The Smith Family Blog

Ear Infection, Round 2

2011-12-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

Last night was not fun, at all. I was sitting in bed snuggling with Mackenzie and she made a weird noise, the next thing I knew, she projectile vomited all over herself, me, the bed, and the floor. It's amazing how much stuff can come out of such a little person. Adam got everything cleaned up while Mackenzie and I hopped in the shower. She scared me in there because he started shaking, in guessing she was cold or scared. I'm not sure, I turned up the heat on the water and she snuggled onto my chest and fell asleep. We put clean jammies on her and I sat up and rocked her for about an hour I make sure she was alright, then put her to bed.

Three hours later, same thing happened again. Poor kiddo just wanted to nurse but couldn't keep anything down. She got up around 7 and tried to eat, I thought it might stay down.. Nope, she threw up all over the clean clothes hanging on the bottom shelf in my closet while I was in there picking out what to wear.

I called the pediatrician. Usually they just tell you to keep them hydrated and you don't have to go in, but since she is so little, not keeping anything down, and it's a holiday weekend, they had me bring her in. She was so sad and sleepy all morning while we got ready. She just wanted to sit and snuggle and was so out of it. Totally not like her, she is usually so happy and such a wiggle worm.

We got to the doctors office and her temp was 100.0 but she was all smile and giggles for the nurse, despite the fact that she hadn't really eaten since the night before.

When Dr. Shaw came in she went back to fussy, clingy, and unhappy. Poor thing has an ear infection and a stomach bug. She put her on a stronger antibiotic and told us to give pedialyte for her next two meals, then to try nursing again.

Umm yeah, Mackenzie was not having that. She refused the bottle. We got home and I let her nurse a bit, then waited a half hour to make sure it didn't come back up. Repeated that for the next few hours and thankfully she kept the milk and her meds down. Hopefully she is feeling better tomorrow so we don't have to cancel our trip to Bainbridge to celebrate Christmas with my family. I hate that she isn't feeling well

Hurray! It's Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T12:33:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas!! Braden was so funny, we were upstairs waiting for my parents to get here and I was telling him that Santa came and the presents were downstairs, but he had no interest in presents. He was concerned about breakfast. He kept telling me that we needed to go eat waffles and pancakes first, then we could open presents. Needless to say, that went right out the door when he got downstairs and saw the tree.

Hmm.. why is everyone looking at me??

"Ohhh brother, what'd you get??"

I got a baby doll!!!!

So focused!

Opening his fishing rod and reel from Uncle D

Kenzie had to help Papa with his gift, it was too big for him!

"Ohhh this one is bigger than I am!"

Uncle D was just thrilled with his gift! ;)

Miss Mackenzie enjoyed eating wrapping paper. Her pediatrician told us at her 4 month appointment that she was free to eat as much wrapping paper as she wanted. Good thing too, she tore into it!

After opening presents and eating breakfast (cinnamon rolls, hashbrown casserole, and blueberry french toast casserole), B relaxed and played with his LeapPad while Daddy took a little nap.

Then we got Braden dressed for the day and he and Uncle D went to try out his new rod and reel.

I love this picture.

Reeling in his first fish!

Yay for B's first catch!

My handsome boy :)

While B was fishing, Mackenzie stayed back to hang out with her Grandma Levenia a bit. She tried to convince Grandma that she really needed a snack, since everything looked so tasty, but Grandma knew better..

So she settled for playing in her new jumparoo instead.

Braden spent the rest of the day on his new Smart Cycle. Seriously, would not get off of it! We mostly relaxed and just watched the kids play until it was time to get dinner ready. Turkey, dressing, green beans, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes.. YUM!

I think Mackenzie really enjoyed her first Christmas!

We hope that everyone else did too!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T10:23:00.004-05:00

If Braden was happy yesterday when I told him that tomorrow was Christmas Eve.. he was freaking ecstatic today. Christmas Eve.. Santa comes tonight and Grandma Ruth comes today? And Daddy is home? AND no school? It's the perfect trifecta, and then some!

We did a whole lot of relaxing and spending time with the family today. We did make a quick Target run, but that's just normal for a Saturday around here. I made homemade baked ziti for dinner, which was delicious. My friend Natalie lived in Naples, Italy for a few years and got the recipe from a friend there. It's really, really good. While I cooked, B had fun playing out in the back yard with Uncle D.

After dinner, we decorated Gingerbread cookies to leave for Santa.

Don't ask about that one out in front.. it was my dads. He said the big rectangle is a bandage and it has gangreen.. yeah, he's a little weird sometimes. We still love him though :)

After we finished the cookies, it was time for dessert - apple pie ala mode! Not so homemade (thanks Costco!), but still good!

Then Adam and Braden went to put out food for the reindeer..

And cookies for Santa..

Then Santa paid a visit and left lots of goodies for our sweet babies!

And he ate the cookies they left out..

.. or did he?? :)

All while Braden and Mackenzie were snuggled up and sleeping upstairs!

And I just love Miss Mackenzie's first Christmas ornament (well, one of them anyway!).

It's almost time..

2011-12-23T10:04:00.001-05:00

Every morning when Braden wakes up, the first question out of his mouth is "Is it Christmas Day??". When I tell him that it's not, he gets all upset. Thankfully this morning he was happy when I told him that tomorrow was Christmas Eve and there was no school today!

We ran some errands in the morning and early afternoon, then spent the rest of the day home baking and cleaning to get ready for Santa! B has SO much fun helping out in the kitchen now, and I love having him there with me. Mackenzie wanted to get in on the action too, she sat in her high chair and watched while playing with her little spoons.

When we were finished with the gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies, we mixed up a batch of Magic Reindeer food (oats, hot cocoa, apple cider mix, and red glitter) to sprinkle on the lawn tomorrow night so that Santa's reindeer knew where to land.

After that, Braden was off to bed and Five flew back to the North Pole to let Santa know that he'd been an extra good boy. When he came back, he hung this cute banner and left a card for Braden to find in the morning.

And I love, love, love this picture. Daddy and his little girl, worn out after a very busy day.

Mackenzie is 5 months old!

2011-12-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

Happy 5 months to my adorable little girl!!

When I was pregnant with Mackenzie (or darlin', as Braden calls her), I was so worried that I wasn't going to be able to love her as much as I loved Braden. I couldn't fathom how it was possible. My friends/family that are moms of more than one told me that I would, it's possible. I didn't see how. I get it now. I love this girl to pieces. I love her as much as I love Braden but in such different ways. It's amazing how much alike my kids are and how different they are, and I love every little bit of them both. I really am a lucky mama.

I'm not the only one around here that loves this girl.. Braden is completely infatuated with his darlin' and she is just as crazy about him. I love watching them together, it just makes my heart feel so full. Mackenzie saves her biggest smiles for her big brother and Braden gives her the sweetest little kisses and hugs.

This month with Mackenzie has been wonderful. She's still not sleeping a whole lot at night, but she's been full of giggles and squeals. She discovered her voice and uses it often. She loves cuddling in bed with her big brother (but not with anyone else, it seems) and is still nursing really well. I just can't believe she's been here nearly half a year!

