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Friday, February 27, 2015

Two months

Two months from today our Lucy girl will be born! Actually I am writing this at 7:15am so right about now on April 27th I'll probably be getting my spinal and Jon into his scrubs for my 7:30am surgery. It is such a weird thing knowing exactly when your baby will be born. If you would have talked to me yesterday at 7:30am, I would have thought Lucy was coming later that day. Ford woke me up nice and early at 6:30a and Jon was traveling for work so I plopped him in bed with me, put on Bubble Guppies, and tried to close my eyes. As I was making us breakfast I started feeling intense pain in my abdomen. It wouldn't go away so I assumed it was cramping and decided I needed to guzzle tons of water since I just got up. Over the next 30 minutes, things drastically changed and I was basically on the ground sobbing having what I thought was contractions. I couldn't stand, couldn't sit, and Ford was very concerned. My doctor is about 25 min away and opened at 8:30a so I did my best to dress myself and Ford (between holding my stomach during the pain, crying, and trying to coordinate with my sister to meet me there). Like I said, Jon was 3 hours away in Houston, what are the odds, and I could tell he was upset that he wasn't with me. Like a crazy lady who may have been in labor, I drove myself in traffic to the hospital 25 minutes away. There was no way I could have waited on someone to come pick me up and take me, I felt Lucy's head pulsing down on my pelvis and the faster I got to the doctor, the better. I gripped the steering wheel and practiced some breathing that I've seen on TV (I never took a birthing class for Ford) and by the grace of God, I made it safely. As I drove I prayed out loud obviously for this to be false labor but that God's protection would surround me and my baby girl and that His will be done. If is will was for Lucy to be a 31 weeker, then she would be. I know He is sovereign over all and has known Lucy's birthday since man walked the earth, no sob of mine could change that. I prayed that my nerves and anxiety could be replaced with His peace and loving hand. I needed to be strong for Ford, for Lucy, and for myself. Every few minutes Ford would look in the carseat mirror and say "Mama!" and smile at me. What a gift that little boy is and I am still in shock that I am being entrusted with another.

One side note. If you remember my pregnancy and birth with Ford, I never went into labor. I actually don't think I ever had a contraction until Pitocin was cranked up during my induction, barely even a Braxton Hicks. So feeling these pains felt like what I thought was labor. I read so many birth stories that start with feeling yucky and crampy and slowly turn into labor. I had nothing to compare it to and knew I needed to see my doctor asap. I kept thinking, oh great, I have chosen a scheduled C section and I go into labor. What are the odds.

My sister met me there and grabbed Ford as I hobbled into the doctor. They were able to squeeze me in right away with a PA, my doctor is in surgery Thursday and Friday mornings, and I was hooked up to the contraction monitor. It brought back a flood of memories because my week overdue with Ford, Jon and I were in there everyday hooked up to that machine for at least an hour. Funny thing about second pregnancies. I was pretty calm considering I was alone. Jon was 3 hours away and there was no need for him to rush back home until we had answers but the first time mom Ruthie would have been freaking out. If God meant for me to be wheeled into a premature C section alone (again!), then that would be our story. I was glad that no contractions were being picked up since I am only 31 weeks but it was also discouraging because the pain was so intense and happening every 2-3 minutes. They did a cervical sonogram to make sure my cervix wasn't shortening and within 5 seconds of insertion, the PA said, "WOW! That is a big head and big baby." Ouch. My cervix looked thick and long, no reason to worry about labor, but Lucy is sitting very, very low with only a little fluid between her head and my cervix. She also said second pregnancies are a lot more painful because your hips and pelvis may be a little more spread than before, causing baby's head to be really low. I tested negative for a bladder infection (which I was hoping to have so I could explain the pain) so they let me go home saying rest, Tylenol, and heating pad. Womp.


Taking care of an 18 month old isn't exactly the definition of rest so I spent all day and evening at my mom's house until Jon came back into town. I was still having intense pains and the only relief I could get was on my side laying down. I slept for 2 hours and basically sat the whole day. By the time dinner came around I felt 100 times better, but not 100%. I really have no idea what it was but I am very thankful that I sit here today, 8 months pregnant, growing a big and healthy girl. So many thoughts ran through my mind yesterday.... we haven't taken maternity pictures, the nursery isn't done, I have a girls trip next week, and my baby sprinkle is tomorrow! I also cried many tears thinking "what if this was my last day with Ford". I know it's inevitable that Lucy comes but I am not ready yet, emotionally or physically. Knowing that she COULD come at any time (I have friends who have given birth around this time, 31 weeks) I want to spend the next 8 weeks soaking up the sweet moments where Ford is my #1 priority. Jon and I are having so much fun with our little guy, who seems to be learning 20 new words a day, and I know he will still be just as cute when she arrives, I will just be twice as busy. I keep telling people that you kind of forget a baby comes after pregnancy, especially when it is not your first and you have other kids taking up all of the space in your brain. This pregnancy has proved to be a lot harder than Ford's which I couldn't have ever expected. I should have known it was a girl, she's already giving me a run for my money.

