36 Weeks

I'm still pregnant! I won't be rejoicing at this news when I'm past 40 weeks, but today, this is a huge praise. We've got one more week til term, and then my bedrest restrictions are lifted and I can get out and about and have a little fun.

I must say, 3rd trimester pregnancy is the only time that my butt looks small. I'm liking this.

The past 3 weeks have been better than I thought, though I know it's been trying for Luke and our families - everyone has had to juggle schedules in order to help me out, and I am so utterly thankful for all of them.

My to-do list has dwindled down to just a couple items, including getting my hair cut and baking for the hospital (I like to "bribe" the nurses). For Avery, I baked cupcakes and spent my last afternoon before being induced frosting them. But, it's 105 degrees out, so I'm opting for simple brownies that won't melt in the heat.

I did come to the realization this past week that even if we have a girl, we still have to buy a whole new wardrobe for her, because our children will be born in opposite seasons. We're covered through the first 3 months, because the weather will be similar, but after that, we'll have to stock up for a girl. And if it's a boy, I hope our bank account can handle it. *grin*

And, here's what I've been up to the past 3 weeks:

This quilt, a gift for a friend's new baby, plus another 2 quilts are in the works.

So, I'm off to enjoy my last week of laziness before the hubby goes back to working in the office and I'm on my own again.

Weekly Report

• Tomorrow marks 35 weeks. We've made it 2 weeks since our hospital visit!
• I'm on modified bed rest for 2 more weeks. After that, I can do whatever I want, within the scope of normal pregnancy regulations of course. That glass of wine will have to wait. 
• I was originally told that they won't induce me at all for a VBAC, but the doctor informed me that even if I go to 42 weeks, it's not an automatic c-section. They will do a very gentle induction at that point. Praise God! They won't, however, induce me at 39 weeks just because I'm tired. I'm perfectly in agreement with them. 
• My mother-in-law was here this week, and we (she) got lots of cleaning done, plus we had time for some sewing. Thank you so much for coming to help us out!! We miss you already!
• Our neighbor, who is no longer our neighbor because she and her family moved last week, had her baby a week ago. Such a tiny, precious little girl! They stopped by tonight for a little visit and I got to snuggle the baby for a bit. I'm hoping she whispered to my baby and encouraged him/her to not take too much time getting here once full-term is reached. 
• We ask Avery if she wants a baby brother or a baby sister, and she usually repeats sister. I still think this is a boy. I could be very very wrong.
• Luke quizzes Avery on her middle name preference for a boy. She usually responds with his top choice over any of my choices. Stinker. His are weird. However, she also picked "Tickle" as a middle name at one point today, so I don't think her vote should count. 
• When Avery saw baby Lyla today, she just stared and stared at her, probably wondering how she came to exist outside of her momma's belly. We tried to explain that we'll have a tiny baby in a few weeks. And then Lyla started crying, and Avery responded with, "Baby cry! Baby sad!". I have a feeling we'll hear that a lot next month. 
• Dora is the new favorite at our house, and we had a long day of it yesterday because I was at the end of my patience and Avery was at the end of hers. She consistently cracks us up with her talking though, because she kept running into the room to tell me, "I see Swiper! I be right back!" and off she'd go to make sure Swiper didn't run off with whatever object he was trying to steal. 
• Baby P likes to stretch out diagonally in my belly, making it look quite oblong. I'm often lopsided. 
• My belly button popped out with this pregnancy. It never did with Avery. I wonder if it's because this baby is sitting much lower, and it stretches my skin out differently than Avery did. 
• I've been sewing like a madwoman. I have 3 quilts in various stages, plus a teething guard for the crib. 
• We have a quiet weekend ahead of us, lounging around the house and enjoying this restful time before the baby comes. 
• I feel good, the baby is healthy, and we're just hanging out, waiting! We are so eager to meet this child. And I'm SO curious to know the gender!

Scenes from the Week

It's been a slow week, but Avery's energy levels have been anything but that. The excitement of having Nonnie here for almost an entire week sent her into crazy mode, but it's been so entertaining to watch her bounce all over the place. I'm so thankful that she plays well by herself and can find just about anything to entertain her these days, since I can't do much with her unless she decides to slow down for a minute and let me read a book to her.

She did ask to "cuddle few minutes" before bed one night, and she snuggled right up next to me on the couch, with the request for "lots blankets". We said her bedtime prayers and then Nonnie tucked her into her bed for the night.

