Names

Picking a name for your child is hard.  Period.  And no, when we do make a decision, we will be keeping this a secret.  :) 

We've only talked about it a couple evenings since finding out baby is Baby Girl...  I get stuck on names that are a little different, but Ryan isn't crazy about them...  Ryan suggests names that are popular or I know 4 kids with that name.  (I have a lot of friends with little ones!)  It's just plain hard.  I feel like I look at the book we have every night...  and I just flip and flip pages...  I swear I've looked through it 1,000 times (between naming Kayson and naming Baby Girl). 

Anyway, the joke around here is Ryan ended up naming Kayson - so he did such a good job with his name, he should name Baby Girl.  ha.  I'm hoping that we (together) will come up with the 'perfect' name for our daughter. 

Start Smart Sports Development

We signed Kayson up for an extracurricular activity for this Spring.  It's a 60 minute class through the West Des Moines Parks & Rec - held once a week for 6 weeks.  It's a class that goes through all kinds of sports for 3-5 year olds... Tonight was the first night!  We even got a bag full of different balls and sports equipment to bring home with us!  Lucky little boy. 

Ryan met K and I at the school...  Kayson did really well, I thought, for not having a clue what this was going to be like, it went well.  60 minutes is a long time for a 3 year old.  We did 5 different 'stations' tonight - 1) Soccer - his favorite!, 2) Roll the ball - seems easy, but harder than you think for a little boy, 3) Koosh Ball - learning to step and throw correctly, 4) Push-Ups, Sit-Ups & Jumping Jacks - K was NOT interested in the Push-Ups.  We'll keep practicing that!, and 5) Baseball bat hitting a balloon.  

K did well - he lost interest a few times, but I really think that's pretty normal.  I did too.  :)  We all were tired and ready to head home to eat.  We had a crabby boy once we got home, so we know it was a success - crabby means tired!  :)  

Here's a picture of him before the class - giving me a thumbs up!

Our Weekend

I have no pictures from the weekend...  boo me, but we had a good one!

Friday evening we met up with some friends, Justin & Christina and their adorable little boy Kael.  Had a nice dinner and conversation...  always fun seeing them.  

Saturday morning was a quick hair cut for Kayson, then we all headed to Indianola to watch Ryan's cousin, Jenna, play some volleyball.  She did a great job.  Kayson did great for the couple of hours we were there, and we even got some alone time with Grandma Janis.  We did lunch with her and had a nice visit.  Saturday afternoon was nap for K and Ryan - Ryan's allergies got the best of him, so he was shot for a little bit!  I did some cleaning, then we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening outside.  Ryan did our first mow job of the spring/summer... our grass looks awesome!  Wow.  The sun and rain has done wonders on it so far this year...  so cool.  

Today we actually slept in a little - K slept til 7:40, that hasn't happened for months!  Of course, I was awake and tossing around 6:20...  figures!  But it was still nice to just slowly start our day.  This afternoon Mike & JeanAnn came to spend some time with us and K.  While K napped, they stayed with him and Ryan and I went baby furniture shopping!  A crib and dresser were purchased!  So exciting!  Now we wait about 8-12 weeks for it to come in...  seems like forever, but it'll go fast I'm sure.  That'll just be enough time for us to prep the room -- clear it out, paint, possible install of wanes coating and filling the closet.  :)  It was nice to have that crossed off the list.  I think we'll be happy with it!

More playing was done this afternoon... what wonderful weather we've had this weekend!  We grilled out and then Papa & Grandma treated us to a special treat at Dairy Queen.  (just what this Momma needs!) 

Finally it's Sunday night... and I'm going to sit.  I'm wiped out...  my allergies were in an uproar today, so I'm beat.  Sneezing sucks when you are pregnant!  :)

Me/Baby & Belly Photo

How far along: 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 6 lbs
Size and Growth of Baby: Baby is measuring around 10.5 ounces and about 6.5 inches long from head to bottom and 10 inches from head to heel.  She's swallowing now and producing meconium.
Maternity Clothes: Mostly yes.    
Movement: Yes...  still during the evening hours after I finally sit down.  
Food Cravings:  I'm eating about anything...  seems like a lot of junk lately.  I feel so full and uncomfortable, so I know I need to stop! 

