Little Harrelson Family

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2012-01-26T15:06:00.001-06:00

Initially Girl Baby Announcements

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2012-01-26T15:04:00.001-06:00

Hello Chalkboard Girl Baby Announcements

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Claire's arrival

2012-01-23T13:24:00.000-06:00

They say the second child gets shorted when it comes to pictures and such. Sadly, after a month, I have to agree. So here is my attempt to give Claire the blog time she deserves. Plus this is my way of documenting all those important moments and memories.

December 22 started off as a normal day. Well, mostly. Early that morning I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. This wasn't unusual, the last month of pregnancy mean tossing and turning almost every night. This time I decided to actually get up so I wouldn't wake Randy up. I spent the next two hours playing on the Internet. Finally I was tired again so I went back to bed. I woke up early to take a shower and get ready for my midwife appointment. Our babysitter, Tiffany, came over to watch Avery for me while I was at my appointment. While in the shower and driving, I noticed I was having some small contractions. They were sporadic and not very painful. At my appointment, my midwife checked me and we were measuring at 37 weeks. I was also dialated to a 3 and 50% effaced. Funny thing was, I was at a 3 and 80% when we went to the hospital with Avery. I told Lisa that I had contractions for two days with Avery and didn't realize they were contractions, so I could be wrong about these. She said since they weren't strong and regular that it could still be a while. She jokingly said if we wanted her to come soon to walk a lot.

I left the birth center and headed to Sam's to finish my Christmas shopping. I just had a few things to get then I headed to Studio Movie Grill to buy tickets for the date night Randy and I had planned for that night. Bad idea I know. Ran by the post office to drop off a package. Got home and Avery was asleep. I grabbed some lunch and sat on the couch to blog and look at Facebook.

During the time I left the center and got home, the contractions got a little stronger but weren't long or regular. I thought it was just because I was on my feet. Resting on the couch seemed to lessen them. I still tried to time them but they weren't regular. Avery woke up about 3 and played while I sat on the couch. At this point, they would come in groups of 3 if I got up and walked but sitting slowed them. By about 4:30 I was having them while sitting too and they were getting stronger. Avery pretty much had free reign of the house. Poor thing, snacked on Cheerios and juice and ran wild for the most part.

Because I couldn't see a pattern I really wasn't sure if labor was progressing or if they would let up. Plus I really wanted to make our date night. By 5 they were pretty strong and I was having to sit or lay down during them. At this point I realized we wouldn't be making the movie. I called Randy and let him know I thought we needed to head to the birth center. I called Lisa and let her know what was going on and asked if we should come in. She said yes and that she'd get things ready for us.

Here is where things get crazy. See Avery surprised us at 38.5 weeks and we didn't have our bags packed or the car seat installed. Well this time we told ourselves we would be ready by 38 weeks and not be surprised. We should really stop saying that. There we were at 37.5 weeks and deja vu. So after calling Lisa and Randy and making sure Avery had plenty of juice and Cheerios, my to do list started. My bag, Claire's bag, snacks, Avery's overnight bag all had to be packed. I called Brenda to let her know Avery would be spending the night. And all this was from the floor of my bedroom. :) thankfully Randy got home soon and I had most of what i needed laid out for him to put in a bag. The Segler's arrived to get Avery and finally we were ready to go. Poor Avery didn't know what was going on. She did know something was up and that mommy was hurting. She was so cuddly that afternoon.

We left and debated on which route to take. Because of traffic and construction it took us about 30 minutes to get to the center. I was focusing on breathing through the contractions and Randy was driving and timing them. :) We got there, went upstairs to our room and it was about 7:00. Lisa and Rebekah helped me get somewhat comfortable on the big exercise ball. I was having lots of pressure down low. Resting on the ball helped take some of the pressure off. With their help, and Randy's encouragement, I labored like this for about 30 minutes or so. Then my legs started feeling weak, so I asked to lay down.

After a little "rest" it was already time to push. Are you keeping track? We hadn't been at the birth center for an hour yet. I pushed for 10-15 minutes and then Claire was born! At 7:52 p.m. She was perfect! I think she came out screaming. Her lungs were very healthy. :) We thought she was smaller than Avery, but she actually weighed 6 lbs 7 ounces. Avery was 6 lbs 5 oz. She was red, with light brown hair, and chubby cheeks. So different than Avery. She was all her own. I got to hold her right away and I was in love. I don't know how it happens but I loved her just as much as when I saw Avery for the first time. She got to nurse and took to it like a champ.

My parents arrived just after she was born and got to come in and meet her. Lisa and Rebekah checked her out, Daddy got to weigh her, and then it was time to enjoy her. Our little Claire Elizabeth. She was here. 2.5 weeks early. We joked that she didn't want to miss Christmas. She (& God) had a timetable all their own.

Randy and Dad left to grab something to eat, while Claire and I got to enjoy a nice herbal bath. We ate dinner (at 10 that night) and then Mom and Dad headed back to our house. Randy and I decided to stay at the birth center overnight because it was so late. We could have gone home 2 hours after she was born if we had wanted to. We had an ok night. I don't think either of us slept much. Not because Claire was fussy, she just was restless. I was running on adreniline and just couldn't sleep. It was a sweet night all the same. We got up the next morning and headed home around 8.

I'm going to break this story up here. It will be easier to blog about our arrival home and Avery's first meeting in another entry. Pictures will come soon.

20 month milestones - 1/4/12

2012-01-21T14:35:00.001-06:00

20 Month Milestones - 1/4/12

Height - 30.25"+

Weight - 21 lbs

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 7:30 or 8. Your morning nap is gone for good. :( Mommy was sad about this but giving it up means you sleep til 9:30 or 10 and still take a 1.5 to 2 hr nap in the afternoon so I cannot complain. You still sleep all night without waking so we are very blessed in this area.

