DIY Project - Closet Dividers (for kids' room)

Quick post about my (rare) attempt at a DIY project.

I've been wanting closet dividers to help organize the girls' closet but I've had trouble finding them in a store AND I don't really want to spend $12+ on something that has no purpose other than to sit in the closet - so..... I decided to try to make my own!

I pulled up my handy-dandy Microsoft Word, spent a few minutes creating a template, printed them out on card stock (left over from my DIY birthday party invitations & Christmas cards), cut 'em out, and laminated them to give them a little extra protection and here's the finished product:



I realized after I'd already printed them that I don't have a typical rod in that closet so I didn't need to make the hole so big but this still works just fine. Plus, if we ever switch rooms or something these will be ready to work in a different closet - works out!

I'm pretty proud of myself for whipping these up and saving a few bucks! Now I'm just wishing I would have spent a few more minutes on making them a cuter design but really, after they're in the closet am I going to care? No. Anyway, this only took me about 30 minutes (during nap time). Yay me!

February

I've really been failing at keeping up with this blog so here are some picture highlights about what's been going on!

We did the annual King Cake celebration with Josh's family...
{A & her little cousin E}


Baby W is continuing to grow...
{32 weeks along (last week)}


We had lots of fun on Valentines Day...
{heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast}


We went to the grocery to pick up a few things so my sweet A got her favorite reward...
{riding the penny horse}


We made some sweet treats for Daddy...
{cupcakes}

{and cake}

{and chocolate dipped fruit}

{taste testing the goodies}

{"mmm good!"}


I always try to snag a picture when A & her Daddy are having a "dance party" but she always says "no pictures, Mommy!". Also, it's just really hard to get little A and her giant Daddy in the same frame, haha!
{The best I could get}


One night recently as we were settling down for bed, A told me to take a picture of her, Stuffy (her stuffed animal from Doc McStuffins), Hello Kitty (her pj's), and Mommy. I took the following pic and when I showed it to her she said "Aw, best friends!". Words cannot express how those words make my heart flutter.
{"best friends" :)}


Lastly, the Hubs and I were sitting on the couch in the living room and noticed too much silence... we went into the room where A was playing and found this...
{silly girl}



I have so much fun with my sweet girl and although I'm still not sure how we'll make it all work, I can't wait to have another bundle of preciousness here to add even more joy to our lives! Which reminds me... I must wrap this up so I can get back to organizing the girls' closet!!!

#29weeks & a Sweet Mommy/Daughter Day

All of the sudden it seems like this baby is almost here! About 11 more weeks to go and I know that time is going to fly by and I'm going to be holding my sweet Waverly in my arms.

I may or may not be crying like a baby while I type this.

On Wednesay's I like to stay away from making plans and just enjoy spending time with my big girl. Especially since her days of having mommy all to herself are numbered, I've been trying to make sure we have plenty of cuddle time, playing together, coloring, and her new favorite watching mommy put together puzzles!

Today for lunch we decided to go out for some soup and rice (i.e. Sake Blue). We got there and sat in a booth together, she thanked the hostess for the menu and "color" (the sushi menu and pencil, haha), and we looked over the lunch menu together. I asked her what she'd like to get and she emphatically said, "RIIIICCEE!!". The waiter came to take our order and then brought us some waters. I got out a little fun pack of crayons, a coloring book, and some stickers for her to play with and she immediately placed the stickers all over me. We colored for a minute and then our soup and salad came. She usually loves soup but it didn't seem appealing today, she just kept signing "Rice, rice, rice, riiicee, please!". Finally her rice came and she gasped with delight! I scooped some on her plate and she dug right in, at first with her chopsticks, but then that wasn't doing the job so she switched to a fork. She was shoveling it in as fast as she could and every once in a while she would just stop and smile the cheesiest grin. Sometimes I just watch her, in awe of how smart and big she is. When she was ready for more I loaded her plate back up as she danced around waiting to get back to her yummy lunch. Finally, after she just about polished off the entire thing, she said she was finished and wanted to color some more. I continued eating my lunch and all of the sudden I found myself wrapped up in the sweetest little arms. She squeezed my neck and shouted with so much love, "Mommyyyy!". I almost cried.

It's nothing out of the ordinary for her to shower me with hugs and kisses and more love that anyone could ask for, but it hit me in a different way today. A way that happens often - but not often enough. In that moment, nothing else going on around me mattered at all. Not work, finances, heartburn, the cold weather... nothing except being present with my precious daughter. Soaking up this time I have with her while she's still the only one I have to take care of (well - I mean, I am obviously doing plenty of work growing the other one but it doesn't take nearly as much conscious effort), and while she's still so little. I feel like she is so big, and old, and mature, but really she's still just little and precious and amazed by the wonders of every small detail in life. She think Mommy's kisses have instant healing powers and she doesn't doubt or question my love for her. She knows. And she loves me back in the same unconditional way.