Speaking of beds - Avery has been in her big girl bed for about 2 weeks now, and we're still going strong! I didn't want to jinx it by talking about it, but she seems to be loving it. I know we may encounter problems when the newness wears off. We started slowly, and if she requested her crib instead, we let her switch. The last thing we wanted was to traumatize her, so we didn't force the issue. But, after a couple nights, she requested the BGB every time. We kept her in her crib for naptime for a week, because we don't mess with naps in this house. They are sacred. But, she's been napping in her BGB for the past few days and has done really well - still getting 2.5 to 3 hours per nap! Nonnie picked up a step-stool for her so I won't have to lift her in and out (this bed is TALL), and she loves to climb up into bed all by herself. We move the stool so she doesn't let herself out in the middle of the night. Although, she did randomly fall out of bed at 5 am two nights ago, completely unhurt and only crying because she wasn't sleeping anymore and wanted back in bed. We still aren't sure how she got out, with the rails up and pillows all around.

Nonnie left last night, Luke is working from home today and will be home all weekend, and then his mom is coming next week, Monday through Thursday, to take care of us. We are so grateful for family who is able to come and entertain us and clean for us and feed us. My mom informed me that feeding me 6 times a day is a full-time job. She was such a huge help all week, and I was really sad to see her go.

Avery fills her time with music, some Dora or Caillou or VeggieTales, going through her flashcards, reading to herself, playing with her baby dolls (they get a lot of naps and swing-time), and last night she took her bear for a walk to the mailbox in the doll stroller. She also has started stacking blocks and plays in her kitchen a lot, naming every food that goes into the shopping cart.

Baby wanted to eat a raisin. She seemed to have trouble swallowing it though.

Luke reported back that she had to go over the "bumpies" multiple times. They are her favorite part of our walks. 

She greets me every morning with "Good morning, Mommy!" and doesn't seem too upset that I can't get up and play with her. She does ask me, "Mommy, come in here please!" but doesn't cry when I can't and finds someone else to come play, or she'll bring the item to me instead. This morning when I moved to the couch, she layed her lovie on me, told me to have sweet dreams, and gave me a kiss. Oh, I love her!

When listing the items in her shopping cart, she would hand them off and name them, "cheese", "pepper", "garlic", "stuff" - ha! I guess she doesn't recognize all of the food items yet.

This morning the step-stool fell on her baby, which she didn't seem to notice until Luke walked into the room, and then she feigned real concern for the baby. "Oh no, baby, what happened? Poor baby." pat pat pat on the back, Thunk! went the head into the crib, the baby doll fell to the ground, and off Avery went to find something else to play with.

She stole my blankets.

She also has a couple favorite games - I Get You and More Tickles. She loves people to chase her saying, "I'm going to get you!" and then she wants to be tickled endlessly when they do get her. This morning she snuck up on her kitty, saying "Get you, get you, get you!" and then tickled that poor stuffed animal while laughing.

It's been a good week so far, with a couple more days of real restrictions, which I'll enjoy to the fullest. I like having people bring me food. :)

Baby P Update

We're home from my doctor appointment with some good news! I'm on bedrest through the weekend, which marks 34 weeks, and then some of my restrictions are being lifted next week. I'll be allowed to be up and moving more at home, drive myself to my doctor appointments, and run errands (if necessary). I'm still asked to take it easy and not lift much at all, but I don't have to maintain my perch on the couch all day anymore, which is fantastic. I can go back to the Bradley classes starting next week as well, with some modifications on some of the exercises. I know I'll be sticking close to home for the next few weeks regardless, just because it's hard to lift Avery in and out of shopping carts and into the car (she can climb, but it's a bit of a stretch for her sometimes).

The baby's heart beat was great, he/she is head down, my weight decreased thanks to that hospital stay (but not an alarming amount), and the bleeding has stopped. I don't have to worry about placenta previa either, since the placenta will continue to move upwards as the baby and uterus grows. I don't have to add any extra appointments in at this point, since I'm going every 2 weeks anyways, but if anything changes for the worse we'll be back there in a split second. I think all restrictions are lifted at 36 weeks, so just 4 days of complete rest, 2 more weeks after that of taking it easy, and then we'll see what happens! If this baby is already measuring at 5 lbs, I'm okay with him/her showing up a week or two early.

Thank you all for your prayers and offers to help us out! Please keep praying that we make it to term and that nothing changes for the worse. We'll keep updating every few days just so you know we haven't disappeared into the hospital.

