34 Weeks And Only 5 To Go :)

And what that really means is ...only 5 more weeks of people asking in amazement..."You are due any day now right?"  I get it people, I am HUGE!!  I feel huge, I look huge, and my tight shirts don't lie...I feel huge!  

In other news, I have had some crazy allergies these past few weeks.  I had a doc appointment today and he said that there's not much I can do, so I'm just destined to live with them until the baby comes {worst case}.  I can handle that right??  I sure can!  Other than no miracle cure for my allergies, my doc appointment went well...I weighed in at 122lbs {gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks}, and my pee was good enough for them I guess!  Sam is doing fine, and we are officially scheduled for our C-Section on Wednesday June 2nd at 9:30a!  I have my next appointment at 36 weeks and they are going to check for Strep B at that time and check my anemia as well!  Hopefully I get a good report on the anemia like last time! After that appointment I start going every week until the baby comes!  

As far as what I need to still get done before this baby comes, there's a lot!  

• We have some room rearranging to do which involves in consolidating toys, moving a toy box, and more!
• We need to get the Pack n Play from Holli's and get that situation figured out (where is this thing going to go??)
• I have so much to do at work including all things creative for the months of June, July, and August.....ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

There are more things, but these are the immediate needs...5 weeks people....5 weeks!

On with the belly pics...

Here I am with Joey in my belly!  I wrote about how I was not sure what life was like before this built in shelf on my body! And I guess it was cold??  I love hoodies!

Here I am with Sam in my belly.  I do remember life before this built in shelf, and it was fabulous :)  I can't wait to have this baby, rest for the 8 weeks then get in P90X shape!!!  Should be fun right???  We shall see, I'll have at least 20 somethin' lbs to loose!!!  I guess I have 5 more weeks to worry about that huh???

Here's the Baby Center update:

How your baby's growing (34 Weeks):

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

And here's the womb with a view :)

Thanks for checking in with our little corner of the world...only a few more posts left till Sam gets here!  I can't wait!!!

Threads of Gratitude.....Picture Style :)

It's time to give thanks to our Lord, and this week, my Threads of Gratitude are pretty simple!

Dear Father, thank you for.....

Enough said :)

There are so many other things I am thankful for, but I will leave it at this for today!  Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post!

200th Post :) Library Fun!!

So when I started this little blog in 2007 I had a vision of a digital scrapbook/journal of our life as a family! I have had so much fun letting y'all take a peek inside our world, and hope that you have enjoyed it too!  Each year I have upped my posts and I plan on doing the same this year! Thanks to my 13 "followers"!  It makes me happy to know that at least 13 people are paying attention to this thing :)

On with the library fun :)  It's Tuesday and we know what that means, Joey has some new books from the library!  Here's what we got...

I mean, this one just looks cool!  We shall see :)

We own Lilly's Purple Purse and we love it, so I went for this one hoping it would live up to the other book we already know and love :)

Joey saw this book and she said "Bella's Sippers!!!"  We just returned Belinda and the Glass Slippers and she loved it!  We have also checked out another Belinda book and Joey has loved them all...we will see if this is the same!

This one is self explanatory!  Our kid has a crazy obsession with anything Dora and now she talks about Diego too.  I didn't hunt for this book, but found it on a random shelf and figured it was divine intervention, so I pounced on it!

I just realized that I downloaded a picture without a title on it.....Oh well, this is the cover artwork for Elmer's Special Day!  We own Elmer and love this patchwork elephant!  I had no idea there was another book in the series and I can't wait to read this 2nd book!!

Last Library trip we got Firefighter Ted and Joey loved it!  Firefighter Ted kept "saving" people and "helping them to safety"!!  It was super cute, and I hope this one is just as cute as the other one :)

This is from the author's of Click Clack Moo which we love!  Figured we'd give this one a chance too :)

So, um, yeah!  Any favorites of yours that I need to read to our little girl {or our big girl as she calls herself...the other day she said "I no go potty, I'm a big girl"...so cute!} or books that your parents read to you that made a lasting impression on your little minds???

Oh and 1 last thing...notice there are no "Licious" books this Library trip!  That's cause Aunt Vicky got Joey her very own copy of Pinkalicious!  She opened it and said "My Licious" and sat down to read it on the spot!!  So much fun!!!  Here's the evidence!

