Plethora of Topics--with Pictures!

How'd you like that post title? It was the most unique thing I could come up with in 3 seconds. I could very well split this up into several posts by topic, but why do that and make you open up so many different windows on your google reader? See, I wasn't being lazy. I was thinking of you. ;)

I've become so lax about putting pictures on my blog (I hear Drew's relatives giving a hearty "Amen!"), so I decided to upload a few today to update our sweet readers on our busy lives.


Here I am at 31 weeks, I think. It's all a blur these days. I really have to think about it when someone asks, "How far along are you?" My husband has to correct me and add a week onto my answer half the time. How's the pregnancy going? Well, I'm starting to remember why the third trimester is not-so-much fun, but thanks to being at SAHM, the back pain this time around is much more manageable, although still VERY present and accounted for. ;) My ribcage feels bruised all the time from my uterus pressing into it, but stretching out usually resolves it for a while. Everything else is going splendidly. I'm happy to report I only gained 1 lb in the last 2 weeks (a huge WOO HOO) and am measuring "right on the money," per my OB. Speaking of OBs, since I'll be delivering in a different hospital, I switch to start seeing their doctors in 2 weeks. I'm a little nervous about that. I'm just afraid my expectations are going to be more than what they want to meet....but we'll see. I wish we had a birthing center nearby. I think that'd be optimum for what we're wanting. However, I'm just leaving it in God's hands. He knows what's best for me and Hannah, and He's going to pave the way for His perfect plan. If that doesn't bring peace, I don't know what will!

Here's Hannah's room before with some of the furniture moved out already.

(See all the computer equipment on the bed? The hubs needs an office. And there appears to be a ghost in the bottom right hand corner.)
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And here it is after 2-3 coats of cotton candy pink paint....

(where the floating mirror once was...)


With shower gifts lying in the floor ;)

I loooove the color! It's exactly what I was wanting. I spray painted her curtain rod yesterday; now all I lack are the clips and hanging the curtain to be finished with that part.

My husband is quite the talented man! Here's the start of Drew's twin bed...


Pretty good job for a first timer, right? He says he's gonna be like Jesus and be a carpenter. ;) All he lacks is the foot board and supporting pieces and paint. After that's done, Mr. Drew is gonna be the proud owner of a big boy bed!

A couple of weeks ago we had church service outside on a Sunday night. It was meant to be a cool, fall evening, but you can see by the red cheeks on my son that it was definitely not cool! However, we had a really good time.

My little boy who has never been fond of swinging got right into the swing and had himself a ball for about 2 whole minutes. His attention span usually isn't longer than that for anything, so I was impressed!




Drew has a thing for sweet little girls. Here are two of his favorites...

Ms. Anna Grace! Known by Drew as "Ann Gace!" He screams her name each time we drive by the church building. I have to also lovingly remind him that we go there to worship Jesus as well. ;)


And this is Mya, the little girl Drew is obsessed with hugging. Half the time they are hugging, he pulls her over onto the ground. So now he says, "Hug My (with no "a"). No, no, no push."

I've bee n thinking Drew would really love to jump in a bounce house...

I was wrong. He wanted his Daddy to hold him the entire time! My little daredevil is becoming scared of a few things. Surprising!

Kacie and Judd were able to come down last weekend for Hannah's adorable shower (separate post coming soon!) and we decided we would all go eat a late dinner one night while 2 different grandparents watched each grandchild. We met for dinner at 9pm (starving!) and I ate my weight in food. No kidding. I almost had to be rolled out to the car. Andrew and I got into the truck and I said, "Why don't we just drive around for a while? It's only 10:20." Y'all, by 10:23 I was falling asleep in the front seat, so these old timers rolled into the house at the late hour of 10:30. We finally got a date night and we came home at 10:30. Nice! I was so full that I was miserable! The good news....the company that night couldn't be beat!



And lastly, here's my little dude sporting a small piece of his Halloween costume. Can you guess what he's going to be? (Now that I've typed that, I think the tag shows the answer...)


Whew! So now we're caught up on pictures & recent events! We hope to get out to the zoo and pumpkin patch soon so I have no doubt I'll be behind again very soon! Stay tuned for Hannah's shower pictures!

