2014 picture highlights

January- I turned 30!

February- Mardi Gras

March- St.Patricks day parade in Dogtown

April- family pics 

May- Grams turned 100

June- Allie shared some big news! 

July- family vacation to Gulf Shores, AL

August- enjoyed the local parades

September- quick getaway to CoMo to celebrate our 6th year of marriage

October- visited the pumpkin patch

November- Allie enjoyed the first snow of the season

December- we welcomed our newest addition, Landon, to our family

 

Can't wait to see what awesome memories 2015 will bring! 

Resolutions- review 2014- begin 2015!!

Let's see how I did last year on my New Years resolutions 2014. 

1) loose that pesky last few pounds...typical right.- I was feeling really good this year, I have a pic of myself 6 weeks pregnant (I was still working out/running) and I feel like I looked really good!! Then I got pregnant, put on no lifting/exercising for a couple months, and gained around 40 pounds :-/

2) wear earrings more.- done!!! I have 2 pairs that I wear almost every day. They don't hurt my ears and they are very versatile. 

3) more dates with just me and DH.- ehh, we had "some". Took advantage of having one kid as much as we could. 

4) look into running a half...there I said it....yea yea...they girl who "hates" running. It just seems like 13.1 miles is a BIG scary goal, so I should probably do it. - nope, got pregnant 

5) buy less...in general.- ummm, I bought one shirt this year, as far as clothing is concerned I bought a lot less! I did have some extra expenses- medical/new baby. So, I'm going to call this a wash. 

6) do not feel guilty about choosing what makes me happy.- I'm over it. I'm the only one who has complete control over how "happy" I am. I have been able to tell  people no without much guilt. 

Looks like there were just a few goals I actually met. Oh well, I'm blaming being pregnant on most of them ;-)

As for next year, here are my 2015 goals:

1) drop 20 pounds

2) find a church by our house to attend

3) learn how to save $$

4) stay calm and soak up these days- the kids will only be this age once ;-)

5) plan work lessons 1 week in advance- Pinterest is a great tool for this! 

And GO!!

Bring it 2015!!! 

Welcome Landon!!!

Here is my "quick" story of my labor and delivery with my beautiful baby boy Landon. 

My 39th week of pregnancy was busy and the anticipation of waiting for my little guy was tough. I was willing to try to go until 41 weeks trying my best not to be induced. At my 39 week appt I was 1.5cm and 80%, and baby was down and ready! Woot!! Cue all the contractions!! I had a few more days of work before winter break and I really wanted to make it through so I could have everything ready for my sub. 

Tuesday night I had some good "timeable" contractions, but they stopped after about an hour. Wednesday- Saturday a bunch of the same, but getting stronger. I was feeling ready and even made Scott put the car seat in :-) 

Sunday morning I woke up at about 5am with some painful contractions about 6-7 min apart, could not go back to sleep. They were tough so I called my mom and she came over around 6:30am. We all hung out at home and I continued to have contractions about 5 min apart until 9am when I decided I needed to be somewhere else when having my contractions- they were getting more intense. We arrived and were admitted to the hospital about 9:30, and I was checked to be a 3 and 80%. Fortunately my OB was on call and he said go ahead and stay, break my water, start the epidural and get this party started! All that happened about noon. Then my contractions slowed so they gave me a bit of pitocin. My nurse let me lounge around until 2- she came and checked me to be a 9 and 100%. 

My OB just happened to be walking by my room to go do a c-section and said... I don't know if "she will make it". "Let's try a practice push to see where you are". So I "practiced" once and everyone rushed to gown up! He proceeded to tell me my baby boy was going to be born with my next push... Ummm WHAT?! He was kidding- it took 2 more pushes and my little man was on the scene! Crazy fast, he cried right away and was placed up on my chest so I could see him. Landon nursed for 45 minutes and was totally alert for the next hour or so. 

