Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm ashamed that I didn't prepare to be a part of "What I Learned This Week", but we have been so busy. Hopefully, I'll participate next week.

We had a fun, family day today! We started out at the NC Museum of Natural History where the highlight was the escalator. After two hours there, we were off to the NC State (a.k.a. NC Steak) for lunch and people-watching at The Brickyard. The Muffin kept her eyes on lookout for Mr. Wuf, but he must have been busy with classes today. We walked over to the student bookstore and bought a few things (pom poms!!!) since today was the last day of a BIG sale. Muff was exhausted, but we went by the State Farmer's Market and walked around a little more. We were all tired when we arrived home six and a half hours after we'd left.

Today was a great day and everyone behaved! Thank You, Jesus!!

Big Daddy will be busy doing a few things the rest of the week, so Muff and I will do our usual: Storytime, grocery shopping and visiting with friends. We also need to get Big Daddy a little gift for his first day at the new job.

I'm hoping to finally receive my detergent order so that I can wash all of my (bumgenius) cloth diapers this week. I can't wait to use them! This will be a new adventure for us, so I'm excited even if it is about pee and poop! I'm also hoping to wash the first batch of baby clothes and get a bag ready for both Baby Ellie and me to take to the hospital. I realize that I'm a couple of months early, but I like to be prepared. I'm keeping in mind that The Lord sometimes likes to surprise us, so there will be gender-neutral clothing in the baby bag. I'm hoping that he sex is confirmed at he 36 week ultrasound, but I'm going to be ready just in case. And it's because of surprises, that I'm packing our bags. In case something happens and Baby E doesn't bake for the full 40 weeks, I want the bags to be packed the "right" way.

What do you suggest hat I pack in my hospital bag??

VP Mommy

Here's another Vasa Previa Mommy who has a great blog. Check out her story.

As for this VP Mommy, I'm exhausted and looking forward to a shower and (maybe) another great massage from Big Daddy. We have a big day planned for tomorrow; The Muffin will be going to her first museum! After that, we'll be heading over to NC State for lunch and a little visit to Mr. Wuf's house, a.k.a. the belltower.

The Baby Belly-Week 30

Our Baby-to-be weighs approximately 3 pounds now and is nearly 16 inches long! Her skin is changing from red to pink as fat deposits under her skin. I cannot believe that we'll meet our baby in only 10 more weeks!

The past couple of weeks have been tremendously hard on me, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes I feel like The Muffin and Big Daddy are trying to drive me crazy. My body aches...a lot. I try not to complain, but there are times when I feel so bad I could cry. I never felt like this when I was pregnant with Muff. My belly has also grown in the past couple of weeks and I feel huge. Big Daddy even commented this morning that I had gotten more round in the past couple of days. I guess I should say,"Yay!!". I feel like a cow. No offense to cows, because everyone knows that I heart cows...especially brown ones.

No matter how bad I feel, I am very much aware of what a sweet little blessing this is growing in my belly. I'm looking forward to getting a preview of our baby's face at the 36 week ultrasound. I continue to wonder if "it" is really a girl, so I hope to get confirmation. I've also found myself worrying about the baby's health more. There are SO many sick babies everywhere I turn. For the first time in this pregnancy, I'm worried less about Vasa Previa, VCI and my placenta than I am about everything else.

The Weekend

We are finally ready to begin our weekend. Today was not the lazy Friday that we had planned.
Today has been one disaster after another, but Big Daddy and I are so thankful that The Muffin behaved pretty well today. I think she's had a hard time with our routine changes this week.
We planted grass seed in a few bare spots today. With the rain that we've been getting and are expecting over the next few days, we are hoping for fast results.
Big Daddy's story tonight was all about planting seeds and gardening. He doesn't know that much about either one, but told Muff a great story about Munchkins and gardening. The one thing around here that is a Daddy only thing is the long, elaborate, silly stories that are told to The Muffin. She loves them and Big Daddy sometimes struggles to out-do himself. Once in a while he tells a particularly impressive one that he repeats, but for the most part each one is different. Muff asks for specific things like "the story about the fair" or "the story about Callie and Larry the Munchkin going to the park". Glinda the Good witch often makes an appearance too.
Tomorrow will be busy with house cleaning, birthday shopping and then going to see Big Daddy's parents before going to my mom's birthday celebration. We are hoping for a relaxing Sunday. The big plans for that day are church, lunch and maybe a family nap.

