Pull Ups for Pedicures.

Potty Training is not for the faint of heart ya'll.

Its the power of the wills at its finest.

A huge accomplishment and one worth celebrating.

Can't believe that 1 year ago my sweet Anslee

traded her last pair of pull ups for panties and has not 

looked back for even one second!

I look at her now as capable of anything.

I remember this time last year being so mad at myself

for doubting her ability to make the transition.

We decided that 1 year of being a big girl meant

another reason to celebrate.

Who isn't looking for any reason at all to spend

alone time with this cutie?

Pedicures all around!

Pink and sparkles were the only choices.

She was super still and felt like she was big time.

Pretty Pink Piggies!

Can't wait for more excuses to do special things with this girl.

(and the two that follow close behind her!)

For my documentation. Mainly.

I have blogged before about about my 

utter lack of putting things down in baby books,

scrapbooks, and such. I have had the most luck

with keeping up with this blog, surprisingly,

and even that has not been all that great!

I thought I go ahead and put something

"on the record"

for this pregnancy.

Don't worry, its likely that this could

serve as 1 of just a few updates on being pregnant.

I know most of you have much more interesting things

to read about than my being pregnant.

I am about 24 weeks and SO ready to 

move on into the "ok she is clearly pregnant" look.

I still just look like I ate 1 too many burritos.

This week, I actually started to feel like a pregnant person.

My feet/legs really started hurting. I had never

had that happen in my past 1 pregnancies,

so that got me really freaked out about the possibility of swelling.

I really really really do not want to swell. It seems so miserable! 

I have also never been at this point in pregnancy during

this time of year. 

Super early on (like 14 weeks) I started feeling the "quickening"

but since then, not much movement.

I feel sweet girl each day, but not that much at all.

All I can say is thank goodness for that!

Kensington moved all the time. Non-Stop. 

I would always tell people when I was pregnant with her,

that had I been pregnant with her first and then Anslee,

I would have been in constant worry, because comparatively Anslee

moved like 1/3 as much as Kens did!

She seriously moved and kicked and punched all day long.

 I associate all that fetal movement to

her colic and unease, I guess. So, I am taking

what seems to be a calm natured pregnancy this time around

as nothing but a BLESSING! Certainly still

praying each day that she be born with a temperament

that matches the status of the pregnancy.

This pregnancy has been pretty easy, as were my past two,

and very textbook. 

From what I can tell, at this point, I am carrying a bit differently, but I attribute that

to my weight gain, which happened all before I got pregnant.

(Thanks for that due to pregnancy w/ Kens...and I even nursed her after she arrived!)

Strange I know, but at this point, that is where it has stayed.

I joked with some friends that I felt pregnant in my arms

and face mostly. Maybe that is why I am

refusing pictures this time around.

 Right now, I fear having this baby early. No real

basis for this fear, but its a real fear. 

I have my babies early, but I don't want to be too early.

I have too much to do and want this baby to 

be at least as squishy as my Kens was ( 6 lbs 8 oz is huge in my book!)

when she was born.

I am working out about 4 days a week ,not able to push

myself as much as I would like, but at least I am moving.

Things that need to be done:

Take away kensingtons pacifier.

Get a bedroom ready for the girls to share.

Get the girls prepared for room sharing.

SLEEP.

Change out 2 letters for new baby girls initials in the current nursery.

Come up with a middle name for baby girl.

What I love:

sno cones and milk.

I know you were all dying to know that too.

Ok! Now I will have something solid to look 

back on when I think about my 3rd pregnancy many years from now!

 

 

15 Months!

Its April 19 and I can't believe that makes my Kensington

15 months old.

Not sure why 15 months seems like a big deal to me.

Maybe its because they are in full blown toddler mode.

Maybe its because of all the "big kid' things they are doing.

Tyler and I both agree on how fun of a stage this is.

You know, the stage RIGHT before

the big fit throwing stage starts. Everything is fun or funny to her.

She is soaking up everything under the sun.

AT 15 months Kensington is:

Walking. Finally, and its her preferred method of mobility.

She is waving hi and bye bye.

Saying:

Hi, bye bye, mama, daddy, night night, all done, and cracker.

She knows where her hair, belly, nose, ears and eyes are. 

She loves board books, stuffed animals, following her sister around,

being outside (especially swinging), being in a forward facing carseat,

and eating.

April has been her busiest month by far, 

because up until this month she was not doing much of the listed above at all!

Oh my. What fun we are having with the middle sister.

Big Sister thinks the world of her, too. 

Here are some pics from this past month!

All 3 Dressed in Pink!

Goodness gracious!

I have to pinch myself sometimes to realize what a 

charmed life I have been given!

We found out yesterday that we are having a 3rd baby GIRL!

Ecstatic does not even describe how we feel 

about this great PINK news!

What great friendships I get to watch be established

and grow in my very own home!

