Loves of Life

Letter to you with ~10 weeks left....

2012-05-30T07:35:00.002-04:00

To my littlest baby girl,

I get to meet you in about 10 weeks, give or take a little. And part of me cannot even believe we're that close. And sometimes? I wish it were tomorrow because I just cannot wait to have all those moments with you.

Those moments where I first get to lay eyes on you. The moments where I get to hold, cuddle and nurse you for the first time. The moment where I get to introduce you to your big sister who is waiting excitedly for you. The moment when we become a family of four.

But yet we still have so much to do. And it's good. You need to continue and grow and get all chubby and cutesy in there. So hold tight.

You need to know we're so excited about you. We talk about you every day. Your daddy & I talk about who you'll look like and if you'll be a spitting image of your sister, or have your own very unique look. Either way, I know you'll be a beautiful girl, both inside and out. We talk about how much love you'll get from your toddler-sister. She's bound to have her moments, but overall? I think she's gonna smother you with love, endless kisses, and lots of hugs.

You're entering into an insta-family. Something that I feel is different than when your sister came. We know a bit more, although we're continually learning, but that family kind of love--it's there. And we'll be welcoming you with open arms and hearts, little girl.

My hopes and dreams for you are simple. I want you to love God & people with all your heart, the same prayer I prayed and continue to pray over your sister. That you would have compassion and a heart so full of love. That you would love the unlovable. That you would embrace those that need to be embraced. That your presence would light up a room. That your inner light would just shine and shine.

It's true, we're much more relaxed with your arrival than we were with your sister. I don't have the room ready (in fact it's still occupied by your big sissy), no clothes are washed yet, and the 'to-do' list around the house is endless. But? It doesn't mean we're any less excited. Any less ready to be your parents. We're stoked, little girl.

So keep on growing strong & we can't wait to kiss your sweet cheeks soon.

Love Always,

Momma

(I wrote a letter at this time to Emeline, too....here it is.)

Boom, boom, boom-even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.

2012-05-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Writing about occasions, or holidays-whatever...it's not my thing. But I do it because I forget. I do it because I want to look back and remember all these fun things we do and did together as a family. And in a way, this is like my scrapbook.

We had one of those weekends that is mostly empty, but yet, so full. And no, I don't mean in a cute heart-felt-full way, although, now that I think about it--there WAS a lot of full-heart moments this weekend. I meant that I'm really good at packing up a weekend with odds-n-ends despite having 'no plans'.

You see, nesting has kicked in. Not in all areas (as my dirty toilets and dusty sills can attest), but in certain areas for sure. We spent a lot of time this weekend doing garage clean-outs (seriously, storing baby/kid stuff will be the death of me! no space. grrr.), cleaning out cars, etc. I even (for the first time in way too embarrassingly long to admit) took apart Eme's car seat, cleaned the cover, scrubbed that sucker down and vacuumed it out. And? Ew. That is all.

But we also balanced out the ~~crazy nesting purges~~ organizing with fun. We went yard saling one morning. We had dunkin donuts. We spent time together just our little family at the park, having dinner out on the restaurant patio, and ice cream outings. Declan & I put Eme to bed one night and spent a few hours out on our deck just talking...about everything & anything related to our future, our family, our dreams and goals. I love time together like that.

1. Friday night: Kicking off the holiday weekend with some back patio fun

2. Mac, totally lounging like the lazy pup he is. We love him.

3. My $15 desk & chair find for a work station I plan to make in my kitchen.

4. A little sunnin' action for momma while Emeline napped

5. At the park, she picked flowers & loved on her daddy.

6. Our ice cream date.

7. I made mini-strawberry-shortcake cups for our cookout.

8. We got a little patriotic for Memorial Day.

9. Cannot deny the cuteness of a baby bikini, no sirree.

---

After Friday night, Saturday & Sunday Funday--we still had the big Memorial Day cookout at my parents house. My dads birthday normally falls on or close to this day, so we also celebrate him! (His birthday happens to be today! Happy birthday daddio. smooches.)

My parents house and yard is the best (although it would be way better with a pool, just sayin'). They set up all sorts of water'ish fun for the kids, they have a trampoline, a swingset, ladderball & washers for the adults--lots of beer, soda, and ridiculously good cookout food.

And well--the rest of Memorial Day was history.

****

Put it in the books. Summer has begun.

New Spaces

2012-05-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think living in a 3 story townhome can be hard. All the steps. The limited storage. All the steps. Did I mention the steps? Ah, it keeps me thin(ner) anyway. (I like to pretend).

One of the things about having a townhouse is that we kind of lack on the outdoor space arena. We don't have a big backyard. Yes, it's true, I sometimes (often) wish I did. But that's not the case for us right now. Even though we have an end unit, our side grass is often a community dog-peeing spot. And if you live in a townhome development, you so know what I mean.

Therefore, we don't really play out there. Okay, ever.

You have to maximize your outdoor space in other ways. Adding a deck. Making a patio. Playing in your driveway. Those kinds of things.

We added a big 'ole deck about a year or two ago (totally cannot remember), and it has been great. It's nice to eat out there, although it's burny-hot out there from about 2pm-7:30pm, and even umbrella's don't give you relief with the direction of the sun. Still, though. We love it. We have a water table out there, kids picnic table, adult sitting chairs and tables--it's nice. I should get photos of that sometime. For now, you can see it this way:

For a townhouse, it is a BIG deck. It really is. So we love it. But this year, once we decided to take our house off the market, we knew we needed to do something with the underneath space. It didn't get enough sun to make the grass grow properly. It kind of became a little dumping ground for our pup (truth), and it was kinda gross and buggy back there. AKA: never, ever went back there. Creepy-town.

--

So, we decided to put in a rock patio beneath the deck. The area was sloped, so it needed to be graded & we hired Declan's brother to do the work with his team of guys (he owns a contracting business). Putting brick pavers or something fancier would have been thousands of dollars more, and honestly? I don't plan on being in this house long enough to enjoy that kind of return. So we went with the fun beachy stone, and slate pieces for some sturdiness in areas. And NOW we have a nice, fun spot where we spend a lot of time lately.

Eme has dollar store toys galore under here. She digs & plays in the stones (she's way past the age of putting stuff like stones in her mouth, for the record), she makes hills, she fills buckets, she dumps buckets--rinse & repeat. She would sit and play in these stones for hours, and sometimes we do. Who knew.

Did you know people are making stone boxes for their kids instead of sandboxes these days? They're cleaner, and also the manufactured sand has warnings for 'cancer causing' stuff on it. Scary. We didn't really plan this to be a giant play box for Eme, but it's kind of fun this way, too.

--

We installed swings, too. I got a baby swing for $2 at a yardsale (which sure beats the $24.99 it sells for in stores), and then we got Eme the 'big girl swing'. She likes her choice of swings, and enjoys both thoroughly---but one is really there for a certain baby sister that's coming along.

Daddy likes the swings, too.

Since these photos, I've added a bird feeder (my kid is obsessed with bird watching), rearranged a few things---but overall, we kind of love our new little outdoor space. Declan power washed the sides of the house and got it all clean down there, so I'm way less skurred of the bugs and stuff (I'm a wuss).

Playing out there has quickly become part of our nightly routines when we can--getting her all tuckered out before bedtime, and extra dirty before bathtime. It's a good time.

And sometimes, just sometimes, on a hot day--....a water fight breaks out.

***

That little investment of adding the rock patio has already proven it's worth. We're loving it, and have been enjoying some of this Memorial Day Weekend hanging out down there.

Speaking of which---have a happy Memorial Day, friends.

Hello Baby Deux: 30 Weeks Update

2012-05-25T09:27:00.000-04:00

**I just want to start this off by saying, thank you. So much. My family felt the prayers that were offered up for us, my grandmom and my poppop. We felt them, so much so. This last week has been a whirlwind and honestly? I feel kind of like a freight train hit me. Lots of travelling, lots of intensive family time, lots of goodbyes and cries and hugs and hand holding. My Poppop passed away on Wednesday evening at 8:30pm. He lived a great life, and was an amazing guy, which makes his lost presence hard to handle, for sure. I'm not sure when/if I'll write about this any more--but I didn't want to ignore it after Tuesday's post. So, thank you.**

---

I want to update on this baby. I just feel like I need to. Besides, we're at a milestone, people! 30 WEEKS. *blink blink blink* How did this happen? Some days I have moments of OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A BABY HERE SO SOON. Other times, I have moments of, TEN MORE WEEKS? I'M GONNA DIE. So, to say my emotions are a little all over the place about this--okay, it's a bit of an understatement. Plus? I've done a whole lot of NOTHING for this poor kid.

The Babe

Everything seems right on track. She's hiccupping multiple times a day (which I have to say, drives.me.crrrazzy), just like her sister did. Which I know means one thing--I need to stock up on gripe water now. Holy cow, Emeline had hiccups as a newborn so often, and lots in the womb--so we're doomed. She moves around most at night when I'm sitting still. Just like Emeline, my walking around, daily-routine stuff keeps her pretty much (what seems) asleep, then when I want to sit down and relax, my belly is party time.

The Momma

I passed my glucose test with flying colors. My doc told me I'm the picturesque pregnant woman, my levels of everything are always good, no blood pressure issues, no protein in urine, passing the glucose test & such--now let's just hope I somehow didn't jinx that. My hips are sore. I FEEL more pregnant these days. But then sometimes I'll still have moments of not feeling pregnant at all. It's weird. I am, though, starting to get more uncomfortable in the ribcage area. I think she's just getting bigger.