Ramblings

I've had a horrible day. If I told you about it you'd be amazed at my very smart husband's lack of common sense and then I'd tell you that he was an engineer and if you know any engineers then you'd totally understand.
I sent a naked belly picture to my former real estate partner this morning. It was to show him that I'm starting to resemble a man that used to make signs for us when we needed advertising for commercial properties. My pj pants were sliding down below my belly and my t-shirt was sliding up, but I'm not sharing the picture here because it is too humiliating...much like the story of why my day has been bad. My ex-partner replied back that I probably smelled much better. He forgot to mention that I'm also less hairy and less sweaty!
I've been "unemployed" for three years this week. In other words, for three years, I've been a stay at home wife and expectant mommy, then a wife and a mommy and now a wife, mommy and an expectant mommy all at the same time. If you ask what I do in a day, you'd be surprised that I really do just about everything around here. Big Daddy lives like a king, but doesn't always realize it.
We are celebrating my mom's birthday by having dinner out tomorrow evening. I've yet to get her a gift to go with her birthday money because of Big Daddy's lack of common sense this morning. The Muffin wants to give her chocolate eggs so that "she can share".
We'll be driving the 1 hour home from my mom and dad's after Muff's bedtime tomorrow because Big Daddy and I can't stand to be away from "our" church another Sunday. AND Big Daddy and The Muffin both said, "But I don't like Nana & Pawpaw's church. I want my church". (They both said it in a raised voice and with a whiny tone)It is such a blessing to hear either one of them fussing about wanting to go to church at all!
We are consolidating computers tonight, so I'm losing my beloved desktop and will be sharing Big Daddy's laptop. **Sigh** I'm slowly losing all of my independence and I can no longer say, "Well, it's my computer."
I'm getting increasingly stressed out about becoming a mostly single parent. I'm also stressed that my mom will be grossed out by how truly dirty Big Daddy really is. I'll be spending next week getting his toiletries together for my parents' house and trying to teach him the manners that his mom somehow forgot.
My hips hurt.
I love tea tree oil.

Finally...Beach Pictures

The Muffin & Big Daddy in the pool.

Muff & Big Daddy watching airplanes on the beach.
The "Flower Girl" ready to go swimming.

Playing mini golf.

Chasing ducks. Just look at that happy face!