For anyone that's not a parent, or maybe just anyone that isn't filled with pregnancy horomones, I'm sure this is this most boring story ever but I just want to remember every bit of this special day with my girl. I already feel like the past 27 months have flown by and I am completely aware that the next 27 months will no doubt pass just as quickly... if not more so with my hands even busier with two!

After lunch, we went to Target to look for some more jeans, because there never seems to be a clean pair that actually fits her. Because she ate so well at lunch, we stopped by Starbucks and picked up a cake-pop for her, and a decaf frap for me. Today she wanted to sit and the table and enjoy her treat, so we did. Even that little "tradition" we seem to have established is so special to her and I love it. I love that we both look forward to these simple little things that we do together.

When she finished up we loaded up in the cart and went off looking for the things on our list. We found some new black boots for her, some sunglasses (which she's been asking for for weeks!), and a few pair of jeans (they were on SALE - woot!) and then we finished our way through the store, hand in hand, to the register. We headed home and then went straight upstairs for a nap and after crying and arguing "I'm not tired!", she quickly fell asleep. She's so funny, that girl. I'm so grateful for my sweet Auria - every single day.

Now that I've recorded this in the memory book, I'm going to head back upstairs and snuggle with her while she finishes her nap. And when she wakes up, I'm gonna give her tons of kisses, and we'll play until I have to leave for class tonight.

What a blessed day ♥

I forgot about this part...

Whew! I know the mechanics of pregnancy but I had forgotten what it really feels like to be #28weeks pregnant. Right now I'm specifically referring to Braxton-Hicks contractions + squished lungs (+ my poor posture) = hard to breathe. Some other lovely things that I'd forgetten about are the wicked heartburn that especially loves to attack me when I'm trying to go to sleep, the awful back pain that makes my back feel like it's going to break in half, and the constant exhaustion that's creeping back in (but I feel like that's more Auria related, haha). And even though I've been feeling Wavy move around for quite some time now, I guess she's getting bigger now and doesn't have quite as much room so I'm feeling a lot of really sharp pokes and punches from boney body parts! It feels sooooo weird. Amazingly cool, but weird.

This girl doesn't seem to be as busy as her big sister was so we'll see how that translates when she's on the outside. I cannot imagine a child being more wiggly that miss A but people have told me don't be surprised. Others say that this girl may be more relaxed and laid back since she seems to be now. I guess only time will tell. Lord help me though if this one is crawling and walking even sooner that her big sis though. Auria did everything way too early as it was. I need at least a few months before I have to mobile children to chase after! At least I should lose weight quickly, eh?

So speaking of my wiggly one -- look how cute as sweet she is when she's sleeping :)

Oh gosh, I just love her so much!

Today, after having lunch (with Pop-Pop, GG, Aunt A, & Uncle Rick!) Auria and I stopped in Target to check out big girl bedding. We're trying to find something that matches her room colors now so we don't have to paint again but her room is red, black, and white so it's not so easy. Anyway, while we were there I had to swing by the baby clothes just to look at the adorable, teeny newborn outfits (is she really going to be that small?!?) and they had a couple of mini dolls and stuffed animals. Auria was checking them out and picked one for "Waely".

My sweet Auria was so excited to get something for her sissy. I love that, although her comprehension is limited, she gets so excited when we talk about her sister and she really does like to do nice things for her. Lately I've been trying to explain to her that when Waverly comes that she'll have a seat in the back seat, too. Now when we get in the car she points to each seat and annouces who it belongs to... "Mommy's seat. Daddy's seat. Auria's seat. Waely's seat, out Mommy's belly.". :) She's going to be already the best big sister!

Last thing before I sign off for today -- I know no one else cares to see my bare-belly pics but this is my pregnancy journal of sorts so too bad for you :p


I'm so excited to meet this sweet girl. To see what/who she's going to look like. To find out if her personality will match the child I think I know now (her sister was exactly like I thought she would be!). To find out how it's possible to have enough love to go around. To smell her sweet, breastfed, newborn baby smell. To hold her in my arms and kiss her sweet little face. Oh, I just can hardly wait another 3 months!

Too excited for sleep!