What do I miss: Being able to get up and off the floor easily...  I feel very huge and not comfortable at all.  

OTHER: I can't believe I'm at the half way point already...  the past 6 weeks have gone fast.  I hope the next go fast too.  We have a lot planned and a lot to do to get ready for Baby Girl.

Our first purchases for Baby Girl. :)

12 Tubs

Now that we know there will be a baby girl in our near future...  it's time for us to start going through the 12 tubs of boy clothes we have.  Yes, 12 tubs.  Ridiculous!!!  

I started pulling stuff out of the tubs...  (stuff that's on the table), and then I got a little overwhelmed.  I mean, I don't even know where to really start.  There is SO MUCH.  There are sleepers, shirts, shorts, pants galore!  I don't know much about garage sales, but I'm going to attempt one --- now the work begins.  I need to figure out how much to put on some of this stuff...  I don't want to give it away, but always want it gone too!  

And these made me smile and do the 'awwww' thing.

One good thing coming from this 'chore', is that we had a ton of white onesies that we can keep and use... plus a few sleepers that could be 'girlish'.  I found the bottles and a few other random things that can be used too.  I'm glad about that!  

We have a big project ahead of us...  I'm just glad we have about a month before the garage sale.  I am also opening it up (to anyone reading this) - you are more than welcome to get first dibs at these clothes!

Me/Baby

How far along: 19 weeks & 1 day
Total Weight Gain: 6 lbs
Size and Growth of Baby: Baby is measuring around 9 ounces (right on from ultrasound) and about 6 inches long from head to bottom.  Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now.
Maternity Clothes: Same as last week - yes, and no.  I'm still in the middle...  
Movement: Yes...  still during the evening hours...  the movements aren't as jittery and fast, they are more slow...  I'm enjoying the movement.
Food Cravings:  My hunger is more intense around lunch time, then it just slows down during the afternoon/evening.  I'm not starving.

What do I miss: Um...  nothing this week! 

OTHER: Headaches have tappered off, however heartburn is still very consistent and annoying!  :)  and now the planning can begin for our little girl! 

Drum Roll Please...

The anticipation is over...  my nerves have 'somewhat' settled... and we now know the gender of Baby #2.

It's a GIRL.  :) 

The anatomy ultrasound went well...  always amazing to me... and not much to say at the same time.  You kind of feel like you are in a different world...  just watching this human grow and move around inside you...  there is truly nothing like it.  Kayson did well... as well as expected for a 3 year old.  He was intrigued for the first 4 minutes or so... then he lost interest.  ha.  But he did well - he asked questions and talked a little... and then started asking when the lady was going to be done with Mommy.  Pretty cute. 

Ryan and I both have the same feelings - excited, but nervous to have a girl running around.  I have a feeling the protection part of us has already come out.  I'm thrilled that she will have a big brother to watch over her.  I'm thrilled that I'll have a little girl that (hopefully) will want to shop with her Mommy.  And I'm thrilled to have Ryan be a Daddy to a little girl... to soften him up! 

God has blessed my little family and I can only pray that this little girl continues to grow and be healthy when she arrives.  I love her already.