I realize this post is getting long and drawn out, I just had to write down some of the emotions I was feeling today after such a weird day yesterday. Not sure what I would do without family close by or my faith knowing that God's sovereignty is supreme in every part of my life.

So Lucy Joy, please keep cooking. We will see you April 27th!

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Check in

Lately I've been having to offload photos from my phone more often and realized I have tons of random ones that would be fun to share. It's been COLD in Texas this week, just hovering around freezing but you know that that means for us southerners. Schools have late starts and people stay bundled up at home because the roads may have one drop of icy water on them. We've spent the past few days mostly at home by the fire with a few outings and playdates to keep us busy. It's been nice.

Ford had his 18 month well check last week and he loved when his pedi shined her light in his throat, he thought that was pretty cool. She sat at her computer and asked us random questions about his development and he casually brought over a stool and asked for her light. 

Next week I am flying west for a girls trip and I can hardly wait! These ladies were brought into my life by God's providence through the internet and are my rocks. One last big hurrah before I pop this baby out. We will be wanna be sorority sisters in our matching big shirts I embroidered.

Lucy's room finally has stuff on the walls! Most of the prints came from my sweet friend Nicole. Check out her etsy shop for inspiring, happy, and very affordable prints!

Lots of FaceTime with Aunt Tomi who is down under.

Holding hands with his bestie Ethan. They are 8 days apart and have been buddies since birth!

Ford's new pasttime is playing in Papa's truck. He wants to press all of the buttons and drive like a big boy. I think he could spend an hour in there if we let him. 

Helping mama hang stuff in Lucy's room. Between nursery projects and Jon rebuilding a 49 truck, Ford loves using "his" tools to help us. Bang, bang, bang comes out of his mouth daily.

Post nap snuggles with my boy.

Ford is very creative and we busted out the watercolors this week. He loved every second of it, especially the dipping of the brush in water. He also uses his left hand for everything. Jon and I are both right handed so I'm not sure if this is just a phase or he'll be a lefty?

My sister and Embry are in town this week and are hosting my baby sprinkle this weekend! I am REALLY looking forward to seeing all my friends and celebrating Miss Lucy. 

Monday, February 23, 2015

Monday morning

Ahhh Monday morning. Each week you come way too soon. Another weekend is in the books and we had such a great one that I figured it deserved it's own blog post. Friday night we ordered pizza and watched Gone Girl... wowzas! I never got around to reading the book and heard the movie was incredible and holy smokes, it was. It's funny because even not pregnant, I can fall asleep within minutes of turning on a movie whether it is 8pm or 8am but y'all, I stayed up until 11p because Gone Girl was so intense! Jon loved it too. We really had no idea what it was about and it was completely shocking so it kept our attention. It's on Redbox so you should rent it.

Saturday started out perfect because I slept until 9am and then Jon took Ford out on errands for a few hours and I kinda just relaxed. I was caught up on chores and laundry so I finished my bible study, did some embroidery, and watched How To Get Away With Murder without the buzz of a baby monitor by my side. Jon is busy busy working on rebuilding his 49 Ford truck so normally Saturday mornings he has guys in the garage and Ford and I do our own thing so I loved having some time to myself, even if I didn't do much. I got out of PJs at 2pm just in time to welcome my grandparents for the afternoon. We spent the rest of the day at The Austin Zoo and there were so many times where I thought, "man being a parent is just the best!". It was 75 degrees and beautiful. I am so glad we went onthe weekend because Jon was able to join us. Ford and I do a lot of fun stuff with other mommies/babies to stay busy during the week and I always wish Jon could see Ford in action. Now I love animals but Jon is on a different level with his love for furry, slimy, swimming things. Ford had THE time of his life and had the crowd of me, Jon, and my grandparents who just adore watching him in his element. Ford is very into animals right now (just yesterday we were reading a book and he said dolphin and turtle... he is smart!) and squealed from habitat to habitat. He helped me feed goats, laughed at the monkeys swinging, and growled with the lions.









We grabbed Italian for dinner and hung at our house, games included. If you have a good memory, Ford is named after my dad's dad, my Papa (his name story here). My grandparents come in from Chicago for a month every January/February and it is so fun to watch Ford get to know them. He is smitten with them and loves when his Great Papa tells him stories and tickles him.