September Updates

--I need to get started on finding Drew a Halloween costume. I was all gung-ho about making him a Robin Hood costume off a tutorial I found, but have decided I have more than enough projects on my plate right now. Target will have something that will work just as well for this year.

--Thursday School (MDO) went MUCH better this last week for Drew. (The teacher said it was a better day for her as well--bless her!) I enjoyed an hour perusing the Target clearance aisles and then attended the women's Bible study which was SUCH a blessing. I'm really excited about this class!

--I got to work last week. Paid work. As in, paid with spendable currency. As in "left my kid at home and gave shots and had people not stare at me because my kid is running amuck, but looked at me like I was half way intelligent." It was a glorious, easy 4 hours. I called to check on Andrew and Drew at the 3 hour mark; Andrew's specific words were "I really miss you taking care of Drew."

--My dear friends from church are throwing me a baby girl shower next Saturday!!!!!!! I am so very excited!!!! I was just amazed that they wanted to do this, and I won't lie and say I'm not looking forward to collecting girly stuff for Little Miss. Her crocheted headbands and Gerber flower clip came in the other day; I'm in love with them! Etsy.com might be the death of my bank account....

--I went in to the doctor the other day to find out everything is just wonderful. Measuring right on track. :) I go back in 2 weeks and we will start my transfer over to Germantown's offices soon after that. Is it seriously time for that already?! (That reminds me....I need a hospital tour.)

--NEWSFLASH: I got started painting Hannah's room yesterday! Finally, right? I know. I did all the trim work minus the ceiling trim because I didn't have a ladder handy at the time. After that's done, the hardest part will be over. Andrew's working on Drew's twin bed a day at a time and hopes to have it finished in 2 weeks. Then the big transition will occur. Yikes!

--Today has been a glorious Sunday. Andrew got up early to help me out with our Sunday morning routine. We all left for church in a great mood and on time. We can count the number of times that's happened on one hand recently! (Bad, I know.) I enjoyed great fellowship and teaching and worship during our church's service, gave flu shots and spent time with my mom. THEN my child actually took a nap on a Sunday (*gasp*) so I've been making my grocery list and pulling up coupons. To put the cherry on top, my sweet, dear husband folded two loads of laundry for me AND put it away. Miss Hannah and I are sitting here in our semi-straightened up living room chilling out to.....listen for it.....quiet. Life is grand!

First Day of Thursday School (MDO)

Drew started his first day at Thursday School (another name for a Mother's Day Out program) at our church last week. See his new shoes? And his little back pack? Such a big boy.




I was pretty okay with leaving him there for just two hours until I took him to drop him off. I felt like dirt because he didn't know one single soul in a very crowded room. Two kids were wailing for their moms and poor Drew didn't want to get out of my arms. Our sweet church secretary who kept Drew in the nursery for the last 7-8 months saw him and took him from me so that at least he'd know her. He screamed for a minute and finally stopped. I have to admit--I teared up as I walked out. I was on the verge of really letting the water works start, but I ran into a friend and had to chat a minute. That helped. Whew.

Andrew and I went out during that 2 hours on a morning date. Hey, you take what you can get, right? It had been about 2 months since we'd been out together alone, so it was a nice change. We ate at IHOP for breakfast, then browsed Target. I thought about Drew the entire time, constantly bugging Andrew with the question, "Do you think he's okay? I hope he's not crying." We reassured ourselves he was just fine and having a ball.

11:00 rolled around and when I opened the door to the classroom hall I could hear my child screaming. "Mama!!!!! Mama!!!!" Y'all.....this mama's heart shattered onto the floor. A lady in the hall was trying to reassure me that it would be fine, but at that moment I really didn't want to hear it. I wanted to open the door and grab my child! If you don't have kids yet, just wait! Your day will come! They finally opened the door and poor Drew was covered in tears and snot. They said he did great up until those last 15 minutes. He was apparently done at that point.