Joey's Birthday Party :)

So Sunday was Joey's big party at Eagle's Wings Athletics!  We had lots of family and friends there to jump on trampolines, climb the rock wall, play in the pit, build forts, eat cake and ice cream, and more!  Here are a few of the pics I took...

It all started with the cupcakes that daddy made!  All 6 dozen of them :)  We had chocolate, strawberry and vanilla...in fact we still have some so if you have a sweet tooth, call and come on over :)

Here's sweet Hannah trying to give Joey a kiss!  Too cute :)

Look at that crazy hair after playing all around the gym!  She's so mobile these days and didn't stop the entire time we were there!

And here's Hannah with some crawling motivation thanks to Miss Kelli!!!!  "Will crawl for chocolate" :)

Happy Birthday to Me!  She's come a long way since her naked cake eating at her 1st year bday party!  Now she uses a spoon and everything!!

Present time!!  Thanks for all the amazing clothes, toys, movies, and more that Joey got!  We are so excited not to have to buy her a Summer wardrobe :)  She had a great time opening all the gifts, and again, we just want to thank everyone!!

I had to put this one in because this is how she opened all the bags....she would just take the paper out and throw it into the air...oh and the clothes must have looked like paper too, because she threw those up in the air too!

There are tons more pictures, but these are a few of my favorites! I will post a full album up on Facebook soon, so check back there!  I also got my new super sweet camera, but I'm still learning how to use all it's cool functions, so forgive me if some pics are blurry, or don't look quite right!

Thanks again to everyone who was able to make it to the party, and here's to another great year with our 1st daughter Joey! 

Joey's Birthday Day :)

So Joey's bday actually started last night when Grandma brought her present over :)  We "wrapped" it so that she could discover it in the morning!

We also wrapped her other presents from us and put them in the hallway outside her room for her to discover in the morning :)

Joey ended up not doing what I thought she would which was wake up and get out of bed to discover the presents.  Instead, she stayed in bed and called for daddy :)  We both got up and went to lay in bed with her for a minute, then we let her know she had presents in the hallway...she said "my pesents???"  So we went and opened them....here she is playing with her Dora Backpack, and her new puzzle with daddy.  We also got her the movie Bolt :)

When we went downstairs, she pulled the blanket off her brand new table from Grandma!  She wanted to do her puzzle on it while daddy was cooking breakfast!

Breakfast included bacon {yummo}, pancakes, eggs and orange juice!  Thanks daddy :)

Happy Birthday to you!!

After breakfast we continued to play with our new stuff!  The living room was a wreck :)  We cleaned it up and went to lunch with Nonny and Greatmother!

Joey was brought her very own pazookie at BJ's for her birthday!  She insisted on eating it herself...she's definitely 2!!  I was able to sneak a few bites from her :)

Here she is with Greatmother and Nonny!!

After lunch we came home and gave Joey a nap.  Once she woke up we had her 2 year wellness visit at her pediatrician's office.  She weighed in at 25 lbs even {27th %ile}, her height is 33 inches {27th %ile}, and her head circumference is 18.75 inches {53rd %ile}.   All of her percentages went up and Dr. Frank said that she grew a lot in the last 6 months!  She also said that Joey was super smart for her age too!  She was surprised at her sentences and said she usually just wants 2 year olds to string 2 words together. Anyone who knows Joey knows that she can do that and much more!  It's always fun when people talk about your kids like that!  We didn't think Joey was going to have to get a shot, but she did have to get a booster shot...she cried for 1 second then the nurse gave her a bracelet and sunglasses...she was good to go after that!

When we got home we played with her new tricycle that Nonny and Dedecek gave her.  She can't reach the pedals yet, but that didn't stop her :)

Here she is in action.....

And we had to play with the scooter that Johnny and I got her.  She just stands on it and says "pedel me".

We ended our day with a pizza picnic in the living room!  We watched Bolt during the picnic and it was super cute :)  

All in all, the day was awesome!  We had tons of fun with our daughter, and the celebration isn't over yet :)  Can't wait for her bday party this Sunday!  I'll post about that later :)  Thanks for all the texts and FB messages for our daughter's birthday!!

Joey is 2!!!

Mommy: "How old are you Joey?

Joey: "Not 2!"