Baby's 1st Christmas

2011-12-22T13:54:00.003-05:00

I was playing with the settings on my camera.. these aren't great.. but my goodness I love this girl!

"Take my picture!!"

2011-12-19T13:49:00.004-05:00

I've commented on here a few times about how we are really lucky that Braden and Mackenzie get along so well. They adore one another and thankfully there haven't really been any jealousy issues since she was born. Until today. And it kind of makes me laugh.

Adam had Braden and Mackenzie sitting in the recliner with him, I was trying to take their picture but Braden ran off, so I took Adam and Mackenzie's.

And.. cue the screaming from Braden in his play room. I went in to see what was wrong and carried him back to the couch, he was upset and crying because I didn't take his picture. I tried to explain to him that I was trying to, but he ran off. He didn't want to hear it. So I picked up the camera and asked if I could pretty please take a picture of just me and him.. yeah, he's a ham.

Thankfully that took care of the tears and things were back to normal. I hope this isn't the start of a new trend!

Primrose Christmas Program

2011-12-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

Braden & Mackenzie's school had their annual Christmas Program this year. Mackenzie's class didn't participate.. you know, since they are all under 5 months old. She was there to cheer for her big brother though!

Braden's class was adorable! We told him before the show that if he sang louder than all of his friends, we'd take him to Target (his favorite store) to pick out a toy. Ohhh he did! As soon as their part of the show was over, he ran back to us and said "I beat all of my friends!! We go to Target now?!" I love this kid!!

Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle D were there too - so proud of our little guy!

Here's the video - Primrose Preschool Program

I may be biased..

2011-12-05T12:13:00.002-05:00

But I really think we make cute kids. All the more reason to have a third, right Adam?!

Our Trip to Tampa

2011-12-03T14:51:00.004-05:00

We were in Tampa this weekend for Colleen & Jonathan's wedding. Since we had most of the day to keep ourselves entertained, we headed to The Florida Aquarium. We were a little let down, it was much smaller than we expected, but Braden had a wonderful time and really, that's all that matters!

We signed Braden up for the Penguin Encounter - he got to meet penguins and get a behind the scene's look at their habitat!

His most favorite part of the day, by far, was the Pirate Ship play area.

After lunch at the aquarium, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. My parents came with us to watch the kids for us during the ceremony and so we could have fun at the reception. They are usually in bed around 8:30 and Miss Mackenzie is not happy when we try to push back her bedtime!

Colleen and Jonathan's wedding was absolutely gorgeous. It was at the Rusty Pelican, a very lovely restaurant right on the water. Colleen was stunning, as usual! Jonathan didn't look half bad either!

Apparently the whole family had fun during the cocktail hour.. including Kayla and Teagan.. who are very much underage!! (Disclaimer - they were just holding mom & Aunt Heather's wine, I made sure they didn't actually drink it!)

The reception was a blast - one of the most fun weddings I've ever been to! I missed a good chunk of it because I had to go back to the hotel to feed Mackenzie, but the dinner was delicious and we had a blast shaking our tooshie's with Adam's family! We were hoping to take B to the reception, because the boy LOVES to dance, but after all of the excitement from the afternoon, he completely passed out on the couch in my parents hotel room!

Mackenzie loves Grandma

2011-12-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

Meet Five

2011-12-01T16:12:00.004-05:00

Braden had a special delivery today, from Santa!

He quickly opened the package and inside was one of Santa's elves and a book explaining why he was here.

We read the book and watched a show that Santa left on the DVR for Braden, it told us all about the elf. He was sent from the North Pole to keep an eye on Braden and Mackenzie for Santa. Every night, he flies back to tell Santa if they have been naughty or nice. We had to name him to activate his Christmas magic and once he had a name, we could no longer touch him. B chose the name "Five".. not what I would have picked, but it fits :)

This picture cracks me up. I swear it looks like Mackenzie is saying "Dude! Braden!! Santa sent an elf to watch us!! We HAVE to be good!!"

After receiving his name, Five flew back to the North Pole to inform Santa that so far, Braden and Mackenzie are both on the nice list. When he returned, the sneaky little guy finished decorating our tree for us and put the star on top! B can't wait to see what else Five is going to get into this month!

November Phone Dump!

2011-11-30T15:12:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T15:51:00.003-05:00

We headed down to Orlando this year to celebrate Thanksgiving with Adam's family (plus some others). His cousin Colleen is getting married next month and she and her fiance have family in town from all over the world, so we had a big family lunch.

Braden quickly got tired of sitting around in a room full of people he really didn't know (well, half of them anyway) so we headed outside with our pockets full of rolls to feed the birds.

The weekend was busy and a bit overwhelming for our two little ones.. but you'd never know it, they were so good! We really are lucky parents. I love them, even when (okay, especially when) they are silly!

Mackenzie is 4 months old!

2011-11-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

Happy 4 months, sweet Mackenzie!

Our sweet girl is doing wonderful! She's adapting to school very well and loves her teachers. Thankfully, they adore her too. She gets glowing reports from them and seems to really enjoy going. That makes drop-off time much easier on me. She's still getting up 2-3 times a night to nurse and has definitely found her voice. She's full of giggles and excited squeals!

4-Month Check-up

2011-11-22T15:17:00.002-05:00

Mackenzie had her 4-month appointment today with Dr. Egan. She is doing great!

She weighs 15lb, 4oz (83rd percentile) and is 25 inches long (77th percentile). Dr. Egan gave us the go-ahead to start Mackenzie on solids if we want, but we're going to wait until she's 6 months old, which she said is also totally fine. She also told us we should really consider moving her to the crib to sleep, so we all get a better nights sleep.. but she's staying put for now. I like having her in the room with us. I told Adam that maybe we'd move her after the holidays. Maybe.

B is starting early!

2011-11-15T12:10:00.002-05:00

The Toys 'r Us Christmas catalog came in the mail today.. Braden is starting his wish list early this year!

Family Pictures

2011-11-13T15:01:00.002-05:00

My friend Kelly with kc frick photography did our family photos this year in Downtown St. Augustine, near the Lightner Museum. I'm SO happy with how they turned out! Here are a few of my favorites.

October Phone Dump!

2011-10-31T23:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:49:00.002-05:00

This was the first year that we decided to take Braden trick-or-treating. To be honest, I have issues with parents who take their itty-bitty kids trick-or-treating. We all know you're getting the candy for yourself! I just think it's weir, but whatever. We took Braden to a few of the houses right around ours.. he wasn't too sure about it at first, until he realized all he had to do was say "trick or treat!".. or just look really cute.. and he'd get candy.

My parents came over to help hand out candy at our house and keep an eye on Mackenzie so that both of us could go out with Braden. He quickly decided that trick-or-treating wasn't for him, after about 10 houses he was ready to come home and help pass out candy.

Miss Mackenzie wasn't sure what to think of all of the costumes.

So, she just went to sleep :)

Halloween Boo-tacular!

2011-10-30T14:39:00.000-05:00

Our good friends hosted their annual Halloween Boo-tacular party for our kiddos again this year, and it was fabulous as always. You can see their pictures from the day here.

Braden enjoyed painting a pumpkin..

And himself..

While Mackenzie napped on her daddy..

