydia, they were AMAZING and made it wonderful but it still sucked and I will never do it again. LOL. Sorry it's hard to explain! Too many emotions I guess.
So all that to say, her head finally came out and I was pretty sure I was never ever going to be able to go to the bathroom again. LOL. The things you think of as your baby is coming out of you, but honestly that is what I thought. It was soooo sharp and severe. I tried with all my might to listen to Deb and Lydia and stopped pushing when they said and only gave little pushes when they said. It was hard as heck but I knew they knew what they were doing/saying and I had to trust them. It was all worth it though, I didn't need stitches this time! Praise Jesus! Such an answer to prayer!!

OK so this is longer then a Harry Potter book I'm pretty sure. I'll leave off here, finish up later, tell her name and stats and post some pictures :)

38 Weeks

2011-12-16T15:17:00.004-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 38 weeks

Size of baby: 19 1/2 inches long and about 7 lbs. the size of a Leek

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I lost a pound! Which is a miracle since I baked like 64 different kinds of cookies this week! Woohoo less weight I have to lose later :)

Maternity Clothes: Still nothing.Fits.Me. No pants go up high enough so I always have this 2'' belly hanging out. Wearing Steve's wool coat since I look like a stuffed sausage in mine! ha

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! Can't wait to share her name :)

Movement: Well, she has been a little more quiet the last 2 days. Hopefully she is engaged and ready to come out so she doesn't have much room!

Sleep: Actually sleeping amazing. I think I am so worn out from the day and taking care of Hay and all my cooking/baking I am doing! I get about 4-5 hour stretches! Takes awhile to fall asleep cuz I am uncomfortable and can't breathe through my nose but once I fall asleep I sleep well!

What I miss: Being able to breathe through my nose, clothes fitting me, having my body back!

Cravings: Christmas cookies of course!

Symptoms: I am just done. Sorry I don't want to be wendy whiner. And I am going to publicly be the WORST person/Mother ever, but people talk about how GREAT and AMAZING it is to feel the baby move and kick and how I'll miss it one day. And I'm sure I will. But I hate it right now. When your like 18-25 weeks and it's just a lil baby fish inside of you it's great! I loved it! Now it's a freaking cinder block inside of me and it HURTS. BAD. It's not fun and I am ready for her to be out. There I said it. Sorry peeps just keepin it real

Best Moment this week: The house is completely ready for her to come. I just need to pack some clothes in my hospital bag, and a bag of snacks for labor, camera/laptop/etc and we're ready. I also froze a BUNCH of meals so I don't have to cook dinner for a while. This is the type a planner in me. I MUST be ready and do as much preparing as I can! Some people probably think I'm crazy but it's just me.
Had a midwife apt and after feeling defeated last week it was a little better. she told me she is LOW LOW LOW and ready to come out! WOOHOO! BUT she said she will see me for my apt next Fri :( She doesn't think I am ready to go yet. We have SO many people praying for this baby to come before 1/1/12. This type a planner is trying to give this over to God and know that HIS plan is perfect and NOT mine. She has her birth date picked and I just need to trust in that! I have an induction date set of 1/13/12 but if I make it that far I will die. We'l see! This is the longest I have ever been pregnant (Hailey was born yesterday! I knew this little one wasn't going to follow in her big sis's footsteps), and I'm ready to be done. But again if she waits until the 26th-27th that is perfect too :) And obviously I just want her HEALTHY and perfect and to come home!! That is and has been my biggest prayer. If she has to be in there until March to be healthy I would do it!

Large and in charge. Oy vey!

37 Weeks!!!!!!

2011-12-09T22:12:00.003-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 37 weeks

Size of baby: 19+ inches long and 6 lbs.and is the size of a stalk of swiss chard (sick what is that?? Google is my friend....)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I maintained my weight! Which is a miracle size we had Thanksgiving squeezed in there :) I gave up Pop and tried not to eat fast food so it worked!

Maternity Clothes: Still nothing. No pants go up high enough so I always have this 2'' belly hanging out. Soo attractive I feel so white trash. Ha oh well ALMOST DONE!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! Can't wait to share her name :)

Movement: crazy as usual. Since she isn't engaged (more later) she is all over. Hopefully she is thinking about dropping and getting ready to come out soon!!! She does love to kick me in the right side and try to get her foot out of my belly. Doesn't work that way kid.....

Sleep: Doing good at night actually. Waking once or twice a night to pee, some nights are worse then others but I know I am lucky!

What I miss: Being warm since no clothes fit me, feeling better physically and having more energy

Cravings: Junk, oranges, water, graham crackers with frosting, random things but not hungry much. Thanks 3rd trimester ;)

Symptoms: Major major back pain if I stand to long or try to do to much. I've had to stop picking up Hailey period because it hurts my back. :( Makes Momma sad. TMI but I seem more gassy this week. Ugh

Best Moment this week: Had a midwife apt Monday that depressed me. Not a lot of good news/things I wanted to hear. So I was feeling defeated. Then this morning at Mops everybody was asking if I am ready to go yet and clearly I am NOT since this girl is showing NO signs of coming any more then she was 9 months ago :( THEN today at 4pm I started having braxton hicks/contractions! They lasted about 2 hours and I was actually getting nervous! Feeling great now and no more cramping but I'm hoping that kicks this little girls butt in gear to move down and start the process! Still hoping she stays in until the 23rd though :) Had a fun week w/ Hailey and getting ready for Christmas!

36 Weeks

2011-12-02T14:27:00.003-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 weeks

Size of baby: 18 1/2 inches long and 6 lbs.(I honestly highly doubt she is that big, Hailey was only 6.6 at 38 weeks, so she is probably just over 5 lbs would be my guess but what do I know)
The size of a Crenshaw Melon (a huh?)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I go Monday, so far though I have gained about 25 lbs which is pretty normal hoping for not much more!

Maternity Clothes: NOTHING FITS! This was a HUGE frustration this week. Can't zip my coat (high of 26 today. oh joy), or make anything long enough to fit. It's horrible. I had a huge breakdown before church on Sunday and ended up wearing Hubby's coat :(

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! So blessed and excited for another Princess!

Movement: This girl is crazy just like her big sis was. I thought she was so much more calm then her sis, but nope. As she has gotten bigger the movement is crazy!! Digging her feet/heels/legs all over me. Quite entertaining. Steve has felt it a couple times and I love how wide his eyes get. He can't believe what I have to deal with all the time. Makes me happy ;) lol

Sleep: Doing good at night actually. Waking once or twice a night to pee, some nights are worse then others but I know I am lucky!

What I miss: Clothes fitting me, sleeping through the night, not much I know I'm ALMOST done and trying to cherish it!

Cravings: Just junk food. Still my oranges, and sierra mist cranberry. Love me some sugar!

Symptoms: Pelvis is KILLING me. Feels like I am bruised inside. It seriously hurts so bad. My back is getting worse and worse (thank GOODNESS for chiro and the stretches he showed me). Heartburn, just overall soreness. I am defiantly ready to have my body back!

Best Moment this week: Hitting the 9 month mark and getting ready for her arrival! Decorating w/ Hailey was sooooooo fun and I am trying to treasuring our last few weeks just the 2 of us. Hailey is getting excited for "Baby Sister" and we're talking and trying to prepare her for her whole world to get rocked!

My "view" from here ;)

Left 36 wk 2 days with Hailey, right 36 wk with Peanut

35 Weeks

2011-11-25T22:03:00.005-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 weeks

Size of baby: 18+ inches long and 5 1/4 lbs. The size of a Honeydew Melon

Total Weight Gain/Loss: At the rate I am going I will end up weighing more then I did w/ Hay :( BUT I started higher this time......I gained 5 lbs in 2 weeks so I gotta watch it the midwife said

Maternity Clothes: I have this strip of belly that is always cold because NOTHING fits. ALL shirts are to short and pants just roll off my big belly. Ha. Not much longer now!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! So can NOT wait to meet her, tell everybody her beautiful name and dress her up!!!

Movement: She is insane. Always pushing herself on my left side RIGHT into my intestines. OUCH!! But it's OK I try to be patient b/c when she doesn't move I freak out and worry. And I know I will miss the feelings soon enough, and since this is my LAST kid EVER to carry I will miss it a LOT one day! :)

Sleep: Oh I need so much of it, yet I'm not getting hardly any it feels like. Just hard to get comfty and STAY comfty, to big and everything hurts! I pee once about every 4-6 hours so not to bad. My friend told me not to complain b/c right now is the easiest time and I am getting WAY more sleep since she is inside of me and not out ;) HOW TRUE!!!

What I miss: Just having my body! I am sore and getting to the end....

Cravings: Still nightly oranges, lots of fruit, pop, sugar, baked goods (SO EXCITED for the Holiday's! I am gonna be a baking machine and give it all away!)

Symptoms: Tired, hard to eat much at a time b/c my stomach is smushed (not complaining about that tho!), feel like a house, LOTS of back pain but I know it will be worth it. And crazy enough one day I will wish and want to be pregnant again so I'm trying not to complain and enjoy it
(Side Note;GREAT news, at 31 wk with Hailey I swelled up like a freaking elephant. Couldn't walk or move. This time NO EDEMA. Seriously this is a huge praise b/c that was one of my main concerns about ever having another Baby. I did however decided to stop wearing my wedding rings yesterday :( Due simply to weight gain they were to hard to get on and off and God forbid I have to have an emergency c-section I did NOT want them cut off :( )

Best Moment this week: THANKSGIVING!!! I got to see my 2 best friends, Jess and Meg! Unfortunately due to my stomach being smashed under my lungs I couldn't eat a lot of yummy food but that's OK I am trying to limit myself. We decorated for Christmas! Always fun and exciting, especially since Hailey was so into it and excited this year! She is really getting it this year which is such fun for Momma! Also since I found out my due date I kept telling myself that if I just make it to Thanksgiving time will fly after that and baby girl will be here SOON after! So here we go.................

34 Weeks

2011-11-20T09:24:00.003-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Size of baby: 18+ inches long and 4 3/4 lbs. The size of a Cantaloupe

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Enough. Not sure will find out Monday at Midwife apt!

Maternity Clothes: Only sweat pants, tshirts, and sweatshirts fit me! Can't even zip up my winter coat!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: Going crazy with the movements. She had the hiccups for like 1 1/2 hours the other night at 3:30, thus causing Mommy to miss LOTS of sleep. She is getting less shy and if you put your hand on my belly she still goes crazy! Just like her Big sis ;)

Sleep: Going pretty good. Only waking once at night to pee, having a hard time falling back to sleep sometimes but oh well. I know it's easier now that she is inside then out of me to sleep!

What I miss: Just having my body! I am sore and getting to the end....

Cravings: Still nightly oranges, lots of fruit, pop, sugar, baked goods (SO EXCITED for the Holiday's! I am gonna be a baking machine and give it all away!)

Symptoms: Tailbone is still killing me. Pelvis muscles kill, just overall sore at the end of the day

Best Moment this week: Honestly sorry to be a bummer, but not a great week. I love getting to know this baby and get ready for her, but I am sore and tired and chasing after a 2 year old!

Hailey's BFF.......

2011-11-14T17:22:00.003-06:00

So this is kinda a silly blog but I just had to write it down so I can remember this sweet memory from Hailey's not-so-fun 2 year old stage ;) I'm sure all you fellow Mommy's know what I'm talking about, the days are long and hard and full of tantrums when something sweet and/or funny happens we MUST document it!

So me and Steve have started a small group through our church on Sunday's mornings. It's been SUCH a blessing and great new friendships have formed for us, but it's also been amazing for Hailey to have interaction with lots of other kids her age, and with the teachers. A couple kids from our small group are also in her sunday school room so every week we talk about going to see our "friends", Harper, Jacob, etc. It's pretty fun. Well, one week after picking her up from S/S (which makes Momma feel SOOO good as she throws a fit and cries and screams she doesn't want to leave. I digress) she kept talking and talking about "Ms Leah". I honestly don't know any of the teachers names in her class, but I remember asking one ~~(only to forget. oops)~~ and was positive it wasn't Leah. So I figured it had to be one of the kids in her class.
She had this obsession with Ms. Leah. If you ask her ANYBODY'S name it was Leah, Leah would drive places in the car w/ us, everything. It was funny but I kinda worried she already had an invisible friend. I know it's not the worst thing to have but I didn't know what to do with it! Ha.
We would ask alllll kinds of questions about Ms. Leah, was she at church or mops (our other "sunday school" setting where she would have friends and teachers), was Ms. Leah big or little, was she a girl or a boy, did she have a brother or a sister. It was quite hilarious. And for awhile the answers changed. Except that she as always at church not mops, and she had a brother and his name was Leah. lol.
Well, I decided to do some investigating. I knew none of her teachers at mops were named Leah, so I checked the sign in sheet one Friday morning only to find NO kids in her room named Leah. So Hailey was right Leah was at "church" and not mops. So finally this past Sunday I remember to check the sign in sheet for her sunday school. NO Leah on that sign in either. So I asked the ladies that sit at the table and assist with sign in. I asked if there was a Leah in room B. They said yes and that she was at a high school retreat today. Ha I almost hugged them I was so happy to have found out Ms Leah is a REAL LIVE PERSON that Hailey knows! ha. So I told them Hailey's obsession with Ms. Leah and how much she LOVES her and always talks about her. They thought it was so sweet and that next time they saw her they would tell her how much Hailey loved them. It was so cute the one lady said "oh it will bless her so much to know that!" :) I honestly hope it does, and I am so happy that Ms Leah has blessed MY Hailey so much that she talks about her 24/7 and loves her so much. :) I know these are memories she will have forever and remember going to church and playing in her room w/ Ms Leah and her other teachers who bless us and her and teach her all about Jesus :)

30 days of Thankfulness

2011-11-12T17:32:00.006-06:00

So being pregnant with my 2nd blessing, is just that a HUGE blessing. But sometimes ~~(like everyday)~~I forget and just focus on the uncomfortableness of pregnancy, having a Husband who is very limited to what he can do to help around the house, and chasing a toddler I feel like all I ever do is complain!! So I joined a couple friends on facebook to write 1 thing we are thankful for everyday in November. It's WAY easy for me to come up with something to be thankful for everyday and honestly I should just do it everyday of the year! Instead of blogging one everyday and falling behind I am just posting the whole darn month's worth at once :) Your welcome!

Day #1 of 30 days of thankfulness; Today I am super duper grateful and happy for our gorgeous 70 degree weather!!! Flip flops on November 1st is amazing! I wish this was the worst our winters got ;)

Day #2 of 30 days of Thankfulness- soooo grateful for this little baby growing inside of me. Haven't met her but I am so crazy in love w/ her and glad she is "perfect" and healthy!! Had such a perfect pregnancy I keep waiting for the "shoe to drop", but can't wait to meet her and love her!

Day 3 in the 30 days of thankful; today (and everyday!) I am most especially thankful for my amazing girl/Mommy friends God has blessed me with! So wonderful to have sweet friends with sweet friends that Hailey loves to play with and we can sit and chat and just get each other! So helpful and the reason I have my sanity ♥

Day 4 of 30 days of Thankfulness; Today I am soooo thankful for my amazing family. They are always there in the drop of a hat when I need them, and love and spoil Hay like CRAZY! She loves them so much too! So blessed to have my Mom and Sister has 2 of my best friends!!!

30 days of Thankful day 5; sooo thankful for all the non-medical people God has put in our lives and the knowledge he has given them. Between our Chiropractor, Holistic Dr, and Midwive we are so much more healthy then we have ever been and I am so grateful!

30 days of Thankful day 6; after having the worst I truly know that I have the BEST man in the world for me. I am soooooo appreciative of how hard he works for his lil family and takes care of us. He is the BEST Daddy in the world and his girls are sooo lucky. He treats me like a Queen and knows my heart and doesn't think I'm crazy ;) Love you

30 days of Thankfulness day 7; Thankful for our health! Even though I have a little cold/sinus junk right now we are soooo healthy most of the time. We are so blessed to not have serious illness in either of our families and keep the medical bills down! :)

30 days of Thankful day 8: sooo thankful for my warm house, electricity to have heat, and all our yummy food we are blessed with! I know not everybody has all these luxuries I do and I need to be more grateful!

30 days of Thankful day 9; sooo thankful for my sweet first born. She drives me crazy everyday and I am never patient enough, but she also makes me laugh every.single.day no matter what. She made me a Momma and we are just walking down this road together learning as we go. I love her more then she will ever know!

30 days of Thankful day 10; might sound silly but I am soooo thankful to God for giving us delicious fruit! Most especially when I am pregnant I loooove fruit. Especially my nightly oranges ;) It's the little things in life!

30 days of Thankful day 11; so very very thankful for all our veterans for serving and keeping our country safe, free, and amazing. I don't think I could ever live anywhere else, and it's because of them! I am a spoiled American! Special thanks to my Grandpa's, Steve's Grandpa's, my Dad, neighbor, cousin, and many friends I owe them so much!!

30 days of Thankful day 12: so thankful for my country and state I live in. I am PROUD to be a spoil American and even more proud to be a Husker! Will always defend my state, town, and country. We are so lucky and blessed to live where we do! GO BIG RED!

30 days of Thankfulness day 13; so thankful for our small group and church. It's such a great place to learn and grow, and I love how they love Hailey in her sunday school, and excited for next fall when she can go to Awana's. If your looking for an awesome welcoming church in Omaha please ask me!

30 days of Thankfulness day 14; MUSIC!!! Music is seriously my life and I LOVE it. We have my mp3 running 24/7, usually KLove but I love all types!! Honestly the way to my heart is through music. You can laugh at me but one of the reasons I feel in love w/ Steve was he was a male version of me when it came to music. (he listened to Wilson Phillips! Ha he will hate me now!) :) It makes me happy and is my #1 way to worship

30 days of Thankful day 15; so thankful for my Hubby's job. It is such a blessing and answer to prayer. They are sooooo flexible and Family oriented! I'm so grateful for the friendships he has made, and that he doesn't dread/hate going to work or bring work home with him!

30 days of Thankful day 16: is just keeping it real y'all it's one of "those" days and I am thankful pregnancy is only 40 weeks and not longer. I can't do this much longer then 7 more weeks!

30 days of Thankfulness day 17; Our amazing Zoo in Omaha! (and FUN friends who go with you!) So fun to see the animals through Hailey's eyes, and I almost always learn something new about God's amazing creations every time we go. Such a fun time! Also grateful that my Hubby lets met indulge and buy a membership so we can visit often, he knows my heart and how much I love it there :)

30 days of Thankfulness day 18; so thankful that I love in the same city as my family/Steve's family. I LOVE that Hailey knows and LOVES her Grandparents so much (um can you say SPOILED??), and her Aunts and Uncles. She just lights up when she is with them and Momma and Daddy do not exist! We are so blessed and I hope we never have to move away, I don't know what I would do w/out them and all their help! But we do miss our extended Family and if I had to I think I could survive in Michigan ;)

30 days of Thankfulness day 19; thankful for my daughters kind and sweet helpful heart. She really tries to please Mommy (and Daddy) and LOVES to be "Momma's helper" it's so sweet and I hope and pray she always stays this way. (oh and that Little Sister also gets this trait where ever it came from ;)

30 days of Thankfulness day 20: for technology! I don't know WHAT I would do w/out email (talk on the phone?? UGH), facebook and other modern things we take for granted. Especially my dishwasher! I am so spoiled ;)

30 days of Thankfulness day 21; being able to go to walmart and stock my pantry/fridge FULL of food (more then we need!). I know not everybody is able to do this, and I complain about how much I spend and all that. I am grateful!

30 days of Thankfulness day 22; so thankful for my HOT showers! Such an indulgence that isn't good for me, but I LOVE them and so happy to have hot water in my warm house on this yucky cold day!

30 days of Thankfulness day 23; super thankful BOTH of my out-of-state best friends are here for the Holiday! Can't wait to see them and LOVE them both so much! Hope they know how important they are to me and I treasure their friendship. Especially Meg, for using almost ALLLLL your vacation time this year in Omaha to see me! LOVE YOU tons and bunches ♥

30 days of Thankfulness day 24; This is pretty much a given for every day for me, but I am most especially to God. He has given us this amazing country where we can have freedom and celebrate Thanksgiving. All my friends and family who I am so THANKFUL for, and all my blessings come from him!

30 days of Thankfulness day 25; thankful for weekends and fun family time! I LOVE Saturday and Sunday's when Hubby is home and is a HUGE help with Hailey and giving this tired Momma a break! Hailey is so lucky and LOVES playing w/ Daddy, he is SO much more fun then Momma and I'm OK with that ;)

30 days of Thankfulness day 26; thankful and excited for Christmas decorations! Especially this year and seeing it through Hailey's eyes. Teaching her about Baby Jesus and all the fun that comes along with it makes this Momma's heart so happy!!!!

30 days of Thankfulness day 27; thankful for my extra WARM house, comfty old sweatshirts, and slippers!!!

30 days of Thankfulness day 28; Is thankful for Matt. Matt works at the walmart we grocery shop at every Monday. He is older (30's?) and is a little mentally handicapped, he is the greater and Hailey has a love affair with Matt. If I could adopt him I would! He is soooo sweet and LOVES Hailey. Always giving her stickers and telling her to be Momma's good helper. It is so so sweet, and I'm pretty sure she blesses him and as much as he blesses us! Makes our shopping trip so much fun, and I love that randomly throughout the week Hailey asks to go to walmart and see Matt :)

30 days of Thankfulness day 29; thankful we are blessed by Steve's job so I can stay home with my precious girls! I could not EVER imagine sending them to daycare and not being there everyday to witness the hilarious things Hailey says/does, and all the milestones. I am excited to be able to stay home when #2 comes, not having a schedule and being able to come and go as we please! Don't know how you working Mom's do it, your amazing!

30 days of Thankfulness day 30; not that I would ever want to wish time away, especially with Hailey at such a fun age, but I'm thankful November is over and tomorrow is December 1st. The month I will get to meet our newest blessing!! I can't wait to hold her and see how similar/different she is then her sister. So glad I thought of 30 things to be thankful for, and could think of 1000's more, but I am most thankful for my God, my family, friends, my Hubby and 2 girls the most! ♥

33 Weeks

2011-11-09T20:27:00.003-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: 17+ inches long and over 4 lbs. The size of a Pineapple (yum my favorite!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained. We'll leave it at that. I'm almost to my top weight when Hay was born :( Just hoping it doesn't mean this baby will be like 9 lbs or something. Oy!

Maternity Clothes: pretty much all Baby belly. Pulling down my shirts and up my pants 24/7! Ha.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! Can't wait to see her gorgeous face and meet her!

Movement: She is so funny. Moves A LOT. Is still head down, doesn't like to interact with people touching my belly, shy or stubborn?? Ha we will soon learn!

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good, had a BAD cold the last couple weeks and trying to figure out what works to help me sleep!

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Not having to pull up my pants every 3 seconds. Having a cocktail, the usual stuff. But it's SOOOOO worth it and not much longer now!

Cravings: Any and all things sugar and un healthy. But I'm trying to balance and eat LOTS of fruit and healthy stuff. Oh I ALSO love my Sierra Mist Cranberry YUMMMMM

Symptoms: Tailbone KILLS if I sit to long/in the wrong position, my pelvis ohhh my aching pelvis the muscle are aching 24/7 so horrible!

Best Moment this week: Getting more things done around the house for Franklin's arrival, just surviving and getting excited about the Holiday's and meeting my newest Princess!

32 Weeks

2011-11-04T16:08:00.003-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Size of baby: 3.75 lbs and 16.7 in long. The equivalent of a jicama (whatever that is!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Find out on Tues at midwife apt. Still no edema which I am pretty darn proud/happy about, so I think I'm doing good!

Maternity Clothes: pretty much all Baby belly. Pulling down my shirts and up my pants 24/7! Ha.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She is so funny. Moves A LOT. Is still head down as far as I can tell (PTL!), doesn't like to interact with people touching my belly, shy or stubborn?? Ha we will soon learn!

