8.31.2010

35 down.

We went to the park. The grocery store. Wendy's for lunch. I made zuchinni bread (with chocolate chips, no doubt). Painted a lot of trim and a door. Bought a bouquet of sunflowers. Ordered this print to hang above our bed.

Jumped on the bed.


And completed 35 weeks of pregnancy today. What, what.


All in a day's work, people.

8.30.2010

away.

After a lovely date with Audrey on Thursday, I had a weekend date with my husband. We went away to one of our favorite places, Madison, Indiana. It was just us and three other couples from our small group at church. All of us have kids, but we went away without them to focus on our marriages. It is so easy to get caught up in parenthood and put on the back burner our relationship with our spouse. [I know this, because we do it all the time.] And as difficult it is to leave our little ones behind for a weekend, it is totally worth it. And the kids actually benefit from it, because we come back with a stronger relationship with each other and kids can tell, no matter what age, you know.

Any who, moving on from what could be a really sappy post...

Thanks to my aunt and uncle who are so generous to let groups like us use their "vacation place," we all stayed in the most beautiful home that is like a bed and breakfast. We went boating on the river (thanks to our friend's parents who let us take their boat), played games, made s'mores (with peanut butter cups, you must try this if you haven't already), sat on the porch forever and just talked, boys went golfing while the ladies painted pottery, went out to the best local, quaint restaurants, and best of all, relaxed. A LOT.

On our way down to the river restaurant.

A kind of love this guy, a whole lotta.

Showing off my awesome skills while playing our version of the game Minute to Win It. I had to transfer five cotton balls to another bowl on another table using Vaseline on my nose in less than a minute. I was a rockstar and completed it, of course. [This is seriously one of the best games to play with a group of people. We didn't stop laughing through the whole game. Look it up, if you haven't heard of it before. It's a tv show, but our friends turned it into a game for us.]

The ladies at the pottery place. [Side note: Two years ago when we went, I was pregnant and so was my friend, Karlee (front left), and this year? We are both pregnant again, except I'm about 35 weeks along and she is about 11 weeks along.]

It was a weekend to remember. A weekend to focus on spouses and friendship. And to just be thankful. This was our third year doing this with our small group and we hope the tradition continues.

8.26.2010

it's a date.

I have so much anticipation inside of me right now. I keep thinking just six weeks left. I will have a newborn. I will not have a huge belly. It will be fall. I'll be able to wear my new wardrobe I have slowly been buying for post-baby (I know, this sounds lame, but it's something for me, you know.)

Then I have to catch myself.

Live in this moment. Live for today.

So that's what I'm doing. As excited I am about having a newborn soon, I am soaking in these moments I have left with Audrey, where it is just me and her. Our dates, just the two of us.

This morning we took a date to a waterfall and the park. On our walk we talked about the leaves, the acorns we found, the roots of the trees coming up out of the ground. I love hearing the tiny voice coming from her. And to watch her eyes light up at the smallest things.

Mama, do you hear that funny noise? (this is her new thing- anything she hears she says it's a funny noise)

Yes, sweetheart, it's the waterfall.

It's a waterfall, Mama. I wanna touch it.

And so we do.




On our date she reaches for my hand. She thinks I'm her safety net, but she is really mine.

8.25.2010

six.


She is going to be here before I know it. Six weeks left. Or three until I'm considered full-term. Or four if I go into labor the same time I did with Audrey (which I'm not expecting this, but just sayin'). Last night I actually preregistered for the hospital. And then I started thinking about what I'm going to bring. And I remembered the "big sister" gift I have been saving in my closest for Audrey.


A couple of months ago I won an AMAZING Corolle doll and carriage from Jessica over at Momma's Gone City. [Such an awesome gal I met through blogging, and has quite the stories to read about moving to the Big Apple and raising two kids there while her husband goes through dental school. You should stop over and say 'hi' to her.] I was ecstatic when my name was randomly chosen, because, duh, Audrey loves, loves, loves babies. The baby doll and carriage came in the mail and I immediately wanted to hand it right over to Audrey. BUT, being the thrifty lady I am and having a doll and carriage in my hands that retails for over $150, I decided to make it a special occasion to give to Audrey. And what better time then when she becomes a big sister.