Babble... Babble

• The "Terrible 3s" have set in...  unfortunately.  I guess...  well...  we had good moments, but some bad moments this weekend.  Oh how I love Kayson so much, and oh how my patience is tested each day. I feel like I try really hard...  but is it hard enough?!  I know this is all normal - so my only hope and wish is that he will grow up to be respectful, responsible and happy.
• My nerves have set in regarding the anatomy ultrasound tomorrow morning...  I'm just nervous...  anxious.  We are taking Kayson with us, I hope he's a good boy (sitting/listening) and we can have him learn and somewhat understand what's happening.  Again, I love him so much I just want him to understand that this is important.
• I'm tired...  I'm getting good sleep, but just wiped out. 
• Ryan bit the bullet and purchased us the iPad 3 last week.  He's wanted one since the first one came out, and finally he did it.  It's pretty darn cool.  I haven't played too much, but it will be nice to have...  glad he bit the bullet!
• Spur of the moment today, we purchased Kayson a 'big boy' bike.  He saw them at Scheel's... and they were good price, so we gave in.  Kayson seemed excited...  we got it home, he rode it for about 1 minute and now refuses to get back on it.  Figures!  I'm sure hoping that he'll want to ride when he sees the neighbor kids riding all over!  Stinker. 
• We are still struggling with the supper/food thing.  We, of course, have our moments of him eating just fine, but lately, he literally does anything and everything to get out of eating the meal.  He talks and talks... or sings...  At the time, we are frustrated and wish he would just dig right in, but as I think about it, I have to giggle, cuz of the things he attempts at the dinner table. 
• We've had the windows open all weekend...  it got fairly warm Saturday afternoon, but the rest of the weekend has been great... enough of a breeze to keep it pretty cool.  I'm not complaining!
• and GO KU!  TOO close of a game...  Ryan was stressin'!  But great game!

Spring... or Summer? is here!

LOVING THE IOWA WEATHER NOW!  

I tell you what - and I say it every time we start being outside from 5 til 7...  this stuff wears us out!  

Enjoy the pictures of our son loving the weather too!

He wasn't sure about the shorts, always an adjustment!

Yes, not an ideal game for a 3 year old.  So don't judge.  :)

Ready to ride!

Even warm inside...  hilarious.

Won't do that again

Today ended up being a little hectic afternoon.  I orginally was supposed to get my hair done (cut and color) Thursday afternoon...  but due to some rescheduling on Lacey's end, my appointment was switched to today...  at 3:45.  I had told Lacey that I needed to for sure leave Adel by 5:30 in order to pick up Kayson by 6:00.  I knew we'd be cutting it close, and already had an 'uneasy' feeling about it, but we couldn't find another time for 'me' time, so we went with today anyways. 

I picked Kayson up at 5:59... speeding there, worrying about him...  and when I walked in, he's the only child in the room with a teacher...  just sitting on her lap, looking so sad and lost.  My heart SANK.  I felt TERRIBLE and instantly had tears in my eyes, trying to hide them from him...  and I still feel bad (4 hours later).  I won't do this again...  it's not fair to him, it was stressful on me, and I don't ever want him to think we (either Ryan or I) aren't coming to get him.  I can only imagine what his little mind was thinking - all his friends are gone, all the familiar teachers have left for the day... and he's there alone (kinda).  TERRIBLE feeling. 

I love that little boy so much.

Our Saturday

First, Daddy got home Friday evening... was wonderful having him home.  We did a quick dinner out, then back home and played.  

Saturday, Ryan had a work meeting, so Kayson and I went up to Ankeny for a about an hour and a half to watch Lindsay & Eden play some volleyball.  It's great going to watch those kids, however, some of those tournaments just do not have enough room for the fans/family members.  It's just terrible, too crammed in to a small gym.  That's the main reason we made it a short trip.  McDonald's was Kayson's choice for lunch...  not my favorite, but it was ate.  My parents came down from Ankeny after the tournament was over, so they could spend some more time with us...  while K was napping, Mom and I did a grocery run, then Ryan and my Dad went to Lowe's and got a new ladder.  After K's nap, him and the big boys were outside for a couple hours... it was a pretty nice day, windy, but nice...  and it was so good for Kayson to be outside that much.  Meanwhile, my Mom did some deep cleaning for us...  ha...  I'm not going to lie, it's wonderful having her come and WANT to clean something!  :)  We then grilled out and had a nice dinner at home...  then they headed home.  It was a very nice day...  and we were all pooped out!  

