Pregnancy One versus Two

No, the title doesn't mean twins, but just thinking of the first pregnancy versus this one. I was working then full time, so I was tired. But, when I was home, I could rest pretty much whenever. Sometimes, Woody didn't get off work until late, so I could take a nap then worry about supper later. I walked Rosco (and Bo, we miss him!) pretty much every night, so he had a lot of attention too. I was able to go on bike rides by myself to clear out any stress.

Now, I do get some downtime when Natalie takes a nap. Of course, that is after a lot of other things to do that I get a super quick nap most days. But, the rest of the time it is pretty much full blast. So, it seems like a lot more "work" than before!

But, the great thing is that we have most everything for the baby girl already here. That saves a lot of shopping and planning. I washed some clothes and put them in the dresser in preparation, very thankful that they were there! Trying to get ready now! I am still in nesting mode, thinking about how we are getting everything into our house, how to organize.

The big question now is, how will we learn to give adequate time and attention to two now? How will Natalie really react to the new baby once it is here? Will we ever have another date night? I am really paying attention to my friends who have two kids to try & pick up some pointers. Also, if they have any "pearls of wisdom" that would be great as well!

New Sayings

Natalie has been saying a few new things lately. She will chase Woody down and tell him he needs "her hug" or "her kiss." Of course, Daddy is more than willing to have either! She also likes it when we "group hug" all 3 (well, really 4!) of us together. She likes talking to baby sister. And, when we put her in her room, she now talks or sings a long time to herself before she settles down for either nap or sleeping at night.

She also has gotten attached to hearing her CD player at night. She loves music so much, she doesn't want it to stop, I guess! She really misses Kindermusik classes, but I think the preschool choir is filling that void pretty well. Sometimes, though, the CD player runs out of batteries, and it becomes a major issue. We're going to have to get an AC adapter!

The funniest one is "I'm so proud of me." She takes us saying "I'm so proud of you" and turns it into her own saying. You can't help but smile when she says this. Whenever you "make" her do something that she already knows how to do but doesn't want to do, and you try praising her, she says, "I'm not proud of me."

Another one comes from her germaphobe mom. "It's dirty--it's real nasty" is something I must have said a few times about the garbage can and public toilets. Because, that comes out whenever she talks about them.

But, the best thing is that she is talking more about what she learns in BSF and church. And, she loves to sing her ABCs and count as well as sing several other songs that she learns. It's definitely a time to talk and sing for Natalie!

Fishing and Playing

Not a very imaginative title, but here it is! Woody took Natalie down to the local lake and had her fish with him. He took my camera per "orders", and did a good job taking a few shots. He took a few other activities in case she was bored, but she enjoyed sitting on the dock and fishing. We had bought her a pink fishing rod several months ago and taken her out on the boat to fish. However, she was really restless that day and the pink Strawberry Shortcake rod is now somewhere at the very bottom of this lake. This time, no lost rods!

We then went to see my friend, Betty, to wish her a Happy Birthday (a bit belated!). She brought Hannah, who is about a year older than Natalie. Natalie loves to see Hannah! Also, here is Avery, who is Hannah's cousin. His mom was having a baby that day, so he was with us too. Hannah's mom, Tonya, was able to join us for lunch as well later. It was a great time!

They really played well together. As Natalie was the youngest, she enjoyed kind of being a follow the leader type. Here they are stacking checkers together.

Easter Day

Right the night before Easter, we have a tradition for Resurrection cookies, graciously shared by our great friend, Peggy. She does this with her grandchildren, and it has been a blessing for us as well. Of course, this year was more of a challenge since Woody was not there. So, it was me trying to read the scripture as well as get all the ingredients ready for a 3 year old! Thank the Lord, she did not rip any pages out of Woody's Bible as she was handling it rather roughly at one point!

The beating symbolized by the pecans being crushed. Natalie enjoyed this for a while, but definitely didn't crush them all the way by herself. I had to go out and finish with a hammer in the workshop.

My little helper, always working to do everything she can!

The cookies await the next morning until they are opened & eaten!

After church, we had time for the Easter basket. It was a zoo before church, as Woody had to be there early for offering. And, Natalie was not eager to get up early! So, we made it to church but were not in the best mood when we arrived. It was a great service, though!

Natalie likes her basket! She had videos and candy in this one. Probably TOO much candy, really! It cheered her up to have a surprise waiting for her at home. We played the warm/cold game to lead her to the hidden basket. It cheered us all up after a hectic morning!

Less Than 24 Hours

Natalie's grandparents were wishing for a visit with Natalie, so they called up and asked for some time. I don't know if they were thinking of an overnight visit at first, but it worked out to have an overnight visit at their place. I am already starting to have "nesting" thoughts and trying to prepare for the new baby--this takes time, and it is tough to have time when also doing normal activities! So, this was a chance to hit a few of those items on that list. It was too bad that Woody was working, or we would have had some time for a date night too! Well, we did have a sort of small date night, as we splurged & I picked up Outback takeout for us (Yea!). But, then he had to work past normal supper time and ran in and out for dinner. But, at least we had a few moments and great food.