Home

I'm transferring updates to the blog now that we're home, so check back here regularly to see what's going on with Baby Presley.

A tiny background summary for those who are just finding out: I went into the hospital Saturday afternoon because I had started bleeding quite a bit, very unexpectedly. Our neighbor (who is on bedrest herself) came and sat with Avery while she napped until my brother-in-law could get over here, who sat until my parents arrived from out of town.

We were placed in triage for a few hours where they did some bloodwork, a lengthy ultrasound (including a physical on the baby, who passed with flying colors), some other exams, etc. Triage = tiny room and the world's most uncomfortable bed and too many people fluttering around you. We were moved into L&D for a couple hours before moving to our final room in antepartum, which is where the sick pregnant mommies go to hang out until they deliver or go home. While in triage, it was looking pretty likely that we'd have a baby in the next couple of days, by c-section, but thankfully everything slowed down, the results were good from all of the tests, and hope increased that this baby would stay in there longer.

They gave me a steroid shot around dinnertime, but I hadn't eaten anything since 1:30, and the shots tend to make your blood sugar skyrocket. I didn't get dinner until 10 pm Saturday night, so I had a really bad night with the shakes and a racing heart, but it settled down early morning and I was able to get a couple hours of sleep finally. The purpose of the shots is to mature the baby's lungs faster, in case the baby decided to come before 34 weeks. The goal is to get me to at least 34 weeks, though yesterday morning the midwife said I have a chance of going to term at this point, though it's still a day-by-day situation and things could change at any minute.

Last night's nurse was odd in a friendly, kooky way, but I would request her in a heartbeat if I needed another shot in my hiney. The steroid shots hurt like the dickens - long needle, lots of fluid going in, in a sensitive area. But, apparently, there is a "dime-sized spot that the good Lord created" (her exact words) that has the least amount of nerves, and she pegged it. Praise God! I didn't even notice the needle go in, not until she started pushing the fluid in. She told me that she'd been giving shots there since 1974, and she won a dart-throwing contest in South Korea when she was stationed there. Ha!

Sunday was a slow day overall, but we had a few visitors, including a delightful visit from Avery and my parents. It was so good to see Aves, though she was really nervous about me being in a hospital bed with a needle sticking out of my arm. They had just taken me off IV (praise!) but left a saline lock in place just in case. Avery also didn't like the nurse, because all nurses carry needles (it's true, they do), so as the nurse headed out, she yelled out "Bye, nurse! All done nurse!"

We got home around 10 pm last night, after my last steroid shot, another hour on the fetal monitor, and discharge papers.

The baby is doing so well, the bleeding is going away, and I feel good. I'm looking at an undecided amount of time on bedrest, and praying that it's weeks and not days, as un-fun as that sounds.

Our prayers right now are that the placenta continues to slow/stop it's bleeding (it's not placental abruption or placenta previa, though it is lying anterior and a bit low), the fluid levels are maintained and don't drop, the baby stays head down, the placenta decides to stay out of the way of my cervix so I can labor, and that Avery adjusts well to me not being able to do anything for her right now.

My mom is here this week, and Luke is working from home as much as possible. My in-laws are coming at the end of the week to relieve my mom for a few days, and then they'll trade off as needed/as they are able.

We're taking this a day at a time, praying that God would give us peace and would minimize the scares that could crop up with this situation. We're hopeful and thankful to be home, where life feels more normal.

Week 2.5 of Pregger-Betes

This is getting old. Quickly. Because I'm hungry. And because this diet is expensive. I spent $105 at the grocery store on Monday, and today Avery and I popped into HEB to pick up a "few" things, walking out spending another $70...five days after my original shopping trip. Now, granted, many of the items will last us until end of next week, so next Monday's trip should really just be meat and a few veggies.

I walk through the aisles, staring at all of the carbs that I can't have. I mosey down the ice cream aisle, chanting "7 more weeks, 7 more weeks". I do a sniff test at the bakery and dream of bagels and rolls and chocolate cake.

Speaking of cake - the admittance fee to the hospital to see our new precious child is chocolate cake, brownies, or a chocolate milkshake from Mighty Fine. No dessert, no viewing.

Tea Party with Daddy

Daddy served up carrots and oranges with the tea

Avery liked it so much, that she decided to prepare food for Daddy next

However, she wasn't exactly original in her menu planning. Notice the carrots and oranges?

