Merry Christmas!

Christmas had some unexpected surprises in store for us. First, Tae and I both were sick. Tae with strep and the beginnings of pneumonia and I with a bacterial infection. Second, we ended up getting a fair amount of ice and snow which made traveling difficult. We ended up rescheduling one of our Christmas get togethers for this coming weekend.

We tried not to let these things damper our spirit of Christmas. We went to Shawnee on Christmas Eve to visit Aaron's mom, step-dad, and brothers. The picture above is Tae trying out her new skates! We had a great time visiting, eating, and of course, opening presents! On our way home that night, we picked up my little sister, Lyn, so she could stay the night at our house and not have to drive to my moms in the ice in the morning. Tae loves her "aunt assey" and had a great time having a sleepover.

Christmas morning, Tae slept in until 9am and was excited to see what she got for Christmas. She was very excited to look at all her stocking stuffers and open her presents. We got ready to go, warmed up the car, and headed over to my parent's house for brunch and more Christmas fun. The drive was a little icy and we saw a lot of people having problems driving. Thank the Lord that we made it safely. My mom and dad had made scrambled eggs, sausage, monkey bread, and smoked salmon with bagels and cream cheese. Everything was delicious!

Taelyn had fun opening her presents from Gramma and Papa and then we hung out until the rest of the family came and it was time to eat dinner. Dinner was super yummy! My mom made ham, twice baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, rolls, assorted relish trays, and cheesecake for dessert! After dinner we all got to open presents from one another. A fun time was had by all and I am glad we got to spend quality time with our family.

We look forward to celebrating Christmas with Aaron's aunt, uncle, grandpa, and dad on Saturday and hopefully we are all feeling better by then!

We had a great time celebrating Christmas and most importantly, the birth of Jesus. I am so thankful that God gave us the ultimate gift and am blessed to be able to celebrate Jesus' birthday with my family!

Bumpdate: 15 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -5 lbs

Baby Size: A naval orange (4.0 in, 2.5 oz)
 

You probably can't feel it yet, but she's squirming a ton! She might even be hiccuping in there. She's making lots of progress: her joints and limbs can all move now!

Symptoms: Well this week has had a lot of non-pregnancy related symptoms because I came down with what I thought was a nasty cold and ended up being a bacterial infection. So, since before Christmas I have felt like crud : ( I think the sickness made me not realize any symptoms related to the pregnancy...although being sick when pregnant is doubly horrible!

Movement: Occasionally fluttering! Can't wait for Tae and Aaron to feel the jabs and pokes!

Gender: Can't wait to find out!

Maternity Clothes: I feel like I am at the odd stage of pregnancy, where I don't look very pregnant, but none of my clothes fit me and I look a little silly in maternity clothes.

Cravings: I have still been craving Panera, but this week it is their tomato soup or their french onion soup! Someone bring this sick girl some soup ; )

Sleep: Sleep has been horrible this week due to my illness. I haven't been able to breath out of my nose, so I've been sleeping breathing through my mouth, which is horrible. I've also been waking up all dry and super crusty (gross, I know). I'm hoping with my antibiotics, I will feel better soon!

Best Moment This Week: I want to say that the best moment this week was going to the Dr, but it Christmas was a lot of fun and thanks to my mom and dad, I got Dr. Sears' Pregnancy book (which I love)!

Taelyn: The other day I was laying down and our cat was laying on my tummy (which he has always done during my pregnancies) and Taelyn said, "Look mommy, Stanley is nesting the baby!" Oh man, I got a kick out of that....

Bumpdate: 14 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -5 lbs

Baby Size: A lemon (3.4 in, 1.5 oz)
 

He's probably sucking his thumb and wiggling his toes in there! His kidneys are making urine, and his liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too. And he's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his body -- it will help him keep warm!

Symptoms: Heartburn is my worst enemy! The papaya enzymes seem to be working well, but it still stinks! The ligament stretching has been painful this week. A few times when I have gotten up too quickly, I have doubled over in pain.

Movement: I notice the most movement after I have eaten.

Gender: Can't wait to find out!

Maternity Clothes: Yup, yup, and yup. I'm hoping to use whatever Christmas money I get to buy some more maternity essentials.

Cravings: I've been craving fresh things, like big salads or sandwiches. I feel very addicted to Panera lately!