Last night was challenging to say the least. Auria was throwing fits left and right for now apparent reason and then she continued to do so in her dreams which meant fists and feet to Mommy & Daddy's faces as she tossed and turned, arguing with us... in her sleep. Thankfully I am not working today so we've had a chill day at home so A & I can both recover from yesterday's drama. I was fully intending to take a nap with her to get some rest since I do have to be awake and functioning to teach class tonight but as I laid her down I got an email on my phone saying the item I ordered has been delivered. Hmmm, what item and why didn't I hear a knock? And why didn't Edward bark when someone was that close to the house? I had no choice but to go investigate!

I got to the front door and opened it up but I didn't see anything. I opened the storm door (is that what they're called?) and then I saw it, resting against the side of the house... MY BIRTH POOL!!! [Yes, it's just a little kids fishy pool.]

Woohoo! Ah, it's so exciting to have that piece of the getting-ready-for-baby puzzle here and ready to go! Of course, there are still other things we need to be fully prepared but this is helping make things feel more real and now I'm so excired I can't possibly take a nap! If my back weren't hurting so much I'd probably use this burst of energy to get Auria's baby clothes from the basement to start sorting through what we may use and what we should get rid of but.... I feel like my back is going to snap in half just sitting here so that ain't happening today. Actually, perhaps I'll use this time to call up a couple of preggo-friendly chiro's and see how much it might cost for a few adjustments. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

Thanks for sharing in my excitement ;)
Laters!

Reality is s-l-o-w-l-y sinking in... #28weeks

As much as I feel pregnant it is still hard for me to grasp the fact that in +/- 12 weeks we we have an infant again! When we had a checkup with our midwife last Friday we talked about a lot of things that we still need to do to prepare for baby W's pending arrival. The list was longer than I realized, including things from ordering a birth pool, calling the pediatrician, and even figuring out how we're going to arrange our living space for the first few post-partum days as I "recover". Our midwife also mentioned something about nursing the baby (which of course I'm going to be doing) and as the words were coming out of her mouth it struck me that oh-my-sweetness... I'm going to have a tiny nursling again! It hasn't been so long since my nursing journey with little A came to a close but nursing a toddler is much (MUCH!) different than it is with a teeny, precious, depends-on-you-in-every-way newborn baby. The thought almost gives me butterflies it's so sweet. *Sigh* I just can't wait to hold my sweet Waverly in my arms and see her precious face!

We're also still trying to figure out how we're going to arrange the room or maybe rooms. Clearly, we're still undecided on whether or not we're going to put the girls in the same room or give them each their own. Now, let's be clear, when I say "put the girls in the same room" I just mean have little A's new twin bed and baby W's crib in the same room. We are not realistically planning on them both sleeping in the same room together for quite some time but it would allow my husband to keep his extra space (our "spare bedroom" aka J's closet) to himself a little longer if the twin & crib are in the same room. You'll just have to stay tuned to see what we figure out because as of last night we are still on opposite planets with our thoughts for that configuration.

There are really still so many things to be done and decisions to be made. I'm not too worried about it all though because I know everything will work itself out... somehow. Right now I'm trying to concentrate my thoughts and efforts on making a plan for our budget since I won't be working for several weeks, some meal planning strategies - maybe actually trying some of the frozen meal ideas I've pinned on Pintrest, and getting out A's old baby clothes to see what we think will work for W to wear.

On that note, some people were asking us over the weekend what kinds of things we need for baby W and honestly I have no clue. Since we're having another girl I really don't anticipate that we'll need too much. I mean, W will be born in Spring and A was an Autumn baby so a lot of the clothes probably won't work but we'll still be able to make use of onsies and at least some of the pants and shirts. I'll be breastfeeding and we have a pump from before. We still have a bouncy seat (that's practically unused), a pack-n-play, stroller & infant carseat, two Ergobaby carriers, we still have our cloth diapers plus a few new ones I ordered, and we have blankets, baby bathtub, washclothes, burpcloths, and plenty of toys. The only thing I can really think of that we'll need are a convertible car seat and maybe a double stroller. And my current thoughts on the double stroller are that will probably take more space (and money) than it's worth. We have the good single stroller and I plan to wear W in the Ergo lots like I did with A so I just really think we should wait to make that purchase until we see that we need it. Perhaps when the baby is actually here I will find more things I should have added to my list. I'm sure just as I forgot many details of pregnancy, I'm also forgetting what life is really like with a newborn. Especially with a newborn and a toddler! But again, we can get things as we see they are necessary, right?

Oh, so much to do and each week is flying by. Before I know it I'm going to laugh at the girl writing this blog post who thought she was so busy with one child, hahaha! So with that, I'm gonna wrap this up and continue on living in my ignorant bliss ;)

Third Trimester... Already?! #27weeks

The last few weeks have been so busy with the holidays, a surprise house guest, and my dad's emergency stay in the hospital! We had a great Christmas together, despite Pop-Pop being stuck in the hospital. We hit up all of the usual family stops over the course of a week or two and we did our own family celebration on Christmas Eve morning. I know that goes against all of the "rules" of Santa but it was the best chance for us to have time to actually enjoy some time together. Plus, besides "Ho, ho, ho", Auria still doesn't really know anything about Santa or care anything about him (and frankly, neither do I) so we took advantage of what was quite possibly our last year of flexibility on that front.

