Belly Pictures

I haven't been that great about doing consistent belly pictures. I've seen the ones where they do one every week with a cute chalkboard beside them. Yeah that wasn't happening. They have just been sporadic and mainly happened when I would go somewhere cool and think, "Hey why NOT take a pic here?"

This one isn't a "belly pic" but I thought I would include it. I was probably 10 weeks, I think. I just know I had not announced it, but you can definitely tell my belt is pooching out. I started showing WAY earlier with this one. 

This is halfway through - 20 weeks. I figured the Dave Matthews concert was a good spot.

This one was just a week later, but we were at the beach so I HAD to get one there!

This is 26 weeks. We were on top of Mt. Scott in the Wichita Mountains.

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So I sort of judge myself for the next two because they're "selfies" which I never take, but I think you get a pass when you're pregnant. Honestly I am just amazed that my belly is this big and wanted to remember it. This picture is right before the Counting Crows concert. I was 32 weeks. I really couldn't fathom getting any bigger than this...

...and then this happened. This was taken 11 days before my due date. Very ready to be able to hold her in my arms instead of my belly because I don't think I can take much more! 

Pregnancy Update - 38 Weeks

So I realized that I haven't blogged about my pregnancy except for when I posted that I was expecting, which really tells it all.

When I was pregnant with Avery I had an app on my phone that told me fun "pregnancy facts" every day and exactly what size produce she was (grape, avocado, etc.). I also ALWAYS knew what week I was - even to the day. I remember telling people sometimes I was "28 and a half" weeks. I mean I made it those 3-4 days so I wanted to claim the half!

Oh and how things are different this time... most of the time I had no idea what week I was. People would ask me and I felt like a horrible mom because a few times I didn't even have a ballpark guess. I wouldn't say that I would "forget" I was pregnant because my belly was a constant reminder, but it hasn't been something I think about every day. When you're chasing a toddler, you just don't have the time to worry as much about your pregnancy.

This pregnancy has also been a lot harder. I don't know if it's because of my age. I know I'm not that old but I was 29 when I was pregnant with Avery and now I'm 32. I just feel like lots of things got harder after 30. The first trimester was AWFUL! I developed a new sympathy for chronically ill people. It was so bad I told Rustin I will NEVER be pregnant again. Second trimester was pretty much a breeze, but third trimester has been as hard as the first just in different ways.

I tell people all the time I feel like an obese senior citizen. I don't mean it in a way to complain about my weight (I mean I'm pregnant - I expect to be big) - I just mean that everything those two groups of people complain about, I totally feel! My feet hurt; my back hurts; I can't handle the heat; I get winded going up the stairs; I groan getting up from a seated position (or really any time I move); I go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. Seriously by the end of the day, I am done. I can hardly walk. I am thankful that everything has been totally fine with Arden, but physically for me it has been really hard.

I usually only get about two pedicures a year. I consider them a luxury since I figure I can paint my own toenails. Well I've gotten them regularly the past few months because I literally can't touch my toes. Shaving is a joke. I feel like I deserve a gold medal whenever I finish because it was so hard. Therefore my legs are hairy 90% of the time. I ordered some booties online. When they came and I went to try them on, I could not do it. I realized that was the first time in MONTHS I've tried to wear actual shoes - not flip flops. It wasn't that they were too small, it was that I couldn't move my body in such a way as to physically get them on my feet. It was quite comical.

I hate to complain because I am SO thankful that God blessed us with another little one. It took us a while to get pregnant with this one and I started to think I wasn't going to be able to. But I have made no qualms about not liking being pregnant - with Avery or this time. I like the end result though :)

I have been praying for her to not come early (so that she wouldn't be small like Avery) and that I wouldn't have to be induced or anything and so far so good. I went to the doctor yesterday and I'm not dilated or anything. They keep checking my amniotic fluid and it looks great. So I'll just keep praying (and appreciate all other prayers) that things continue to go smoothly and we welcome a healthy little girl in two weeks. (Ahhh CANNOT believe it is that soon!)

Here is the last "belly pic" I took. It's from 32 weeks. I'm quite a bit bigger now!

Avery is Three!

If you can believe it, Avery turned three years old on Sept. 7! Honestly I'm just most excited that we made it past that day and Arden was still in my tummy. I had this fear that she would come early and they would have the same birthday, which I can imagine would not be fun for them.

Here are her stats from her three year check up:
Weight - 30.8 lbs (50th percentile)
Length - 39" (85th percentile)
Head Circumference - 19"

And here is a picture of her at the doctor's office. It was so cute - they had her wear a gown this time.