Sleep: S O R E. Hard to fall asleep at night. Everything hurts and no position feels comfty. But I know this is just preparing me for being up all night with my cute girl.

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Not having to pull up my pants every 3 seconds. Having a cocktail, the usual stuff. But it's SOOOOO worth it and not much longer now!

Cravings: All things Baked. Pumpkin stuff is amazing. Same stuff, brownies, cookies, pie, crisps, all things fall and holiday!

Symptoms: just feel HUGE. My tailbone hurts a LOT which I am going to discuss with my chiro tomorrow. Makes me nervous for delivery. My sinus are acting up also which isn't fun but I know it's mostly the weather changing. I know my girl still needs awhile to cook, but I'm ready to have my body back and not hurt and ache all the time!

Best Moment this week: Taking Hailey Trick or Treating and seeing the joy on her face. Getting some more baby gear (swaddle blankets, diaper bag, diapers), and some projects done around the house! Can't believe I made it to 32 weeks, I am so blessed to have had such an amazing pregnancy this far! Wayyyy different then her big sister that is for sure :)

31 Weeks

2011-10-28T12:28:00.005-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Size of baby: 3.3 lbs and 16+ in long. The equivalent of 4 navel oranges (yummy my fave!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Don't feel like I've fully ballooned up yet, still mostly ALL baby belly :)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gauchos. Glad it's getting colder out so I can wear big winter t-shirts/sweatshirts/and sweaters. Don't feel like ANY of my pants fit me :(

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She is getting more interactive with me. It's pretty fun. She is moving A LOT, but is a good sleeper too :)

Sleep: Hailey is having a good week so I've gotten some good sleep! Only getting up once to potty, taking naps most days. Having to use the body pillow, it really hurts my belly to lay on my side. Ugh!!

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Not having to pull up my pants every 3 seconds. lol

Cravings: All things Baked. Pumpkin stuff is amazing. Oh a caramel apple sounds soooo yummy!

Symptoms: The normal "I feel like a house" stuff, but also the muscles right around my groin (sorry TMI) KILL. To the point where I can't walk by the end of the day they hurt SOOOOOOOO bad. I do not remember this at all with Hailey. My Chiro told stretch a LOT and that it's normal, just from my pelvis moving apart. Ouch!!

Best Moment this week: Our camera broke :( So I made Steve get me a new one before Baby comes! :) It's a nice new pretty black one! Fun! Also carving pumpkin w/ big sister was fun and looking forward to Halloween!

Sorry it's so huge you couldn't see it small ;) 31 weeks on the left with Hailey and 31 weeks with Baby Franklin on right :) Hard to compare but kinda fun!

Michigan

2011-10-24T19:06:00.034-05:00

So in an attempt to document more and be better at blogging I figured while I can still remember MOST days and what happened I would blog about our trip to Michigan/Silver Lake back in July/August!
We had SUCH an amazing time and are so blessed by Steve's family, who I consider not only to be my family but a lot of my best friends!!! These people love me like I've always been a part of the family, we email and chat all the time I love getting Mommy advice and their friendship! I always tell Steve that if we HAVE to ever move anywhere Michigan is one of the only places I will go :) I would have such an amazing support system and the play dates would be great! Of course I would miss our parents and siblings, but it would be second best :)

Saturday July 30th-
So we were all packed and ready to go on Friday July 29th, well after a series of events (none of which had to do w/ Hailey and her sleeping habits oddly enough), I was wide awake at 4:30am. Ughhhh seriously?? I go in the kitchen to find Steve awake also. What are the odds?
We had planned to leave Saturday morning by about 7:30am. So why not 3 hours early?? Ha. Not really.......by the time we completely packed up the car, coolers, showered and go ready we were on the road at about 6:30am. We had a 10-12 hour drive so honestly the earlier the better. I woke up Hay, changed her diaper and threw her in the car hoping she would go back to sleep. Nope. We weren't even out of the neighborhood before she had me bending over the backseat to get her colors, books, dolls, etc. Oh my. I knew I was in for a long drive! ;) Actually Hailey did AMAZING, she only slept for 1 hour in the car but it just happened to be the worst construction in the entire world and we went about 1 mile in that hour so it was the perfect time for her to sleep. Me and Steve barely made it, we wanted to get a hotel room just to take a nap but we managed to plug along.
Finally after not knowing where the heck we were going we met Uncle Fred and Aunt Julie and followed them to their absolutely gorgeous house where we stayed for 4 nights. We got all settled and un-packed and in bed as early as possible. I slept in a room w/ Hailey, so if she got scared she wasn't screaming and waking everyone up while I ran across the basement. It worked out great, I just wish she could have blessed her Momma and slept past 6:30am at least one day. But I digress.........

Sunday July 31st-
We got up, dressed and ready to go and walked up 2 houses to Fred and Julie's daughter, Steve's cousin Tammy's house. Tammy and Tom had an amazing breakfast waiting for us! Soooo yummy! Even Hailey ate really well. She LOVED playing w/ Riah and Abby and they were so sweet. Unfortunately Tom and Tammy were also leaving out of town so we only got to see them for those couple hours :(
After breakfast we went back to Julie and Fred's and got directions for a grocery store. BIG MISTAKE. Hailey was hysterical. In the car, in the store, oh my it was UGLY. And it was a sign of what was to come the rest of the week. The poor girl, bless her heart got tired of the car very quickly after our long drive to Grand Rapids. Can't say I blame her, but it was bad. So we hurried home and all took long naps. After naps we had some snacks upstairs w/ Aunt Julie and then guests started arriving!!! Steve's Gramma came, and oh how Hailey has a love affair with "Ama Morgan" loves her to death. It was sweet to see them together. Then Steve's cousin Christina, her hubby Brian and their 3 girls all came over for DELISH home made pizza (bbq chicken my FAVORITE!). Uncle Fred's parents also came over and joined us, it was a fun time!!! Uncle Fred and Aunt Julie's gorgeous house sits on a good size lake, so after dinner we all threw on our suits and went for a pontoon boat ride/swim in the lake. Hailey wasn't to sure about the water, so our swim was short lived. I was extremely disappointed I couldn't ride the jet ski's due to pregnancy, but maybe when we go back in a couple years I can have some fun :)
After our swim/boat ride we needed to shower off and get ready for bed. We loved sitting outside and enjoy the MUCH cooler weather on the water then we left in Omaha :)

Monday August 1st-
We were up and at um again due to someone and their sleeping patterns ;) Oh well she was just excited to socialize!!! We didn't rush getting ready, and mid-morning went over to Christina's play and swim! ~~(except this prego Momma brain forgot the swim diaper AND swimsuit. DOH!)~~ Other cousin Paul, his wife Jen and their sweet sweet girls came also! It was sooooo fun and honestly I have never seen 6 girls play together so well, be so sweet, and so disciplined. It was such a breath of fresh air! (that is one of the main things I LOVE about Steve's family, they all have the same beliefs we do and raise their kids the same way we do. It's awesome to not have to discipline each others kids or worry about them all playing together) We ate a picnic lunch on the driveway :) and played and played the afternoon away! Finally it was nap time and we headed back to Aunt Julie's to sleep.
Kyleigh (7) came home with Aunt Julie (her Grandma) and after nap we enjoyed going down to the lake to play in the sand and chat. After that it was on the GO again!
We headed to Gramma Morgan's beautiful apartment in the assisted living home she moved into last year. After getting quite lost and driving for a bit we finally found it and enjoyed dinner with her in the dining hall. It was hilarious meeting her friends, and having one older man yell at us about 8 times for not bring him any Omaha Steaks. LOL.
After dinner we saw Gramma's unit and played with some of the toys she keeps in her house for the 20 (Baby Franklin will be #22!) Great Grandkids! Close to her unit on the grounds is an amazing little play house they built for kids to play in. It's out-fitted with a child size table and chairs, some dolls, and a tea set. I think Hailey would have played in there for days! I can't say I blame her, it was a girls dream! There was also a gorgeous gazebo and lots of beautiful landscaping. It was so nice!
We left Gramma's pretty early to get home to bed for some more (broken) sleep.

Tuesday August 2nd-
Another early morning of course, and our last full day in Grand Rapids :(
Steve was feeling all the activity in his knees and back and decided he should rest and lay low Tuesday, especially since we had to drive early Wednesday morning to get to the cottage. So me and Hay loaded up and followed Christina and the girls to a great park. We met Gramma Morgan, Jen, and Steve's other cousin Patti and her 3 adorable kids to play for a couple hours. It was pretty humid though, so we didn't stay very long. It was so fun to see everybody and play and see their sweet kids though! Hailey LOVED it and was so in her element, like these were her best friends that we get to see everyday!
After the park, (and an EXTREMELY long drive home. Insert screaming toddler who did NOT want to be in her car seat. Then insert desperate Momma who gave toddler the camera to play with. HA) we picked up Steve and ran and got Applebees for lunch. We always go there. It's so funny. We have one up the st from our house and eat there all the time, but anytime we are out of town we ALWAYS still eat at Applebees! I was super stoked because they had a different menu then in Omaha so I was able to get my most favorite BBQ chicken sandwich. Yum yum!
After lunch we had a LONNNGGG nap, and then it was off to Paul and Jen's for dinner! Steve and Paul had fun playing wii, Hailey got to dress up in Izzy and Lili's dress up clothes, and I got to chat with Jen, which I could do for days! :)
After Paul and Jen's we went back to U. Fred and A. Julie's and sat and talked to A. Julie for WAYYY to long! It was a great way to end our "Grand Rapids" leg of the trip. We went to bed and got up early to head to the cabin and meet our other besties, Steve's cousin Daniel, his wife Crissi, Sadie (3 wk younger then Hay), and 3 mo old Baby Chloe!!

Wednesday August 3rd-
We got up and going, and after much talking about directions and such left to drive even MORE north to Mears Michigan, or Silver Lake. Gramma and Grandpa Morgan own a cute little cottage on the water, and after Grandpa passed in 2010 the kids and Grandkids took it over for Gramma to keep it in the family. It's an amazing get-away, for the weekend or longer if your so lucky! There is a pontoon boat right outside the front door, and lots of fun things to do in the cute little town!
After a very exciting drive there (construction, that took us about 30 minutes to get through, story of my life! Also while driving on the main interstate about 30 minutes away from the cottage we were in the left lane going on our marry little way, 3 wild turkey's bust out of the woods on the side of the road! God really protected us because there were no cars around us at all for miles and miles. Steve slammed on the breaks and swerved into the other lane (after looking for cars of course), only to have the stupid thing take off FULL FORCE into my beautiful car. Hit the side of the door between the driver window and windshield, bounce off the mirror, hit the side of the door, bounce off the back door, and land butt up dead as a door nail on the side of the interstate taking my glass mirror with him. Stupid turkey. Luckily it was only the glass part and the rest of the mirror was completely in tact. It was a simple $40 fix at the dealership but a PAIN to drive 13 hours home to Omaha with no mirror and having to merge onto the interstate all the time!) we FINALLY made it to the cottage!
After lots of hugging and most importantly loving on little sweet Baby Chloe, we ate lunch and got all our junk put away and settled as much as possible. Me and Crissi put the girls (& Daddy's) down for naps and went to "town" to get some groceries and fresh local produce!
It was soooooo awesome to chat and chat uninterpreted and catch up with one of my favorite girlfriends! Does a heart good. It was especially amazing to get advice on the life of 2 kiddos, and her thoughts.
After the grocery store we laid around and played and Daniel made us dinner. (we were sooooooo spoiled he grilled us dinner every night!!) We then went for a pontoon boat ride, which was so fun! The gorgeous sand dunes are quite a site, as are some of the HUGE houses people have built on the lake. So amazing!!!

Thursday Aug 4th/Friday Aug 5th-
So at the lake all the days are a blur........lots of yummy food, boat rides, playing at the dunes, LOTS of holding and cuddling Baby Chloe, playing with the girls, LOTS of girl chat ;), and naps! It seriously was fantastic and wonderful, one of the best vacations I've ever been on. Hailey loved it and was so good. I could have spent 3 weeks there and not wanted to go home! (ok partly had to do with the 13 hour drive home and the fact that my daughter HATED the car and her car seat)
I believe it was Thursday we drove about 10 minutes from the cottage to Lake Michigan. Oh my it was so beautiful! There was a little pond thingy (sorry the actual name is escaping me) and it was about 3'' deep, Hailey LOVED this. Pretty sure she would still be there laying in that water on her belly playing. It was super sweet, "Uncle" Daniel laid there with her for awhile and they just played and splashed. It was so precious, a memory I will have forever! She kept looking at him in awe laughing and smiling.
And unfortunately Saturday morning came and we had to woke up bright and early again to get on the road to go home :*( We were soooo sad and had Daniel and Crissi not had more friends coming up to take our place we might have stayed longer!
And Friday night we did something neither of our girls had ever done; built a big fire in the fire pit behind the cottage and made s'mores! SOOOO YUMMY! Hailey wasn't so sure about it, and even when my sugar-lovin-child bit into the graham cracker chocolatey marsh mellow goodness she didn't care for it. SAY WHAT??? Who is this child?? Oh no she was happy with the un-roasted raw marsh mellows straight from the bag. So funny. I digress.

Saturday was our loooonnnngggg car ride home. We finally got home around 6:45pm, un loaded the car, gave Hailey ONE more bath to wash off all that sand and lake water she brought back to Nebraska with her, and we went to bed ;) It was so great to have AIR CONDITIONER (which we went with out alllllllll week!) and our own beds! Only to be woken up at 11:45pm because 2 of our smoke alarm batteries decided to die and sit there and beep until we took them out. Seriously? Of all nights......... HA! Pretty funny now looking back......Anyways I will now post an over abundance of pictures! YAY! Can't wait to go back (Daniel, Crissi and the girls come to Omaha in '12 and we will go back to Michigan in '13!) and see everybody and build more amazing memories as a family! I know that these special fun times of playing w/ cousins and going on boat rides are what my girls will remember and talk about growing up :)

**Side note, months before we left I would buy stuff at the grocery store here and there for our trip. Suntan lotion, coloring books for the car, etc. and I would always tell Hailey it was for our trip to Michigan. We would go through the names of people we were going to visit and play with, well for some reason or another she got stuck on Baby Chloe. Baby Chloe became a HUGE obsession for about 3 months in our house. She was everywhere and did everything w/ Hay. It was hilarious and annoying at the same time. lol. I'll never forget one night at home Hailey farted in the bath tub, I pretended to be totally grossed out and asked her if she tooted. She looked at me full dead on serious and said "no Momma, Baby Chloe toot" lol. It was so funny. So once we finally got to Michigan and to the cottage you can imagine her obsession with the REAL Baby Chloe. She L O V E D her. She wanted to hold her 24/7. It was pretty sweet sitting on the couch me holding Hailey and Hailey holding Chloe. She was completely obsessed, it was so precious. I hope she is as sweet and loving with her own baby sister, but we'll see I won't hold my breath! ;)

**Side note #2; just because I NEED to make this longer. Ha. In case anybody googles this and needs help, when traveling over 10 hours in the car with a 2 year old. I made sure to bring one of her favorite blankets she sleeps with at night. I also brought all her binkies (3. 2 she holds in each hand and 1 in her mouth when she sleeps. She is an odd bird), and pulled them out whenever needed. She usually is only allowed to have these at bed/nap times but I changed the rules for the car and the car only. She did use them to take her 2 naps in the car and it was great to have to plug her up sometimes. lol. We did buy a dvd player and some new videos but my girl hates shows/movies/tv so it really wasn't used. What she did LOVE was cutting paper. We brought our laptop lap pad thing and it fit on her lap in the car seat, she had plain white scrap paper and kids safety scissors and just sat back there and cut forever! It kept she her quiet and entertained for hours. Seriously. I don't know if she would be that into it now, but it was amazing! She also loved coloring, and stickers. We would find stuff in the $ spot at Target and saved it until the trip. It was great. Oh also we found a dora wipe off board that she loved and colored on a lot. She loved that she could erase it with a kleenex and start over! Of course I also had her favorite doll, and some other fun toys but coloring/cutting was really all she mainly did. I also had an abundance of snacks (see candy/sugar) to keep her occupied especially through construction.
I also say to get them out of the car as much as possible. Every single time we stopped I got her out. Even if we were just getting gas I would let her get out and run/walk around. It wasn't that bad, and I'm glad we didn't have any melt downs!

Sleep training at 2

2011-10-24T15:39:00.005-05:00

So this will be LOOONNNGGG. But again with #2 on the way I need to have a way to look back at these things.

So let's see where to start...........the first 10 months of Hailey's life she hated life. And everyone in it, including me. And she hated naps. Night time was fine. She took a bottle, fell asleep and slept 11-13 hours from about 8 weeks on. But during the day?? The most I could get out of her was maybe 40 minutes. S T R E S S F U L. And she would not fall asleep on her own. I had to swaddle and rock her. My fault. I am totally claiming messing up my child for life. I will accept responsibility. But it sucks.

After I was able to quit my horrible-no-good nanny job in March of '10 I decided Hailey was GOING to nap in her crib and not my arms (in my defense at the horrible nanny job there was NO where for her to sleep for her nap, so I held her. Ughhhh fun NOT). So I let her cry it out. It took a couple days, 1 day she cried for over an hour but she is smart and caught on quickly. Quickly I was able to lay her down w/ her bink, cover her w/ a blanket and she fell right to sleep. Success!!!
So from 11 months until 22 she took 2 1/2-3 hour naps. It was GLORIOUS! This was on top of sleeping 11-13 hours a night. Why oh why didn't we have another baby then? Ha. So once she turned 22 months she went down to 1 2 hour nap a day, but she was still sleeping great at night in her crib.

Then I found out I was pregnant. And the baby would need the crib and Hailey would have to be moved to the twin bed. So I decided EVER so slowly to transition her for this. I took out the beloved bumpers. The girl would snuggle her entire face and body into the side of her crib and sleep in the bumpers. Weird I know. So I took them out. And then her binkies fell out of the crib and she would wake up w/out it and scream and I would go in and re-plug her. One night I think I did it 9 times. Seriously?? It got a little better, and then in August we went to Michigan. She slept horribly there b/c of the time change, new surrounds, etc. But I thought maybe it would get better at home. It didn't. MORE waking in the night crying for no reason. (oh other then she tends to wake up a LOT when teething. And she has been getting her 2 year molars. Fun! Tylenol=Momma's bff)
So I decided if she was going to wake up in the middle of the night anyways we may as well get her one step closer to being out of the crib and take apart the one side of her crib and make it into a "toddler bed". She did AMAZING with this transition. WAY better then I expected. That first night I was sooooooo worried. She would get out of bed and go play in the toilet, or push a chair over to the counter in the kitchen and get the knives, or go outside and a million other crazy things. lol. But she never ONCE got out of that bed. I don't know if she knew she could or not. But when she would wake up she would just lay there and cry and scream until I opened the door then she could climb out. So funny! But I was HAPPY!

But her sleeping through the night did not get any better. Still waking up crying in the middle of the night or having a hard time going to sleep. It's been extremely wearing on this Momma. Remember this started back in June when I took the bumpers out.
So fast forward to last week. She decided she could and would get out of her bed and come and find Momma. WHAT?? I always swore she wouldn't do it, b/c after 2 months of sleeping in the big girl bed she never did! Who showed her this?? Why does she think this is a good idea??? So I think it was Tuesday night of last week, she got out of her bed and came into my room 8 times. We were awake from 2:15-8:30. Seriously. I was dead. It was horrible. I was crying. When Steve woke up at 6:30 to get ready for work I made him take over. She was hysterical and would NOT stay in her room. Finally at 7:30 we went in the big queen bed together and she finally fell asleep from 8:30-10am. Then, I kid you not was the sweetest, best behaved she has been in MONTHS. What the?? I love me a good 2 year old and a good day, but I need my sleep more. Ha.
So we went to walmart. And spent $30 on sleeping-through-the-night-bribes. Ha. Oh and a door handle child proof lock. Judge me if you want, but I will lock my child in her room if I have to. And I did.
So we got the lock, new binkies (again w/ the judging. I realize she needs to get rid of these, but now is not the time people!), a huge soft dora blanket, and a princess flash light. We also decided that instead of needing to be comforted by Momma we would push her to take a doll/stuffed animal to bed. Sounds opposite of what "normal" people would do, and not have their child be attached to something, but she is sooooooo attached to me we need to move that attachment to something other then Momma. I sound like a child psychologist right?? Or at least like I know what I'm talking about?? ha. Not-so-much. Honestly, I am so anxious about having this baby and being in the hospital for fear of how Hailey is going to do w/ me gone I haven't thought or worried about labor and delivery much. Or how our house is going to be effected by another baby, we just need SLEEP!!! So I will do whatever I have to do.
So that night after the horrible night she feel asleep great, slept great and was quiet until 6:10am when she came into my room. I took her back to her bed and she slept until 9. I knew she HAD to be tired and was glad we got some good sleep. The next 2 nights went amazing, went to sleep great and slept through the night w/out a peep! Praise Jesus!!
Then the next night (y'all I have no idea what day is what. Sorry), she came into my room 3 times. So I broke out the door handle lock. She stayed in her bed and slept after that. And the next 2 nights. Then this past Sunday night she decided she didn't want to go to sleep. So she tried to get out, but couldn't. Broke my heart and made me laugh hysterically at the same time. She stood at the door trying with all her little might to get the door open screaming "stuck! Mommmmmmaaaa!! Stuck! I commin out see Daddy, go Daddy bed! Momma my be good girl! I no go living room, my go Momma bed!" oh it was hilarious and heart wrenching at the same time. So I caved and went in and explained why the lock was there and why she couldn't get out. She slept the whole night and the last 2 since. Not sure if we have turned a corner or not. I expect there to be delay's and she will regress before fulling getting it. But she is smart, and wants to please so much.
She really is good and sweet, but man she can drive me insane! We decided if she wakes up crying, I will go in and check and make sure she isn't poopy/sick/hot/cold etc and then after that she gets to cry. It KILLS me but I know it will get better. She needs to learn to console herself to sleep and not have me patting her back, singing, or what she wants most of all to sleep with us. No happenin! So we'll see! I wanted to document this and to help if ppl google this. When I goggled almost all the stories I read were about stopping co-sleeping, something we never did. She has always been in her own bed, just never able to get herself to sleep. Again this is my fault. Oh the things we learn! I just keep telling myself that one day she will be in jr high and I will never be able to get her OUT of bed right??? ;)

30 Weeks

2011-10-21T18:04:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: 3 lbs and 15.7+ in long. The size of a Head Of Cabbage

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Trying to be good, especially since I failed my 1 hour G/D test. We'll see in a couple weeks!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gauchos. Glad it's getting colder out so I can wear big winter t-shirts/sweatshirts/and sweaters. Don't feel like ANY of my pants fit me :(

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: LOVE feeling her, as she gets bigger she is moving a lot more. I think she is almost out of room!

Sleep: Getting there. Having a H A R D week getting big sister to sleep. Oy! But we'll keep trying and I keep taking naps :)

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( I could have REALLY used a cocktail this week. Ha

Cravings: All things Bakes. Only bad things :( I'm trying to resist, sometimes fruit curbs it but not usually. Still could eat a bag of peanut butter M&M's every night. I keep ice cream out of the house but that still sounds amazing too :(

Symptoms: Bones ache, headaches, SOME heartburn (but about 1/4 less then Hailey! Thank you chiro!), waddle when I walk (ha), ya know the norm. Feeling blessed and NOT complaining though!

