I've been enjoying my non-blogging day today, so that's where I have been. I worked this AM, and then wonderful hubby let me take an afternoon snooze with Avery to try to get rid of my headache. I'll be by all your sites sometime today, but for now, I'm just playing with my Livvie...
Describe your pregnancy...cravings, sickness, etc...
Avery: I had a very good pregnancy with Avery. In the first trimester I had a sore chest and cramps. I also had a few UTI problems which led to a kidney ultrasound. Thankfully it was nothing serious, and ended up being treated with some meds. I felt really great during the second trimester. I LOVED being pregnant...feeling the movements, having a tummy, I just loved it all. I didn't love how tired I was, and the fun 12 trips to the bathroom every day, and all night too! In the third trimester, I had a lot of back aches and was ready to be done. I wanted my body back around 35 weeks. But, I did have to wait until the full 40 weeks were up! CRAVINGS: fish sandwiches, Carlos O'Kelleys, strawberries, ice cream
Olivia: I thought I was having boy from the beginning of this pregnancy. I felt different. I still had the sore chest and cramps. In addition I was also nauseous for the first 14 weeks. I didn't vomit, but I sure felt like it. I had crazy headaches till about 20 weeks. I didn't LOVE being pregnant this time...I liked it a lot, but I sure didn't LOVE it. I still was very tired, but I was able to take daily naps with Avery, so that helped! The back aches were terrible in the last 10 weeks, and I had a hospital scare at the end of the pregnancy. I was ready for the c-section at 38 1/2 weeks! CRAVINGS: fish sandwiches, applebees rice and mashed potatoes, cold food items...
Avery is a stubborn kid when it comes to trying something new, something different. Because of her "bottom" issues that she had, when she learned to potty train easily, I left it at that. PG and I would usually wipe her, so she didn't get "germies". She has never been a fan of washing her hands, or getting her hands in the water. Even now when she gets messy, or dirty, she uses her blankie or a wipee to get clean. I have tried to show her that it's FUN to wash hands and be clean...it never worked.
I went grocery shopping the other night, and while getting some new baby food for Liv (yes, she has started on step 1 baby foods), I noticed some fun cool hand soap made by the same company that makes her bottom wipes...KAN-DOO. So I picked one up, thinking that it would just sit there on the counter and be used by PG and I eventually.
When I came home with it, I treated it like a gift to her! "Look Avery! It's your very own hand bubble soap that matches your Kan-doo's". "Ohh", she says. We went in the bathroom and set up her step stool and everything for her little 'hand washing' station. She DID wash her hands, and then she did it again, and again, and again. Then she proceeded to wash her hands just because! She said to me, "Mommy...remember how when I watch a movie, I have to wash my hands first?" And then today after her BATH, she said "Mom, my hands are still dirty with black on them", and then proceeded to wash her hands about 5 times.
I warned her that there are only 200 squirts in her hand soap so she shouldn't use it all so fast. It reminds me of the movie As Good As it Gets when Jack Nicholson plays that OCD man with the hundreds of bars of soap in his medicine cabinet...
Here are some photos of Avery after bath time washing the 'black' off her hands...I think this was like the third time she washed them....
This was Liv's first time touching the grass. She didn't have any reaction to it, except that when I put a leaf in her hand, she wanted to eat it!
This nice weather is making me look forward to summer. Avery and I went and bought some flowers and plants for our planter boxes out in front of our house! Spring is in the air!!!!!!!!
This weeks theme: rare
It's pretty RARE that an almost 5 year old knows part of "Once Upon a December"
(It's from her Anastasia video!)
This is so embarrassing to admit...
On Wednesday my friend Theresa and her daughter Audrey came over for a little play date and so us mom's could chat. I wanted my house to smell pretty, so I lit a Yankee candle. I didn't pay much attention to the candle, and just let it burn for 2 hours. There was a sort of 'haze' in the air at my house, but I thought it was just the sun shining in. After Theresa left, I went to blow out the candle. It was then I noticed that the wick was TOO long, and there was black all around the rim of the candle. THAT must have been the reason for the 'haze'. Later that day, I was doing maintenance on Liv and Avery's noses, and pulled out black boogies...OMGoodness! Then, I saw black on their feet and fingers! A little more looking around, and this black stuff was on anything and everything plastic. Our cups, toothpaste caps, storage organizers, etc.