Sleep: Getting up to go to the bathroom more often. I have also been having a problem with my arm falling asleep while I am sleepy!

Best Moment This Week: We have entered the second trimester! I am so glad to have more energy...now I feel I can get more stuff done.

Taelyn: We were at the store the other day and we were near the baby section. When she saw all the baby things, she got really excited and said "when the baby gets here we can buy all this stuff for her!" She is going to be a great big sister!

Bumpdate- 13 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -5 lbs

Baby Size: A peach (2.9 in, .81 oz)

Can you believe she's forming vocal cords and teeth?! And even though she's still teeny, she already has fingerprints. Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in her tummy.

Symptoms: I have energy this week. Haven't had a nap all week! I have been having the weirdest dreams. From my niece falling and breaking her nose to me being in labor for 8 hours and them sending me home because I wasn't progressing. The pregnancy congestion has continued to be persistent. I'm constantly sneezing and stuffed up. I remember this from being pregnant with Tae.

Movement: I feel the occasional flutter!

Gender: About 7 more weeks and we will find out. Aaron told me that he was feeling boy this time. He was right about Tae being a girl the first time around!

Maternity Clothes: You can definitely see a baby bump and some of my tshirts are getting tight around my belly. I'm sure maternity clothes will be out in full force before I know it.

Cravings: Nothing too big this week. I have been craving sour things, like mustard & Italian dressing. I had this same craving when I was pregnant with Taelyn. I remember eating a sandwich with the mustard bottle in one hand squeezing mustard on every bite. Thinking about it is actually making my mouth water : )

Sleep: Good, besides the weird dreams!

Best Moment This Week: This is the last week in my first trimester. We are almost 1/3 of the way done. I definitely want this pregnancy to go slowly since this will be our last baby.

Taelyn: I told Taelyn that I was feeling a little sleepy the other day and she said, "Don't worry mommy, I take care of you all the time". She sure is a sweetie!

"SUV Express"



Hot Chocolate!

Tickets!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and I was so excited to do it with Tae. The night before we did this, we watched The Polar Express together (this is what this idea is based off of). While Aaron gave Tae her bath and got her ready for bed, I got all the supplies ready. I found these tickets online and printed them out. They say "minivan express", but they worked for our SUV! I then made hot chocolate for all three of us and of course, some homemade popcorn. I then cut the tickets apart and placed three of them in her bed. We got her all ready for bed like we do on any normal day. We even

read her bedtime books (in our room). Once it was time for her to get into bed, we walked into her room and she saw the tickets!

She was so excited when she saw the tickets even though she wasn't sure what it meant. She kept asking who put the tickets there! We told her they were tickets to the "SUV Express" and that we were going to take a surprise trip. We put on her robe and slippers and headed downstairs.

We gave her her hot chocolate and got ready to go. She was super excited and kept saying, "I'm so excited...I can't wait!" We piled into the car with our hot chocolate and popcorn and headed out.

We drove to Yukon and went through the lighted park. She had her window rolled down the whole time! We ate our popcorn, drank our hot chocolate, and marveled at all the beautiful lights. After seeing all the lights, we headed back home and she went right to bed. I think this will be a new tradition for our family!

Bumpdate-12 Weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -3 lbs

Baby Size: A plum (2.1 in, .49 oz)
 

Most of her critical systems are fully formed! She's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly. She's now developing her reflexes -- if you poke her body, she'll likely move. She's opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too. Her brain is developing fast!

Symptoms: I feel tiredness has returned this week, but I think it may just be stress related. I've been having the occasional headache...not fun, especially since I'm not taking any pain relievers of any kind.

Movement: I feel the occasional flutter!

Gender: Scheduled our ultrasound for the end of January!

Maternity Clothes: I have about two pairs of pants that I can still wear buttoned up....all the others need the Bella Band. I've been wearing some maternity pants/jeans which are way comfortable.

Cravings: Cottage Cheese! I've been eating this every day and it is so good!

Sleep: Still going good!

Best Moment This Week: Setting up our ultrasound appointment. I am getting really excited to find out what we are having!

Taelyn: The Baby Countdown has been working great! She loves getting the little treat every day and I think it helps her understand the time frame.

Family Pictures and Baby Countdown!