With all of that said, I was pretty vocal about

wanting to have a son. A part of me wanted 

to venture into the land of the unknown!

A part of me wanted to watch Tyler grow a young

boy into the Man he is today.

In fact, all of me wanted to see that happen.

I can promise you this:

There is no greater person walking planet Earth

that is better equipped to turn a boy into a Man than Tyler.

 Knowing that, here is how yesterday unfolded for us:

We went to the doctor and had a sonogram.

We looked on the screen and saw a healthy, growing, moving,

happy, precious life right before our very eyes.

We were grateful and in love at the very sight.

We had Dr. Neel put "the picture"

in an envelope and we took it home to open.

The girls were both at MDO, so it was just the Trooper 

and me.

We were both shaking a little, and super nervous. 

I was the one who ripped into the envelope.

Inside we found a picture that clearly

showed the little lady

in all her glory. Also included

was a little note that read,

"I'm a little Girl!"

I had my moment. A possible tear or two was shed.

That was ok, it was almost like I was grieving 

the son I would never have.

It lasted 5 minutes before the elation set in.

The joy that we already have known 2 times.

Oh my word. Another little girl who has two best friends

already living in her home.

A Mama who promises to:

put her in cute bows.

match her clothes to her sisters.

love her with all her heart.

make sure she gets good naps.

fill her belly to its fullest.

A Daddy who is committed to:

provide a strong foundation of faith that she can grow into.

give her time and attention.

pour into her self worth.

tell her she is beautiful.

believe in her abilities to do anything.

teach her.

fix things for her.

be her very first love.

While I still believe that there is no one better suited to raise a son,

There is also no one better to bring up a daughter

who is confident and full of self respect and never lacking for anything.

So much goes into raising a daughter. Its no job for the weary.

So much extra worry. Details that will desperately need to be tended too.

What is more precious than the heart of a woman? Who

has God entrusted to mold and grow this little girls heart 

into that of a woman's?

Our Lord has granted us the privilege and the extreme challenge

to do this 3 times. Our prayers are heavy,

as we know raising these girls will not be easy all the time.

Needless to say, raising girls is nothing but an honor,

so my tears came fast and went away even faster. 

We are humbled to be given such a task!

 

Tyler, this house full of girls will build generations 

of happy and successful families because

of how you are raising them.

I dont know of 3 girls that could have a life any better

than one with you guiding them!

Here she is. One of Three of the most precious 

little girls I will ever know!

PS: I know the high school years will be interesting.

PPS: Is it ok to just have one big wedding day, for all 3 of them? no?

PPPS: We think she already has a name, this time, thanks to her daddy. Stay tuned!

The Cross.

My Anslee has always had great timing.

By that I mean, she decided to make her entrance

into this world almost 4 weeks early

at a whopping 4 pounds.

Today, in the car, she insisted we listen to

Christmas music.

Ironically enough, we were on our way

to get our first sno cone of the season.

My Mom bought her a pair of sketchers

light up shoes for Christmas.

She outgrew them before we saw the month

of February.

However, this Easter season,

My sweet Anslee has started asking a lot

of questions about The Cross.

Her timing could not be more perfect.

Tyler and I both wanted this years Easter

season to be a bit more meaningful

in terms of the beautiful

Easter story being brought to true light for her.

We both agreed that her understanding is at a level

that could at some degree understand 

more than the Easter bunny and hunting eggs 

this year.

Almost everyday for the past week, Anslee has been 

asking both Tyler and I

"What does the Cross do?"

"What does the Cross do?"

Are you kidding me? Talk about stopping a mommy

in her tracks. What an important question.

How it requires such a delicate answer.

In all honesty, the first time she asked this,

I acted like I did not hear her!

I was so intimidated! 

I didn't want to mess up the answer.

I knew she was not going to stop asking though.

I wanted to revisit this, and I knew her inquisitive mind

would be mulling over the Cross again soon.

Tonight, I purposefully pulled out our Easter books

for bedtime. Clearly, The Cross being 

the focal point of the story, the question

came in the same form again.

"Mama, what does The Cross do?"

Still, unprepared to answer, this is what I said

to my precious, beautiful, future Child of God.

"It saves us, baby."

It satisfied her 3 year old mind. 

Tears rolling down my face, as my heart deeply

yearns for her to know her God.

To know the power of The Cross.

She looked back up to me and recited her Sunday Schools monthly Bible verse:

"Love God all your heart!"

There is so much more to say to her regarding The Cross. 

I am praying wholeheartedly that the Lord give her Mom

and her Dad the right words to say

and that her ears be ready to hear and her heart

be ready to understand.

This Easter season excites me. I am looking forward to celebrating

the greatest gift we have been given with my family and 

praying that my girl will 

challenge me yet again with more questions

that are so important, and a nerve wrecking to answer!