Uh-oh. Does the 5 second rule count?

Back in business...

...to serve Daddy

but apple juice that you can actually drink is much much better

Thanks for the tea party Daddy!

Then and Now

Avery, 1 month

Avery, 27 months

Silly Girl

because all headbands are supposed to be worn like this

she discovered that things stick to the ac unit at the beach condo - this starfish was there for a couple hours

a daily look - sour cream is her favorite

GD and VBAC

The results weren't good from the fasting glucose test - I now have gestational diabetes. But - I've heard from the midwife and the diabetes educator that my numbers are "beautiful" now that I'm following the GD diet, so I won't have to be put on any medicine to help my body do its thing. This diagnosis was a big blow for me mentally, since I've been on a low-sugar diet for so long (it's not the diet, it's the hormones and pancreatic function, but it's still depressing). At least I haven't been flooding the baby with unnecessary sugar before I knew about the GD, which is a bonus. The diet really isn't that different from what I've been doing, though I've cut back on all carbs more. The biggest difference for me is how regulated I have to be as to when I eat, and what combinations I have to make when I eat. I live by the clock now, which is hard because my schedule is so random these days.

At my appointment this morning, they even said that if my numbers continue to remain so great, I can cut back to checking my sugars twice a day, instead of four times a day. And, there's light at the end of the tunnel, because this will go away once I have the baby. However, I also have up to a 50% chance of developing Type II diabetes later in life, which, well, sucks.

The baby is measuring normally (the concern for GD babies is that they would be large), and I'm still on track to try for my VBAC, which is such a relief. The midwife said I shouldn't have any problem with it despite this diagnosis.

So, please pray that the baby stays small, my blood pressure remains normal, that I go into labor naturally near or on my due date (as opposed to after it, especially since they won't induce me b/c of the VBAC), and that labor progresses well and there aren't any complications throughout. Also, pray for a healthy baby with proper blood sugar levels at birth.

30 Weeks (sans pic)

Again, lazy with the camera. Picture a large bump on the front of me. I'll get one taken eventually and post it.

But, I'm down to the last 10 weeks! This has been another easy pregnancy so far, and I was thinking today how I'm not as tired of pregnancy at this stage like I was with Avery - it must be that I'm home instead of working on my feet 10 hours a day. The baby is very active, and this morning around 6 am it was like a seizure occurred in my stomach and then all was quiet. Sometimes I can feel the baby stretching from opposite corners of my uterus, and yesterday it was more like a spread eagle in there - all four limbs seemed to stretch out at the same time, if that's possible. Right now as I'm typing the baby is wiggling a ton. It's such a blessing to see and feel this child move about inside of me.

I'm measuring right on target, the baby has thankfully shifted up a little bit so that I'm not feeling intense pressure, and my weight gain is better than I hoped it would be, meaning this low-sugar diet has worked. It's also made me fail my glucose test, and I had to go in for the awful 3 hour fasting glucose test. And, you don't fast for 3 hours...you fast for 10-12 prior, then you sit in the waiting room for the 3 hours following your first blood draw and that awful drink. I nearly passed out multiple times, and I had people coming up to me making sure I was okay. Random strangers had to check on me all morning, because I was the weird sweaty person in the corner about to fall out of her chair. I could sense that a lot of people didn't want to sit by me either - there was usually an open seat next to me at all times, even when the room filled up. There has GOT to be a better way to test for gestational diabetes, because this was just torture. And, I'm praying that I don't have GD, because wouldn't that just be the kicker? At least I'm used to the diet already! I think my main concern is having a big baby because of GD, which tends to happen, because the whole point of the low-sugar diet was to make a small baby for VBAC purposes.

Crazy pregnancy dreams are back. Or they could be stress related. Either way, int-er-esting.

Yogurt with grape-nuts is my new craving.

I walked to the grocery store this evening with Luke and Avery to pick up a redbox movie and some fruit. I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it back. I don't have pain usually, but my sciatic decided to flare up halfway. I officially waddle now too.

I can't stand and chat anymore...I have to sit all the time.

We're in Bradley classes and like them, but there are some kooky people in there! Our instructor also keeps telling us to eat something light during the early stages of labor, like pancakes. She ate a stack of 20 during one of her labors. Um, ew! Not light. Pancakes sit like a brick.