So, Theresa, if Audrey came home with black boogies or dirty hands and feet, you know the cause! I asked the Dr. yesterday at Liv's appointment if I should worry, and she just laughed and said No!
How embarrassing...
Since Liv was born, she has been making this unique sound. I've tried to capture it a couple of times without luck, but today I caught her. We either think it's a vibrato~ and she'll be a great opera singer someday, or else she is a lamb in disguise...What do you think?
On a side note, Liv had her 6 month appt today...
On a side note, Liv had her 6 month appt today...
Weight: 14 lb 13 oz (45%)
Height: 25 1/2 in (50%)
Head: 16 1/4 in (25%)
13 new bloggies friends I have made
(*these are NEW friends, not pre-existing friends!*)1. Carrie
2. Sue
3. Amy
4. Munchkin Land
5. Mandalyn
6. Kati
7. Sarah
8. Lisa
9. Homeschool Mommy
10. Big Blueberry Eyes
11. Double the Babies
12. Lots of Scotts
13. Two by Two by Two
I'm sure there are more...
Will you come be my bloggie buddy too?
Mommies...next Monday's question is up! Go and check it out! Mommy Talk
For those of you who want to be a part, comment me, and we'll add you for next week!
Liv turned 6 months old this morning at 7:09 AM. It was a normal day around our house with eating, diaper changes, and cat naps. HOWEVER, we did have a special treat today! Liv had her first taste of apples and oranges in her neat little food-chew-net-thingy! She loved to suck the juice out of them, and didn't make as much of a mess as I thought she would!
Avery had to sing her a birthday song...
And I had to get some photos of my 6 month old baby too...
Happy 1/2 birthday our precious Livvie! What joy you bring to our lives!
Happy 1/2 birthday our precious Livvie! What joy you bring to our lives!
I figured out today how to play around more with blog design. I figured out how to make the background different, and the main section too!
Check these pages out...I've been playing around!
I think I should do this for a job...I could stay home and be creative all day!!! What do you think PG? :)
Just to keep up with her sisters 6 month milestones, Livvie couldn't be outdone. The last couple of days she has been learning to sit up. She hasn't mastered it completely yet, but enough to say that yes, indeed, Liv is a sitter...
I set my mom up with a blogger page, so go and give her a big bloggie welcome, would you? http://nanadianne.blogspot.com
How did you tell your spouse/sig. other you were pregnant?
Was he happy, surprised, upset, worried, etc?
How did you feel?
Avery(found out October 30, 2001): It was funny, because we had been arguing that day. His family was in town to visit, and for some reason I didn't like him too much. I went to Shopko that night and bought a pregnancy test, along with some hair dye. We weren't really talking much that night when I took the test, so when I came out and said "I think I might be pregnant" he just looked at me. Needless to say, that broke the ice between us, and we were no longer arguing. He said not to tell anyone until I had a "real" test...by a doctor. I went to work the next day and made an appt at the doctors office. The doctor agreed...I was pregnant. PG had to work that night, so I raced home as fast as I could so I could catch him before he left. I ran up the stairs (we lived in a 3rd floor apt) and he was sitting in our recliner putting his shoes on. I looked at him and said, "I'm 6 weeks pregnant." We both were shocked and ELATED! *(I have kept the 4 tests I took on my own)*
Olivia(found out February 20, 2006): Well, since this time was very much "timed" he knew when I was supposed to be testing so that was no surprise. I couldn't wait until the day the doctors office told me to, and I tested 2 days early. When I got a + I was crazy shocked. I had Avery put on her "I'm a BIG SISTER" shirt and go out and take the test to him in the living room. It didn't look like a normal test (it was an HCG stick) so he looked at me and said "what's this?" The guy didn't even notice Avery's shirt. I just looked at him, with a big smile (and probably some tears) and said "Do you see a faint line? I think I do! I think I'm pregnant!" This time we were both elated, worried, and thankful that God had answered our 32 month long prayer...*(I also kept all 5 of these tests)*
Marc, Monica, Julia, Boaz, and Lydia
We had a great time yesterday with our friends Marc, Monica, and their 3 kiddos. They came to our house for a couple of hours and it was very nice to see them again. They live near the Twin Cities, so it's pretty rare that we see them. Avery and Lydia had a blast playing dress up. We barely heard from them for the 3 hours they were at our house! Julia, their middle child, is such a little cutie, and Monica says she's in her "terrible two's" right now. Poor thing hit hear fore head on our entertainment center and got an owie...We also got to meet the newest addition to their family, Boaz. He was born 5 weeks early, and weighed only 4 lb's or so. He's 8 weeks old now, and is finally up to about 8 lb's now! He's so tiny!