Best Moment this week: Getting to tour the hospital where Franklin will be born. Not where I planned but still nice, quiet, private and hopefully a WAY better/different delivery then Hailey! :)

28/29 Weeks

2011-10-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 weeks

Size of baby: 2 1/2 lbs and 15+ in long. The size of a Butternut Squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Only gained 5 lbs last month! WOOHOO! Pretty proud of that, only gained 12 lbs so far this whole pregnancy, sure it's from keeping active and having a toddler :) Hoping I don't put on much more so it will come right off after she is here

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gauchos. Glad it's getting colder out so I can wear big winter t-shirts/sweatshirts/and sweaters. Don't feel like ANY of my pants fit me :(

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She moves a LOT but sleeps a lot too. I can totally tell what body part is what. So fun to push on her feet and get a reaction. LOVE it, I just sit and stare at my belly for hours it seems!

Sleep: Between Hailey STILL not sleeping well, and 3rd trimester exhaustion I am dead tired every day by 5pm and could go to bed at like 7pm every night :(

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( I do miss getting a drink every now and then. Oh well

Cravings: Haven't wrote this I don't think, but EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT. before bed this pregnancy I have eaten an orange. Last week I ran out and was lost! So yummy! I seriously eat one every day, it's weird. Also Peanut Butter M&M's, it was skittles w/ Hailey and PBMM this time. Weird. Oh and all things baked. Brownies, pie, crisps, cookies. Yum-o!

Symptoms: Feeling like I'm in the 3rd trimester. LOL. Feel huge, can't walk, over all soreness, BUT I am almost done already and I am soooooooo excited to see my girl in 3 months!

Best Moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat at the midwife apt, seeing and feeling her move like a crazy lady!!!
Everyday is a blessing and I am so excited but 2 bad things happened the last 2 weeks; failed my 1 hour G/D test by 2 points. We'll see if they make me do a 3 hour test or not. I am refusing, but am getting the run around from the midwife office. SUCH a pain!
Speaking of midwife office, less then 3 months from my due date I find out that the midwives are not able to see patients at their office OR deliver at the amazing hospital attached to their office! What the...?? No idea what happened but I'm NOT happy. They can still see me and deliver but at a different hospital downtown. It's a mess. I don't want to switch so I'll just go with it. I'm going to do a tour of the maternity ward and go from there. Ughhhhh!

28 Weeks

27 Weeks

2011-09-30T15:11:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 weeks

Size of baby: 2 lbs and 14 1/2 in long. The size of a head of cauliflower

Total Weight Gain/Loss: no idea but we'll see in a couple weeks at my next apt. I haven't been very good :/ nervous!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gouchos. Feel huge, but I know I am almost done. Just hope I can wear what I have and not break down and buy new stuff.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She moves a LOT but sleeps a lot too. She is shy, if I poke her she will not move. And when she is asleep no amount of pushing or prodding will make her move. Seriously opposite from her big sis

Sleep: Starting to get sore already. Getting 5-6 hour stretches before I wake up and potty (which is only once a night). So I'm feeling pretty good!

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Tried my body pillow and I just can't do it. I'm trying to cut out sugar ~~and failing~~. I think this is gonna be hard for me. I do miss getting a drink every now and then. Oh well

Cravings: Anything and everything un healthy :( Still love the dumb ice cream. Ughhhh

Symptoms: Some heart burn, tired, feel huge, back aches, hungry 24/7, but I know it's the last time I do this so I am trying to enjoy it!

Best Moment this week: One night Peanut was kicking and flopping away at like 5:30am, it woke me up and I could VERY distinctly tell what body parts of hers were what. We had a fun time pushing on each other for about 15 minutes. I was tired but could have done it for hours! So sweet.

Randoms.........

2011-09-30T14:48:00.014-05:00

So much randomness in my brain and life I had to get it all down while I could. Plus I am a bad blogger (not that anybody reads this!) so here ya go........please be prepared to be confused by my thoughts ;)

*So many times on the blog you will see Baby Girl #2 referenced to as Peanut or Baby Franklin. I'm sure you remember we called Hailey Bean as soon as we found out we were pregnant. This time it just made sense to name the Baby Peanut.
When we were in Michigan this past summer I was talking to Crissi about picking baby names and she said they told Sadie (who was almost 2 at the time) the baby's real name. She couldn't say Chloe so she called her Biff. I found this HILARIOUS and so wanted Hailey to call her baby sister Biff. She looked at me like I was on crack of course, so I tried out Franklin. I think it would be hilarious if the Grandma's or friends were pushing Hailey for the babies name and she told um it was Franklin. It hasn't stuck for Hailey, she only refers to her as Baby Sister (even when Gramma asked last week. Good try!), but when friends ask me what the baby's name is going to be I tell them we aren't telling, if they push I tell them Franklin and it's kinda stuck. Poor kid ;)

*I don't know what they are or where they come from but I have these teeny tiny little fly things in my house. Everywhere. One day I killed 6, the next 3. There are still 1 or 2. Really?? At least probably 15?? UGH makes me feel dirty!!! They hang out on the kitchen counter where I keep our fruit which makes me think they are fruit flies. Am I bringing them home in my produce?? I have tried everything to get rid of them. I loathe them. Hailey laughs at me and is entertained when I am on a killing rampage. So gross! Please tell me somebody else has the same problem.......

*Hailey is a special child just like her Momma. Ha. She has her own little language for things that nobody understands but me. Sometimes I don't even know what she wants and it takes me awhile to figure out. But I LOVE the way she talks and how cute her little voice is. After being told she couldn't/wouldn't talk I try not to get frustrated when she doesn't shut up ;)
Her word for Fruit snacks is Pookats. Or something simular. If I tell her to say fruit she says "fruit" then I say snacks "shancks" OK so say FRUIT SNACKS "pookats!" lol.
Special treat is another one that is super hard to figure out. She was asking for it one night when we were out w/ Aunt Nat and I thought she was saying, something about her feet, or brush teeth, it sounds like "peshal peet" ha. When I finally figured out ~~(3 days later)~~ it was special treat she was so excited I knew what she meant!
I LOVE the way she says her L's sometime. Somethings she can say it normal but for the words little and like it's "yiddle" or "yike" soooo funny.
When she wants something she used to just demand it. I wouldn't give in and would tell her over and over how to ask nicely. So she would go "GET UP!!!" wanting to get up on the kitchen counter to watch/help me cook ~~(I use the word help loosely)~~. So I would say "that isn't how we ask. You say please Momma may I get up?". Ha little did I know she was listening. Now it's seriously the CUTEST thing ever every time she wants up she says "Please Momma Hayhe get up?" lol cracks me up. How can I say no to that?? So now if there is something she REALLY wants it's "Please Momma Hayhe _____ ?" then she will even smile and say "good asquing" (good asking) ha sooo adorable. She cracks me up. Love that girl

*She has become QUITE the independent D I V A. She wants to pick out every single thing she wears every single day. From her shirts to her socks and shoes. Most of the time it's OK but sometimes it's a huge fight. The things she puts together is hilarious. Honestly for a 2 and almost 1/2 year old she does pretty well. She doesn't put to many crazy colors/patterns together. I think she remembers things Momma puts together and picks them out as a pair. But sometimes when Daddy is in charge of getting dressed time you never know. Saturday she came out in her gray/red Husker shirts and her pink leggins with skirt attached. Ah so lovely

*She is also insentient on talking on the phone to whoever I am talking to. Which would usually be fine except she doesn't talk. She talks in like the most quiet whisper you have ever heard. It's funny and annoying. We're working on it and she is getting better. That weird girl

*So I don't remember exactly when it was with my pregnancy with Hailey (I'm sure I blogged it and could go back and read to find out if I really wanted to.) but from the way she acted in the womb I totally pegged her personality. I don't know if it's this way with all babies, maybe some are totally active and crazy in the womb and come out all chill and never cry, but not my baby. She was crazy inside and crazy outside. Everything I guessed about her inside is exactly the same today. Funny. Franklin I'm hoping is polar opposite. When I would push on Hailey inside she would kick like the dickens back at me. But if Steve touched she would immediately stop. She is super calm around Steve and always listens to him. He always has to back me up w/ discipline and often take over cuz she doesn't obey me, but Daddy oh heck yes. To funny. Franklin, is just quiet a LOT more. She seems to sleep more often and if anybody puts their hand on my belly she stops what she is doing. I'm hoping this translates to calm, not crying, easy to sleep and just better demeanor then her sis. But we'll see! I will love her to death no matter what, just like her Big Sis but God owes me! lol

*This has the potential of getting VERY long, but over the last few weeks (months, since Hay was born even!) I realized I had kids for a VERY selfish reason. I don't mean that in a bad way either. I think it's healthy. I babysat MANY kids over the years whose parents both worked full time, and then went out almost every weekend and left the kids with whoever/grandparents/babysitters. Now I am just judging these parents, not my place, but it wasn't healthy. I realize there has to be a balance, I'm not going to NEVER leave my kids, I can't be with them 24/7 and stay sane. But I also didn't have them, birth them, only to hand them over once or twice a week cuz I need a break or ME time. I would much rather take Hailey w/ me to Target then leave her. We love going to the zoo, park, mall, etc together. She is my go girl! I just love having her w/ me and she loves her Momma. I didn't leave Hailey in the church nursery until she was 15 months old. It won't be that long before I leave Peanut, and I wished I had left Hay sooner but I wasn't comfortable and she was a HARD horrible baby. I have learned and let go, I just wish some people would appreciate that! :)

*My most favorite thing about fall/winter came out a couple weeks ago. Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash Heaven in a bottle that stuff is. I try to limit myself but it's sooooooooo delish and refreshing I just LOVE it and could drink several cans a day!

*So literally the day after we found out Peanut was a girl I pulled all of Hailey's old clothes out of the basement to see what I needed and what I had. I was stressed I was having babies born in different seasons, but it's turned out to be OK. Newborns wear the same stuff no matter what time of year it is right? ;) Well, I had everything except a couple of my most favorite zip up sleepers. I could not find them for the life of me. Did I throw them away?? I looked and looked for them. Then I was looking through Hailey's newborn pics on facebook, and I realized I was missing 10 or so onesies, and some other sleepers. WHAT??? I was so upset. Where was this missing box of clothes?? It took me 2 months but I finally figured out I had loaned some stuff to my good friend Holly when her little girl was born about 3 months after Hailey. HA! I felt sooooooo stupid. My brain is fried I swear! lol

*I don't know if it's the fact that I am/was bigger during the summer months this pregnancy, but even since the weather has cooled down a little, I haven't been able to wear pants or socks to bed this whole pregnancy. If I do I wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Gross. This is extremely hard for me because I always wear a t-shirt (or long sleeve shirt in the winter months), pants, and heavy socks to bed. I did notice my hormones changed drastically after having Hailey, I sweat at anything. Loading grocery's in the dead of winter will make me pit out. Gross. The things we go through for our kids!!

*Thee best $20 I ever spent in my life (which I didn't even have to use MY $, it was all in gift cards from my Birthday last year. Whot!) was to get a umbrella stroller at Target. Every.Single. Day Hailey asks to go outside and play "yiddle stroller". We mostly oblige as long as the weather is decent, she pushes it up and down the sidewalk to the driveways on either side of our house. It's hilarious! She has only attempted to go in the street a couple times but listens extremely well for a 2 year old, and knows her boundaries. (I think she also knows if she breaks the rules we go in. No ?'s asked) It's hilarious how obsessed with that stupid stroller she is. Who needs bikes, and expensive toys when you have an umbrella stroller?

*So even though my girl is a very very talkative 2 year old and can communicate extremely well to me, we are still having our struggles.
There are SO MANY things about 2 nobody tells you. Yes I knew we would have tantrums, and hard days. I realize this is the age you mold and shape them the most and it will be trying. But my land. Nobody tells you that at 2 they will stop eating/feeding themselves, sleeping, and pooping. Seriously??
Not long after I found out I was pregnant and Hailey turned 2 she completely stopped eating at meal times. She would snack allllllll day so I cut that out in hopes she would be hungry for lunch/dinner. I know she was hungry but she refused to feed herself and would make me or Steve do it. It was soooo frustrating! She is finally getting better after 6 months but is still a finicky eater. It's so hard but I just try to make things she likes and ignore her completely at meal times. If she gets attention she refuses to eat until she gets more attention. So if we ignore that she is even there she will shove it in. Weird girl. Oh but the last 2 weeks she has stopped using utensils. So lovely. Oh well at least I don't have to feed it to her!
At the beginning of September I noticed she had a huge change in her #2 function. Sorry this is TMI but I must document b/c it's been a HUGE part of our lives the last month or so. She would go like once a week, maybe twice. And when she as going she was screaming bloody murder like somebody was attacking her. It was horrible. I have bought just about everything in walmart to make the kid go and slowly it's getting better. But it's been a headache and I was completely obsessed w/ her pooping habits for weeks, calling my Mom everyday to ask her what to do. I gave it over to God and starting giving her suppository's and cut out vitamins. Who knew the girl was over loaded on vitamins, I don't think her body could process all that iron and stuff. So weird. She still screams like it kills her but at least she is going about every other day now. Hopefully we get there, but it's been stressful on Momma! The potty dance she does before going (which can sometime last 2 days), is quite entertaining though!
Sleeping; oh the sleeping. This is going to be LOOOONNNGGGG! Before we went to Michigan at the end of July, I think it started the end of June, she stopped sleeping through the night. She would wake multiple times a night crying for no reason. Mostly she had lost her binkies so I would find them on the floor and give them to her and she would go back to sleep. Sometimes it was 2-3 times a night though. Sooooooo hard! Then we went to Michigan and came home and she was still up crying in the night. So we took the plunge and took the side off her crib and made it into a "toddler bed". I figured if she wasn't sleeping in the crib she wouldn't sleep any better in the toddler bed. We had a couple good nights here and there, and to this day she has never gotten out of her bed, Praise Jesus! But she almost always does 1 or 3 things a night;
1)Not go to bed w/out crying. Sometimes it can take up to an hour and a 1/2 of crying before she will sleep. This is extremely frustrating for me and I lose my patience quickly. She won't tell me what she wants/needs or why she is crying. If I ask her what is wrong she just repeats what I am asking. So helpful! So over time we have realized I have to be super duper strict about her nap times during the day, if she sleeps to late or is off she won't sleep well at night. Also if she is up late at night, then 2 nights later are super duper hard and we pay for it.
2)Waking up in the middle of the night for no reason screaming and crying for Momma. She doesn't want to sleep in her bed anymore and wants to come sleep with me. Sometimes at 3am I give in just b/c I need sleep so bad. But I have stopped and we're crying it out. I go in and check her, as long as she hasn't pooped, thrown up, isn't sick or have a fever then I lay her down and leave. If she starts crying again I just leave her. It's tiring and horrible but I know it will be worth it. I can't deal w/ 2 crying in the middle of the night when Peanut is here.
3)waking up 2+ hours early. Luckily this is pretty much over. Right after we got home from Michigan and a couple weeks following she was getting up at 7am everyday. Oh lord it was horrible! She will sleep in now until about 8:30-9am but no more 10am like it was before. Oh well.
So there it is 2. It sucks. Sorry. I hear 3 is worse..........I may need to be committed. It really can't get worse then this can it?? Oy vey.........

*So I wouldn't tag myself as some one who is a germ-a-phoebe ~~(Steve yes, me no)~~, but I am FREAKED out about when Franklin is going to be born. It's going to be December, in the dead of winter, middle of cold and flu season. I'm alllllllll about washing hands and sanitizer. This year?!?! Do NOT COME NEAR ME AND MY BRAND NEW BABY. Or my toddler, b/c she will somehow pass it along to Franklin and we will all end up in the hospital and die. A little dramatic? Me?? Never. Ha. But seriously, thinking about it makes me nervous. Being in the hospital doesn't thrill me either. Why do they make women go to the place where people go when they are dying sick? Stupid.
Is it insane to tell people that if they have had a fever, cold, flu, stomach bug, or anything else in the last WEEK to not come near us?? I'm sure 24 hours is enough time, but not for this hyper Momma. Ugh I need to give this to God and let it go. I'm still going to be extra cautious though.........

26 Weeks

2011-09-24T14:58:00.005-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: About a pound and a 2/3 & 14" long or the size of an english cucumber

Total Weight Gain/Loss: no idea but we'll see in a couple weeks at my next apt. I haven't been very good :/ nervous!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gouchos. ugh I think I tripled in size. My shirts are to short, I pull up my pants every 2 seconds and I have to un-fold my gouchos. I joked that by December I will only be able to fit in a snuggli sown in the back :( Or a big tent!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She moves a LOT but sleeps a lot too. Or maybe I am to busy to focus on feeling her?? I ALWAYS feel her all over when I am trying to go to sleep!

Sleep: Starting to get sore already. Oh well I know it will only get worse from here. Still taking an hour nap everyday when Hailey naps

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Tried my body pillow and I just can't do it. I'm trying to cut out sugar ~~and failing~~. I think this is gonna be hard for me

Cravings: Anything and everything un healthy :( Made my applesauce and it was an epic fail. Ughhh. Ha. I LOVE that my cranberry sierra mist is back for the season but can't go over board with it :)

Symptoms: Heart burn, tired, feel like a house. Ha. But I'm not complaining I am sooo excited and can't believe how fast time is flying by!!! And as weird as it is my left eye twitches ALL THE TIME. Must be tired?? Ughhh it's sooooo annoying and it needs to stop ASAP!

Best Moment this week: Celebrating Aunt Nat and Steve's Birthday along with our 4 year Anniversary this week! Feeling baby girl move and knowing she is growing and healthy :) Love her so much already!!! Starting up MOPS and getting new relationships that will help me through the hard times as a Momma of 2 :)

Top pic is 25 wk 4 days prego w/ Hailey, bottom pic is 25 wk 5 dy w/ Peanut :)

25 Weeks

2011-09-16T15:17:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 weeks

Size of baby: About a pound and a 1/2 & 13 1/2" long or the size of a rutabaga

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So I was baaaad this last month and put on 7 lbs in one month!!! :*( MAJOR SOB! BUT, the good news is that even with that 7 lbs I have only put on a total of 6 lbs above my pre pregnancy weight so my midwife said that is amazing and I am perfect! HA! Losing all that weight in the beginning helps me not to pack it on, and I am trying trying trying to get better eating habits to avoid edema and a huge weight gain. We'll see!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all maternity except gouchos. My summer shirts are getting tight :(

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: She moves a LOT but sleeps a lot too. Or maybe I am to busy to focus on feeling her?? Hailey has even felt/seen her move. She gets so wide eyed it's adorable

Sleep: Starting to get sore already. Oh well I know it will only get worse from here. Still taking an hour nap everyday when Hailey naps

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Tried my body pillow and I just can't do it. I'm trying to cut out sugar ~~and failing~~. I think this is gonna be hard for me

Cravings: ICE CREAM! Sugar, anything un-healthy, fast food, Panera salad and broccoli cheddar soup! YUM! Oh one of my biggest ones is homemade apple sauce. All warm and chunky sounds sooo good I need to make some asap!

Symptoms:Nothing really, feeling good just tired from chasing around a 2 year old!!

Best Moment this week: Having a GREAT midwife apt and getting to hear Baby Franklin's heart beat :) Getting lots of cleaning/projects/weirdo nesting things done around the house. YAY!

24 Weeks

2011-09-09T15:00:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 weeks

Size of baby: About 1 lb 4-5 oz & a foot long or the size of a Ear Of Corn

Total Weight Gain/Loss: eh I've been pretty good. We'll see at next apt next week. (I actually remember my weight from last month this time!)

Maternity Clothes: Only sweats for pants still fit, other wise all maternity pants. Shirts are getting to be slim pickins. :( I don't have much maternity clothes so I am looking forward to cooler weather with big hoodies and sweaters! :)

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: ALL. THE. TIME. This girl is a gymnast. No calmer then her big sis was in utero. Oh Lord help me......

Sleep: Slowly getting better and adjusting to Hailey's new early wake times. Hopefully once she is done getting her molars we will get back into a good sleeping pattern. At least we still get our naps in every day :)

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Tried my body pillow and I just can't do it. I'm trying to cut out sugar ~~and failing~~. I think this is gonna be hard for me

Cravings: ICE CREAM! M&M's ha. Sugar, anything un-healthy, fast food, Panera salad and broccoli cheddar soup! YUM! Oh one of my biggest ones is homemade apple sauce. All warm and chunky sounds sooo good I need to make some asap!

Symptoms:Nothing really, feeling good just tired from chasing around a 2 year old!!

Best Moment this week: Feeling more movement, got LOADS of cleaning/nesting projects done around the house :)

23 Weeks

2011-09-02T21:46:00.003-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: Over 1 lb & just a little over 11 in or the size of a Mango. Yum mango! ha

Total Weight Gain/Loss: eh I've been pretty good. We'll see at next apt in a couple weeks though!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: Feeling her and seeing her from the outside all the time. Started feeling her move when standing and moving around. Honestly I am so busy w/ life and a 2 year old I don't think about it much when we are up and around, and sometimes I mistake it for a muscle spasm or gas but then I remember it's my lil Peanut and I always smile and pray for her :)

Sleep: This child is on my bladder and it isn't funny. I think I broke some kind of record the other night and from the time I put Hay to bed (9pmish) until I woke up I peed like 7 times during the night. Ughhhh! Hailey is currently working on 2 yr molar #3 (yes STILL 1 more to go. God help me!) so after a week of GOOD sleep and even 2 days of her sleeping until 10am we are back to waking a couple times at night and starting our day at 7am :( Rarely has there been a day during this pregnancy that I have missed taking a nap during the day when Hailey sleeps. I NEED MY SLEEP!!!!

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy :( Also resulting in not so good sleep, I have a hard time getting in a comfty position

Symptoms:LOADS heartburn lately ~~of course that is probably from my diet,~~ (this little one decided she didn't want to be bald) doing good but I know things are going down hill! Starting to feel HUGE!

Best Moment this week: Feeling her move more and more, being super productive at home w/ all my nesting/cleaning projects (um hello pulling weeds for 2 hours and vacuuming above the kitchen cabinets. Crazy!) :) Can't wait to have my 2 girls!!

22 weeks

2011-08-26T15:15:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: Almost 1 lb & 11 in or the size of a spaghetti squash

Total Weight Gain/Loss: don't feel much better then last week. Hopefully! ;)

Maternity Clothes: Only sweats for pants still fit, other wise mainly maternity pants. Almost all my shirts still fit

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

Movement: Feeling her and seeing her from the outside all the time. Still not when I am moving around, but I know it's coming soon! This is much sooner then w/ Hailey also

Sleep: Hailey is sleeping better and so am I. I start my day a lot earlier then I used to, but no biggy I'm expecting that will happens when #2 gets here anyways!

What I miss: Nothing, super excited to grow my sweet girl and meet her soon!!!

Cravings: ICE CREAM! ha. Sugar, anything un-healthy, fast food, luckily still salad and veggies in ranch

Symptoms:some heartburn lately ~~of course that is probably from my diet,~~ back is doing GREAT, feeling awesome!!!

Best Moment this week: Got baby girl's closet and clothes are ready (um can you say OCD??), more nesting/cleaning projects around the house, and just feeling her move and saying her name every once in awhile ;)

Hailey-isms

2011-08-25T17:04:00.005-05:00

Some funny stories/things we hear from this VERY lively 2 year old. She drives me crazy one minute, but makes me laugh until I cry every day no matter what.

-today I was trying to find something in my mess of a pantry and Hailey was ~~supposed to be~~ eating lunch in her high chair. She looked at me very serious and said "hayhey (Hailey) sick, I take a bitamin (vitamin)". LOL where does she get this!!

-when we were in Michigan (post coming soon) she kept calling Sadie (3 weeks younger then her), Amy. The WHOLE 4 days. It was pretty funny and I would correct her every single time. She STILL asks to play w/ Amy, or if she sees a pic of Sadie she screams AMY! So funny!

-My BFF Megan flew out to Omaha for a couple days for my birthday weekend. The whole weekend she was here Hailey called her Crissi (Sadie/Amy's Mom). It was so funny. Frustrating for Meg but funny none the less.

-My other BFF Jess is in town from Chicago and came over today, she called her Megan the whole time she was here. Hilarious! She is just like her Daddy, never remembers anybody's name!!