Eating - Let's see, since I have been home with you full time for over a month, I am realizing you eat a lot! Breakfast is usually eggs with cheese and fruit, oatmeal with frozen blueberries, or a waffle with yogurt and fruit. You can finish off 2 scrambled eggs with no problem. Depending on when you get up, sometimes you have a mid-Morning snack of cheerios, fruit, or crackers. Lunch is either left overs, chicken nuggets (5), or our muffin tin lunch. After nap time, you have a snack (again) and usually munch on something until dinner. For dinner you mostly eat what we have but occasionally you won't touch it. I am really not sure why you aren't close to 30 lbs when I think about all you eat in a day! You LOVE prune juice. We water it down so it's mainly water with a tiny bit if juice but you still love it. Milk and water are staples too. Mommy discovered an easy way to lose weight - sit next to you while eating. You will eat off my plate more than your own. You also now have 16 teeth, 8 on top and 8 on bottom. Your eye teeth came in thus month.

New discoveries - You became a big sister this month. Claire arrived 3 days before Christmas and your world changed forever. You weren't sure about her when we first brought her home. You did not like the fact that she had a new blanket that you thought was yours. But you gradually warmed up to her and now I think love her. We have to remind you to be gentle but you are sweet to her.

You also love to talk on the phone - any phone, real or not. This started when Mommy started being home full time, I think. When I needed to get some work done but you needed interaction I would call Nonna and you and her would talk and talk. Most of it was jabbering but every now and then you would throw in real words. Your Aunt Vickie got you a play iPhone for Christmas. It's cute until you get mad because you want to talk on our phones and we are using them!

New accomplishments - you love to open presents and since it was Christmas you had several opportunities. It started out with Mim and Papa's visit. You loved pulling the paper off the boxes. Then came Christmas morning. You opened Mommy and Daddy's gifts first. Then came Nonna and Poppa's and Daniel and April's. This time you just wanted to tear off the paper and move on to the next one. ;) you stuck to it in spite of it being your nap time.

You also had your first week long trip away from Mommy and Daddy. Mommy wasn't allowed to lift you after Claire was born. Nonna stayed with us the first week we were all home, and you went home with her and Poppa for the second week. From what I heard you kept them on their toes! They really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with you and you had a ball.

Places you went - To Tyler with Mommy to meet your cousin Layla. To Bass Pro to see Santa with Mommy, Daddy, Mim, and Papa. To Aunt B (Brenda) and Uncle Mark's overnight when Claire was born. You even slept in Tiffany's bed with her! To Oklahoma with Nonna and Poppa for a week.

Special Memories - Meeting your new cousin Layla for the first time. Eating breakfast with Angela and Ashley at Cracker Barrel. Seeing Santa at Bass Pro. Riding the carousel with Daddy. Meeting your baby sister for the first time. Christmas with Mommy, Daddy, Claire, Nonna, Poppa, Daniel, and April.
This month was a busy one. It went by much faster than expected. You were a trooper though, through it all. It was so much fun to experience Christmas through your eyes. The wonder and excitement, the awe. You grew up so much when we brought Claire home. It was so wonderful and sad at the same time. You will always be my baby, but you are no longer the baby of our family. You are learning to be gentle and sweet to Claire. You are learning to be patient and share Mommy and Daddy's attention. So much in so little time. You are a precious little girl. We love you more than you know.
~Mommy & Daddy

19th month milestones - 12/4/11

2012-01-12T21:43:00.001-06:00

19th Month Milestones - 12/4/11

Height - 30.25"+
Weight - 20 lbs+

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You also gave up your morning nap for the most part. Funny thing is if you aren't at home you'll take it. Mommy also realized your room needs to be darker for you to sleep longer. We are working on that one. You usually sleep until 9 or 9:30.

Eating - Your picky phase got better this minth. Which was great considering Thanksgiving was in there. Since Mommy was home with you full time now, I'm getting creative on ways to get you to eat. One of your favorites is eating out of a muffin tin. I put cupcake liners in the tin then fill each with a small amount of food. The first time we had this you ate everything! You even tried some new foods. Muffin tin lunches will be making their appearance a lot around here!You have 12 teeth, 6 on top and 6 on bottom.

New discoveries - You are recognizing who people are and putting names with faces. You started calling me Mommy more. Yay! You still yell Da-da when you wake up. Every single time. Even though I'm the one who gets you out of bed 80% of the time. You are starting to learn what the potty is. Hopefully you still love it when we do full out potty training.

New accomplishments - You stayed 3 days by yourself with Nonna and Poppa before Thanksgiving. We weren't sure how you would do but you did great! Didn't throw fits or anything. You started throwing fits/tantrums often after mommy started working from home this month. Like all out screaming and crying. Most of them happen when mommy tells you no. It's like your whole world falls apart at that word. We are working on it though. In the meantime know we love you and our no's are to protect you not because we want to be mean. I'm sure we will have to explain that several times over your lifetime.

Places you went - To Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. We celebrated by spending all week at Nonna and Poppa's.

Special Memories - Having a garage sale with Daddy, Mommy, Nonna, and Poppa. Thanksgiving in Oklahoma. Spending time with friends - Amelia, Jessica, Zach, Ava, Katie, Lily, Cami, Lacey, and Jon. Getting spoiled by all your great-grandparents, aunts and uncles. Driving to see the Christmas lights (much better experience this year).

You are growing and changing so much punkin doodle. Everyday I see you learning and trying something new. So blessed by your little life and heart already.