Our New Year celebration consisted of the normal 9pm bedtime routine. I set my alarm for 11:45 so J & I could wake up and toast with some sparkling grape juice and have a midnight smooch. Then we went back to bed. We live the crazy life ;)

Since the holidays have come and gone we're now transitioning to getting focused on creating a new office space in our lower living room so we can create a playroom for the girls. We're also trying to sort out a play for the kids' bedroom. And i'm just trying to wrap my head around the reality that in +/- 13 weeks we will have a newborn again! WHOA!

I know people (especially my husband) think it's crazy that I am constantly surprised but how close it's getting but since I stay so busy with A, work, Bradley classes, and the rest of life in general, I don't have as much time for it is sink in and feel totally real like I did when I was pregnant with Auria.

I'm starting my next Bradley series tongiht. I'm not sure how long I'll wait before I begin another one because this one will finish right before our due date. I'm really excited because it's a packed class and it's full of ladies that are expecting around the same time I am. I'm hoping that means we'll have an even stronger connection and it will definitely be a different experience for me to be teaching now from this prospective. I mean, I've been pregnant and gone through natural childbirth before -obviously- but it's a little bit different now that I am preparing again myself, and I'm in for a different experience this time since it's:
1) A different baby and each childbirth experience can be completely different, even with the same momma.
2) We're not planning the same hospital experience as we had before so there are new unknowns with that alone. And if all goes as planned I'll to have a water birth this time!

Anyway, it's definitely exciting that this time after my class series is over, I won't just be waiting to hear from my students about their births - I'll be waiting to share my new one, too!

In the mean time I'm trying to focus on enjoying the last of this time with my sweet girl as an only child.

Sometimes it's hard for me to think about because it's all either of us have known. I'm absolutely thrilled about welcoming our new family member but it's difficult for me to imagine how I'll still have the time to show A how much I love and adore her while sharing my attention with her baby sister. It will all work out but for now we're going to be sure to enjoy the last few months of just us two girls... & Daddy, of course!

I'm feeling better and better about how she's going to react to welcoming the baby. She's usually very interested in babies when we are out somewhere and see one. She is usually pretty calm and gentle around them and she always says "Awww, baby!". She's even been practicing baby-wearing with her Ergobaby doll carrier. It's gonna be so adorable when we're both wearing our babies ♥

Well, I was hoping for a better update than this but my girl wants to play so I must answer the call. Hopefully there will be more before Waverly arrives! ;)

Green Means Go (and other stuff). #23weeks

We used to have a DVD player in the car, but it was within kicking distance so it is no longer functioning. I'm totally fine with that because I like for A to be able to check out the scenes of the world as we ride from place to place. Anyway, since the DVD players demise she's found a few games she likes to play such as "Big Trucks", where she points out every big truck she sees as we drive down the highway. Another recent favorite it "Green Means Go", which consists of A looking out for every traffic light and making sure the light is green so we can "Go!". When they're red she yells "Stop, Momma!" and then we wait until it turns green again, at which point she will proudly announce "Greeeeeen... means go!".

Today we played this game on the way home from work and she was so disappointed when she asked if there were more lights ahead and I told her there were no more. She hung her head down and said "Mommy, I'm sad...". It was so hard not to laugh at her. I mean, really, most of us adults love bypassing traffic lights (especially on Bardstown Road near the afternoon rush-hour), but not my sweet girl. For her it simply meant an end, far too soon, to her favorite game. But never fear, Mommy to the rescue! We made up a new game today - "Find the Stop Signs"! I bet you can guess how that game works. the new game is no replacement for "Green Means Go" but it was a good enough distraction to lift her spirits.

When we got home, Daddy was already here and we decided today was a good day to get out and knock out a bit more of our Christmas shopping. (We're getting closer but still not completely finished yet... ack.) It's kids eat free night at Mark's Feed Store so we decided to eat out and then head to good ole Target after that. This girl refuses to eat any kind of meat (which is ironic since I was a vegetarian before I got pregnant with her and once I got over my morning sickness I craved --and I mean CRAVED = had. to. have.-- Arby's roast beef sandwiches) so we usually just get her a couple of veggies for her to eat. Mark's got rid of the veggie plate on the kids menu though so we ordered a PB&J with green beans, and an extra side of corn. We figured Daddy would eat the PBJ after he polished off his fish sandwich. Apparently A was a very hungry girl because she ate every last kernel of corn on her plate, most of the green beans, and she even tried her sandwich... which she went on to eat half of! I bring you... baby's toddler's first PBJ experience.