The Bod

Meh. We're good, no swollen ankles or feet yet. But I'm up 19-20lbs or so. Still in all my size small maternity stuff, so I don't feel too bad. But I have already mentally signed up for multiple 5K's and weight watchers :) Ha. We'll enjoy the rest, give myself a few weeks, then it's back to business in the body arena.

The Big Sis

She's the best. Rubs my belly unprompted. Talks about being a 'sister'. Tells people her name. Asks if she can talk to her through the "hole" (my belly button), and gives her "huggies & keeses".

We're just soaking up our time of just her in our lives. That's my main focus this summer.

***

10 weeks to go!! eeee!

---

Came across some photos of me at 30 weeks with Emeline, so I decided to mimick it this time to see the difference. I think I'm a bit smaller this time around. You be the judge!

THIS PREGNANCY:

LAST PREGNANCY:

***

I will bottle this up.

2012-05-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sitting there in the living room-turned-hospice-bedroom for my Pop Pop, I hugged his hand with my hand.

My grandmother sat across from me, red-faced, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at me with that loving grandmom look. "It all happens in an instant, Katie. He was fine one day. The next day, some back pain, then one thing led to another, and now we're....(she looks at my Pop Pop, lovingly...pausing)....here."

I know, Grandmom. I know. Life is so full of unknowns. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I say.

I feel my Pop Pop squeeze my hand. He's still asleep. Breathing deeply with the help of an oxygen machine. I run my finger over his wedding band. The one that's been there for 61 years, representing his faithful and strong commitment to my grandmother...to his family.

She looks outside at Emeline playing on the deck with my dad as she says, "Please. Just enjoy every second. Every minute. I know. I know it's hard. I know that you do. Life is just so fragile."

I smile, I tell her I will. That I do. That I'm so very sorry.

***

I'm reminded that life is full of unknowns. Our time with our family is not promised to us. Despite the long life my Pop Pop was able to lead, no matter what, when someone's time comes to an end, it's painful. Humans feel. We're supposed to. And it feels awful.

I am just thankful for the life & legacy that he's had.

And for the hours or days we have left with him, we will hold his hand, pray with him, be there as often as we can, and outpour love on him. He deserves no less.

Thank you for all your prayers during this time.

Ups & Downs of Disney

2012-05-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

While at a glance, our vacation to Disney World seemed like THE!BEST!TRIP!EVER!, like any other trip--it has it's challenges. I do not, for one second, want to under emphasize how great this trip was, though. Because it WAS great. Overall, it was fantastic! Awesome! Amazing! Full of fun! Chocked full of memories! Magical! (Okay you get it? Good.)

For sure, Disney is a memory-making-trip, though. And what do I say about memory-making? Oh yea. It often takes work. For the parents, mainly.

So I thought about a few of the ups & downs in Disney. In fact, I may have jotted some down along the way--because this pregnant brain forgets things, like, all the time.

***

Naps. For us, they were necessary. I wish sometimes that my daughter would happily turn her head in a stroller and just fall asleep peacefully for a blissful 2 hour nap while we continued on enjoying the parks & what-not. But noooo. She's never really been a nap-on-the-go'er. So this part was a bit challenging.

Our days were often split in half by a nap. Sometimes, just Declan & I would return to the suite while the rest of my family kept on trucking enjoying rides & fun at the parks. Others times, we'd all return and they would go down and hang out by the pool while we had to (womp womp) stay inside while the little lady napped.

Honestly, I know you're thinking, why weren't you just like SCREW IT about naptime? It's vacation anyway! But the truth is, we had dinner reservations MOST nights, at fairly nice restaurants, and a completely un-napped Eme is, well, let's put it this way--not fun. It was for the sanity of all.

So the napping thing was a bit of a downer. Sometimes I'd feel a little left out that I couldn't continue on at the parks, or spend as much time at the pool*, etc---but that's the whole having-children-thing. Oh, responsibility. That.

Upside? Having a happy child for most of the day!

*A few times we took turns & went down to the pool, just one of us. Declan was great about me going down there during some naps while he stayed up in the rooms and napped or read a book in peace. So that was nice and much appreciated!

On that same note. Bedtime. While we definitely did not stick to normal bedtime hours, she still was so overly tired and exhausted by the end of the night, she was asleep much earlier than 'night life' at Disney is. Again, lots of parents keep their kiddies out way late in Disney, but as far as a 10pm firework show goes? Eme would have NEVER made it. Thankfully, my parents were happy to stay back at the room on two separate occasions so that Declan and I could go watch the fireworks in Magic Kingdom & do some rides/attractions, and also so we could have a little fun in Downtown Disney the other night. That time was much appreciated and also very cherished :)

Upside? Emeline was a rockstar sleeper there. I will say, I'm sure the sun, fun & exhaustion of all the activities helps, but she literally would wave us goodbye at bedtime, and basically rid us from her 'bedroom' (which was really a bathroom with a pack-n-play in it). She's used to sleeping with a fan for noise at home, so we put a white noise app on the iPad, stuck it under the door each night with a towel blocking out the rest of the light, allowing the adults to be up, noisy as ever, not even remotely waking her up. Which was great! I couldn't have been more pleased with her in the sleep arena, which can always be tricky while out of their element.

Fast Walkers. I was born into a family of fast walkers. That's just how we do. I get that, and it's fine. BUT OMG at 28 weeks pregnant, and the week when my sciatic nerve pain was acting up and my HIPS felt like they were breaking apart? It was torture! To be fair, it wasn't anyones fault. But being pregnant with literally the miles and miles and miles and miles of walking you do daily (with a stroller)? OUCH. I definitely went to bed with sore hips every night. My braxton hicks contractions were off the chain there.

My husband was great. Very, very, very attentive to my needs. Always offered to do anything & everything related to Eme-pushing her stroller, carrying her, taking charge on the bus trips, at restaurants, etc. If anything, I realized even more what a fabulous daddy (and husband) this man is on this trip.

Upside? My parents gave us the master bedroom in our suite (to help accomodate for Emeline & a place to sleep, etc), and it had a jacuzzi bathtub in it! And you bet your butt I used that thing, and multiple times. It was just what the doctor ordered for my achey pregnant hips & contracting belly. Also, another UP? In all of this, with all the miles and miles of walking in 90 degree weather? I got NO puffy ankles. I fully expected to look like an elephant with cankles the size of Africa, but nope! So yay.

No Manners, Yo. A few times, I admit, I was slightly disgusted by the lack of basic manners/chivalry while there--from strangers. If you stay within the Disney resorts, you use the bussing system to get to and from all parks/hotels, etc. Right? Right. A few times the busses were so full, and I was shocked and appalled that young, capable men didn't give up their seats for elderly, pregnant women (more than just me, but me included), or women with small babies/children. Being forced to stand and hang onto the bars, or hold their kids/babies while hanging onto the straps, etc.

One time we were on a bus heading somewhere, we stopped, and a huge group of people got on. The first people up & offering their seats to others were my husband, my brother and my dad. Like real gentleman should. Some things like that seem like basic human kindness to me, but apparently not to everyone.

Upside? The bus system is great. It's the easiest, most convenient, well-oiled machine when it comes to travelling around in Disney. Simple, simple, simple.

CHAOS. You know how here, in public places, people generally walk in the same direction as traffic? Stay to the right is a good rule of thumb. Yes? Not there. I actually think this is probably due to the very vast & diverse crowd (from lots of countries & such) that Disney draws. (Different countries drive on different sides of the road, etc.) So, basically? It felt like chaos sometimes navigating the parks, zig-zagging amongst people, especially with a stroller. It's not like there are big signs telling people the direction to walk to keep foot traffic smooth-flowin' ya know? It was just an observation, but definitely got a little stressful (for me) at times. Also, parking the stroller to do rides/attractions, unloading your kid & personal belongings a million times--gets old. But that's just how it works there and has to be done, obviously.

Upside? I loved the diversity. Loved, loved, loved it. So did Declan. Emeline met a little French girl her age, they had many-a-busride together, we stayed at the same resort & they would giggle, play peek-a-boo and sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song together. It was ridiculously cute & so fun. (Just one example :))

Lovebugs. Do you know what they are? Well, we were apparently there in PRIME TIME MATING SEASON for these little creatures. They're two bugs, flying together, ATTACHED, having sex basically. Awesome, right? They don't bite--but holy cow, they swarm. Literally, at the opening of Magic Kingdom, where the little town square is? It was like the plague. They would be all over the air, flying, and then fly onto your hair, clothing, legs, stroller, your kids hair, their clothes, their legs, etc. ICK. Thankfully, once you got out of over-crowded areas, they'd lighten up a bit.

My brother may or may not have made many-a-jokes about the number of bugs having sex on him that day. It was funny at the time, swear.

Upside? None. Sorry. ;)

Pregnancy. I already touched on this a little, but I definitely missed out on a few things because of the occupancy of my uterus. Lucky for me, I went only about 6 years ago and did everything as a fully able-bodied person. But this time? Different story. I obviously did not get to do any water slides at the water park, no everest, no space mountain...nada.

Upside? There are about a million and one other 'rides' and attractions you CAN be a part of! There is always someone able to sit with the kid who is too small to do above-mentioned-rides and hold everyone's bags. Oh, and take photos. And another upside is the cute babe inside me who is so totally worth missing out on those few things.