~Mommy & Daddy

2012 - resolutions

2012-01-12T17:00:00.001-06:00

It is already January 12, 2012. How is that possible? I have let the blog sit idle long enough. My goal this year for the blog is to get caught up and do better at writing what's happening in our lives.

The last few months of 2011 were kind of crazy in our lives. I was growing a baby and finishing up working full time. Randy's job kept him busy and all his hard work paid off in him getting the most cost efficient award out of all the warranty reps. Avery was growing, learning, and changing what seemed like daily. And then Claire arrived! I promise I'll do posts about all of these. Soon!

6 weeks left...

2011-11-29T21:25:00.001-06:00

Poor 2nd child is already getting the short end of the stick and she isn't even here yet. So much has happened since my last blog and its time to get caught up.

We were 34 weeks as of Sunday. Only 6 (or so) weeks left! I seriously can't believe we are this close and it has already gone by this fast. I remember this point with Avery and it felt like we would never reach the end. This time around, I kind of wish it would slow down. Yes, I'm so excited to meet her. I can't wait to see if she looks like Avery or has a look all her own. I can't wait to see Avery with her. I can't wait to see Randy hold her for the first time. And yet, there is something about having her inside me that I wish I could hold onto forever. I love that she gets really active after I eat fruit or sweets. I love that I can tell when she has the hiccups. That is one trait that she shares with her big sister. :)

No new symptoms. My belly is growing and growing and growing. I didn't think it could stretch more than it did with Avery, but it has! By the end of the day I can tell if I have been up walking around too much by how sore my belly is. Its a weird feeling, kind of like a bruise. I think its probably from the fact that she is dropping and the pull gravity has on my belly. Its a weird thing to blog about, but I want to remember it for the next time (if there is one). Sleeping has been ok. For about 2 weeks I was waking up every morning around 4 to 4:30 and not able to go back to sleep until around 6:30 - right as my alarm for work would go off. Thankfully, that passed. Weight gain has been about a pound a week, until last week. I kind of stopped getting on the scale since we were celebrating Thanksgiving and all the yummy food we had. I'm waiting until later in the week to take that plunge. :) I have a midwife appointment next week so I'll know the official numbers then.

In other related news, I'm officially a stay-at-home mommy/wife. I haven't mentioned this in our blog until now - just because it was such a uncertain situation. Randy and I had been praying and working toward me being able to stay home once Claire arrived for a while now. Not many knew about it, just our family and close friends. We have been so blessed financially in the past few years and now with Randy working for Grand Homes, we decided we could make it work. Yes we would lose my income, but we would also lose my expenses related to my working - gas, wear/tear on my car, babysitting, food, etc. Plus if we had babysitting expenses for 2 kids, one a very small infant, we just couldn't justify it. So we waited, until I was toward the end of the pregancy for me to put my notice in. Then October 26th came. The Rangers were supposed to play that night so I dressed in jeans and my Rangers t-shirt for work. I got in and someone stopped by my office to say my boss (from Boston) was there. We weren't expecting him so I wondered what was up. He came by shortly after and that's when I heard the news. Corporate had decided to move all the finance functions from the Dallas office to Boston. Meaning my job, unless I moved, was gone. Moving wasn't an option, and honestly, it was a confirmation for me. This was what Randy and I had been praying about and God was just shutting a door confirming we were moving in the right direction. So my last full day was November 15th and I'm working part-time until mid-December from home. Big changes for the Harrelson family, but we are excited and ready. We know it won't be easy, but are up for the challenge. We do ask for your prayers. Prayers that we can learn to budget with Randy's income. Prayers that I can adjust to being a stay-at-home mommy to Avery and Claire and a housewife to Randy.

I do have pictures. I just keep forgetting to download them. Hopefully I'll get them loaded soon. Thanks for reading!

18th Month Milestones - 11/4/11

2011-11-08T11:36:00.002-06:00

18th Month Milestones - 11/4/11

Height - 30.25"
Weight - 20 lbs

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You still take 2 naps a day but that may be coming to an end. For some reason you'll take 2 good naps while at the sitters, but not at home. I'm not sure if it is because mommy and daddy are there and you don't want to miss the action, or if its time to give up the morning nap. Guess we'll see this month!

Eating - You've been more picky this month. Mommy is hoping this is a short phase, but if not, we'll work through it. You still love your fruit and yogurt. Meat is iffy. We had to take you off milk temporarily due to really bad allergies. You have 12 teeth now, 6 on top and 6 on bottom. You LOVE your Goldfish/Cheez-its.

New discoveries - You discovered the fun of coloring this month. :) So much so that you colored on the walls in your room and at the sitter's. Normally we let you sit at the coffee table in the living room and color while we are there with you. Mommy forgot to put the crayons up one day and you decided to add some decoration to your room. Your words and communication has started expanding this month too. I'm going to have to sit down one night and just list out every word you can say.

New accomplishments - You "jump" which is more like a hop or a skip. You twirl and dance to music. You love to run and chase Daddy. You love to help Mommy load and unload the dishwasher. You know where the trash is and where to put your shoes when you take them off.

Places you went - To Oklahoma for Mommy's 10 year high school reunion. To Tyler for Aunt Kristi and cousin Layla's baby shower.

Special Memories - Getting to see Nonna & Poppa and painting a pumpkin on their backporch. Playing with Creed, Sam, and the other kiddos at Mommy's reunion. Seeing Mim, Papa, Bella, & Kristi in Tyler. Watching the Rangers play in the world series, again. :) Dressing up as an adorable lady bug for Halloween and trick or treating with Nathan, Ashtyn, Kierstyn, and Alexis.