Us adults got to catch up on life, which is always nice. It was nice to be able to talk to Monica about "new mommy" things again. PG and Marc talked about church stuff...of course. It's always sad to say goodbye to them. We wished they lived closer.
Lydia and Avery playing dress up. Doesn't Lydia look beautiful as Ariel?
Julia also had fun dressing up!
So many clothes, so little time!
Here is Boaz! Welcome to the world little man!
Liv looked rather large compared to 8 lb. Boaz!
Avery giving Bo some lovin'
Julia, Avery and Lydia right before they left! Thanks for coming to play!
I have some photos from our fun time with our friends from the Twin Cities, and I will post them here, but I'm just enjoying being a bloggie slacker for the time being.....ahhhhh...
This week's theme: steps
~it takes many steps to get Avery's hair looking so pretty~
Well, I feel like I haven't been able to just sit and BLOG for a while! It's probably only been a couple days, but man...seems longer. What have I been doing? Hmmm...
**I have been having a BLAST making headers for some of my bloggie friends, and I hope they are enjoying them too! It's a fun way to get creative!
**PG and I have decided to re-do our kitchen sometime this next month or so, so that makes me very happy!
**We went out to eat with our friends from church last night at G's and I had yummy fajitas!
**Today, I installed 2 headers, worked for 3 hours, and came home to clean the house and do laundry! Oh, and I have to still give Livvie a bath...
**Tomorrow is the FUN day! I have to work in the morning, but then our great friends Marc and Monica are coming to visit us with their three kids Lydia, Julia and Bo. Bo is a new addition to their family, and Liv is to ours since we've seen them last. It will be fun to catch up and see each other's babies! I'm sure there will be photos too! Have a great weekend all my bloggie buddies out there!
I, of course, think Avery is beautiful with curly OR straight hair. Her hair is so darn thin, that she can look a bit "sickly" if I make it straight. Well, I tried again yesterday, and here is the result. Now, I want HONEST opinions...what do you think...curly or straight? (and don't say BOTH, okay?)
I found this post while bloggie hopping today. I tried to prove it wrong over and over again, but I couldn't...
How smart is your right foot? Just try this. It is from an orthopedic surgeon. This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot.
While sitting where you are, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.
Curious, what happened to you all?
Mommies...next Monday's question is up! Go and check it out! Mommy Talk
For those of you who want to be a part, comment me, and we'll add you for next week!
For those of you who want to be a part, comment me, and we'll add you for next week!
13 improvements I wish we could make to our house
1. put in new closet doors
2. new vanity and lights in main bathroom
3. KITCHEN (cupboards, counter tops)
4. install patio door
5. install small brick patio area outside
6. replace landing in front of house
7. mulch backyard planting areas (and a fence!)
8. new fridge (ours is yellow)
9. new carpet (stains from 2 kiddos)
10. "finish" our basement (needs a complete re do)
11. new front, back, and garage doors
12. new chandelier
13. new dining room floor to match kitchen floor
...I need to start buying lottery tickets...
Guess what I figured out how to do tonight? I can make "headers" for blogs! Check out A Little Mommy Talk, or Puppies and Mudpuddles! If you have a generic blog page, and want something a little more spicy, let me know. I'm just figuring it all out, but it is A LOT of fun so far! You can have fun patterns, or just plain. You can also have pictures of your little ones too! Let me know, and I'll see what I can come up with! PLEASE comment me if you want a header from me!!!!