Tough love. That's what I have to practice. I can see how Drew has come so far in the last few weeks since starting new classes at church, so I'm positive this is good for him. I'm going to participate in a Bible study for moms at the church from 10-11 on Thursdays from now on, so I'll feel better that I'm in the same building with him. We'll see how tomorrow goes. He needs the time with kids his age, and I need time in a Bible study making myself a better Christian, mom, and wife. I'm hopeful, but nervous. It's my motherly instinct to not want my child to experience any negative emotion. Does that ever go away?! Wish us luck tomorrow....

If I Could Sit Down with a Pre-Baby Me

My friend, Lisa, posted a video on facebook of moms responding to the question, "If you go could back to just before your child was born, what would you tell yourself?"

It got me thinking about what I'd tell myself. Here's how the conversation might go:

1. You're gonna make mistakes. Everyone does. And it's okay. No one's perfect.
2. The no sleep stage is temporary.
3. Enjoy the nursing moments.
4. Trust your gut. It won't be wrong.
5. Just because she has a child older than yours doesn't mean she knows everything.
6. Showers are overrated.
7. God's grace is sufficient.
8. Dig your heels into the Word. It will sustain you in tough times. And there will be tough times.
9. Make the decision that's best for your family, in light of God's word.
10. Learn couponing NOW!
11. Colic....it can happen to you. Research it in relation to shields.
12. Even better, stay away from the shields.
13. Pamper's Baby Dry leaks the least. Stock up.
14. Go on as many dates as possible alone. Talk about your marriage, your spiritual relationships, your goals for your family. Make it fresh in your mind before the chaos hits.
15. Get ready. Your heart is about to be stolen forever.
16. You are about to get a tiny glimpse of God's love for you. So many things in the Bible will resonate with new meaning after you fall in love with your baby boy.
17. Accept help.
18. A clean house is overrated.
19. A baby lives in your home 24/7. It's okay for it to look like that. Other people understand.
20. Freeze some meals to eat post-baby. Your hubs doesn't wanna cook all the time.

I could go on and on! Anything you'd add to the list?

30 Weeks

30 weeks down, 10 to go!


(Please note the fall wreath is out!)

Wow. That's a scary thought. 10 weeks to get her room organized, Drew's bed built, and both rooms & closets put together and organized. Whew!

So at 30 weeks I'm right on track with my weight gain (even though I took a "large jump" over the last month, per the doctor I had to see on my last visit. He was male. I'll leave it at that.) I'm sleeping pretty well at night (shockingly!), and don't really have time to think about much pregnancy related because I'm chasing Drew all day. It's true what they say about 2nd pregnancies going by more quickly than the first.

My tummy moves like lava sometimes, and I love watching/feeling the movements. I can feel distinct appendages being moved across my abdomen at times. While I was rocking Drew at naptime today I'm pretty sure he felt a hand run across his side. He looked at me funny as if to say, "How'd you do that?!" and thankfully went right back to sleep. Sibling rivalry has begun! Andrew jokingly said the other day that Hannah's gonna come out punching and kicking at Drew to get back at him for all the times he's elbowed and jabbed her in-utero! I've decided all that amniotic fluid is actually there for protection from older siblings more than anything else. Thank goodness for it!

Andrew is about to start building Drew's bed from Ana White's site. We've decided to paint it white, and I'm so excited for Andrew to get started on it! I got Drew's bedding at Target today and couldn't be more thrilled with it. He has polka dots on his wall with the main colors being blue, green, and white. This couldn't be more perfect!


So some progress is being made, but we have a LONG way to go. Stay tuned for Drew's first day of Thursday School (Mother's Day Out)!

Happy 26 Months, Drew!

Drew Man,

I thought maybe I'd do every 2 months for your birthday posts now that we passed the 2 year birthday mark. I think of things all the time that I want to write down to remember about this incredible (and incredibly challenging) phase of your life, but I'm sure I'll forget 90% of it now that I'm sitting down to write it out!

What you're into: Well, everything. But to break it down: You LOVE the movie Wall-E (and I love it because the first 30 minutes has almost zero talking--marvelous) and your video slideshows, helping with any chore, being outside, playing in the pool, wearing your Crocs, riding the lawn mower, riding your tractor, visiting relatives, jumping, climbing, crashing toys, and your baby doll. Yes, your baby doll. It's actually mine from 20-something years ago, but you've adopted her as yours for the time being. Poor Sarah has seen more torture in the past few weeks than she saw in all the years I "babysat" her in my playroom. I caught you throwing her into the crib the other day and then saying "night night." Rough landing for a night-night wish! Then I caught you holding her over the potty (AHHH!) and telling her to poo poo. Hilarious!