So, what did I accomplish? It seems like not much when you add it up! I did do a little housework, clip coupons, shop for groceries (by myself, it seemed too easy!), walk Rosco. Then, I had a few minutes of complete quiet before Woody returned home. Then, I slept in until 7:30 (I was pushing for 8 or after, but I haven't slept this late in a long time!). We had our quiet times, very quiet today. Woody made pancakes for us, then off to the chores again! It was freezer cleanout time, getting ready to put casseroles in for baby time. Then, we did a little paperwork. And, off to shop for some organizers then try the new baby superstore in town. It was really nice, & I found a lot of items there. But, they were not very organized, and checkout was a chore of about 20 minutes in line. Whew! Back home after this, saw Woody for a minute before he went to work. After lunch came some decluttering and then BSF Bible study work. And, then, I heard the car pull in the driveway. Time back to reality!

Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa for the time!

First Easter Egg Hunt

Although we have a great yard for it, we've never had an Easter egg hunt here. So, this year, I bought eggs and we had a fun time with finding. It was a little cool in the morning, but near lunchtime it had warmed up nicely. Woody actually had help from Natalie in hiding the eggs while I ran some errands, but I think that helped her understand the concept even better.

She did very good finding them. Some were hidden more than others, though.

Filling the basket!

Ah, the best part...finding the treat inside the eggs.

Confirmation

Sometimes it is difficult to do things we know we should do. Taking Natalie on Wednesday nights, especially when Woody works, is not really easy. We have to eat very early then rush to church. Tonight it was pouring rain, so I was less enthusiastic about going. But, she really enjoys it and I like the change from being in the house. So, we put on our rainsuits and went (thanks to Woody for cleaning the dishes!).
The service was nice and ended earlier than usual. So, it was good to get to her class before it ended. They were talking about the Easter story. They were giving eggs filled with treats as prizes for answering questions about the story. When I got there, Natalie had not answered one as of yet. Her question was, "What did the disciples find in the tomb when it was opened?" At first she whispered (kind of shy) and the teacher asked her to repeat it. She said, "Nothing was in there." What a praise! She is picking up on some major principles and barely 3 years old! She also saw a cross on another church going home and said, "Cross." So, it teared me up to think that I might have missed out on a major blessing tonight if I had just wanted to stay comfortably in the house.

Thanks Easter Bunny

What causes a Mom to race through town in the late afternoon? Well, for me it was knowing that the Easter bunny was available at one store for a two hours. And, one half hour was almost up by the time Natalie awoke from her nap. She did not wake up in a good mood, so it was kind of a challenge to get her to move quickly. But, she did perk up a bit when she heard the Easter bunny was to be seen. She asked, "My Easter bunny?" She remembered the visit from last year...


It was cold last year, but worth it when I saw her smile at the Easter bunny!

This year, we went inside and did not see the Easter bunny. I asked and was told that he was on break. We ordered our food, and out came the Easter bunny! Natalie ran up and hugged him right away! The nice clerk followed me around with our food until we sat down.

This was the best shot I got, although she did smile a lot more (but the camera operator was not fast enough).
We went back to eat our food, and Natalie kept wanting to sit in the bunny's lap again. The funniest thing we saw was when the Easter bunny went outside. I thought maybe he was hot (it was warm in there!). But, he walked around to a car with his "helper." A lady pulled a dog out of the car and it sat there as patiently as it could be while they snapped a few shots. I can't imagine that the dog requested to see the Easter bunny, but I guess these things are important to some!
About the time we finished, the Easter bunny went back on break. So, we didn't get to sit on his lap again. But, I guess there is always next year! Maybe next year, Woody can come see the bunny too!

From our family to you

During this special Easter time, we pray that it is a meaningful time for all of us, to be able to focus on what this season is about, the sacrifice that was made, and the gift available to all. May this gift be yours this season if you haven't been blessed already!

Visit

Mimi & Papaw came for a visit over the weekend. It was good to see them! They enjoyed spending time outside and inside with Natalie. Natalie is doing well with "pink car," even usually steering well around any trees or other obstacles. She ran circles around Papaw for quite a while.

We're praying for Mimi and her upcoming shoulder surgery. I hope Natalie didn't bounce on Mimi's shoulder too much while they were here!

Road Trip

Since the forecast was extra rain all day, we decided to do a road trip to a children's museum yesterday. And, yes Jo Ellen, I did get this idea from your blog! We had a good drive to the museum after a bumpy start to the morning. Natalie was not wanting to cooperate--but we ended up all happier after a little driving. There were several things to do, and Natalie enjoyed pretty much the entire museum. I think she wants a little Volkswagon beetle after she was trying to drive this one. They even had a little gas pump to add gas to the car! It was a 5 speed, so I would vote for an automatic.

Beside the car was a track of 4 different changes in elevation. Natalie had fun putting the balls and racing them down. We might have to build something similar!