-when she wants something REALLY bad she knows how to politely ask, hoping it will help her get her way. But the funniest part is how she finishes it, for example if she wants me to put her hair up in a bow she will say "please Momma put bow in hair. OK!" like because she said please and asked so nicely automatically it's an OK! from Momma or Daddy. Hilarious

-When Meg was here they were being super silly and giggly one night together. Megan's boyfriend is Chinese and they were looking at pics on her phone of Andrew. So Megan pulled Hailey's eyes to a slant and called her "Happy Asain!" it was hilarious. They did it over and over for like an hour. They were both in tears from laughing so hard. Megan even got it on video on her phone and sent it to her boyfriend who was laughing even harder then they were. It's been over 2 weeks since Meg went home but everyday Hailey pulls on her face and screams "Happy Asain" I usually about die laughing. Soooo funny. I wish I could show you the face she gets out of it......

-The girl is JUST like her Momma and is totally un-coordinated and falls/walks into stuff all the time. :*( Bless her heart. So we've been walking to the park behind our house a LOT lately (go me!) and almost every time the poor love falls and scrapes her knees. She had about 5 good scrapes on both legs last week. Well, yesterday she fell in the driveway and got yet ANOTHER scrape. So I decided to put some band-aids on them in hopes of healing it sooner. She has her own special princess band aids, which I let her have 2 of, but put a 3rd "Grown up" boring super sticky one on the new bleeding owie since she can't get them off and I wanted it on longer. Usually the princess ones stay on for maybe an hour or 2 and are then ripped off. I knew this owie needed to be covered longer to get better. Oh my did she lose it. She did NOT care for that band aid and let me know. She cried the ugly-snotty-face-I'm-gonna-die-2-year-old-tantrum cry for over an hour. An hour folks! Over a band aid! I kept my calm and tried to deal with her. NOTHING I did worked. We took all 3 band aids off and that made it worse. The only thing that made her better was to go BACK to the bathroom, let her pick out all the band aids she wanted and let HER put them on herself. What do you think she did?? Picked out 2 princess band aids, put them on exactly where she had the last 2, and picked out a super sticky grown up band aid. SERIOUSLY??? Oh my gorsh. I think I need therapy people.........

-I find myself saying super weird things to avoid naughty words I used to say sans kids. One of them is Bummer Man when upset, and if something bad happens I'll say "oh my goodness sakes" so now whenever something happens that displeases Hailey she says "oh my sakes" cracks me up! It's so precious

-Steve orders all of his holistic Chinese herb supplements online and they get shipped to us. So now whenever we get a package no matter what Hailey says "Daddy menicine (medicine)"

21 Weeks

2011-08-19T14:14:00.004-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: 3/4 of a lb & 10 1/2 in or the size of a large carrott

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I gained 3 lbs in a month. Considering we were on vacation for a week and it was my birthday I'm pretty happy with that number!

Maternity Clothes: Only sweats for pants still fit, other wise mainly maternity pants. Almost all my shirts still fit

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! Sooooooooo excited to have "my Girls"

Movement: All the time when I'm sitting/laying. This child is not any more calm then her big sister was, we could be in for it X2

Sleep: Sleeping great when Hailey sleeps. Ha. Up to pee once a night and it's usually when Hailey needs help getting back to sleep so no big deal. I know the good sleep isn't going to last much longer so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can!

What I miss: Being able to go to the bar for my Birthday. But it's all good next year for the big 3-0 I will :)

Cravings: ICE CREAM! ha. Sugar, anything un-healthy, fast food, luckily still salad and veggies in ranch

Symptoms: nothing but a sore back. Still seeing the chiro and hoping it pays off :) I could have 9 babies if I always felt like I do in the 2nd trimester!

Best Moment this week: Choosing a first and middle name for our girl. I am soooooooo excited but only me and Steve will know until she is born. :) Also my BFF from Denver came for my Birthday weekend and we had SUCH an amazing time, it was great to share our good news from the u/s and that it's a girl with her in person!!

21 week belly shots. Feelin large but only half way there! Oy vey!

19/20 Weeks

2011-08-12T19:23:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: 10 1/2 oz. & 6 1/2 in or the size of a Banana

Total Weight Gain/Loss: no idea and I'm not sure I want to know. After being on vacation and eating out and lots of yummy desserts and snacks I am trying to be better at home with salad and fruit!

Maternity Clothes: Only sweats for pants still fit, other wise mainly maternity pants. Almost all my shirts still fit

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! Sooooooooo excited to have "my Girls"

Movement: Almost always if I'm sitting and laying in bed. Sometimes when I'm standing. So happy that I feel her moving and knowing that she is OK and growing

Sleep: Sleeping great when Hailey sleeps. Ha. We took her crib side off so she is in a "big girl bed" and doing great!!!

What I miss: Nothing really, I'm half way there and know it will be over soon!!!

Cravings: ICE CREAM! ha. Sugar, anything un-healthy, fast food, luckily still salad and veggies in ranch

Symptoms: nothing but a sore back. Still seeing the chiro and hoping it pays off :)

Best Moment this week: Being on vacation in Michigan, Hailey sleeping better and in her big girl bed, and of course finding out our sweet girl is perfect and healthy and normal!!!

18 Weeks

2011-07-29T08:28:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: 5 1/2 in long and 7 oz. About the size of a bell pepper

Total Weight Gain/Loss: no idea. We'll just say I've gained about 5 lbs. Mmm K?

Maternity Clothes: Getting bigger by the day. Still regular shirts, but not sure how much longer!

Gender: No idea, only 2 weeks until we should find out, August 12th!!

Movement: Oh my goodness this baby is a gymnast like it's Sister was. I only feel it when I am sitting at the computer or laying down to sleep. But I sure do feel it a LOT. It's wonderful and puts this worry wart Momma at ease :)

Sleep: Sooo much better. Finally figured out Hailey needed a night light (who knew?) so now we are both sleeping pretty well. I am having some major sinus pain again which will keep me up but it's better then a screaming toddler all night!!

What I miss: Nothing really, excited to see this Baby and meet him/her and hold them and know they are healthy and perfect!

Cravings: Oranges, fast food, super duper COLD ice water (HOT Nebraska summers!), dessert 24/7, ice cream, veggies dipped in ranch, salad, Broccoli cheddar soup from panera

Symptoms: Feeling good! I'm in the 2nd trimester heaven, feeling the baby but not much pain! My back has been HURTING so I decided to see a chiropractor this time and I really hope it helps my pain and with delivery!

Best Moment this week: Hailey sleeping better, a friend told me I LOOK pregnant and not fat! YAY! :) Feeling the baby move so much is amazing. Oh also the super duper cute bedding I ordered from Target arrived. LOVE it! Going to paint soon!

17 Weeks

2011-07-22T22:00:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: 5 in long and 5 oz. About the size of an a Turnip

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Epic fail on my part for not remembering what it was last apt, but I think it was about the same. So instead of gaining I probably lost a lb or so

Maternity Clothes: getting bigger by the day. Still regular shirts, but not sure how much longer!

Gender: No idea, only 3 weeks until we should find out, August 12th!!

Movement: Feel this little peanut every time I lay down to go to bed flip and bump me all over. Tried to get Steve to feel but he couldn't. It's exciting!

Sleep: Oh sweet sleep. My 1st Baby is getting her 2 yr molar and is up several times at night crying in pain, and naps went from 2 hours to like 45 minutes. I am NOT a happy camper but hopefully it's getting better :(

What I miss: Nothing really, excited to see this Baby and meet him/her and hold them and know they are healthy and perfect!

Cravings: Salad, Oranges, Fruit, Anything and everything un-healthy :( Sugar!!!!

Symptoms: None other then being tired, but I was tired from #1 before I was prego. Welcome to Mommyhood right? ;)

Best Moment this week: Feeling like myself ~~(sleep deprived self)~~ again!! Holla!!!

16 Weeks

2011-07-15T20:51:00.004-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: 4 1/2 in long and 3 1/2 oz. About the size of an avocado

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So I don't remember what my weight was last time I was at the Dr (epic fail on my part), but I'm pretty sure after puking/pooing all night Sunday I lost a couple lbs :(

Maternity Clothes: 99% regular clothes, maternity shorts, all regular shirts. The good thing about being fat before pregnancy is your clothes are big and stretchy and they will last a long time! Ha

Gender: I still keep going back and forth. Only 4 weeks until we should find out, August 12th!!

Movement: 95% sure I've felt the baby the last few days. Yay!

Sleep: I have good nights and bad nights. The last couple have been good, not even getting up to pee. But I think my stomach bug made me so tired I am catching up!

What I miss: Nothing really, excited to see this Baby and meet him/her and hold them and know they are healthy and perfect!

Cravings: Salad with ceasar/raspberry vinaigrette dressing, fruit, tuna salad, fast food, junk food (boo), anything and everything sugar, this week it was homemade applesauce. Might have to make some soon!

Symptoms: So I went to a movie w/ my sis this past weekend and got a big ol bag of popcorn and pretty much ate the entire thing. Was up until 2:30am Sunday puking cuz of it. NOT good. Why must I always do this to myself?? So I felt like crap until Wed but now I'm good to go! Will NOT over indulge myself again! Not worth it!!!

Best Moment this week: Starting to feel LOTS better, not half as gaggy as I was and have more energy. Knowing we will get to find out if the baby is all healthy and fine in a couple weeks, midwife told me the baby is in perfect position so it is growing beautifully and heard the heartbeat! (in the 150's she thought) YAY!!

15 Weeks

2011-07-08T16:55:00.007-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of baby: 4 in long and 2 oz. About the size of an apple

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ?? I know I've been eating a LOT more (junk food) so I'm sure I'm packing it on. Have midwife apt Monday so I will have to face the scale :/

Maternity Clothes: 99% regular clothes, maternity shorts, and I broke down this week and wore maternity jeans b/c the thought of squeezing into my regular jeans gave me a headache. I will hopefully wear my regular jeans a couple more times though

Gender: I still keep going back and forth. Only 5 weeks until we should find out. (I will make my apt for the u/s on Monday)

Movement: Think I've felt the baby "bump" into me, not sure. I know what is and isn't gas and muscle spasm's, but I'm still not sure! Hopefully soon :)

Sleep: Sleeping AMAZING. Head cold is finally gone, and I am able to breathe through my nose. PRAISE JESUS!!! Not awake at 4am either, I usually wake once to go potty and then able to fall right back to sleep

What I miss: Nothing really, excited to see this Baby and meet him/her and hold them and know they are healthy and perfect!

Cravings: Salad with ceasar/raspberry vinaigrette dressing, fast food, junk food (boo), anything and everything sugar, especially rhubarb crisp (which I am giving into and making this weekend. WHOP)

Symptoms: Woobies are KILLIN me! I feel like a whale. I think I am starting to show, but it's still jiggly fat. Grrr. Feel amazing, this 2nd trimester thing rocks this time around! :)

Best Moment this week: Starting to feel LOTS better, not half as gaggy as I was and have more energy. Still hard to get off the couch some days (but I'm pretty much always like that, right?)

15 weeks with the peanut, bigger then I was at 20 weeks with Hay. Oh well I know it happens with #2

Baby #1

2011-07-08T15:59:00.010-05:00

I have so not kept this blog up to what I really wanted and intended it to be. I would love to keep daily track of Hailey and the awesome hilarious funny things she does, says, sings. So instead I will make one really super long post about everything!!

**FYI this is EXTREMELY long winded and stories just for me. I don't have room in her baby book for all this and I know when she is 14 and hates me I will come back and read these and laugh and cry at the same time! So skip to the bottom pics if you like ;)

Sleep- My girl did NOT sleep much at all ~~(especially at night)~~ the first 3 months of her life. All we did was take naps on the couch together all day everyday. Then she decided she should take after her Mommy & Daddy and sleep. All. The. Time. Wait I take that back, at night she did. But during the day. Ut uh. She had to be swaddled, rocked/bounced, with a binky, and usually to music. Was Mommy desperate?? Oh heck yea. Is that going to happen with Baby #2?? Um no. The first 10 months of Hailey's life she never fell asleep by herself. Then I let her CIO, (cry it out) sucked for a couple weeks but now my child is the best sleeper EVER. She took 2 2 hour naps until she was 23 months old. HA! On top of sleeping 11-13 hours at night. LOVE her! So I guess she is making up for being such a pill in the beginning of her life! Now she goes to bed around 9:15 and gets up between 8:30-10am usually (ha) and takes a 2 hour nap from 2-4 everyday. Oh it's so joyous!

Vocab- So I'm sure most of you remember me freaking out over her not talking but my land that child never shuts up now! I often look at Steve and say "why oh why did I want her to talk so badly?" Ha! She is just starting to string 2-3 words together. She repeats a LOT ~~which makes me want to gab my eye balls out most of the time~~, so I know she is getting there and learning from us everyday. Some of my favorite things to hear out of her mouth are;

Oh my! (I am trying to watch my language and I say this instead of other 4 letter words. It's pretty freaking hilarious. She'll say it over and over again)

Daddy workin (she has this accent on working and it cracks me up)

Unkle Anee (Uncle Andy. Hilarious. She doesn't call anybody else aunt/uncle just their first names. But she is OBSESSED with Andy)

Ama (Grandma. Also cute, I love hearing her ask to go see Papa, Ama, and Unkle Anee)

Every time we drive my Burger King, Sonic, or Taco Bell she screams POP and points. Ha. Sue me, we eat out WAY to much.

Fox, except her version is a different 4 letter word that I would NEVER want her to say in public or at church. I can just see her in nursery one Sunday and there is a fox in a book or something and she screams FU!* oh my I will be so chawed.

Buca Boo, Peek-a-boo. Seriously so freaking cute it cracks me up. She puts her little hands over her eyes, take um off and screams BUCA BOO at you. Cracks me up every time.

One More/One More Minute, like most kids she does way better with a warning. "One more bite of food then you can have a treat." "One more minute outside then we have to go in." Etc. So she gets it. And she does WAY better about going inside if she has her one minute warning. So the other night we were outside watching Fireworks and we told her in a couple minutes we were going in, then one more minute we were going in, then we told her it was time to go inside. She looked VERY serious holds up her little index finger and says "mon more mint" sooooooo funny. And the other day she was playing with her dora memory game on the floor w/ Steve and he told her all done and to pick up so they could play a different game and she sat there holding up her little finger saying "mon more gam" and he could NOT understand her, I was laughing WAY to hard to interpret plus I wanted him to figure her out on his own. She probably said it 14 times before he figured it out. It's so cute the way she says it. Cracks me up.

Huggy and kees, hug and kiss. It's adorable. I'll be cooking dinner or doing laundry and she'll run in the room yelling HUGGY and hug my leg. Sweet girl.

She is 2. She has HUGE tantrums (more later), but back at the beginning of May my ~~favorite~~ Aunt Duffy came for a week and stayed with my parents. We saw her 3 or 4 times and of course her and Hailey had an instant connection. (this was the 1st time Duffy had ever seen Hailey) So the last night for us to see Duffy before she left I gave Hailey a bath. This is our WORST time of day, she always runs away from me and I have to fight her to put lotion/jammies on etc. So my sister and Duffy were trying to dress her and hold her down. She was kicking them and head butting and it was horrible. We had LOTS of talks about NOT kicking and that isn't nice or she would be in BIG trouble. We told her she is to ONLY kick at swimming in the pool. About 4 weeks after Duffy left she sent Hailey a cute little post card, about 3 days after she got it Hailey had it in the car, I was singing along to the music and not paying attention to Hay and all the sudden from the back seat she pipes up "Dumfy (Duffy. HA!), NO Kick. Naughty. Kick swim" hilarious! Glad I got through to her and she remembers it's not ok to kick. (also love that she calls her Dumfy (sounds like dumpy sometimes). Cracks me up.

Osha (or something that sounds like that), Off. So funny she can say most things so clearly but for a good 8-10 months off has sounded the same. Nobody but me and Steve know what she is saying. I'll be sad when she can say OFF like a normal person.

She is also HUGE on music and songs. We took swimming lessons, and they had us sing songs at the beginning and end of class. One of them was Hokey Pokey and she FREAKS and LOVES if you sing she will do all the motions. Hilarious! She calls it "Pokey pokey" HA!

Her other favorite songs are;

Itsy Bitsy
Pat-A-Cake
Jesus Loves Me (she sings "Bible tell toe" or something that sounds like that)
Jeremy Camp's new song "The Way" has a part where he says "nah nah nah Jesus, nah nah nah you are the way, etc" and she will yell out "nah nah nah" over and over and sometimes throw in there a "Jesus" sooooooo sweet I HAVE to get this on film soon
And in Blue October (just for A. Meg!) in the song "Calling You" the sing Uh oh oh oh oh oh oh, ohhhh oh" and she will sing "oh oh oh" over and over again. So prec

Clothes-My girl is a clothes horse. This is partly me, partly Carters, and mostly both Grandma's fault. Ha. She LOVES to pick out her own clothes. I usually let her pick her own pants out, then give her a choice of shirts that match the pants. I also usually let her pick out her own jammies (again with the whole after bath thing....do whatever I can to make it go more smoothly). I figure the less fights we have the better!

Food-She loves to snack. Meals; notsomuch. She would live off popsicles, fruit, juice, cereal, and potatoes if we let her. Oh and don't forget POP (sprite. I NEVER give her caffeine, but other certain aunts are a different story. I digress). That girl LOVES her some pop. I sneak meat in, and if she sits at the table for 45 minutes after me and Steve are done until she eats at least a couple bites then so be it. Dinner can be a real challenge. She wants us to feed her. She is perfectly capable of feeding herself but always just sits and says "Momma/Daddy help" over and over and over until we give in. Ugh. Luckily she LOVES veggies and fruit so I know she gets something good in her everyday.
Also Breakfast is a huge challenge. Neither of us (me or Hay) are morning girls so I never fight. A cookie?? Fine (every once in awhile NOT every day). We ALWAYS have at least 1 serving of fruit and then I let her pick something from the fridge/pantry. Breakfast is just to early to fight over. I don't have it in me. Mother of the year I tell ya.......

Friends-We have met some AMAZING friends from mops and enjoy a weekly (sometimes) play date. She loves to share and doesn't understand stealing toys (YET!), so it's fun to watch her interact with other kids. Right now her main pals are, Eleena and Samara (sweet sweet neighbor girls who LOVE her and call her Baby Hailey. Ha!), Cara, Abby and Zo, and a couple others! We love to meet at the Zoo or the splash park and just run and scream :) Plus Momma LOVES the adult time w/ the other Momma's it's what keeps me sane!

Play-My child would live outside 24/7 if I let her. A couple weeks ago it was like 90 degrees by 10am so we sat on the back patio in our bathing suits and I turned the hose on as low as it would go. I filled water balloons (which she was scared of?!?!), and she carried water from a rubbermaid bowl with a spoon allll over the patio. It was a sweet time with her, and we had lots of fun! She hates coming inside and always throws a fit.
She would also swim/live in the water if I let her. She asks to wear her swimsuit 24/7. Girl loves her some water.
She still loves stickers (although she doesn't call them Sticker-ta anymore :( ), and her grocery cart she pushes all over the house. She LOVES her doll Jenna. Jenna goes everywhere with us. I see her being a little Momma like I was growing up :) I will be extra patient with her and her doll obsession since I know where it stems from :)

Discipline- So being a Nanny I knew 20 months-3 or 4 was a hard age. I never knew it was THIS hard. Or that a child could be THIS stubborn. Did you know your child can limp to the floor and refuse to move (except to crumble onto the ground in PURE tantrum form) like 8 times in 5 minutes?? Oh yes. Every.Single.TIME we go to walmart we have the same exact fit. I grab a cart and tell Hailey she has to get in and she crumbles to the ground and upon being picked up kicks, screams, and ends up chucking her shoes off her feet half way across the entry of walmart. Oh and she is usually flailing her arms and whacking me somewhere (usually the head/face). Just keeping it real ppl. Everybody we meet says how sweet she is and can't believe how well behaved she is. And yes 97% of the time she is. But man can she push buttons!!! I eventually get her in the cart, but she fights me until the end. We talk a LOT about being a good girl/naughty. She knows the difference. When she is naughty I tell her, and warn her she better be good or ___ or ___ will happen. (and I ALWAYS carry the threat through!) Man it's hard! There are so many days I feel like the WORST MOM ever. I need to calm down and have patience. :( I try my hardest and pray about it every night. I know I'm doing the best I can and MOST days we get along and are fine, but we have our moments. The hardest thing is that she is my mini me (attitude wise). We butt heads ALL day. It's hard to see her act nasty and throw the tantrums when I KNOW she can be so sweet and good.
It was hilarious last night she was playing so well on the couch all by herself while I watched tv, and she kept looking at me saying "good girl", like look Momma I'm being good! So I would just praise and hug and kiss her and tell her how proud I was for playing so good and being a good girl. I def know the girl lives off the praise and does better with positive then when I try to tell her to stop or not doing something or act a certain way.
So our other new way of discipline is to stick her in the corner. Our master bedroom is right off our living room, so when she is acting out or being bad we make her stand in the corner of the door frame (sorry hard to explain) with her nose on the wall. She will stand there perfectly still for a minute or 2. Sometimes she comes running to me when we tell her to get out, and she will hug and say sorry, and other times she will continue the tantrum, and even others she will say no and continue to stand in the corner. What a toot! But it seems to get through to her more then going to her room or anything, so I hope we get through to her. It's SOOOOO hard!!!
Sorry I could go on and on about the 2 year phase, it's harder in so many ways then the newborn stage, but at least I get 9 hours of sleep a night! What happens when I have a newborn AND a 2 year old?? I might have to be committed! HA!

OK I think that is all. I need to do this more often so it's not so long and so there are more things I remember to put down! Bless you for sticking it out for so long. As crazy as she is and so many days I tell her she is going to go live at Grandma's, she sure is gorgeous and LOVES her Momma and LOVES to cuddle. It sure does make me feel good to be needed and get all her "Huggy's" ;)

14 Weeks

2011-07-01T15:06:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: 3 1/2 in long and 1 1/2 oz. About the size of a lemon

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ?? I know I've been eating a LOT more (junk food) so I'm sure I'm packing it on

Maternity Clothes: 99% regular clothes, but I got some maternity shorts from a friends garage sale last week and they are heaven!

Gender: Not sure, only about 6 weeks until we find out! YAY!

Movement: Think I've felt the baby "bump" into me, not sure. I know what is and isn't gas and muscle spasm's, but I'm still not sure! Hopefully soon :)

Sleep: Sleeping sucks. I'm dead tired and feel like I could sleep for 5 days straight, but we have head colds in our house so I am sooo stuffy I can't sleep. Even benadryl didn't help :(

What I miss: Still my alcohol. Especially with 4th of July coming up. Oh well it's well worth it and only for a season! :)

Cravings: Salad with ceasar dressing, fresh fruit, veggies dipped in ranch, fast food, shall I go on??

Symptoms: GAG REFLUX ughhhh, if I try to eat something I am not hungry for or I over eat it's baaaadddd, bad taste in my mouth, woobies are KILLIN me! I feel like a whale. I think I am starting to show (will post pics sometime soon I promise) but it is all jiggly like fat. Ughhhh

Best Moment this week: Starting to feel a little better, not so gaggy 24/7 like I was and have SOME energy. Still hard to get off the couch some days

13 Weeks

2011-06-24T14:19:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 13 weeks

Size of baby: 3 in. long, the size of a large shrimp ;) Maybe I'll start calling the baby Shrimp instead of Peanut!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ?? I think I am about 8 lbs under my starting weight. OK with me!

Maternity Clothes: nope none yet, still in my regular clothes for as long as possible!