Sunday was church, followed by Sabbath rest, and community group. I think I mentioned that while we were in Mexico we started watching Breaking Bad from the beginning again. We watched it on Netflix while I was pregnant with Ford and felt the urge to start it again. It is so much less exciting knowing what happens but I like it that way!

I turned 30 weeks pregnant on Saturday, man that was fast! I see the doctor next week and then every other week until she is born. 9 weeks from today! Let's just say we are really trying to savor these weekends when life is a little bit easier than it will be come April 27th. This weekend is my "baby sprinkle"...how am I already at this point of my second pregnancy?! Last week we did a lot of catching up and immersing ourselves back into the real world post vacation but I plan on blogging more this week!

Hope you had a great weekend yourself and are enjoying your Monday!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Babymoon

Last week, Jon and I spent 4 glorious days babymooning in Cancun, Mexico. I can't tell you how relaxing and rejuvenating it was for us, it was much needed! It was actually quite healing for us too... I was coming off of a 2 week stint of severe sciatica (thank God it ended before we left) and we were both battling sinus/allergy/cold junk. It wasn't ideal to be blowing my nose 100 times while lounging on the beach and feeling like I was yelling anytime I talked to Jon because my ears were stopped up but hey, we were AT THE BEACH! If we were home, the craziness of life would have commenced, leaving little time for rest and healing. We slept 10 hours at night, napped during the day, and of course ate our little hearts out (let's just say I pretended I did not have gestational diabetes for those 4 days). Jon qualified for a Companion Pass on Southwest this year so I can fly anywhere with him for free so we knew we wanted to go somewhere SW flew and preferably a short and direct flight. As much as we want to "see the world", we just loveeee Mexico. A short 2 hour flight from Austin and we were in paradise. Since I flew free and Jon booked his ticket with points, we splurged a little on our hotel and stayed at the #2 rated hotel in Cancun, Live Aqua. It was absolutely heavenly. We are huge fans of all inclusive resorts but are picky when it comes to food because that is always the highlight of our trip. Jon definitely did his due diligence in choosing this resort! It was an adults only resort with the whitest sand and most turquoise water I have ever seen. We were treated like kings and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We definitely missed our little munchkin (who stayed with Mimi and Papa) but it was so nice to be away. I am a better mama when my marriage is solid and I am connected to my hubby... this was the ultimate date night. I read two books (Where'd ya go Bernadette and Me Before You...Wild is up next), we swam in the ocean (so unlike me), napped on outdoor beds, played tons of Memory on the iPad, and even restarted Breaking Bad on Netflix. Ford is such an easy and sweet little guy but you often forget how little time you get for yourself as a mom. This trip was about me, about us. I loved every moment of being away with Jon and feel so blessed that we are able to get away. Not sure when our next trip sans kids will be but we are excited for the next adventure of life!











View from our room





Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Ford 18 months

Gulp. My baby boy is now closer to 2 than he is 1 year old! How did that happen. So much has changed in the past 6 months but I feel like we were just celebrating his birthday in August. Ford is developing quite the personality the past month, I feel so lucky to be his mama.