He weighed 8 pounds 7 oz and is 20.25 inches long. He looks so much like his big sis- and he has a big dimple in his chin!! It's too cute!! He also has a little bit of blonde hair!! (Maybe he will have the green eyes like me too :-) 

As for me I am doing well- just have some dull pain left over from the needles/IV's/stitches. Hopefully that will all go away in the next few days. Looks like we will be able to go home tomorrow and be home in time for Christmas!! Woo hoo!! Perfect timing, perfect labor, perfect little guy :-) 

Happy birthday big guy!! We are all so glad you are here!!!

 

All the emotions...

I forgot how pregnancy makes you so emotional- or maybe that's just me... I will say this pregnancy (boy this time vs girl last time) has been TOTALLY different in the emotion department though. I feel tougher (that's a word right?), I have not cried nearly as often as I did when I was pregnant with Allie. However I do find myself having an opinion about things, and being able to make a decision better...maybe that comes with age and being a parent. I've also felt that things that SHOULD make me cry don't, they make me think. Mostly about life in general. 

The biggest emotion I have been having is feeling bad for Allie... All she has ever known is how to have our full attention and be with mom and dad. Having this baby brother is going to ROCK her world in so many ways. I feel bad that I won't be able to give her the attention I have been for the past 3 1/2 years, I feel bad that I will probably be less patient with her (especially when baby brother is an infant), and I feel bad that she will have to learn to share my time. I feel we are in a pretty good spot with her lately- YES she has her melt downs, but in general she has a good routine and she knows what we expect.  We are ALL in for a BIG surprise I suppose... 

Another emotion I have is the whole "what if" during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a crazy awesome thing, but there are so many unknowns. SO MANY!!! It makes it scary as well as amazing. I am SO lucky to have been able to get pregnant so "easily" this time and carry this baby this far, but don't get me wrong I worry about him ALL.THE.TIME. I constantly remind myself that I am doing the best I can and that anything that could/would happen is really beyond my control- just let it go. It's

not worth stressing over until it really becomes an issue. 

Also with this pregnancy comes the emotion of being "done". Done growing our family and done ever being this pregnant again. I am totally fine with this (I suppose I have to be- cause even though I "wanted" 4 kids, Scott "wanted" 1, he got suckered into 2 ;-) ALSO we are not getting any younger and if we tried to have that many more kids Scott would be almost 50, and I would be almost 40 by the end of it), but it is a little sad to think I will never be "this" pregnant again... 

My last emotion lately is the HOW am I going to do this? And really what was I thinking?! Haha!! I guess you never really know until it happens... Then you just "do it". But really, nursing an infant while your toddler runs rampant around your house. I'm pretty sure it won't take long for a wall to be colored on, or a light to be broken. I keep reminding myself that SO many people do this, we are already in parent mode so why not add another... I mean look how sweet and cute the first one is... Right...?

The House is Painted!

It has taken about 10 months, and a little bit of outside help, but our house is painted! All 2,000 square feet of ceilings, trim, doors, and walls; as well as outside trim, garage door, and shutters! WHEW! My husband is a rockstar! 

To begin the process we had to decide on colors...Scott likes golden colors and I like grays (of course)- so we agreed on khaki based colors, because they are a mixture of grays and golds. 

On our main floor we chose Benjamin Moore colors:

Dining room- Dried Basil

Hallways- Navajo White

Living Room- Manchester Tan

1/2 bath- Buttered Yam

Kitchen/eat in/family room- Barley

Upstairs we used mainly Valspar colors:

Kids Bathroom- Woodlawn Blue Angel

Allie's Room- Sea Lilly & Pink Taffy

Boys Room- Gravity

Master bath- Barley

Master bedroom- Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan (we had leftovers)

Hallways- same as lower level

Exterior colors:

Shutters- Valspar Black Raisin

Door- Valspar Posh Red 

Allie is 3!