[Get that PBJ, girl!]
We've tried to get her to try them before but she didn't trust us but today she was feeling adventurous I guess and she loved it. I think she would have eaten the whole thing if Daddy & I hadn't already eaten the other quarters. Anyway, I was super proud of my girl for eating her dinner so well, she got a little treat for dessert as we wandered through Target.

Going back to yesterday...
We had our monthly visit with our midwife to check on baby W. We talked about my fears/anxieties/thoughts/wishes/hopes/etc about this pregnancy, labor. It was a nice little counseling session. I'm realizing that there are a lot of things my tiny little brain is trying hard to process. Between the difference of our hospital birth experience (you can read the short and sweet version of A's birth here) vs. our plans for a home/water birth this time, the reality of welcoming the fourth member of our family, the adjustment of A going from only child to big sister, etc. It's a lot to think about. Just the way our whole lives changed when A arrived, it's going to happen again. In wonderful ways of course, but it's still hard to imagine all of the details. How will it all work out? I know it will work out just fine but the planner in me is desperate for a few certainties to envision.

Baby W measured right on track with our EDD and her heartbeat was strong in the 150-160's. I wish I'd had my phone on me while the midwife was getting the heartbeat on the doppler because A's face was precious when she heard the thumpity-thump. She got so excited and said "Way-ly!"... a precious moment I will keep locked away in my memory bank. It's always wonderful to get the reassurance that baby girl is doing well and growing as she should. And hearing her the heartbeat never gets old :)

Oh, and I've been really bad at taking belly pics this time. I'm glad I did last time because it's fun to look back, and I meant to be all cute and Pintrest-y with it this time but live just has not permitted the time for such creativity. So here's a shot a snapped between showering and the midwife appointment yesterday:

[almost 23 weeks]
Bless my sweet friends on Instagram for leaving nice comments on this picture but I feel frumpy and huge... already. It's all for a great cause, of course, but I'm certainly not feeling a pregnancy glow.

Ok, so that's enough recap. I have to join in on the night-time ritual before my princess falls asleep without a kiss from Mommy!

Potty Training... Day 1?

This morning, shortly after we woke up, A asked to go potty!

We've put her on the potty seat every now and again over the past several months just to get her famliar and comfortable with the big potty but we haven't made a big deal out of it. Sometimes she would go, sometimes she wouldn't but we weren't in a hurry to really begin "training". I know there are tons of people that have their kiddos potty trained way before the kids are 2 but I will admit that I am in no rush to get to the point where we have to stop whatever we're doing, wherever we are (i.e. finally next in line with a cart full of groceries), to find a bathroom. Yeah, I'm lazy. Besides that, I've heard a lot of stories of kids doing great mastering potty training and then regressing when a new baby comes soon after. I figured we'd just wait until after baby W arrives and we get past that adjustment first.

Anyway, just her asking this morning was quite a shock so I told her "Ok, wait until we get you on the potty!" and I jumped out of bed. We raced to the bathroom and I ripped off her diaper as quickly as I could. I kept saying "We're almost there", "Hold on". I didn't want to miss this grand opportunity! Ok, and I didn't want to be peed on or have to clean urine off the floor.

I got her seat on the potty sat her down, and then I heard the tinkling begin! She did it! She stayed dry all night - from 10p-9a, told me she needed to go, and then actually did it! WOOOOHOOOO! Go Auria!

Because we haven't been working on this I was so surprised & definitely proud. I may or may not have done a happy dance while she finished up her business...
Ok, I did. And she loved it, haha! She was saying "Yay, I did it!", "I potty!" :)
We got Daddy in on the celebration and once we got a new diaper on we went downstairs for a celebratory cookie.

So I'm calling this Day 1 of our potty training. If it doesn't go anywhere over the next few days I'm fine with it, but if she keeps interest I'll go with that, too. I'm sure there will be plenty more documentation of this journey to come.

Until next time.
Happy pottying, everyone ;)

Thursday, Funday...

[WARNING: Lots of pics in this post!]
Thursday morning I was off from work and miss A wanted to "mix" something for breakfast so we made wildberry muffins!

First, we measured the milk and then my beautiful assistant added the milk to the muffin mix.

Next step: Mix, mix, mix! Except this was really the hardest part to control because you're not actually supposed to mix this stuff too much, just until moistened. That's very difficult to explain to a 2yr old mixing queen.