~Mommy & Daddy

Already in the 3rd trimester

2011-10-26T21:28:00.001-05:00

So I looked at the calendar today and as of this coming Sunday we will be 30 weeks into this pregnancy. I seriously don't know where the time went!! I have been really bad at keeping up to date on baby #2 so here is my chance to catch up and get you all up to date.

The last few weeks have been really good. Baby girl is growing and that means the belly is growing. She loves to move alot when I'm sitting still, usually at night, or when I get in bed. I love feeling her move. No other real symptoms other than a few days of a stiff back. It takes me a bit longer to get up and down, and I can't quite chase Avery as fast. Sleeping has been as good as it can be. Appetite has been better since the heat left. I've gained about 23 lbs as of week 28.

And the news everyone is probably waiting for, we finally decided on a name. We were only one week later than with Avery. Her name will be Claire Elizabeth Harrelson. Claire is a name we both liked, but thought we would use as a middle name. We had 4 first names we liked - Aisley, Aislin, Bethany, and Claire, and I'd been waiting for Randy to pick his favorite. I really wanted her name to have some sort of family significance to it since Avery is the 4th generation with the middle name of Marie. Randy's grandmother's middle name is Elizabeth. Randy wasn't crazy about it though. Somewhere along the way, he started liking Elizabeth Claire, but wanted her to be called Claire. He didn't like her being called Lizzie or Beth. I prefer to use the name we would call her as her first name. So we swapped it. Claire Elizabeth. I think it sounds sweet. Claire means clear and Elizabeth means "My God is Bountiful." A forever reminder of how blessed we have been and how good God has been to us. Plus now both Avery and Claire have thier great-grandmother's middle names. :)

I am starting to wonder if she'll come early like Avery or make us wait it out. If she'll have a headful of hair like Avery or be bald. I wonder if she'll be small and petite or chubby and lovable. No matter how she looks or when she arrives, I know she'll be perfect. Avery still doesn't have a clue, but we did get her a baby doll to play with and she loves to carry it around and rock her to sleep. She also loves to poke at my belly button, which is almost gone.

Stay tuned for the picture post in the next few days.

17th Month Milestones

2011-10-20T20:44:00.003-05:00

17th Month Milestones - 10/4/11

Height - 29.75 inches+ a little

Weight - 18 or 19 lbs??

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You still take 2 naps a day and lately these have been long! Still about 2 hours each, give or take. Your pediatrician said as long as you continue to sleep all night to let you keep napping twice during the day. You need your sleep! :) It is harder to get you to nap on the weekends, but if we stick to your regular schedule you do pretty good.

Eating - You've been more picky this month. Mommy is hoping this is a short phase, but if not, we'll work through it. You still love your fruit and yogurt. Meat is iffy. We had to take you off milk temporarily due to really bad allergies. You have 12 teeth now, 6 on top and 6 on bottom.

New discoveries - I'm sure there are several, but honestly I can't remember them. Sorry baby girl!

New accomplishments - Mommy's going to try to list all the words you can say. Daddy (your fav), Mama, peeese (please), duck, water, again, bye, hi, doggie, puppy, woo-hoo, wheee, no-no, light, veggie (Veggie Tales), right here, and several others that Mommy can't remember. :)

Places you went - To Tyler for Labor Day to visit Mim, Pawpaw, Aunt Kristi, Uncle Andrew, and Bella. On a road trip with Mim and Mommy to Clovis, NM for cousin Janna's wedding.
Special Memories - Playing with Bella in Mim and Pawpaw's new house. Roadtripping with Mim and Mommy to NM and seeing Janna and Chad get married. Watching Tiffany in Timberview's homecoming court with Nonna and Poppa. Your second hair cut by your wonderful babysitter, Wendi.

This was a busy month. We kept the road hot. Thankfully you do well riding in the car, as long as you have Veggies to watch. :) You are getting so big and changing daily. It is fun to watch you learn new things. You are becoming a big girl so quickly. We finally cut your hair again. As much as I loved putting it in piggy tales, it was getting kind of scraggly. So Miss Wendi graciously cut it for us. It looks so grown up now. Your baby sister is growing in Mommy's tummy and she loves to kick at you when Mommy rocks you at night. So far you haven't seemed to mind. I hope you two become great friends. I know there will be times when you will drive each other crazy, but I'm praying you'll have a bond that no one can break. Daddy and I love you so much. Thank you for blessing our lives daily.

~Mommy & Daddy

100

2011-09-30T19:22:00.001-05:00

We are 100 days from baby girl's due date today. 100 days! Seriously?! I really was shocked when I saw that on my pregnancy app. Things are going really well. So well that sometimes I sort of forget I'm pregnant. For a brief second. :). Avery still has no clue what's about to happen. She thinks it's funny to poke my belly button (which popped out a lot sooner this time). She tries to "climb" up my belly. We're discouraging that. Still no name. Hopefully soon. Waiting on Randy to decide. Will update soon!

16th Month Milestons - 9/4/11

2011-09-22T14:57:00.001-05:00

16th Month Milestones - 9/4/11

Height - 29.75 inches+ a little

Weight - 17 lbs. 14.5 oz. + a little

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You usually take 2 naps a day and lately these have been long! Still about 2 hours each, give or take. Your pediatrician said as long as you continue to sleep all night to let you keep napping twice during the day. You need your sleep! :) It is harder to get you to nap on the weekends, but if we stick to your regular schedule you do pretty good.