My sweet little girl, how are you already 3?! My how the time has flown. Everyday is a new adventure and everyday you surprise us more and more. You are so smart and you are piecing so much of this "world" together. Your new favorite question is Why? And it boggles my mind at times when I don't have an answer for you. 

Your 3 year stats are pretty easy to remember, 3 ft 3 inches and 33 pounds. But your personality is off the charts.

You LOVE watching TV, as long as you can pick the show. Your favorites include Cailou, Bubble Guppies, Daniel Tiger, and Sponge Bob- yes, we let you watch Sponge Bob, it's not as bad as some of those other tv shows out there. I have to make sure to limit TV to about an hour a day total. You also love to sing and listen to music, again, as long as you choose exactly what you are listening to. Sophia the First CD is on constant replay in the car these days, and you DO NOT let me or daddy sing along! 

You do have a little temper and you love to get your way. You can have a tantrum like no other, especially when you are tired or hungry. I try to keep a good schedule with food/sleep to avoid these types of things, but at times they are unavoidable, and really they don't get you anywhere. But I understand you are trying to figure things out and sometimes this world is overwhelming. 

You do a good a good job playing pretend with your toys and you are LOVING the sand box you got for your birthday. Any messy play is fun for you. You also really like to jump on the mini trampoline and swing at the park. Speaking of the park, you are getting pretty brave these days, climbing ladders taller than I can reach. You like to be busy most hours of the day, so lounging around isn't really on your agenda. You keep me BUSY little one. 

Lately you have been LOVING to see babies. If there is ever a baby around you will ask me if you can see them, and you are pretty gentle with them. You give them gentle kisses on their heads, and play gently with their fingers. You are going to be a wonderful big sister in a few months. You are pretty certain you will have a baby sister, though we will find out in just a few days if you are correct!

I've been trying to remember some of the cute things you say to blow my mind, but I can't seem to come up with a any in particular. There are so many each day! 

You are growing so fast these days seem hard to hold on to, and before I know it you will be going off to school. I'm trying to cherish all the time I get to spend with you while you are still little and I can be home. The summers fly by, and soon we will be a family of 4. But I am sure you will take it all in stride. You are a leader little one and don't let anyone hold you back. But please make sure to share and use your polite words as much as possible. 

I am so lucky to be your mama. 

4 months!

Wow! How am I already 4 months pregnant? I had these wild dreams of blogging weekly pregnancy updates (because I follow bloggers who do). But after writing weekly updates I decided not to post them. I have a weekly book that I update (by hand- old fashioned like), but I decided not to put my whole life out there right now. However, here are some of my random happening the past 16 weeks!

I felt great in the beginning, used exercise to curb morning sickness- still running, lifting heavy, and doing some Insanity. Around 7 weeks my morning sickness ramped up big time- 24 hours a day bad! 8 weeks- we saw and heart the baby's heart beat! 9 weeks-  I was told not to run/lift, but I continued to walk fast ;-). 12 weeks- another ultrasound and saw the baby's heart beat, but I was not to exercise, lift over 5 pounds (including Allie) and take it VERY easy. Week 14- ultrasound showed things getting better, still not to exercise or lift anything over 5 pounds. 

I'm feeling a little "soft" but following doctors orders! I begged them to let me walk slowly a few weeks ago, so I have been doing that to keep a little active. My goal this pregnancy is to keep the baby and myself healthy. I'm also embracing the "bump". Yes, I already have a little bump, and I am going to show it off! Watch out Instagram! Here come a slew of selfies! 

My next appt is later this week, and we maybe able to find out the baby's sex! I'm also hoping for a better ultrasound this week, so cross your fingers and say your prayers for baby #2! Allie is convinced it is a baby sister- which is interesting because this pregnancy has been 100% different than with her. Time will tell! I've gained a little more energy lately and have begun nesting/cleaning/decorating a little more. Watch out house (poor husband)! Here are some pics of house updates, bumps, and baby #2!

Collage wall/pulling weeds/new back door

16 week bump and 12 week baby