Back From The Babymoon

We're back and SO tired! The Muffin asked to go to bed at 7:00, but I made her wait until 8:00 and I think she is already fast asleep! It seems that neither of us sleep well away from home. Big Daddy on the other hand, slept great! We are spoiled by our memory foam mattress and can't wait to sleep in our bed tonight. I've managed to partially catch up on my favorite blogs, unpack everything and wash two loads of laundry. Big Daddy and I have a few things planned for tomorrow and I have a dental check up, so it will be a busy day.
Our trip went well, in spite of The Muffin's little illness. We spent a couple of hours in the doctor's office on Monday morning, but the strep test was negative. The doctor thought she was probably just fighting off something and then of course, she woke up with a little cold yesterday. All was well, though. She had a great time playing miniature golf (2 times), swimming, shopping and having dinner with one of Big Daddy's friends and his family...including three sweet little boys. I'll try to post a few trip pictures as soon as I can get them off of the camera.
I managed not to buy half of the things that I fell in love with when we went shopping! I bought The Muffin her Easter dress (at 70% off) and managed NOT to buy Ellie a dress to match (even though she will not arrive until after Easter, I was tempted). I also bought Muff a cute casual dress for church or playing. I hadn't planned to be one of those mom's that dresses her kids a like, but all I can think about is coordinating outfits for church.
Baby Ellie was not completely left out. We bought her a "Little Sister" onesie to match the "Big Sister" shirt that Nana bought The Muffin. Muff also picked out a stuffed elephant for Ellie and a giraffe for herself. She says that Ellie will get the giraffe and say, "Oh, but I wanted the monkey!".
I am still not sure that this baby is a girl! The lady working in The F.udgery said I was definitely carrying a girl, but I will not feel sure until my ultrasound a 36 weeks or I see for myself when this baby makes it's entrance. Ellie or Eli, it will be loved beyond belief.
As usual, a little prayer request. I had one crazy-VP-Mommy episode on Monday night where my worries almost got the best of me. No matter what, thoughts of losing The Muffin are never far away. Big Daddy offered to pull out his new phone-toy and look up what I was worrying about on-line, but we managed to avoid that. Just when I think I'm doing better it all comes back to me. With Miss Muffinhead's 3rd birthday fast approaching, my heart is heavy for all of the VP parents that do not have their babies here on Earth with them. Sometimes I wish I could make it all go away, but VP is such a part of our lives. For The Muffin's birthday I always make a donation in her honor to the International Vasa Previa Foundation and writing that check is so sad and so rewarding. Please feel free to visit our website and read the stories of other VP families like ours.

Wordless Wednesday-Almost

Muffin sleeping with a new bear. His name was "Coffee Bean", but it's been changed to "Pancake". "Slumbers" and "Hittopotamus" are also in the bed with her and notice a corner of the yellow "Baby Bop blanket" peeking into the picture too. She's wearing last summer's Piggy pajamas from Auntie Lisa.

Eating lunch with her new boo-boo.

Wearing a crown.

Explanation: Pregnant Brain

Let me clarify exactly (one of the reasons) why I'm so loopy and put 5 inches when it should have been 15 on the last post. It's not just Pregnant Brain. I actually meant to mention this in that post, but in my sleep deprived state, I forgot. I should have been napping in stead of blogging, but Miss Muffin was so restless during her nap that I decided to stay awake so that I didn't get a partial nap and wake up grumpy and feeling worse than before.
Anyway...the explanation.
The Muffin seems to have contracted strep throat from her beloved cousin, Callie. I was up at least 5 times with/because of her last night. (Combine that with the pain of getting out of bed to pee every couple of hours or just rolling over and I think I slept two hours, tops. Big Daddy on the other hand, said he slept the best he had in a long time!) Muff had a fever and was restless and moaned and groaned. We will be skipping Kindermusik and going straight to the pediatrician's office in the morning for a strep test and probably a prescription. The good news is that she hasn't thrown up and the doctor on call said she should be fine to travel. She's had a high fever this morning and has kept at least a low grade fever all day since we started giving her M.otrin at 7:00 this morning. She feels pretty good, but hasn't eaten more than four bites of food all day. She managed to "force down" two yogurt smoothies and a cup of ice cream which she said, "made her feel better".
I made a solo trip to Wally-world this morning looking like death and hoping that I wouldn't see anyone that I knew. My eyes were red and swollen from the sleepless night and I thought I was getting a migraine to top it all off. Luckily, I picked up the yogurt smoothies and a few items for my hospital bag (which I'll be packing in the next week or so). I came home to Big Daddy and The Muffin and Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. After that was over, we had a picnic in the living room floor, Muff took a nap and Big Daddy hit the gym. I had about a 15 minute nap and felt somewhat refreshed.
The Muffin is resting well for now and is super-excited about the beach trip. Hopefully, everything will go smooth from here on out. You should hear about my sister's experience with this strep throat incident!
There are actual scientific studies on this whole pregnant brain-thing. I promise, it's real. And if you have children, you know that there's also "Mommy brain". I'm not sure it's scientifically proven, but I have experience with it as well.