We're also scrambling to find babysitters for the rest of summer for Bradley classes, because our original babysitter is now on bedrest and our backup lives in the opposite direction, which makes for a very long evening. I'm praying we can find someone who can come to us!

I feel better about my pregnany body this time around...it must be the summer tan that helps. Winter white plus an extra X amount of pounds doesn't equate to pretty in my mind.

Yes, EMU, I have pregnancy jorts. Simply because they don't have to be ironed and I don't have to think about them much...any shirt will match. Skirts and maxi dresses are my preferred wardrobe, but those shorts make a frequent appearance!

I think Avery is getting tired of "it's too hot" to do this or that, but when I'm running 10-15 degrees hotter than most people, 104 temps just aren't going to cut it for me. I'm so thankful that she can entertain herself for a long time indoors.

We picked up some new baby/big sister books at the library. They're cute, but nothing I'd highly recommend at this point.

Here's hoping that the last 10 weeks go by smoothly.

27 Months

I've become officially lazy with this blog, and taking pictures, and anything that requires any mental effort on my part these days. And I think I did my math right on how old Avery is today. Yikes, I'm becoming dumber by the second with this pregnancy.

Conversations with our girl have become quite entertaining these days. My mom watched Avery for a few hours yesterday, and we returned home to find out that Avery had informed her that the bear on the flash card had a spanking, a time out, and was now crying. She keeps repeating this to us, and we keep trying to find out why the bear is in such trouble. It's simply a picture of a teddy bear playing the violin with his eyes closed. Maybe she thinks he's sad.

She puts her baby dolls down for a nap and will cover them up with her lovey and tell them, "Sweet dreams, sleep tight baby." She checks on them repeatedly, so often that I wonder if those poor babies actually ever get a nap. Then she'll wake them up with "Hello, Sweets." She's copying me with the nickname, since I use that on her sometimes.

At the pool today, I dragged her into the main part with me, away from the safety of the steps. Screaming ensued, followed by "Don't. Like. It!!!" It took all of 30 seconds for her to start kicking her legs and having fun.

Sour cream and ketchup are still her main staples with each meal. I wish we could get away from them, but if it means other food makes it in her belly too, then I shouldn't worry so much.

She tries to negotiate, and she plays the parent card...if one parent says no, she'll turn to the other and ask the same question again. Thankfully we're on the same page and she gets denied both times, though rumor has it Daddy snuck her an extra piece of chocolate today.

She knows random shapes, like pentagon, but square and triangle are her favorite. She's starting to recognize letters and numbers but isn't consistent yet. Counting is all over the place most days, but once in awhile she'll surprise us and count a sequence of something properly.

If she hops in the shower with me, she sits down and asks for "market market", which means we have to play This Little Piggy. She touches each of my toes as I say the rhyme, but she goes so fast that I'm flying through it and barely get to Wee before she's onto the next foot.

I painted my toenails pink, and Avery has to declare the color of my toes every time she seems them.

She loves to flush the toilet for us. It's very weird. She'll also state what's in the toilet, something like this: "Just pee-pee." or "No poo-poo" or "Ewww, yucky." I've had to start locking her out at times, just for a minute of privacy. But, I also want her to get used to the toilet in hopes that she'll start using it.

We put her down at a friend's house one evening while we went to our childbirth class. When we picked her up, she sleepily told us, "Avery, don't touch fish." Her friend S has a beta fish in his room. Turns out she was remembering his request not to dump his fish food out again. Funny how that conversation was the first thing she thought of upon waking!

All balloons are high balloons, or hi balloons. We're not sure which.

She talks about characters from her favorite movies as if they were real, like Caillou or Junior from VeggieTales. She has conversations with us about them, usually about something they did in that episode. And, she frequently asks for something because they had it first, like juice or ice cream.

She fell out of a chair yesterday and Luke swooped her up. She bawled her eyes out and requested that they "cuddle 2 minutes". Sometimes she asks for this for comfort, like in this instance, and sometime it's simply a delay tactic before bedtime.

I asked her if she thought the baby is a baby boy or a baby girl sibling. She responded with baby boy immediately (which I think it is), but then stated that it was also a baby girl. No help from her!

We love you Avery Jane!

Splash Pad Holiday

We've never been big Memorial Day planners. If something interesting comes up, we'll attend. Otherwise, we enjoy Luke's day off of work quietly, but we're learning that kids make most everything more fun and they give us an excuse to enjoy things like splash pads.