----

There you have it. Some of them, anyway :)

Happy Tuesday!

**ps: I've had a few people email me with questions about the trip, some of you are taking trips soon or in the near future. If you do have any specific questions, feel free to ask away--but make sure you have your email address attached when you comment so I can respond!

Maternity'ish/Family Photos and stuff.

2012-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Okay so today I'm going to blow up my blog with maternity photos. Well, family photos. Or--whatever. I really don't know what you call them. But, they're basically just pictures of me pregnant and a few with Emeline running in and out of them because getting her to sit still in photos these days is basically NOT HAPPENING.

So--we made do. And my little brother who is quite talented with the camera did these photos for us (while in Disney), and then he gave me the files to let me edit. We make a good team. It's kinda fun that way. Plus I can be all "I saw this pose on Pinterest!" and he's cool with that.

Basically, here they are. Well, the majority of my favorites----enjoy.

***

Have a happy Monday!

Twenty Five of the Randomest of the Random

2012-05-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

While I was away I got tagged by a few people to do this 25 Random Things Meme. I honestly didn't think I'd get around to doing it, but I sat outside (yesterday), soaking up some sun, and started jotting down some random things that I could potentially use. Sure enough, I came up with a list.

***

I consider grocery shopping torture. I refuse to do a full grocery trip with just Emeline. A stop for a few things, sure-but not a full shop. We often shop as a family, or just one of us goes.

I'm a half nail biter. Basically, if my nails aren't covered in polish, I'll pick at them, or bite them. If I keep them polished up, they grow.

I consider massages and pedicures to be my highest form of pampering. They don't happen often but when they do I feel all luxurious & spoiled.

On that note, I hate going to the salon. I've had my hair color messed up so many times, cuts given to me that are too short, etc-that now I just avoid them like the plague. I got the tiniest trim ever last June (yes, LAST JUNE)--and nothing since then. I box dye every few months myself since going brunette & like it that way. My split ends are atrocious however.

I think tan lines on babies/toddlers are the cutest thing ever.

I'm a rather emotionally stable person. I don't have a lot of extreme ups & downs. However, pregnancy hormones may affect this. My husband can attest.

Passive aggressive stuff makes me all twitchy inside. To me, it literally is the biggest gut punch anyone can pull on me. If someone's upset with me I'd rather them just tell me, let's hash it out-instead of seeing passive aggressive actions/words/etc. 'Cuz dude that stuff hurts. A ton.

I can swim. I like the water. OF A POOL. Bodies of water that have creatures living in them? BAH. No thanks. Little bits here & there, but not long periods of time.

I get a lot of pleasure out of things like gardening, setting up patios, making spaces pretty, etc--but buckling down & actually DOING IT can be the hard part.

I was never a procrastinator in school. Had my papers done early &, homework turned in on time-and yet as an adult, I procrastinate MUCH more. (currently avoiding unpacking, cleaning, and going to Home Depot)

My alcohol of choice would be beer, always, over liquor or wine. I'm basically a dude. Except I like wimpy beers like Bud Light Lime, Miller Lite, and Blue Moon. (my husband is so ashamed)

My bucket list consists of running a half marathon and becoming a Tough Mudder. Yes I am insane. Yes, I WILL make this happen one day. I've never considered myself to have a strong body, but my goal is to be stronger and more capable than I ever thought I could be.

I am of the belief that a REAL vacation does not involve children. Unless there is a nanny present (oh to be Bethenny Frankel eh?).

Taking a family walk around the neighborhood is one of my favorite things to do ever.

I can go days and days without showering. I don't smell. Swear.

I hate budgets and finances, yet we live by a budget. My husband manages everything & just tells me when to STOP SHOPPING AT TARGET, for the love.

I am actually more frugal than I may appear. Everything I buy for myself is inexpensive and/or on sale. I have an internal struggle/debate every time I buy something "extra".

One day if I do have all the money in the world, one immediate change I would make is to dress my kid in all baby gap/gap kids clothing. I buy the occasional (on sale) item from there, but everything? NO CHANCE. I just adore how shabby chic & close looking to adult clothes (while still looking like kids) their stuff is. I know it's pathetic.

I think cook out food is THE BEST FOOD EVER. Grilled chicken. Grilled vegetables. My moms potato salad. Chips. Dip. All of that yummy stuff.

I'm not over exaggerating or being all romantical when I say I think my husband is amazing and the best. I also don't think I have the only amazing husband out there. I appreciate the one I was blessed with SO much though. He IS awesome, helps around the house all the time, takes care of Emeline in the sweetest way possible, and is my best friend. I love doing life with him.

I absolutely think calling companies/banks/etc is THE WORST "household" chore there is.

Unlike most people, I hate getting the mail.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot be a dinner-planner. I have tried little magnet boards on my fridge, meal planning tips & tricks---I do not have the gift. I forget something, ALWAYS. It frustrates me. I give up. I stick to the same group of meals (when and if I cook), and I'm majorly lame in that department. I envy so many of you.

I like getting flowers, A LOT. But I'd honestly prefer them to come from the grocery store where they're cheaper and I can rearrange them any way I'd please.

I used to think I'd be either a florist or a hair dresser as a kid. Not surprising, though that I stayed in the creative field (as an art teacher).

I really don't enjoy pregnancy at all. I am ultra jealous of those that think it's pure bliss or say "I've never felt better", and those of you that "glow". I just feel and look awful most of the time. I do, however, love the end result. :)

I don't necessarily consider myself a Writer or a Photographer, but I'd like to be both some day.

I didn't number these, so I have NO IDEA if I'm at 25. I think I'm around there, so I'll call it quits now. You're welcome.

***

Anyone relate to any of the random things?

Disney Memory Video, some photos, and more.

2012-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I had plans to make a video with many of my favorite photos and including the videos I took on this trip, too. Well, I actually did it. Shocking, I know. Since I typically have grand plans and never actually act on them.

BUT!

I decided this was the best way to show you our trip. It definitely, definitely gives you a good feel of the entire thing. Granted, it's 11 minutes long. Soooo yea.

If you are interested though, here she is:

***

And for those of you who can't watch--I'm including a few picture collages. Yes, the photos repeat most likely. Just consider this my entire Disney Recap post (and then her birthday post, right here).

***

If you take the time to watch, let me know :)

Happy Thursday!

The Stuff in my Head...

2012-05-16T07:31:00.000-04:00

I know that vacations are awesome. I know that they're jam-packed full of precious memories. I also know that sometimes my brain is on overload when I get home, and I'm not quite ready to process it all just yet. Or to post photos from it on here. Mainly because I just lived that for a week.

Now I'm home and returning to some sort of normalcy and real life again. I need to assemble that. And returning to normality is being back to regular schedule programming with getting to write or post pictures of whatever the heck I feel like. Also, I don't want to be all Disney!Disney!Disney! crazy either. I mean, I like Disney, it's cool and all, but I'm also not one of those Mickey-ears-wearing-types, either. (More power to you if you do. Also, is it a LAW that you have to wear the bride/groom Minnie/Mickey ears if you just got married, like, every.single.day, 'cuz ferrreal.)

So anyway.

There's nothing quite like getting back to your bed. Seriously. I think I take the comfort of it for granted after being home for so long. But my bed? Is oh so good. Like a perfectly made sleep zone for me and me alone. Okay, Declan can sleep here, too. Okay, he does.

Also, I missed my pregnancy pillow. Yes, I use one of those ginormous (great wall of china) "C" shaped pillows and I'm not ashamed. It's one of the reasons I tend to sleep like a baby up until the end of my pregnancies. Sleeping with three pillows at the hotel was overrated. One at my head, one under my belly, one behind my back. I was over it. So yes. Pregnancy pillow, I missed you.

There's nothing quite like being slapped in the face with normal-life though when you get home and your dog has chronic diarrhea (sidenote: I can never spell that word without looking it up) throughout the night. Oh yea, that's fun. And it always happens when we go away, too. It's like, WELCOME HOME MOM AND DAD, NOW CLEAN UP AFTER ME SNITCHES.

It's a good time. EXCEPT WHEN IT'S NOT.

To his defense (baha. I defend my pup. Sue me.), we did keep him at the kennel this time, and for some reason his transition back home is always rough on him. It takes a day or two to adjust him back. I have no idea the reasoning, but he's always been sensitive to small changes (environments, food, etc).

And now that I've talked about my dogs feces for the world to see--oh look! a chicken!

Back to talking about less gross things.

Emeline is still sleeping this morning. She's been asleep for almost 13 hours so far. Disney Hangover say whaaaa? She missed her bed, too. Although I have to say that she did amazzzing in the sleep department there. I'm so glad with how easy it was. More on that later when I write another post buzzing in my head.

More normal-life. This morning I have to go drink The Drink and do my glucose test. I'm about a week or two behind on that, but the trip messed me up. The doctor said it wouldn't be a big deal pushing it back to this week. So this morning I get to go drink a syrupy orange drink in a waiting room, play on my phone for an hour while trying not to pass out from the sugar-coma it puts you in, then get poked & prodded by needles. Fun! Although, in a weird way I'm looking forward to the alone time. (Funny how things in my prior life, I hated-like gynecology appointments, dentist appointments, bloodwork, etc become things I look forward to as a mother. Pathetic, really.)

I'm getting more excited to meet the baby in my belly each and every day. I find myself day dreaming about a little newborn again. The sweet smell. The kisses. The little toes and fingers. I'm getting really giddy about it all. And yet, I'm so not ready at the same time. Weird how that works.

