now announcing

when you're at the hospital you have lots of time,

but somehow it goes so fast and between the

check ups, nursing and trying to get a nap in,

i haven't really thought of breaking open my lap top

to share our wonderful news.

 

Reid Elizabeth

born july 22nd, 2015

12:01 pm

7 lbs.

20 1/4 inches

 

and she's pure perfection,

so of course we've taken a few (hundred) photos.

everyone says she looks like ronnie,

but she's a complete surprise to both of us.

she has much more dainty features, a bigger nose

an actual jawline and red hair!

she looks nothing like brette - - well, to me, anyway.

i can't wait to see how this one is going to change and grow.

what a doll.

we're all so in love with this little lady

and i think we've decided to keep her and take her home.

 

now the adventure begins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it keeps going and going and going

i'm off having a baby

but i never got to post my newest

addition to this little photo journey

we've been going on for about 3 years now.

 

first picture is back in september of 2012

and the last one was taken over the weekend, july 2015.

can't wait to add another one with BOTH girls.

 

 

 

 

baby watch

 

my last pregnancy photo.

ever.

wahoo!

 

its 6:30am and i can't sleep even though

i totally should be racking up some extra hours

while i still can.

especially since i'll be checking into the hospital today.

say whaaaa?

technically, i'm not due for another week

and my induction wasn't scheduled until next thursday,

but we had a slight change of plans.

 

i had a doctor appointment and ultrasound last thursday and

i was still measuring about 4 weeks off.

they wanted to measure the baby to make sure

she was doing just fine in there.

turns out, she was measuring off too.

her little head, arms and legs all measured about 37-38 weeks,

but her body/tummy was only measuring 35 weeks.

it concerned my doctor and made her think that the baby

wasn't getting the nutrients she needs.

she wanted to go ahead and induce me.

ahhhhhh!

she called labor and delivery to see if they could get me in,

while i was sent back to the ultrasound room

to do a biophysical on the baby.

that's where they check the baby's heart rate, breathing, movement, and cord flow.

we had to do this with brette too and she passed all

four tests within minutes, even though they give the baby 30 minutes.

well, this little one took her time.

it was a loooong ultrasound, especially trying to entertain

brette while laying there.

at 30 minutes she still hadn't passed all four tests,

but she did a few minutes later.

i didn't think that was a good sign,

but my doctor said it was close enough,

and since labor and delivery was already overbooked,

they decided to push my induction until after the weekend.

so here i sit,

on a tuesday morning with my bags packed,

waiting to check in tonight.

they're going to have me come in at 8:30 so

i can start taking cervidil through the night and

then we'll start the action induction wednesday morning.

hopefully, if all goes right in the world,

i should be holding my new precious baby girl

sometime tomorrow.

(the sooner, the better).

i'm asking for prayers and good thoughts for tomorrow.

lots of them.

i'm a little nervous about my next fews days,

but hopefully i'll be posting precious hospital photos soon.

unhelpful

i have off so many days in a row during the week

that i could REALLY get a lot done around here...

if i weren't just days away from having a baby.

 

spray for weeds?  ronnie doesn't want me breathing that in.

mow the yard?  its kind of a bumpy ride and hurts my back.

paint the trim?

spray paint a light fixture?

paint our little kid's table?  sorry, no painting for me.

basically i'm stuck cleaning house,

doing laundry or running errands.

of course, these things are necessary,

but it kills me that i can't get all the other stuff done.

especially when we're so close to having this baby

and all i want in life is to get. shit. done. before she gets here.

 

oh well.

i need to let it go.

 

i DID manage to pack my bag, brette's bag, finish a few freezer meals

and make the sweetest little thank you's for the hospital,

which makes me feel a little bit more ready.

 

 

my bff also cut down one of her trees and saved me a stump

which is now currently living at my house.

my dad has agreed to make the stump side table his new project,

so i'm excited that its actually going to get done for the nursery.

 

and last weekend brette and i spent a couple days at my parent's

so ronnie and two of his friends could work on

finishing up more of the downstairs.

i'm happy to report that all of the baseboards and quarter round is up

and all of the walls have been primed.

 

 

i think the next step is spraying the trim and painting the walls.

if only that was a super fast and easy job,

but i know it will take time too.

 

in the meantime,

i'll play with brette and wait for this baby to make her arrival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

long hair, don't care

the heat index is 111 and

its nice to find ways to keep my hair up

and out of the way.

normally i'm a girl that LOVES to wear her hair down,

 so when my friend at work showed me

a girl she follows on instagram for hairstyles ideas,
 i decided to give it a whirl.

i started following her and i've tried a

few of her suggestions.

 

my two new favorites:

1 - dutch braiding the front of my hair.

(dutch braids are the same as regular braids except

you reverse the way you bring a piece to the center.

it really makes your braid bigger.)

 

 

2 - pull through braid

(this is really just a bunch of ponytails,

which makes is super easy AND fast.

i like it because it looks different than normal.)

 

 

instead of me trying to explain the methods,

i thought you might just like to see the video.

 

 

 

enjoy!

hope you get some good ideas.

 

 

 

daddy and brette

with me being HUGE

i've relied on ronnie a lot

to take over with brette when i literally

just want to lay there.

 

in fact, most of these pictures

i'm pretty sure i'm either on the couch

or in bed.

don't judge.

i'm freaking 9 months pregnant.

 

but aren't daddy - daughter moments the sweetest?!

 

please excuse ronnie's legs...

 but they were both in white t-shirts and undies.

 

 

 ronnie worked out of town

and brette was happy to see him get back home.

 

cuddles after her bday party.

and no, i don't think ronnie is that gray-headed.

maybe its the light?!

i don't know.  it freaks me out.

 

riding her horsey before bed.

again, sorry for ronnie's lack of clothes.

sheesh.

 

 

ronnie will have to keep this up

once the baby gets here because if anything,

i'll need more help

so i'm happy to see how much brette loves her daddy. 

 

 

 

summer livin'

even though the weather hasn't really cooperated

this summer, brette and i have got our routine down.

mondays are with mimi and papa while i work.

tuesdays my mom watches brian's girls,

so we normally spend the morning with them.

wednesdays we do laundry and go grocery shopping.

thursday we clean and run any other errands i have.

friday i'm at work and she goes to a sitter.

and in some ways, i feel like MY summer is about to be over.

B and i are on the run a lot.

we go.

we do.

we see.

we rarely spend a whole day at home.

time seems slow when there's not a lot to do,

so i like to keep busy

and i think brette likes it too.

with a new baby on board, i'm probably

going to have to get a lot better at coming

up with fun things to do at home.

i recently bought a bubble machine,

sidewalk chalk, play doh, finger paint and a magna-doodle.

hopefully these things will entertain brette on

the days that i don't feel like loading up both

girls just to get out of the house.

if you have fun suggestions,

send them my way.

i'm going to need them.

 

here's a little look back into our summer...

lots of neighborhood walks.

 

hiding in my bathroom cabinets.

because, she's always had a thing for bathroom cabinets.

 

swimming with her cousins.

 

field trip days when my dad, my mom

and i all have off.

three on three is totally easy.

out to lunch after deanna rose.

 

running errands with one toy.

she chose conduit.

ronnie was proud.

royals game for the 4th

and more swimming with madeline and eden.

 

we've had fun.

and i've loved my last few months with just one kiddo.

i'm definitely going to miss that freedom.

i can pack B up and take her anywhere,

and i know we'll get back to that,

but for awhile,

i'm going to have to learn a new normal.