Big sister and little sister are going to have so much fun playing dolls together one day. I can't wait.

8.22.2010

nourished.

Garage sales. Check. Farmer's Market. Check. Lovely afternoon naps. Check. Praising Jesus. Check. Beach moments. Check. Relaxation at the park while listening to a free concert. Check. Lots of daddy-daughter moments that make my heart jump. Double check.





These moments fill me up. Right when I feel like I'm withering like a flower without water, I get nourished with a flood of love moments.

Feeling so restored from the weekend. And I hope you are too.

8.20.2010

craving fall.

[I made this wreath after being inspired by one I found on Etsy. This one is for a friend, but I plan on making one for myself. I wanted it to be not too "over-the-top" fall so it can be hung early and stay up for a while.]

I'm a lover of summer. I really am. Give me the heat. The sun. The lazy days on the boat. But after a couple of weeks of it being so incredibly hot, where we were actually stuck inside all day because of it, I'm ready for that beautiful fall weather. [But that winter, it can stay far, far away. Gah, I really really hate the cold.]

In fact, we have had a couple of days where it only reached around 84. I pretended it was fall and wore jeans and put cute leggings on Audrey. We ventured out to the park and soaked in the breeze with the leaves falling. Leaves are falling here. Seriously. The scorching heat has outright tried to burn them.

When September first hits, watch out. You may see my white pumpkins make an appearance and my fall candle, that I buy every year. I'm ready to change out my front door wreath. Keep the windows open all day. And sit and eat pumpkin pie on my front porch. I'm ready for light weight scarves, while still wearing sandals and jeans. And mums. Oh, how I love mums. They are such a gentle reminder of my mom.

Without wishing away time, I'm definitely anticipating the change of seasons. There is a season for everything, right?

8.18.2010

yesterday was a {very} good day.

Mama, Aomi's art beat! [Translation: Mama, Naomi's heart beat! Which equals one of the cutest things I have ever heard.]


I looked up and saw on the screen her eyes. Hands. Feet. Belly. Tush. Mouth. Which I'm pretty sure she smiled at me. (We saw it in 4D. I saw chubby cheeks and a squished nose against my belly. It was crazy weird.) While all at the same time my husband held Audrey in his lap, while she repeatedly told me she was eating a sucker, mama. It was so real. My little family was right there.

And the nurse just kept saying "she looks fantastic. what a beautiful baby." Those words were exactly what I needed to hear. I also learned that:
a) she is measuring in about 5lbs (and I still have 7 weeks till my due date)
b) supposedly she has a lot of hair according to the nurse (I'll believe it when I see it)
c) she is one very active baby (duh, my belly is a jungle gym for her apparently, especially in the middle of the night, when you know, I would like to sleep since it will all be gone soon)

Then after the ultrasound the doctor came in and caught me scarfing down a salad, Cheetohs, and banana pudding like I hadn't eaten in days did a heart echo. And before I knew it, it was over and we heard the best news. It appears Naomi's heart is terrific. No signs of Pulmonary Stenosis (what Audrey was diagnosed with at birth).

And just like that, we left.

On the way home we shared the good news. [I clearly remember when we were driving home from Riley Hospital bawling our eyes out sharing the difficult news that Audrey was going to have a heart procedure done. I'm so, so thankful we were able to share happy news and have a cheerful ride home.]

And to make the night even better we had a "date night" and I bought Naomi her "hospital to home" outfit off of Etsy from the store Zaa Berry.


I'm getting so excited about having a newborn around. Eek!
.
.
.
.
[Not to damper the happy mood from yesterday, but this morning my husband called and told me his office, (his business and his brother's business that they both just started in the last year or so) had been robbed. Really important things were taken. It was devastating to hear my husband's voice. His hard work was stolen right from him. Now we will be spending the next couple of weeks sorting things out and trying to get back on track. So, little prayers would be appreciated for this too. Thanks, friends. You're the best.]

8.16.2010

tinkle tinkle wittle star, now i know my abc's.