The Baby Belly-Week 29

Our Baby-to-be weighs approximately 3 pounds, is over 15 inches long and can blink her sweet, little eyes!

Once again, I cannot believe that we are in week 29! I should caution you about the picture, it's of my naked baby belly. I find it somewhat gross, but it's fascinating to see what our bodies can do. No matter what, it's an amazing miracle to think that there's a baby growing in my belly. It freaks me out a little sometimes.

I'm wearing what used to be my favorite maternity jeans. They were too big for a while, but now they try to roll down under my belly and are terribly uncomfortable. I just took them off and put on my pink and chocolate damask print pj pants. When The Muffin wakes up from her nap, she'll think it's funny that I'm in pajamas.

This past week has been rough. I have had lots of aches and pains in places that I forgot could even hurt. For the most part, it's similar to my pregnancy with The Muffin, but it's harder to feel bad and still take care of her. She rubs my belly more and more and really enjoys feeling the baby kick, or as she says, "walk, crawl or kick the covers off".

Here are a few more pictures of Baby Ellie's room.

Here's her framed name, hairbow holder and a congratulatory card from my niece, Callie. You can also see the pearl "E". Muff has an "M" just like it in her room.

Here's the inside of the bed. This is the view that I'll have (minus a baby) when I peek in to hopefully find a little baby fast asleep. The Muffin convinced me to put her in the bed this morning and she looked like a giant!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back on Wednesday or Thursday with a recap of our family Babymoon. I also have a cute little "Wordless Wednesday" post on auto-publish.

Baby's Got A New Room

***NOW WITH A PICTURE!! I'm so tired and forgot to add it before!***

Well, this is the big reveal. Or maybe it's the little reveal. Don't expect much.
Baby Ellie's room doesn't have much in the way of decorations. She has a framed name and a letter "E" just like one of The Muffin's M's.
I'll try to get a better picture sometime later, but I'm having a busy day and life doesn't revolve around stuff like this.

Lots of people are wondering why I'm going to the trouble of preparing a nursery when our house is on the market and we're (eventually) planning to move. Remember me?? I'm a former real estate broker and I know that decorated rooms help a house to show better than rooms that are bare of even worse, filled with junk. We have no idea how long it will take our house to sell, but this baby is coming in June and she'll need a place to sleep. Plus, I need to nest.
The color is neutral, it's Valspar's "Light Raffia" and I Love It. The bedding is "Elise" by Bananafish. I found it under "boy", "girl" and "gender neutral" and decided on it after my mom and sister approved it for either sex...then they surprised me by buying it for us. I did NOT want a baby-ish nursery and I'm all about anything in the brown family or anything damask. After an entire Saturday of shopping on-line for bedding, I realized everything that I picked was some shade of brown or tan and most had a damask print or involved this light teal color. Big Daddy and I decided this was our favorite. The curtains were already in the room, a hand-me-down from my sister. The chest of drawers are also "used". They belonged to my Grandma, then my sister (for Callie's room) and then I inherited them and used them in The Muffin's room for a while and now, they're in Baby Ellie's room. I'd love to have all new stuff, but there's something nice about knowing that your furniture has a story, much like the headboard that my Daddy made for our bed.
Now, the room is somewhat complete and hopefully, the house will sell and my nesting in the nursery will have been in vain. That's what I'm praying for anyway.

It's All Coming Together...Hopefully

I had a big day today!
The Muffin was grumpy, but we went to get a few groceries and that seemed to cheer her up. She spent lots of time outside today and that probably helped too.
I went to my doctor's appointment and saw an actual doctor (a rarity for me) in stead of a midwife.
I found out that one of my best mommy-friends, April, is pregnant.
I started painting the baby's room.
AND
I received my big bumgenius diaper order.