We called up my sister and her hubby, picked up sandwiches, and headed out to Leander for some splash pad fun with Avery. She's been pool-shy this season, so we thought this would be more enjoyable for her (and it doesn't require a swimsuit for this preggo mama). It took her a few laps around the edge of the pad to become comfortable with the other kids and the water shooting up everywhere, but she eventually ventured in, tested the water with her toes, and then sat underneath one of the spray pipes. 

always finding something to climb on

milk and grilled cheese break

The men stayed in the shade, but the gals joined Avery for a bit, avoiding all major splash pipes and buckets. 

me looking quite a bit rounder than my sister - 25 weeks

Avery then caught sight of swings in the distance, so a quick change later, we headed over to the playground. 

We all crashed for a nap at my sister's in the afternoon before parting ways to get Avery fed and bathed and down for the night. Thanks for being spontaneous Nick and Shell!

Avery-isms

Avery is cracking us up these days with the things she says. Some are funny, some we're working on teaching her how to respond appropriately instead.

"No, MINE bouncy ball!" (Said as she's staring into the oven door so she can see what she looks like when she says it)

"How about...?" For instance, the other day I told her no, she couldn't watch a movie, and she responded with "How about Caillou?" and a grin

"Good job, Mommy!" when I opened her string cheese packet

"Kick it so high!" - the big exercise ball

"Yeah, mmm-hmmm."

"More tickle, all done tickle"

"Let's go!" when we're off to do something that excites her. Today it was going to brush her teeth with her toothpaste.

"Flush?!" She gets SO mad if I flush the toilet and fail to let her do it for me. She'll run into the bathroom and stand there just bouncing with excitement at the prospect of flushing. Thankfully she understands that we only need to flush once, at the appropriate time, so that I'm not catching her flushing all day just for fun. Phew!

Nesting and Other Symptoms

Last time I was pregnant, I was working full-time and rarely home, or when at home - I slept, non-stop, because of the hours and type of work I was doing (on my feet, all day, lifting, bending, carrying). The nesting instinct didn't seem to kick in like I thought it would. This time around I'm home with Avery, and I can finally see what nesting is really like. I have to say, it makes me do some very ODD things.

For instance, this weekend I tackled lots of items with a toothbrush. I sat down and scrubbed the one spot that is hard to clean in our shower. Luke is normally the one who takes over bathroom-cleaning duties when I'm pg, but he just misses some things, like the weird spot in the shower, or the dusty baseboards...things that drive me crazy to look at day in and day out.

I also pulled out the toothbrush to get rid of the spots on the (not-so) awesome rental carpet we're sporting these days. Now they're a weird bleached color thanks to the oxi-clean in the carpet cleaner, but it's better than before. I might need to negotiate a professional cleaning from the apartment office before the baby comes.

I organized the books on our shelf by color.

I sew like a madwoman some days.

I recruited my mom to help me move furniture in the kids' room, and our room is next in the line-up for reorganization.

I sit and stare at a spot for up to 10 minutes, trying to decide what (if anything) needs to be done to it. Nothing is safe.

I also find that projects are left half-done...I get the one thing most critical done, and then my energy peters out. Avery's room is reorganized, but her closet needs some maintenance, plus I have to make room for the baby clothes in her dresser. The spot in the shower is clean, but the rest of the shower missed this week's scheduled cleaning. I have half-finished sewing projects, with new ones being added. We cleared out a desk, but everything is sitting in a paper bag waiting for a new home. Dishes made it through the dishwasher, but anything hand-washed was left. Laundry was washed, but didn't make it to the dryer.

And, my brain function, it's slowing WAY down. I almost put a bag of tortilla chips in the fridge today. Avery wears fur-lined crocs in the 100 degree heat and I think it's a good idea, because they're quick to put on. I have a package to mail to someone, and it's 3 weeks late - I walk by it daily and the thought doesn't cross my mind to actually take it to the post office. I failed to notice that my shirt was completely see-through last week and went all day like that. I don't think I've brushed my hair in a week - it gets washed, it air dries, I leave it.

Let's hope that I get my act together sometime before the baby comes to finish things, and that I find my brain again for the safety of all my children.

