The end of summer:(

Tomorrow I go back to work and my summer is officially over. My long list of things to do only got half way finished. You would think that my house would be neat and tidy but instead I think it looks worst.
Where has the time gone? At the beginning of the summer I had this plan for everything that I was going to get done while I was off. My focus started off strong but then other things got in the way.
The question of where I was going to work was weighing heavily on my mind. I had 3 weeks to prepare for Sarah's birthday party. I guess that can pretty much sum up most of my time in June and the beginning of July.
After that everything seems like a blur. Time went so quickly that I can't really remember what we did every day. I can count on one hand the number of naps I took this summer.
I feel like I wasted my summer and now it's too late to go back. There are so many things I wish I had done:
Set up more playdates with Sarah's friends
Exercised at least 3 or 4 times a week
Organized our closet and kitchen
Set up a cleaning schedule
Cleaned out the garage and car

I did accomplish a few of the things on my list:
Making a binder for all of our important papers (Thanks Anjolee for the idea!)
Take Sarah to swim lessons
Clean out the laundry room (however we've managed to fill it up again)

Father's Day

Today was Aaron's 3rd Father's Day. I was so excited because I had bought him a really neat card from the kids. It lets you record your voice so I thought it would be cute for Sarah to put a message on there. It took eight tries before we got a recording that was loud enough to hear.

I got up with the kids and let Aaron sleep in since it was his special day. I had been teaching Sarah how to say "Happy Father's Day" all week. He walks into the living room and Sarah yells "Happy Birthday Daddy!" and runs to give him a hug. It was so adorable and we all had a good laugh.

In that moment I just felt God's love surrounding us. Sometimes I just wonder how I ended up with such an awesome husband who loves me and our children so much. Whatever I did to deserve him I am glad that I did it. He really and truly is a great man. It's not just the patience he has with the children and let's face it me too. The things that make him so wonderful are all the little things he does everyday. For example, taking the early feeding with the baby so that I can go workout or get a little extra sleep, washing the bottles, giving Sarah a bath or rubbing my head at night when I can't fall asleep.

I expected a lot from the man I was going to marry because I had been raised by a father who had taken excellent care of me. My dad put up with my high maintenance ways but made me the person I am today because of his patience and unconditional love. So when I married Aaron I expected the same from him. He has not only been what I wanted but so much more.

Today I am grateful for the man who raised me to feel loved and for the man who loves me every day through the ups and downs. I am strong because of them. They help make me who I am and drive me to become better. They are proof that God does love me.

You can do it!

This is what I tell myself so that I get through my exercise time every few days. It all begins with talking myself into wanting to go. I go back and forth for about 15 minutes thinking up all sorts of excuses. Then I remember that none of my clothes fit and it would be a HUGE waste to have to get rid of them just because I was too lazy to exercise. So, I get on my workout gear and head out the door.

First I have to push past the pain. Then comes the fatigue. Finally, if I can make myself go long enough I get to that point where exercise feel pretty good. When I am back at home I feel so good about going and wished I had another 30 minutes to do more. However, mommy duty calls and I feel lucky that I even had the opportunity to go.

I do get frustrated because the results are slow in coming. It seems like after Sarah was born I got back to my old size a little faster. Of course I could be remembering things a little differently than they really happened. Either way it's going to take alot of working out and eating less to get the job done.

I wish I could look at myself through the eyes of my daughter. She says I'm pretty and truly believes it. When I look in the mirror I see all that I think needs improvement. I think I need a different mirror:)

One mad mommy

Today I had to buy milk because we were running really low and probably wouldn't have enough for what I wanted to make for dinner. I have always bought my milk at Braums because it tastes the best and it doesn't have anything harmful in it. However, today I am seriously considering never buying milk there again.
I had heard from other moms I know that if you need milk from Braums and you have your kids with you, that they will let you purchase it through the drive thru. So I drive there in a pretty good mood. I had just gone to Chick-fil-A to get my free chicken strips (teacher appreciation day, I love Chick-fil-A) and getting milk was going to be my last stop.
I get to the drive thru and place my order for 2 gallons of milk. The girl then tells me that they do not allow people to purchase milk at the drive thru. I then proceed to tell her that I have my two young children in the car, one of which is only 7 weeks old. She then tells me that it is a company policy to not allow the purchase of milk at the drive thru. At this point I am getting mad. I let her know that the Braums in Fossil Creek allows it and then I turn my car around.
I momentarily consider just going home without the milk. Then I realize that we really need it and I DO NOT want to go to the grocery store.
I pull in the parking lot and unload both kids. Sarah has to hold my keys and wallet because I realize that my pants don't have pockets and I need both hands to hang on to both kids. We go inside and I put my milk on the counter. Then I see the girl at the drive thru and give her a dirty look. I know that isn't the most mature thing to do but like I said I was mad. While I'm paying I start to ponder how I am going to get the milk to the car if both of my hands are occupied by children. Thankfully, the wonderful cashier didn't even hesitate or ask but just picked up my bag and started toward the door. I was so grateful for her at that moment!
I know that this is not that big of a deal but it did put a damper on my day. I don't expect alot of special treatment because I have children. However, I don't think it's too much to ask for a store to help parents out every now and then. Once I got home, after we ate lunch I logged onto their website and made the first complaint I have ever made in my life. I hope they listen but know it probably won't make a difference.
Today's lesson:
Life is full of challenges, deal with them and get over it.

