A Big Change for my Little Grace!

This weekend my husband and I spent some time making progress... My "baby" girl is officially finished with the crib, and while there were some bittersweet emotions that emerged during the change, I was mostly consumed with excitement over her excitement over her new bed. Pink sheets with white polka dots and the most convenient underbed storage drawers brought many smiles. The most exciting part of all may have been watching piece by piece come together in front of her, and the fact that she was able to help bring it all together.

I enjoyed hanging out on the bedroom floor, helping as I could, but mostly watching Gracie organize screws into little piles in preparation for the moment her daddy would request one. She was also a fan of the allen wrench and worked right alongside her daddy making sure everything was tight and secure. In the end, after adding the final touches (her mattress set and new bedding), we stood back to inspect the completed project and decided it was perfect for our growing girl. We were relieved to have the switch behind us, but realized the true test would come at bedtime...

And she did great! She snuggled up under her comforter, closed her eyes, and we didn't hear a peep from her until the next morning when she called for us. Her second night went as well as the first, and her first nap in her big girl bed (which was today) went without any issues. She'll be three in three months and I sometimes feel like we're throwing so much at her at one time (new bed, potty training, preschool, baby brother...), but she seems both ready for and excited about these changes.

We also made progress in Ethan's room. Gracie was more than happy to lend a helping hand as we reassembled the crib in his room and started adding the bedding. She thinks his sheet with the little boats on it is "so cute". :) Lots of things were crossed off of my "things-that-must-be-done-before-June" list, so that is a great thing. I'll add pictures soon!

Reassurance.

This morning I made a phone call to my doctor concerning uncomfortable menstrual-like cramping that I've been having for the past three days. It hasn't gone much over a 3 on a pain scale of 1-10, but I made sure to compare this discomfort to my last moments before an epidural, at 8 centimeters dilated. It's been more frustrating than anything, because it's different, and therefore, it makes me nervous.

The nurse I spoke with went through her check-list of questions and decided I should come in as a precaution, since some of my symptoms can be signs of pre-term labor. I have been so relaxed during this whole pregnancy, but today was a reminder that there aren't any silly questions and you should always take the "better safe than sorry" approach when dealing with the health of your growing baby. Luckily, my cervix is nice and closed, as it should be, the Fetal Fibronectin test results came back negative, indicating that my chances for pre-term labor are low, and I was able to hear a strong heartbeat to further reassure myself that everything is fine. I was advised to up the water intake and try to take it easy, as I may be over doing it slightly. So, that's what I plan to do!

Other thoughts of the day:

1. I will never, ever perfect the art of collecting a urine sample, ever. Out of the 62 weeks that I've been pregnant in my life, I've provided numerous "samples" and have now discovered that practice does not make perfect in this case, at least not for me.

2. I am thankful for my husband. When I called him to let him know they wanted to see me, I didn't even have to ask if meeting me was a possibility, he just told me he was on his way. Not only was his presence a comfort, but he was able to make sure Gracie made it to her music class on time while I finished up at the doctor's office.

3. My daughter is adorable. I was there to pick Gracie up after her class and as we were walking to the car she said, "How was your doctor's appointment, Mommy?" I thought it was so sweet that she thought to ask! I love, love, love having little conversations with my girl.

(Finger-painting yesterday!)

4. It's Friday and I'm looking forward to the weekend! I have two photo sessions with two special babies that I'm excited about, and aside from that, I plan to relax and enjoy the time with Gracie and Sean.

Happy Friday!

A Nice Reminder...

My mom emailed this to me this afternoon, along with a couple other poems that brought tears to my eyes. When I get overwhelmed with the household responsibilities, and I most certainly do, I will try to remember that as long as she is my number one priority and focus, I'm doing everything right.

Come in, but don’t expect to find

All dishes done and floors that shine.

Observe the crumbs, cereal, and toys galore.

The smudgy prints upon the windows and doors.

The little ones we shelter here

Don’t thrive on a spotless atmosphere.