My sister Jennifer took some family photos of us this past weekend. It was a beautiful start to December with temperatures in the 70's! I am so pleased with how they turned out! She is definitely talented : )

Look at my handsome husband...don't we make a cute couple!?! I'm in love!

Whew...isn't she beautiful!?! She is my most precious gift and I love her dearly!

Another think I worked on this week is a "Baby Countdown" for Taelyn. She has been continually asking if the baby is ready yet. I've told her the baby wont be here until summer time, but time concept for a four year old isn't very good. My sister Leslie gave me this great idea to make a countdown jar. Here is what I used:

Unreal candy is one of our new favorite brands of candy. It is a non-GMO candy with none of the icky HFCS, hydrogenated oils, or artificial colors that we try to avoid. I think the candy even tastes better than the conventional brands!

And this is the finished project:

 

I counted out the candies all the way up to my "due date". Every night after dinner she gets to eat one candy. She will get to see the candies decreasing and know it is getting closer to the baby arriving!

 





Bumpdate-11 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -3 lbs (darn Thanksgiving!)

Baby Size: A lime (1.6 in, .25 oz)

You can't see it, but she's moving fluidly and gracefully in there. Her skin is see-through, but she's on her way to looking more like a baby. Her fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore. Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming.

Symptoms: This week I have felt almost like I did pre-pregnancy! A little tired, but nothing too big. Eating more normally, but still having the heartburn. Weird taste is still going on in my mouth, but I've been chewing peppermint gum and it helps with that as well as the heartburn.

Movement: The midwife thinks I probably did feel the baby. My uterus is really tight and I've felt it a few times now!

Gender: Any guesses?

Maternity Clothes: My sister gave her load of maternity clothes and I picked out a huge laundry basket full that will work for me! I wore a pear of maternity pants this week and they were so comfortable!

Cravings: Tuna and Starbuck's Passion Fruit Lemonade...yum!

Sleep: Still going good. I think I am tossing and turning more, but still feeling like I am sleeping well.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat! The midwife appointment went great and the heartbeat was 165. She said everything looked and sounded great.

Taelyn: After she heard the heartbeat, she said "it sounds like a barking dog!" Then she continued to say that when she was a baby in my tummy, her heart sounded like a meowing cat. She is so silly!

Bumpdate- 10 weeks!

10 weeks!

 

 

Weight Gain/Loss: -7 lbs

Baby Size: A Prune (1.2 in, .14 oz)

Baby has working arm joints, and her cartilage and bones are forming. Her vital organs are fully developed and they're starting to function. Her fingernails and hair are starting to appear, too. Baby also is starting to swallow and kick!

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good. I think I may be getting some energy back (woo-hoo!). I'm still having the uterus growing pains. For those that don't know the feeling, think of getting a charlie horse in your pelvic region. Yikes! I bought some papaya enzymes this week and I think they are helping with the heart burn/fullness I get after eating.

Movement: I thought I might have felt something this week...too early? Not sure, but I didn't feel Taelyn until about 21 weeks!

Gender: Any guesses?

Maternity Clothes: As you can see from the picture above, there is definitely a baby growing in there! I've been wearing my bella band with my jeans...but it just seems weird to have your pants unbuttoned!

Cravings: Cheese! Grilled cheese, chunks of cheese, anything with cheese! Eggs too! I think protein is key and I'm trying to get plenty throughout the day.

Sleep: Pretty good. I'm a stomach sleeper and it is already uncomfortable to sleep on my tummy.

Best Moment This Week: Only having to work two days this week, which means I have five days off to relax, enjoy Thanksgiving, and go Christmas shopping!

Taelyn: Whenever I say that I'm tired or something is uncomfortable she always asks if it's because of the baby. We also put a bassinet in our bedroom and the next morning she ran over to the bassinet, looked in, and asked if the baby was ready yet! My sister gave me a good idea to help her understand the time it takes to grow a baby, so I will be updating with that soon!

 

 

 





Bumpdate- 9 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -5 lbs

Baby Size: A green olive (.9 in, .07 oz)

This is a milestone. She's no longer an embryo -- now she's a fetus! She's developing more distinct facial features.

Symptoms: Still tired, but hoping I get my energy back soon. I've been having a few headaches, but I'm not sure if they are related to pregnancy or something else. I've noticed I've been needing to go to the bathroom more often.