Contrary to her belief, today is our sweet girl's birthday!  I was reliving the moment my water broke when I got up last night around the same time for a routine pee session :)  My water did not break this time, but I couldn't help but remember me yelling to Johnny that my water had broken on that very same night 2 years ago.  Johnny called from the bedroom..."are you sure??"...and I was very sure!  To read the rest of the story, click here :)

Later, I will recap our day which has already been filled with some super fun stuff, but for now, I just want to write some things about Joey that we all love, things that she says, and quirks that she has!

Joey's personality is really coming out these days.  She loves to say "Hi" to strangers, and sing with the radio {or just whenever she feels the urge}. She is great at cleaning up when we tell her to do so, and she rarely fusses or throws fits.  She listens for the most part and is good at not running off in stores :)

Joey says lots of fun things, but some of my favorite catch phrases of hers are....

• "Oh no, _______'s missing"  Just fill in the blank with what ever is on her mind at the time!
• "No Mommy, I do it myself"
• "Daddy's working"
• "Let's pay" {pray}
• "I want Jesus" {meaning I want to read my Bible"
• "Thank you for dinner"
• "I love you more"
• "I go potty"
• "Oh no, Daddy's home, let's hide"
• "I wanna watch my show" {she loves Dora, but we don't let her watch it that often}
• "I want my puzzles"

There are tons more that I'm sure I am forgetting, but when these little sentences come out of our little girl's mouth, it either sends us through the roof laughing, or surprised that she can talk in sentences!!

Quirks..how does a 2 year old have quirks??  Well ours does!  She loves things to be tidy.  She is very meticulous when it comes to putting things away, and she knows where everything goes without us having to say so.  She typically won't stop till it's right!  She also loves to wash her hands...I don't know if it's because she wants them clean or because she wants to play in the water??  I guess I don't care as long as they get clean!  She also gets annoyed if I'm driving Johnny's truck or if he drives my car.  She will let us know that we are in the other parent's seat!

I know there are more things i want to remember about our little munchkin, but this is why I write this blog, so I won't forget all the little details!  Check back later tonight for an update on what she got for her bday and all the bday festivities!!  

Happy Birthday Joey!

33 Weeks and Only 6 To Go :)

As I'm typing this post, Sammy is doing gymnastics in my belly!  I'm pretty sure I just saw a perfect cartwheel roll across my belly...no joke!!  Ok, I kid, I kid :)  Anywho, this week has been going well.  I feel huge, and when you get a look at the belly pic, you will probably agree!  I do have to say in my defense though that we take these pictures very late at night, and I'm pretty sure I gain like 10 lbs each day, so objects in picture may appear larger than they actually are :)  My allergies are kicking my booty this week, but other than that I am feeling well!  My hips haven't hurt in forever, and the Braxton Hicks are still there, but not a huge deal.  I am stoked that 6 weeks is all I have left, and we are pretty booked for that 6 weeks with church stuff, home stuff, and most importantly....Joey's 2nd Birthday!!!  That's right folks, our 1st bundle of joy turns 2 this Friday...where has the time gone..I will post more on that Friday!!  I guess that's it, so on to the baby bumps :)

Here I am with sweet Joey in my belly...she was content in this small tummy and I was content for her to be there :)  I only weighed 111lbs at this point in my pregnancy with her and I was all a glow despite the stupid look on my face :)

Here I am with Sam, and I'm convinced she's hiding a twin sister in there or something....last Wednesday I went to the doc and weighed in at a whopping 120lbs.......she is stretching and growing and has room to do cartwheels as I stated in the beginning of this post!  I'm getting more uncomfy as the days ware on, but I know the end result is worth it for sure!  I will need help getting this baby bump to go away, so all my work out friends, I'm gonna need you once I get cleared to exercise!! 

What does Baby Center have to say about all this??

How your baby's growing (33 Weeks):

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with aconehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

And here's what's going on on the inside :)

That's all she wrote folks!  Look back on Friday to get the birth story on our sweet little JoJo!  Night Night!!

Wishful Wednesday...GLEE!!!!

'I wish' .... I could be a GLEE character for an episode and it would definitely be Rachel!