Eating - You still eat anything! Literally. You have almost 10 teeth now, 6 on top and 4 on bottom. You have been a little more picky lately, we think due to teething. The hardest thing this month was communicating with you. Our trusty signs "more" and "all done" hardly get used by you any more. We aren't sure why. So this makes for some frustrating meal and snack times. We're working on that though. You have been on an apple kick lately. You LOVE apple slices. You will go to the fridge, point and make noise until we open the door. Then you point to the bottom drawer where the apples are until we open it and get you one out. You take your milk out of a sippy cup at night now. Just took a few tries. :)
New discoveries - You started throwing fits/tantrums this month. Well we've had them before, but this month it was a full-out throw yourself on the floor, cry and whine tantrum. So far you just lay there and cry and whine. The longest has been for about 15-20 mins. Wow, I know. Most of these happen when we say "no," don't give you what you want, or you can't communicate what you want to us. We're working on this though. Hopefully we'll make progress next month. Oh and just for Mommy's reference, more tantrums happen when you don't take a good afternoon nap. :) Don't forget that, Mommy!!
New accomplishments - Still jabbering up a storm. We do understand some of it, but most is gibberish. You love to explore though. Since its been a little cooler, your favorite thing to do is to walk to the sidewalk and "explore" the cracks, the grass, the bugs, etc.

Places you went - To OK to visit Nonna and Poppa and to TX for Grandmama's 75th birthday.

Special Memories - Celebrating Grandmama's 75th birthday. Finding out you were getting a little sister.

The last 16 months have more challenging, enjoyable, and wonderful than I could have ever imagined. Parenting does change you. In so many good ways. Daddy and I are learning more and more about us, who we are and who we want to be. We're learning who you need us to be and hope that we are working to be better each day. You are changing as well. You want so badly to be able to talk to us, but the words don't come most of the time. It will though. In the meantime, please be patient with us as we try to figure out what you are "saying." We love you so much and you make our lives so much fun. Making you laugh is one of the best moments of my day. Oh and our cuddle time before bed. You let me rock you again. I LOVE it! We love you more than you know baby girl! Keep on growing!

~Mommy & Daddy

Testing another Blogger app

2011-09-10T13:24:00.001-05:00

Some pics from the last month.

The first half - with words :)

2011-09-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

So baby girl #2 is getting a bit shortchanged on the blogs, mostly due to lack of time, not due to lack of things to blog about. Here's is my attempt to get caught up on her and this pregnancy. Things have gone really well this time around. Not much morning sickness and thanks to my wonderful midwife, I was able to change the way I was eating/snacking and I think that has helped tons with the nausea. I was of course exhausted in the beginning, but we made it through the first trimester and the second has been so much better. My biggest complaint now is just not being able to get comfortable to sleep. I had this with Avery too. Any other time I would prefer to sleep on my side, but when I'm pregnant (when I can't sleep on my back) I want to be a back sleeper so bad. Lots of pillows have been my friends lately. I haven't had much of an appetite in the evenings, which is weird since I ate everything (it felt like) with Avery. I think the heat has something to do with it. I'm making myself snack throughout the day, eat a good breakfast and lunch, and as much as I can for dinner. It has helped with the weight gain though. :) I'm on track - having gained 14lbs at my 18 week appointment. While at my 18 week appointment, we were going to schedule our sonogram to find out the sex. Well, we had 2 options, try to do one the Thursday after my appointment or wait a month until I was 22 weeks. I said lets just go ahead! Hopefully he/she will let us see something. So on August 11th, we found out we were having another precious baby girl. Poor Randy! He's really outnumbered now. But I know he will love having 2 little girls adore him. We don't have a name yet. I know, I know. We take forever to pick names. But the good news is we have it narrowed way down, so we are ahead of our record with Avery. Avery doesn't have a clue what's about to happen. And that's ok. She's still little herself and I think she'll do fine with the transition. Its hard to believe we are already half-way through this 9/10 month journey. In a lot of ways, I'm able to relax more this time around. I think because I've already done this before. Feeling her move for the first time (around 16 weeks) has been cool because I actually knew what it was this time. Knowing how my body will change over time has been good, I've been able to not stress about clothes not fitting or looking just right. Plus since we know its a girl, we already have most of everything we need. I'm getting excited about deciding on her name and getting to meet her. Lots of changes ahead, but we're ready! We think! :)

The first half - in pictures

2011-09-01T15:59:00.001-05:00

15th Month Milestones - 8/4/11

2011-08-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

15th Month Milestones - 8/4/11

Height - 29.75 inches

Weight - 17 lbs. 14.5 oz.

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You usually take 2 naps a day and lately these have been long! Still about 2 hours each, give or take. Your pediatrician said as long as you continue to sleep all night to let you keep napping twice during the day. You need your sleep! :)

Eating - Still a healthy appetite. You eat anything! Literally. You have 8 teeth now, 4 on top and 4 on bottom. Your favorites are blueberries, strawberries, bananas, scrambled eggs with cheese, green peas, carrots, corn, avacado, any beans, shredded cheese, veggie chips/sticks, crackers, yogurt, and cheerios. You'll pretty much eat anything, but we have noticed a few things you don't prefer - sliced cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and mac&cheese. Weird, I know. What kid doesn't like cheese? But we aren't forcing them. We finished nursing this month. :( Surprisingly you and Mommy both took it better than expected. We were down to once a day, at night, but getting you to take a bottle/sippy of milk was near impossible so I had feared it would be a rough transition. But once I went back to the bottle instead of sippy and warmed the milk, you were fine with it. Yes, we let you take a bottle and you are over a year. But really, I think it helped make the transition for you easier. It gave us cuddle time before bed with you - both me and Daddy and I think that's what you loved most about nursing anyways. I know I did. We're working on drinking the milk out of a sippy now. Little steps!