Big girls do cry...alot

Being a new mommy is a hard adjustment. Technically I'm not a new mom since this is my second child. However, I feel like the adjustments are just as hard to make the second time around. This week I got a taste of what it is like to be on my own with the kids.

Unfortunately, I did not do as well as I thought I was going to do. I cried about almost everything the first day. I felt overwhelmed and wished many times that I had an extra set of arms. It's hard when I am feeding the baby and then Sarah needs to be held too. I don't want her to feel left out or like she isn't as special.

I know that all of these feelings are temporary and that as Evan grows it will get better. I do expect more challenges along the way too. I want to do the best I can to make both of my children feel loved. I prayed a lot this week and I know God was listening. It made me feel like I wasn't so alone.

I think next week will be better. Hopefully I will cry a lot less and instead pray a lot more.

A whole new world

Now that little Evan is here I thought I would change the name of this blog. It will now be a place for me to talk about the joys of motherhood, along with the challenges.
Having two children is definitely much more time consuming and I think it will take a while before we are able to get our routine down. Right now we have no routine and no idea of what each day will bring. For those of you who don't know me very well, I am a planner. I like to know what is going to happen next so that I can be in control. This situation is hard for me because I don't have control over very much.
I hope to be a good mom to both of my children. I can say that this time I am much more relaxed. I feel better equipped to handle alot of the ups and downs of these first few weeks. However, I am relying on alot of prayer. God and I talk constantly these days.

And we're off...maybe

The contractions have officially started! Saturday night I started having contractions and they haven't stopped. Unfortunately, they are very irregular and always stop short of being enough for a hospital visit. I will say that they are real contractions or at least they feel real.
I'm going to try to tough it out as long as I can. I don't want a repeat of what I went through with Sarah where we went to the hospital just to be sent home. It helps that I've been through this before and kind of know what to expect.
I feel almost ready for the baby to come. Sarah still needs a bag packed and the house is a mess. I was hoping to be able to make a trip to the zoo with Sarah sometime this week but we will see if the baby cooperates. Thankfully we had a great day together today so I am grateful for that.

Good Report!

Today was my 37 weeks check up. I was still only 1 centimeter dilated and 80% effaced. I measured 34 weeks so I asked the doctor if he thought the baby was going to be small. He felt around my stomach and then suggested we go for a sonogram to get a better idea.
So I am totally excited because I haven't seen the baby since I was five months pregnant. The sonogram tech gets all of his measurements and tells us that the baby is actually measuring right on target for my due date. The reason the doctor's measurements were off was because the baby is already head down and very low. So I'm basically carrying his legs, bottom and belly in my stomach. The rest is already shoved down in my pelvic area which the doctor wouldn't have been able to measure.
I am feeling so great now that I know he is okay. Then she goes on to tell us that his estimated weight is 6 lbs. 15 oz. Wow! Sarah was 6lbs. 4 oz. so I am expecting him to be a good size. Finally she reassures us that the baby is definitely a boy and proceeds to show us. Thank goodness!
Overall, the appointment was totally awesome! In a few weeks we will be meeting our little boy. Now we just play the waiting game!

Pregnancy Perks

Okay so being pregnant definitely is not always fun but it does have its perks. Here are a few that I have been enjoying lately:
1. People encouraging me to eat anything I want and as much as I want.
2. Special treatment at home, work and at stores
3. Offers from people to carry things for me or help me with things
4. Not having to feel guilty about eating a hot fudge sundae after dinner
5. Being able to take it easy without anyone thinking I am lazy


I am trying to soak up these last moments of pregnancy since it will be my last time. It's nice to focus on these things because it diverts my attention from the discomfort of these last few weeks.

36 Weeks

Today's doctor visit went very well. The doctor said one more week of medicine and taking it easy then I can go back to normal. I was very excited to hear that I am dialated to a 1. The reason that is exciting news is because it took me a long time to get to that point when I was pregnant with Sarah.
It will be interesting to see how long this little one decides to stay put after I stop the medicine. My money is that he will follow pretty closely in his sister's footsteps and come close to his due date.