My doctor's visit was overall, nothing special. I didn't have to wait too long, but my visit with the doctor was so much shorter than my usual midwife visit. I have nothing against the OB's in my practice, but they just don't take as much time with their appointments as the midwives, with one doctor as the exception. I had to see the OB to get my final okay for a VBAC. He said we would try "if that's what I wanted". (I immediately saw why midwives have a higher success rates with VBAC's than OB's if this is the way they all act!) He did give me a bit of news that makes me feel so much better; I get to have another ultrasound at 36 weeks! If the cord insertion and placement and the placenta look okay, I'll get their "blessing" for a VBAC. I guess I may also get another look at the private area of this little baby and be able to feel more confident that it is in fact an Ellie and not an Eli!
Please keep my sweet friend April in your prayers. She has a litle boy the same age as Muff and she has been trying for a while to have another baby. She and her husband had five devastating miscarriages before successfully delivering their son.
As for my painting project, so far, so good. I have the trim stuff painted, so I'll be "rolling" tomorrow evening. I'll try to touch up the molding and doors while Big Daddy is between jobs. The color is "Light Raffia" , but I just want to call it biscotti. I really like it. Of course, it's on the same paint chip as the living room and just a shade off from our kitchen, foyer and hallways. I'm a chicken with paint colors except for The Muffin's room and the downstairs powder room. It's the real estate agent in me that likes things to stay neutral. With any luck. I'll be doing a picture post on Saturday and finally reveal the bedding. Don't hold your breath, it's not that exciting.
And last but not least, please pray for us and our house. I'm doing better than I thought I would, but Big Daddy is having a hard time with the thoughts of us being apart until the houses sells. I'd greatly appreciate your prayers that our house shows, gets an offer and closes soon. We really want to move on with our lives and start an exciting new chapter.

Before the Babymoon

We're going on a family Babymoon! Truth is, I'm not that excited because I'm not a happy traveler when I'm pregnant. We are going to the beach for a couple of nights just to shop, swim (for Big Daddy & Muff) and get away before Big Daddy starts his new job. I'll be busy getting things together and making sure the house is nice and clean (just in case) over the next couple of days. Big Daddy has promised that he will not exhaust me!
I have a doctor's appointment today and after that I'm going to start on painting the baby's room. All of the bedding is in the dryer now, so I should be able to share Ellie's room before we leave for our trip. How exciting is that? I have a sudden burst of "I-must-do-something" so I decided to tackle the small room myself. My mom offered to paint it while we were at he beach, but I'm up for it, so I'll work on it over the next few days and will have it finished by Saturday. I can alwayss end out an S.O.S. to her if I just can't get it done. This way, we'll have ample free time on Big Daddy's two week break from work to do fun family things.
Stay tuned for an update and picture post this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday...Almost

"Dorothy" in bed with an icepack on her head...because she was hit by the window.

Fashion forward-socks as boots.

Asking Daddy not to take more pictures. She's wearing her pajama top, panties and dress up shoes.

Eating lunch at home after the big Mc.Donald's temper tantrum incident. Isn't she sweet!?

The Baby Belly-Week 28

Our Baby-to-be is approximately 15 inches tall/long!

She still kicks all the time and is on such a schedule that I can almost predict when the kicks will be the strongest. We only have a few more weeks before we'll get to meet her, face to face.

I've just realized that I wore this shirt in my week 25 picture, so I'm about to change tops before we go to Kindermusik. I really don't wear this shirt that much!

As our due date approaches, I'd like to ask for some specific prayer requests.

Of course, pray that the baby arrives alive, healthy and makes it to full term. We'll take this baby and love "it" (just in case it's an Eli and not an Ellie) no matter what God gives us.

Pray that I'll go into labor on my own and preferably when Big Daddy is at home an not an hour+ away! I have so many bad memories about my induction with The Muffin and I'd like this to start naturally.

Please pray that my birthplan is followed as closely as it can be. I'm keeping my wishes private for now, but I do hope that my birth experience is at least a little bit like I'm planning.