B wasn't feeling 100% so he snuck in some daddy-cuddle time too.

After the party, we headed to The Avenue's to trick-or-treat with some friends. Unfortunately, I'm a bad member of the mamarazzi and didn't get a picture of the 3 adorable kiddos together! :(

Halloween Parade

2011-10-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

Braden and Mackenzie's school had their annual Halloween parade today! There are few things cuter than a parade full of adorable little ones dressed up in the Halloween costumes!

Except maybe this..

Happy Birthday to Me! :)

2011-10-27T15:50:00.002-05:00

Today was my 30th birthday! You wouldn't know it though, since we had to sing Happy Birthday to Braden instead. He LOVES birthdays and is a huge fan of the happy birthday song and blowing out candles. I'm happy to share! No big celebration today - things are a little crazy around here with me just returning to work. We'll do something soon though :)

How cute are they?

2011-10-25T15:03:00.002-05:00

Braden is SO patient with Mackenzie. So loving, so kind. I love watching their relationship grow. I love seeing him in this new role. It's seriously amazing.

Mackenzie is 3 months old!

2011-10-22T23:55:00.003-05:00

Happy 3 months, my gorgeous girl!

Seriously, you're killing me. That smile? Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to say no to that? How am I supposed to do anything except exactly what she wants me to do. I'm not, I've decided. She and Braden are pretty much running the show around here and I'm 100% okay with that. I'm such a lucky mama.

Walking for Aunt Threasa

2011-10-22T15:25:00.003-05:00

My Aunt Threasa was diagnosed with breast cancer last month. Thankfully they caught it early and removed the cancerous cells and she doesn't need any chemo or radiation. We are all very, very thankful. She is a wonderful aunt and we need her to stick around for quite a while longer. In her honor, my family got together to do a breast cancer awareness walk in Thomasville.

Following the race, we went to visit with my Aunt Threasa and some other family members at her house. B and Mackenzie had special shirts made - they say "my aunt is a survivor".

We also visited with my Aunt Louise - she hadn't met Mackenzie yet and I was excited for them to meet. We had a blast hanging out at her cabin and visiting with her, my Uncle Buddy and cousin Max and his family.

I tried to get a picture of all of the kids together.. this is the best I could do :)

Mackenzie's First Day of School

2011-10-17T14:51:00.003-05:00

Today Mackenzie started school. Okay technically it's daycare, but they refer to it as school. I hate it. Actually that is a lie. I love the kids school and I adore their teachers. We were very lucky when we found their school when Braden was itty-bitty. I love that Mackenzie is in the same classrooms that her big brother was in, I love that she has the same teachers. I really love how much the teachers really love my children. You don't find that everywhere.

It breaks my heart to drop them both off. I wish I was home with them, but I know in the long run it's really the best thing for our family. That didn't make it any easier this morning.

Thankfully, she only went for half a day today. Her teacher said she is a very happy baby and didn't fuss once. Makes me proud and breaks my heart all at once.

Orange Park Fall Festival

2011-10-16T14:45:00.002-05:00

Every year, we get excited when we see the sign go up for the Orange Park Fall Festival. It marks the beginning of fall and all of the wonderful festivities to come. It also means delicious pancit and lumpia, one of my favorite foods that I don't get nearly enough. We went out with 2 different groups of friends on Saturday and Sunday and Braden had a BLAST. A local inflatable company had an entire area set up and for $5 you got a wrist band that allowed you to play all day - can't beat that! He and his little buddy Kaleb definitely got their $5 worth :)

Last Week of Maternity Leave

2011-10-11T14:41:00.004-05:00

I'm not happy. Not at all. I wish I had more time home with Mackenzie. I feel like the last 11 weeks have flown by. I adore my sweet girl and LOVE being home with her. I hate that she starts daycare next week when I go back to work. I hate that I won't get to spend every day with her. I know it's for the best though - for her, for me, and for our family. I'm soaking up every minute with both of my babies this week.

First Trip to the Dentist

2011-10-06T14:37:00.003-05:00

Braden paid his first visit to the dentist today. To be honest, I was a little worried. I took him to our regular dentist, not one that specializes in kids. I wasn't sure how he would react, since it's a really nice but no-frill's office.

It couldn't have gone better. Dr. Johns-Stoutamire has 5 kids of her own and Julie, the hygienist, has two. They were both wonderful with Braden and he was SO brave. He climbed right up in the chair and didn't hesitate once. Mrs. Julie said we're doing great with B's tooth brushing, and to keep up the good work.

Mackenzie joined us at the visit.. she's looking forward to her first visit with Dr. Laurie in a few years!

Connor's A-Maize-ing Acres

2011-10-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

We missed out on going to Connor's last year, so I made sure that we found time in our busy schedule to go this year. It's such a nice, relaxing family day and Braden is at the perfect age to go and enjoy it all.

Mackenzie slept through ost of it it but the little bit she saw, seemed to enjoy.

Children Around the World Parade

2011-09-30T13:38:00.002-05:00

Braden's school had its annual Children Around the World parade today. He's in the Preschool 1 class and they represented France.

And as soon as the parade was over, he had to run and check on his darlin'. I do believe I've been replaces as the #1 girl in his life.

And quite possibly in Adam's too.

Where does he get it?

2011-09-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Bradn does something and I just look at him and wonder where on Earth he got his sense of humor and all around goofiness.

Then I take a step back and look at the big picture.. and I know.

And I realize I'm a really lucky girl to have such amazing kids..

Even if they won't let me take a nice picture of them ;)

Big Brother

2011-09-28T13:26:00.002-05:00

When I was pregnant, I really worried about how Braden would adjust to live with a baby in the house. For 3 years, he has been our baby and most things in our house have revolved around him and his wants/needs.

Thankfully, he's adjusted beautifully. I think he loves his baby sister more than any of us. She is really lucky to have such a great big brother.

2-Month Check-Up!

2011-09-23T21:31:00.000-05:00

Mackenzie had her 2-month appointment today with Dr. Egan. She is absolutely perfect!

She weighs 12lb, 15oz (91st percentile) and is 23.25 inches long (78th percentile). The appointment itself was pretty boring. Poor kiddo got 3 shots and an oral vaccine. I'm so thankful that we found another pediatrician that we love. We've struggled to find someone that isn't so far away (Dr. White, who we LOVE, is with a new practice that is over an hour from our house now) that we really trusted with our kids. We've met a few of the other doctors in the practice as well and have been really pleased. Makes a mama happy! :)

First Bottle!

2011-09-22T21:21:00.004-05:00

Mackenzie had her first bottle today!

I've been pumping once a day to build up a stash of breast milk for when I return to work. Every thing I read says that we needed to get her to take a bottle sometime between 6-9 weeks to ensure that we didn't have issues with her taking one. No worries there, our girl took it like a champ! While I'm happy, I hate seeing that thing in her mouth. Oh well, a girl's gotta eat, and as much as I'd love to, I can't be there all the time.

Mackenzie is 2 months old!

2011-09-22T14:29:00.002-05:00

Happy 2 months to our beautiful girl!!