Also, she is like a little ninja in there. Must have been all the ICEE's.

***

I guess that's enough of nothing for today.

***

Okay, I lied. 'Gonna start posting some pics here and there. These all came from my Momma's birthday night (May 9--the day before Eme's birthday!).

Happy ~~back to real life~~ Wednesday!

Two Hours and Nineteen Minutes, a guest post by Jess.

2012-05-15T07:00:00.017-04:00

Today my friend Jess from Them & Us (formerly Dude & Sweets) is here to guest post. Jess is a mom of 4, and today she talks a little bit about her 3rd baby, Livie.

***

Today I spent two hours and nineteen minutes singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to my two-year old.

I had to sing it in the same key, using the same pitch, and the same beat, for all two hours and nineteen minutes. If I didn't, her relatively calm self would melt down completely, sobbing and crying and losing her mind for reasons known only to her.

My car lost its brakes this weekend, so today, when I took Liv to the doctor, we had to take my husband's car. A different car. A car she doesn't usually ride in.

When you have a two year old who doesn't speak, can't walk, is developmentally delayed with some (occasionally) severe sensory issues, changing cars is akin to throwing a cat into a bathtub. It doesn't end well.

She's not distracted or assuaged by food or activities or songs. A lollipop won't cause her to shift her focus and stop. When Liv is in total sensory meltdown, it has to wind itself out. No one can stop it, we can't control it, and she's incapable of working through it on her own.

If I was unable to communicate myself on a daily basis, yet understood everything around me, I'd probably lose my mind too.

She's sensitive, sometimes, to change. Certain sounds bother her, like when I run her bathwater, or wash dishes in the sink. I know which songs on my playlist to avoid, and we always have to stand in the shade because she has a coloboma in her left eye which makes her so sensitive to light that she can't handle processing that either.

She's not autistic. She's nothing. She has no diagnosis, or condition, that we've been able to find, in spite of more testing than I can even explain. Liv is special. She's funny, and adorable, and silly, and she's a joy to my heart in ways I can't begin to describe. But she's different.

She's a 'special needs' kid.

We had to go by the bank today. And it was busy. Very busy. She was in sensory meltdown, so she was crying like a howler monkey, throwing herself back and trying hard to get on the floor where she could smush her face into the ground and block everything out. But we HAD to go to the doctor, because she needed to get her leg braces fixed. I have three other children. Sometimes, life happens in spite of Liv's needs. I can't allow her issues to slight my other children, so she often has to go out in spite of how badly she may be coping.

Today she wasn't coping.

Liv was so loud, so unhappy, sobbing SO angrily, that the bank manager came over and asked me if she was okay. If he needed to call anyone for me. If I had it under control.

People stared. They watched, and whispered, and wondered. You could see the wondering, and while I don't make excuses for my child, I also don't expect others to understand her.

We left there, and I know that many had thoughts about my obvious inability to parent my child. They talked to their husbands, their friends, about the lady in the bank with the bratty kid. They thought to themselves that I'm neglectful, or selfish, or self-absorbed, since I wasn't disciplining Liv for her behavior.

I was massaging her legs, rubbing her back, holding her close to try to help her cope with the sensory input, but I wasn't disciplining her. It'd be like yelling at a wheelchair-bound child for not walking.

Except with a kid in a wheelchair, their struggle is obvious.

Nothing about Liv is obvious.

So, for the hour drive to the doctor, and the hour and nineteen minute drive home from the doctor, I sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider", over and over and over, as her beautiful brown eyes watched me in the rearview mirror, my song helping her stay calm. Something about that one song works for her.

So I sing that song for my lovely girl. My beautiful, precious, hilarious, special girl that God has given me as a blessing beyond compare. I can't explain her to anyone. I won't explain her to anyone.

She's difficult, sometimes. But she's MINE. She's my heart, a piece of my soul, and I won't justify my baby to anyone.

this mom gig {lovely lips & my boiling point}, a guest post by Angie

2012-05-14T07:00:00.003-04:00

Today, one of my blog (and irl) friends, Angie, will be introducing herself to you. I'm so excited for her to be posting here. Her story is awesome, inspiring, and also so, so real. You know how I feel about real momma's, sharing their struggles. This past year they brought home their sweet Emery from China. She'll tell you a little about that, today. So give her a warm welcome.

***

can i stand up and say this mom gig is hard?

much harder than we give ourselves and each other credit for.

i’ll be the first to say i don’t have it all together. not even close.

i often struggle with the blog world because i wonder why on earth i can’t find time to create a new and fantastic DIY project like the super moms. why i don’t have incredibly organized closets with handmade nametags on coordinating bins. why i can’t seem to remember to clip coupons, make dinner ahead of time, and fall asleep in anything other than the clothes i wore all day. i shudder to think of the ways i’m lacking.

i have a feeling, i’m not the only one.

pinterest (my favorite obsession) doesn’t help. although i’ve made my fair share of pinterest wonderfulness and fun kid crafts in real life, i often pin in dreamland. like deliciously perfect dinner menus for the perfect evening with friends under a handmade canopy with handmade place settings and handmade lanterns with handmade mosquito deflecting juice inside. my handmade pies would coordinate with the handmade table runner and accent the handmade take-home gifts carved effortlessly out of lemons. sounds pretty easy. other moms do that, right?

in reality, i’m frazzled. dinner isn’t perfect, i always forget bread, napkins, dessert or all three. i’ve snapped rudely at someone (probably my husband) and neglected several someone’s who’ve been asking for a snack or a drink for at least an hour.

this mom gig is hard.

but often, my expectations for myself make it harder.

my favorite blog posts aren’t the ones that make me wish i was a better than i am…they are the ones that inspire me because i realize other mom’s struggle just like i do. maybe not in the same exact ways…but let’s be real…struggling is a given. it also means you’re normal. it’s supposed to be hard because it is, by definition, the hardest job around. it has the most at stake. it is of the highest value.

we can stand up and honor this thing called motherhood by releasing judgment of each other…but especially of ourselves.

as i share my story, i feel as though i need to put it out there…the realness. i have pretty pictures and i’m super crazy about these little people i have been blessed to raise. but i’ll never shy away from the fact that each day is just as much of a challenge as it is a sincere blessing…and the way i choose to bend my attitude makes all the difference in the world.

and thus, i end my soap box.

we are the weldons. a family of 5.

i am a writer and photographer. i’ve been known to do crazy midnight sewing, shamefully tivo episodes of The Real Housewives of OC and enjoy a glass of wine (or two).

i have 2 wild and delightful boys (foster 5, rowan 4) and a spunky little lady, emery (turns 2 this month!). being a mom is awesome, humbling and scary. i’m married to a handsome carpenter-turned-businessman who is the love of my life. oh and i love Jesus. with all my heart.

our most recent family member has stolen our hearts in a way i can only describe as mesmerizing.

meet miss emery.

she’s quite amazing, but that goes without saying. (read about her story: here)

sometimes i forget she didn’t come to us the way the boys did. i forget the years of paperwork and painful waiting. the horrible, sinking feeling that my child is quite possibly alone and hurting. kind of like the way i forget how agonizing it is to be 9 months pregnant or how horrible contractions actually are.

love is blinding in the best of ways.

when emery came home this past august, i had no idea one little girl could change each of our lives so deeply. all three of my children are a blessing of which i am wholly unworthy. but this small wonder of a girl...i cherish in a way i didn't know existed. the saying "born in my heart" has never felt so true.

she has rocked our world with love, and more importantly, all things girly and pink : )

(these photos were taken the day we met in china, july 25,2011)

i’ve blogged a lot about her lovely lips. these lips that we adore.

i won‘t go into it all now (take a peek at some past posts), but there is something incredible that happens when you allow yourself the chance to love something different. unusual. out of the norm.

it changes you in a way that is so fantastic, you want everyone else to experience that kind of change. an unexplainable shift. a knowledge that something like a cleft isn’t really all that bad. in fact, it’s charming and beautiful and contains all of the best in the world.

it isn’t a birth defect. my child isn’t defective. in fact, she’s quite healthy, thank-you-very-much. and whitty and funny and sensitive and fantastically beautiful.

loving a cleft is to have the opportunity to see God’s handiwork in a new and treasured way…i shamefully sigh to know i didn’t see before i met her.

hello world. clefts are beautiful, FYI.

i’ve written about the difficulty i’ve experienced walking this journey. i’ve done my best to be real. to not sugar coat everything. anyone considering adoption needs a dose of reality because it’s not for weenies. but then again, maybe it is. i’ve found that in my weeniest (haha, funny word) moments, God allows me the opportunity to see just how strong He is.

i’ve heard my share of…

“oh wow…good for you. what an incredible family you are. thanks for doing that. (said with sympathetic tone, directing obvious gaze at emery) what a lucky girl she is. i wish more people were like you.”

in the post office. target. church. the park. our neighborhood. family reunions. ritas.

well meaning, i’m sure.

but i want to scream, “are you freaking kidding me??” (danger. boiling lava exploding in my brain. may. lash. out.)

don’t you dare tell me how great we are. how “wonderful we are for doing that.”

we are the blessed ones!!

she’s my daughter, for pete’s sake.

lady in the grocery store, don’t thank me for adopting my own child. would you thank me for giving birth to my bio kids, too? not a chance.

i’m not wonderful. i’m just her mom.