Pray that I'm more successful at breastfeeding this time. I don't think I'll be able to handle it if I fail again!

Pray that The Muffin loves and accepts her baby from the very start.

Please pray that Big Daddy and I are able to experience this birth together. We would both do just about anything to go back and have him be able to witness The Muffin's birth. Neither of us ever imagined that he would have to wait outside of the operating room to find out if his new baby was alive.

And finally, (for now) please pray that my sister gets to be in the delivery room like we've palnned and that my mom is waiting in the hallway with The Muffin like she wants to be.

Making Plans

Thank the Lord, I've felt so much better today! Other than a little sciatica pain every time I get up from the sitting position, I've been nearly pain free.
We enjoyed a great Sunday at church and then we came home to eat lunch and rest. Well, I couldn't exactly rest because I had so much going through my mind. Big Daddy decided to go to the gym while The Muffin was asleep and I started shopping for diapers. Since we are planning to primarily use cloth diapers, I thought that it may be a good idea to make a purchase. I chose these, and I hope they are as good as a few very reliable sources have told me they are. I used this diaper on The Muffin when she still wore one at night. I plan to use disposables for the first few weeks (at least) until I get he hang of having two children. After that, we'll keep some on hand in case I forget to wash diapers...using this detergent that I've heard is fabulous from a cloth-diapering mama here in town.
Big Daddy has been planning our little beach trip that's coming up. It will be our last trip as a family of three! I'd hoped for a little "babymoon", but I'm not sure it will happen or if I'll even be up for it. Big Daddy has promised that he will not make me do too much this trip and I hope not to feel as bad as I did yesterday. The aches and pains are not always worth all of the fun!
We are also planning The Muffin's birthday party (Wizard of Oz, of course). I'd hoped to do a "friends" party, but I'm not sure I'll feel like that either. I think she would enjoy it just as much if we just have family over to our house. We don't have lots of visitors, so when anyone comes she thinks it's a great treat. We might make a special snack for her Sunday school class or her Kindermusik friends, but we'll just have to wait and see. All she has asked for is cake and balloons, but Big Daddy and I already have a couple of gifts that she'll love.
I've also spent lots of time thinking about my next doctor's appointment with Dr. Pleasant. It's this Thursday...only two weeks since my last appointment. This will be the first time I've had an appointment with a doctor since I was expecting The Muffin. My midwives wanted me to see one of the Ob's to discuss my VBAC plans and the whole Vasa Previa-thing. I think they all realize that I'm completely educated on everything VP, (probably more than them!) but they want to go over it all and get a final okay for a VBAC. I could never say enough how great my c-section recovery was, but I never wanted a c-section. It was completely a necessary medical intervention and it's the only reason that I have my Muffin today. I can only hope that things will go the way we plan this time, but another c-section would be okay as long as we get our baby. Big Daddy and I do not want to miss the birth of our baby this time!
I also purchased another sling this week! Actually, I won the auction on ebay. It's not exactly the fabric I would have chose, but the price was fantastic. I'll add it to the New Native pouch sling and the front carrier that we have left over from The Muffin. I think I'll have to wear this baby so that I can keep track of Muff, too.

