K and I, 37 weeks

37 weeks, term today! And belly pics with E in one as well :)

E's 1 year appointment

E's personality is constantly surprising and amazing me as it develops, and at today's doctor's appointment I was reminded of this once again.

She's made up for her not gaining weight as fast for a couple months after starting walking and is now 21lbs 8oz and 30 inches long. The real impression made on the nurse, NP, and doctor was from her talking though, and choice of not to. E is my loudest and most talkative child but it seems she has inherited big brother (and Daddy's) tendency to not let people know how much she knows until she feels comfortable with them.

So today at the office whenever anyone was in the room E was completely quiet and wouldn't smile at all, but the second they left she was talking up a storm about anything and everything. The door was still open so the doctor heard her from down the hall and was really impressed, though the second she came in, like a light switch, E turned off again. It was funny to see the nurses' reactions as well when they heard her talking on and on from outside but she refused to let on she could talk at all to them.

Finally she did talk to them when given her one shot to say "Baby no happy! Baby no happy!" Poor baby.

She's perfectly healthy and way too smart for her own good it seems even at a year. We're definitely in trouble, but I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next :)

36 weeks!

36 weeks today! E in the ergo while at the mall today, and yep knee sticking out front still :P

Happy 1st Day of Fall!

It's gorgeous out today, we're finally not melting when we go outside for a change and as of today it is officially Fall! This also means that K will definitely be a Fall/Autumn baby (my first cooler season little one after 3 summer babies :) ).

I'm 36 weeks today and dreaming of pumpkin goodies, apple festivals, and lots of fun with my growing family to come. Happy 1st Day of Fall Everyone!!!!

And to extend the Fall mood I found this pic of the North Georgia Mountains :)

C and J camping out, sorta

Pic from earlier tonight: J was sleepy but fighting it so he grabbed a blanket and ended up snuggled up on the living room floor. Well C (my child who prefers her bed usually) decided she didn't want to go to bed without her brother in the same room so she grabbed a blanket and I walked in the living room to this. E needed her last sippy cup before bed and she was content to drink it nearby her sleeping siblings.

35 weeks with our Baby Bee/K

Weekly belly pic.....yep E turned 1 yesterday and K's due date is in 35 days (though we may go post dates again of course). I can start freaking out/getting super excited officially now I guess :P

Mommy's Birthday Cake Adventures

On C's first birthday I was a bit more protective as a parent....and I was 38 weeks pregnant (scheduled to have J 2 days later) so keeping things safer and quieter was important to us. So C's first birthday cake was a very good organic cake, home made icing, made with pineapple juice and pineapples (still one of her favorite foods so we still have pineapple chicken on her birthday).
*As an extra note we always have Sloppy Jos for J and Ravioli for E now.

Well C's 2nd birthday I opened up and bought really colorful cupcakes, which spelled her name, (so she could finger paint all over her chair and herself with the icing).


And for J's 1st I began a new tradition of cake baking and decorating adventures.
I'm pretty proud of these though I know I'm still completely amateur, so I want to share them here as well to keep track and since E's 1st birthday was today I have new cake pics to add as well of course.

J's first cake: Banana Cake made to look like a monkey (just canned icing and used circular baking pans with cakes stacked.


C's 3rd Cake a Flower Confetti Cake and J's 2nd cake a Train pound cake (both I used shaped pans this time) both were at their requests


C's 4th Cake, Strawberry Butterfly Cake cut to shape


J's 3rd Cake, Firetruck Chocolate Cake. Layered Sheet cakes cut and iced with shish kabob sticks for some added support, jujubes for lights and oreos for wheels
And Finally E's 1st cakes: Bunny Strawberry Smash Cake, Bunny Cupcakes with Marshmallow ears, and Coconut Pies (1 big and 2 individual size) in honor of Aunt Ruth (and using her recipe though the individuals were cool whip versions for E and family one had meringue)

E's 1st birthday festivities :)

A few pics from today

Happy 1st Birthday Eva!

