Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder how amazing my life is.
We are so blessed. And, I need to thank God for it more often.
On February 2, 2011, two years ago tomorrow, I found out that yours truly was pregnant.
I took a pregnancy test at work.
On my lunch break.
And might have said a few cusses in the stall.
I then sat at my desk and stared out the window the rest of the day with a huge smile on my face and a huge secret in my heart.
I couldn't wait to get home to tell Kris. I bought him a little onsie that said "My Daddy Rock's" along with a Valentine's Day card from a little kid. Oh man was he so very confused. After he finally figured it out and said "Are you pregnant or something?" the conversation we had we will keep private. The special moment we shared together should be between us two.
How could we know that in 8 short months (exactly 10/2/11) our lives would be blessed beyond what anyone deserves. Our precious surprise #1.
I will ALWAYS love Groundhog Day. Shadow or no shadow.
(But, we don't want him to see it, right? I can never remember.)
Image & Article via
Liberating Working Moms
As the weeks leading up to the birth of our sweet baby girl draw closer, my maternity leave is ever increasingly on my mind.
1. How am I am going to handle taking care of a newborn & an 18 months old. Can I do it? Physically and emotionally?
2. How will we afford it financially? I work full time and we rely on my income. Given how the economy has been for us the last two years, saving large amounts of money is almost laughable.
3. How will my job be effected with me gone? Can I give up some control go and let someone cover for me? Have I mentioned that I am, what should I call it, a control freak?
4. Why didn't I order that Aflac insurance when I was thinking about it! Oh yeah, because this baby was surprise #2, remember?! Our girls love to surprise us.
I was doing some research online about a new company that Kris and I want to start (heavily in the dream stage) and I came across a short blog post in regards to how the US handles it's Maternity Leave compared to other 1st world countries. (see link above to Liberating Working Moms)
Can you image taking 50 weeks off of work after your sweet baby is born AND be paid for it?
How amazing would that be? Maybe we should look into a move to Canada, eh? Such a lame joke.
What are some things I can do now to prepare?
How much would you say you care about Chip Clips?
I would venture to say you probably don't think much about them. But, I do. Any time a bag of chips, pretzels, cookies...or anything of the like needs to be re-sealed I always wish I had some adorable clips.
And, my dreams came true.
I found these in the dollar bin at Target.
If you find this post ridiculous. I would probably agree with you. Except, when I look at my adorable skunk and raccoon chip clips it makes my little heart a little happier.
Now, you can go back to your very busy day.
I would venture to say you probably don't think much about them. But, I do. Any time a bag of chips, pretzels, cookies...or anything of the like needs to be re-sealed I always wish I had some adorable clips.
And, my dreams came true.
I found these in the dollar bin at Target.
If you find this post ridiculous. I would probably agree with you. Except, when I look at my adorable skunk and raccoon chip clips it makes my little heart a little happier.
Now, you can go back to your very busy day.
28 Weeks marks my entrance into the 3rd and final trimester!
I see the light. It's a dim dim...oh so very dim light. But I can see it. If I squint really hard.
I finally felt baby hiccups last night. I was sorta getting worried because hiccups are a sign of a healthy pregnancy. But, no need to fear!
All I have to complain about this week is how tired I am. OH man OH man I am tired. I would say that my two girls are already wearing me down.
Especially because this one....
is teething.
But, look at that face. How could you get too upset with her? You just couldn't.
I dare you to even try.
How lucky am I to be the mother to this amazing, fun, sweet, lovable, irresistible little girl?!
Avery Charlotte has many nick-names that are used often. Seriously.
Avery Bear (my personal favorite)
Baby Girl
Boo Boo
Boo Boo Bear
Monkey
Monkey Bear (trust me, I don't get it either)
Avery Girl
I look at her and thank God for sending her to me every day. I don't deserve it!
Our baby is almost 16 months old and is so dang SMART! She understands so much.
She can point to almost every single body part including her knees. Her favorite part to show us is her tongue. And, it's the cutest little tongue in the world!
She is very much into kissing now-a-days. She will kiss any pictures of anyone. She kisses her dolls, her stuffed animals, her sippy cups, her toys and if we are lucky she will kiss her momma and daddy.
She talks a LOT. Of course, it isn't understandable English and I wonder all the time what she is trying to communicate to me. I wish I could understand baby talk.
Little Miss still isn't sleeping through the night consistently. Sigh.
Suzie is still her constant companion and always by her side. We love Suzie and I even call her Suzie Bear sometimes. It seems to fit.
She loves loves loves taking baths! All I have to do is say, "wanna go take a....." and she will run to the bathroom without hesitation. I don't even need to finish the dang sentence for this water girl to know what I am talking about.
Avery girl also enjoys brushing her teeth on HER OWN. I try will all the patience I have to let her do it with my help here and there. But, home girl wants to be in control.
She is still pretty obedient! She might not listen the first time you ask her to do something, but she will eventually do it. I would say that's pretty good for a toddler! And, if she doesn't get what she wants, the tantrum/fit doesn't last too long. She is pretty easily distracted.
She is so freakin' friendly to everyone! Waves, says "hi" and flashes those dimples to every random stranger we encounter!
I love her. I love her so much it makes my heart hurt when I am away from her. I love coming home to her at night and I love when I am able to wake up with her in the mornings. The sparkle she has in her eyes when she sees me can compare to no other feeling in this world.
And, to think that I am going to get one more soon is beyond amazing. I can't wait.