Then, of course we had to transfer the mix to the pan. That was another tricky part because she really wanted to help but the kitchen was already such a mess I could hardly stand it. [Yes, I know I'm not in the running for the Mom of the Year award]
I've used the silicone mold before for making chocolates but this was our first time for baking.

The end result was ok. A litte tricky to get them out while holding their Christmasy shape but we didn't mind. The part I was not fond of was that I felt like the muffins tasted like they were baked in a silicone pan. Yuck. Could just be my super sensitive pregnancy taste buds but we may just be sticking to chocolates in the silicone molds from now on, just in case.

My helper certainly didn't seem to detect any unpleasant taste. She gobbled down a Christmas tree, a stocking, and I think another Christmas tree after that.

After breakfast we played for a while. We were supposed to get together with our friends Brittany & Talon today but B had a headache so we improvised new plans. Since we don't get to see GG as much as we'd like, we called her to see if she wanted to meet up later for lunch. I had a few errands to run, too, so we got dressed and headed out. I've been needing to drop off my glasses at LensCrafters to get my scratched lens repaired so we took care of that first. You know, it is really distracting when there's a giant gash in front of everything you see! Thankfully when I bought my glasses I purchased the insurance stuff because it only cost me $18.25 to get my (fancy transistion) glasses fixed! Woot! After that stop we met GG at Olive Garden for a bite to eat. My girl was hungry and she was loving her "noodles"!


After our delicious lunch we ran back to the mall to return some clothes at Old Navy, then back to LensCrafters to pick up my spectacles. Of course, there is a play area next to LC so my little lady had to go burn off some energy for a while. She actually did a great job playing with the other kids in there. I was amazed by how well they all seemed to share and take turns. Go kids!

A while later I was ready for something sweet after the salty lunch so we stopped by Starbucks and got some cake-pops and drinks.

Judge me if you must but these things are how we make it through many shopping trips to the mall and/or Target.

All of that took longer than planned though so we had to hurry to make one last stop at Hallmark to look for an Elf on the Shelf. Luckily they had just gotten a new shipment in so we were able to proceed with the adoption! (More on this in future posts?) Auria has no idea what the elf means --neither do I yet, for that matter -- but she loved that she got to carry the big box up to the counter and we brought it home with us.

My poor little partner was so worn out from all the fun, she fell asleep before we even made it out of the mall parking lot. And thank goodness because she needed a nap!

I absolutely love these kinds of days when I get to just spend the whole day with her, exploring the world, having fun together! Especially since soon enough it will be far more difficult to hop in and out of the car, bouncing from store to store with TWO little girls. I try hard to savor each moment with my daughter anyway, but it seems even more important now that we are approximately 17 weeks away from being a family of four. Whoa! Still trying to wrap my head around that.

Anyway, another day of sweer memories. And yay for documenting it so I can enjoy it again a year or so from now :) Thanks blog.

The Name Game

Well, well, well.... I bet you didn't expect another one of these so soon. did you?
You can thank baby W for this ;) We've started this new thing the past week where Mommy wakes up for her second nightly bladder elimination (usually around 1 or 2am) and then baby girl thinks it's time to begin a gymnastics session. Just rolling and rolling (and occasionally jabbing) around in there. It's amazingly precious - and thank goodness because it's really cutting into my sleep! I'm sure this is part of nature's plan to get my body used to requiring less sleep to function, once again.

Anyway, I figured I'm not sleeping anyway and it's too late/early to be making noise cleaning up the house so why not blog?

So, the name game.... it's something we're still working on. Baby has a first name, but no middle just yet. It was not an easy thing to find a first name we both loved, so it certainly hasn't been easy settling on the less-prominently-used-but-equally-important middle name.

My husband and I have very different ideas and opinions about baby names and the naming process in general. I've been scouring baby name books, obsessed with choosing names for my children since as long as I can remember. I literally bought my first baby name book at a yard sale when I was in 3rd grade and I still have the book. It was published in 1957, I think, haha! Unfortunately, when J & I first started discussing baby names I learned that our styles are quite different and he has since vetoed every single one of the names I spent so much time falling in love with.
That's okay. There are plenty more names in the sea... right? Well sure.
So early on, before we were even married, we found a name for a boy that we both adore and it was settled. That wasn't so bad. Then, several months later when we found out we were having our first child... it's a girl (of course)! Well crap. I mean, YAY(!!!!), we were/are so happy about our girl but name wise it was the one we were far from prepared for. So, I was (still) hot on the search for a name, but every time I would find something that caught my attention, J would immediately shut it down. He didn't seem to like anything I came up with, nor was he coming up with any (reasonable) alternatives. (I'll explain my *reasonable* remark momentarily.)