1 year pictures thanks to the amazing Lisa Rappa Photography again of course :)
Birth pictures taken by my wonderful doula Talitha Seibel

I can't believe it's been a year since our precious Sweet E joined our family! Her delivery was a whirlwind, wonderful, and a feat for us both as an unmedicated VBA2C. It was my first labor experience even though my third child and she was a natural at being born a more natural way :P Here's our birth story again in honor of today.

Since her birth E has continued to awe and amaze us. She's surprised us so many times proving that even at our third child we had so much yet to learn as parents. E is her own little person. Determined to be seen and heard above her big siblings, but sweet as can be following at C and J's heels and challenging them one minute then comforting them the next if ever needed. She's so smart already and we all have to work to keep up physically and mentally with her already it seems. I'm sure the years to come will continue this exciting roller coaster with my little ball of energy, sweetness, and trouble.

Some highlights/milestones of the past year:
-At birth, 40w3d gestation she was 8lbs 11oz 20 inches long
-At 1 year she's 21lbs 8oz 30 inches
-At 3 months she said Mama (and still does frequently today)
-Rolling on her own before 3 months, pro-rollin' by 4 months
-Crawling on all fours by 5 months
-Getting up to sitting on her own by 6 months and sitting as long as she wanted unassisted
-Introduced Solids at 6 months
-Standing at 7 months and walking between things
-Walking at 8 months, Running by 9 months
-Exclusively breastfed till 10 months, then supplemented to 11 months, at 12 months has 1-2 nursing sessions some days more for comfort and not every day
-At a year can run anywhere, climb anything (and everything), eating all table foods, has 7 teeth, repeating every word she hears and has a pretty vast vocabulary....though her favorite word is still Happy (happy baby, happy daddy, happy Eva!), giving kisses, hugs, high fives, and playing peek a boo, and continuing to surprise us with all she knows and can do

Little E is such a blessing. This first year has gone by so fast but been filled with so much joy and wonderful memories. I can't wait to see what the next year has yet to hold and to see E in her new role as big sister too of course. I know with all the love she shows us already she'll be a natural.

E newborn
With Mommy and Daddy

E showing off her birthday duds and "E"

10 years ago, 9/11

I can't believe it's been 10 years since the 9/11 attacks. So much has happened in the time since then, for our country and for me personally, yet it still feels like just yesterday and in the same breath so much longer ago.

I know many people today reflected on where they were when they found out and what they were doing so I'm writing that here as well. I was in my Sophomore year of high school. My free period was second that day so I was between classes and wandered over to second floor of Mitchell before chapel. I remember noticing a commotion in the visitors' room (where there's a television and we weren't usually allowed to go in) and some students, teachers, and staff crowding in there. I knew something was happening and in the tension I went in too. Not sure what I expected but what I saw on the television was overwhelming. I remember everyone asking "Is that real?!" looking at the smoking tower and then seeing the second plane crash live and the collective cries of shock and horror. I remember one staff member in particular, Ms. Brooks turning away in tears and disbelief.

When the bell rang we all went to chapel, joined by the other teachers and students who had been in class. Some knew and some didn't. My school was boarding and there are kids from all over the country and world, some from New York and/or who had family there. I remember this really smart girl (who was lacking on common sense it seems) asking why people were scared and upset, since there was no way the terrorists would come to NC from NYC *sigh*.

I know one classmate found out later that her grandparents who worked in the building were gone.

I'm sad today for the lives lost, I remember the fear, etc. But I also know that my memories of all that will never compare to those there, those living in NY, those who lost family there. We don't have cable right now and was glad not to rewatch the footage just pray and remember in my own way and give a little comfort by listening to friends who were effected more traumatically share today. I'm not going judge whether people remember or not, whether they were more drastically effected or not, in the end it makes no point judging people for this. Today everyone needs to grieve in their own way as we all remember the good of the heroes and how people were brought together afterward. This day ten years ago was horrific and changed our lives and country a lot but there was positive that came out of it too, from the ashes so to say, and today I'm choosing to focus on that.

Honoring those lost, but never forgotten.

Sleeping Sweethearts Again

I've mentioned before how J and E can fall asleep anywhere (like Daddy did as a baby too) and today they proved it, together.