(ahem. sensitive, much?)

i’d like to tell that lady in the grocery store that we have tantrums and eating struggles and night terrors. we’ve been to countless doctors and specialists and therapies and gotten more knock-down-screaming-blood draws than i’d care to remember. my daughter’s been through surgeries that would give you nightmares.

but we’ve also been able to love deeply. to care for a family member in their deepest and darkest pain. to love each other when the days felt heavy. to show true compassion to one another. to sit and wait patiently for God to bring healing. to share in the pain and sadness abandonment. to see our boys captured by love for their sister, and experience at a very young age, the beauty of adoption.

walking this road as a family is the greatest treasure of my life. i can see God all over us…even on days when my house is a mess, i haven’t pinterest’d anything in weeks, there is unfolded laundry for days, and i may or may not have showered in recent memory.

i see God’s compassion for me when i fail as a mom. when my attitude stinks. when i forget just how blessed i am. God is faithful.

and there’s nothing quite as wonderful as that.

so that’s me, in a nutshell.

(albeit slightly wordy, overwrought with pictures of my kids, and apparent anger issues about being “wonderful” - haha)

i’d love to hear what has been the highlight of your past year and what’s been the biggest challenge. for me, sometimes they go hand in hand...

-ang

our blog & my etsy shop

(ps. i have read katie’s blog for years. not just because she’s an excellent writer (love her witty banter and brutal honesty), but also because i know her in real life. and by the way, you should know, she’s just as cute, witty, sweet, generous and beautiful as she appears to be : )

Momma's Day.

2012-05-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Being a momma is all worth it. Despite the hard days. Despite any trying times. Scary times. It's mixed with lots of good. And love. Like I never knew possible.

And for serious--I mean, with this face, how can it NOT be worth it? ;)

Happy Mothers Day to all the momma's.

xo.

The Big 2nd Birthday Recap...Disney style.

2012-05-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

I will remember her 2nd birthday forever. FOREVER. I'm not kidding you, it was ranked up there with one of the top 10 best days of my life so far. Maybe even top 5. Truly.

This is gonna be long, but mainly because of photos.

Even though we're away, I wanted to start off her birthday right. I came armed & ready with balloons that I had all blown up so the first thing she'd wake up to was tons of her favorite "bloons!" everywhere. Little miss bed-head truly enjoyed that.

All our family greeted her excitedly, we sung happy birthday to her, she told everyone she's "TWOOOO!" and the happy day had begun.

After a minor little injury...yep, birthday girl got a bloody lip by tripping & falling into the closet--she was ready & excited to go spend her special day in Magic Kingdom.

(Best view in the house on daddy's shoulders--first look at the castle---so many "wow's!" and "whoa's!"...)

We booked a character breakfast for her birthday at Crystal Palace. Most people who come to Disney and know Magic Kingdom know about this place. It's basically a buffet-style cute little restaurant, with all the Winnie the Pooh characters.

(birthday cheesing---meeting eeyore---tigger---and enjoying a birthday cupcake & 'happy birthday' in the morning because that's how we do birthdays at Disney World :)

(meeting Pooh, and snuggling up with him--meeting Piglet---and hanging out with The Best Daddy Ever.)

After our super fun breakfast (that honestly helped her to warm up to characters)--we came outside to a really fun celebrations parade.

Emeline was OBSESSED. She spotted "GOOFYYY" right away on a float and she was ecstatic. Aunt Susie put her on her shoulders and we watched, danced, and clapped along with the parade. We even went up to another spot to get a better view of Mickey & Minnie. At this point, Emeline got down & danced in the street with all the other kids. They acknowledged kids celebrating birthdays, special occasions, etc. It was so fun! I have lots of video, too.

It was shortly after this that we had a very special meet and greet with Minnie & Mickey. This was BY FAR the highlight of my day. And for sure the highlight of Emeline's.

We had fast passes for this, and literally waited about 3-5 minutes until we walked into a room by ourselves and were greeted by THE MAIN MICE themselves. I think Emeline may have passed out for a brief second (kidding). But I know I almost did. I don't know what kind of happy drugs they pump into the air here, but literally--it was magical.

My girl gasped. She smiled big. She looked with wonder. She kissed their noses. She gave minnie the longest hug possible (video below). She high-fived. She examined their hands. They treated her extra special because it was her birthday. She felt like a queen, I just know it.

Video of Emeline hugging Minnie:

(excuse the screaming toddler who was just outside behind us--he was a wreck, poor kid!)

After meeting them we were all a little bit on a high. I know it sounds silly, but REALLY--they make it seem so special. And I think that seeing this through your 2 year old's eyes just adds to it all. It got me a little emotional, honestly. This making memory business can be precious. Okay, it is precious. So much so.

Honestly, the rest of her birthday was low-key, but still so fun. I felt like after the morning we had--we'd made some amazing memories already. We went back to the room, gave the birthday girl a nap, had hours of pool time, where she went down water slides & played at the "donald duck pool" non-stop. We ended it with a simple little meal and a birthday rice-crispy treat.

I put my camera away for the second half of the day so I could just soak it up. Thanks to my iPhone for capturing a few other special memories from that day.

Her smiles were endless. I will bottle up this day forever and remember it and treasure it always. I don't want to be cheesy, but in a way, I do feel cheesy---this place truly is the happiest place on earth.

And what a way to celebrate my gorgeous birthday girl.

***

Communication, chime in! a guest post by Gina.

2012-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today, my friend Gina, who normally blogs over at Namaste By Day is here to chat about an interesting subject regarding communication, mainly between her husband & her, and potential gender differences. Weigh in? :) Thanks, Gina!
***

After we met through blogging, Katie and I bonded over many things, one of which is the fact that we both worked in an elementary school. Although her former job as art teacher has always been my dream job, I only get to visit art class a few times a week as a speech-language pathologist. As an SLP, as we are often called, not only do I "fix" lisps and teach kids how to answer wh-questions (among other things), I also teach my students with social language deficiencies how to carry on a conversation. I target how to start a conversation, end a conversation, stay on topic, and be an active listener. I often see progress in them, which, best-case scenario, leads to my students forming friendships for the first time. It's my favorite part of my job.

However, it occurred to me this weekend that I may be a little too engaged as a listener. My husband started a conversation about paint colors for our soon-to-be new home, and I excitedly piped up, "Oooh, yeah, that wall with the bay windows..." Exasperated, my husband sighed, "You always interrupt me!"

Huh. I personally don't think that's interrupting. I'm showing him I'm interested by jumping in with a point of my own. I'm talking about what he's talking about and I always give him "the floor" again quickly.

However, my husband, who readily admits he relates quite well to the Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, insisted that I was being very rude. I asked if he expected me to simply sit and listen to him and forego my chance as an active participant in the conversation.

He answered, "You'll get a chance to talk, as soon as I finish what I'm talking about." He wasn't being rude, or controlling, just matter-of-fact about his beliefs in how a conversation should progress.

I share a room with another female SLP, and she and I have conversational ping-pong matches all day long. We pepper each others' stories with questions, comments, or even short blurbs of our own. We both admit that we aren't the most....ahem...focused...people in the world, and have been known to actually get distracted by shiny objects. Literally. It's not unusual for one of us to say, 6 hours after a story was started, "Hey, you never finished telling me about your date night last night." Listening silently is not the norm for us. I think I'm like that with most of my friends, at least the female ones.

And my husband? He does listen silently to me. Sometimes, I'll say, "Are you even listening?" He'll either guiltily answer, "No," or repeat, verbatim, the story I had just been recounting.

I'm married to a man, who outside of our faith and other basic values, is my polar opposite. Talking to people wears him out; it energizes me. He has a place for everything and everything is in it's place; I'm asking him to help me find my keys on an everyday basis. It was eye-opening to me that his needs in a conversation are far different than mine.

Clearly, I overanalyze communication. It's what I do for a living. But now I am curious as to if this is a female vs. male thing; an extrovert vs. introvert thing; or an Attention Deficit Disorder vs Anal Type A thing. Hook up this guest poster with some opinions!

For now, I'll practice biting my tongue during his monologues, er, conversations.

Namaste'.

Two Years with You.

2012-05-10T07:00:00.003-04:00

The moment I first laid eyes on you two years ago-I loved you so hard. I loved you before that, but seeing you, touching your little fingers, kissing your sweet nose, holding your warm body close to me....confirmed it all. You made me momma. Cue heart-overwhelmed-with-love explosion.

My little girl. You are two, today.

I can go into the how's and why's of time. That it flies by. And it does. But the truth is, there was so much amazing in the last two years. So much growing. So much loving. So many giggles. So many heart melt moments. So much goodness. So much learning. So much discovery. So many firsts. So many memories. So much fun. That I'm happy, today. Just so happy.

These two years have been awesome. You make life happier. Fuller. Brighter. Sillier. You help me see things I never saw before. You teach me about myself. You slow me down. You are my best sidekick. One of my very best friends, sweet girl. I love you, so.

Today, we celebrate you. Two years of having Emeline Kay on this earth with us. Two years of awesome. Two years of fun.

Let's do this birthday right, girlfran'--Disney style.

Happy birthday my love.

Love,

Your very obviously proud and gushing with love Momma

***

Pregnant friends from afar...a (hilarious) guest post by Lindsay.