Gender: Not sure, I flip flop everyday

Movement: Think I've felt the baby "bump" into me, not sure. I know what is and isn't gas and muscle spasm's, but I'm still not sure! Hopefully soon :)

Sleep: Sleeping amazing, up some nights from 4am-6am but most nights I sleep like a rock

What I miss: Mike's Hard Cranberry :( Sorry but I do! Haven't had one in a LONG time and I especially crave them in the hot hot summer time!

Cravings: Salad with ceasar dressing, fresh fruit, veggies dipped in ranch, fast food, ice cream, shall I go on??

Symptoms: GAG REFLUX ughhhh, if I try to eat something I am not hungry for or I over eat it's baaaadddd, bad taste in my mouth, woobies are KILLIN me!

Best Moment this week: Starting to feel a little better and have SOME energy. Still hard to get off the couch some days

Summer.....

2011-06-22T17:41:00.004-05:00

So catching up on reading blogs ~~(while trying my hardest not to gag and throw up 24/7)~~, I was reading one of my favs Jessica and she wrote about her favorite summer things/things that remind her of summer. It inspired me so here is my list! Share your own :)

Flip flops. Homemade ice cream. Car wash in the driveway. Water Balloons. Popsicles. Grilling out. Corn on the cob. Big bowl of fruit salad. Tank tops. Curly hair. Pink toenail polish. Zoo. Fireworks. Laying on a blanket in the grass looking at the stars. Sprinklers. Mike's Hard Lemonade on the back porch. Watermelon. Millard Days Parade. Slush. Capri's. Walks around the neighborhood. Pedicures. Thunderstorms. Family road trips. Swimsuits. Beach Boys. College World Series. Peaches. Humidity.

So tell me what is summer to you! I <3 summertime :)

12 weeks!

2011-06-17T15:43:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: 2 in. long, about the size of a lime!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost about 10 lbs

Maternity Clothes: nope none yet, still in my regular clothes for as long as possible!

Gender: Not sure, I flip flop everyday

Movement: Think I've felt the baby "bump" into me, not sure. I know what is and isn't gas and muscle spasm's, but I'm still not sure! Hopefully soon :)

Sleep: Sleeping amazing, up some nights from 4am-6am but most nights I sleep like a rock

What I miss: Mike's Hard Cranberry :( Sorry but I do! Haven't had one in a LONG time and I especially crave them in the hot hot summer time!

Cravings: Salad with ceasar dressing, fresh fruit, veggies dipped in ranch, cheetos, fast food, ice cream, shall I go on??

Symptoms: GAG REFLUX ughhhh, if I try to eat something I am not hungry for or I over eat it's baaaadddd, bad taste in my mouth, woobies are KILLIN me!

Best Moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat for the first time! I love it!

similarities.........

2011-06-15T15:54:00.002-05:00

So please don't comment that you think I'm weird for thinking of these things. I realize this. It's just how my brain works ;)

So here are some similarities I have found during both of my pregnancies (thus far).

First we'll start with Hailey;

Hailey "Bean" Sessions:

Found out I was pregnant on August 18th 2008

Found out I was pregnant when I was about 2 weeks along

My due date was April 30th 2009

I lost over 15 lbs during the 1st and most of the 2nd trimester (no worries I PACKED it on later in the 2nd tri and all of the 3rd. Sigh)

Cravings I had especially in the 1st trimester: Taco Bell, Cheetos, fresh fruit (mainly pineapple, red delicious apples (COLD), grapes with seeds, and peaches), Ham and swiss cheese sandwiches, toast, cereal (all kinds)

When Bean was born I was 26 years old and Steve was 29

Would be awake with insomnia from about 4am-6-6:30am (only to fall BACK to sleep and then my alarm would go off at 6:50 for work. Grrrrrrr) every night. It was horrible! I just laid there and prayed, a LOT.

Peanut Sessions: - Currently 11 weeks pregnant

Found out I was pregnant on April 18th 2011

Found out I was pregnant when I was about 2 weeks along

My due date is December 30th 2011

I lost 11 lbs between weeks 4 and 7, not sure what it is now but I'm pretty sure it's around the 15 lbs mark. Some of my pants fall off! Hoping NOT to pack on as much later this time and going to be much more careful and healthy! We'll see....

Cravings I've had so far: Fresh fruit (especially pineapple, peaches, and strawberries. Thank GOODNESS it's summer this time!), cheetos and dorotios, Ham and swiss sandwiches (I could LIVE at little king right now. seriously), cereal, cranberry jello salad

I had an ultra sound with both pregnancies right at 8 weeks and holding up the pictures you can't tell who is who. I'm sure every single baby in the world look alike at 8 weeks, but I like to think different. I think it means this baby will also be cute and healthy and perfect and look gorgeous just like it's big sis :)

I will be 29 years old when this baby is born

I either can't fall asleep right away or I'm awake from about 4am-6-6:30am. It's horribly annoying. (luckily this time I don't have to wake up until 8:30 or later! Hallelujah!)

So does anybody else think this stuff is weird or just me?? Not sure!

The Deets of Peanut

2011-06-13T15:21:00.004-05:00

OK so I have 40 minutes give or take until Hay is up from her nap, so I'll try and explain what's been up.
So as you know I had a horrible time after Hailey was born. She was a horrible fussy baby. Gorgeous as can be, and I loved her to death. A horrible eater, sleeper, screamed all day and night. It was NOT what I signed up for. So needless to say the first year of her life is a horrible depressing blur. Once she hit about 8-9 months I could breathe. But, both me and Steve told anybody and everybody who asked we would NEVER have anymore children. 1 was enough. Ha. As soon as that girl turned about 14 months I wanted another. Not right away but one day. Talking and meeting more Mommy friends they all promised my delivery would be different, a different more CALM baby. I wouldn't have the same experience again. RIGHT? Plus the way I looked at it, I survived the 1st one, there isn;t a lot that could be thrown at me that I hadn't dealt with already. So it was talking Hubby into it. He was not at all convinced.
I LOVED my Dr that delivered Hailey, but I had some major complications and honestly I just was never comfortable with a man dr, and was never really explained anything. I had to look everything up online. He was just to dang medical for me. So I decided to make the big switch to a midwife. I called in Jan and got into see one for my yearly exam. She was AHAMAZING. She answered all my questions, we talked for like 45 minutes about everything I had been through with Hailey. She said I will have no problems pushing out another baby, and that I mostly likely had post traumatic stress disorder after Hailey's birth. Having your child literally ripped out of you can be quite traumatic for Mom and Baby. She promised it wouldn't happen again and when the time is right that we should pray and think about having #2. This was all I needed to hear and seemed to put some of Hubby's fears at ease.
So I hadn't been on any b/c since May of '10. If I told ya'll what our b/c was you would laugh. I'll spare you. But it worked for a year so whatever. Of course my period was all wonky and all over the place and starting in about dec I was "afraid" I was pregnant and kept testing only to get neg results. (I say afraid, of course it would have been a blessing but it wasn't MY plan to happen right then) We wanted to wait until the fall of '11 when Hailey would be closer to 3 and then start trying and talking about having another. Well, I had a normal period in Feb, then did some funky spotting thing in March. Of course Hubby asks "you won't get pregnant cuz you didn't have a period right?" Ha. Who knows with my body?!?! Apparently I did! So April comes and no period again. My BFF was coming from Colorado for Hailey's birthday and we had set up to go out for drinks one night. I hadn't drank or been out since Christmas so I was in desperate need. So since I hadn't really had a period in 2 months I bought the jumbo pack of Pg test and took one 2 days after Hailey's Birthday on April 18th. I peed on the stick, put it on the kitchen counter and proceeded to put away groceries. I glanced at the stick a couple minutes later and MUCH MUCH MUCH to my surprise there were the words "PREGNANT" with no big "NOT" in front of them. My heart started going about 200 beats a minute I swear. I laughed and cried and hyperventilated all at the same second. Don't get me wrong, this was very much wanted and loved but not at all expected or planned. Huge curve ball.
I had been praying for months that if God wanted us to have more babies to show me a sign. I was asking him to be bold. Maybe even something about adoption. So as I'm freaking out and laughing/crying/heart beating like crazy I tell God that this isn't funny and not what I meant about showing me a sign!
So lonnnggg story short I had to call somebody and didn't want to tell Hubby over the phone so I called my BFF in colorado and told her and she was super excited and helped me to stop crying and calm down. When Hubby came home I showed him the stick and he was way more excited then I thought he would be. (remember he was the one that was totally against having anymore. He always said 1 was good)
So I've had a couple midwife appointments (of course the one I saw in Jan no longer works there. Poop :( ) and 1 ultrasound. Of course I was hoping I was further along then I really felt in my heart I was, and of course my heart was dead on. I am due 12/30/11 so I found out when I was about 2 weeks along. I am now 11 almost 12 weeks and in the thick of the worst nausea/sickness crap ever. Pretty much exactly the same as I was with Hailey. Luckily with a 2 year to keep me busy our days go by quickly and I am somewhat distracted. But man it's horrible! I'll blog more about cravings/symptoms and all those exciting things! I am hoping to blog my pregnancy and immediately after the baby is born better then I did with Hailey. I'm already amazed at the things I've forgotten about when I was pregnant with Hay. God totally makes you forget so you do it over again :)
Sorry for to many TMI's I just have to keep it real. That's me! I'll leave you with a picture from my 2 year Big Sis to be. Love her to death........

BIG news...............

2011-06-10T14:20:00.003-05:00

I'll leave you with this teaser.........more details next week ;)

30 day post- Finished!

2011-06-07T15:13:00.005-05:00

So I've failed. Miserably. BUT I have an amazing excuse of which I will share with you later this week (maybe even tomorrow if I have time ~~and can muster up the energy~~). So I'll just finish out the last 5 days of the challange with some pics. Sorry. But as I tell Hay you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. Think I spend to much time w/ a 2-year old??

Day 25 - What's in your purse.

I don't carry a purse anymore. EVER. I carry a huge over the shoulder messenger bag that I made into a diaper bag. Because honestly diaper bags are ugly (at least the ones I can afford) and I got tired of it. Thanks Target for the cute bag! But it's boring. It contains; my HUGE wallet, keys, phone, diapers, wipes, sanitizer, the like. BORING!

Day 26 - A photo of somewhere you've been.

Over the weekend we went to Hasting/Grand Island, Ne for a family reunion. I missed an amazing picture opportunity of some deranged catholic pastor (Maybe he was just dressed as one) jumping in the street at cars with his cross in hand. So I made sure to get one of the huge junk yard! HA. As Steve put it "any other place this would totally be illegal". LOL

Day 27 - A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
This pic was taken at the in-laws last August I think. I've lost some weight since then (not enough. Sigh), and some obvious reasons, but I'm also the mother of a very very active 2 year old, and still lovin life! Not to much different now....

Day 28 - Your favorite movie

If you've never seen it GO NOW and get it. OMG BEST MOVIE EVER. I guess you have to understand my sense of humor, but it's SOOOO dumb I cry laughing. I can recite the whole movie line for line and do A LOT. Drives my Hubby nuts. Ha. The "Tard" in the movie is the best. Just sayin'....go see it!

Day 29 - Something you could never get tired of doing.Pedicures! Ahhhhhhhh need I say anymore girls??

Day 30 - A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days.

No photo..sorry it would scare everyone including me. Updates to follow ;)

30 day post-Day 24

2011-05-06T13:46:00.001-05:00

Day 24 - A photo of something that means a lot to you.

This will be easy.............

30 day post- Day 23

2011-05-05T12:53:00.003-05:00

Day 23 - 15 facts about you.

1) I pretty much wear sweats all day every day. It's gross. If we have to go out or see someone I know ~~and like~~ I wear jeans, other wise I put on some comfy pants, t-shirt, sweat shirt, wear them to bed and start over with new pair the next day. I'm not proud of this, it's only happened since I had Hailey but oh well. Hubby doesn't care so I don't either!

2)Has never broken a bone other then my 4th toe on my right foot. I always wanted a cast growing up, but never got one. Thank goodness!

3)LOVE and breathe Husker Football! I can not wait to take Hailey to memorial stadium, it's so fun and the atmosphere is like nothing else in the world!

4)I wear the same like 5 pair of shoes. Skechers, 2 different pair of flip flops, and some brown ugg-type boots. I recently had to throw away 2 pair of my FAVORITE shoes and thought I would die :( Not sure I'll ever be able to replace them

5) We go to the zoo like once a week in the spring/summer/fall. Ppl make fun of me on facebook cuz all I ever post about is going to the zoo! Ha. I get the most out of our membership!

6)Has a cell phone, but it's only used for calling. I HATE that we can't afford texting but I know I'll survive. Makes me feel old and dis-connected since every.single.person I know texts and I do not. Oh well.

7)I LOVE to bake. I could bake something delicious everyday. But then I have to do the dishes. Yuck I hate cleaning the kitchen after cooking

8) I recently became addicted to swiffer mop. I used to never ever mop my kitchen floor, now I do it once a week or sometimes more. I <3 that thing and the way it makes my kitchen smell!

9)I am also addicted to Veggie Wash. I <3 it so much. I'm an odd bird.
10)pretty sure if I ever got a flat tire I could change it myself. Not sure though, the only time it's ever happened to me I was with my ex's Dad and he did it in like 3 minutes.

11)I H A T E that 95% of my house is still ugly painters white. But with 25+ foot vaulted ceilings I'm not sure when it will ever get done :( Luckily my parents are coming over this weekend to do one of the bathrooms! YAY! I loathe plain white walls!

12)I really should be a decective. I know how to look up people's houses online (pictures of the actual house, how much they paid for it, when they moved, etc), marriage licenses, and other random info. Some people I know in person don't know I know as much about them as I do. I feel like a stalker, just my curious nature I guess. My Mom and sis are the SAME exact way.

13)Wishes I read the bible more. I don't know how to make myself more dedicated and devoted to doing it. I just need to buckle down and do it.

14)I used to check and read people.com everyday. Now I don't have time but I do miss it!

15)I haven't had a REAL bonafide vacation since December '08 when I flew to Denver for 3 days. We are going to Michigan for a week this summer and I am so frickin excited I can't even tell you!

30 day post- Day 22

2011-05-04T14:04:00.001-05:00

Day 22 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

So I'm trying to get back on the blogging train but it's going slow. Sorry folks. This will be a short boring post also. I'm not gonna get into this one. But know that whenever I'm super upset with a large company or a television channel I always claim I am gonna write a letter. Sometimes I will even go ahead and write the letter out loud right then and there. :) CBS gets a LOT of angry letters written but never sent to them. Ha! I'm weird what can I say.........today's topic was kinda boring...........sorry folks that's all!

30 day post- Day 21

2011-05-02T12:50:00.002-05:00

Day 21 - A photo of something that makes you happy.

So I've been MIA and slacking the last couple days. I have the best excuse ever. We got hit with horrible virus #2 of 2011 in our house. But this time it's been worse on Mom and Dad then Hay. But honestly she was probably worse off. Poor girl. She had her 2 year well check Friday and the dr said her ear was about to rupture if we didn't get her an antibiotic. :( So first ear infection and antibiotic of the lil girl's life. But she is on the mend as am I. Can't say the same about Hubby, after 4 days straight at home w/ us I am kicking him out and asking when he is going back to work. Honestly I love the man to DEATH (obviously) but he leaves messes everywhere, walks about all pitiful and basically just MAN sick and I am sick of it! Ha. Hopefully he is better soon! I am done w/ sickness in this house!

OK sorry enough of that!
Something that makes me happy. To many to post!!
Mostly these 2 people..................

My family, friends, eating ~~especially fast/junk food~~, checking my email/facebook 2931820398 times a dayshopping, pedicures, church family are just a few!!

30 day post- Day 20

2011-04-27T13:08:00.002-05:00

Day 20 - The meaning behind your blog name.

Well, I'll try to keep this short and sweet ~~something I am not known for~~.
I changed it a couple times when I first started the blog back in 2008, then we had a hard time getting pregnant and finally ~~when we stopped trying~~ ended up with a little bean in my belly! So I changed the name of the blog to 1 Samuel 1:27;
I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.
Seemed like the perfect verse for my life! While it still is I felt the need for some change up in here. But being the most un-creative person of all time I finally thought of Love Sessions. Like it? Should I change it? Ideas?? Since our last name is Sessions I thought it was a funny play on words. :) OK there ya have it! Boring-o!

30 day post- Day 19

2011-04-25T11:44:00.002-05:00

Day 19 - Another picture of yourself.

Don't feel like taking one right this second and uploading it and all that, so you get one from 2 weeks ago while we were celebrating her 2nd birthday at the drive thru zoo :)

30 day post-Day 18

2011-04-22T13:25:00.002-05:00

Day 18 - Something you crave a lot.

Hm well, we've pretty much already covered most of my cravings. Sonic, Starburst jelly beans, cadbury caramel eggs, ya know the norm. I am a WEIRD person and prego or not-prego I crave things. Hmmm nothing really stands out at the moment. Sometimes I just want a good salad, or some fresh fruit (pineapple. Yumo!). Sorry folks I'm boring today that's all I got for ya! :)

30 day post- Day 17

2011-04-21T13:18:00.005-05:00

Day 17 - A photo of you and your family.

OK ready?? GO! (I'll be posting quite a few!)

One of our very first family pictures together of the 3 of us! (nobody wants to see our very first pic as a fam of 3. Momma looked like ~~hell~~ not pretty)

Christmas Card pic '09

Christmas Card pic '10

Summer of '10

My immediate family. Pops, Moma, Me, Hubs, Nat, Brian, and Brother Andy

Steve's immediate family. Brother Scott, Nick, Micah, Jacob, sil Shelley, Me, Hubs, Mil Sheri, Trinity, fil Rick

Of course we both have AMAZING extended families but it would take forever to post pictures of all of them! And my friends are family as well! So for time's sake I won't post 39098 pics :)

30 day post- Day 16

2011-04-20T13:15:00.004-05:00

Day 16 - Your celebrity crush.

So growing up me and my sister (and our bff's) were ADDICTED to Lois and Clark the New Adventures Of Superman. Great story line. LOVE Teri Hatcher, but it was mainly for him;

Dean Cain

Now I LOVE Bones (luckily Hubby does to!) and it just HAPPENS to have one of the hottest guys around;

David Boreanaz

Woohoo they are yummy! Do you notice a pattern? Ha!

30 day post-Day 15

2011-04-19T13:45:00.005-05:00

Day 15 - Something you don't leave the house without.

This is easy....

My daughter, cuz you know she's cute, and it illegal to leave a 2 year old home alone. Pretty sure at least!

Car keys (duh)

Cell phone (duh)

Diaper Bag **not my actual diaper bag, but pretty stinkin cute and I think I might need it now! ha

Unlessssssssss I actually get to leave the house by myself ~~which never happens~~ then all I do is grab my keys, cell phone, throw my DL and CC in my pocket and go! :)

30 day post- Day 14

2011-04-18T13:32:00.004-05:00

Day 14 - A TV show you're currently addicted to.

Ha this will be horrible. Y'all may look down on me after this. ~~I am slightly addicted tv and would die w/out it.~~ I have so wanted to be one of those ppl who get rid of the tv and stop watching it. But then I would be very bored. I just don't think I have the courage. OK so I'll just put myself out there no holding back. My week consists of this;

Sunday;
6pm-AFV (America's funniest videos)
7pm-eh nothing really. Can't usually click around until I find something (or it might be bath night for Hay)
8pm-usually a cake competition show on Food Network
9pm-Real Housewives of Orange County (yes, I'm addicted but that is the only version of that show I watch in my defense)
Also will catch Khloe and Lemar (or whatever version of the Kardashian's is currently on) on re-play later in the week

Monday;
9pm-we tape Castle and watch it later in the week.
I also watch Bethenny Ever After while Castle is taping

Tuesday;
9pm-We tape Body Of Proof
I catch Pregnant In Heels later in the week when Bravo re-plays it
And I HAVE to watch 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, or Teen Mom 2 depending........

Wednesday;
9pm-Top Chef (or again whatever version is on I <3 them all)

Thursday;
7pm-Wipeout
8pm-Bones

Friday;
Nothing

Saturday;
NOTHING. EVER. IS. ON. ugh. Ha

So the nights we don't have something on we do netflix, or have family time, or date night or get together w/ friends. I am trying to figure out a way to afford DVR but it's not in our budget. The VHS thing is getting O.L.D. quick. Oh well I'll survive ;)

**Sorry no pics or links I'm feeling lazy today ;) Hey it's Monday after all!

30 day post- Day 13

2011-04-15T13:11:00.002-05:00

Day 13 - Your favorite musician and why?

OK so it's a joke between me and a lot of people that every song is "my favorite" (same with movies, every movie is "my favorite movie!". So I won't go into a lot. But I do listen to k-love in my house and car 24/7. I can't stand commercials or annoying gross DJ's on the radio so I choose not to listen to any of the Omaha stations anymore. I don't know the popular top 40 music anymore and I'm OK with that. So anyways in no particular order some of my favs are;

Steven Curtis Chapman
Jars Of Clay
NewsBoys
Natalie Grant
Mandy Moore
Jessica Simpson (only her music not HER personally, gag)
Edwin McCain
Michael Buble
Chris Tomlin
Third Day
Philips, Craig and Dean
Britt Nicole
Blue October
Toni Braxton
The Carpenters

Yeah totally random but that's me! :)

30 day post- Day 12

2011-04-14T12:56:00.004-05:00

Day 12 - A photograph of the town you live in.

I love this topic because seriously I LOVE my town. I LOVE my state. I spend a lot of energy and time defending Omaha, Nebraska. I seriously think it's the best place to live, and especially raise a family. I understand how everybody says "there is NOTHING to do here" but honestly you just have to look and know where to go or who to ask! There is amazing restaurants, fun outdoor pools and water parks, we have a new huge convention center which has something fun pretty much every single weekend of the year, lots of cute quaint coffee shops, lots of good malls/shopping centers, clubs/bars, the ZOO, small amusement parks, etc. I could go on and on. Ha sorry! But seriously, if you are ever in Omaha I am the person to call to do something fun! I honestly think the only thing Omaha doesn't have that "big" town's do is a major sports team ~~and horrible big city traffic~~. But HELLO the Huskers totally out-weigh that! :) Of course I am a little bias. I was born here and have never moved nor do I have plans to. When Steve was out of a job last year for a couple months we talked and prayed about re-locating for job opportunities. But both our families are here, and ya'll I think if I had to learn how to drive somewhere else and figure out streets it would be VERY bad!

Over head shot of Omaha with the Missouri river running at the bottom. If you make the picture bigger you can see the tallest building in Omaha, which was built by the company Steve and I worked for and met at!

Downtown Omaha. One of my most FAVORITE things to do in Omaha is go downtown for dinner (so many amazing places to eat!), walk around this little man-made lake, and go on a horse drawn carriage ride! So romantical. teehee

Then if you go 45 minutes west of Omaha your in Lincoln, the capitol and home of the Cornhuskers!!! I bleed red folks and LOVE Memorial Stadium. The largest city in the state on Husker game day, holding over 80,000. If you hate the Huskers I dare you to go to a home game, listen to the crowd and not be caught up in the excitement and our love for our team! It's contagious :)

Then of course there is the Henry Doorley Zoo. Probably one of the best things about the state is our zoo. 2nd in the country only to San Diego. It is amazing, and people travel from all over to come visit! I am so blessed to have grown up going all the time, and that my Hubby makes sure to buy me and Hailey a pass so we can go! (almost once a week in the summer!) I am going to do a separate post about the zoo one of these days, it's amazing!

30 day post- Day 11

2011-04-13T15:05:00.009-05:00

Day 11 - What's in your makeup bag?