New this month
  • 27lbs 12oz (90th %)
  • 33in (75th %)
  • Mostly 18-24 month clothes, size 6 shoe, size 5 disposable diaper at night. 
  • Such a good eater this month! His favorites are chicken, avocados (mashed up like guacamole), oatmeal, eggs, all fruit (with the exception of berries, he is allergic), sweet potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese. He used to refuse to try new foods and is definitely growing in that area.
  • Loves his whole milk. Drinks about 20oz (guess) a day and lots of water.
  • Officially on one nap a day. I think he would still take 2 if I would let him but we were going to visit my sister for a few days and I knew we wouldn't be able to go anywhere juggling his and Embry's nap schedules so we went for it. He sleeps from 7:30pm-7:30am and then naps at 12:30 for 2 hours, sometimes more, sometimes less. I am hoping to push it to 1pm eventually. 
  • He LOVES the nursery at the gym and church. He has a blast playing with the other kids and coloring and gets sad when I pick him up.
  • Like I said above, he is developing quite the little personality...cough cough...very sensitive. He isn't mischievous like other babies his age and has never had an issue with hitting/biting/etc but boy is he emotional. He gets his feelings hurt very easily and will go into a corner and pout. Oye.
  • Obsessed with his Mimi this month (I mean he always is but I've noticed a stronger attachment to her this month) and he is spending a few days with Mimi and Papa this week while we go on our baby moon!
  • Such a little love bug. Gives out lots of hugs and kisses, especially to mommy and daddy. He also will hug Embry and his friends and hugged his music teacher yesterday. 
  • We usually FaceTime with Aunt Tomi in Australia most afternoons and he loves it. If he hears the FaceTime call come in he gets so giddy and excited. He loves showing off on camera. 
  • Very into Ernie...throwing his ball, tackling him, petting/wrestling him. Ernie couldn't care less about Ford though.
  • I've lost count of his vocabulary because he says just about anything. Just last night we were on a walk and he saw a big door and said "door! knock knock!". He amazes us everyday with how much he understands and says. He also repeats things which can be bad ("dang, dang, dang!") but he is a quick learner. My favorite words of his lately are "peet a boo" (peek a boo) and "yogurt". He also has a weird sound for Lucy, I can't explain it but I hope he gets to saying it clearer before she is born. 
  • I have been working on numbers with him and he knows what comes after 1... "Two, three!" He also loves carrying around both his milk and water cups and saying "two!". 
  • He loves being naked and asks to be "nay nay" and takes off his shirt. Last summer he basically lived in a diaper so we are looking forward to that!
  • He answers questions with "yes" "no" or "good".... example how was your dinner? "Good!" We give him lots of independence in making his own decisions and I think he feels like he is a big boy because we give him options. 
  • Gets a kick out of shutting a door and knocking on it so we can answer him. 
  • Ford is a very good helper. He will go put things in the trash (another one of his favorite things, TASH!), fetch our phones, the remote, etc. I know this will come in handy when Lucy is born!
  • He loves cleaning...not so much cleaning up. I give him a paper towel or the dust pan and he goes to town.
  • Loves to "draw draw" with crayons and chalk.
  • Matches shapes on a few iPad games and with a block set.
  • Feeds his baby sister doll and puts her down for naps, "shhhhhh"
  • Got a big set of Lego Duplos and has been loving building towers and playing with those.
  • His play kitchen is probably his favorite toy
  • Goes down all the big slides at the park...this was a major shock to us because he normally plays it safe. Now he is a little daredevil and loves being at the park.
  • Tells us when he is going "poo poo". I hope this makes potty training easier. 
  • Hasn't taken a bath in weeks, prefers showering with mommy or daddy and using his bath crayons on the walls.
  • Obsessed with Bubble Guppies. If he wakes up early we let him watch an episode while we wake up too, and most evenings he watches one while Jon is working and I am prepping dinner (or just need a mama break!). He refuses to watch any other show.
  • Loves his tool bench and helping daddy with tools in the garage and around the house.
  • Loves his music class (we go once a week at Austin Baptist Church) and stands by the teacher the whole time. It is hilarious and he really rocks out. 
Videos:





Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Baby #2, weeks 27-28

I didn't think I would make it out alive after these past 2 weeks but alas, I made it. Up until around 24 weeks I kept telling Jon I just don't feel super pregnant and the next week I ate my words. Sciatica kicked in, I gained more weight, and boy do I feel pregnant. The thought of having Lucy has been far off in my mind but it's inching closer and we are getting anxious and excited!

Taken this morning, 28w3d

  • I had my 28 week appointment yesterday and she is measuring beautifully. All along we thought she was going to be a peanut based on how small I was but she is proving us wrong. All around she is measuring in the 83rd % with a whopping 97th % head like her brother! Thank God for C sections. She weighs 3lb 2oz and has a fuzzy head of hair. 
  • Gained 19lbs (gained 20lb with Ford at this point so neck and neck)
  • Bad news. I have gestational diabetes again. Womp womp. I barely failed the 1 hour test with Ford (my doctor doesn't perform the 3 hour test) and adjusted my diet and did a fasting blood sugar test and the appointments following. Well, I failed by a lot more this time around. I just have very healthy placentas! I am bummed because I love sweets and it'll be hard to give them up but I loved having a big and healthy GD baby who ate and slept great from the beginning. Let's hope the same for Miss Lucy!
  • The past few weeks have been really hard on my body because I've had extreme sciatica. I had random back pain with Ford but this has been handicapping and I put myself on bed rest for a few days last week because I physically could not walk. It was a rough couple of days because I also couldn't pick up Ford but luckily I had help from my mom, sister, grandparents, and of course Jon. Ford was so sweet and would pat my back and kiss me and say "mama", he knew I was hurting. I finally got some relief and although I am not 100% back to normal, I feel great compared to the pain last week. 
  • I take 1/2 a Zofran pill at night before bed and that seems to get me through 24 hours sickness free. 
  • I've never really suffered from allergies and the past few days have sucked. Austin is BAD for season allergies and I have fallen Victim. I am taking Clairitin once a day and using essential oils (lemon, lavender, peppermint, RC, Breathe Again) to combat. 
  • Heart palpitations come with the territory and those are hard to manage. There are times I am laying in bed at night and feel like I just ran a marathon. Cold water and deep breaths are the only things that seem to work. pre
  • Lucy's closet and drawers are almost fully stocked! We have received so many hand me downs and bags of clothes to borrow from friends that I am not sure she will ever get around to wearing all of them! 
  • We put up a few decorations in the nursery and hung curtains, I plan on hanging some more stuff in the next couple of weeks so I can take pictures.
  • Jon and I are going on our babymoon TOMORROW! As much as I will miss my munchkin, I look forward to spending some QT with my baby daddy and relax, relax, relax. 