I'm loving being home on maternity leave with this sweet little girl. I cannot get enough of her sweet baby snuggles and beautiful smile. She's nursing like a champ and sleeping okay - she's still up every 3 to 4 hours at night to eat, but I'm not complaining.

Miss Mackenzie learned how to laugh this month too! Seriously, the cutest thing ever. I pretty much act like a moron most of the day now trying to get her to giggle at me.

Taking a walk in Daddy's shoes!

2011-09-19T21:17:00.003-05:00

I seriously love this kid, he's so cute! He found Adam's shoes in our bedroom and slipped his little feet into them and was dancing around. I love it!

He's also decided that Mackenzie is his baby. He gets angry and quickly corrects anyone who says otherwise.. below, he's telling Adam that "darlin'" is his baby girl.

Isn't she just perfect?

2011-09-18T21:15:00.001-05:00

I think so!

Argh, Matey!

2011-09-17T21:27:00.001-05:00

Adam had the boys today while Aleisha and I headed out to her baby shower - she and Brad will be welcoming a new baby boy in just another month or so! The guys had a blast with their pirate gear while the girls enjoyed brunch at Mimi's!

Later that night, Mackenzie and I had some girl bonding time and watched the Florida State game.. her very first game. Sadly, we lost :(

Bestest Buddies!

2011-09-10T21:24:00.001-05:00

Our good friends Brad and Aleisha have a little guy that's just over a year younger than Braden. They get along great and I have a feeling they're going to be really great friends when they're older, much like their dads. I love watching our boys together, they're so cute. We all went to my parents house for dinner and to relax by the pool - the little ones had a blast!

Mr. B's Clubhouse

2011-09-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

Braden has been asking for a clubhouse for a while. It started with this little play mat that I'd stand up on its side in the play room and throw a blanket over. It was a tiny little thing, but he loved sitting in it and playing with his trains or watching Jake & the Neverland Pirates.

Adam saw my little creation and decided that B needed a bigger clubhouse. We first picked out this little Toy Story tent, but it was still only big enough for Braden. While Adam was gone to Thailand, I found this tent on clearance at Target - perfect clubhouse! The only problem is.. they won't let mommy in!

I'm a lucky mama.

2011-08-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Mackenzie is 1 Month Old!

2011-08-22T10:01:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe that a month has gone by since we welcomed our beautiful girl into our family. She has been such a blessing and we've had such an amazing time getting to know her and making her a part of our little family. She is the sweetest little thing and SO good. She rarely fusses or cries, is doing wonderful with nursing and is sleeping.. sometimes :) She is such a happy girl and loves her big brother. She's full of smiles for us.. just as long as we don't try to put her in her car seat. We're so blessed!

Big brother wanted in on the picture taking action too.. though he didn't want to smile!

another pool day!

2011-08-21T09:58:00.003-05:00

I cannot keep this kid out of the pool! Braden spent the night with my parents last night and when I went to get him in the morning, he wanted to stay and swim. I love that he loves the water so much! He was worn out, so he finally did his float for a bit.. normally he won't stay still long enough to float, he's just a swimming fool!

Mackenzie, on the other hand, was perfectly content to sit inside in the AC watching a movie with Mommy and Grandma :)

swim, swim, swim!

2011-08-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

That is all that Braden wants to do!

We spent the day at my parents house and Braden spent most of the day in the pool, or jumping off of the ledge into the pool. This child seriously has no fear!

He was worn out after a few hours and passed out in Papa's recliner. He looks so sweet and comfy :)

our little fish

2011-08-19T16:17:00.003-05:00

Braden has been doing swimming lessons with Ms. Gretchen at Waterlilly Swim School for the last few weeks. I was really hesitant about it at first, it seemed like such an abrasive way to teach a kid to swim. Ms. Gretchen is absolutely wonderful though and never pushed Braden to do anything that he wasn't prepared to handle. He's offically a swimmer now - he can do it all on his own and is SO proud of himself when he does! He even has an awesome little trophy that he earned for all of his hard work - he is officially an ISR certified swimmer!

Here's a video of what he learned and his test days: Braden - Waterlilly Swim School

Friday - 8.19.11

2011-08-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

I know I've posted this already, but I'm seriously amazed at how well Braden is handling his big brother duties. He just loves Mackenzie to pieces. He constantly asks to hold her, hug her, and kiss her. He holds her hand in bed at night while I'm nursing her, he comforts her when she cries, he plays with her. I love watching the two of them together.

my sweet girl :)

2011-08-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

First Day of Preschool!

2011-08-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Today was Braden's first day of preschool! Seriously, where has the time gone and how is it possible that my baby is in preschool??

I tried to take some cute first day of school pictures, but Braden was not having it. He refused to smile and instead gave me lots of goofy faces. So much like his daddy!

Before he left, he asked to hold Mackenzie.. he loves his baby sister and wanted to get in some snuggles and kisses before his big day started.

He really seemed to like his new teacher and she said he had a great day. He's really excited to be back in his buddy Ian's class, all I've heard about at night is how he played with Ian today :)

Saturday - 8.13.11

2011-08-13T12:20:00.001-05:00

Meet Katie, Mackenzie's soon to be best friend.

Katie is my good friend Theresa's daughter, she's just about 6 months older than Mackenzie. They came over to visit and bring us breakfast since Adam is out of town for work. I seriously cannot wait to watch these gorgeous girls grow up together!

Thursday - 8.11.11

2011-08-11T12:19:00.002-05:00

I'm a lucky mama :)

Monday - 8.8.11

2011-08-08T11:19:00.001-05:00

B is such a great big brother - he is a HUGE help to me in the mornings when I'm trying to get us all dressed and out the door. When Mackenzie starts fussing, he hops right up and tries to make her happy. Is so sweet :) Mackenzie just adores him, she saves her biggest smiles for Braden.

Friday - 8.5.11

2011-08-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

Miss Mackenzie had her 2-week appointment today! She is doing great and growing like a weed! She is up to 9lb, 4oz and is 20.75 inches long. All signs of jaundice are gone and Dr. Egan said she's absolutely perfect!

Monday - 8.1.11

2011-08-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Mackenzie had her first bath today.. I don't think she was a fan..

Friday - 7.29.11

2011-07-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

Today was Adam's last day home with us - we mostly just relaxed around the house and got lots of sweet baby snuggles :) We ventured out for our first dinner as a family of four at O'Charley's. It was really nice to get out of the house, we've been cooped up all week. I forgot how much stuff you have to lug around for a baby though, yikes!

Tuesday - 7.26.11

2011-07-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

Mackenzie had her first check-up with her pediatrician this morning. When we were discharged from the hospital, she was down to 8lb, 4oz. This afternoon she was back up to 8lb, 6oz! Yay for mama's milk! :)

She was also a bit jaundiced, so Dr. Egan sent us over to the Seton Center at St. Vincents to have her bili level checked again. The results were slightly elevated, but within a comfortable rangs, so we are going back on Thursday to have it checked again to ensure that it is going down.

Besides that, Mackenzie is just perfect!

Monday - 7.25.11

2011-07-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

I love this kid.. seriously, could he be any cuter??

Sunday - 7.24.11

2011-07-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

We brought Mackenzie home from the hospital today! I was so excited for Braden to see her again and to see how he would react to her being at the house. He still loves her and was so excited to get a chance to hold her.