On the bedroom floor near Daddy J zonked and then E came up and laid down beside him.

I've lots of cute sleeping pics of my sweethearts (though C prefers couches and beds for sleeping), but of course we had to grab the cell phone to capture this moment today too.

And C wanted in the pics too even though she wasn't sleeping, thus the last one :)

34 weeks K

For a much brighter post, today I am 34 weeks along! I don't have a pic for today but we had maternity family pics with Lisa Rappa Photography (my amazingly talented cousin) weekend before last (I will share those when I get the website versions) and then my friend Jen who is training to be a midwife, is a doula, is an artist (graduated SCAD as well actually), and is working on her own photography portion of her site gifted us with some maternity pics of just me (and K) in the Chattahoochee river. So here's a couple of the latter in honor of 34 weeks today.

Looooong Sick Week

Okay I begin this as a request to all the other parents out there, but I'm sure this is a bit of a vent as well: Please use common sense and common courtesy if your kids are sick! Whether the common cold, a stomach virus, or the random fever: let other parents know if your children were sick when inviting them to your house for say.....a playdate, party, etc. If your children are very obviously sick keep them home to not spread whatever they have.

I do not keep my kids in a bubble. I am overprotective to an extent I'll admit but I'm also logical. I want my kids to have strong immune systems. I won't medicate for the common cold or random fever. I also delay vaccinations if you're curious. BUT I also don't go out of my way to expose my kids to certain illnesses. This comes from the fact my kids will get exposed normally without me purposely putting them around other sick kids, C's NICU time and my concerns with what she's exposed to still in how she may react honestly, and the fact I am currently very pregnant and have three little ones who are fairly young still.....and as much as I love my family and will bend over backwards for them who in their right mind really wants their kids and self sick while being pregnant?

I also will admit on stomach viruses I am slightly emetophobic and don't do well with those at all (in general) and I do take extra precautions on those as do several friends who feel the same way. I appreciate that they are upfront about if their kids are even slightly sick actually and seem to "get it."

I also need to say Thank you to the friends and family members who have always been forthright about their kids being sick or just showing signs of a cold even so I can decide for my family if risking exposure is worth it. I will always show the same courtesy and be open in this as well.

Anyway some of that may allude to how my "oh so fun" past week began but I won't go into more details there. Here's how it continued (copy pasted after recounting it to some other friends).

E, my almost 1 year old, got exposed to a nasty cold over a week ago. She got a fever and congestion Wednesday, fever broke Friday but congestion continued throughout the weekend. Sunday her cough got really bad and she had some snotty diapers/slight diarrhea. Sunday night she was upset and couldn't stop coughing until she emptied her stomach of lots of congestion. After that she was happy as can be. Still slight snotty nose since and the rare cough at night the first half of the week, but as of Thursday seems mostly over it (*knock on wood*).

C, my 4 year old, started showing symptoms Friday last week but no fever. She is my best at blowing her nose/coughing into a tissue constantly (to the extent she has a red spot under her nose on her lip). Tuesday was her roughest days cough wise but she got through it with nothing more than muscous in stools like E had Sunday, and just had the slightly snotty nose, night cough as well after that.

I started showing symptoms but to a lesser degree between C and J's starts and Tuesday night woke up in a coughing fit where I almost got sick but hubby forced me to sip water and I made it through just with burning throat and general misery the next morning.

J, my 3 year old, had the same situation as C, but started showing symptoms Saturday and is not good with tissue use, then went to course on the following days of symptoms it seems (without fever) then Tuesday had less appetite but ate well same things as us. We had dinner at 8:30. Wednesday morning he slept in till 10 then woke with a coughing fit and threw up dinner. He was fine the rest of the day though had the mucous in his stools just like the other two. He ate about half his normal portions but ate well still and in good spirits. Then when preparing for bed he had a small coughing episode and spit up a little (though may have just been belch). He went to sleep and woke with another coughing fit and threw up some of dinner, an hour after that a tiny coughing fit and a little amount. Then went to sleep and has been fine since (*knock on wood*).