So I am loving Kelsey at The Seattle Smith's right now!  I love this topic :)

I would be Rachel.  I love that she's the leading lady and can sing in any style, and that any style sounds good in her voice!  She's so intense with her singing and makes me laugh so hard!  I think her outfits are for the most part super cute, and I love that long hair!  The only thing I would ditch would be the Jewish part..I'm sold out for Jesus!!!!  Holler!!

Back when I was in Jr. High and High School I was in show choir which was a small group like the one in Glee, but the difference is that we didn't get to jam to Madonna, we didn't have our own band who could play songs just by whispering the title into their ear, there was no such thing as a "Mash-up" assignment, and our cheer sponsor wasn't trying to sabatage us :)  We sang songs from Phantom of the Opera, Rent, and artists like Chicago {they rule!!}, Simon and Garfunkel, and the list goes on!  I remember singing the Friends theme song in "Image" {our Jr. High show choir name} because that was Mrs. Taylor's favorite TV show :)......for those younsters out there, Friends was not on TBS at the time...we had to wait a whole week to find out if Ross and Rachel were going to make it or not!  It was awesome!  I have fond memories of going to get bagels during 2nd period "Legacy" {our High School show choir name} with friends, and singing at Barnes and Noble and the like.  We never had slushies thrown in our face, and we were all super fun and cool if I do say so myself :)

Anywho, where you in a show choir growing up??  Was it anything like Glee??  What character would you be??  Visit Kelsey's Blog and link your answer to her post!

Threads of Gratitude...What Are Yours??

So this week I have had some crazy allergy action, and what better time to thank our Lord than when you are feelin' down :)  So let's get to it!!

Dear Lord, Thank you for modern medicine :)  Back in the day, my mom couldn't take any type of medication during her pregnancies with my sister and I, and I thank you that you gave people the knowledge to know what medicines do what and what is safe for me and baby Sam!

Father, thank you for this beautiful weather we have been having!  Even though I'm sneezing and sniffling, it's a great reminder that Spring is here and I am loving these warmer temperatures!

Sweet Jesus, Thank you for these baby Hot Flashes.  It reminds me that Sam is cookin!  Thank you for blessing us with this little lady!  I can't wait to meet her, but the heat I'll be feeling in the next 6 weeks is an honor that I know some women long to feel!  Thank you!

And God...thank you for my sweet daughter Joey who will be 2 on Friday!  I can't believe how smart she is and what a personality she is getting!  She reminds us to pray before our meals, and often asks for "Jesus" when we put her to bed {She wants to read her Bible}.  I can't believe how quickly these 2 years have gone, and I just cherish them and the years to come!

There are so many other things I am thankful for, but I will leave it at this for today!  Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post!

Here are my friend Tamra's....

ather, thank you for teh desire you've given me to make You the center of my life. I don't want to be religious or like a "Christian", I want to be as much like Christ as I can. I want to know that my activities and thoughts have something to do with You, even if it makes no sense to anyone else. That desire comes from You and I'm grateful!

 

Father, in light of my desire, I'm so grateful for your grace. I never seem to reach the goal but I know you are always there to push me on. Your forgiveness keeps me going!

 

Lord, thank you for the family you've blessed me with, both those by blood and not. I am so lucky to be surrounded by people who know you and shine your light into my life. They make my days and nights so much better.

 

Father, thank you for Floyd and the wonders you have done in our marriage. I feel as if you literally burried the old marriage and gave us a new one. Through all the craziness, we never seem to falter. It is an amazing feeling to not have any doubts or fears between us. The desire You have given him to know You is a blessing for all of us and I am grateful to be in the audience as you work in him.

And her friend Lisa's...

ord today I am grateful for my cup of tea and bowl of cheerios. I have them every morning and well.....there are some folks that have neither or anything else, so thank you Lord for blessing me with both, may I ever remain grateful.

 

Father today I am grateful for this spirit of fitness that has me diligently working to make it to our next goal. So many slip ups that would've had me giving up, have just made me more determined to get to the next goal.

 

Jesus today I am grateful for Rana, one of my spin class teachers, she is brutal but has a huge heart, always brings extra water for those of us that go thru 2 bottles in her class and gasp for more water, last week she pushed me to burn 1023 calories and it just made me feel over the moon (of course i had to be able to breathe first, but once i regained that ability i was over the moon) It was You that kept me peddling, my flesh cried mercy 1/2 way thru the madness.