Movement: Still haven't felt it, but maybe in a few more weeks!

Gender: Any guesses?

Maternity Clothes: I feel I have been wearing the same things over and over because some of my pants are getting snug or are uncomfortable on my tummy. My sister offered her two huge tubs of maternity clothes to borrow....may be handy sooner rather than later!

Cravings: It seems to change daily. Seafood this week. We went to Kaiser's today and I got their salmon burger which is amazing.

Sleep: Can't get enough! Surprisingly, it is still fairly easy to wake up in the morning.

Best Moment This Week: Getting past the two month mark....I feel things are heading back to the "normal" side of things.

Taelyn: She is still asking me a lot if the baby is ready yet. It is so hard to explain the time thing to a four year old. She got to meet her new cousin who was born today. She looked really scared and nervous and didn't really want to look at the baby. Hopefully this wont be the reaction to her baby brother or sister!

Taelyn is 4!

Four years ago today, after 12 hours of labor (including 2 hours of pushing), I gave birth to this little girl. It was rough being first time parents. She cried a lot and our new sleep schedule was crazy! I remember many of nights driving around in the car for hours at a time just so she would get some sleep. As the months went on, things got a little easier, and soon she was rapidly growing before our eyes.

It has been a great 4 years. Taelyn continues to amaze us daily. She loves to play and use her imagination. She talks non-stop and asks a lot of questions. She is very sensitive and likes to be reassured. She is super silly and can have Aaron and I laughing all the time. She is so smart and witty and sometimes this can lead to some major sass.

I'm so excited about the year ahead. She will be a big sister in June and we will officially start homeschooling soon after that.

This little girl has changed our lives and I'm not sure what we would do without her. God surely blessed us by allowing us to be her parents.

We love you Taelyn!

Taelyn's 4th Birthday Party!

My sweet little Taelyn will be 4 years old in just a few days. I can't believe it! Time just flies by and it seems like she was just a baby yesterday.

Today we threw Tae a Strawberry Shortcake party. She has been so excited about her party for months and I don't think she was disappointed. My mom made this awesome cake and it was a big hit. We had lots of yummy food; cheese, crackers, hummus, fruit (chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate filled raspberries), s'mores mix, veggies, pb&j sandwiches, and juice.

Tae's favorite part (besides the presents) was doing the pinata! I filled the pinata with our favorite organic candy (Yummy Earth & UNREAL) and a bunch of party favors. It took the kids a lot of swings to get the thing open and I even helped a little bit!

Tae got loads of great presents. Every time she opened another one she would say "It's a ____ ____ thingy that I always wanted". It was so cute. She was so tired after all was said and done and we were glad to get all the stuff home and put together. I'm so happy that everyone made it out to celebrate with us. Taelyn is one lucky little girl!

Bumpdate: 8 weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -5 lbs

Baby Size: A raspberry (0.63 in.)

You can't feel it yet, but she's moving those arms and legs like crazy! Her fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and her tail (yes, she had one) is gone.

Symptoms: Almost no nausea at all (praise God!). I have been having some strange dreams. From my husband making us join a cult to being attacked by zombies...I guess anything goes. I'm still tired most of the time, but I am thankful that Tae allows me to rest at least an hour a day (most days).

Gender: We will find out in about 10 more weeks!

Maternity Clothes: I think I will definitely be wearing maternity clothes a lot sooner than 7 months like last time. My tummy already feels so swollen and my pants are getting tighter and uncomfortable.

Cravings: EGGS! I could eat them all the time. Pizza...I was thankful for my free cheese and arugula pizza from Whole Foods this week. Water with lemon too!

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good. Getting up about 5:30-6am every morning to use the restroom.

Best Moment This Week: Taelyn letting me take two naps this week and joining me for one! I know these moments wont last forever....especially with a new baby on the way!

Taelyn: She asks me almost every day if the baby is big enough to come out yet. She also seems to be so concerned with how I am feeling. She is such a sweet girl. I am so blessed!

Bumpdate- 7 Weeks!