There's nothing like being able to take a long (longer than 2 second) shower while my 2 children entertain themselves (PBS kids and excersaucer) and sitting down to a swig from my Mr. Pibb with a wet head and in my pj's...I'm so refreshed right now...
I took Avery outside yesterday for our first real attempt at riding a bike. She's a tad nervous about it, I can tell. We've mastered how to forward peddle and the brake. Now we just have to learn how to steer the wheels and not go too fast! It takes a lot of patience from Avery and Mommy!
I have been seeing previews for a new series on TLC called "Jon and Kate + 8", which is about a family with 8 children. They have a set of 6 year old twin girls, and 6 toddlers (3 boys, 3 girls). It was finally on last night, and PG and I actually sat and watched a TV show together! Needless to say, after watching these 2 parents juggle work and their 8 kiddos, PG said to me, "we should never again complain". Ain't that the truth!
For more info on this show and air times, visit here.
So, I (along with some bloggie friends) started our own little weekly 'get to know you' posting party. This is the first installment! If you want to be included, please comment me, and I'll add you for next week!
Question 1: Was your child (children) planned or a surprise?
Question 1: Was your child (children) planned or a surprise?
Avery, our almost 5 year old, was a sort-of surprise. I had had the baby bug since we had gotten married (1 1/2 years earlier), and was just waiting for the 'right time'. I informed PG one night that I was going to stop taking the pill because I didn't like what it was doing to my body (plus I really wanted a baby). 2 weeks later I had a sore chest and a UTI. Took a couple tests and couldn't believe it... I was pregnant...very exciting! We found out when we were 3 wks along. Needless to say, it was a long pregnancy!
Liv, our almost 6 month old, took almost 3 years to conceive. You can read more about the long process here. The gist of it...we were finally able to conceive with the help of fertility shots. We also found out we were pregnant early on with Liv...I think around 3 weeks also. This time, it was hard to 'sink in' that we were pregnant...for real!
Liv, our almost 6 month old, took almost 3 years to conceive. You can read more about the long process here. The gist of it...we were finally able to conceive with the help of fertility shots. We also found out we were pregnant early on with Liv...I think around 3 weeks also. This time, it was hard to 'sink in' that we were pregnant...for real!
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(I'm posting this one day early so my Mother can read this on Sunday and not have to read it at work on Monday and bawl her eyes out there :) )6 years ago tomorrow, my Grandpa 'Pete' passed away. As I said in a previous post, my grandma and grandpa were my 'second parents', living down the street from me. My grandfather was the single most influential person in my life. He was such a loving, giving, Godly man. Grandpa was one of those people that left an impact on people he met. He certainly left an impact on me. Here is grandpa on my wedding day...May 13, 2000. He was gracious enough to walk me down the aisle with my father...
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Grandpa had cancer, multiple myloma. He was blessed with 6 more years after his diagnosis...six years that we all treasured. I was able to be in the hospital with him his last couple days, and I have to say, it was a sad but wonderful time. We all were able to say our 'goodbyes' to him, which many people are unable to do with their loved ones. For that, I am grateful.Grandpa left a legacy. Even though my children never will meet him, the legacy that he created somehow lives in me, and in some way, I'm sure that someday I will be able to look at my girls and see my grandpa living in them...
Our friends, the Button's, came to visit us from BIG TOWN this afternoon! It had been quite a long time since Avery had seen her two buddies, Paige and Chloe! They got right into playing dress up!
Their 2 year old, Jasxon, even played a tad with Livvie!
Here is Paige, Avery, and Chloe sitting down to watch a Barbie flick. I did have Avery in a cutsie outfit, but of course, she changed back into her pajama gown...she is just like her momma! Who needs fancy clothes...just give me my pj's!
Here is Natalie holding Livvie. Liv had fun bouncing on Natalie's lap!
And here are all 5 of the kiddos that we had at our home today! Surprisingly, there were no tears, fights, or owies! It must be the superb parenting of these wonderfully mannered kids!:)LinkWithin