So I am a total girly-girl. I love me some mani-pedi's, cute purses, talking for hours on end, reality shows, doing my hair, jewelry, ya know the like. (and of course I also love sports!) And Make-up. One of my most favorite stores in the world is Se phora. I can do some major damage in that store. More then any clothing store that I would shop at. (but maybe not Target. I can do thousand's of dollars worth of damage in Target. I digress)
I even got ~~conned~~ talked into selling Ma.ry.ka.y cosmetics like 10 years ago. I was way young, spent WAY to much $ and lost almost all of it. I LOVE their products but I am not one in the wal.mart check lane to tell somebody they need a make-over and to let me give it to them. Mmmmmk not for me! But I still have and use a LOT of their products. So without further ado.......my make up. (ps it's disgusting and a mess and I need to clean it ~~along w/ my brushes~~. don't judge me)

My roll up bag. I <3 it. When we go on vacation I empty all the pockets and fill the thing w/ bathroom stuff, SOME make-up, vitamins, toothbrush, etc. It's great! Not the smallest thing in the world but I always make it work.

Here it is all un-rolled.

Pocket #1 holds all my make-up brushes, sponge, and 1 compact that has my blush and a couple eye shadows in it.

Pocket #2 holds face stuff. Powder, concealer, foundation, etc.

Pocket #3 is eye shadow. I LOVE LOVE LOVE me some eye shadow. But I suck at putting it on. Go figure. I put it on the same way every single day :( Oh well (I took out and opened 2 of my most favorite eye shadows right now. Sissy got them for my birthday last year and I <3 them so much!)

And last but not least pocket #4 has random stuff in it. Yet another compact with some blush in it, a cream blush, eye make-up remover, mascara, eye liners, and such. I NEVER wear eye liner or mascara unless we are going somewhere super fancy or special. I am allergic to most of it so I just there with watery red eyes in pain the whole time. I've tried ALL different kinds. Ugh it stinks.
So there you have it folks super exciting right?? Ha ;)

30 day post- Day 10

2011-04-12T13:05:00.003-05:00

Day 10 - A photo of your favorite place to eat

Hm this could be lengthy. Ha. I LOVE to eat. I LOVE to eat junk. I LOVE to eat junk out. It's bad. It's something I struggle with. Daily. I've gotten better, but could do a LOT better. Anyways, I'll stop and just post the pics!!

Probably my #1 fast food place is Sonic. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their Cherry Lime-aids. Oh delish. I could drink a route 44 cherry lime-aid every single day of my life and never get tired of it. Honestly. Pretty sure in heaven I will have a cherry lime-aid and caramel cadbury egg. But I digress. One of my favorite things to order at sonic is the sausage breakfast burrito, tots, and a CLA. (CLA-Cherry Lime-aid). OR the foot long chili cheese coney, tots, and a CLA. But most days me and Hailey go at happy hour, get chili cheese tots and a CLA. Sooooo delish! OK enough sonic. Sorry folks

Taco Bell is a very very close second to Sonic. I have probably had every single item at one time or another on their menu. So many yummy choices! Say what you want about junk in their meat and how bad it is for you. I know. But I can't help but love me some TB. Hailey LOVES it too and can eat a whole soft shell taco by herself! That's Momma's girl. lol. Oh and I HIGHLY suggest the crunch wrap supreme sometime. Delish!

For nice sit down restaurants P.F. Changs and The Cheesecake Factory are tied. For obvious reasons (dessert) I <3 them both. At P.F. Changs I ALWAYS order Honey chicken. YUM-O so delish! And then me and my friend will split the 6 (count um....6 folks) layer chocolate cake. OMG to die for. Soooo bad, but you just have to have some!!
At Cheesecake I love the teriyaki chicken, their salad's are bomb, and the bread they give you as an appetizer. Love it all! And of course you never go there w/out getting some cheesecake! Oh lovely.
The funny thing is, in Omaha both of these restaurants are across the parking lot from each other so if one is to busy or a long wait we just go to the other! LOVE them!

If $ is no object, I would have to say by far my most favorite restaurant EVER of ALL time is Kobe Steakhouse. Oh my goodness delish! I haven't eaten there since Valentine's day 2009 when I was big fat and pregnant. Oh it is so wonderful! It's the awesome kind of restaurant where you sit at a table with 10 other people (friends if your smart, or strangers if it doesn't bother you), and the chef comes out and cooks the food on the griddle in front of you and puts on a show. I love everything about this place! So fun. Maybe I should go there for my Birthday in August..............hmmmmmmmm.............

30 day post- Day 9

2011-04-11T13:42:00.004-05:00

Day 9 - A photo of the last item you purchased

Wow this will be exciting ya'll. Better sit down! Ha. I am so boring. So yesterday me and Hay went out and went shopping. The girl really needed some short/short sleeve pajama's. So we went to my #1 favorite clothing store Carters . I <3 that store for real. I spent WAY to much, but it's all good. She is stocked for a little while!

I mean seriously how cute are those??

Then we went to Omaha Steaks, me and Hubby have devolved quite the palate for Hamburger's. We can't eat grocery store burgers anymore. Blah. Gotta have the good stuff! But, they always have amazing sales and they last us a couple months. Sooooooooo delish!!!

So on a more exciting note, a couple weeks ago Steve took Hailey over to his parents so I could have a couple hours "off" woohoo! LOVE that! So I decided to treat myself and get a pedicure. Ohhh I love having my toes done, and looking at cute polished toes make my <3 happy!!!

Not sure if it counts as something I bought but I do love them and so glad I had the time/chance/$ to pamper myself :)

30 day post- Day 8

2011-04-08T13:34:00.001-05:00

Day 8 - A song to match your mood

I'm tired. Dead tired. Is there a song for that?? Honestly ya'll I'm to dead to think of that. Thank my daughter and her 7:30 wake up yesterday. That's 2 hours early. Blah. So I'll just post one of my most favorite songs..........
Sorry this is all messed up first time ever posting a video and have no idea what I'm doing! Just play the video and enjoy Natalie Grant and Jordin Sparks. Ha!

30 day post- Day 7

2011-04-07T12:51:00.003-05:00

Day 7 - Your dream wedding

So this could be a dangerous topic for me. I could post pictures and write about weddings for days. Babies + Weddings + Becky = obsessed. I never want to feel like I am pushing my opinions/thoughts/feelings about this stuff on people, I just LOVE to share information! But trust me I know how annoying it can be when people just talk about themselves and everything they know all the time! So take what I say w/ a grain of salt and if I say something you want more info I would LOVE to help ;) I always hope I never across as pushy, cuz again I HATE those type of ppl!

So my dream wedding........I do believe I already had my dream wedding. Sounds silly but when I thought about it in my head I always saw white chairs, outside in the sunshine. Aka this picture....
Don't get me wrong, things went wrong. It wasn't all perfect, but everything turned out exactly how I wanted it to and it was one of the best days of my life!!!

I always say that if I could get married every year I would. (to the same person of course!)
Different colors, new dresses, fun flowers, different cake flavors, different venues, maybe even a detestation wedding! Oh how I LOVE it! I have all these ideas floating in my head only to never be able to use them. I have thought about being a wedding planner, but you need a degree for that and honestly why should anybody trust me?? Oh well, I'll just keep sharing my ideas with my friends and will have a blast when Hailey gets married!!!

30 day post- Day 6

2011-04-06T14:49:00.004-05:00

Day 6 - A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet

OK this is a fairly simple one. NONE. EVER. ZILCH. I will explain before you think I am a horrible animal hater of a person. We just built a brand new house. White walls. White wood work. New carpet. No fence. We have a 2 year old. Need I say more?? OK I will.
I hate cats. H A T E. I grew up around them and have no love or need for them. There I said it. I LOVE kittens. Hate cats. Ha. If they stayed little I would have 20 (which is illegal).
Growing up we had a Dog. A Bichon Frise (or a bitchin Dog as my Mom called her. HA it wasn't a good term either). Princess. Was inbred. Sorry but she wasn't all there. She was allergic to grass. I mean really?? A DOG? We had to put her down after a tragic accident involving Princesses leg and the neighbor kid. It was horrible and sad. But it was save the Dog, or get Nat braces. You can see who won. Nat has gorgeous teeth. (ha hope she doesn't read this and think I blame her, it was the Dog's time, she was 10)
Anywho all that to say I am not a dog person. They cost a LOOOOTTT of $. They are dirty. They are obnoxious. But they are loving, and a good companion. I know this. So I get my Dog lovin next door on Henry. Hailey LOVESSS Henry. All I ever hear about is Doggydoggydoggydoggy all day and night. She is always wanting to go outside and see if Henry is out. But alias she will most likely never have pets in her own house.
When I met Steve he had a Rottweiler. Smudge was a sweet girl. All 125 shedding black hair pounds. I won't go into the story of why she is no longer in the family, but it was a good thing and we like to think she is playing on a farm somewhere with lots of other Dogs running and happy!
The ONLY thing I would ever consider is a nice goldfish. Just like Megan's fish when I moved in Pluma. <3 Pluma RIP!

30 day post- Day 5

2011-04-05T13:43:00.003-05:00

Day 5 - A photo of yourself two years ago

This is funny because in 2 weeks it will be exactly 2 years since Hailey was born! So I have LOTS (too many in my mind) of prego pics of me looking like an elephant. Land was I swollen and H U G E! Depressing.At my baby shower, April 4th 2009. Exactly 2 years ago yesterday! Crazy how much life has changed.........

April 16th 2009. Looking rough, tired, and beat up after labor but best day of my life! 1st pic as a family!!

30 day post- Day 4

2011-04-04T13:20:00.008-05:00

Day 4 - Your favorite photograph of your best friend

This will be a hard one. I have the most AMAZING friends ever. Everyone says that, but for me it's true!! After Hay was born a lot of my friends dropped off the radar, as to be expected, but I have just had to work extra hard to put myself out there, set up dinners/girl time, ask them to come over, and lots of facebook love! ha. I have also made loads of new Mommy friends which is awesome and I <3 them and need them in my life just as much as the "old" friends!!!

Well, I'll start with my best friend in the world. He may drive me bazonkers most of the time, but we always laugh, have so many inside jokes and he just gets me more then anybody in the world.
Love my Steven Mark, Stevis, Bread-Monster-Fatty, Poppy ;)

My BFF I have known the longest of course is my sissy. We didn't always get along great growing up, we have a lot of different views on life and what-not, and we've had our tiffs, but honestly she is my best friend ever. If I had to be stranded on a desert island she would probably be my #1 pick. I know we would laugh until we cry, and never ever run out of things to talk about. She is my #1 movie watching buddy, cooking/baking pal, and best shopping girlfriend ever! Love her and how she loves my Hailey. She is seriously the BEST Aunt in the world and Hailey LOVES her some Aunt Nattie! <3

My next "oldest" longest Bestie is Jessica. When we moved into our "new" house in 1990 Jess was a cute fun little 3 year old. Oh my how far we've come! Almost all of my memories growing up involve her somehow. Even though we are 5 years apart, really don't have that much on common on paper, we are sisters in our hearts! That girl can make me laugh harder then anybody in the world (get Nat and Jess in a room together and I'm done for!). We have so many stories, inside jokes that NOBODY understands, and I love that she is still in my life after 20 years! Most people aren't still friends with people they grew up with, life can just get away from you. But I promise when we are old Jess will still get crazy phone calls, emails, and facebook notes from me. (if there still is a f/b of course) Even though Florida and Chicago have tried to take her from me I will always stalk her and need her in my life! Hailey LOVES Aunt Jess too, one of her favs. It's so sweet to watch them together!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Chechie, more then words could say!

Of course I have wrote about Megan before. Even though I've only known her 7 years it seems like she has always been there and we've been friends for life. Again she is somebody that could have easily dropped off the face of the earth with me, but I will always need and want her in my life. After you live w/ somebody it's just hard to lose that connection. Even though STOOPID Denver has her living there I'm so glad her Family is still in Omaha so she comes back a couple times a year to visit! I always make sure to clear my weekend when she is in town, even if it means only seeing her for an hour or 2. I know we will be old and grey and listening to our Blue October and drinking a Mike's Hard Cranberry talking about the good old days and the meaning of life ;) Love this girl and especially the way she doesn't care for kids except my Hailey! She loves that girl more then life and it's sooooooo precious to me to watch them together. I know they will have a special bond their whole lives, and get ready Meg I am gonna take you up on your promise and send Hailey to live w/ Aunt Megan for the summer ;) Love my Megs, Meggiemoo, Megan Michelle, Meggie-poo-poo!

Last but NOT least is my Meriam. Again I've only known her for almost 6 years, but seems like we have been sisters forever!!! We are polar opposites, but whenever we get together the laughing and chatting never stops. We can go for days! She is my p.f. changs buddy (um 9 layer chocolate cake anyone?? Hello!), and saved me almost every.single.weekend when we lived w/ the in-laws. I swear I don't know what I would have done w/out her saving my sanity! <3 her. I hope we are life long friends, and that she finds the man of her dreams and has lots of babies so I can spoil them like she does Hay! Love you, Mur, Murmaid, Momma!!!

Of course I have LOTS of other GREAT AWESOME AMAZING Girlfriends (and a pretty awesome Brother!) who I love and adore, but it would take forever if I wrote and posted pics about all of them! But, Nikki, Lynch, Brother Andy, Julia, Charlotta Charlotta, Jules, Sarah, Jen, Christina, Crissi, and all my Mops Mommy's I love you and hope you don't feel to left out! :)

30 day post- Day 3

2011-04-01T12:45:00.005-05:00

Day 3 - Your idea of the perfect first date

So I think I blogged previously about how me and Steve met, got engaged and our wedding but did I ever blog about our first date?? If so I am going to again. Deal with it. Ha. I of course think our first date was perfect (would I have continued dating if it wasn't??), it certain parts. Not so great in others. HA! He of course knows this. It started our greatest longest running inside joke ever. I swear we will be 90 with no teeth joking about going to k-mart. But I am getting ahead of myself.
It was a Saturday and I had just officially broken up with the evil ex. I needed out of the house and to get away. So I set up plans w/ Steve. I went over to his house at like 11am, he was of course playing the playstation, poker to be exact. He asked if I wanted to play. Um no thank you?!?! I watched him for awhile, then we decided we wanted to watch a movie. So we hopped in the car and went to blockbuster. I don't know why, I guess I was trying to impress him but I let him pick two stupid man movies. To this day have no clue what they were. I think one had Bruce Willis in it?!?! I wonder if he remembers..........I knew I wasn't going to pay much attention to them since I was so nervous and excited to be w/ him so I could care less what was on. So we watched one when we got home. I think things were blowing up a lot? Ha. I paid no attention just sat there stiff as a board eating some pretzels. So we decided we wanted dinner, and he had everything to make spaghetti. So we did. Then we decided we wanted to do something outside since it was soooooooo nice out. So we threw a blanket in the car and headed to an outdoor shopping mall. I don't remember whose idea it was, but one of us knew that there was going to be a free outdoor concert there that night.
I remember as we were walking he held my hand and my stomach was a hot mess! We sat down and listened to the music talking the whole time. This was when we learned that the fall before I had his nephew Micah in my awana room at church. Soooooo funny and such a small world. So I knew his brother and 3 nephews from seeing them every Wednesday at church. Isn't that crazy??
So long story sorry, but after the concert we decided we wanted to watch the other movie (whatevertheheckitwas) but it wouldn't play on the dvd player on the playstation so he wanted to go to k-mart and see if they had a super cheap dvd player. Ya'll have to understand how much I completely totally honestly LOATHE k-mart. LOVE LOVE LOVE Target with ALL my heart, deal with walmart and would pick it any day b/c of the cheap prices. But k-mart?? NO THANK YOU. You have to drag me there. And he takes me to k-mart on our first date. Dirty, disgusting, can't ever find anything in the freaking store k-mart. Oh my. So I sucked it up and we found a dvd player (that died like less then 2 years later. Go to Best Buy people you get what you pay for ppl), and go home and watch the other movie. So not the BEST first date in the world, but with the best date in the world ;) I always tell him he is lucky he is so cute and lovable for me to go to k-mart with him and still marry him! HA.
Sooooo all that to say, I think that is the perfect first date. Movies, dinner, a fun outdoor concert and lots of talking and getting to know each-other. It doesn't matter what you do or where you go as long as you have good conversation and lots of laughs. <3 my first date!!

**edited to add that this is what I Becky consider our first date. Steve considers it to be when we went to lunch the Thursday BEFORE this date. It was just me going downtown meeting him for lunch. But whatever floats your boat!

30 day post- Day 2

2011-03-31T13:13:00.003-05:00

Day 2 - A photo of something you ate today

Now it's only just after lunch so it won't be great or exciting. But for lunch me and Hay had us some

Except it was the Disney Cars characters, cuz I like the shapes better then the plain noodles. I'm weird, get used to it. Ha! Luckily I LOVE me some mac an cheese and Hailey does too! Sometimes I heat up some hot dogs, chop them up and throw them in too. Yum!

And for my after lunch snack I had one of these babies
Oh my Easter is a HORRIBLE time of year for me and my muffin top! Ugh. I think these should only come out the week before Easter not in Feb. It causes me to eat them every day until Easter is over! Luckily they are gone after. I decided if there is food in Heaven it will be these little guys. I L O V E them. Ha. Me and my love affair with food......it's bad!!

30 day post- Day 1

2011-03-30T13:25:00.002-05:00

Day 1 - A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was

Day 1 of the 30 day posts and I am already bad blogger. But I have a good reason!!Here I am in all my glory. Ugh. It's taking G U T S to put it up here, but I am gonna be true to the Challenge! Un-showered, sweats, hair up (with my "wings" as Hubby calls my hair growing out of the side of my hair. I digress.......), no make-up. But it is what it is!
So it's 1:30pm here so my day is FAR from over, but so far it's been a boring Wednesday at home! I scrubbed and scrubbed our master bath. DISGUSTING. I would never hire a cleaning person cuz I would be way to embarrassed. But I feel good walking in there now, instead of walking in and not turning the light on so I didn't see the filth! HA. So I just have to keep up with it! Hay is down for her nap and I am hoping she sleeps a loooooong time! I am currently obsessed with making digital photo albums on walmart.com. I <3 them. I am actually gonna do all the work to put it together AND order it this time! Ha. We'll see how it turns out. So that is my plan for my "break/nap time" today :) Ta friends, hope your having a lovely Wednesday as well!

30 days.......

2011-03-28T14:15:00.003-05:00

So I stole this from one of my bloggy buddies Cara. In hopes of becoming a better blogger (cuz I am a super good blog READER! ha), I'm going to attempt this 30 day challenge! Steal it from me, just comment and let me know so I can make sure to follow you along! Might not blog every single day but I'll try my hardest!! Day 1 will be tomorrow :)

Here's the challenge:

Day 1 - A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.
Day 2 - A photo of something you ate today.
Day 3 - Your idea of the perfect first date.
Day 4 - Your favorite photograph of your best friend.
Day 5 - A photo of yourself two years ago.
Day 6 - A photo of an animal you'd love to keep as a pet.
Day 7 - Your dream wedding.
Day 8 - A song to match your mood.
Day 9 - A photo of the last item you purchased.
Day 10 - A photo of your favorite place to eat.
Day 11 - What's in your makeup bag?
Day 12 - A photograph of the town you live in.
Day 13 - Your favorite musician and why?
Day 14 - A TV show you're currently addicted to.
Day 15 - Something you don't leave the house without.
Day 16 - Your celebrity crush.
Day 17 - A photo of you and your family.
Day 18 - Something you crave a lot.
Day 19 - Another picture of yourself.
Day 20 - The meaning behind your blog name.
Day 21 - A photo of something that makes you happy.
Day 22 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day 23 - 15 facts about you.
Day 24 - A photo of something that means a lot to you.
Day 25 - What's in your purse.
Day 26 - A photo of somewhere you've been.
Day 27 - A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28 - Your favorite movie.
Day 29 - Something you could never get tired of doing.
Day 30 - A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days.

2 Years..........???

2011-03-23T11:58:00.007-05:00

So time flies. Duh. What Mother doesn't say that?? I never know how amazing my life would be with this little sunshine God blessed us with. This Girl is crazy. She is a carbon copy of her Mother AND Father in one big drama queen. Ha. It's scary. And hilarious. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh and smile at her. We have our moments, but I love her more then anything and she is "Momma's Buddy" and knows it. Since her 2nd Birthday is like 3 weeks away I thought I would do a catch up post all about my Princess.

Since her 15 mo appointment where the Dr told me to put her in speech therapy (which I didn't) she has taken off. I have put forth way more effort into simplifying words and sentences for her, made sure to give her time to repeat me and I think it's paid off. A couple weeks ago we got in the car to go somewhere and she wouldn't shut up. I laughed and asked Steve why I was desperate for her to talk. She is behind (different) then most kids her age speech wise but I'm not worried :) Here is a sample of what we hear all day every day;
Momma
Da da
Yeah (EVERYTHING is yeah. Yeah yeah yeah yeah is what we hear ALL day. If you ask her something she will shake her head no and say yeah. Which is it kid?!?!)
Birthday (birtda)
Pretty (prity)
Andy
Nat
Ma (Meg and Mur)
Papa
Grandma (Ama)
Bye bye
Go
Pizza
Bubble
Ca (color and car. Sound exactly the same. Hard to know what she is talking about)
Sticker (Sticka tah)
Down
Potty (Pa)
Ba (cup of milk only given at night)
Bink
Bucket (Ga get)
Hi (seldom heard but she CAN say it)
Balloon
Off (osha if you didn't know what it meant you would have NO idea what she is saying)
ON (we hear this one almost as much as yeah)
Cheese (Cheeeeeee)
Work
Doggy (Doggydoggydoggydoggydog is usually how it's said. Ha)
Ball
Walk
Wipe
Away
All Done
She will almost always try to repeat people's names after I say them. They aren't regular words we hear but she always tries! I know there are more words but that is almost all of them. Her little voice is so sweet. No matter what you ask her you will get a "Yeah" but when she is very excited or something she like you will get a resounding and very excited yeah. Hilarious. Like I will say "Hailey are you excited to go to MOPS and see your friends??" "YEAH!!!!" and her little face lights up. Prech

One of our favorite things to do as a family is go to this super cheap, gross, nasty arcade. It's HUGE and has tons of ticket games. She ALWAYS runs right for the ones that light up and are lots of colors and play obnoxious music. So funny. She LOVES to run and play with Daddy.

A couple weeks ago at our MOPS meeting one of the ladies spoke about Introverts/Extroverts. (this was VERY enlightening for me and I learned a LOT especially about my Hubby/marriage) Steve is a TOTAL Introvert and I am mostly an extrovert. Well Hailey is even MORE of an extrovert then I am and I am so happy. I would hate if I had to keep her inside and away from other people and social situations. She LOVES to go go go, run errands, play dates, church, anything social! Her favorite places in the world is walmart and Target. We wave hi to everybody and say bye to every.single.person in the parking lot. She most especially has to say bye bye to the cashier until they acknowledge her and say bye back. lol Since starting MOPS we have made some AMAZING friends and had a couple play dates. She is so sweet, always sharing and not fighting over things with other kids. This makes Momma's heart so happy! I know it won't always be like this, but I am so glad she has a kind heart and wants to make her friends happy. We talk a LOT about sharing and having a kind heart and being sweet to our friends. Hopefully it is sinking in and she is getting it! :) She sure gets confused when her friends grab away her toy, she just stares at them like "Huh what did you just do?" to funny.

