A look at her nook...

I can't believe we only have about 22 days until we meet our precious little lady.  Although she doesn't have a room of her own, I must say her little nook is overflowing with frills, frocks, and fanfare.  It might be a tiny little space, but it is packed with love and I adore it. 

The only thing I am waiting on is the canvas that I needlepointed for her chair.  My friend is turning it into a pillow for me.  It is a whimsical canvas that says "BABY" and is full of the colors used in her bedding.  I made William a needlepoint "Baby Sleeping" door knocker when he was born, and I only saw it fitting that baby girl have a little heirloom of her own.

As I count down the days until her arrival, I relish the moments I feel her inside of me.  I also cherish these final days with just William.  There is something so bittersweet about the end of our family of three. 

I know my pregnancy will be over soon and I am forever in awe of God's gift.  I give thanks for answered prayers and covet the moments we will have together as a family of 4.  

William will be the best big brother.  He's so excited to meet his sister and practices turning her toys on and off.  He keeps asking how many days we have left until Big Brother Day and he hopes baby sister will love airplanes as much as he does.  

Great joy is coming!

36 weeks Pregnancy Highlights:

36 weeks Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 36 weeks
Size of baby: Baby B is the size of a cantalope
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Total of 32 lbs so far. Gained 2 at this last appointment.  I barely have any space left!
Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing my maternity dresses with my boots and leggings. My black pants are also a staple.  Everything else feels too small!
Gender: IT IS A GIRL!
Movement:  She likes having a party at night.  I feel her the most in the evenings once I finally sit down.  She's also made more of a racket when I first try to fall asleep.  Around 8pm when I wind down, she's starting to really give me some vivid movements where I think I know what body part is bumping me!
Sleep: I sleep on my left side and wake up a few times in the night to readjust myself.  I am starting to sleep with more pillows around me....poor Dan, he's almost off the bed!  I also have a muscle on the left side that aches down by my pelvis and hip and I can feel parts of my body pop when I adjust myself.
What I miss: jogging, but I stay active with William. Climbing 42 stairs to my door everyday, several times a day is also handy.  I also miss having lots of energy.  I tend to have to pace myself more often and do a few tasks before sitting down for a bit.  I also miss bending over to tie my shoes but that's why I own a bunch of flats!
Cravings: mostly hungry for just 3 meals a day. 
Best Moment this week: Setting her birthday for March 21st at 9am.  Now I have an end in sight which lights a fire under me to tie up the loose ends.

In one unforgettable moment....

Monday, March 21, 2011 

at 9:00 a.m.

our lives will become 

blessed forever

by the tiny power of 

PINK!

The Power of the Infomercial

I came downstairs this evening to find William on the couch watching a Disney show.  Out of nowhere came this random conversation:

William:  "Mom Mom, I really need a new sweeper."

Me: "Why do you need a new sweeper?"

William: "Well, it cleans better than a regular mop.  I want the AC Pro Mist."

Me: "What?  What is the AC Pro Mist?"

William: "It's a sweeper and you push a little button and the juice squirts out onto the floor and you move the sweeper over the juice.  It makes your floors sparkle better than a regular mop can."

Me: "oh, you don't say....."

William:  "yep.  I saw it on a commercial."

Show'n off those pearly whites!

Today was a day I have been dreading.  Well, dreading in the sense that I was VERY UNSURE how William would react to his very first trip to the dentist.   I booked the appointment a few weeks ago, and I casually mentioned to William that when you turn 4, you get to go to the dentist (said with a big smile on my face).  Of course, he had no clue what a trip to the dentist was all about, but he asked me what they do there and I just kept the answer simple:  clean your teeth with a toothbrush.  The idea didn't bother him a bit.  

So, today came.  I picked William up from school 30 minutes early in order to make it to our noon appointment.  Of course, I packed the camera and his toothbrush for a last minute scrub.  We got to the dentist's office and the first thing William saw was the playroom.  WINNER.  He walked right on in there and started building with the Legos.  When Dr. G came to take him back to the dental room, she excitedly said, "William, are you ready to come with me!?"  He looked right at her and said, "nice to meet you but not yet.  I am busy building a train station."  We laughed and got him up and on his way.

I held my breath.  I was so curious how he'd react to seeing the chair, the machines, the tools, the noises, etc.  This kid didn't even bat an eye.  He hopped right up in the chair and started asking a MILLION questions.  He was so intrigued with the cords and the tools.  He asked what everything did, how each tool worked, where the "pipes" (cords) went, how the water fountain worked, etc.  I was shocked.  

Ms. Sarah, our hygienist, came over and introduced William to all the tools:  Mr. Thirsty, Mr. Buzz, and Ms. Tickle Brush.  William laughed so hard at their names and said, "what!  I have never heard of tools with crazy names like these guys."  

Then it was time for William to get his game face on.  He put on his protective glasses and laid back in the chair without a hitch.  He picked orange flavored toothpaste and marshmallow flavored fluoride.  He was like a king on a throne.  He NEVER got upset and as they worked in his mouth, he just took each step of the journey with a brave face.  I was SO PROUD of him.

At the end, the dentist took a picture with him and told us it would be out on the bulletin board next time we come for a visit.  They gave William a goodie bag and he told Ms. Sarah he thought it was more like a party favor.  He got to pick out some toys in the prize bin - a bouncy ball and a sheriff's badge.  And of course, we had to stay an extra 20 minutes to finish playing trains in the playroom.

WAY TO GO WBB!