Thursday and Friday, J ate great and actually has been saying he's hungry for a change from the past few days. We did do the BRAT diet to an extent. He didn't have any more coughing fits or getting sick from them thankfully. C and E have only had slightly runny noses since which seem to be drying up more and more.

So anyway this week was not fun. I learned J may just have a more sensitive gag reflex (also shown by him having gotten carsick a couple times in the past) and I'm praying the next cold does not bring that back since I'm really not good taking care of that....(thinking about it, discussing it, etc. etc.).

I am so thankful God helped us through it all and everyone is well for the most part now, though I must admit some disbelief and resentment the kids had to go through it all to begin with.

I should be grateful we went through it now and not a few weeks from now after K's arrival as well though.

I will be continuing to teach my kids proper hygiene techniques as well as continuing common courtesy of letting people know if my kids or I have been sick recently or are currently sick of course.

Here's to fall around the corner and *Crossing fingers* for more well weeks to come! And if some colds/viruses sneak in may they please be as mild as possible and nothing like this crap we just fought through the past week for sure!

33 weeks with K and new pics!

This is going to be more of a place holder post for now. I am 33 weeks today! Things are a bit crazy with the kids being sick though unfortunately.

A few days ago we took maternity family pictures (and E's 1 year pics) with my amazingly talented cousin Lisa Rappa Photography and I will add those shortly to show off the bump here as well.

In the meantime I'm feeling great other than starting to get this horrible cold E's had (and C seems to have so I'm sure J will be joining soon as well unfortunately). I'm pretty consistently big right now but not that uncomfortable when it comes to pregnancy things.

I think I'm still a little in denial that we're getting so close to the last few weeks (it will probably hit me after E's birthday I think). In the meantime I'm a bit distracted by this cold crud as well. Hoping the rest of pregnancy goes by calmly and we're all well so we can enjoy the time before our family is blessed by 1 more :)

Whoa it's September?!?!

The last few months have definitely rushed by.

Tomorrow I will be 33 weeks pregnant. And 2 weeks from today E will be turning 1! So crazy to think about.

Reading my facebook status from last year (thanks to the nice little reminders) this day last year I was 38 weeks and 3 days along with Miss E. Until that point I had never been that pregnant before (C was scheduled c-section at 38 weeks, J was scheduled 38 weeks 2 days). It's funny to me to look back though and realize even then I still had 2 more weeks until E's VBA2C arrival at 40weeks 3 days. Pretty incredible to think about and that in about 7 weeks (maybe a bit more) God willing, hopefully K will arrive via 2VBA2C.

I am once again overwhelmed by our many blessings.

Things are pretty routine around here right now, despite the craziness of E's 1st birthday right around the corner. Home school is going well though we still have some Summer lazy days with the heat still here. Hubby is still going through the job searching (lots of bites but nothing perfect quite yet and though we can't be too picky I definitely want him in a job that makes him happy).

Making plans for K's birth. Autumn will be here in no time and though it's still crazy hot it's gotten nicer out recently as well showing a hint of the cooler seasons to come.

This week has been busy but good. My talented cousin Lisa Rappa Photography took E's 1 year pics and our last family of 5/family maternity pics Sunday. Tuesday a friend gifted me with some water maternity pics of just me http://www.magnoliabirth.com/index which she'll be adding to her portfolio. I'll add a few pics from both sets here eventually. Then E and I had a play date with a couple Mamas and babies later that day.

Unfortunately it seems the other babies were at the end of a cold and they shared with E. She got a fever Wednesday and today has had her own congestion, poor baby. I'm sure the moms didn't realize the kids weren't out of it quite yet though. E's been doing well and fever broke today though she's not back to her happy self quite yet and crossing our fingers it misses C and J. Ya for a holiday weekend of getting well I guess.

Other than E being under the weather though it's been a good week. Hoping E is 100% well soon and we can get into September and the countdown to her birthday! We prefer smaller intimate celebrations but still should be lots of fun :)

I think I'll probably freak out about E turning 1 the 14th, the day before her birthday and about K's arrival the 16th (the day after E's bday), but we definitely have an exciting and joy filled couple months couple months ahead of us.

I can't believe it's already September but I'm also just so excited to see what September and soon October have to bring :)