Audrey loves, loves to sing her ABC's. Except it's her own version. [Note to self: GET IT ON VIDEO.] And it usually goes something like this:

a-b-c-d-e-f-g now I know my abc's

OR
tinkle tinkle wittle star, now I know my abc's

OR

Jon-e, Jon-e, Jon-e, now I know my abc's (her cousin's name is Jonathan or Jon-e and she loves him dearly, she also will plug in any words at the beginning and make a song out of it)

OR

hmm hmm hmmm, hmmm hmmm hmmm (this is her humming to the tune of it. all.the.time)

OR

a-b-c-d-e-f-g hmmm hmmm m-o-p, s-t- now I know my abc's (this is her latest from yesterday)

You get the idea, right?

Anyway, due to her love for the song, I wanted an ABC poster to put up in her room. Except I didn't want a really corny one. And I searched Etsy for one, which I found some awesome picks, but I didn't want to spend a lot on it.

So, using these supplies: (Which cost me a total of $7 from Michael's Craft Store. The canvas was 50% off and I bought the stencil for around $2. I already had the paints.)


Last night I painted this for her room to hang right next to her chalkboard wall I painted a couple of weeks ago:


It's not perfect. But I'm happy with how it turned out. (Note: The yellow and blue and brown in the picture really aren't that contrasting, but the picture makes it out to be. It's looks a lot better in person. Oh well.)

8.11.2010

my brain is scattered and so is this post.

I'm at the point in pregnancy where you actually start counting down. When you tell people how many weeks you have left. 8. That's it. It may sound like a lot. But in my head, it isn't. And last night I totally had one of those "you are very pregnant and emotional" moments. My sweet husband took the blame and apologized [For what? I don't even remember. That's pregnancy for you.] and I managed. I even did some sewing therapy.

I made Naomi her own diaper clutch and two burp cloths.


Yesterday I had my regular every two-week doctor check-up. Things are looking well. I don't want to take for granted these appointments that come so easy. Great blood pressure and no problems. I am very thankful for that. And just to make sure all is well with little Naomi's heart, next Tuesday we are going up to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis to get a fetal heart echo. This will tell us if Naomi has the same heart issue that Audrey had when she was borned (it's genetic). Audrey was born with Severe Pulmonary Stenosis. But after her heart surgery at 5 days old, she now only has Mild Pulmonary Stenosis and everything has checked out great since. [Sometimes that first week of Audrey's life still seems so unreal to me.] So if you think about it next Tuesday, little prayers would be much appreciated for our little Naomi.

For good measure. Here is my 32 week belly.


Today I got the official "mom seal." We bought a mini-van. [I told myself years ago I would never, ever drive a mini-van or wear a jean jumper as a teacher. Excuse me, while I swallow my pride on that first one. And I am determined to hold true to that second one. No jean jumper for me, no sir-re.] I can't believe we actually chose a mini-van to buy. But we did it, and I am so glad. It really is practical and makes sense for us, since we want more than two kids. My favorite part? The automatic power doors. Oh, and that we don't have a car payment (we bought an older one).

To keep the scattered post going, let me share with you the shirts I bought off of Etsy today from the shop Funzee with Onsies.



Except not that exact one. Because I don't have a daughter named Olivia. [Although I think that name is super adorable.] Instead I bought two shirts with that stinkin' cute mermaid on it. One shirt will say "Big Sister Audrey" and a teeny onsie that will say "Little Sister Naomi." So, so excited to received these in the mail. And you should check out her shop, there are tons of adorable shirts there that you can get customized. A lot of vintage looking ones! (I'm not getting anything for mentioning her shop, I just think it is really cool and wanted to share.)

So did you get everything in from this post? Let's review: 32 weeks pregnant, Naomi's heart echo on Tuesday, diaper cluth and burp cloths, bought a mini-van, and purchased some super cute shirts on Etsy. And somehow my brain still feels full and cramped with things that I can't organize.

Oh well.

8.09.2010

who says you can't bust a move {7 months} pregnant.

This past weekend we celebrated Andrew's brother, Dale, getting married to his beautiful bride, Astrid. It was quite the occasion. Full of good food, great company, and lots of dancing.

Oh, how I love to dance. And apparently, so does my 21 month old daughter.