2012-05-09T07:11:00.000-04:00

How do I intro Lindsay? Seriously. I'm just shaking my head & laughing over here...this girl cracks me up. My Canadian BFF. My sister from another mister. A true friend, despite distance, and having ever gotten to physically hug her around the neck (yet). Check her out on her own blog, but first enjoy this TMI post (at my expense) about how we got each other pregnant. Yea. You heard me.
***

I’ve known Katie for a long time. Forever, really. Okay, not so much. We “met” in the big old blog world when we were pregnant with our first daughters – just a few weeks before she gave birth to hers and a few months before I gave birth to mine. We clicked and became fast friends. I’d like to say that we truly helped each other survive that first year of parenthood and neither of us would have made it out alive without the other. I can’t speak for her, but I know she has certainly helped me through some difficult times in mothering. And I don’t see that stopping anytime soon as we approach (are already finding ourselves balls deep in?) the terrible twos.

Since we’ve traveled this road of pregnancy, childbirth, infancy and toddlerhood together once before, and are now in the throes of doing it again – I figured it was only appropriate for my guest post on her blog to relate to babies. And specifically? I’m here to share with you the story of how Katie and I got each other pregnant.

Way, way back, sometime late last summer/early last fall, we both start casually tossing around ideas about potential second babies. I’m not even sure which one of us broached the subject first. I think it was Katie. Yes. It was Katie. I’m definitely blaming Katie.

If you’ve ever been there before, you know how the whole “Baby Fever” thing works. It starts out with innocent, casual thoughts and questions. Am I ready? Is my husband ready? Am I in the right place in life to add to my family again? Is my first born ready? Is my body ready? These kinds of questions started worming their way into Katie and I’s conversations. Innocent, I tell you. We were cautiously dipping our toes in the shallow end of baby making, so to speak.

But then slowly, things started shifting. The conversations became less casual. Less innocent. If I’m being completely honest with you, we became obsessed. Everywhere we looked there were babies. Pregnancy announcements. Cute “Big Sister” paraphernalia. Adorable teeny weeny outfits. I’m fairly confident that we were each other’s own worst enemies – making the baby fever extra fierce. Instead of just casually discussing baby making stuff here and there, we couldn’t speak (ahem, text, DM, heytell, chat) with each other for more than .3848 seconds before one of us blurted out something along the lines of, “Are you pregnant yet because I’m not and I’ll kill you if you are”.

It wasn’t long until we each realized that we!needed!another!baby!right!now!... and it all went downhill from there. This is when we got really serious. We started talking baby names, womanly cycles, dates, and well, this may embarrass Katie (sorry, girlfriend) but we may or may not have even occasionally reported to each other when we, ya know, attempted to make it happen. Why? I’ll never know.

And then when the time rolled around for us to start peeing on plastic sticks? That is when the photo texts starting flying back and forth from Pennsylvania to Ontario and vice versa. “Is that a line? Do you see a line? I think I see a line. No. Can’t be. There’s no line. IS THERE A BLOODY LINE?”

If you are a reader over at my lil’ blog, you may remember that it took me a few different tests over the course of a week or so until I finally broke down and shelled out the big bucks for a digital test, where I was told, as clear as day, that I was, indeed pregnant. And guess who was the first to know? You got it. My sweet American side kick. It’s a good thing my husband doesn’t immerse himself in the blog world or else he may be disappointed to find out that he actually wasn’t number one on my list.

Fast forward to a few weeks later and we did it all again. While I had my head in a toilet puking my brains out, Katie was also up close and personal with a toilet. Only, she was sitting on it, chilling out in the comforts of her very own Target bathroom POAS. And, of course, later that day my phone was a-buzzing as I received photographic evidence of the Target bathroom stall episode and a detailed play by play of how Emeline told her Daddy she was going to be a Big Sister.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never been more excited than I was on that day. Okay, maybe I was more excited on the days I found out I was pregnant with my own children and the day I gave birth. But, you know what I mean. All of our dreams were coming true and, once again, we’d get to go through it all together. Even closer together this time. And besides... as an added bonus, I knew I’d no longer have to hear about the ‘details’, if you will. ;)

So there you have it...the story of how Katie and I got each other pregnant.

***

Finding the Joy, a guest post by Laura.

2012-05-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

Today my long time blog friend, Laura is writing for me as I journey off to Disney! I love how honest her blog is, how she walks you through her journey of motherhood so beautifully and truly. I relate to her in so many ways, and I'm really honored to have her here in my little space.

Hi, I'm Laura and you can normally find me over at what I consider my second home, My Thoughts - Uninterrupted. I'm a southern girl through and through, a wife to my husband Michael and a mama to my sweet little boy, Ethan who is just shy of being 19 months old. We are currently in the process of moving to East Tennessee and anxiously hoping for baby number two.

I'm so thankful that Katie thought of me when she was in need of a guest blogger. We have been reading each other's blogs long before Ethan and Emeline even graced our lives. It has been such a bonding experience to go through all of these fun and (let's be real) trying times of being first time moms together.

When my husband and I started thinking about having children, I'm not really sure what I envisioned. I'm pretty sure I envisioned them coming out as school aged children, eating peaceful family dinners together and running to and from one activity to another. I never really envisioned the beginning stages...you know, the ones where dinner is more like a battlefield and running to and from activities means carrying what seems like all of your life's possessions only to realize that you forgot something crucial when you arrive at said activity.

Yeah, that stage, I certainly did not envision.

But, I also didn't fully grasp how much I could love a child. Oh my goodness, the love. It's unbelievable. I didn't know how much having him would change me. I knew as a parent I would be responsible for teaching my child all the important life lessons, but I didn't know that he would be teaching me as well.

Flashback - Newborn Days 2010

I learn something daily. Whether it's how short my patience really is, or how I might say a bad word more than I really thought I did, believe me, I'm learning. It's embarrassing, but "Oh, shit!" has certainly come out of my son's mouth on more than one occasion. I'm just happy that he still doesn't speak very clearly so most people don't notice...at least not immediately. Really though, he's taught me something so much more important than the fact that my dirty mouth could really use a bar of soap. He's taught me to truly find joy in life.

I've always been one to get caught up in the nitty gritty of life. My to-do list is often longer than I can handle and I tend to freak out due to my perfectionism, but Ethan has taught me to let loose, to let things go, to simply concentrate on the joys in life. I can honestly say that nothing makes me happier than to show my child something new and different. It may be something as simple as showing him a worm for the first time, or taking him to the zoo, or seeing his face light up when he saw the ocean for the first time.

I know the "newness" of life will wear off at some point for him, but I hope that we can always find the joy in experiencing things together. I'm pretty sure the joy of seeing his face light up will never wear off for me. Seriously....there is nothing better.

Having Ethan has made me actually want to get out and do more things. I use to be one to stay in my comfort zone. Stick with what you know was my motto, but now my motto is more of a "Let's try it!" kind of attitude. We go to random local activities that we would have most certainly passed on pre-E like the upcoming Strawberry Festival and crazy things like Mule Day because we absolutely love experiencing something new together as a family. It might not be everyone's cup of tea and of course there are some things that end up on the "We will never do that again!" list, but every single experience is a memory. It's something we share together as a family. It's something that hopefully Ethan will look back fondly on one day.

I can't say enough how much I am THANKFUL for my son. There are most certainly days when I need to remind myself of this of course...like when he chooses to smear poop all over the place during nap time...but, honestly, I don't think my heart could be more full. The changes a child makes in your life aren't always easy, but they are most certainly a blessing. They give you a life enriched beyond measure.

T-Minus...oh, what am I talking about? SOON.

2012-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

We are leaving soon!!!!! for Disney. Well, bright and early tomorrow morning, actually and I'm starting to get excited. Vacation excitement tends to hold off for me until I'm actually locked down. You know, either settled into the airport, thumbing through a magazine (yea right, like that will happen with a toddler), or in the car, snacks in hand, deep breath let out.

The prep? Well that part stresses me out, if I'm being honest. There's always so much to do. Too much, really. And I absolutely am one of those people who doesn't make lists. I know, it's awful--but I'm not a list maker. Okay, sometimes I'll jot a few things down in my notes on my phone--but that's the extent of it.

Anyway. In efforts to forget about all that needs to be done (ha)-I shall post some pictures. Just because.

And also? I have an awesome line up of guest posters while I'm gone. I totally hand-picked a few of my favorite ladies who will not disappoint. So be sure to leave them love and check out their blogs, too. I will pop in though, possibly, once or twice--we shall see. I don't know if I'll be able to hold off on all the great photos that are sure to be taken. But, no promises.

For now, here are a few from our weekend. Another little family celebration of birthdays (both my momma's & Eme's).

Happy Monday...and I'll see you on the flipside.

***

Celebrations.

2012-05-04T14:22:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that a special little someone in my life will be turning TWO next week. And oh, what a difference this birthday is from last year. I mean, she understands what's happening. We've talked about her birthday for weeks (months maybe). She knows she's going to be "TWOOOO-AH!" and that she's going to see Minnie on her birfday. Her excitement knows no bounds.

Because of our upcoming trip, we obviously axed any and all plans to have a big party for her. It just didn't make sense.

But naturally, family that won't be with us in Disney still wanted a chance to celebrate with her, and so this past Wednesday at our family dinner (with Declan's side)--we did just that.

Unlike last year, things like birthday cake, and presents ('pwesants'), and people singing happy birthday to her ARE SO COOL. And rock a little 2 year old's world. She smiled from ear to ear when the happy birthday song was sung to her. She indulged in her specially made Minnie cake (made by her aunt Lyryn) with a fork, all big-kid like. She saw the pwesants, and was interested, and even took time to open the cards and 'read' them.