They’re more inclined to disarray

And carefree messy play.

Their needs are great and their patience small.

All day I’m at their beck and call.

It’s Mommy come! Mommy see!

Mommy change the channel on TV.

Wiggly worms and scraped knees.

Painted pictures and blocks piled high.
My floors and house a mess, the days go by.
Some future day they’ll flee this nest,
And I at last will have a rest!
Now you tell me which matters more,
A happy child or a polished floor?

Lovely Monday.

Highs of 73 in February call for outdoor activities that take advantage of the unusually warm temperatures that I'm afraid will fade back to the cold averages better known for this time of year... We spent Monday outside, like the whole entire day. I met my sister and girlfriend Monday morning, lunch bags packed, and we took our little sweeties to the zoo.

They are a nice mix of ages, Gracie almost 3, Austin 18 months, and Baby P one year old (in just days!). I love watching the smaller ones watch Gracie, as she runs, jumps, and verbalizes her thoughts about the experience. I love watching the smaller ones take in the experience for themselves. It was Baby P's first trip, and she pointed and observed and grinned at the seals as they zipped by, just like I remember Gracie doing on her first trip. In the same way that the little ones make a nice mix, so do the mommas. Maybe it's that we're all mommas, and therefore, we have a huge thing in common, but I feel pretty certain that the three of us would mesh well either way. I guess Ashley and I have been given no choice in the matter, but still. ;)

We were able to fully enjoy the beautiful weather. I left feeling like I'd had a total body workout (and after all the walking, lifting of children, and pushing of strollers uphill, I'm sure that it was quite the workout!) and we all left with totally exhausted kids. It was a great day. :)

Happy Friday, and Happy Birthday to my husband!

Today is my husband's 27th birthday, so Happy, Happy Birthday to him! :) Gracie presented him with a card she picked out and his favorite candy this morning. The poor child started feeling badly last night and has a fever this morning, so I'm not sure what will happen with our dinner plans this evening. Either way, we will celebrate him and his special day soon!

We had a playdate/picnic planned with Miss P and her mommy yesterday. As I ran my errands yesterday morning , I worried over the cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles. Our get-together started off cool and breezy, but the sun quickly made its appearance and the girls spent two hours playing and exploring the park! Once they were tired out, we plopped them in their strollers for a snack and took a walk to further enjoy the beautiful day!

My 22 week appointment also went well yesterday. My blood pressure is great, I'm measuring right at 22 weeks, and my weight gain is apparently right on track. I try not to get hung up on what the scale says, because I know the weight serves an important purpose. I'm up 14 pounds total so far. The doctor thinks I'll probably gain around the same amount that I did with Gracie, since from now on I can expect to gain a pound per week. I do have a much bigger appetite with Ethan, so I'm not going to be surprised or disappointed if I gain a little more. I have to remind myself that I'm just now 5 pounds over the weight I was before I got pregnant with Gracie!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! The weather has really warmed up and we're hoping to get out and enjoy it!

I'm ready.

I have 18 weeks to go, and I'm encouraging Ethan to cozy up and spend each day of these remaining weeks getting prepared for his big birth day, but I'm also feeling ready. I'm not ready in the way that I will be when my feet are likely swollen, sleep is a thing of the past, and the extra large basketball-looking belly of mine is creating all kinds of aches and pains. Instead, my heart and soul have teamed up and leave me with this feeling of readiness and peace over what's to come.

I'm ready to hold my baby boy in my arms. I look forward to finding quiet moments just to stare and soak up the newness and beauty that is a newborn. I'm ready to watch my husband soothe a crying baby again, using his gentle voice and fatherly instincts, the ones that made me fall a little farther for him the first time around. I'm anxious to share this brother with his sister and witness the beginning of a bond that will always be. I'm ready to relish these last few months with one child to love on the outside, and one to love on the inside of my growing belly. There's so much to look forward to and dream of, yet so much to treasure right now.