She was the FIRST one out on the dance floor. Shaken her little tush like it was the way to be. And that bottom lip came out when we had to pull her off the floor when it was time to go home.

What can I say. Like mother, like daughter.




We had a good o'time watching these two lovebirds tie the knot.


My little family. Love.

Also? May I point out, I did my hair myself. And of course, I had Andrew snap a picture of it.

 (excuse the blurry-ness, I didn't change the settings for my husband)

It was a lovely weekend. And I hope yours was too!

8.04.2010

smile with your mouth.

I've talked about Audrey's shoe obsession before. She isn't too picky (yet) about what she wears. But shoes. Oh my. For the most part, I let her pick what shoes she wants to wear. She is good about going to get them out of her basket for me. Usually she grabs her water shoes (the ones I would pick last for her, of course). But apparently, today, she thought her bumble bee boots were the most appropriate for the 114 degree heat index day.

And that smile? That's her "smile with your mouth" smile.

I hope you are having one of those smile with your mouth type of days.

8.03.2010

31.

I'm pretty sure I skipped week 30, because I'm not sure how I am already to week 31. But it is here. And obvious.

See.

(So I noticed in this picture that my wedding ring is on my right hand. I just finished making chocolate chip banana muffins and must have put it back on wrong. This is just proof of how much I have lost my mind lately. No, seriously. EDITED TO ADD: Ready for this one? 8 hours later my husband points out that the ring IS on my left hand because it is a mirror shot. MY MIND IS GONE. Help.  )

I'm feeling good. A little uncomfortable at night, but still doable. Naomi is a wild woman. Sometimes I feel like she is trying to reach out and grab me. Doc says I'm still measuring big. Which she thinks this babe might just be bigger. We'll see.

On another note, did you know it's World Breastfeeding Week? I think it totally rocks that there is a week dedicated to this. And to celebrate I bought myself a new Bravado Nursing Bra and Glamourmom Nursing Tank. (P.S. They are 25% off right now, use coupon code breastfeeding-week at checkout.) I'm getting really excited to have another little one to nurse, comfort, and nourish. I nursed Audrey for about 13-14 months. Every one's timeline is different with nursing, but that is what worked and felt right for me and Audrey. I can't believe in 9 weeks or less, Naomi will be attached to me in the most beautiful way.

8.02.2010

i've got my eye on you.

I haven't bought hardly anything for little Naomi. That's what happens when your second child is another girl in the exact same season of the first.

But I did some "window" internet browsing on etsy the other day and came up with some lovely things that I am dreaming to buy her.

Organic Ruffled Lace Infant Hat


Bird Bib


Knit Butterfly Headband


Brown Bird Onsie


Bowtiful Bloom Headband


Organic Onsie Altered Couture



Wannit. All. Isn't hand-made stuff the best?

P.S. I'm not being asked to write about any of this. Nor am I receiving anything for it. Although, I wouldn't complain if I did.

8.01.2010

let's make a day of it.

What do you get when you mix a small Toyota Corolla, a 6'2'' tall husband, and two carseats? Not enough room. So yesterday we sold our little car in preparation for baby #2 to arrive (in just two months- eek!). The husband is too tall to drive with a carseat behind him. Yeah, he pretty much sits gangsta style, you know, seat as far back as possible. Now we are the search for a swagger wagon. [You should click on the link if you haven't watched that video yet- it is hilarious.]  And to stay with Dave's style (our man for financial wisdom), we are going older and cheaper.

We sold our car on cars.com (I highly recommend it- we did the cheapest ad of $15 and even found a coupon online so it cost only $11. Which totally beats a newspaper ad of $35 that only runs 3 days.) We had to drive up to Indianapolis to meet, so we made a day out of it and hit the zoo. What do you get when you have an overcast day, rain in the morning, and 73 degrees? A perfect day for the zoo. It was probably one of the least crowded days I have ever been to the zoo. And it was Saturday, we could hardly believe it.

I love seeing the animals myself, but what I love more is watching Audrey interact with her daddy.


I also love watching Audrey dance. "Mama, I hear moosic." She busted a move while we ate a footlong coney a healthy lunch.


I love those moments when life feels so right. The 'bottle of the moment' feeling. A zoo day with my little family was just that.