34 weeks Pregnancy Highlights:

34 weeks Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 34 weeks
Size of baby: Baby B is the size of a cantalope
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Total of 30 lbs so far. Gained 5 at this last appointment. 
Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing my maternity dresses with my boots and leggings. My black pants are also a staple.  The sweaters are in full force too.
Gender: IT IS A GIRL!
Movement:  She likes having a party at night.  I feel her the most in the evenings once I finally sit down.  She's also made more of a racket when I first try to fall asleep.  Around 8pm when I wind down, she's starting to really give me some vivid movements where I think I know what body part is bumping me!
Sleep: I sleep on my left side and wake up a few times in the night to readjust myself.  I am starting to sleep with more pillows around me....poor Dan, he's almost off the bed!  I also have a muscle on the left side that aches down by my pelvis and hip. 
What I miss: jogging, but I stay active with William. Climbing 42 stairs to my door everyday, several times a day is also handy.  I also miss having lots of energy.  I tend to have to pace myself more often and do a few tasks before sitting down for a bit.
Cravings: mostly hungry for just 3 meals a day. 
Best Moment this week: Knowing her estimated weight and that she's growing at a steady pace. 

Just Talkin' - WBB 3.5 years

"If baby sister wants a panda bear, I can go get her one.  That would be a nice thing for me to do."

"So the doctor is going to cut your belly?  Do you have a box of bandaids because I can go get a truck full of them so I can take care of you.  Do you want Curious George on them?"

"Mom Mom, if you talk back to me, I am going to put you in time out on the stairs for a hundred million hours."

Dada (watching Mr. Rogers with William):  "That is really neat how they make raincoats.  I think I will make raincoats."

William: "You can't make raincoats.  You are already all growed up and you are my Daddy."

Dada: "Oh right, I forgot."

Wililam: "I love you so much Dada."

"When I grow up, I am going to be like Dada and go to the office.  I won't have a job.  I will just go there to work and then ride home on the subway."

"I wonder what Baby Sister will look like when you get her all ready for Big Brother Day?"  "Maybe she will have hair that goes all the way to her neck like Ava."

"Mom Mom, let's talk about everything I did when I was three years old."

Pizza Hut Celebration

Months ago, William requested to have his birthday party at Pizza Hut.   He discovered "The Hut" when Dada picked him up from school one Friday afternoon and took him on a lunch date.  So now when Dada is on pick up duty, the boys hit the The Hut for the pizza buffet.

William's idea for Pizza Hut was actually a GREAT choice!  He loves all his friends so much, so I knew we'd have a hard time keeping the guest list small.  We of course wanted to invite his whole preschool class of 22 kiddos, then there are our neighborhood buddies (5), our cousins (2) and our 3 best pals from church.  Yep. 

32  - 4 year olds.  You read that right. 

  
I normally wouldn't even consider that many kids for a birthday party. EVER.   However, when you are 3.5/4 years old, you are WELL aware of when you birthday happens and what a birthday party entails.  I simply could NOT underestimate my little boy's innocence.  I just knew that he'd be asking all of his friends "did you get my invitation to my party?"  or "are you coming to my birthday party at Pizza Hut?"  And, I DID NOT want to exclude anyone.  I just don't roll like that.  Thankfully, 23 kids were able to attend and since it was not in my home and I did not have to cook or do any entertainment prep work, the high number of kiddos was no big deal.  It was Pizza Hut's problem! ha.

The gang at Pizza Hut could not have been nicer to us.   They were armed and ready the second we arrived and kept the party moving for me.  ALL the kids sat in their seats (shocking), chatted and ate pizza.  It was fun to watch William among his peers.  He was holding court as the birthday boy, and each time a friend arrived, he was SO THRILLED to see them.  He'd say, "Campbell!  Welcome to my party!  Thanks for thinking of me!"  My heart was so proud of my little guy.  He truly is turning into such a sweet natured soul, who has a joyous zest for life and not to mention great manners to boot.

The party was a rocket and airplane theme.  Shocking.  William was VERY SPECIFIC and consistent in his vision for the party.  He asked for 2 cookie "cakes" (since he doesn't like ice cream and cake) - one chocolate chip with a rocket and the other one M&M with an airplane on it.  He wanted a balloon tied to his chair and rocket/airplane coloring pages for everyone at their seats.  The dream came to life.  He was SO PLEASED!  When he got to the party, he walked around the table with a huge smile on his face just surveying the set up to make sure it was "A-Ok."  It was one of those random moments that don't seem like anything at all, but it is stamped into my memory forever. 

After about 1 hour of good times, we wrapped up the festivities and headed home.  William was pooped, but he charged ahead in order to open up all his new gifts.   The highlight was the Playmobil private jet plane and cargo area that he's asked for since Christmas.  The box says "4 and up" so he knew that he had to be 4 in order to have it.......and he could not have been more thrilled. 

We love you WBB.  The last 4 years have been more than amazing. You are truly my greatest blessing from above and not a day goes by that I don't consider myself the luckiest mom in the world.  To my best boy, you are a dream come true!

This Little Light of Mine....

 He turned 4 today!

 

This little light of mine, oh

 He was born this February day.

  
This little light of mine, oh


 He makes my heart just shine,

 





You are mine, you are mine, ALL MINE!

32 Weeks and 4 Days Pregnancy Highlights

Today we went for another ultrasound to check on our little lady and get a glimpse of her!  The doctor said she looks wonderful and is growing right on track.  Her estimated weight at this point is 4 pounds 15 ounces (a month ago she was 2 pounds 13 ounces) and this puts her in the 67th percentile for weight.  We caught a vivid image of her thigh and foot, but she moved too quick to snap a photo.  We tried hard to see her face, but the tech could only capture a picture of half of her face because she was laying on her side.  She is now head down with her rear end on my left side and a little foot between my breast bone.