I'm 22 weeks pregnant today. Ethan is now almost 1 pound and around 11 inches. The belly is growing and the restless nights have begun! I'm lucky to have my new "husband" (body pillow), he's great to snuggle with and helps me find comfortable sleeping positions. I feel bad for my real husband, because there's now a person-sized pillow that gets flipped around all night!

As for cravings, my milk craving (the same one I had with Gracie) has kicked in and I drink milk more than any other beverage. Cereal is also a favorite (with milk of course! ha!) and I'll often have a bowl as a snack before bed, as my lunch, for breakfast, and for a snack during the day... Frosted Mini Wheats with fresh strawberries on top has totally hit the spot and I wonder if anything could taste better!

Ethan is an active little guy. I love feeling him throughout the day. He seems to be most active around 11:30pm, this is usually when Sean and I can sit back and watch my tummy jump while he kicks and rolls around in there! Watching Ethan move is a new thing for us, I was 21 weeks when I saw his kick on the outside for the first time. Gracie still hasn't felt him move, she's much too busy to wait around with her hand on my belly, but I know that the time will come, and I can't wait to see her expression. :) I have an appointment on Thursday and will share the latest at that point!

My Valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day!
I am so blessed to be spending this gorgeous day with my little Valentine...

He has bedding...and a name!

I'm getting myself ready for one of those weeks, the kind that scoot right on by because there's something planned for every day, and by the time I stop to reflect, it will be Sunday again. We have a preschool tour coming up (very excited about this), a Valentine's Day dinner at my dad's church (of which I will be the photographer), a lunch date with the mother and sister, a check-up for me and the little man, a 27th birthday for the husband, more Kindermusik fun, then just maybe a trip to watch a special 5 year old (my best friend's son) play one of his final basketball games of the season. We'll be busy with things to do and people to see and that's always a blessing.

Saturday morning we went on a hunt for a bedding set for our baby boy. I've been looking online for a while, even before we knew the gender, and had a favorite set in mind. When we arrived at the store, an hour away, we discovered they didn't have the bedding in stock, but we did see enough to know that it would be perfect and ordered it once we got home.

I immediately went searching for matching art work for the walls and came across an amazing seller on eBay who creates unframed art prints that coordinate with a variety of bedding sets I've happened to run across, including the one we purchased. Gracie also has a new bedding set now, so the process has truly begun!

We're also excited to announce that Baby Boy has a name, and his big sister approves! And he shall be called:

Ethan Reid :)

Sean and I had two names that we agreed on for our son, Ethan obviously being one of those. In the end, it just felt right, in the same way that Grace seemed perfect for our daughter. It's a biblical name meaning "he who is strong".

Reid is the middle name of one of my grandfathers. This is a middle name we would have used had Gracie been a boy, so I'm pleased I get to use it now! It's exciting to finally be using his name, and hearing others use his name when referring to him! Gracie also calls him by name and I love it even more after hearing her sweet little voice say it. :)

Yay, Friday!

Today has been a great day, and the fact that it's Friday is just the cherry on top! We started out at Target this morning and spent an entire hour getting a few things we needed, and getting ideas for Gracie's room. Gracie was surprisingly willing to hang out in the cart and seemed content to be along for the ride. That always makes things easier! We then headed to church for her Kindermusik class. She did her dancing and singing thing while the other 5 mothers and I chatted about childbirth... I was surprised to find that out of 6 women, I was the only one who had not had a c-section with my first baby. I'm hoping to keep it that way... oh, the stories they were telling... Finally, we met Sean for lunch at an awesome little pizza place. He gets to try out all these neat places downtown where he works, so I love when we can meet him and try something new. Oh, I guess I shouldn't leave out the fact that we got pulled over on our way to lunch, but the officer was so nice and friendly and I drove away without the ticket that my husband is sure he would have gotten had he been the driver. I think the officer was simply taken with the cutie in the backseat. ;) He gave her two police officer badge stickers, so it was worth it, right?

Here are a few pictures of my latest attempt to get a good picture of my girl. What I ended up with are shots showcasing her crazy personality, which translate into really great pictures. Happy Weekend!