Amazingly, the chicken and egg exhibit held her interest for quite a while. She went over to the cow, but it was kind of noisy and she didn't stay long to milk it. However, I would have kicked myself for not having the camera ready when Woody was milking the cow!

The water exhibit we saved until last because there were so many other kids out there. By the time we were at this, I was very hungry and ready to move on to lunch. Natalie was too, but she clung to the museum as we left, wanting more.

Natalie finally has a cookstove her height to play with! She always pushes the chair up to "help" Mommy cook! It is tough to cook and watch little hands at the same time.

This was like a big Operation game that Natalie liked. She liked pulling the bones out and playing with them. I don't know if orthopedic surgeon is in the future...

And, grocery shopping. Yes, we have hot dogs, birthday cake, ice cream...wait some apples and other fruit for healthy food!

She really liked the boat and the fish. Maybe we need to make some fake fish to play with!

She climbed up just as well as the big kids on this one. What a climber! The tree climbing skills work here too!

We had a great day and enjoyed a nice rest when we returned. Even Woody said he had fun. We'll have to go again sometime!

The Big Day

Today was ultrasound day, hooray! We finally have made it to today. The appointment was a little longer than I thought it would be. Since I have crossed the magic line of age for pregnancy, there was a lot of more discussion, a talk with a genetic counselor, a very long ultrasound, and a discussion with a physician. But, all in all here are the highlights:

Praise the Lord, no chromosomal abnormalities were detected. Since I do not gamble, I do not keep up much with odds. At first the odds were 1 in 200, then 1 in 2000, then less than 1% of all pregnancies. It was difficult not to say "just get on with it!" They asked all kinds of questions. Even one for if Woody & I were related. My goodness, no!

The ultrasound was very detailed, looking at the bones, the heart, the hands and face, every part they could do. The baby was in a breech position (prayer for the baby to turn before delivery!). The baby was also crossing legs with a foot in the place to look. After "buzzing" the baby to get it to move, and taking a second look, the ultrasound technician believes that she has come up with the gender. In lieu of seeing male parts and believing to see the 3 magic lines, she says it must be a little GIRL.

We are so happy for the healthy news for the little girl baby. The special comment of the day from Woody was due to the fact that he will now be very much outnumbered. He stated, "I'm gonna have to buy a dog" meaning another male member of the family will need to be purchased!

Super Stubborn

After BSF and lunch today, we went with our dog, Rosco, to a nearby area preserve to hike. It was a nice short hike (good length for 3yr old! Or pregnant woman!). The view wasn't the prettiest right now, so pictures would not be in order. It was a nice day today. I had decided instead of putting on sunscreen, Natalie would wear a hat covering her head & face from the sun. This lasted for a couple of minutes. Then, she would "drop" the hat. I was determined she would wear the hat. We put it back on. This went on several times. Finally, she bent over at the waist and leaned her head to the ground. She pulled up and said, "It fell off." She did this 3 more times until Woody put her hat on a few times. Finally, the stubborn streak ended and she wore the hat the rest of the hike. I can just see this as blossoming as we go along. I think we need to invest in James Dobson's "The Strong Willed Child."

Climbing Up

Natalie really likes climbing trees right now. I know Woody has climbed countless trees. There is even a story when he was supposed to be watching his younger brother, Peter, but ended up climbing a tree. I have a few brief memories of climbing trees and collecting tent caterpillars (very short trees), but mostly I remember doing things on the ground. I wasn't graceful enough to climb very high. I even remember not being able to jump across a creek like the other kids, but ended up in the very middle and quite embarrassed. I'm glad Woody's genes are in Natalie for this!

Natalie also climbed well on the playground at Chic-fil-A today with her older friend, Hannah. I am so glad she did so well because I couldn't have gone up there today to help her out! I wish I had pictures of her on that playset. She really did a good job. Now, she is resting quite well for her nap after all the excitement.

Praise Him!

God is good! We received the results back from the quad test (blood test for possible chromosomal abnormalities) and they were normal. Now, waiting the ultrasound, less than a week countdown...

It is Fun to Read

Last year, we went to the library with Natalie to have her in a fun setting to learn the joys of reading. They had a magician, some song performers, and some crafts and fun. She loved most of the time. We stood in line for a long time for the balloon animal, but eventually gave up and went to other exhibits. But, the crowning moment came when they were serving free ice cream. We got 2 cups for 3 people, which was a mistake. I was going to share with Natalie. Natalie didn't WANT to share her cup with Mommy. So, she laid down on the ground and had a world class tantrum. We left after that, and didn't get to stay much longer. (No pictures for any of this memory, especially the tantrum)

This year, Woody was working, so her grandparents offered to take her this year. I understand from them that this year there were even more kids and parents there! They stayed to have her face painted with a smiley purple balloon (right side of the face, can't see in these pictures) and have a balloon animal. They also did a neat bookmark craft that involved shaving cream and color to make a design. But, no ice cream, no tantrum, so they had a much better experience. Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa for the day (and the pictures!)!

My balloon poodle!

The bookmark craft

Natalie really liked Clifford!