Here are some pictures from our day...  

Playing some soccer.

Helping Daddy & Papa trim off some of our landscaping.

Grandma even kicked the soccer ball around a little!

This was this morning (Sunday) - so sweet.

and thought he would try out his scooter.  Still doesn't have it down, but he's getting there.

Me/Baby & Belly Photo

How far along: 18 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs (I don't use our home scale, so this will just be updated each time I see the baby doc! - Next appt: the 19th of March)
Size and Growth of Baby: Baby is measuring around 7 ounces and about 5.5 inches long from head to bottom.  Baby is busy flexing his/her arms and legs.
Maternity Clothes: More yes, than not...  I still have a couple pairs of pants that I can wear, but not button and put a BellyBand on...  most of my maternity pants are still too big.  Maternity tops are pretty much a must now... 
Movement:  I've had a stressful week at work, so I actually didn't feel the baby too much this week, but this weekend he/she has made himself/herself known lately.  Mostly during the evening hours.
Food Cravings:  No cravings, just hungry a lot...  but then I eat and can only eat a small amount. 

What do I miss: Getting in a warm tanning bed!  ha.  Seems silly, but I'm looking forward to the warm sun so I can sit out on the deck and get some sun.  Watch our neighbors, there will be a beached-whale on our deck this summer!  :)  
OTHER: Headaches and heartburn are still very consistent.  and hoping this next week goes quick - I'm anxious for our ultrasound on the 19th.

And here's a picture from this morning... 18 weeks along! 

1 Year... and Friends

It's been 1 year already since my friend and co-worker tragically lost his life.  Today was a busy day... mentally (work, life, Kayson, Ryan and thoughts about Dave).  He's irreplaceable and missed dearly. 

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Tonight was much needed time with Cali, Colleen & Mike.  We met for dinner, and the kids (well, Kayson) ate awesome!  Cali, not so much!  But Kayson - wow, I was impressed... that makes me so happy.  The little things!  :)  We then went back to Colleen's place for the kids to play for a short bit.  They do so well together... even through the 'bossing' around by Cali.  :)  We've decided that Kayson and Cali will for sure be boyfriend/girlfriend at some point, because Cali is really good at telling him what to do and Kayson just goes with it.  It's hysterical!  :)  

At the very end of our play time, the kids decided to play dress up. Now remember, we are at a GIRLS house...  Yes, Kayson wore a dress.  :)  Again, hysterical!  Here's a phone picture of the kids and how our son would potentially look like if he was a little girl.  :)  Gotta love them.  

Nice socks.  :)

H's, Week thus Far, Work

The H's:
Heartburn and headaches.  I've come down with both of these!  :)  Everyday for the past 4 days, heartburn settles in around 1:30 pm (like clockwork) - no matter what I eat, how fast/slow I eat... I get it.  YUK.  It's such a TERRIBLE feeling...  I'd rather puke.  ha.  The headaches are still pretty consistent...  still come in the afternoon, but they aren't nearly as bad as they were the last couple weeks.  I've given up on trying to do just water all the time.  I hate the fact that I drank nothing but water while carrying Kayson, and with this baby, I can barely make it 2 days...  so...  I guess I'm just going to go with it.  I have a Dr. Pepper about every other day...  although, I'm on day 3 today!  But whatever!

Week this far:
Ryan is in KS this week... and we've (K & I) have been doing pretty good... it's Wednesday already, which makes me very happy.  Monday evening we stayed in and just played...  Tuesday evening we had an early dinner and then went to the book store (Barnes & Noble).  I love it there... which is funny to say out loud, cuz I'm not a big reader.  K looks at books and asks me to read them to him...  he plays a little with the train set there too.  It's just a nice 45 minutes or so.  Plus we took home about 5 books this time around.  :)  Tonight we'll stay in, and then tomorrow night we have dinner and play time with Colleen, Cali & Mike.  Then it's Friday and Ryan will be home!