Saturday

The day started out really nice. The Muffin woke up at 6:55 and I carried her to our bed. It was a little after 8:00 when we woke up again. Big Daddy and I slept nine whole hours. I don't even remember the last time that happened. Unfortunately, I skipped my B.enadryl before bed and woke up with a sore throat and a runny nose.
We did our usual Saturday -thing. I took Muff downstairs and started filling her breakfast order. "A hot cocoa tea party with chocolate chip pancakes." I started the cocoa and pancakes and when I reached for the "tea for one" set one of our champagne flutes (used for Cheerwine at our wedding because we don't drink) fell and broke. Of course, the crystal seemed to fly everywhere. I yelled for Big Daddy to come downstairs. He swept the floor while I finished my number one customer's order. We discussed what we wanted to do for the day and Big Daddy took Muff upstairs. I swept again and mopped the kitchen.
Big Daddy left for the gym and Muff and I started our day; laundry, making beds, getting dressed, brushing our teeth. She had a breakdown over wanting to watch Loonette, so we settled in front of the computer to watch "The Big Comfy Couch" on YouTube. Thank You internet.
Big Daddy returned, showered and we had lunch. My friend and Realtor, Linda and her husband came by to put up the big gold post sign (I used to work for the black and gold company, hint, hint) and came in to chat for a bit. After they left, we got ready for a fun outing to the mall in a nearby city. I didn't feel like walking across the kitchen, much less a mall, but I decided to try and make the trip without complaining. The Muffin rode the carousel with her Daddy, we had ice cream and a pretzel and just walked around. Muff also rode the escalators about a hundred times.
Every part of my body hurt which is a new pregnancy-thing for me. My throat hurt until after lunch, I had sciatica pain, my shoulders were aching and I was ill and hateful to Big Daddy the entire time. Every complaint I had was followed up with a "me too" from Big Daddy, which nearly drove me crazy. It was the first time that I wanted to pull out the "I'm pregnant" excuse.
Then something happened that changed me.
I was still in pain, but my attitude towards Big Daddy changed.
The mall was crowded, but through the crowd I spotted a familiar face. It took me a couple of seconds to realize who it was. It's been around 12 or13 years since I last saw him (I think) and it took a minute for his face to register. His face and body looked exactly the same. He didn't look like he'd gained or lost an ounce. His face didn't look any older. He wasn't wearing a hat and his hair was maybe a little thinner. Other than that he was the same. I didn't see if he was wearing cowboy boots or tennis shoes. I only saw him for a few seconds and I know that Big Daddy saw him too. Neither of us will bring this up. Ever.
It only took a few seconds to turn my complete mood around. I was reminded that I'm totally in love and I'm happily married to my Mr. Right. That things happen for a reason. That some of my prayers were answered and some were not. That I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
I gave Big Daddy a hug and a kiss and told him that I was sorry for being grumpy and that I loved him so much. Even though I didn't feel well for the rest of the evening I knew that everything was the way it should be.

The Big One

This is the "big" 100th post. As usual, don't expect too much.

One of the first things that The Muffin asked this morning was, "Where are we going today?". That's always one of those questions that I dread. I usually try to happily say that we'll be hanging out at home today. She always requests that we go to the grocery store...of all places. I enjoy a day or two every week where we just stay at home and play and I think she needs a day once in a while with nothing planned. She thrives on Kindermusik, Storytime, grocery shopping and Wal.Mart runs. She's my girl. I like to go, too.

I'm still debating on the whole preschool-thing for my Muffin. I don't want to get her settled into a "school" (the church near our house) for a couple of mornings a week and then sell our house and have to move and uproot her. She doesn't like change. I don't want her to have to give up her house, her friends, her church and her school for all new things. I think she would benefit from time away from me and Baby Ellie, but I don't want her to think that I'm sending her off to school because there's a new baby in the house. AND I will be a part-time-single mother then.

My friend Linda will be here this afternoon to list our house. I always keep things neat and clean, so I've only been trying to get rid of clutter and do my normal weekly cleaning. (My normal cleaning is probably more extensive than most people's) Hopefully, our house will sell relatively quick and we can find an apartment (gasp!) until we are ready to house hunt or most likely, build. Big Daddy and I lived in an apartment for our first two years of marriage and neither of us want to go back to that kind of home, especially with children. We decided that it would be less stressful and take some pressure off of us if that was our plan. No matter what, we are stressed and we worry about everything involved with selling, moving and trying to make things as fun and easy as possible for Muff.

Join me in praying for a quick sell!

Thanks!!

Thanks so much for all of your kind words...and sympathy.