My perfectly healthy little toddler got very very extremely sick a couple weeks ago. It started with a cold, Momma sucking snot out (her most FAVORITE thing in the world. (not)), coughing, and a lot of sleepless nights. But I knew it was just a cold from the church nursery and she would be better soon. Well, after about 2 1/2-3 weeks it FINALLY was subsiding. She was good for 3-4 days before it totally came raging back. Monday she woke up with a 103 temp, crabby and snotty. Her temp down to a low grade fever, but by Thursday was coughing so hard she was almost throwing up. I found out we were exposed to strep from my friend who we just had dinner with. Having had strep twice before I knew how horrible it was and that it wouldn't go away without getting something. So I called her pedi office, and my almost 2 year old who had only been to the dr for well checks had her first "sick visit" :( We saw the Nurse Practitioner, who did a strep test (neg) and said she just had a bad cold. Of course she gave me a prescription for amoxicillian (which I didn't fill) and sent us on our way. Friday I had my Mom keep her while I went to MOPS. She clearly wasn't herself and fell asleep on my Mom. That NEVER happens. Sunday we stayed home from church b/c she still wasn't better and that's when the massive horrible diarrhea started. (TMI SORRY!) It was pure water. OMG I felt sooooooooo bad for her. She had 3-4 of those a day until Wednesday. By Tuesday she was still horrible, I couldn't get her to eat or drink ANYTHING. At all. I was a mess. Worried, upset, stressed, sick myself. So we went BACK to the dr and was told it's a virus and he had seen hundreds of patients with all the same symptoms. After we got home from the dr she was like a new kid. Eating/drinking everything in sight. Few! It was a horrible scary couple of days. How do you make your kid drink water?? You can't! I was so afraid I was going to have to take her to the ER for fluids. Her Pedi said she probably was border line, and should have gone to the ER but since I made her drink enough she was fine. So scary for a Mommy!! I hope to never go through that again.

So I had a couple Mom's tell me Hailey was ready to potty train and that I should try. Now I have been feeling like since she was about 18 months old she was ready. Momma wasn't. I really didn't want to deal with putting her on and off the potty 97 times a day (since she can't do it herself). Plus night time training, blah. So a friend sent me the 3 day potty training book and I decided we could do it. I was very extremely anxious about night/nap training but after talking to some Mom's decided we would use pull ups. This Momma LOVES and NEEDS her sleep way to much to be up every hour in the potty. Nothankyou. Well, LOOOONNNGGGG story short it didn't work. She wasn't ready. I tried and stuck true to the method. But I wasn't to proud to quit and go back to diapers. We'll try again probably this fall, but it was to much of a headache for both me and Hay. So in the potty training book it talks about #2 (sorry tmi alert again). Kids get scared, think it's gonna hurt, etc. So they said to make a special stick for the kid to hold and it will help give them "magic poppy powers". Ha. So I didn't decorate a stick for Hay to hold while pooping. But it was one of our biggest obstacles. In 5 days she never once made it to the bathroom for #2. But I digress. So one day I could tell she HAD to go but wouldn't. I don't know if she was scared, in pain or whatever. So I handed her a "Magic poppy powers stick" aka a tampon. LOL. She held it, but to no avail she never did poop on the potty. But for weeks after whenever I went potty she would hand me a tampon. LOL. Oh my I would laugh until I cried every time!!

My girl LOVES to color/use stickers. Every night when Daddy gets home from work she is all "Ca (color), Stica tah (stickers)" hilarious. She could and does do it for hours. Luckily we have quite the stock of stickers (thanks to Aunt Nattie!). But she LOVES LOVES LOVES to color and sticker all over paper. It's precious.

Her other favorite thing to do is read books. She doesn't really play with toys or get things out anymore, just sits on the couch and reads. It's precious. I LOVE that she loves her books so much. She talks in her baby garble gash that nobody but she understands. But by gosh she is reading her book! She will blabbel, turn the page, blabbel some more, turn the page. It's hilarious to watch!! She knows just how much blabbel is on each page :) We are going to start going to story/craft time at the local library tomorrow. It will be interesting since her attention span is like -.3 seconds but maybe she will like sitting with the other kids listening to a real story! Heaven knows she never sits or lets us actually read to her at home. She has to do all the reading to us!

We have been so blessed to have such a good eater on our hands! As a baby when I started solid foods the only thing she ever rejected was avocados. Can you blame her?? Ha (but now the girl LOVES her some guac). She rarely turns down anything, but defiantly knows what she does and doesn't want. She is always taking me to the pantry and picking out what she gets to eat. We have created a monster. :) We fight at dinner/lunch sometimes but she is quickly learning if she clears her plate/trey/bowl she gets a treat. Anything can be done for 5 jelly beans. Ha. But honestly there are far and few between things she hates. Hamburger being one of them. She loves her some chicken, casseroles, soups, stews , and fried food! :) You would never know she eats about every hour (not joking), she is just a tiny little thing! But she can put it away!

OK this is long enough. I could go on and on about her! If you can't tell I am one proud Momma! I feel so bad I haven't documented her as much as I would like. But I'll try to get better. We <3>

Give Thanks

2010-11-15T11:30:00.002-06:00

In Honor of Thanksgiving next week here are 15 things I am thankful for this year!!

1) My Jesus, who came to earth, died for me, and washed away my horrible sins so I can live forever in his kingdom! Praise him!

2) My amazing Hubby who is a blessing to me. He works hard and almost never complains, so that I can stay home and raise our daughter. It warms my heart when he says things like "man if she was in daycare "this and this" would happen". Makes my heart happy that he gets it and knows how important it is to me to be home with her!

3) My amazing Hubby's job, that MORE then provides for our family. After looking for a job for 3 months, we KNOW we are blessed and Hubby is 10 times happier currently then he was at old company. Praise GOD!

4) So so so so soooooooo thankful for my amazing loving Toddler. She is a gift and I know to never take advantage of her or our time together. When I get annoyed by finding pancakes in my shoes, or her whining, it's better then silence or her not being here!

5) My wonderful amazing families. I love my parents and siblings more then they know, we ALWAYS laugh until we cry together, always have a funny story to share, or fun memories to reflect on. Steve's family has quickly become my own and I love spending time with them, and love how they love my daughter! Also I am blessed by my Hubby's extended family in Michigan. I have become so close with them and consider them MY family and some of my best friends!

6) My friends. They rock. Although I don't get to see them as often as I did BH (before Hailey), every time we get together it's like no time has passed and we always laugh and have such a fun time together. Girlfriends make the world go 'round!

7) My house. It keeps me warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and is so lovely and big and PERFECT for our family. I am blessed!

8) my brand spankin new-to-me car! So great that I know I can get where I need to go safely and it will start every time. I know not all people can say this and I feel spoiled rotten!

9) having a stocked fridge/pantry. It's so stupid and sooo so so selfish but sometimes I get mad that our pantry or fridge is TOO full and I can't get to stuff easily, or I can't fit something somewhere. Seriously who does that?? I know there are so many homeless, starving people and I do NOT deserve all that I have been given!

10) my MOPS group! I joined for the 1st time this year and I know this is something I will continue to do until Hailey (and maybe siblings) are in school. I want to give back and volunteer if there is a place for me, and I have already made some good friends! Really, if you have the time and $ to join DO IT. You will not be sorry I promise you!! If you can't join a mops then I highly suggest finding a sunday school or small group. The relationships and time off of children are WELL worth it!

11) My most favorite radio station EVER K-LOVE. They play all the greatest Christian music ever, and all the DJ's are my favorite. I love them! It keeps me focused on God, which in the world we live in it's very very easy to get distracted and not keep him in your daily life! I love that Hailey dances to the songs and gets excited when I turn the radio on! It's pretty much on in my house 24/7. I'm trying to get better about turning the TV off and the radio on!

12) Not everyone will understand but I LOVE Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. It's one of the best Zoo's in the country and I LOVE to get outside and walk around and get some exercise! Stay tuned I am working on a picture filled post of our Zoo adventures from this summer! It's super fun and it's such a blessing to have grown up in a city where they treat animals with such love and respect and I hope it crosses over to Hailey!

13) Blogging! I love reading other blogs (um I have far to many in my reader), being inspired by other Momma's and their love for their Children, Hubby's, and Jesus! It really makes my day and I love being allowed in their lives on a daily basis. It inspires me to get out and do things with Hailey, fun crafty stuff we can do at home, and even decorating tips! I honestly don't know how my Mom did it, raising children without the internet!

14) Our Health! This should be way higher on the list! I pray every night before bed and thank God and am amazed by his blessings over us! Our families are extremely healthy, and when I hear about friends who have loved ones in the hospital and with illness it makes me so so so extremely happy to say that we are healthy! Hailey has never once been to the dr unless it's just a well check, we just have a few sniffles here and there, and slowly Hubby is getting better and growing his immune system!

15) a good sleeping Baby! This has blessed me in more ways then you could ever imagine! Ha. Hailey goes to bed every night around 9:30 (sometimes it's 9:15, sometimes 9:45). I have to WAKE her up at 8:50 in the morning! Then usually at 11:30 she will go down for a nap and sleep anywhere from 1-2 1/2 hours. So that means she can sleep from 11-1:30 some days! THEN at 3:30 she will sleep for ANOTHER hour and a half! I love it! I am going to keep her on her 2 naps a day schedule for as long as I can!!

Hope this inspires you to think about all that YOU have to be thankful for! Some days are hard and I know how easy it is to sit and think "woe is me" but if you sit down and list all the amazing blessings in your life it will brighten your day!

The Road To Get Here........

2010-11-03T16:21:00.004-05:00

2 posts in one week, WHAT?!?! Ha. Don't expect it from me often, but lately I feel like I have a lot to say. This will be another heavy VERY EXTREMELY TMI, but sometime in the next couple days I will do a fun post to offset all of these serious/gross ones. Ha.

So I never fully explained or documented our challenge to get pregnant. It wasn't that I was embarrassed, or un-willing to talk about it, almost all of my close friends knew was what was going (and honestly probably knew much more then they wanted too! Ha) on, but we never told our families or anything. I just didn't want to take heat, or hear those dreaded words "Oh if you stop trying then you'll get pregnant" or "you worry to much" NOT what people trying to get pregnant and month after month of getting disappointed want to hear. Trust me.

It all started in May of 2007. Well, technically it started when I was 13 and got my first period. I will never ever forget my first period. In my family we weren't open about that kind of stuff. My Mom never talked to us about that stuff. I learned the birds and the bees from my best friend. So I never talked to my Mom about my totally heavy horrible periods. I'm sure she knew, as all Mother's do, but we never openly talked about it. It was horrible. Clotting for days. Then no period for 2 or 3 months. It was bad. Some months I would have 2 or 3 HEAVY clotting bleeding periods and then nothing for a month. It was bad. So I finally broke down and went to a dr and told her I was loosing so much blood I could barely walk up the 3 flights of stairs in our house. I was so anemic. I bruised extremely easily, it was bad. So she put me on pills. I H A T E D them. I had every single bad side effect that was on the warning label. Depression, weight gain, tired, everything. So I went back and told her I threw them away. So she moved me onto Depo-provera. I have a love/hate relationship with depo. It made my periods completely disappear. Who doesn't love that?? No more bleeding or anemia or anything! YAY! It can also completely ruin your chance at getting pregnant for many years. I was on Depo for 6 years people. I so wish a Dr had gotten a hold of me and told me the long term effects from it, but I don't think there have been many studies done and honestly I am one who has probably been on it the longest. So skip ahead to May of 2007 I switch OB's and meet with my new dr. I tell him I am getting married in Sept and would like to get pregnant asap after the wedding. He puts me on pills (YAZ. Best.pills.EVER), to regulate my cycle, and tells me to start prenatals after the wedding to help me be more fertile. I did not have high hopes. I have known since I was young I would have trouble getting pregnant. Call it a sick sense or what have you, but I have read SOOOO many blogs about people and their journey through IF and they all say it to. It's weird. So I take my yaz and get my period the first month! And it comes on time every single month after that! I was so happy my body was doing what it was supposed to be doing! But only with synthetic hormones. Not good. So we get married, go on honeymoon, everything is great. I stop taking my pills as of the first week in October 2007. The following months are as follows;

-October 2007-May 2008- Have a regular period every month. Cycles last about 28-30 days. Am totally and completely happy and think we will be prego right away. Yeah not so much. Charting and taking my BBT every month and see no change what-so-ever. Figure out I am not ovulating and start looking online and for blogs for help.

May 2008- go back to OB for yearly exam. Tell him about my issues or what have you, and show him my BBT charts. He agrees I am not Oing either but I should be. (now this is where we disagree. He told me that since I haven't been on the deop shot for a year my body has completely rid it self of those hormones and should be fine and ready for baby by now. After 6 years I really think it will take longer but what do I know) So he tells me we will do 3 months of fert. pills and if I'm not pregnant in 3 months he will move on to testing and possibly seeing an RE.
Now as I have said in many many of my blogs I LOVE LOVE LOVE my OB. I know I needed his help to get pregnant and he is the expert and I know nothing about any of this stuff. But he was never good at explaining anything to me. I had no idea about what I would be taking, what he expected, nothing. I was very very frustrated. I didn't even know what questions to ask. Oh how my world has changed. I know everything about IF now, but knew nothing then. All my knowledge has come from reading online. So it was extremely frustrating to go into all of this so blindly.
So at that appointment Dr Reed write me a prescription for Clomid and sends me on my way. I have never in my life heard of this drug or know anything about it. Before I filled it I checked my friend WebMD and read up about it. Well, I read those magic little worlds "multipules" and about had a heart attack. Me and Hubby defer on selective reduction in pregnancy so we fought for a couple days before I even filled the prescription. We decided to go ahead and try it and if I ended up prego with 7 babies God would show us what to do from there.
So in May I took 50 mg of Clomid for 5 days after my period started. Charted and saw no difference in BBT at all. Went in for blood work and got a call the next day that I did NOT O. :( Sad.

June 2008- took 100 mg of Clomid for 5 days after period started. Charted and saw no difference in BBT at all. Went in for blood work and got a call the next day that I did NOT O. :( Sad.

July 2008- Took 100 mg of Clomid for 5 days after period started. My Dr added a lovely little friend called Metformin to my clomid. OMG Met SUCKED. One of the side effects of it is that it empties your stomach. Glory. I did not throw up at all, so you figure out how everything emptied. It S U C K E D major. After taking it for 8 of the 12 days or something I decided to throw it away and stop taking it. It made me way to sick and the side effects were not worth it to us at that time. I went in for blood work and got a call the next day that yet again my blood work shows no change and I did not ovulate. :( Sad.
I should also add that July 24th 2008 we sold our house and moved in with the in-laws. I did not want to be pregnant while living with them, and then moving in January. And I wasn't comfortable actively trying to get pregnant in their house. Something about it just irked me the wrong way. Did I really want to tell my child "you were conceived in your Grandparents house" um nothankyou.

I started my period July 2nd and waited in August for it to start. Nothing. I had been like clock work the previous months so I was confused. I took a test a couple days after it was supposed to start and it was negative. So whatever I went on my merry way, then my Birthday comes (the 13th) and I think I tested again that week. I had been drinking and going out with friends for my Birthday and wanted to be safe. Again negative. So I called my Dr office to see if we could talk about what to do from here, and to basically tell them I wasn't charting anymore and we would talk next May at my next yearly exam. Lisa my BFF at the front desk told me he was booked SOLID for 3 weeks but I could see his partner Barb who was a N.P. I knew Barb and loved her so I was comfortable seeing her and not Dr. Reed. I made an appointment to see Barb on Thursday the 21st. So I forget about it and wait for my period to come. The night of the 20th I decide to take another pregnancy test (well, mainly because I had 3 sitting in the drawer) to make SURE I wasn't because I knew that would be her first question. Low and behold the awesome words PREGNANT came up!!
You can read my blog here you'll see I called and got in after 2 positives and 3 negatives. So my Dr decides to do a ultrasound and told me I was less then 2 weeks pregnant. WHAT? I was completely off all pills, and didn't have a period. Can you ovulate when not having a period?? Every time during my pregnancy the baby would be further along then the last scan, moving forward my due date. So who knows. We never went off a conception date, only according to what the U/S said. So who knows! I honestly do not know when or how I got pregnant. I am guessing it was during the time I was on the clomind/metformin combo but if that is true then Hailey's due date was off by over 2 weeks, and since she was only 6 pounds and showed a lot of signs of being born before 39 weeks I believe she was. But honestly it drives me nuts to not know. I know it doesn't matter, the ending was perfect, I got the ultimate prize, and she is perfect and happy and healthy now. It's just so weird.

Now for those of you who are judging me and telling me I should have gone a more "natural" route or found a midwife instead of going to my OB. I agree with you to an extent. But I was sooooooooo naive and didn't know anything about what was going on! Now I would do more research and try herbs and things. From what I could find online there are 2 midwife offices in Omaha. I called one and never got an answer or machine. The other I called and talked to the most horrible woman in the world. I told her I was having trouble getting pregnant and my dr was trying to put me on pills that I didn't know anything about and wanted some help and guidance and was wondering if I could meet with somebody. She RUDELY told me that they don't see people unless they are pregnant and to call back when I was pregnant and HUNG UP ON ME. I think I sat at my desk for 10 minutes crying. I was sooooooo upset. Now of course I know 3 people in Omaha who have midwives and I could ask them for references but then I didn't know that. So so so frustrating!
So there is my story. An amazing outcome. I don't feel any differently about my dr, I still love him but I wish I could have done somethings differently.

**Edited to add**
Please don't think I am ungrateful or anything of that nature. To be praying for a Baby my whole life, trying for 10 months, 3 months "assisted" and then end up Pregnant on "accident" I know how blessed I am/was. It was truly a gift from God and if you were brought to my blog looking for answers and are going through something similar, I am praying for you. I don't know your name or story, but God does and he will give you what you want in HIS timing just like He did me!

Truth..........

2010-11-01T16:55:00.003-05:00

FYI *** this will be graphic. If your shy, embarrass easily, don't have children you might not want to read. Lots of TMI's included***

So I opened Google to go to my blog and write this about 8 times before actually going through with it, for a couple of reasons. 1) This will be embarrassing for all parties (myself and readers) but I must write these things down for I am already forgetting them and I need and want to remember them. 2) There are people who I didn't want to read such intimate details of my being, still don't want them to but what can you do. Maybe this will help some poor girl who googles something and finds me for answers. Welcome!! ha 3) Being away from my blog for so long sucks. I wasn't one of those good Mommy's like the ones I read who write milestones down monthly and do a cute monthly post for their Babies (but in my defense Hailey's baby book is completely current as of last Thursday) , and I feel like I need to blog to catch up on the last 18 months of my life. But alas I can not so I'll just start somewhere. So this will be long and windy and crazy all over the place but here we go.

The TRUTH about having a child and surviving........

I wish before I had my child somebody checked out my boobs before hand and told me breast feeding would be IMPOSSIBLE. I have inverted nipples. Making it almost impossible to b/f. After working with one of the lactation cons. at the hospital for 2 days, one finally gave me one of these and I was FINALLY able to feed my child. But it was horrible. I couldn't feed her in discreet because I was fumbling with a piece of plastic and it would leak and come off and it was just a mess. I used it with every.single.feeding (every 1 1/2 hours remember?) for 6 months. I will NEVER forget one night in the first week of being home it took me from about 8 until 11:30 to get Hailey so sleep and to stop screaming at the top of her lungs and I laid her down and made sure I had my shield handy for our next night feeding and I couldn't find it. I was hysterical. I woke Steve up and made him come help me find it (with a flash light so we didn't wake up psycho Baby). I think it ended up being next to Hay in the pack-n-play but I was dying. I could NOT feed my Baby without this thing and if I lost it then what?? I went to Target the next day and bought 2 more. Ha. After 6 months I finally gave up and pumped exclusively, it was a hard decision but we were going to b/f class with the L/C from the hospital and she agreed it was probably best also so I felt better. People have told me that they know so many people who have so many feeding problems with the first Baby and never use the shield with the 2nd. Sure hope I would be one of those people..................

Internal Hemorrhoids S U C K. After pushing for over 2 1/2 hours I should have known I wouldn't get away with 0 hemorrhoids. I was in pain every single time I had to go #2 for like 11 months. Honestly I don't know or remember how long it was. My body was SOOOO messed up for so long. For all I know it could still be not "normal" and hurt but I am just so used to it and this is my "new normal". Ugh. Horrible. I used every kind of treatment out there and nothing worked. My Dr basically said since they are internal and not external there was nothing anybody could do and they would just heal on their own and go away. Blah. I am pretty much better and healed I think, but man going through that again scares the bejewels out of me.

So since my child's head was stuck on my tail bone for 2 hours of pushing and the traumatic way she finally came out I had a fairly large tear that required stitches. After the initial horrible part of actually getting the stitches everything was fine. For about 4 months. Then I remember going to the restroom and it burning sooooo horribly bad down there from the urine. I finally found a way to position myself when going that it wouldn't hit it and hurt. Yes I am stupid and didn't think anything was THAT wrong it would just go away on it's own right?? RIGHT?? My 2nd sign was using my scented suave body wash irritated the crap out of it to. OHMYGOSH did it burn in the shower to wash my "area". So finally one day I listened to my ever wise Husband and called my OB for a check up to see how everything was down there. SO NOT what I wanted to do. So he takes a look and told me that my scar tissue from my tear decided to RE-OPEN!! People!!!! Seriously?? I can't make this stuff up. How much can 1 person go through?? Holy jeesh! So my lovely Dr decides to cauterize it. So yeah he grabs like a 3 foot (OK maybe it was like 4-5 inches long) match looking thing and lights it on fire and puts it DOWN THERE on me. I almost died. Worst pain of my life. I was supposed to stop and pick up dinner for us right after my appointment, but I was in so much pain sitting to drive home I called Hubby in tears and to figure out plan B for dinner. I sat on the Boppy pillow for like 2 days after that. Ha. It healed up fine and I haven't had a problem with it since. But jeepers did that KILL. It was bad. Of course it probably wouldn't have been half that bad had I had it taken care of earlier. I don't know how long I let it go on for, maybe 2 months?? I am so stupid I never want to go to the DR or admit something is wrong with me, I just think if I ignore it it will go away. Smart huh?

Before child I was a social butterfly. At least 2 times a week (even after we were married) I would go out with a girlfriend(s) and do dinner, shopping, movies, pedicures, it was heaven. I mourned those dates after Hailey and still do sometimes. I had so many "bestfriends" (I use the term to loosely probably), we were always together. One friend in particular comes to mind. We were super close, hung out all the time. After Hailey was born I saw her when Hailey was 5 days old, then Hailey's 1st Birthday and haven't seen her since. 6 months it's been since I got to see her. :( I miss her! I understand she has a super busy career, a house, kitty, Husband, family, etc but it still sucks that I don't fit into that anymore. I don't blame her AT ALL I was probably the same way before Hailey, thinking people with kids are to busy and you don't want to bug them and take them away from their family to hang out and stuff, but no PLEASE call your friends, HANG out! Save them! Ha. I guess it's just hard. I have a hard time reaching out all the time and getting turned down or no answer. It sucks. I miss my friendships and those fun times...........

If this makes me a bad person/parent do NOT comment and let me know. I already have my thoughts and feelings of guilt, but it is what it is and I am being honest and putting myself out there so that means I'll dump everything out in this blog. Sometimes (a LOT especially right after Hailey was born) I would cry and sit and miss my old life before Hailey (BH). Me and Hubby had the best marriage and life BH. We had this cute little house, I had loads of time with girlfriends, we have 2 incomes so extra $ to go shopping with, see movies, and spend on stupid things (oh if I only knew then what I know now I would have been SO much better about saving!). We never traveled much but we would go to Kansas City for the weekends and just do fun things! I haven't been away from Hailey for 1 night of her entire 18 1/2 months. We can't just sit down and watch a movie/tv show with out being interrupted. We were only married for 11 months when I found out I was pregnant. We finally both admitted last weekend that we wish we had waited until now to have gotten pregnant. 3 years together alone sounds sooo amazing. Like I said I feel horrible and guilty saying this. All I EVER wanted in my life was a baby and to be pregnant and be a SAHM. Seriously, since I was like 4. And then I had that and I didn't want it! What?!?! I remember when we were living at Steve's parents (which is probably part of the problem and where it started) I would drive by our old house we had just sold and cry and sob. I mourned for those fun carefree times we had! I would never wish my daughter away. I love her more then life itself. I would die for her. I guess I just wish I had enjoyed those times more, cherished them more, taken more vacations and pictures, and done things later in life, but it is what it is and I deal with the hand I was dealt. It's just so hard. You want to just be lovey dovey with your spouse instead of being dirty from throw up and poop, and not wash dishes and just honestly be DEAD tired to the world and want to sleep. But such is life as a parent! We knew going in life would change. But I think I thought she would fit more into OUR life instead of us having to do a COMPLETE 180 and fitting into HER life. We are readjusting and just now are in an amazing place! We always joke and say that if babies were born at like 10 months we would have 6 kids!