Work:
Work has been STRESSFUL this week so far.  Or maybe I should just say BUSY.  The days are flying by, which I'm not complaining about at all!  I've just been pressed with some tough questions that require a lot of research and it's racking my brain (this pregnant brain!).  Just this morning by 8:30, I swore I had earned my paycheck for the day! 

Happy Hump Day. 

Weekend

We had a nice weekend...  busy, but nice.  Friday evening we headed down to Creston to spend some time with Ryan's parents...  Friday evening we were lucky enough to have Grandma Janis & Papa Dick come for supper.  Papa Dick seemed to be doing really well... it was great to see them.  

Saturday morning the girls (JeanAnn, Martina & I) got our nails done.  It was a nice couple hours... of us just chit chatting.  We all used some 'different' colors on our nails, and I love mine... it's pretty red!  JeanAnn and Martina had their toes done too, but not me... I don't like my feet touched!  ha.  

We met up with the boys for lunch and then also picked Kayson up some new tennis shoes at the local shoe store in Creston.  His last tennis shoes were SHOT!  Man, he wore them out!  A nap was taken and then we all got dolled up for a wedding Saturday afternoon (a family friend's son).  Nice wedding...  and nice reception.  We had a very tired boy once we got back for bed... but he did really well for a 3 year old, I thought.  

Sunday (today), I was hosting a baby shower at my house... so Ryan and I headed back to DSM late Saturday night... leaving Kayson at Ryan's parents.  Now, we've done this once (maybe twice before), and I tell you what - it doesn't get easier on this Momma.  I don't know what it is, but there is something about leaving your child over an hour away.  It's funny to think about this and think about how some of my close friends LIVE to have their kids away/spend the night...  I guess I'm not there yet?!?  Kayson, of course, did great...  slept good, ate well, and we are hoping he listened too!  He's a good kid, but it still doesn't make it easier for me.  I was sad, and missed him terribly Sunday morning...  it was just different waking up and not having him there...  even though I had plenty to do to prep for the baby shower...  it was still different and a tad emotional for me.  I was thrilled to have him home this afternoon.  But as always, thanks to Ryan's parents for all they do... 

Here are a few pictures from the weekend and last week.  

How sweet is that?!  Such cute Taylor kids.  :)

Helping me vacuum!

At the Taylor's, K is now sleeping on a BIG BED with railings! The kids were jumping and playing for a bit!

K's hair after being sweaty and having his stocking cap on!  Messy!!

Ryan travels this week... part or all of the next...  Hoping for a quick and easy week around here! 

Me/Baby

How far along: 17 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs (I don't use our home scale, so this will just be updated each time I see the baby doc!)
Size and Growth of Baby: Baby is measuring around 5 ounces and about 5 inches long from head to bottom. 
Maternity Clothes: I'm still at the stage I was at 15 weeks...  most maternity pants are still too big, but other regular pants aren't working all that well.  I'm using the belly band every day now, which is working out ok.  I have borrowed some maternity tops from Martina... there are some good ones from her pile!
Sleep: I do a lot of tossing from side to side...
Movement:  YES.  Mostly during the evening hours...  still the fast, jittery movement - my lower right side of tummy.
Food Cravings:  No real cravings, just know that I need to eat about every 2 hours...  I'm getting terrible heartburn after nearly every lunch I have...  (heartburn didn't start til week 26 with Kayson). Oh how this is so different!

What do I miss:  I now miss laying on my back!!  First it was on my tummy, now I would love to lay flat on my back.  "They" say to watch laying flat as that can cause the uterus to decrease circulations to the baby and parts of my body (due to the uterus putting pressure on some important blood vessels). 
OTHER: I feel huge.  When I say I'm not due til early August...  I honestly feel like that's FOREVER aways...  and I just feel huge.