New discoveries - You know where your belly button is and say, "Right here!" when asked where it is. Too cute. You know your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and toes. You can practically run now and are constantly falling. I think we've entered the "always-have-a-bruise" phase of toddlerhood. You love being outside, with Daddy. :) He lets you play in the water sprinkler, which you love!

New accomplishments - You can "brush" your teeth. We're not sure how much cleaning is actually going on right now, but you love doing it and that's what matters. You now go grab your paci and blanket and come to us to take you to bed when you are tired. What can I say? You love your sleep! You are saying a few words regularly, but know more and use them all occasionally. The ones I can remember are: Daddy (your fav), Mama (rarely), Who's that?, what's that?, where's that?, ruf-ruf (what you say when you hear a dog), peease (please, complete with sign), up, down, kiss-kiss, Veggie Tales (more on this later), Love you, Zoe, Sam, milk, wa-wer (water), du-du (duck-duck), more (most of the time this is just the sign), all done.

Places you went - To OK to visit Nonna and Poppa.

Special Memories - Celebrating Daddy's birthday. Getting to play with Peyton at Nonna and Poppa's. Spencer's birthday party. You getting addicted to Veggie Tales. :)

Its hard to believe you have 15 months under your belt. You are so much fun to be around, unless you miss your nap. :) Then you need a little extra love and patience. You are trying to communicate more and more with us each day. I love it when I get home from work and you run to me. You are so happy to see me. Almost as happy as when Daddy gets home. I think that's your favorite part of your day. You love to chase him, to play the piano with him, and getting thrown up in the air by Daddy. Hopefully the weather will cool off soon so we can get back to playing outside.

Baby girl - we love you so much. It really is a joy to be your parents. Yes there are days when we aren't sure we are doing this parenting thing right, but we know we both are learning so much from you. Keep being patient with us, we love you more than you know. Thank you for letting us figure parenting out on you. :) Your baby brother/sister will thank you!

~Mommy & Daddy

Avery has some exciting news to share

2011-08-11T13:19:00.001-05:00

Blogging from my iPhone

2011-08-09T20:30:00.001-05:00

So I'm testing this blogging app to see if it would help me blog more frequently. Pics from my phone:

14 Month Milestones

2011-07-22T14:56:00.001-05:00

14th Month Milestones - 7/4/11

Height - 28+ inches

Weight - 17.5 lbs?

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 naps a day and lately these have been long! Must be a growth spurt. Not sure how we'll transition you to 2, because you get sleepy about an hour or so after you get up each morning. Oh well. We'll cross that bridge later!
Eating - Still a healthy appetite. You eat anything! Literally. Chewing has gotten much better this month. Maybe that's because you have 6 teeth now! 4 on top and 2 on bottom. You still nurse in the morning and at night and take bottle or cup of milk during the day.

New discoveries - Let's see, pretty much everyday you figure out how to get into something new. You love emptying Mommy's tupperware cabinet. You love pulling stuff out of baskets after clean up time. You figured out how to pull your blanket out of your crib and do it whenever you are ready to go to bed. You learned how to give kisses, we call them "kiss-kiss" and Daddy and I just eat them up. So sweet!

New accomplishments - Giving kisses when asked. Truly precious! Started throwing fits, which isn't really an accomplishment, we just thought we had more time before these came along. You learned how to "jump" in the water with Mommy/Daddy's help. You can climb up and down steps and do pretty good at getting off the couch without help.

Places you went - To Azle for Tiffany and Brent's Wedding. You got sick after that and we were home for almost a week with you. Didn't go much this month.

Special Memories - Getting to be the flower girl in Aunt Tiffany's wedding. Riding in the wagon with Sam. Taking a bath in the sink with Sam. Getting your toes painted for the first time. Swimming in your kiddie pool and getting to slide. Eating your first popsicle. Having Nonna with us for 4 days while you were sick. First ER visit.

So since this is Mommy's version of your baby book we do need to document your first stomach virus. :( You came down with a fever the morning of Tiff's wedding. We gave you Tylenol and Motrin and your fever broke in time for you to be in the wedding with Sam. We made it through the ceremony and most of the pictures before you had a melt down. Poor thing! If we only knew you felt so bad. We took Poppa out to eat for his birthday and then headed home. Mommy was giving you a bath and you got sick. We thought it was something you ate so weren't too worried. Later that night you woke up with a fever and it was on. For the next 6/7 days you ran a fever off and on and had diarrhea. Mommy stayed home with you for 3 days and on the third day you basically refused to eat or drink anything. We took you to your pediatrician on Monday and he said it was some viral diarrhea and would last up to 10 days! By Wednesday you were miserable, so Mrs. Marilyn and I took you to the ER for them to check you out. You were dehydrated and so they gave you 2 bags of fluids. You were a different baby after that! I think you finally felt a little better. You stayed with Mrs. Marilyn Thursday and Nonna came down Thursday night to keep you on Friday. By Saturday your fever and diarrhea were both finally gone. That is the worst sickness you've had so far! Mommy and Daddy lost more sleep that week than since you were born. Thankfully you recovered 100% and by the next week were back to your normal, energizer-bunny self. It was hard watching you not even want to crawl or walk. You just wanted to be held. Which we loved, but hated you were so miserable. By the end of the week you were so sick of being sick that you started throwing fits. But really, who could blame you? You couldn't tell us what hurt and had been sick for so long. So now we are working on no hitting or fit throwing. :)
When I was looking back on June, it looked like we didn't do much, but we had a full month. Weddings and yucky viruses take it out of ya! We are so glad you are back to normal and so thankful you have been so healthy. We are blessed to have great friends like Mrs. Marilyn and family like Nonna who were willing to help out when we were exhausted. You are one LOVED little girl. I hope you always know that. Can't wait to see what next month holds! Love you sweet baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy

12, err 13 weeks - Baby #2

2011-07-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

So here we are already at 12 13 weeks into this pregnancy and this is the first blog about it. Sorry! Things have been kind of crazy around here lately. That and I am usually E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D by the time I get home from work, do dinner for us, get Avery a bath, play time, then bed. I have to get better at keeping up with this though. So here is my attempt to catch up and my public goal of updating once a month on how baby #2 and I are doing.

