36 weeks - FULL term

Well today marks week 36. I am officially full term - yahoo! But honestly to think of being pregnant for another 4 weeks marks me slightly depressed.....hopefully that won't be the case and this little guy will decide to join our crazy family sooner!

I had a doctor's appointment this morning - the first one in which I was actually checked. As you may recall I've been physically measuring a few weeks ahead for quite some time now so I was anxious for this appointment to see if any real progress was being made down there :) however, I once again was given the responses "well I'd say a fingertip" Really?! You might as well tell me nothing since this is what I heard over and over again with Lily. However, I'm remaining optimistic knowing that that can all change in a very short time - right?! They plan to do an ultrasound next week to check his position - she is fairly confident he is head down but not 100% sure. That was also give us another gauge of his size and may further our discussion regarding being induced early due to size as well. So, I'm praying that he will 1. be head down 2. come early on his own 3. worst case, they induce me at week 39ish....

So that's the update on that.

On the flip side of this wonderful journey called pregnancy - the last 2 weeks for me have been a little bit of a rollercoaster. I have been overly emotional and borderline insanely nesting. I have tackled so many unneccessary rewarding tasks these last few weeks - from baseboard cleaning, closet cleaning and organization, baby boy clothes organized and re-organized, mopping  floors, powerwashing the highchair, thorough scrub down of all the baby toys and items - swing, bouncy seat, carseat, playmat, rattles, etc., organizing our newly completed playroom in the basement that used to be a storage space, a canvas project for lily's room, storage room reorg and cleaning, multiple dinners with friends, baking for freezing when baby comes, and seriously the list goes on.......

Then on top of that crying for all the sweet moments I find myself having with Lily each day as I try to soak in this precious time with just her, crying because I'm driving in Des Moines and Jimmy tells me to turn around for a better parking space, crying because all the neighborhood kids are going back to school and Lily will be going to kindergarten in 4 years (seriously!), crying in church as I see all the college students attending alone and hopefully that they will meet good friends and feel welcomed at our church, and again, this list keeps going. For this reason alone I think my hubby is more than ready for me to have this baby :)

Oh all the joys of the final stage of pregnancy, right?!

And in all honesty as my body is telling me it's time for this baby to come and for us to start a new adventure there are still several times throughout the day that I just find myself scared. Scared of the challenge that 2 children will bring - can I handle them both on my own? Will I ever be able to go somewhere alone again? How could I possibly love another as much as I love Lily? Am I prepared to endure child birth again? Will I be a good enough mom to 2 children? How will having a son being different than a daughter? Will I miss feeling his crazy kicks and movement in the middle of the night? How will Lily change with the addition of a sibling? Will it be harder to find a babysitter for 2 kids?! So many unknowns and untreaded water. But such is life - right?! God promises He will never give us more than we can handle so I know that He knows that I can handle this. Another child, a true miracle from God, and we are so ready to meet this sweet baby boy.

And here I am today at 36 weeks.....

15 months

This month Lily turned 15 months old. While I've stopped posting monthly updates I figured I'd stay consistent with her doctor visits to be sure and document her growth and new developments. 

She has such a fun, happy and silly personality - she is so much like her daddy. There are so many times when I look at her and see him as a child (even though I didn't know him as a toddler). We still think she looks more like him than me although when she has a bow in her hair and she smiles we both think she resembles me more. Her eyes are still as blue as can be and it seems she has just grown a full head of hair and mouth of teeth in the last few month. Her hair has really lightened up and got thicker this summer. I actually think it's time for a haircut as the front tends to hang in her eyes if she doesn't have a bow in.

Developmentally she seems to be doing well - she says quite a few words on a regular basis and gibber gabbers all day long. Words she knows are: mama, dada, dog, nana (for gma), duck, juice, bye bye, hi, fish, turtle, no, yes, milk, more, vroom, tractor, lots of animal sounds - woof woof, baaa, sssss, quack, naw, and meow. She also signs "more" and "all done". She is very curious about things and really looks new people and things over. She likes to take things apart, stack things up and then knock them over, crawling through her play tunnel, playing with her toy bugs, loving on her dolly and barbies, LOVES to read books, sing, dance and spin, do anything outside, ride her new power wheels Jeep, go to the pool - she's a fish!, and just run around. 