Weight Gain/Loss: -2 lbs

Baby Size: A Blueberry (.51 in)

Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- are growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

Symptoms: Still so tired! My midwife checked my Vitamin D levels and we should find out next week, but it's probably just being pregnant! I'm still having some pains low in my uterus area. This especially happens if I stand up too quickly. I have developed the weirdest taste in my mouth, kind of metallic. It really bothers me! Less nauseousness than last week, so I feel blessed!

Gender: I did the Chinese predictor test and it said BOY! We will see : )

Maternity Clothes: Still none...good thing, because I don't have any! Sold or gave away all mine after Tae was born. Some of my pants are a little snug, but I did go out and buy a Bella Band. I think this may come in handy in the next weeks.

Cravings: Still no big cravings. I seem to have to have water with me at all times, or the taste in my mouth drives me crazy! Pizza has been sounding really good the past week or so : )

Sleep: I can't seem to get enough. Last  night I went to bed at 9pm and slept until almost 8am! I blame it on Halloween : )

Best Moment this Week: We got to meet our Midwife this week. She is great! She stayed in the room for a long time and just talked to us. She wasn't in a hurry and she was really personable. We got to see the little "peanut" on the ultrasound and see the heart just fluttering away!

Taelyn: She was really excited about the Midwife appointment! She thought the baby looked like a donut..haha! I guess it kinda does. She was also really excited that they took my blood. She begged to come back with me and then sat there in amazement. She even told the Midwife that she wants to name the baby "Andra"!

Bumpdate- 6 weeks

Weight Gain/Loss: -2 lbs

Baby Size: A pea (.25 in)
Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate.

Symptoms: TIRED! Some days I wish I could sleep all day, but with a 3 year old, that is not possible. I feel I am hungrier more often, but cannot eat much at each sitting. If I get too hungry I feel a little nauseous. My breasts have been really sore, but I remember this from my first pregnancy. One thing that is different (at least this early) is that I'm getting the "growing pains" down in my uterus area. This happens mostly if I get up too quickly!

Gender: We have about 14 more weeks to go until we find out, but everyone at my work is saying it will be a boy. We will be thrilled with a boy or a girl!

Maternity Clothes: I'm hoping I can wear my normal clothes for awhile. I didn't wear maternity clothes with my first until I was 7 months along! I do hear you show quicker with your second though.

Movement: Not yet, but I can't wait until I feel this little one move!

Cravings: Not really craving anything yet. I've been drinking lots of water and trying to have small snacks throughout the day.

Sleep: I've been sleeping great! Usually I am asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I'm not waking up at night to use the bathroom yet, but I do occasionally wake up feeling a little hungry.

Best Moment This Week: Telling everyone that we are expecting!

Taelyn: She seems to be pretty excited, but I'm sure she is still not aware of all the changes to come. We have talked about the baby in my tummy and that the baby will come out when it is summer time. In referencing the baby the other day, she said "Mommy, it's taking a long time!" Haha... She is also determined that she is going to name the baby "Andra". When I asked her if it was for a boy or girl she said "both!".

How everyone else found out...

We were so excited to tell everyone! I got this shirt from Etsy. I thought it was so cute! We decided to take Tae's picture in it and email it to our close family. Once our family knew, we posted it to Facebook. Everyone is so excited about this new little arrival!

How we found out....

My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant since May. With our first daughter it only took one ovulation to get pregnant, so we thought it would be just as easy. This was not the case! We tried for 3 months and I finally got a positive test. A few days later I started my cycle. We were very disappointed and frustrated : (

I decided not to think about it that much and in the beginning of October I started to feel "different". We had a planned family vacation to San Antonio so I decided to take a test the day before we left. To my amazement it was a big fat positive! Aaron was at work that night so I called my best friend Janean and told her. I knew she would keep a secret and I had to tell somebody!

We have a dry erase board in our kitchen and it says "I love you because...". My husband and I take turns writing back and forth to each other. I thought this would be a great way to tell him the news.

When he got home from work I just couldn't keep the smile off my face so I ended up showing him the pregnancy test before he saw the board! He was super happy and excited : )

Before we left for our vacation I had ordered a "reveal" shirt for Taelyn to wear to let every one know that we were expecting. I had hoped to spill the beans while in San Antonio, but the shirt didn't get here in time and I spent a lot of money on it, so I didn't want to waste it. It was really hard to keep the secret from everybody the whole time, but I think we did it!