I had my second visit with my midwife this weekend and everything looks great! We heard the heartbeat again and it was strong, 160 bpm. I'm measuring where I should be and so far haven't gained too much weight. My nausea is gone for the most part. I think this being the 2nd time around, helped alot. I learned from last time to only take my prenatal vitamins at night, to snack throughout the day, and to not let myself get super hungry. My midwife and a few friends suggested trying high protein snacks this time around. It made so much difference. I have been loading up on eggs, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, almonds, and other yummy snacks. They helped so much with the nausea especially at work. So to all my friends out there who are pregnant or might be in the future, I highly recommend trying this. It was so much better this time around.

We told all our family right after we found out - yeah, we're not the greatest at keeping secrets from them. To be honest, we were totally shocked and scared at first. But that was followed by complete excitement and joy. Yes, it is possible. We'll have 2 under 2 for 4 months, but we are excited and know God will use this to grow us and to be an example to others. Avery doesn't have a clue what's going on. That's fine. She's still really young.

And one final story to end, just because I don't want to forget this. Tiff - if Granny ever reads this, I hope she knows I thought what she said was the greatest.

I was at Tiffany and Brent's helping them get moved into their house before their wedding. Her Granny and Mom had come down to help and Granny and Tiff were in the laundry room doing something. I happened to walk by at just the right time to hear Granny ask Tiff where Avery was. Tiff told her she was with the sitter and then said, "you remember I told you she's expecting another one." Granny's next words were this, "Well bless her heart!" Then she paused, "Welp, that just comes with it!" I know you just had to be there to get the full affect of it. But I couldn't help but smile. I love me some Tiff's Granny!

Avery's 1st Birthday Party

2011-06-30T11:38:00.000-05:00

Avery's yummy cake and cupcakes with decorations

Avery with Grandad West, Mommy and Nonna

Singing Happy Birthday to our baby girl

That cake was yummy!

Opening presents

Playing with Peyton

Pictures with Peyton

Happy birthday Avery Marie!

Trying out our new wagon, thanks Aunt Tiff!

13 month milestones

2011-06-27T12:47:00.001-05:00

13th Month Milestones - 6/4/11

Height - 28+ inches

Weight - 17.5 lbs?

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 naps a day and these are getting shorter. Not sure how we'll transition you to 2, because you get sleepy about an hour or so after you get up each morning. Oh well. We'll cross that bridge soon!

Eating - Still a healthy appetite. The only thing you've refused so far is a grilled cheese sandwich and I think the texture was too much for you. Other than that, you eat anything we give you. Chewing has gotten much better this month. Maybe that's because you have 6 teeth now! 4 on top and 2 on bottom. You still nurse in the morning and at night and take bottle or cup of milk during the day.

New discoveries - You can walk everywhere now! It started the week after your birthday party. You just took off one day and haven't stopped since. You have great balance. You are learning more words, we think. We still can't understand most of them, but you respond when we ask you questions or talk to you. Oh, and we introduced you to the pool. I thought for sure you would love it. You love bathtime. But you aren't crazy about it. I think its because you can't touch the bottom and we have to either hold you or put you in your floatie. You would rather be on your own. :)

New accomplishments - Walking/almost running! This started the week of May 15th.

Places you went - To Ada, OK for Aunt April's graduation from ECU. To Grandmama and Grandad West's for a late Easter/Mother's Day celebration. Had your first birthday party with all your family and friends. Had a 2nd birthday swim party with more friends.

Special Memories - Watching Aunt April gradutate. Hunting Easter eggs with Peyton. Loving on Grandmama and Grandad West. 1st birthday party. Walking full time. Swim party with friends. Mommy and Daddy found out you were going to be a big sister the day after your first birthday. Hanging out with the girls for Tiffany's Girls Night Out party.

Sorry this post was much shorter than the last 12. Mommy has been super busy this month between chasing you, throwing 2 birthday parties, and finding out you were going to be a big sister. We are so thankful for you. Seeing you grow and change is so much fun. I find myself wondering how I could love you more. God has been so good to let us be your parents. To be honest, when I found out about your baby brother/sister, I was excited, but nervous at the same time. You are still so young. Would having a baby brother/sister mean I couldn't give you the attention you need/deserve? But then I remembered, God never gives us more than we can handle. So He must know that you and I (and Daddy) can handle this with Him. I'm so excited to see you as a big sister. We love you so much baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy

12 Month Milestones

2011-06-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

12th Month Milestones - 5/4/11

Height - 28 inches

Weight - 17 lbs, 2.5 oz

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 naps a day and these are getting shorter. Your doctor said we could transition to just one nap a day over the next few months.

Eating - Still a healthy appetite. The only thing you've refused so far is a grilled cheese sandwich and I think the texture was too much for you. Other than that, you eat anything we give you. We are working on chewing with your new teeth though. You prefer to inhale versus chew. We'll get there though. You have 3 teeth now, 2 on top and 1 on bottom. The top ones came first, which normally doesn't happen so I'm told. You still nurse in the morning and at night and take bottle or cup of milk during the day.