Transformation

Today marked the first day of summer Bible study, and we opened up with an icebreaker on how we are the same and different from our high school selves. I thought about it after, on the way home, and realized I've come pretty far from my original goal of wanting to be a doctor (this was the long-standing dream from childhood). I had ALWAYS wanted to be a pediatrician, and started at Baylor pre-med. I think I switched to the pre-PA (physician's assistant) track with a major in Nutrition during my first semester. I knew I wanted to have kids eventually, years down the road, so I knew med school didn't fit that dream well enough. But PA - that I could do! And then I hit organic chemistry, and opted to just focus on nutrition - I was going to be a dietitian, still helping people, still in the medical field, and I could still focus on pediatrics. And then I had a crisis after college graduation because of a snafu with placement in the dietetic internships, and somehow I eventually ended up at culinary school.

In summary, the process:

Doctor (help kids, lots of money, prestige) --> PA (sort-of a doctor, help kids, decent money, prestige) --> Dietitian (at least still in the medical field, worked REALLY hard at this route taking on extra work in summers for experience in the field, help kids, some money, some prestige) --> Pastry Chef (make kids fatter, not in the medical field at all, it's a novelty to people, I'm in a ton of school debt) --> Mom (left the job to raise the kids, negative money, poop and puke, but I'm also: in the medical field, I'm helping kids, Avery thinks I'm awesome).

How did I get here?!

So, I kid, really, because I see where God has worked in my life and it's been such an encouragement to me to see his hand guiding me and shaping me to be the best version of my self (still a long continual process because I am way off mark even yet). He's taken the initial interests and tweaked them, some a lot, some just a little. The money was never a deciding factor for me, it was just interesting to see the downward spiral of my potential income. He could have led me down any number of paths, but this is the one I'm on, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride. It was a slow process in changing my mindset, dealing with the "why" and "what went wrong", and changing it into joy in the moment, a calling to be a mom and a godly example to my children and to enjoy it. He took the decision out of my control and blessed us with Avery a few years into the marriage (as a surprise). And looking back on this, and looking at where I am now, I've never felt more at peace with who I am and where I am.

Though, if we're talking seriously...God, a bigger home would be nice, preferably one where I don't share walls with a neighbor! :)

Sewing Projects

I've been bit by the sewing bug. I've had a machine for 4 or 5 years, and I only dabbled in it on occasion - I was intimidated and didn't know where to start. Last year, I made this with the help of my mom, which instilled a lot of confidence in me and then in the past couple of months I've become addicted. Some friends and I have a sewing night every few weeks, but I've been working on projects more at naptime and after Avery goes to bed.

sprucing up some old burp cloths - more on the way when I can get more thread

new larger nursing cover, because Avery was an acrobatic nurser and I flashed more people than I should have

complete with terry cloth pocket, which needs some adjustments because it's a little too loose

And - the one I'm most proud of - a throw-size rag quilt for Avery's big girl bed

rag quilt back

I've also whipped up a drool bib for the baby and a pillowcase dress for Avery, which is still in need of the ribbon ties. I have a whole set of projects in queue, just waiting for a chance to get to the store for more fabric.

♥

Baby Love

Our girl is becoming more aware of babies and baby things these days, in a good way. I'm hoping that her love for the baby doll translates to love for the little brother or sister.

She discovered the bassinet and has helped herself into on many an occasion when my back is turned.

 

All morning she's had a conversation with herself, or her baby, with running commentary such as this, "Good-night baby, sweet dreams baby...goodnight hug, goodnight kiss...sweet dreams...all done sweet dreams...lovie blanket baby...." The baby has been put to bed in the bassinet, on the couch, on the floor, on the coffee table, under the lovie, under the blanket, on top of both, with Avery on top of her (have to watch that one when the real baby arrives!!), with multiple hugs and kisses and then tossing about by the arm or leg. It's sweet to see her pretend and play in her own little world.

Birthday Weekend

"more cup-cake!"

"smoomies" - the first run in the VitaMix. This machine rocks.

the paint missed the paper by a wide margin

Birthdays these days are kind of anti-climactic. A trip to the store by yourself can be the best.gift.ever. Sleeping in ranks even higher. Luke cooked pancakes for breakfast, much to Avery's delight, and I got to sleep in til 10 (!), waking to a barricade of chairs in front of my bedroom door because Avery knows how to open doors and the lock is broken. My sister came over and surprised me with cupcakes (I broke my no-sugar rule for the big day - everyone needs cake on their birthday), though Avery had the most fun with them. Last night Luke and I had a dinner/movie date, and the fun continues when I get a massage on Wednesday. Avery and Luke also worked on a craft project for me - a nature painting, though Luke had to finish it by himself because Avery decided that she didn't like her hands being dirty and we had to wash them off. So, 28 didn't bring much hoopla like 16 or 21 did, but it was the sweetest of them all.