Obviously I finally found a name that I adored and J surprisingly agreed that it could work. Hallelujah!
Auria ♥

From there, the middle name was easy because I've always hoped to pass along my middle name, which is my mother's maiden name. Again, very surprisingly, J accepted the choice and it was settled.

Well, we didn't wait to start thinking of girl's names until we were pregnant again, but it still took us a while to find something we could agree on. We did the same dance as before - I found names I'd fall in love with and J would shoot them down without a second thought. His name suggestions we always names that just seem ridiculous to me but I'm sure he is/was quite serious. I mean, come on... Zelda?! No.
For a short time we both loved the name Reese for a girl, it was actually pretty settled, but the more I tried to imagine the name on our future child, the harder it was, and eventually I fell out of love with it. (J is still bargaining for that name to have a chance at the middle spot this time but I have vetoed it - two can play that game :p). One day, I stumbled upon a name I'd heard before but never thought too much about. It was similar to another name I'd loved and J rejected, but this name I was sure would suit J's taste. Fast forward October 24, 2012. Auria's 2nd birthday and our ultrasound day -- it's a girl!
Waverly ♥

And so, we're still not settled on her full name but we have enough to call her something more than "the baby". We talk to big sister about her (I love the way A says her name!) and her name will be on our Christmas cards this year. I'm already so in love and it's such a joy getting to know her already. Even at 2am ;)

Baby W - 22 weeks down...

Well obviously I haven't been doing well keeping up with this blog like I planned but I'm really going to make more effort because I love having the memories to look back on from my pregnancy with Auria and I know future me would appreciate the same for baby W!

So we're 22 weeks in and it's funny how much I'd forgotten about life in the second trimester. Looking back at a blog entry from when I was about this far along with A though, it seems like everything is pretty much the same. It's funny how many similarities there are between my two girls already. From my pregnancy cravings/aversions to the way they move in my belly. It's going to be such an interesting thing to see from the outside ;)

On that note... I'm constantly trying to wrap my little brain around what life will possibly be like once miss W arrives. Just the same way that I couldn't really comprehend how things would be before A joined us, I cannot fathom how things will be when we have TWO little girls to chase after! How will I find enough time to show them both the love and attention they deserve? How will I ever have time to shower?! Will I ever sleep again? Will Auria love being a big sister or hate sharing Momma & Dadda? Am I still going to work part time or will we find a way for me to stay home with the girls? Will this house ever be clean? I guess it's just one of those things in life that we'll figure it out as we go but some days the uncertainty is overwhelming.

I already find myself having a hard time balancing spending time with Auria and focusing on the new life growing inside me. These are the final months of Auria's life as an only child. But these are also precious moments for me with baby W - cherishing our special bond that no one else can see of feel or ever know.

And then there's the rest of life. My part time job, teaching childbirth classes, trying not to drown in our finances, my constant struggle to keep the house "clean"
(or at least clean enough), figuring out a new arrangement for the girls' room, clearing out the office for a play room, finding a way to make our basement functional, keeping up with laundry, figuring out what to eat and what to feed Auria several times each day (one of the most difficult jobs EVER), preparing for all of the Christmas festivities ahead.... Oye! Obviously today is one of my more overwhelmed feeling days.

At the end of the day though --even the most hectic day-- I crawl into bed with a loving husband, my precious toddler, and a sweet baby-girl-on-the-way! I am blessed beyond measure!

Until next time....

hello again

I disappeared from the blogging world for a while now but I'm baaaack! I'm going to try to get back into the habit of keeping up... if nothing else it's great for memories sake!

A few things are different in our lives since last time time I was here. The major changes that come to mind are that I am now a fully affiliated Bradley Method(R) Natural Childbirth Educator and... now we have a toddler! I can't believe my baby girl is already so close to 2! Needless to say, life is full of fun and adventure as we juggle work, other work (even though I love what I do, it's still time away from the fam!), keeping up with the house (which seems to be a never-ending feat), and of course, spending time with my sweet family!

WHAT'S ON MY MIND TODAY:

--Trying to schedule/organize my next childbirth class(es)...
We're nearing the end of my current series which is exciting because that means we're getting close to meeting new babies! It's always a bit sad for me though to release my little butterflies off on their own. I know they will do well though so it's mostly just exciting.
The end of one series means the beginning of another which is fun. I get to meet new couples and every group is different. It's a little stressful at this time though because I have no clue how many people are going to end up in a series until the last minute. And when I say "last minute", I mean sometimes the day of the first class! Anyhoo, it's an exciting time so I'm looking forward to it.