New discoveries - This is more of a Mommy and Daddy discovery, but we think you are saying words and phrases now when we ask you questions. We're the only ones who can understand you, but you do respond when asked questions. You like to ask "Who's that?" when the door bell rings. This is from me asking you that whenever Mrs. Marilyn or Frannie arrive at the door in the morning. You say "Thank you" when you hand stuff to us, probably because we say thank you to you when you give us stuff. You say "here" sometimes too. You can nod yes and no. You nod No when we tell you no. I think I've heard you say "what's that?" but still not sure on that one.

New accomplishments - You've taken as many as 6 or 8 steps on your own! Most of the time you have to be completely distracted when you walk, because if you realize you are doing it, you sit down and crawl. That's ok though, we aren't in any hurry. Your first steps were on April 29th.

Places you went - Let's see, April was a busy month for us. We had Eddie and Michelle's wedding the 2nd weekend. Then Nonna and Poppa came down to celebrate Mommy's birthday the next weekend. We loved getting to see them. Easter weekend we went to Tyler to see Mim, PaPa, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Kristi, and Bella. We even got to have a picnic at Tyler State Park. We had fun, but lost a paci somewhere there. We went to church with them and hid eggs in the living room for you and Bella to find. The weekend after that, you and I headed north for Aunt Tiff and Uncle Brent's wedding shower in Ardmore. It was so fun to see everyone, plus all your baby friends were there - Sam, Ava, & Amelia. It was a busy month.

The one place that wasn't a fun visit was your trip to Cook Children's in Ft. Worth. See after you got sick last month, your doctor wanted us to have some tests run to make sure your kidneys and bladder were working correctly. We weren't sure, but after a 2nd opinion decided to go ahead. You were a trooper. We arrived early, like we were supposed to, only to find out they were running behind. So we waited, and waited, and waited. We finally got called back for the ultrasound. You were fine until the tech started moving the wand around on your tummy. We survived it and then were sent to another area for more waiting. I do have to admit, for a children's hospital, waiting wasn't easy. I know all hospitals are busy, but we were like an hour to an hour and a half late from our appointment time. Crazy for a almost 1 year old who hadn't had a nap or eaten anything since early that morning. Anyways, we finally got back for the VCUG and they had Veggie Tales for you to watch! Much better than the dark ultrasound room. We got the results back a few days later and everything is fine. Your kidneys and bladder work great! We were so thankful. God is so good!

Special Memories - Seeing Mrs. Michelle in her wedding dress. Celebrating with Mommy for her birthday. First Easter egg hunt with Bella. Playing with Sam and stealing his snacks (we're working on sharing!).

So what about your first birthday? I'm saving a whole post for that. Let's just say it was special and went by way too fast. I can't believe that you've been a part of our lives for a whole year, baby girl! Wow! Thinking back to how much you've grown and changed, it makes me sad. Sad that you'll never be that tiny again. But oh so happy to see you growing, healthy, learning new things, and becoming you. I love that. Your Daddy and I are so blessed to be your parents. Thank you for letting us figure this parent thing out. You've been a trooper. :) Here's to the year ahead!

Love you baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy

Ms. Michelle's wedding

Mommy's Birthday

1st Hospital visit

Playing at Tyler State Park

Easter Sunday

Opening Easter basket

Hunting eggs with Bella

Loves to eat!

1st birthday present from Nonna and Poppa

Tiff and Brent's Shower

Sleepy head!

Birthday pictures with Bella

Silly girl :)

This is Avery, I highjacked Mommy's blog for today...

2011-05-29T16:37:00.000-05:00

Hey there, this is Avery. I highjacked Mommy's blog today. She's been a little busy lately and hasn't had time to finish my 12 month and birthday party posts. She told me she's working on them, so be on the look out for them soon.

Anyways, I've been spending my days playing, sleeping, eating and perfecting my walking. Daddy says I look like a little monkey cause I hold up my arms, stick out my tummy, and walk around. Walking is definitely better than crawling. I can get around so much faster. Um, let's see. I got to go swimming for the first time this weekend. It was ok, definitely not the same as the bathtub. The best part was Mommy let me "jump" in from the edge. That was fun. Mommy says I'll learn to love it. And that I'll have the best baby tan of all my friends by the end of the summer.

Oh, I just remembered. I have some big news.

Yep, come January I'm gonna be a BIG sister. Supposedly, its a big deal, but I'm not sure. Mommy and Daddy said I'd have to share my toys and be a good example and help take care of my baby brother or sister. I think I can handle that. Shouldn't be much harder than what I do now. Well, maybe ask me again in a year or so. Anyways, just wanted to let you know.
Thanks for letting me write my first blog! I'll be back again soon. :) ~Avery Marie

Spring has Sprung!

2011-05-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

So spring has officially arrived in Texas (if we can call it that). For me, the period from St. Patrick's Day to Memorial Day is Spring. It doesn't always feel like it in Texas when it hits 95 degrees in April. Spring is also one of my favorite seasons - Easter, my birthday, my anniversary, Avery's birthday, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. Somehow my birthday, my anniversary and Avery's birthday are all within a month of each other. Crazy, I know. Along with all these happy days, comes the gifts, etc. that come along with them. Now that we have grandparents to give gifts to, I have learned quickly that photos are great gifts. Grandparents can't have enough of them. One of my favorite sites to order pics from is Shutterfly. I've ordered cards, photo books, collages, notepads and LOVED them all. Some of my favorite from their spring collection are these:

Mother's Day Cards

I also love these invitations.

These graduation announcements are pretty neat, and probably cheaper than the ones you could order from school.

So next time you are looking for a fun, unique gift, check out Shutterfly first. I've always been pleased with their quality and service.

Do you have a blog? Sign up for a chance at 50 free cards from Shutterfly. I did. Can't wait to get them in.