She ooh'ed and ahh'ed over each gift. "'Innie 'Ouse (minnie mouse) PJ's!", "pwincess shoes!", "a dora book!"

She was in awe. Little 2 year old heaven.

At one point, while I was helping her open gifts, she looked up at me, gave me the cheesiest "I'm so happy" grin, and then snuggled into me for a hug. The moment was quick, and no one else saw it, but it was the sweetest few seconds ever because I could just tell she felt so special, so loved. She didn't need a big, huge party.

I watched as my big girl (attempted) to blow out her candles--and it was almost hard for me to hold back the tears. My baby? She's not a baby anymore. But she's becoming a big girl. A beautiful, sweet, tender-hearted girl that I'm so honored to love and mother.

Let the birthday celebrations begin, kid. That was only the beginning.

***

Happy Friday!

Highs and Lows. And People who get it.

2012-05-02T11:18:00.000-04:00

I feel like all I can manage to muster up these days is talking about that teetering balance of parenting...and child(ren). How the highs are so darn high, and sometimes the lows can feel so low. But that I know that somehow, some way, God has that all planned out on purpose. To teach you something. To appreciate those moments so much more. And to learn how to continue to show love to your little one despite the trying times that is Toddlerhood.

I could have never imagined myself writing about stuff like this when all I had was a precious little newborn who just nursed, slept, cried a little, and snuggled. The reason isn't because I was naive, per-say, but because I just hadn't lived it yet. It's very hard to understand, empathize, truly, without having a real understanding. That's just how life is. Once you've walked it, you can pat your friend on the back who's going through the same thing, give that nod of 'I so get it' and that other person feels understood. Like, I'm not alone...I got this...others walked this before me.

Yesterday afternoon, after Emeline's nap, I decided since it was a nice day we'd go and kill a short amount of time at the pond. It's about a 10 minute drive away, but it's peaceful and serene, and we love the outdoors. So we packed up a few things quickly, and went about our way.

When I got there, I did the familiar juggling act, of grabbing everything you think you need from the passenger seat, stringing bags around my shoulder strategically, grabbing blankets, etc. I had both the passenger door & Eme's door open, so I clicked the lock button on my car, so it was one less thing to do when I finally shut the doors to head down the hill to the pond. After I got her out, I decided last second, but wait! I don't really need my purse. So I put it back in the car before slamming the door. Then I heard it. *beep beep*

And that second I knew. I knew I had locked myself out of the car, because I'd put my keys back in my purse...where I always keep them.

We still had about an hour and a half until Declan got off work, who would have to be the one to come save us with spare keys, anyway. So I nonchalantly called him, no rush or tone in my voice, just calmly and casually told him about the locking-keys-in-the-car thing and that on his way home from work, if he could detour by the park to let us back in, we'd appreciate it. Easy as that.

During our pond-stay we had a blast. We laid on blankets. We found tadpoles. We saw a turtle! Many doggies and their owners walked by. We picked clovers from the grass. She picked me dandelions. We did the buttercup test on our chins. We threw rocks into the pond. We searched for bugs. She rolled down the big hill. We let the sun shine on our faces.

And I'll admit that a little bit I thought, yep, I'm doing this. Making the best out of being locked out of the car. Staying longer than I had planned. We're going with the flow and having the!best!time!ever! We're making this a learning experience. Seeing & touching tadpoles. Finding a turtle. Talking about rocks, and flowers, and trees.

It was all good. The whole time was fun. There was no whining, no testing limits--it was two hours of pure, genuine goodness with her. A high, indeed.

And then I envisioned that I'd write about how amazing it was. That my plans got altered a little, but we made the best of it, and our day was perfection, THE END.

But only, it wasn't the end. And the truth is, that although there was this little slice of perfection found in the middle of my day yesterday, formed out of an unexpected situation, it didn't quite end like that.

We had our lows. Very, very trying 'toddler' times, I'll just say. Apparently going from two hours in the sun, to the vet with her pup, to the grocery store, then home to eat dinner just wasn't her idea of a good time. What I'd envisioned as a peaceful deck dinner on a gorgeous day turned into a battlefield. One thing after another. And by bedtime? Declan and I were both so done. So very exhausted at the battle of the wills that had just occurred.

In those moments, though--I force myself to remember that there were good times in that day. SUCH good times, actually. I have to cling to them.

And then I'm grateful for friends who know. Who get it. Who will text with me, or fb chat me, and give an, I'm so with you, friend agreement. Who, in an instant make you feel normal and sane again.

I thank God for knowing what he's doing...and the people he places in my life. Because, for real. :)

***

Let's count to ten.

2012-05-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

1. This weekend while we were driving home, Emeline in the back seat, out of the blue she starts counting from one to ten in spanish. It was perfect. Flawless, actually. And Declan and I looked at each other, dumbfounded. And kind of amazed. And then my husband goes, "Welp, guess we can thank Dora for that." Hysterical. But not all true. Just partially ;)

2. I have been craving alone time like whoa. Sometimes, I just want to go out, after she's in bed, and browse the aisles of any store, as slowly as I want without having to sing the ABC's a million times, or pick up her sippy cup for the 10th time, or point out every Mickey we pass. The other night I spent upwards to two hours in friggin' Walmart. You know how I feel about Walmart. BUT IT WAS HEAVEN. I had a list, and I actually left with everything on the list. And? I didn't care how long the lines were for checkout when I'm all by myself--go figure.

3. My little brother is a pretty talented photographer. While we're in Disney next week, he'll be taking some family pictures for us on the resort. You know, like family maternity-type pics. So of course the last few days I spent obsessing over our outfits. I get grand ideas in my head and then when it comes to executing them? I CAN NEVER find what I want. So then I settle. And I'm just meh about it. But I don't have time anymore and I'm just sticking with what we have. I think...

4. Thanks for the prayers for my Pop Pop this past week. He's now home on hospice, has a bedroom all set up right in front of the television in the living room, so he can still watch his Phillies, and my grandmother can bug him, I mean, take care of him 24/7 ;) It was so nice to visit him this week in that environment. Totally, totally different countenance about him being home.

5. Instagram users: Did you know about some of the websites where you can view instagram online? It also makes it really easy to grab your pics for blog posts, etc, without having to email them to yourself. Try out http://statigr.am/, you.are.welcome. (There are a few other sites, Statigr.am is my favorite so far.)

6. I contemplate sponsorship all the time on this blog. It gets a lot of hits, has a lot of faithful readers, much more so than google friend connect can even count, but the logistics of dealing with it? Yikes. I just don't have time to stay on top of it. I need a blog manager. Any takers? :)

7. Disney World Countdown: Exactly one week from THIS VERY SECOND (8:10am) I will be in the air. Yep. I have the Disney excitement. My kid is going to convulse from all the mickey/minnie overload. My brother, his wife & my nieces and nephew are there this week and seeing the instagrams are getting me so.so.so excited. Eeeee!

8. Speaking of which, my blog won't sit idle. I will have a few posts, and also a few of my very favorite writers will be guest posting here. Don't you dare skip them, SERIOUSLY, because they are talented and true gems.

9. Every single day I find dressing my pregnant self increasingly harder. I don't want to be a frumpy pregnant lady, but at home I'm in yoga pants and a tank top most of the time. When I go out, I try...I do...but I wish it came easier.

Trying to pick a few nicer outfits for some dinners at Disney

10. Emeline is getting two family birthday celebrations before we go away, one with each side of the family. Since everyone won't be together, everyone wants the chance to do the whole birthday thing and I don't blame them. So we've got one tomorrow night at our house, and one Saturday at my parents. I'm pretty sure she's gonna think her birthday lasts for two weeks.

***

Phew. That got long.

Have a happy Tuesday, ok? Ok. :)

The big girl room saga.

2012-04-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

You all saw on Friday that I finally finished Emeline's big girl room. Thank you so much for all the nice comments on the room. And, well, I'll be honest--it still has the fun, new-room feel, and so I pop my head in when I go by and smile a little at the newness. You know how that is, right?

Apparently Eme feels the same way about her new room. "My big room!" she calls it. And looks around the room in awe saying "WOWWWW" with big eyes and "pwetty woom!" I found her in there a few times over the course of the day just sitting on the little recliner...or in her bed with a pile of books and her puppy on her lap, pointing at the walls finding all the "E!'s

But back to the point. I honestly didn't plan to start sleeping her in there for a few weeks. Her clothes aren't transitioned over yet. She's not potty trained, there is no changing table in there, and I still need her to sleep in a crib/pack-n-play in Disney soon and didn't want her being all "pshhhh whatevs fools I sleep in a big bed now".

But on Friday night, when we got home from being out--we brought her upstairs to start bedtime routine stuff and she immediately started talking about her big bed. Like, she wouldn't stop talking about it. So we're in her nursery, getting her into pj's, and she's pointing to her big room and telling us no to the crib, and that she wanted her "big 'gul woom". I guess the hype of the big girl room being completed (after being many months "in the works") kind of did her in. She was excited.

Declan and I kind of looked at each other and made the you make the decision eyes at one another. And then finally, we were both just like...let's go with it. Besides, she's always been the one who transitions herself on most things. This is the girl who quit nursing cold turkey on me at 11 months old. Gave up her bottles without a flinch. So we figured, maybe she knew she was ready...even if it was before momma was.