My Sweetie.

There are lots of things about my daughter that I adore. I'm in love with her endless supply of funny expressions, her dance moves and the way she randomly bursts into song while at Target, even her stubborn moments, which are difficult at the time, but prove she's growing up and forming an opinion. I love that she is compassionate and friendly, not only with other children, but with me as well (except when she's mad at me and tells me she is not my best girl, she's daddy's).

It's no secret that this pregnancy has left me much more emotional than I already was... When I get frustrated or exhausted or lose my cool for a moment, the guilt comes creeping in, and the tears aren't usually far behind. I don't really like for Gracie to see me cry. I want to be strong and firm and not appear so defeated by the day to day frustrations. Well, I cried in front of her yesterday. I was overwhelmed, tired, and what was already a challenging morning had also become a no nap afternoon.

When my little Grace saw the tears starting to form in my eyes, she came over to me, patted me on my shoulder, and said, "Sweetie, it's okay. It's okay to cry." Her sweet little voice, so soothing and precious, her tiny hand on my shoulder, and the concerned look on her face could have easily left me in more tears. I just looked into her eyes and smiled. It amazes me how someone so small can take a moment and transform it into something more beautiful and memorable than you ever would have imagined it to be.

(This afternoon, after a great nap.)

This little girl is getting bigger every day. She's learning every day. She's taking in everything I give her, every day. I couldn't be more proud. She may call me "Sweetie", but she is most certainly the sweetest little thing ever.

Happy Monday!

A busy weekend usually means a not so busy Monday for Gracie and I. It's kind of our day to recover, catch up on cleaning/laundry, that sort of thing. We spent the morning running a few unexciting errands, then came home where she helped me pick up, and was later content to play on her own while I reclaimed my kitchen!

I'm starting to feel something stirring within me... something that reminds me of the nesting stage I hit while pregnant with Gracie, the one that left me obsessively cleaning and vacuuming out cabinets and drawers, removing every single removable piece from the refrigerator so that they could be hand washed and the inside of the fridge disinfected. I find myself looking around during the day and finding lots and lots of things that I'd like to get done by June. I have that need to get organized and get rid of all clutter. I started on the office this afternoon... it's where I keep my photography things and where all of Gracie's craft and art supplies live, so it's a room that's used often and has recently become a mess of stuff piled here and there on our desk. This whicker stand used to be in our bedroom... it's officially been relocated and is now used to organize Gracie's things. I'll figure out what we'll use as a nightstand later! :) My nesting will make it's way through the house, I'm sure!

Simple, but SO much better! :)

We enjoyed having Sean's little brother and his girlfriend in for the weekend. They are both 16 and now that Ryan has his license, he can make the 4.5 hour drive to stay with us! They are also such a cute couple and remind me of Sean and I at that age.

Saturday morning, Gracie got a new hair-do!

Gracie and Bekah

Oh man.

There seem to be dirty dishes in every corner of the kitchen, not to mention toys, clothes, and other random stuff scattered here and there, but it's all going to hang out until tomorrow, when I'm sure a few helping hands will pitch in and bring order back to our living space. In the mean time, I'm enjoying this feeling of satisfaction, this warm, happy feeling that remains after spending an evening in the company of both friends and family. I'm not sure that much tops the smiles and laughter of a baby, or the full out excitement expressed by my toddler over her visitors. When I laid Gracie down for her nap this afternoon, I told her to sleep well, she'd have a busy evening. She slept 3 hours, and it's a good thing, because she didn't wind down for bed until 10:30 tonight...

Sean's youngest brother and his girlfriend drove in this evening and will be staying with us through the weekend. They love their Gracie, and I know she loves them, and the loads of attention coming her way. ;) We also invited our friends and their 5 month old baby over for dinner. Baby Caleb is all smiles and I just want to melt when he looks at me and giggles! Gracie enjoyed wiggling around with him on the activity mat she used when she was a baby, and will now be passing along to Baby Brother.