Outside Fun

Avery always gets dirt on the tip of her nose when we play outside.

Who needs an eraser for chalk when your shorts can do it for you?!

Uh-oh, where's Avery?!

There she is! She's so sneaky.

Oldies but Goodies

I was pulling a few pics off my mom's camera from our spontaneous trip to visit my parents this week, and I found some old pics of Avery. Oh my, I had forgotten just how bad that haircut was!! These were taken about 11 months ago.

Peach and berry picking

Keys are still a favorite, a year later

And, some funnies from February:

Today's Reasons Why I'm Crazy About Her

1. She sat in her little reading chair and read her counting book, only this time instead of just naming the animals on the pages, she said "quiet walk, quiet talk, tea". The book starts out "One is good for a quiet walk, two is right for a quiet talk, three is nice for having tea...."

2. She told me her lovie was driving the scooter, as she laid it gently over the handlebars. Later today, she gently placed it on the handlebars again, buried her face in it, and blindly drove the scooter as fast as she could into the doorway, repeatedly, laughing hysterically each time. 

3. She skipped over the yummy chicken salad salad I made, and dipped dry cereal in the dressing instead.

4. Every time she asks for something, and you repeat it back to her to clarify, she responds with "yeah" and the most hopeful look on her face.

5. She thinks the monkeys hanging off Noah's ark in her book are in trouble and acts very worried about them. We can't leave the page until she is completely sure they aren't going to fall into the flood.

6. We've read Click Clack Moo approximately 472 times since Monday. She stares at the page where Farmer Brown is furious for a very long time. I think she's worried about the cows.

7. D-Dad came to town for a couple hours for work and treated us to lunch, and she squealed with excitement when she first laid eyes on him. She then ate a bowl of sour cream for lunch, with a couple bites of quesadilla for good measure.

8. Buckles are her favorite thing, and she proceeded to buckle every stroller in Baby Earth today.

9. She smacked her lips when she gave kisses today. This also means her kisses are more slobbery.

10. She's finally tall enough to put the key in the lock (which means I don't have to lift her and hold her while helping her figure it out), and she unlocked the door with only minor assistance from me.

11. I told her Daddy would be home soon, and she yelled, "Lock!" and ran over to the front door to unlock it for him.

12. While Luke was picking out pjs for her to wear tonight, we noticed that she was pretending to fill her teacups with water from her play kitchen faucet so she could drink them. Apparently she shared some of her yummy water with Daddy after I left the room.

13. She colored on her Magna-Doodle with her crayons...not sure when this happened, but we discovered it tonight. Anyone know how to remove crayon marks? At least it wasn't the walls!

14. She always leaves the house fully accessorized, and all jewelry tends to remain in the car for days as she takes it off bit by bit. We never return back home with her wearing the same type or amount of jewelry.

High Praise

Something must have stuck with Avery after our potty-training attempt, because tonight she looked at me (as I was using the restroom), and proudly stated, "Good job, Mommy!"

Quitting Time

Day 4, 10:15 am


You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...

I'm pulling the plug on this potty training thing. She is SO distraught this morning over it that we're just done. I don't want to scare her so much that she won't ever do it, so even though she showed great promise last night, it's over. She seemed to show all the signs of being ready, so we thought we'd try, but it's not worth it if it causes her so much heartache. We'll wait a few months and try again.

Can I Outsource This?

I think they have those doggie obedience schools where you send the dog off and he comes back completely trained. Sometimes I wish I could do that with Avery. Like during potty training.

Day 2
Tears all around. I had to give myself a time-out at one point. I began to think I wasn't cut out for this, much less parenting in general. Ready to give up.

Day 3
We took a break, risked regression (as if you could regress from zero success) and put a diaper on her, and drove a meal down to a friend and popped in at a playdate to visit another friend visiting from out of state (Hi, EMU and Bop!). She sacked out in the car on the way home, because it's been an exhausting 3 days, and after a quick lunch, down for a nap, in which she didn't nap. So up again, back to full-force potty training, and after 2 accidents, we had nothing but success the rest of the afternoon! The winning strategy? Keep her favorite shows on repeat so that she sat on the potty until she went, and then went again, and again. Full emptying here. I was so proud of her!! Now, we just need to work on getting her up and moving around and realizing when to run to the potty.