Sooooooooo all of this to say...........life has been hard. Not at ALL what I expected. And I just now fully and totally happy and healthy so I have BABY FEVER. lol. Am I crazy? Stupid?? Naive?? This is why God blocks things from our memory. I thought I wouldn't survive those first couple sleepless nights with Hay nursing every 2 hours. Hours upon hours of nursing. Feeling so secluded and trapped in the house. But I did it! I survived! We go to MOPS now, we love to run errands and just drive around.We shop several times a week and have fun play dates. We went to the Zoo every week this summer and it was a awesome summer! Trick or treating last night was probably hands down the funnest thing I have done as a mother with my child. She LOVED it and had so much joy. It made my heart so happy! So I survived, and I can survive again with 2 kids, right?? I don't remember the pain of labor or pushing her out, I don't remember the frustration of breastfeeding, it was all a blur. We'll see what happens and what God has in store for our little family. But Hailey needs a sibling I know that for sure! :)

Mommy Stuff.........

2010-09-01T11:59:00.017-05:00

OK so I'm back. Albeit a couple days late but whateva. So this is going to be a (long) list of must have's, and things that worked for me as a first time Mom. There is so much Baby gear (aka JUNK) out there, it's hard not to get overwhelmed. Just hoping if somebody googles something and it brings them to me I can be a help :) I try not to push things onto friends who are pregnant but it's hard not to want to share all your wisdom! But I also need to remember that just because Hailey was a baby who could not go to sleep unless swaddled, with a bink on her tummy, not every baby is like that! OK here goes nothin.........

Swaddle Blankets. Now I'm totally gonna throw my Mom under the bus on this one, but when we were shopping a few weeks before Hailey got here I asked her what she thought of blankets made spaficially for swaddling and she looked at me like I had 3 foreheads. She was all oh just use a blanket it's a no brainer. Then the spawn of Hercules was born (aka my daughter). This girl could bust out of the tightest best swaddle in the world. The nurses were amazed by her strength. This kept us awake for many hours many nights. If only I had gone w/ my gut (honestly like the 1 thing my Mom was wrong on. But I digress, listen to your Mother's they know EVERYTHING!) it would have saved us much heartache. I got the kiddopotamus swaddle blankets when Hailey was like 4 months old and she slept in them for every nap and every single night until she was like 10 months. It was amazing and I was scared to transition her out of them!

Moby Wrap. GREATEST thing ever invented. I had a Target gift card from my shower and had been researching slings for months and decided to order this totally blind. BEST. THING. EVER. Having Nannied/babysat for years I HATED the Bjorn things and knew they would hurt my back and shoulders. While I won't lie and say I didn't start to ache after wearing the moby for long periods of time it was night and day with the Moby vs. any other sling. Hailey LOVED it. My grumpy high maintenance Baby who literally took hours to get to sleep would be asleep with in minutes of me putting her in here. I used the hold seen in the picture to the left, and she LOVED it. I would vacuum, load/unload the dishwasher, do laundry, sit on the computer, grocery shop, and she would snooze away! LOVED it! They are a little hard to find, like I said I bought mine at Target.com but they do sell them in target stores!! You can also get them online at Babiesrus.com and I was able to find them by the diaper bags a couple weeks ago at my store in Omaha so not sure if they are in all Babies R Us national or not!

Boppy. Basically if you plan on feeding your child you must have one of these. I don't care what brand, where you get it, what cover or how many you have you HAVE. TO. HAVE. ONE. PERIOD. I see these women trying to nurse on tv w/out them straining forward hurting their backs. This makes nursing SO easy! And for months I pumped and gave Hailey a bottle and I would just pop her in here and she would lay and drink. She snoozed in this thing for I don't even know how many hours when she was a wee Baby. So great. I got mine at Wal-mart for less then $20 and love it.

Carters clothes. I am OBSESSED w/ all carters clothes to say the least. I could spend HUNDREDS in that store I swear. Anytime I get some extra $ even MY birthday $ I am trying to figure out how to get there and buy Hailey some clothes! They clean up amazingly, never fade, never stretch, and I find they fit exactly true to their size. It's hard w/ Baby clothes trying to figure out what will fit your kid when, and I always go by weight and Carters is the only brand accurate. LOVE THEM! Their onesies, pants everything! You can sign up online to get coupons emailed and mailed to you and I highly recommend that. I have never once bought anything there w/out a coupon. I am also highly privileged to live in a town where we have 2 outlet stores and pretty much the whole entire store is always 40-70% off. So glorious!

MiPump by First Years. So I know there is a big debate about formula/breast. For me there was no choice, breast ONLY. We got some samples of formula and tried to give it to Hay twice and twice she gagged and puked on it. HA! That's my Girl! Due to her being MSPI (Milk,soy, protein intolerance) she would have had to have formula that costs over $20 for one of the little cans. Yeah not gonna happen when MY milk was free! So I bit the bullet and bought a somewhat expensive breast pump to help us. Not the Granddaddy of Pumps but still NOT cheap. It was an extremely good investment because my Pretty Girl put this Momma through Breast Feeding HELL. We honestly had just about every single feeding problem that can come arise. Our LC (Lactation Consultant) was in awe of how much trouble we had(which is a whole nother post in itself). I finally made the decision to stop feeding her myself and exclusively pump after she was 6 months old. So for the other 5 1/2 months I pumped every 3 hours day and night. Yes I had to set an alarm and wake up every 3 hours at night to pump. :( While it was no fun my girl grew into a hefty lil chunk due to only her Momma's milk and NO formula. I'm pretty proud of myself! All that to say I had a love/hate relationship w/ my pump. I was NOT sad to pack it up in April and be done. But it helped me nourish my girl in a way that I alone could not.
While I had problems and ended up going through 3 pumps, I only paid for the first one and the other 2 were sent completely free from the company. They were amazing to work with and I was totally happy. Looking back I probably should have bought the Granddaddy of pumps but I didn't know how much I was going to use it at the time. So I say if your going to breast feed at all no matter how long I think investing in a good pump is a wise decision, if you don't get your $'s worth out of it you can always sell it (craigslist, garage sale, friend/family member) or loan it out to a friend/family member and they can get your $'s worth out of it!

Bumbo Chair and Tray. Now while this is certainly not a necessity but a fun thing to have I LOVED our bumbo chair. I most certainly would not pay the $40 retail price tag to have one, you can find them ALL over on craigslist. I got ours for $5 cuz the ladies little girl colored w/ marker on the back and no amount of scrubbing (even w/ my bff magic eraser) will take it off. But I digress. Hailey LOVED it. One of our cousins bought me the tray and it is awesome. She could eat puffs in it when she was older, play with rattles and toys when she was little, and would even sit in it on the couch and watch tv w/ us. We even took it w/ us to Michigan last summer because it's so small it fit well in the trunk w/out taking up much space and it was awesome for meals instead of dragging along a huge high/booster chair. It has been an awesome thing to plop on the table and let her eat in it no matter where we go! It really is an awesome thing to have around and I don't know how our parents survived w/out neat things like this!

First Years Infant to Toddler Booster Seat. So we have a lovely brand new ranch house, don't get me wrong I L O V E my house, but the one thing I gave up to have it was a nice big dinning room. So we have an eat-in kitchen which I don'treallylove. Sue me. So we knew there was no way we could have one of those stupid big bulky highchairs in our small eating area. I started looking at booster seats and the one I really wanted was over $60. I ended up finding this one at Target for less then $40 and I LOVE it! It reclines and Hailey started sitting at the table with us at about 3 months old. I have so many pictures of her in it cuz we love it so much and she LOVED to sit up like a big Girl w/ Momma an Daddy. I love the fabric and think it's so cute and fun. We ended up getting an all plastic one booster for our house and gave this one to my parents to use at their house. The reason for this is the fabric. Now that my girl is eating all big girl food she is a hot mess at meal times. I was washing the fabric 3 sometimes 4 times a week because it would get so nasty. But it would wash and dry beautifully and was a snap to get on and off. I even washed (bleached) the straps that held her in because she trashed those too. They came out a little cleaner and in great shape! I also love how easy the staps are to adjust, as our new seat takes an iron man to make them bigger/smaller. Such a pain! But this chair was super easy to use. I really do love it and would recommend this over any high chair and I LOVE how it just sits on any chair and is very sturdy and I always felt Hay was safe in it.

Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tables. Ah teething, all Mother's nightmares. While I won't lie and say that these tablets will magically turn your once precious sweet Baby that went into psycho screaming head BACK into sweet precious Baby, but they will help. I'll be honest and these don't touch molar pain for Hailey but they helped with the first couple teeth and would calm her down and ease her pain I believe. We do use Tylenol and Motrin but I always try these first to see if they bring relief. Not sure if people know this but using Baby Orajel can be very dangerous because if you use to much you can numb your Babies throat causing them to not be able to swallow and then they could choke, especially during nap time. Since the teething tablets are all natural and basically herbs they can not harm your Baby AT ALL and you could even give them 80 in a day w/out it hurting them. (obviously you don't want to do that and you should use common sense but still......)

Eucerin Aquaphor Baby Ointment. So my Girl was "blessed" to get her Momma's totally dry cracked skin and her Daddy's super duper ultra sensitive skin. Oh joy. I feel bad for the kid already. While normally it's fine and I can just use a regular old Johnson's lotion on her after bath this past winter was soooooooo biterally cold and dry her poor little cheeks, chin, and nose would get super red and crack. :( Broke my heart. So I asked my most favorite people in the world (the Pharmacist at Target) and they told me to get Aquaphor. This stuff is gross I won't lie. lol. It's basically like Vaseline just a little less greasy. But still GREASY. But my goodness I would put this on her little face and I would see a difference right away! It was especially great for right before bed when she couldn't rub it off w/ her hands. I now use it on her heat rash she has on her belly from her diaper and I noticed a HUGE difference. I would never use this as an all over lotion b/c it is so greasy and thick but it's great for problem areas and I even use it on my cracked heels a couple times and it was great!

Making your own Baby Food. OK so like breast feeding I know this isn't for everybody. But again w/ Hailey's food allergies I felt better about making her own food and knowing exactly what she was getting. I absolutely loved it. Call me psycho (wouldn't be the first time) but I had so much fun thinking of great new things to feed her. And my girl LOVES to eat. I would just bake (or not depending on what it was) and puree her food in the blender, poor it into the ice cube tray's, freeze it overnight and then dump it in a ziplock and store it in the freezer. Every morning while making breakfast I would pull out 8 cubes, 4 cubes of veggies and 4 fruits for 2 different meals during the day. It was kinda a pain to thaw them out but if I just left them out on the counter I would only have to nuke them. It was great! I honestly miss making it. It was SO much fun! If your having a Baby PLEASE let me make your Baby food! Ha. By the end of her Baby food eatin days I did have to buy new ice cube tray's cuz mine were cracked and broken but they are like a dollar for 3 at Walmart so no big deal to me. I also realize that for Mom's that work outside the home it might be an undertaking (breast feeding and making my own food would have NEVER happened had I not been a sahm sorry to say), so I understand but even if you make some of your own and buy jars of others it's better then nothing. I could make like 2 weeks worth of squash for Hailey for less then $3 where as jars are .50 for 1 feeding. So you do the math (cuz I SUCK at math), but it was a HUGE savings to our 1 income family! Consider it and if you have ANY questions or want help or want me to do it I would LOVE to! Just email me Tulip1513@Hotmail.com

OK I think that's it. It was lengthily sorry! But I wanted to keep track of these things somewhere!!! Oh also my 2 cents, don't bother buying a baby monitor. You will lose sleep b/c of the damn thing and trust me if your Baby wakes up you'll hear it. We used to joke before Hailey was born that if a tornado came through the house I wouldn't wake up. I could sleep through literally anything. But now? Hailey moves her hand and I'm across the house in her room checking her. Seriously. Although I must say there are days when Steve will tell me he hears her cry in her room, but I don't get woken up by her until 8:30. So see if I had the dumb monitor I would have lost an hour and a half of sleep, and so would she! She went right back to sleep just fine :) I have used it before when I go outside or we have guests and I don't want them woken up but otherwise I say trust your Momma instincts and you'll wake up when your Baby needs you no worries :)

Life and Whatnot

2010-08-26T16:02:00.004-05:00

We'll see if I remember how to do this blog thing. Ha. Everybody who USED to read this is on facebook so I feel no need to re-post pictures everybody has already seen, and honestly when I have downtime I don't feel like writing anymore. Gone are the days of being super duper bored at a 9-5 desk job. This Mom job doesn't allow anytime to be bored. Ha. So anywho I have a couple idea's for blogs over the next couple days, we'll see if they all pan out or not ;)
I can't believe my Girl is 16 months. It's insane. Wasn't she just teeny tiny?? How can she be walking/talking/attitude all over?? Sooo crazy. She is a tiny petite little thing, just barely over 2' and 22 lbs. I get so sick of going out in public and ppl ask how old she is and then get "oh she is TINY she looks 9 months". I never know what to say, do I want an obese fat kid?? No. She is plenty heavy to carry around and I think the littler they are the cuter they are. But what do I know. She eats just fine thankyouverymuch, pretty much 24/7 like her parents, so I know she is healthy and fine. I've not even gotten a lecture about her size from her dr, but I think he knows that neither Hubby or I are 7' tall so there is no point in saying anything, it's her genes.

I was reading a blog from start to finish last week and the girl had a pregnancy almost identical to mine. It brought back all those horrid horrid memories. Could I do that again?? Hubby won't even agree to it at this point. These last 2 years and everything we've been through, I honestly don't know if we could handle that again. I remember those nights when Hay was 4 and 5 days old. Oh. My. Gord. Actually it started in the Hospital (I might repeat myself I don't remember what I have previously posted but this stuff has been stuck in my head lately so I am just getting it out all. Sorry). On our 2nd night in the hospital, I had sent Hubby home w/ an aching back to our bed to sleep. Neither of us can sleep in strange environments so I knew before we were even married if we had kids he wouldn't sleep overnight in the hospital. He wouldn't expect me to either, it's all good. Anyways, little miss thing had some MAJOR sensory issues from being 2 weeks early. Her pedi explained it to me while we were still in the hospital that sometimes babies that are born before 40 weeks gestation don't have their nerves systems fully devolped yet. So she would get WAY over stimulated and scream for hours on end and NOTHING we could do at all would calm her. So back to the 2nd night, we had loads of visitors that day in the hospital and once night and dark rolled around she freaked. I nursed her (both sides, like 20 min each, with 0 milk in yet. Yeah my kid likes to eat), and put her in the plastic thing that was her bed and got comfty and the screaming started. She scremed STRAIGHT from like 1am to 4:30 am. Mind you our room was like 2 steps from the nurses station and I know that all of West Omaha could hear this girl's scream. But God bless the nureses left us alone for this new Mom to figure it out on her own. I nursed and tried to get her to latch for literally hours. I bet I tried over 20 times to nurse to get her to calm down. I cried. I walked, I swayed, I swaddled, changed her, EVERYTHING humanly possible. (we didn't try or give her a binkie until she was over 2 weeks, she had a poor suck and I didn't want to mess up anything. But out of pure desperation I finally gave in and she loved the thing) Finally I buzzed the nurses and while 99 times out of 100 instead of just coming in when I buzzed they would ask what I needed/wanted, this time within 3 seconds she was in the room. She told me to take my ugly gown off, get Hailey naked to her diaper and put her head on my heart and push so hard on her you would think she can't breathe. (of course she could) Wala she stopped almost immediately. It was weird. But it made her warm and reminded her of the womb. We slept like that, for 2 hours. It was the worst.night.of.my.life. But not the last I'm sad to say. Then in the morning I get the phone call from my husband he laid on the floor to watch tv that night and was unable to get up. At ALL. Even to pee. Seriously folks. He somehow got himself to the chiro twice that day, but it almost killed him. He couldn't come and spend the day at the hospital w/ his newborn Baby and exhausted wife who got like 1 hour of sleep. Yeah not good. Thank GOD for my Mom would basically came and sat in the hospital all day w/ me. So instead of my wonderful Hubby coming to pick us up and take us home, my MIL did. Yeah NOT good. I felt (and a part of me still does) robbed. It's such a great expierance that the Hubby carries the Baby in and we all bond and have a great day feeding and changing the Baby and I didn't get any of that. Instead I came home to a hurricane of a house, a Hubby who couldn't move or do anything for himself and a child who screamed 24/7. I was a mess. I wasn't able to articulate at the time and it took me many many months to figure out what was going on in my head but I got super duper depressed and freaked out. I go to the hospital (almost 3 weeks early mind you, totally unprepared) and have a Baby. Life alterting to say the least. Come home to a Hubby who can't move or walk w/out holding on to the computer chair, kinda scooting around the house like a 97 year old man. Life alterting. And they basically both happened on the same day. It was FAR to overwhelming for my brian, emotions, self to handle. I thought this was how life was going to be. I was gonna be on the couch in sweats with a screaming kid and a hubby who needs me to wait on him hand an foot 24/7. It was just to much. I still can't explain it totally but my mind was just not in the right mind set. It was B A D. I was so afraid of everything. I remember thinking that if I swaddled Hailey in a blanket with a tag (which brings me to ask why can clothes be tagless but blankets have them?? Stupid) and if the tag ended up by her face she would surely suck the tag in her mouth and die. Or she would spit up a lot after a feeding and choke on it and I would have to pick her up to help her get it up/down/out. It was sooooo scary. Instead of sleeping in while Hailey slept I would have to wake up at 7:30 to make Steve his breakfast. It was just a bad dark time. And sleeping. Oh precious sleep. That girl would scream and cry like no other. I remember looking at the alarm clock all night. She would wake at 1:30, feed for 40 minutes. "OK if she goes to sleep right now we still get 1 hour and 20 minutes of sleep" (she was feeding every 90 minutes. Yes that sucks folks) But instead she would scream and I would say "OK 1 hour 10 minutes of sleep...........55 minutes of sleep.................40 minutes of sleep........" and finally I would just nurse her again and start all over. I was at a loss. We asked the Dr what to do b/c she had her days and nights somewhat confused, she never screamed like that during the day. She would sleep and nurse fine during the day but come 10pm it was full screaming until 2 or 3 am sometimes. I mean straight ppl. So he told us to wake her up every hour and a half during the day to eat and hopefully she would sleep 3-4 hour stretches at night. Yeah notsomuch. She liked that pattern so much she did it at night to! oh joy. I say all this but honestly I was so blessed, it got better by about 3 weeks, and by 7 weeks she was sleeping 6-7 hour stretches. I know some people with 12 month olds who don't sleep that long. We finally asked the nurse at the pedi office and she said to use a white noise machine and see if that helps. She still has it in her room if that tells you anything. And we found she loved the bathtub running, so I did that a lot to. And honestly what worked was letting her sleep on her tubby and swaddling her. I don't want to hear about not letting her sleep on her tummy cuz I did it, and my Mom did it, and Hailey did it and we're all still here so there. Ha. Honestly I would do it with my next Baby if it's what he/she liked.
All of that to say it gave me a complex. I thought I had a demon child. Everywhere I went and everybody that asked heard about how horrible and high maintenance she was. I feel bad, and she was NOT what I was expecting at all but I think I kinda went over board. Again w/ the depression I guess. But I moved on and finally got out of it. I finally got to be normal again in August (last year) when we went to Michigan to visit family. It was so great. I loved meeting some of my bff's in real life and having girl chat everyday for a week was SO great! Also my Baby was sleeping through the night for 9+ hours and taking a 4 hour nap in the morning. Yeah my girl LOVES to eat and sleep just like both her parents. lol. Then in the fall my best friend came over once a week to watch a show together and it was sooooooo amazing. I missed my girlfriends. Probably 9 out of 13 of them do not have kids. They don't relate to me anymore I think. It's like I dropped off the face of the planet. But it was hard to get out of the house being stuck on the 90 minute feeding schedule. It sucked. I am so glad we are past that stage and I can just throw my girl in the car and run errands or drive around or go to the zoo/mall/target whatever! She is so fun now and LOVES to be w/ her Momma an be social.

Another thing I MUST note that nobody tells you about postpartum is the things your body does. We got home from the hospital on Saturday and Sunday night I was living off about 8 hours of sleep over 4 days, my body started to shake uncontrollably. I was wearing sweat pants, tank top, sweat shirt, socks, slippers, and had a blanket on and I just shook and shook. It was soooooooo scary. Steve took Hailey for 2 hours (in between feedings) and made me lay in bed and try to sleep. I remember I had the phone in my hand and had punched in the number for the nurses station at the hopsital, but didn't turn on the phone yet to dial it. I just laid there thinking I was going to die. It was SO scary, like I was in some kind of shock. I'm guessing I was. Blood loss, screaming baby, exhaustion, broken Husband, no real meal, everything just over took me. It finally stopped after a couple hours but I was so scared I was going to have to be re-admitted to the hospital. Phew!
Oh and did I mention my Baby had jaundice?? Yeah she was surely going to die. I was so freaked out. That is another reason I started on the 90 minute feeding schedule. All I did was sit in the sun by the sliding glass doors with her naked and feed. All. Day. Long. I was so worried she would have to go in the hospital for it and then who would take care of my broken Hubby?? I couldn't leave my Baby there alone! Once the Pedi told me the lights and a care nurse would come to our house I totally relaxed about that. And her jaundice was gone after like 3 days.

So yeah that is my horrible new born days. I was scared to talk about them and pushed them to the back of my mind. But now that I want to have another Baby I need to remember these things. Could I do it again? I'm sure. You never have the same exact experience twice. But still. It was bad. And throw a toddler into the mix?? Um yea not sure.

Anyways, now my girl is sweet (for the most part. unless cutting teeth), and fun and loves to be going going going 24/7. She can say, Momma, Dada, doggie, kitty, shoes, up, hello, hi, byebye, and bath (ahbah). We really pushed the sign language when she was younger though so her speech hasn't taken off. She can sign, eat, more, drink, please, and all done in addition to waving hi and bye. Don't get me wrong the girl talks 24/7 but I swear it's a mixture of french, german, italian, and some made up language of hers. It's hilarious and honestly she never stops. I told Steve I kinda hope she never learns to really talk b/c it's so flippin cute I love it! And I'm not ready for her attitude and talking back ;) At her 15 month appointment the Dr freaked out when I told him she wasn't speaking words and had even stopped saying Momma, Dada, Bybye. He told me we HAVE to do speech therapy asap and figure out what is wrong w/ her :*( NOT what a Momma wants to hear. So I stress, pray, google, read, and finally got a hold of the speech therapist from our school district. She said they don't even do any testing until 18 mo and not to worry and she hoped she never talked to me again! I sighed a big sigh of relief and wouldn't you know it 2 days later she said Momma clear as day! She has since added all those other words in, sometimes they aren't noticeable and I might be pushing it, but I think she is just stubborn and does things slowly and on her own time. She didn't get a tooth until 10 months, crawl until 8 1/2 months, or walk until almost 14 months. She is just a little behind and I'm in no rush to make her talk. She can hear perfectly well so I know that isn't the issue either.
OK I've gone on and on and on so I'll stop here. But I will seriously try to be back either tomorrow or Monday w/ my other 2 posts! Maybe I will get into a better rhythm of posting, I really want to keep this up as journal-type for Hailey and all her milestones. So far I've failed miserably but her baby book is all up to date! YAY! lol. OK until next time peeps...............
Beck

9 months.....

2010-01-18T15:07:00.004-06:00

I'm sure I'll do this again in 3 months at her 1st Birthday but I wanted to do a lil picture college showing how big my "lil" girl is!!! Oh how I love her so deeply........