Overwhelmed with Sweetness!

I am aware that this sweet baby on the way

is the 3rd one for our family.

There are some very thoughtful, gracious,

and giving friends who apparently

didn't get the memo that baby showers

are "typically" for first babies!

My pretty friend Barbara and I are a part of a Stroller

Exercise program that our dear friend Jill runs.

When I say "runs", I mean directs with great force.

We sweat people. Our babies are with us the whole time,

and they get the benefit of being engaged with us as

we do lunges while we count to 10 in German.

Or we squat thrust to our "ABC's".

Mom gets in shape. Baby is being intentionally taught something

significant. How perfect is that combo?

When Jill and the other stroller strength mamas found out

that Barb and I were having baby girls within 3 weeks

of each other, they pulled out all the stops 

to an amazing double shower for us.

I just can't believe how blessed I am.

I feel so undeserving, and I promise,

I am grateful beyond what words can express

from the outpouring of love

that my sweet unborn baby was shown today.

To all of you:

Thank you. You made my day.

I can't believe that my little one

will have diapers and wipes to use until

we are ready for her to use the potty.

I am so humbled by the support and love.

Here are some photos from the fabulous party that

was oh so special to me.

Jill, Barbara, Myself, Torri, and Sara

(Barb and I with our sweet hostesses, minus Kim - who

has a military husband who was receiving an award at the time)

Praying for Barbara as she is expected to deliver literally any day now!

Can't wait to know little girls name too!

Food glorious Food!

Delicious Cake!

Diaper cakes, complete with sparkling cider

in the center for us to open and celebrate the arrival

of our newest family members with!

Whoa. Not sure what happened with my photog skills here,

but you can still see, there are enough diapers, wipes,

and cute baby girls clothes to fill a warehouse with!

It was so beautiful, complete with sweet friends and lots of yummy food.

I can't get over how loved I felt by each person there (and many

of those who werent able to come as well!!)

All I can say is thank you, from the bottom of a very pregnant

mama's heart!

Real Life Mom.

Sometimes I feel sub-par.

Like I don't quite measure up.

Any other mamas agree?

Someone feeds their kids healthier than you feed yours.

So and So's house is always more tidy than yours.

There are days where I want the girls to sit and watch 1 hour of TV.

I mean in one sitting, people.

Sometimes I make myself feel this way.

Other days, my mama counterparts can make me feel this way.

So, In order to share my real life with you,

I decided to share some pictures of my 

"Real Life" today.

This is what my house looks like.

Getting ready for a new baby in about 3 weeks.

Juggling 2 kiddos each day.

Only having 2 arms and so much energy available.

This is what I usually look like. Until my 2 pm shower.

Thats right. No make-up and my best t-shirt.

Bins full of folded (well somewhat) baby clothes.

Lucky for us, they are actually labeled!

Clean laundry. Not folded. Been that way for 4 days now.

When you have 2 kids, that you brought into this world,

you sometimes have to tote them along with you.

Here we are at my doctor appointment yesterday.

I take them to wal mart with me.

They are my responsibility, right?

I guess I could get a grip on things, and have my van cleaned out more often.

That would require time away from the two pictured above.

 

I have spent this summer trying my darndest to make their everyday

special and memorable.

Its too bad other things have had to take a backseat

but I am not sorry for it!

Just a Wee Bit.

Friday morning we checked up on baby girl.

I never get tired of seeing a growing baby on the big screen.

 

This office visit ended up bringing us some 

cautionary (is that a word?) news.

I am 31 weeks, measuring about 28 weeks.

Its no surprise I grow small babies

(Anslee was 4 lbs 11 oz and Kens was a heavyweight

at 6 lbs 8 oz)

Usually measuring small is not too concerning,

but what did seem to be the problem is that there

was not much growth between the last check up

and the one we had Friday.

Praise the Lord fluid levels are good.

Praise the Lord her heartbeat was strong and steady.

 

Now its just on to making sure my body can provide

her with everything she needs to grow and thrive

until its time to make her appearance. We

are at the point in the pregnancy where

growth should be happening pretty rapidly.

 

I have never made it further than 38 weeks and a couple of days

in pregnancy, so I am no stranger

to having a baby earlier than truly expected.

I just really want to carry her until she could not possibly

grow any more in me. All I want is for her to be

healthy.

 

Its never reassuring as a pregnant mama to hear things like

a possible need for steroid shots to help the lungs develop faster.

 

The doctor has not given me a "diagnosis" of IUGR

but I am feeling like we are in the beginning

stages of this and would really 

appreciate any prayers for her health and growth.

 

 

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!