Potty training: Speaking of poo poo, you are still 100% in diapers, and I'm in no rush to potty train you. Sometimes you'll want to sit on the potty, but it's never productive. The day will come, but I'm not in a huge rush to get there!

What you're saying: You've bursted with language since we got back from vacation in July. You surprise me every day with a new word or word combination. You're putting two words together now-sometimes 3 if you're prodded. You're able to express your wants more easily. Today you said, "I need" and then pushed my leg. You were saying, "I need you to move so I can ride my truck there." So funny! You tell me stories through single words and I love to hear them. Today you were playing with your favorite truck and said "bye bye! cokes. two. gas!" Then you proceeded to put gas in your truck so you could go out and get some cokes. So funny!

What you're learning: You pick up on things we never realized we taught you. You can recognize and identify numbers 1-5 very well. You love the letters V, X, U, and B. You can recognize more than that, but those are your favorites. You seem interested in learning your shapes and numbers, but you think every color is blue. It's your favorite. :) You can fill in certain words to books you've memorized. Your favorites are "Llama Llama Red Pajama," "Noisy Animals" "300 First Words," and "Cookie's Week." You'll also fill in certain words to songs if we pause to let you sing. You love "This Little Light of Mine," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Little Bunny Foo Foo." You help with your prayers at night, filling in all the people and things you're thankful for.

You love to help with whatever we are doing. If I'm in the kitchen, you come running in with your little chair yelling "watch! watch!" You love to help stir anything. You enjoy pretending to mop or sweep, and usually do the dustbusting for me when I clean.

What you get in trouble for: Where do I start?! Ha! You think it's really great to put your feet on the table, turn daddy's computer off and on, eject and insert DVDs into the computer, climb up to the sink and turn the water on, kick when you get your diaper changed....I could go on and on! You are a feisty little guy and discipline is consistent (and constant!). Some days are easier than others, but the good normally outweigh the difficult. ;)

(Picaso and his first piece of art...on the dining room wall)
Food: You are one picky dude! Some days I feel like you're going to turn into junk because you won't eat anything good for you. You don't like one single vegetable, but I continue to put them on your plate. Of course you don't eat them, but I try. You LOVE pizza, hamburgers, cheese sticks, tangerines, apples, bananas, animal crackers, Cheez-Its, and Scooby Doo Snacks. (You call them Scoo-Doos!)

Preparing for the new arrival: Hannah will be here in just a few short weeks and we try to talk about her all the time. You know that mommy has a baby in her tummy and her name is Hannah. You'll kiss my belly and pat it while saying "easy." We tell you that you're going to be a big helper when she gets here, but I'm not sure how true that statement is!! I held a baby for the first time the other day without you throwing a complete fit. It was a success in my book!

New happenings: You just graduated from nursery school at church and started a 2 year old Sunday morning class, a 2 year old Wednesday night class, and kids' worship during "big church" on Sunday mornings. Tomorrow starts your first day of Thursday school at church. You'll be with other 2 year olds from 9-11am every Thursday for 10 weeks. All these new classes have thrown you for quite a loop. You had JUST gotten to where you didn't scream for more than 5 seconds when we dropped you off in the nursery. I feel like we're having to start all over. It breaks my heart into 100 pieces to leave you crying in the room, but I know you need to learn independence and be with other kids your age. You are always happy when I pick you up and respond with an emphatic "YES!" when I ask if you had a good time.

Health wise: We just had your 2 year appointment (a little late) last week. You were 31 pounds and 35 inches tall. Your head is only in the 90th percentile now! ;)

We are looking forward to the cooler weather that's on its way so we can take you back to the zoo and the park before Hannah arrives. Papaw and Granna financed our newly fenced in back yard so you could go out and play without having to be chased all over creation. We're so excited to give you that freedom and so thankful for them and their incredible generosity.

I love you BUSHELS, Drew, and pray you are always a man after the heart of the Lord!

Love,
Mommy