There are a couple songs that are hilarious to watch her dance to when they come on. It's obvious that she knows them and that she learned some head banging from daddy :) She really does love music and it makes me smile to hear Jimmy playing guitar to her while she bangs around on the drum, tamborine, or harmonica in the basement.

For height and weight she's about the same as where she's been the past few appointments - around 80% for weight at 26 lbs and 70% for height at 2ft 6.5inches.

She's a good little eater and likes most anything we give her. Fruit is still her favorite and meat is hit or miss with her but she usually will eat whatever it is we are having. Her favorites are probably toast, grapes, corn, peas, and steak!

She has almost all her teeth - just waiting on a few more on the bottom and 2 on the top - other than her 2 year moleures. 

And that's about it other than the fact that her world will forever change in a matter of weeks with the addition of her baby brother :) We are unsure of how she will do with the transition. I think she will be very curious about him and want to see and touch him often. I'm not sure if she will be jealous or if she will just adjust. I'm praying for a smooth and good transition for us all! 

And here's some pictures of her these past few months......

her 1st pony - aug12

lily & mommy - aug12

her mad face :) - aug12

playing in the dirt - aug12

reading books - jul12

1st time eating steak and LOVED it - aug12

monkey climber - jun12

corn on the cob summer - jun12

34 weeks

According to my original due date this week marks 34 weeks pregnant with little man. However, little man is estimated to weigh a pound, or more, than he should at this point and I'm measuring 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule both by measurement and ultrasound. So, they are telling me he will, most likely, be making his debut early or else we will discuss inducing me early due to size. So when people ask me how much longer what should be an easy response turns into well....a few more weeks. But, I KNOW they won't let me go past 39 weeks which means max amount of time I have left is just less than 5 weeks - woohoo! 

I am definitely ready to have this pregnancy over with and meet our precious son. This summer has been a hot one and my body is definitely ready for some relief! Lately I am just feeling weak, sore and achy. I am still going to my workout class a few times a week which if nothing else is good for stretching at this point. And I get my fair share of exercise carrying an extra 25-30 lbs of belly weight plus a 25 lb one year old up and down the stairs several times a day. So, needless to say, by the end of the day I am just worn out and tired. Which makes me even more thankful that Jimmy has been home the past couple weeks.

Nesting has settled in as well. It seems like I can't get enough to-do's knocked off my list and/or new projects coming out of the woodwork that just have to be completed before this baby arrives! :) While I like this productive stage that signals the end is near it's also a slight bit insane when running on a near empty tank.....However, Jimmy is in the final stages of completing a play area for kiddos in the basement, little man's room is completely ready, I have sorted and resorted his clothes for the next year of his life, I am wrapping up a modge podge project to accompany Lily's bare wall in her bedroom, I scrubbed baseboards throughout the whole house the other day, outdoor bushes are trimmed, the garage is organized, little man's baby book is started and Lily's is almost complete, we have agreed on a name!, and the list keeps going.....

Other than that we've just been laying low around the house - soaking in extra time with our baby girl as we know her world will drastically change in just a few weeks as well, and enjoying these last few weeks of summer together as a family!

And here's the ever growing belly......

life adjustments

Since becoming a mom so many things about my daily life have changed. Some were expected and welcomed adjustments while some were not necessarily expected and/or as welcomed. One of those adjustments that has been a bit hard for me, as silly as it may sound, is adjusting to not having as much time to get myself ready for each day. Now of course I expected this to some degree but as my child has grown and as I think about how our lives and routines will change with 2 children this has become more difficult. However, I have made adjustments. I have learned over the past year some little tips/tricks that have made this time a little more "normal" or like it used to be.