Monday, February 9, 2015

How we got through the winter with oils

This winter, sickness hit us hard. Thinking back to last year, we were also hit hard with sickness so this time of year is not great for our health (or anyone else in America!). This year was different though, we were able to battle the bugs with essential oils. Praise God for that. Jon and Ford got nasty sick and I was able to combat with oils and didn't have anything more than a cough for a few days. I love that certain oils do certain things for certain people and I am always curious to read about what works for my friends so I am going to share what oils we used that helped kick the nasty flu/cold/cough bug that plagued America.

Thieves has got to be one of the most popular Young Living blends and it is incredible! It is antiviral, kills 99.9% of bacteria, and smells delicious. We rub Thieves on our chests and on the bottom of our feet to combat germs and also diffuse in Ford's room at night.



I had originally purchased Breathe Again for Jon to use for his asthma but I tried it out for my dry, lingering cough and was amazed by how quickly it was gone! I rolled it on my throat 3 times a day and in an X shape on my chest and it helped alleviate the pain of my cough and get rid of it. This is now one of my top favorite oils.


If you've read any of my other oils posts, you'd know my love for RC. RC is a blend that turns a stuffy nose into a runny nose and because Ford is always so snotty, I feel like I use it on him weekly! Jon and Ford used it non stop while they battled the bug. 


The combination of lemon, lavender, and peppermint is known as the allergy trio. On top of the flu bug that went around, allergies in Austin have been brutal. Now I can say with confidence that I don't ever suffer from seasonal allergies but this year was a whole lot different. Itchy and watery eyes on top of my lingering cough. Jon and I diffused the trio in our room at night and woke up the next day feeling refreshed and not bogged down by allergies. And boy does it smell DELICIOUS!



Interested in what this oils bandwagon is all about? Skeptical? Curious? My Young Living oils team is hosting an online intro to oils webinar EVERY Wednesday from now until the end of May. Learn about the history of essential oils and Young Living as a company, and how you can cure everyday ailments with them. Here is the link if you are interested...join from your couch or in bed with a pint of ice cream.



Interested in a premium starter kit of your own? Shoot me an email or follow this link to sign up as a wholesale member to start your oils journey! Once you purchase your kit you will receive 24% off all retail priced oils and it is completely free (no selling, no quotas, nada).

Thursday, February 5, 2015

4 years

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary, wowzas! Life is good, marriage is so sweet, and parenthood is such a treat to experience with Jon. Seeing Jon becoming a dad has made me fall in love with him in such a deeper way. He's patient and compassionate, I feel so lucky to be on this wild ride with him. I'd be lying if I told you I don't already turn into mush when I think about him holding our daughter. Marriage when you are a parent is a lot different than sans babies. It's harder to be intentional, the chores and duties are endless, and it is an emotional roller coaster but it is SO much sweeter. I love getting to date my husband at 7:31pm when our boy is asleep, even if that means sitting on the sofa playing cards while staring at the obnoxious amounts of toys that litter our once spotless family room. Year 5 of marriage is going to bring a heck of a lot of change and there is no one else I'd rather brace the chaos with than Jonathan. I can easily get mushy when talking about Ford but I don't mush enough about my husband, an undeserved gift, a man of God, who points me to Jesus. 

I love looking at our wedding pictures every year on our anniversary to remind me of the promises we made to one another and the FUN we had celebrating the covenant of marriage. I also like reminding myself that there was a time in my life where I wasn't pregnant, had a nice tan, and actually spent time getting ready. It's funny to see a beardless Jon in these photos because he's had a beard for a couple of years now :). 






Every year on our anniversary we take a photo of us holding the previous year's anniversary photo. Cheesy Pinterest find? Yup. And this year our neighbors our watching Ford for the evening while we enjoy a date night out. A happy anniversary, indeed!





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