My parents, my brother and Adam's mom were all here for her arrival. My parents cooked dinner for all of us and brought it over and we mostly just relaxed around the house.

Saturday - 7.23.11

2011-07-23T12:14:00.002-05:00

Mackenzie's first night went really well. She slept for 5.5 hours straight, which was a nice change from Braden, who slept for maybe 45 minutes at a time in his first few months. All he wanted to do was nurse, non-stop!

Our parents brought Braden up to meet Mackenzie today, he adores her. He was SO excited to come meet her and was just the sweetest, most gentle boy with her. I can't wait to see their relationship grow.

There's not much else to say, hospital days are rather boring :)

Mackenzie's Birth Story

2011-07-22T23:59:00.002-05:00

Mackenzie's birth story starts with my 41-week OB appointment. It was scheduled for Friday (40w6d) because my OB wanted to do a Non-Stress Test before the weekend to make sure the baby was doing okay since my due date had passed. The NST went great - I had 2 contractions and our sweet girl was doing great. Dr. Greenwald checked me and I was still 3cm dilated. She scheduled me to be induced the following Thursday, at 41w5d, which was the last possible day I could schedule it. Since I really didn't want to be induced, I agreed to have my membranes stripped to see if that would help jump start labor.

We left the OB's office and on the way home, I started having contractions that were about 7 minutes apart. They weren't painful so I didn't really think much of it. Around 1:30 they were 3 minutes apart but still not uncomfortable. I called my doula, Heather, to let her know. She said since I was laughing and talking normally with her that it wasn't time to worry yet, so I went back to working and kept an eye on them. They came and went at 3-5 minute intervals for a while longer and around 3:45 I started to feel them more. Shortly after, I had some bloody show but the contractions stayed at 4 minute intervals and weren't bad. For a while, I thought they were slowing down and it had been a false alarm.

My parents came over around 5pm because Adam was cooking dinner for all of us, my mom and I were playing with B in the living room and the contractions were so mild that she couldn't even tell when I was having them, I really thought I had been experiencing false labor and that it was over. At 6pm, I had several contractions right on top of each other that were painful. I started timing them and they were a minute and a half apart. Adam called Heather (who was already on her way) and she said she would meet us at the hospital.

The ride to the hospital was awful. I was on my hands and knees in the back seat and the contractions were really strong and really close together. I barely had time to catch my breath before another started. We got there around 7:10pm and had no clue where to go. First Adam pulled up to the main entrance and went to get help, but there was nobody there. He came back and decided to go to the emergency room, except it was under construction and he couldn't find the entrance. I yelled at him that he just drove past it, it was the door with "Emergency" in big red letters above it. He was not amused :) he went in and got a wheelchair, but I couldn't make myself move to get out of the car, so he ran back in to get someone to help. Right after he left me, my water broke and I started having the uncontrollable urge to push.

Heather arrived just in time to see Adam bolt back into the hospital, she convinced me to get out of the car and into the wheelchair between contractions. I couldn't sit, so I got in backwards on my knees and rested my head on Adam's chest. I'm pretty sure I got a few stares, but it was what worked. We went in and Adam told the admissions lady we were headed to labor & delivery, she didn't want to let us by without admitting me, but she was taking her dear, sweet time and I finally told her after about a minute that I was pushing, so she let us go up.

We arrived in labor & delivery and the nurses tried to take me to the triage room.. Again, I let them know I was pushing and they quickly switched gears and got me into a room. They wanted me to sit in the bed to check me, but I physically couldn't, so they lifted the back of the bed up and I got in it backwards on my knees with my arms draped over the back. They checked me and I was fully dilated.

The nurses called for Dr. Greenwald and just a few minutes later she arrived. She prepped for the delivery as I continued to push. Not long after, I felt Mackenzie's head engage and told them I could feel it and she was coming. We didn't have time to sign consent forms, I remember Dr. Greenwald asking if she had my consent to deliver my baby and I replied "Yes, please!" She got into position and with the next push or two, our sweet girl was out. It was the most surreal moment, I felt every bit of her coming out. So amazing! They laid her on the bed under me and everyone told me to pick up my baby, I looked down and saw her, I couldn't believe she was there. I pulled her up to my chest and was finally able to turn around and sit down.

I still can't believe how fast it all happened, it was so amazing and I can't believe that we have this perfect, sweet little addition to our family. We are so very blessed.

A lot of people have asked about her name. Mackenzie is the name we had chosen for Braden, if he had been a girl. Adam came up with it and although I suggested a TON of other names, he really loved it so we stuck with it. Mackenzie's middle name is Sarah, after my grandmother.

Baby Noni is here!

2011-07-22T06:33:00.001-05:00

Braden's baby sister arrived today! She weighs 8 pounds, 10 ounces and is 19 inches long. She is just perfect! Pics and all to come soon!

Baby Noni - you've been served.

2011-07-20T12:48:00.003-05:00

Eviction Notice for Baby Noni
July 20, 2011

Dear Ma'am,

Please note that today is July 20th, 2011, which is 4 days past the "Due Date" referenced in the lease that you agreed to approximately nine months ago, and thus the date by which you were supposed to vacate your current premises.

Following a routine inspection, I have been informed that you have not yet made sufficient preparations to vacate the premises. Please note that if your departure continues at this pace, you will be in violation of the lease, which was entered into in good faith, with the expectation that you would honor its terms. Accordingly, I have no choice but to advise you that if you do not voluntarily remove yourself from the premises within the next 7 days, I will have no choice but to commence formal eviction proceedings, and I have already put the proper authorities on notice.

As you have been repeatedly advised, your new accommodations are ready and awaiting your arrival, so your cooperation in voluntarily moving out of the current premises, avoiding the time and inconvenience of more formal proceedings, would be much appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Mom, Dad and Big Brother Braden

Monday - 7.18.11

2011-07-18T13:17:00.001-05:00

Braden would like everyone to know that his baby sister is currently residing in his ear. He says that she told him her birthday is on Friday. How crazy would it be if he is right?!

40 weeks! Happy Due Date!!

2011-07-16T13:13:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that Baby Noni's due date is already here! This pregnancy has absolutely FLOWN by. I had my 40-week appointment, I'm still 3cm and now 70% effaced. Baby is at -2 station. Dr. G offered to strip my membranes, but we declined. So we're still waiting! She also scheduled me for a Non-Stress Test (NST) on Friday at 10:30, so Adam thinks she'll come on Thursday now :) Basically the NST just makes sure that she's doing okay in there and getting enough oxygen, it also monitors contractions. If the results are good, we'll continue to wait. If not, we'll talk induction.. so cross your fingers for good results!

I've been having a weird pain really low in my abdomen, like a very sharp cramp. Not consistent or timeable, not like a contraction, just like a sharp cramp off and on all day. Dr. G said it's probably the kid pushing her head down in there.

Hopefully this is my last belly picture!

Saturday - 7.16.11

2011-07-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Adam!!