 

Bless Your Child.

When I grow up I want to be a Mom, but a Mom who is just like my dear friend Brandy Beaumont.
It was no surprise to me when I walked into her home several weeks ago and saw this front and center in her living area.




What an encouragement to have and read on the rough days. What a great reminder of the gift our kids are on the good days.

Thank you Brandy for encouraging me in my motherhood journey, by simply letting me walk into your home!

I hope this will motivate all my mom friends to be intentional each day with your sweet blessings!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pregnant Once, Pregnant 3 times. Its all the same. Or all TOTALLY different.

I went and saw our sweet surprise on the big screen earlier this week.

It was fun to see him/her again.

Goodness me that child was wiggling and squirming 

so much that it took the docotor a couple tries

to get the heartbeat. Oh, but then,

like a good little peanut would,

she/he allowed us to hear the sweet sound.

Back up in the 160's.

Moving and dancing so much already.

love it.

Ok, so there was a new nurse.

She was really sweet. It was just a new face,

and in her efforts to get to know the patients,

she says to me,

"So, is this your first?"

Tyler was off work today so he got to tag along!

Sure do love when he gets to accompany me!

We looked at each other and laughed.

I said, "oh no, this is not our first!"

Then Tyler said,

"this is actually our 3rd baby, our 2nd is just 

over a year old now."

The nurse was like, "well honey, I have 4

and once you have more than 2, whats another added to the mix!"

I have heard that a time or two lately, and let me tell you,

those words are music to my ears.

I will always be wanting to hear this phrase over the next 6 months.

It got me thinking though, about how the tables have turned.

How much I have learned.

How things are incredibly different from the first time I learned

I was going to be a mama.

When I was pregnant with Anslee, I wanted to have morning sickness.

I thought it would make me, you know, "feel the part".

Was I crazy? Well, maybe so, but thats the truth.

I was also wanting to feel all the other pregnancy symptoms.

Isn't it funny, how, when you want it to happen, it doesnt happen?

I was later very thankful for the ease at which my body handled 

pregnancy.

Oh my goodness. I wanted to show! I wanted people to take notice

I was pregnant! Ha! and Ha!!

I was really disappointed when I was approaching the 3rd trimester

before I bought my 1st pair of maternity jeans.

again. HA!!!

I waited with a great deal of anticipation for each doctors appointment.

It was a sweet time, and just brand new.

I embraced every single thing about the changes pregnancy brought on.

You can bet I had her nursery planned out to every last detail by the time I was 22 weeks.

She arrived. We obsessed over every little thing.
I remember asking the doctor if it was normal that she sneezed so often.
Tyler took about 6098567 opportunities to learn how to swaddle.
We had to have the diapers with the yellow line that turned blue
when it needed to be changed.
(ok, we do still like those)

Then I got pregnant with Kensington.

Yay! We planned out this pregnancy!

The first thing I did was pray that I would not be sick.

Uhm. What good would I have been to my Ans

if I was spending all of our quality time with head over the toliet?

I was so thankful when just not wanting food anywhere near me

was the worst "sickness" I experienced.

I eased through this pregnancy, working out

at high intensity 4 times a week usually.

I also eased through this pregnancy in the sense of 

I felt like I had an idea of what to expect.

Ha! Kensington as any regular reader of this blog would know

rocked our world into something brand new.

Bless her sweet, ever so "present" personality

she made herself known (and loudly!) when she arrived.

I was a bit saddened when I busted out the maternity pants around 16 weeks.

I wanted to hold out. Oh I wanted to hold out

(not like the first time around!)

I think I had her nursery done like 6 weeks before she came. Maybe 7.

Then she arrived. I didnt think I would obsess over the little things with her like I
did with her big sister. Then she was colic
and forced that to happen. Mostly out of denial.
After that ended, we eased up and took things in stride.
It was nice to be able to do that.

So back in the early parts of December,

when we found out we were yet again pregnant 

I began asking for these things:

1. Please, I dont want to be sick

2. Please let me at least make it the 2nd trimester before the maternity clothes come out

3. Please do NOT let a stranger verbally take notice that I was pregnant for a while.

4. Please, lets do life like I am in fact not pregnant, so I can still be

everything I need to be to my TWO kiddos at home.

While I think pregnancy is nothing short of a miracle, the more you do it,

the more perspective you have that seems to change.

I just think its funny.

Thank goodness for my phone reminders! Its debateable
on whether or not I would have remembered we had
an appointment today if I buzzer did not go off yesterday!

Oh. and you can bet there will be NO belly pics this time. Its been done two times over.

We will take them, and save them for the baby book.

Which by the way, since this baby is coming in early August, 

and lets be honest. This poor, very loved little angel,

will probably come home to a crib with a clean sheet

and maybe a changing pad, maybe.

I get a kick out of how experience and time change your state of mind

so very, very much!