I decided since I was SO pregnant, we were just going to do simple and easy for her party so we had another pool party at Lolly and Pops' house. I held myself back from putting too much pressure on myself but I couldn't resist making a few things like the cupcake toppers and tissue paper garland. Here are a few pictures:

That's right - I totally forgot the candles AGAIN this year, so she blew out three votives. Hey whatever works.

I wish I had done a better job at documenting the funny things she's done this year. If anyone has any tips on how to keep up with those things, I'd be glad to hear them! But I'll share what I can remember - 

- Says frisbee = frisberry; beef jerky = beef turkey; chopsticks = stopsticks; prairie dogs = fairy dogs; baptized = bathtized (that one actually makes more sense. Totally get where she's coming from.)

-She LOVES helping. She has a stool she can carry around and that's all she does. She wants to be right in the middle of whatever I'm doing - washing dishes, cooking, etc. I've put her to good use with the swiffer a few times. 

- She has a very active imagination and is always pretending to be someone - mainly princesses. She also always wants other people to be the hyenas from Lion King or Scat Cat's band from Aristocats and talk to her (don't ask). 

- To say she is my daughter is an understatement. She dresses up in gaudy clothes, loves horses and is super shy especially around men. My mom has told me many times she acts EXACTLY like I did. Here is an example - 

- Better than any comedy show is listening to her on the monitor after we put her down. She talks to her animals and oftentimes sings songs - mainly Let It Go.

- I got her a "ready to wake clock" (which I HIGHLY recommend by the way) that turns green when it's ok for her to get up. If she wakes up before it she'll play, but the second it turns green she yells, "MOMMY MY CLOCK'S GREEN!! MOMMY MY CLOCK'S GREEN!!" until I can get up there.

- She says her prayers at night. She mainly prays for Nana's cats. 

I tell her all the time that I am so thankful that God chose me to be her mommy. I just love her so much! Happy birthday sweet girl!!

Avery's First Day of Preschool

So I have been kind of a spaz about preschool. For some reason it has been a hard decision for me as far as if I should send her or not. I don't feel like I need to send her so she'll have a "leg up" in kindergarten. But at the same time I feel like it would benefit her socially since she's so shy. Another struggle I had was just missing that time with her. I know kindergarten will be here before I know it and time with her at home is fleeting and I selfishly want to enjoy it as much as I can. But with Arden coming, I figured I would turn into a hermit for a while after she's born and I didn't feel like that would be fair to Avery. She is used to us getting out a lot, running errands, doing play dates, etc.

We are already doing Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) one day a week (which I have LOVED and highly recommend), so she goes to the children's program there for two hours on Wednesdays, and all the preschools in my area are at minimum two days a week. So that would be three days a week where we would have to be somewhere and that just seemed like too much. To make a long story really short, one preschool would allow you to split the two days with someone if you found the other person and Avery's friend Abigail's mom felt the same way I did so that's exactly what we were able to do! But instead of them going on separate days, they had more openings for some reason on Mondays, so both the girls are going that day. 

So anyway that LONG explanation is to say she is going to preschool ONE day a week from 9:30-2. I feel good about it and feel like it was a good compromise as far as my struggle with it was concerned. 

She has been SUPER excited about it. We bought her a nap mat and she has wanted to sleep on it for days. (I put it on her bed when she's actually sleeping, not on the floor haha.) Also did anyone notice the dog hair in the background?? Don't judge. I literally vacuum daily but when you have a wolf-like dog, it's really a losing battle. 

We went to Meet the Teacher last week and she didn't want to leave the classroom but wanted to stay and play, so I have been feeling confident and at peace with the decision.

Here are her first day of school pictures (ahh can't believe I'm taking these!) -

I had her do an "interview." Not sure if you can tell, but she was super pumped her friend Abigail was in her class.

Oh and yes she is in the 3 year old class. That is another decision that has been hard for me. The "official" cut off is Sept. 1 (and she didn't turn 3 until the 7th), but preschools are more lax and let me put her in the 3 year old class rather than the 2 year old. After all, she WAS 3 when school started, very verbal and potty trained so I just felt like it would be the best fit. But now I'm a little worried because she will HAVE to wait to start kindergarten because schools ARE very strict on the Sept. 1 cut off (plus I would rather her be a little older when she starts school anyway). So that means if she continues, the year before she starts kindergarten her only option with preschool is to do the kindergarten program, which is 4 days a week, and I just don't really want her gone that much. I guess I don't have to worry about it now and could always have her repeat either 3 or 4 year old preschool. 

Disclaimer: When I was a teacher I told myself I would not be one of "those" parents but as I read back over what I am writing, I totally am one! BUT this is her FIRST time to go to school and she is my first kid so I get a little break right?? If I'm still spazzing like this when she's in 4th grade, someone stage an intervention for me.