Today we celebrated 35 years of my (mostly) wonderful husband! :) Not the typical birthday celebration - we relaxed around the house, had lunch, took naps, went to see Winnie the Pooh at the movie theater, ran a few errands and then had dinner with my parents. Not super exciting, but I'm pretty much exhausted (and cranky, if you ask Adam) all the time and we wanted to have a relaxing weekend, since it may be our last as a family of three! Braden seems to enjoy the time we spend just hanging out at the house, so we are making an effort to do that more often on weekends instead of dragging him all over town. Apparently he had a busy week, he passed out on the floor while watching the Incredibles.

Braden really enjoyed the movie and keeps talking about going back, so we'll definitely have to take him more often, especially with how hot it's been lately.

We went to dinner at Blu Tavern, which wasn't really all that impressive. Adam has wanted to try it for a while though. Then we went back to my parents house for birthday pie and cannoli's.. and a cupcake for Braden. He LOVES birthdays, but he has a hard time grasping that it's somebody else's birthday. He hears the word birthday and thinks it is his. So we sang to him and to Adam and they blew out the candles together.

39 Weeks!

2011-07-12T12:33:00.000-05:00

Only one more week 'til our little girl is due! I'm betting she is going to take after her big brother (and her mama) and make her big debut a few days late though :)

I had my 39-week appointment today. I'm dilated to 3cm (I was 2 last week), 40% effaced and her head is really low.

Dr. B said I'm favorable for induction, so they could schedule it for early next week if I'd like, but she thinks we should just wait it out.. I don't want to be induced anyway.. so we wait! I go back on Monday if she hasn't yet arrived.

Adam thinks she will come Sunday night (AFTER his birthday!) and I'm wondering if the full moon on Friday will do anything. I guess we will see!

Someone else wanted in on the belly picture action this week :)

When will it be?

2011-07-06T13:02:00.001-05:00

Care to take a guess at when our little one will arrive?? :)

Just some info - she was estimated at 7 pounds, 15 ounces on July 5th. Braden was born 6 days past his due date and weight 9 pounds, 9 ounces and was 22 inches.

38 Weeks!

2011-07-05T11:07:00.001-05:00

The ultrasound went well - everything looks good, fluid levels are normal, baby is in position and ready to go. She's big, but not too big. They estimate her to be 7lb, 15oz right now, which is 88th percentile. She said they don't typically worry until you reach 90th percentile, but given my history she'd let me go a bit over that as well. So yay for no talk of induction!

She also checked me - I'm 2 cm dilated and 40% effaced and baby is still up high, at -2 station. I keep reminding myself that doesn't mean anything, it could be tonight or another two weeks, but I'm getting excited to meet this little girl!

Monday - 7.4.11

2011-07-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

I'm super lame - we have had family in town all weekend and I lugged my camera around with us, but didn't take a single picture. B had a blast hanging out with his cousins though.. and I think they got a kick out of watching him shake his butt :) I need to do better!

Anyway, they headed home yesterday so today Adam and B got up and made blueberry pancakes while I slept in. How lucky am I? Adam made a special one for our little B.

We spent the rest of the day out shopping for new rugs and curtains.. I'll explain why in another post when I have pictures of the new stuff (we had to order it all). It's a good story though.. and put a serious light under out tails to get some things done that we've been putting off for a while!

I hope everyone had a great 4th and I hope yours was a bit more patriotic than ours!

Saturday - 6.25.11

2011-06-25T20:29:00.000-05:00

We took B to see his first movie on the big screen today, he did great! Cars 2 came out this weekend and since he's such a big fan of McQueen and Mater, we decided it would be a great first movie for him.

He was SO excited.. especially when he saw the bucket of popcorn that Adam ordered for them to split. About halfway through the movie, he decided he was done sharing and kept pushing Adam's hand out of the bucket.. and if Adam managed to snag a few measly pieces, B pried them out of his hand and ate them himself. He is so his fathers son!

He did really great until about 3/4 of the way through the movie. The movie wasn't really aimed at the pre-school audience, so I was surprised he made it that long. He crawled up into my (barely existant) lap and snuggled with me for the rest of the movie. When I asked him if he wanted to go back, we got a VERY excited yes, with a squeal.. looks like we have a new rainy/hot day activity!

37 Weeks!

2011-06-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

I can't believe we're getting so close!

For the baby update - I'm GBS negative, so yay for no IV during labor! Baby Noni is head down and ready to go, Dr. Greenwald told me when to call if I go into labor and if not, they'll see me back on Tuesday.

When she was feeling on my belly, she had a kind of concerned look and then asked how big my son was at birth (9.5 lbs), she then said "yeah, this is a really decent sized kid, lets get you in for an ultrasound next week to check her weight, just to be sure we're not looking at a 10+ pound baby on your due date". Sooo.. yeah, that could be fun.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Braden!!

2011-06-23T20:13:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my baby is 3. I'm sure I'll say this every year, but I can't believe how fast he is growing up. He's changed so much in the last year and his little personality has come out SO much. B is just this amazing little person with his own thoughts and opinions. I can't wait to find out more about what is going on in that cute little head of his.

Like the last 2 years, I couldn't bring myself to make Braden go to school on his birthday, so I took the day off and invited a few of his little friends over for his annual birthday playdate. Unfortunately, Jack couldn't make it this year, but Aiden and Christopher were here, along with Christophers new baby brother, Alex.

Aiden, Christopher, Jack & Braden (2009)

Jack, Christopher, Braden & Aiden (2010)

Aiden, Braden & Christopher (2011)

I can't believe how much these guys have grown in the last year. Their baby faces are gone and they look like little boys!

After B's buddies left, he took a LONG nap, then woke up in time for his favorite dinner - pizza! My parents and Uncle D came over, then we sang happy birthday and had cupcakes! His face in this first one cracks me up. He loves it when you sing the birthday song to him and he gets this little shy grin. It's adorable.

Braden actually made us sing to him three times, we had to relight the candles and do the whole song and dance again. I love seeing him so happy.

I love my little family :)

Wednesday - 6.22.11

2011-06-22T20:09:00.001-05:00

Someone is really enjoying his birthday gift.. he loves his "bumpoline"! We gave it to him a day early since his little buddies are coming over tomorrow for their annual birthday play date!

36 Weeks!

2011-06-19T20:06:00.002-05:00

One month to go!!

I had my GBS test and they checked my hemoglobin (12.1, which I was told is great). Everything else looks good, she's 99% sure baby is head down. I didn't gain any weight in the last 2 weeks, so I'm still up 11 pounds total.

Sunday - 6.19.11

2011-06-19T19:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day!!

Adam's big plan for the day was to relax and grill out at my parents house. That's it. So that's what we did.. kind of. The boys got up and made blueberry pancakes and had coffee (while I cleaned).

I got Adam to take my belly picture for the week and B wanted in on the action too :)

B needed new shoes, so we ran to the mall to get them and while we were there we decided to stop in the Build-a-Bear workshop so he could make a bear to take to the hospital when he meets his baby sister for the first time.

We headed out and went to my parents house and spent the rest of the afternoon grilling and relaxing by the pool. B finally got the courage to jump off of the big ledge too. Seriously, that child has no fear. I'm glad we're staring swim lessons in a few weeks!

Sunday - 6.5.11

2011-06-05T19:40:00.002-05:00

I seriously have the most wonderful friends. I really am a lucky girl.