--This house is making me crazy...
I've been in major cleaning mode lately but there is just so much to do, I feel like it will never be complete. Pintrest has been a big help lately - full of ideas for cleaning, organizing, etc. I've probably only done less than 1% of the things I have pinned but I would venture to guess I'm not the only one.
Now if only there was a magic solution to dog hair!!! Geez, I love Edward but sometimes I want to go back in time and slap my past self for not thinking about the massive shedding ahead when we adopted him and they said "he's part husky". Oh well.

--The thing that's always on my mind...
When will A get to be a big sister?!?! I know, I know, I know, "it's all in God's timing". I try so hard to remind myself of that and I will myself to be patient but patience has never been my strong suit. I try to convince myself that it's better not to have another one right now anyway for this arbitrary reason or that one but it's hard to trick yourself. Especially since we had a miscarriage back in March. That was a really tough time for me emotionally and it's just very difficult not to know if/when we'll be blessed with more babies. I know the fact that we're still breastfeeding can affect my fertility but she doesn't nurse very often anymore and we've night-weaned. Plus, I know so many people that have gotten pregnant while breastfeeding (and even nursed throughout their whole pregnancies) so it's frustrating to feel like I'm supposed to chose between A's nutrition/well-being/happiness and having another baby.

Besides the fact that I just always wanted 3 or 4 children, I really want A to have siblings to play with. I know she would be such a great little helper and she would love a brother/sister to pieces! The Hubs is ready for another one, too. We both have been for quite some time. I think that makes it even harder sometimes because we're TO THAT!" but instead I usually politely respond with the ole, "Whenever the Lord decides to bless us with another one.". Plus, I teach pregnant couples every week! I love it, but sometimes it's really hard to be surrounded by what I want but don't not not having another baby yet because we aren't ready or for a lack of trying. It's just not happening. Another thing that makes it hard is that people are always asking, "When are you having another one?". In my head I'm screaming, "TRUST ME, I'D LOVE TO KNOW THE ANSWER have.

I know I'm not the first person to feel this way and I know things could be much worse, I'm not trying to have a pity party here by any means, I'm just being honest. It's tough when you're ready for something to happen but things are out of your control. Anyway, J & I have agreed on a timeframe so if we aren't pregnant by [a certain date] then we will figure out where to go from there. In the mean time I'm planning to work on being as healthy as I can with a healthy diet, exercise, and getting my spine in alignment at the chiropractor.

--Planning a birthday party...
I'm starting a little early but I'm just excited to celebrate my precious girl's birthday! I've already created her birthday invitations and I did a pretty good job for someone who's not necessarily very creative. I have some other ideas (thanks again, Pintrest) for decorations and party favors that I'm going to make, too. Surely I'll have time to get it all done in the next three months. I am so excited for October!

OK, well, it's been fun catching up.
Laters baby ;)

xoxo,
C

Oh, August

August has always been a very busy month for us and this year is certainly no exception. As I mentioned before this month is full of birthdays, including, Auria's best friend Talon's FIRST birthday! His birthday/party was yesterday and we were lucky enough to celebrate with him and his family.
At first, it seemed just like any other play date together...

Then we got Auria suited up in her newest swimsuit...



Auria tested out the water first...





Then the kiddos got to splash around together...



And splash, and splash...




When the clouds came back in Auria sat on her daddy's lap and enjoyed watching the bigger kids on the slip 'n' slide...

The birthday boy fell asleep and after waiting a while his mom and dad decided to wake him up for birthday cake and presents....



Mr. Talon didn't have as much fun digging into his cake as everyone had expected. He actually ended up crying when they shoved his hands in the gooey frosting. He also showed very little interest in opening his presents, despite his mommy's best efforts to get him involved. [*Note to self: Do the birthday song BEFORE nap time!]Anyhoo, all in all it was a fun time and it was special to get to be a part of Talon Fisher's big day :)


The day before that, Auria spent a few hours at her Oma's while Josh & I went to a different birthday party.
We were helping my sister-in-law celebrate her 25th birthday! Her boyfriend had a party at his house and he rented a huge blow up water slide. I'm pretty sure this is a slide for kids because when anyone over 100lbs went down it looked like they might fly off the end and land on the fence, haha! Once my husband tried it out and survived without injury I got brave and went down too. It was definitely a little scary to look at but it ended up being a lot of fun! I'm thinking I may need to keep something like this in mind for Josh's 30th that will be coming up in a few years. I can't think too much about that though, I have a more important birthday coming up in just 10 weeks! AH, I can't believe it!!!

Well, the last thing I'll report now is that Auria's gotten in one top tooth and the second one is on it's way! This means there is drool everywhere and she is chewing on anything she can get her little hands on...


Until our next adventure... :)