 

God today I am so grateful for my hubby, what a dream come true. I'm not sure i would've ever dared to pray for such a wonderful husband, he is more than I ever felt worthy of. God, You gave him to me and I am just floored by Your grace and the continual blessings that rain down on me, thank you :)

What are yours?  Take time to thank the Lord who so freely gave and gives to you!  Have a great week everyone!!

32 Weeks...Only 7 To Go!!! Yippeeeeeeee :)

Yay!  Only 7 more weeks!  I went to the doctor today and he said everything is looking good!  I only gained 1lb these past 2 weeks {I'm at 120lbs} and have been feeling great!  It has been getting harder to bend down and to reach things up high...my belly just keeps getting in the way!  I love when Joey tries to sit in my lap and she keeps trying to move back toward my chest and gets annoyed that mommy doesn't have a lap anymore :)  Let the sharing between sisters begin!  Today my doc said that I need to pre-register at the hospital and that they are scheduling me for my c-section for Wednesday June 2nd!  So I'm stoked to know that she is for sure coming in June {unless she decides to come earlier...there are times when it feels like she is trying to claw her way out...no seriously!!}.  Anywho, on with the belly pics...

I was so tiny with Joey :)  PS, I loved and still love these PJ pants!  I also think my hair looked pretty darn sleek and cute in this pic!

This baby looks higher??  Hmmmmmm, I'm still not convinced Sam is a girl :) OK, so I know we got a sonogram and they showed us the goods, but this pregnancy has been so different :)  On with the baby center update!!

How your baby's growing (32 Weeks):

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Yahoo, has anyone actually had a jicama??  Looks like a super large baked potato to me !  

I digress...

For those who want to get the inside picture...

See you next week everybody!  It's getting close!!!

Threads of Gratitude

So I completely forgot to write about my thanks to the Lord last week...it doesn't mean I'm not thankful, it means I'm preggo and forgot :)  Sorry Lord!!  On with the thanks :)

Dear Father, I am so thankful for family.  I have the best of the best, and I only have you to thank for that!  I love that I have the most amazing big sister  who supports me in everything I do!  I have a great respect for her and am so glad that you chose for her to be MY sulsta....Thanks!!!  I can't say it enough!

Lord, I am so thankful for my mom who was at every single event I was ever in from elementary through high school.  She sits on the front row when I sing, she takes care of our precious daughter each Friday, and takes care of her mommy every other day of the week.  She is a strong woman and an inspiration to me!  Glad you chose her for me!  Nice one :)

Most High, thanks so much for dad.  Even though we don't talk as much as we should, I wouldn't be here without him and I always look forward to visiting him up North.  He always calls me "Punkin" and always walks us to the car when we are leaving his house even though he has leg issues!

Jesus, I am so thankful for my step parents who have never treated me less than their own children!  I love how Bea calls me "Chris" and how she makes her famous meatballs just cause she knows Vicky and I love them!  I love how Bigman {Carl} has a love for art, and has passed that on to me!  He is super funny and loving, and would help me out if I ever needed anything.  

There are so many other things I am thankful for, but I will leave it at this for today!  Now it's your turn!  What are you thankful for?  Blog about it if you have a blog...leave your blog link in the comment section of this post.  Don't have a blog, leave your threads in the comment section of this post!

Libraries Rock :)

2 Weeks have gone by and another set of books are back at the library!  I went tonight and got a whole new set :)  The great thing about library books are that you never have to get bored because you don't have to have them that long if you don't want to!  Every time I go, I usually bring back some books that Joey loves and some that she loves to talk through :)  I take note and go back for more 2 weeks later!  Here are the gems I picked up today :)

This one is from the same author of the "Llama Llama" books :)

This looked like so much fun!  Animals that love to sing??  Sign me up please :)

We had another Sergio book last time and Joey didn't chitter chatter through the whole thing, so I went for the sequel!

We also had a Belinda book from the last library trip, and I just loved her big feet :)  So naturally I went for another Belinda book :)

I've heard this book rocks :)

Look how cute this little book looks!  I had to get it :)

And a crowd favorite...Purplicious!  Joey just loves these "licious" books!

So there it is folks, I'm excited to read to Joey!  What are books your kids can't live without??  What was your favorite childhood book??  I'm always looking for ideas!