Another group of my girlfriends got together and threw a baby brunch at The Brick in Avondale. I came home loaded down with so many adorable things for our little one! It was really nice to be able to sit, relax and just talk to them too. We're all so busy these days that it is hard for us to find time to just be together without ten million things going on. This brunch was perfect for that! The food was delicious as well, especially the dessert :)

Saturday - 6.4.11

2011-06-04T19:18:00.000-05:00

Braden's birthday is this month.. I can't wrap my head around the idea of him turning three. I don't know where the time has gone. It's madness. We decided to do his party a few weeks early, just in case his baby sister got any fun ideas about making her arrival early. No worries on that front, she seems perfectly content in my belly for now :)

Since I knew that I'd be exhausted and uncomfortable, we decided to just have his party somewhere where all we had to do was show up with cake and ice cream. If you know me, you know how hard this was for me. I'm a total OCD control freak, but I'm trying to learn to let it go. In the end, I'm glad I did. We had his party at this great facility for kids, o2bKids! They handeled everything for us and the kids had a blast!

They started off with some free play time in the play area.

Next up was arts and crafts (not such a good idea with a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds!).

Then headed into the gymnastics room to run around, jump on the trampoline and play on the mats.

Then it was time to hit the playground.

And finally, cake and ice cream time!

We ran out of time to do presents, so we opened those at home later. B was THRILLED with everything, his buddies are generous! I love this age so much, I love seeing the pure joy on his face as he tore into each gift.

Tuesday - 5.24.11

2011-05-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

We had the rescan today (at the first one her face was buried in the placenta) and got much better pictures.. not great, since she's super squished now, but I love them! I just want to kiss her cheeks!!

And the best news - she's head down!!!! Now she just needs to stay that way!

Monday - 5.23.11

2011-05-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

We woke up this morning to a sick dog :( Poor Buddy ate part of one of Braden's toys and had a bit of a belly ache, and left proof of it ALL OVER the house. Thankfully he kept his mess on the hardwood floor and tile, so it was easy to clean up.

Buddy wasn't up for playing or running around as he usually is, so B sat in the foyer with him and took care of him. He ran and got him a blanket and pillow and kept telling me "Bud Bud is sick, he not feel good."

Something tells me he's going to be a good big brother.

32 Weeks!

2011-05-21T15:21:00.003-05:00

Only 2 months to go!!

The doctor thinks that the baby is still breech. She can't confirm without an ultrasound and told me not to worry, they don't worry until 34 weeks and she still has time to flip, but just wanted me to be aware. I really thought she'd flipped since I've been getting kicked in the ribs and the top of my belly a lot lately. She didn't say what the plan is if she remains breech, I guess we'll discuss that at the 34 week appointment, if she doesn't flip before then.

I have my last 3D ultrasound (the tech is doing a re-scan for free since she couldn't get any good shots last time) on Tuesday, so at least then I'll know for sure if she's breech or not.

Besides that, I didn't gain any weight, so I'm still up 8 pounds total. The doctor seemed concerned but measured my belly and said the baby seems to be growing as she should, it's just me that isn't gaining. She told me to make sure I'm eating plenty of protein and to try to up my calories the next 2 weeks, so fingers crossed that I gain some.

Other than that, things were good - BP is normal, urine normal, baby was kicking away and heartbeat was normal.

Saturday - 5.14.11

2011-05-14T19:12:00.002-05:00

Today was crazy busy, but SO much fun! B had a play date with some of his little friends this morning, so we headed out for that (and I didn't take pictures, oops!).. then rushed home to pick up Adam and off to our friends house for a barbeque. Well, I thought it was a barbeque. It was actually a surprise sprinkle for our little girl hosted by 2 of my good friends, Jenn and Theresa :)

We also had a birthday party to go to that night for my friend Lindsey. Such a great time!! It was a surprise party for her 29th and her moms 60th birthday at this gorgeous house right on the river. Seriously, it was nicer than some of the weddings I've been to! So nice to relax and enjoy some quality time with friends!

Sunday - 5.8.11

2011-05-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

I love getting snuggles from my little guy. He's SO sweet.

Saturday - 5.7.11

2011-05-07T13:35:00.002-05:00

Adam told me that we're not just celebrating Mother's Day this year - we're celebrating Mother's Day weekend. So, I got to pick what we did all weekend long! B has been asking to go to the beach ever since my parents showed him some pictures of their friends beach vacation. Sounded good to me, so we packed up and headed to St. Augustine for the day. We stopped at Mango Mango's for lunch (YUM!!) then made our way down to the beach near the splash park and pier.

Braden had a BLAST. He went absolutely nuts and kept going back and forth between running in the waves and playing in the sand. I told Adam that we definitely need to take him back before Baby Noni arrives and it's more difficult.

Saturday - 4.29.11

2011-04-29T14:26:00.002-05:00

We headed over to celebrate the third birthday of one of B's little buddies today! I can't believe how quickly our boys are growing up. Time is flying by these days.

Jenn did a fabulous job with the party - so many little details! Big ones too.. like Jessie and Buzz from Toy Story!

Here's the birthday boy with his fabulous (and yummy cake).

How cute are they? I love that these kids are growing up together!

The daddy's kept the beer entertained in the kitchen..

While the mama's kept the kids somewhat under control :)

Sunday - 4.24.11

2011-04-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!!

We didn't have big plans today - we mostly hung out around the house and relaxed. It was nice. The Easter Bunny came to visit Mr. B and brought him LOTS of fun and tasty goodies!

We went to my parents house for a late lunch/early dinner and B had a blast splashing around in the pool with Adam and Papa.

The Easter Bunny stopped by again soemtime during the day to hide egggs for Mr. B, he LOVES hunting for eggs..

.. almost as much as he likes finding out what is inside!

28 Weeks!

2011-04-23T23:30:00.000-05:00

12 weeks to go and up 5 pounds.. this is going by SOO fast!!

Saying goodbye to Braden's nursery.

2011-04-23T14:53:00.004-05:00

I had no clue how hard this was going to be. You see that little pink line on the pregnancy test and all you can think about is the future and how amazing and wonderful it is going to be to have another little baby to love. Then your 2-year-old comes tearing into the room yelling "Mommy! Mommy!" and you think "Oh Lord what have we done?!" I'd be lying if I said I haven't had several of those moments over the course of this pregnancy.

The thing is, I am absolutely THRILLED to be pregnant. I'm so crazy in love with this little girl and she's not even here yet. I keep thinking about all the wonderful and amazing things we're going to do together, then I look at Braden and I feel guilty. I feel like I'm taking a piece of his Mommy away from him. His whole world is going to be completely turned upside down. It worries me. I'm dealing, but not all that well.

Today was one of the really hard days. We have to start working on the nursery and getting it ready for the baby, so I took Braden up there and took some pictures of him in it with all of his stuff before we started. I love his nursery. We have so many wonderful memories in that room - painting it to get it ready for him, snuggling in the chair reading stories, countless hours of nursing, me standing over the crib in the middle of the night watching him sleep, singing to his stuffed animals.. oh and the projectile vomit, the many nights we were up with him when he was sick with ear infections.. I'll miss that too.