We did The Scramble to get her properly set up in her new room, shoved the video monitor on the dresser haphazardly, threw her favorite stuffed animals and blankies in the bed, tucked her in, prayed for her, and then she looked as us both and excitedly said, "BYE!!!!!"

So with that. We left, because duh. She kicked us out. I watched on the monitor like a hawk until I knew she fell asleep. But would she fall asleep? Would she fall out of the bed? Would we end up putting her back in the crib anyway? What would happen in the morning?

Within 5 minutes. She was out cold. And I found myself staring at nothing but a still kiddo in bed. I couldn't believe it was that easy.

Around 3am she woke up crying. I checked the monitor, and she had rolled herself to the foot of the bed. It must have woken her up because that's when she realized the room was unfamiliar, she seemed a little out of sorts, and definitely confused. So I went in there, sat on the bed, cuddled her for about 5 minutes--tucked her in, and she was back to sleep.

The next morning...EARLY (for us)...I heard her over the monitor at 6am. She was sat up in her bed...just looking around the room. Probably thinking, Did I just sleep here? huh? blink. blink. It wasn't for about five solid minutes that she realized dude, I can get OUT of this bed. So she hopped down, headed for the door, and began knocking on it, yelling, "MOMMY! OPEN ME! OPENNNNN ME, MOMMY!!"

Despite her being up much earlier in this scenario, we still wanted to celebrate that YAY! She did it! Big girl status! So when I went in to get her & brought her back to our room, we high-fived all around and celebrated a good first night in her new room. She seemed proud.

That morning when her nap rolled around (earlier than normal), she asked to sleep in her crib. Then that night, the crib again. In fact, she slept the longest she has in a long, long time in her crib that night. Well over 12 hours straight. Girlfriend was tired.

All that to say? I was not ready to put her in her new room yet. Not mentally, not physically. Apparently the hype got to her, because she spent one semi-successful night in there, but not another one (or nap) since. I can't really say I blame her--it's a completely new room, not just a crib converted to a bed in the identical spot. It's kind of a bigg'ish adjustment for kids I assume.

We'll get back to it.

But for now, it was a nice trial run.

***

Happy Monday!

Emeline's Big Girl Room Reveal

2012-04-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't talked much about Emeline's big girl room, or the plans I have for it. Truthfully? Because I've had a collection of ideas in my head for months and months, and they were all a bit of a hodge-podge. I had NO IDEA if they would even execute well, at all.

I was worried. And I didn't want to have to post pictures if the room looked like garbage and a complete design (I'm not a designer) fail. I'm really good at thinking of things, or collecting ideas on pinterest--but actually making them come to life? Eh. It just depends.

But the last few days I've really gotten the urge (aka: nesting struck) to finish this room already. I am pleased with the way it came out, and Emeline adores it. That's really what matters, right?

We have one twinkly hanging light to install above her bed, but other than that? It's pretty much complete. Also, it must be noted that this room is TINY. Like, tiny, tiny, tiny. It's a 3rd bedroom in a 3 story townhouse, so trust me, it's pretty itty-bitty. But it works.

I'll sum up the little details of this room at the end. For now, look at some photos--since I'm sure you already scrolled there anyway ;)

Emeline's New Room

***

Room Details:
(Don't expect expensive, y'all. I am cheap.)

Paint- The same sherwinn williams austere grey I had in there when this was my craft room and prior to that an office. I did NOT want to repaint. I just did patch-work on holes and a little touching up. Lucky for me, I really did want her room to be grey.

Bed-Ikea. It can go one size smaller than shown, and also go one size bigger making it almost the same size as a twin.

Bedding-KMart, for real. Yellow pillow on Bed, HomeGoods.

Upholstered kid-sized Recliner (yep, it reclines!)- HomeGoods.

Book Shelves- Ikea shelf-ledges I've had forever. I have them all over my house. In her downstairs reading nook, too.

Dresser- I'm gonna be honest, I didn't like this dresser much at all. I found it on a free/trade FB site and it was an awful light wood. When they dropped it off, I was disappointed because she told me it was hardwood, and it was not. So she said I could keep it and she'd rip up my check. So if you're following me, IT WAS FREE. It sat in my garage for months and I had given up all hope on it, and kept searching for a dresser on Craigslist I could refinish. But one day last week I got the itch to just TRY and see if I could make it work. The size of it was perfect. So I took a can(ssss) of spraypaint to it--and then modge-podged the top with red & pink striped wrapping paper (yep.), and that's the finished product. It is NOT perfect. But it was free. And actually? Once it was put in the room, the little imperfections don't stand out at all. It works.

Curtains-Room Darkening Ivory shades. Nothing fancy. They need to be hemmed or I need to add fabric but I'm not really in a huge rush to do this.

Frames & Details- I've been picking up random frames and items from antique shops, beach boutiques, home goods, re-using stuff from her 1st birthday party, etc--for MONTHS.

Fuzzy Rug- Walmart

Embroidery Hoop Wall- All hoops are from JoAnns. You can get them in wooden and also in plastic colors--so I mixed them up. The fabric is also from JoAnn's, using the fabric quarters for .99 cents a piece.

***

In case you're wondering, we'll start the transition to big-girl-bed after we return from Disney in a few weeks!

Soooooo....what do we think?

A letter to my future "I want a 3rd baby"-self.

2012-04-26T09:34:00.003-04:00

I wasn't going to post this. It was kind of a joke... something I always say to my husband to "video me while I feel awful to show me next time I say I want to get pregnant" (yes I really said that...yep, he refused to video tape me). I'd contemplated even posting it because it's kind of...personal? Obviously a little tongue in cheek. But, after last night of absolute torture with hours of heartburn (seriously, I had no idea how painful heartburn could be until this baby), resulting in lots of lost sleep, having to cancel out of swim class, and still having lingering pain this morning? What the heck, I say. Here it goes.

***

Dear ~~Crazy~~ Katie,

So you're thinking about having another baby, huh? Interesting. This is a big life decision. So let me just remind you of a few things, you know, since right now, as I'm writing this, PREGNANT with baby #2--it's all fresh on my mind.

Right now, you likely are out of the cute baby phase with that little lady #2. You are missing the newborn smell. You are craving tiny tootsie toes back in your life. You want to feel those sweet little kicks inside you again. People are giving you that questionable look, 'Are you gonna try for the boy?' Trust me, you know The One.

You are feeling that little nudge. The one that makes you want to pee on sticks and become a ~~neurotic~~ obsessed woman. Who is back to keeping track of cycles. Dates. The state of your private parts. Every tweak & twinge you feel. You're ready to over-analyze. Bring.It.On. Right? Wrong.

I just feel it's my duty to remind you of the realities of pregnancy for you. Since, you know...you tend to FORGET. Don't forget that as soon as that little positive comes up on that test? You have a few days of peace and happiness and "yay I'm pregnant!" and THEN, you start puking your brains out. You feel like death. All day long. Literally, as if you have the god-forsaken-BIRD-FLU. It's hard to parent your (one) child (let alone the TWO you will have) being so ill all the time. Oh, and I don't even need to bring up how hard it is to work while you're vomiting profusely. Just reminding you it's hard. Very, very hard.

That first-trimester-exhaustion? It's no joke. Don't forget how intense the desire to nap is, and how very little you actually get to fulfill said napping desire. With one child it was hard enough...imagine squeezing a nap in with two.

Your family might starve. Your desire to cook, touch, or look at food for the first trimester (plus) is overwhelming. Unbearable. The mere act of opening the fridge to feed your children will send you dry-heaving over the sink. Smells alone will set you off. Don't forget the fun little fact that every time you hurl? You also pee your pants a little (okay, sometimes a lot), and it's super embarrassing. And super gross.

Do I really need to remind you about how severely (to the point of tears, medications galore, and embarrassing phonecalls into the nurse station) you get...um...constipated while knocked up? I would really hate to go there, but feel that it's my duty to just tell you, it's awful. Trust me.

What about how even typing the word p-i-z-z-a sent you to the toilet?

How often you feel the urge to pee, even if it's just a TRICKLE?

How about the fact you become a crazy lady with a sense of smell that could rival police dogs? You will find yourself searching for something that "stinks" for hours on end, while your husband looks at you cross-eyed because he.can't.smell.it (and thinks you're nuts)?

What about how everyday life moves on, and your kids still need you, daily, all the time, no matter how sick & pregnant and "wahhh I'm growing a human" you want to be? No pregnancy will ever be as relaxing as that first time, with no children to take care of.

Let's also just talk about body image. Even if you've lost a ton of weight, thought you'd look amazing during pregnancy and be "all belly", the truth is? You won't. You'll still get flubby. Your thighs will grow. Your arms won't look as toned. Your face? Yep. You'll still get the dreaded Pregnancy Fat Face. You'll still have dreadful stepping-on-the-scale moments. You'll still have to work your tush off to get healthy and fit again.

Oh and heartburn. It's not acid-reflux. Don't confuse the two. Heartburn can leave you unable to move. In so much pain that you're in tears. And then? The pain can linger for days. If I had to choose my babies having hair to heartburn? I'd want them to be bald at birth. Just sayin'.

I just feel it's my duty, as your pregnant self, to remind your future 'contemplating another child'-self about all these things that are so fresh on my mind right now, and that honestly? You will FORGET. Because our brains are supposed to forget them. So we have more children.

I never said another child wasn't worth it. They are so worth it. I just want to remind you of what it takes to get there.

You can thank me. Or not.

Sincerely,

Pregnant, tired, but very happy & excited, Katie.

***