Baby's Room

The room still needs a couple of small touches here and there but overall it is put together. All of his clothes are washed and baskets are organized.

Take a good look at that organized closet because it might not be that way the next time you see it:)

Changing table ready to go!

His crib with almost all of the bedding.

The new picture

that Daddy bought him to hang in his room.

A place to hang his hats!

His little bookshelf with bins for toys!

We received a BOB stroller from Aaron's office. Sarah LOVES it and hopefully her little brother will too.

Baby Shower

Here are a few pics from the baby shower. We feel so blessed to have so many friends and family that showered our baby with love.

Sarah enjoying some cake!

34 weeks

I went for my check-up today. The baby's heart sounded great and the doctor was pleased with everything. I did gain seven pounds but he didn't say a word about it. I don't know if it was because it wasn't that big of a deal to him or if he was just trying to be nice.
I am starting to swell in my feet and legs but thankfully it's not too bad. He said not to worry and put my feet up more. I can handle that!!
There have been no significant bouts of contractions lately. I am hoping to make it to his due date which about six more weeks away. Let's see if he will cooperate.

33 weeks

This week has been a re-introduction into the rough parts of the third trimester. I'm carrying the baby all in the front so it's a bit rough on the lower back. When I walk, I do so slowly and with a waddle.

On the bright side there haven't been any consistent contractions. I also haven't had any swelling. I go back to the doctor this next week so I hope that everything is still looking good.

32 Weeks

I went to my 32 week appointment today and the doctor released me from bed rest. I get to go back to work and most of my everyday activities. I still have to take it easy but I don't have to lay around all day!
The baby's heart sounded great and the doctor said everything else looked good. I have never been so excited to go back to work. Partially because I won't have to use any more of my sick leave but mostly because it means that I can make preparations for my maternity leave.
I plan to do a little better at being prepared now that we've had this little scare. This means finishing the baby's room, packing my bag for the hospital, and getting Sarah's things ready too. Hopefully things will be uneventful until the end of March when he is due.

Time for bed...rest

On Saturday I started having contractions so we headed to the hospital. I wasn't too worried because this had happened with Sarah and they were able to stop the contractions. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time. We ended up having to stay in the hospital until yesterday.
I am now on bed rest until next Wednesday and then the doctor will see how everything looks. So far the medicine they gave me has been working to keep the contractions from coming back so that is a blessing. I am hoping this little one will stay in for about 6-8 more weeks so that will give him a better chance of being born without any complications. I'll update more on how things are going once I get more info from the doctor.

30 week check up

I went in for my 30 week check up and thought everything was going really well. That was until the nurse came in with my glucose test results. Unfortunately, my levels were elevated which means I have to go in for a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. So during this time I get to drink the yummy sugar filled drink and then have my blood drawn 4 times.
I know what you're thinking....that sounds like fun! I'll let you know after I am done.
Other than that bit of discouraging news, the rest of my check up went well. His heartbeat was nice and strong. He said my measurements were looking good. Hopefully, the next time I write I will have good news about passing my glucose test.

28 Weeks

This week I went in for my 7 month check up and glucose test. Drinking the glucose drink was not a big deal for me because I kind of like the fruit punch flavor. However, it was not being able to eat that morning that really had an impact on me. I survived!
The doctor said everything looks and sounds good. I only gained one pound since the last appointment so he was pleased with that also. Now I get to start going every two weeks and I'm hoping to get another sonogram soon.

A work in progress...

The baby's room is painted, the crib put together, and the changing table in place. However the room is FAR from finished so keep that in mind when you look at the picture. We are going to leave some of Aaron's hunting pictures up because it just looks really neat. Then when we finally decide on a name for this precious baby I will put that above his crib. Other than that I will probably find things here and there to add as I did with Sarah's room. My hope is that it will look a little more put together in a few weeks.

The Baby's Room

I finally felt good enough yesterday to get into the office/new baby's room and finish cleaning it out. I started a little after 11:00 in the morning and didn't stop until about 6:30. The room is officially ready to be painted and I even went to buy the paint this morning. I also rearranged Sarah's room to accomodate her new play kitchen and other fun toys she got for Christmas. Unfortunately she needs a room about double the size she has now. So her room looks a little challenged for space but she loves having her kitchen in her room.
The baby's room should be put together by the end of the weekend, I hope. Aaron and my mom have volunteered to paint it. After that we just have to put up the crib with the bedding and arrange the rest of the furniture. I will post the pictures when we finish. I hope it looks as good as I have it planned out in my head.
Right now I am in bed about to take a nap because I think I overdid it yesterday. Sometimes I refuse to let the fact that I'm pregnant stop me from doing things or lifting things I shouldn't. So today I am paying for that. I just have this need to be as ready as possible for this precious little baby boy. I was the same way with Sarah.