I don't know if it's the hormones or me just being a sap, but I sat in his nursery and cried tonight. I miss my baby boy, but I just love and adore the little boy that he is now and I cannot wait to see who he is going to become. I can't wait to see him as a big brother, hugging and kissing and loving his little sister like only he can. Truth is, I know in my heart he's going to be okay. He's such an amazing and sweet little guy. His heart is SO full of love for everyone. I just worry. I guess that is what parents do.

Sometimes I worry that I won't be able to love our second child as much as I love Braden. I know, that's ridiculous, but I worry. At the same time, I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to wrap her up in my arms and snuggle her and kiss her toes and welcome her into our family. I'm just full of contradictions today, aren't I.

Okay enough of that, or I'm going to start sobbing again. I took a ton of pictures of the nursery, these are just a few.. hopefully I'll have some to share of B's big boy room (aka the Choo-Choo room) and the new nursery all decked out for our baby girl!

Saturday - 4.23.11

2011-04-23T14:41:00.000-05:00

Our neighborhood puts on a really great Easter egg hunt every year for the neighborhood kids. B had such a wonderful time last year that we decided we couldn't miss it this year. He decided to skip the visit with the Easter Bunny (and he's at that age where I'm not okay with forcing him to do something he's scared of just for the sake of a picture), but had a BLAST hunting for eggs!

Strategizing with Papa

Relaxing with the Grandma's

Hydrating before the Egg Hunt

Last minute strategy session..

Getting ready to go..

Hunting for eggs!

So proud of his eggs :)

Checking out the good stuff inside!

Our little family

After the egg hunt, we went and ran some errands, then headed back to the house to grill out and dye Easter eggs. I have video of B doing this and it's absolutely hilarious. He could care less about the little dip stick thing, or about waiting for the eggs to color. It was basically like a big game of musical eggs with him switching them back and forth between cups using his hands. He had fun though, that's what's important!

Friday - 4.22.11

2011-04-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to us! We're not doing anything big to celebrate, since it's Easter weekend, but I thought I should at least mention it! It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years, it has FLOWN by. We've had such a wonderful first 5 years of marriage, I can't wait to see what the next 5 have in store for us!

Sunday - 4.17.11

2011-04-17T14:20:00.002-05:00

We had some friends over to grill out tonight. I'm loving being able to get outside and watch B run around the backyard and play, and it was nice to have friends over to chat with while he went crazy. Especially since our friends bring their cute kids to run around with him. Seriously, how adorable are these two together?

Braden even got to practice his big brother skills with Baby Katie! He loved her, hopefully he will feel the same way about his littel sister when she arrives!

Sunday - 4.10.11

2011-04-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

Daddy's Little Helper - making eggs for breakfast!

Friday - 4.8.11

2011-04-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

We took the day off from work and school today to go visit one of B's old friends.. Mickey Mouse! No, we didn't go to Disney World (though we're itching to get a trip in before Baby Noni arrives), but Mickey came to us. Well, Disney on Ice did anyway!

The only pictures I have are awful iPhone pictures since the Disney guys wouldn't let us bring our camera in because it has a detachable lens. I think it's safe to say that B was having a blast though.

B and I also got hair cuts today. I chopped 9 inches off of mine and donated it to Locks of Love. I love my new cut! B's.. well.. it'll grow back, right? I just wanted it trimmed, but the lady that cut it kind of butchered it. It was all choppy and awful looking, so we took it back to get fixed.. and she chopped it all off. I don't know if it's the hormones or what, but I cried. I keep reminding myself that it's just hair.. but I miss his long, blonde hair!

Sunday - 4.3.11

2011-04-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

One of my best friends from high school is getting married in June and her mom and matron-of-honor threw her a wonderful bridal shower this weekend! I'm so glad I got to make the trip down to Orlando for it (and thanks to my parents for driving me, they were worried about me going on my own), especially since I may not be able to attend the wedding.. since I'll be 35 weeks! Hopefully my OB clears me for travel though, I've never been to a Disney wedding and it sounds like it's going to be fabulous!

Congratulations Andrea & Kory!

Friday - 4.1.11

2011-04-01T13:46:00.002-05:00

It's fair time! I'm like a little kid and still get giddy when I see the signs for the fair going up in March every year. I love the Clay County fair and it brings back SO many memories! I love that we take Braden each year and he's doing the same things I did when I was younger.

We started off in the kids petting zoo, our boy loves animals.

Then Daddy insisted it was time for our first dinner.. corn dogs. B took a nice, big bite but really wasn't all that interested. He wanted to get to the rides.

He went on all of the rides by himself this year. He loved it! When did he get so big?

And can you believe he climbed up to the top of that huge slide ALL ALONE??

We finished up our night with a horsie ride, a trip to visit the cows, pigs and chickens, then a HUGE bag of cotton candy.. YUM!

24 Weeks!

2011-03-27T10:58:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm already 24 weeks pregnant.. this pregnancy is FLYING by. I have caught a glimpse of my belly in the mirror a few times and I'm like woooah buddy, what the heck is that. Yes, I actually forget that I'm pregnant. It's crazy! I'm loving it though, even with all of the stress and craziness in our lives right now, I love having this little girl in my belly and feeling her wiggle and squirm around. It's so amazing, I don't think I'll ever get tired of the kicks.

Saturday - 3.19.11

2011-03-19T10:53:00.001-05:00

These pictures make me wish I was a kid again. Who knew that a silly little sprinkler could make you SO happy??

Friday - 3.18.11

2011-03-18T10:51:00.000-05:00

Do you think he likes watermelon??

Monday - 3.14.11

2011-03-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

We're home! I was about to burst to get to B's school to pick him up, I missed him like crazy! Apparently he had a great time with his grandparents though because he didn't seem to realize we were even gone.. he did like the loads of candy we brought home for him though!

Sunday - 3.13.11

2011-03-13T10:41:00.001-05:00

So, I totally sucked at picture taking today. Oops! Adam and I are freaks of nature and were up early and went out for breakfast at Ess-a-Bagel for breakfast.. holy freaking deliciousness!! It was a LONG walk, but worth it :) We took the subway to Battery Park and stood in line in the freezing cold, windy weather to get on the ferry to go check out the Statue of Liberty. It was cool to see, but I don't know that I'd go back.. it was a LONG wait and was kind of anti-climatic. She's huge, bigger than I expected, but you can see it all from the boat or across the water!

After that we wandered down to Ground Zero.. which was eerie and odd. I got chills. I can't wait to see the area when they are finished with the new tower and the memorial. We then headed over to Brooklyn for pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge.. we were headed to Grimaldi's but the line was super long and we were starving, so we went around the corner to another little place and the pizza was delicious.. and no wait!

We headed back to the hotel for a nap, then ventured out again later for a bit, mostly just wandering. I wanted to go to Serendipity so we went and put our name on the list.. but I got tired of waiting and we just went back to the hotel. I really want to go back when I'm not tired and in pain all the time so I can really enjoy myself! Adam ran out to a deli and got us some yummy food (and more hotdogs) for dinner and we watched movies and relaxed. Maybe a little lame, but we enjoyed it :)