It was just one of those evenings that leave you anxious for the next one like it. It was a lovely and relaxing way to start the weekend. I'll wake up tomorrow to a crock pot that I should have already washed, glasses that would have been easy to at least clear from the table, and toddler clothes strewn across the living room floor, but I'll also be reminded of the fun we had tonight, and of how full and blessed I feel right now.

Happy Weekend. :)

Brighter than the moon.

I've mentioned before that I am loving this age with Gracie. The things that come out of this child's mouth often leave her daddy and I, and anyone else that happens to be with us, either laughing or trying really hard not to. I wanted to write a post highlighting some of the things she's said lately that have stuck with me. I don't want to forget them.

• Before eating dinner one evening at the beach, we all held hands to pray. I always peek at Gracie to see what she's up to, and this time her eyes were closed tightly. As Sean's father concluded the prayer with an "amen", Gracie got our attention. "Hey, hey!", she said. Then, in a very matter of fact tone, she informed us that, "Amen means done in Spanish". We had a good laugh, both at what was said and the look on her face while saying it. I was also proud of her use of logic to try and determine the meaning of a word, and what she said made sense to me!

• Gracie has struggled with belly issues since she was practically a newborn (first call to the pediatrician about constipation--2 weeks old)... I hate it for her because it's just not an easy part of her little life. On the way home from the beach, we were sharing a bag of Reese's Pieces. Gracie, who was trying them for the first time, called out to us, "I like getting enemas!" Poor child, she meant M&Ms, I hate that "enema" is even in her vocabulary!

• I have gotten into the habit of calling Gracie "sister", and will sometimes refer to her as "Sister Grace", which sounds like the perfect name for a nun, now that I'm thinking about it! Ha! Anyway, I was trying to get her to start moving towards the stairs one evening and was saying, "Let's go, sister Grace!" She turned and ran to her daddy, ushering him along and saying, "Come on, sister! Let's go, sister Daddy!" He may just have a new nickname. ;)

• There are a few songs that Gracie and I get excited about when they come on the radio. One of these is "Firework", by Katy Perry. Since the song seems permanently stuck in my head, I stick her name in it and sing it to her:

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It's always been inside of you, you, you

And now it's time to let it through

Cause Gracie you're a firework

Come on show 'em what your worth

Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Anyway, I love the lyrics and think all of our "colors burst" in one way or another as we discover who we are and where we want to go in life... As a parent, I want nothing more than for my children to go for their dreams, and to stand by and watch them shine.

Gracie sang "Momma, you're a firework!" the other day. :) She doesn't know all of the words, so she kept repeating, "Momma, you're a firework!", and I loved it. She sang it at the top of her lungs, too, which is something I always encourage. It's officially our song.

The Middle.

I'm halfway there. If the next 20 weeks go as quickly as the past 20 have, my baby will be in my arms before I know it. I am already dreaming about that moment. We wonder if he'll look like his sister, and if he'll have the same dark hair she was born with. A friend of mine just had her baby boy (and I'm lucky enough to have a newborn session with them this weekend!) and I got a little teary-eyed looking at their hospital pictures. I remember how it feels to lay eyes on your baby for the first time, and the emotions and feelings of awe that are present. I feel thankful to be here again, at the middle of a pregnancy, knowing that things are going well and our son is healthy.

As far as how I'm feeling, I can't complain! My toddler days bring on pretty peaceful nights, and while this belly bump is growing, it's not quite big enough to hinder my sleep at this point. I haven't had any cravings lately, just a healthy appetite to support the growth of this baby boy!

I've been creating a nursery in my mind and looking forward to starting that process. We have a big sister room to get going first, which includes a big sister bed that we haven't yet decided on, and a few fears regarding what that change is going to mean for nap and bedtime... All concerns aside, it's going to be fun to switch Gracie's room up, get new bedding for her, take the crib and glider out, get her all prepared for her new status. :)

My next appointment is mid-February, so I'll have more to update at that point!