Now most of you know I enjoy fashion, I care about appearance and how I present myself, and I actually thoroughly enjoy getting myself ready for the day - whatever that day may look like, which has also changed a lot since becoming a mom :) So while some of the tips are just not things other people care about, I do care about them and it's important for me to take time to myself and to spend some time on my appearance. 


#1: I pick out my clothes, shoes and accessories the night before. No matter what I am doing the next day - I think it through and plan accordingly. If I'm going to the gym in the morning then something in the afternoon with a friend and/or out for dinner that night then I plan for the whole day. I set out my gym clothes as well as the outfit/s I will be wearing throughout the day. This is a big one for me. It can take me a LONG time to find an outfit I like, feel good in, have accessories for, etc. etc. so by spending the time the night before, while my child is sleeping, it makes it that much easier come morning.


#2: On the same note I now take my showers at night or during naptime. If I'm not going to the gym in the morning than it's fine to shower at night and get up ready to go. However, when I hit the gym in the morning I do need to allow some time during nap for a shower. This eliminates any crying fits while I'm in the shower or having anxiety while showering because you aren't positive what your little one is up to.


#3: I get up before my child/ren. I haven't always done this but recently have gotten a lot better at it. My child is busy and she loves to take any and everything out of drawers so I have learned it creates a lot less work and stress for me to just get myself up and ready before she even wakes up.


#4: Optimize nap time. Lily takes a pretty good and predictable afternoon nap. She lays down just after lunch and sleeps for at least 2 hours every day. During this time I figure out what my most important to-do's for the day are and make sure I get them done. Some days it's unloading the dishwasher, doing laundry, catching up on email, writing a blog, wrapping birthday gifts, making grocery list, paying bills, etc. These are things I try to do during nap so that while she's awake I can spend my time playing and interacting with her. Now of course errands are one thing you can't do while they are napping - unless someone else is there to watch them - but really anything else I try to do during that nap time or when Jimmy is home to play with her too. 


While those are just 4 things they are 4 things that have made a huge impact on my daily life and our normal routine. Of course now that we have it "mastered" we will mix things up by adding one more child but hey, change is exciting and keeps life interesting, right?! Although my goal is to maintain these things no matter how many children we have because they really are important to me. Hope you find at least one of them helpful :)

one day

In the craziness of every day life, while reflecting on the past few months of playing the role of a single parent so often, and thinking about how too many times I am too quick to anger or grow impatient I have tried to remind myself of the following truths:

One day I will miss picking up random sippy cups filled with sticky juice ALL over the house.

One day I will miss the dirty hands that wrap so tightly around my neck and then graceful down my once clean clothes.

One day I will miss the sound of "mama" being said over and over again for no apparent reason.

One day I will miss going on paci hunts because we have seemed to misplace all 10+ of them once again.

One day I will miss strapping my baby into her carseat while she arches her back and cries because she just hates sitting in that thing.

One day I will miss pushing her in her little car up and down the street just a few times because 1. it's too hot for anything more 2. that's the extent of her attention span before she's climbing in and out every 2 steps and 3. because that's all it takes for me to get winded these days.

One day I will miss the way she only wants me when she's tired or hurt.

One day I will miss her constant babble in my ear while I'm trying to talk on the phone.

One day I will miss making up silly songs for every little thing we do just because it makes her smile.

One day I will miss picking up her toys and all the random things she's carried around the house throughout the day because she's still too little to do it herself. (although she has begun to help!)

One day I will miss her splashing water all over the bathroom floor during bath time just because she thinks it's funny.

These are just some of the things that so often get me frustrated or just make me tired. However, these are just a few of the things that I will miss in the not so distant future when my baby is too grown up to do them any more....

a new chapter

Today is my last day of work for an unknown amount of time. I will be taking an open-ended leave of absence from John Deere and that comes with a mix of emotions. I really loved my part time set up. It was a perfect balance between work and time at home with my baby and working from home made it even better. However, a few months ago they decided that they needed the job to return to a full time position. I was quick to decline going back full time as we knew that just wasn't what was best for our family. And from there my search for another part time opportunity within John Deere began. Well I haven't found anything. Part time jobs are very hard to come by in the company - there aren't many of them and it seems they are done on a more case to case bases, like mine out of Springfield. So, that puts us where we are today - no job lined up, so a leave of absence it is.

While I am looking forward to some time off and a break from the extra stress and hassle, of having to worry about balancing our home, a nanny, and a job I definitely have mixed feeling about becoming a full time stay at home mom. I have worked for John Deere for 7 years and have had some wonderful opportunities while doing so. I have traveled to cities I would have otherwise never seen, lived in places I know I would have never moved to, met some wonderful people, and been challenged in so many ways. Before I met Jimmy my job was so much a part of who I was and I found a lot of contentment and pride in what I did. Priorities change and as your life grows different parts become more important than others and there's no doubt that Jimmy and Lily are so much more important to me than a job will ever be. However, it's still a part of me and what I do so adjusting to that change will be different.

I am looking forward to the extra days with just Lily before our little guy arrives as I know things will never be the same for her, or us. However, I wonder what we will do every day? Can I find things to do without always spending money? Will I get bored at home? Will Lily adjust well to the change of having just me to play with every day instead of a fun nanny 3 times a week? Will it bother me that I am no longer contributing financially to our family and will that change the way I view and spend our money? While I feel incredibly blessed that my husband has a job that will allow me to stay at home these are questions that run through my head.

I hope to get involved in more community and volunteer opportunities - do some things that I have not had the time to do because of my job. If you have any ideas, let me know! :) As well as just enjoy the time loving on my babies. I do plan to keep my eye open on John Deere jobs and who knows, maybe another part time opportunity will present itself? But for now I will be content in the beautiful family I have and the privilege of staying at home with them. Who knows what the next month, 6 months, or year look like for me and our family but I do know who holds that future and that's the beauty of believing and loving a wonderful God that is so much bigger than we are!

32 weeks - 8 months pregnant

Where has the summer gone? Although it's been unbearable hot and I've spent most of the summer alone due to my husband's crazy work travel, this summer has just flown by. This week I find myself counting down the weeks until this little man is due and that comes with so many mixed emotions. I plan to write a seperate blog about the life changes ahead and what's been on my heart lately but one of those emotions is definitely excited!

We are now only 8 weeks (hopefully less) away from meeting our second precious miracle. When Jimmy was back a few weeks ago for a whole week this time! we spent quite a bit of time on the baby's room. I can now pretty confidently - there are a few final details to complete - say that his room is ready! Clothes are folded, put away, and hung, diapers are bought (we will do cloth for him as well but plan to start out with disposable), the crib is put together and made, decorations are hung, and his room is ready for him. We also have spent quite a bit of time in discussion regarding his name. Which I think I can also pretty confidently say we have agreed on and I am in LOVE with! So I feel good about where things are at in terms of preparations.

We went on a hospital tour a few weeks ago and that really made things sink in a bit for me. I kept thinking through my birth experience with Lily and how it may be different, or the same, this time around. I thought about how different things will be since we already have a child and how her world will also instantly change. And I couldn't help but think about the joy and love I know I will feel when I see this little mans face and welcome him to our world. I am so ready for that!

It's no secret that I don't love being pregnant so I am also very ready for the physical part of carrying this baby to be over with. I know I won't miss getting out of breathe from climbing two flights of stairs, or just constantly sweating no matter what, or being hungry 24/7......

Although I must say I continue to feel pretty darn good so I shouldn't complain! I am continuing to workout a few times a week. I need to get back to my pilates class as I've missed recently due to schedules, work, etc. but I feel like being active for me is such a vital part of me feeling good. I am definitely more tired at the end of each day and feel like my belly is just HUGE! However, I find comfort in people telling me that I'm looking good and healthy - whether they are just saying it to make me feel good or actually believe it doesn't really matter, does it?!

So all in all I am feeling good and am anxious to meet our little man and expand our family from 3 to 4!