As far as Miss Muffin goes, my sweet, little, strong-willed girl has been on her best behavior so far today. I think my prayers are being heard loud and clear! I have started making sure to lay my hands on her and pray every single night (I did this the time before when we were having issues, at Dr. Dobson's suggestion) instead of just praying with her before she goes to bed. She keeps reminding me that Pawpaw will share his jelly beans with her when he finds out that she's being such a good girl. Whatever works! She had a mini-sweet attack yesterday when I gave her a popsicle and called me a "sweet child"! I always tell her she's a sweet child when she does something especially kind.

Now, about the move. After lots of work yesterday, I feel a little more relaxed. We moved a few of my favorite things out to the building for short term storage and will be taking them to my sister's house for the long term. Me, my mom and my sister often rotate certain pieces of furniture, so this isn't anything all that new. I'm trying all of my old real estate tricks to make our house feel a little bigger and look neater. I always keep the house clean, so that's not an issue. We are still in de-clutter mode and plan to put our desktop computer into storage in my old "hope chest". I may be computer-less for a while. *Sigh* What will I do? Big Daddy will be taking his beloved laptop to my parents', leaving me without anything .

Not to worry about me and my bad habits, though. Big Daddy realizes that the Internet offers me some sort of something that I do not get from my normal interactions during the day. Is it the blogs or the entertainment "news"??? I'm not sure. Anyway, he'll be buying me a "baby computer" sometime soon. Muff absolutely loves the mini laptops and we figured this would be a cheaper alternative to another "big" laptop. It seems like we've spent an insane amount of money lately on techo-thingys. My other "free" time without Big Daddy may be spent with my sweet Mommy friend April and Muff's future husband, Christopher, on their farm. April's husband is guessing that one of their mama goats will not want to nurse her new babies and they'll be a "baby" to bottle feed. Just kidding...I'm not ready to move to the farm yet. Maybe I will try to get out and have lunch with friends once in a while so that I don't become a lonely, single mother who has only her baby computer to keep her company...and her assortment of firearms. **Sigh** I'm sure things will be just fine.

I so appreciate your prayers. We are hoping for our house to move quick so that we can move on. Big Daddy already has an area to build and a house picked out (super-close to my parents & sister). We looked at a home under construction and Big Daddy wants the same house, but with a few interior changes. So, Lord willing, it will eventually happen. We are around an hour from my family, so being close to people who can help with the kids at a moments notice will be new for us. We are and will still be a half hour from his family, but they have never kept The Muffin and we don't visit them that often. I never thought we would live in my hometown, but being near my family will be great!!

My prayer goes something like this:
Dear Lord, please be with Maggie as she sleeps and help her to have sweet dreams and not to wake me up tonight. (seriously) Please let me and Big Daddy be the parents that You want us to be and lead and guide her the way that You want us to. Please help us to conquer her strong-will without hurting her sweet spirit and help us to all be good to one another. And Thank You for allowing us to be her parents. In Your name, Amen.

I really think it has made a huge difference in her...and me.

Our Big News

Three posts in one day!! That's a record.

As of right now, Big Daddy has accepted a new job. It was an offer that was hard to refuse, but our/his decision was still very difficult. He absolutely loves the company that he is currently with, but due to the horrible economy his job (like so many other's) just isn't safe anymore.

We'll be selling our house and moving. And for a former real estate broker who happens to be the mother of a toddler with another babe in the oven, this is a logistical nightmare. I get so stressed out even thinking about having to put the house on the market because I know all of the things that can go wrong with a sell. For those of you who actually know us in real life, it is in a city very close to my hometown. Big Daddy will not have to commute every single day and can stay with my parents as their adopted son a few nights a week. Big Daddy hopes to live very close to them once we relocate. That is our silver lining. I would greatly appreciate it if you'd pray for Big Daddy as he transitions into a new work and living arrangement.

I've tried to explain to The Muffin what is going on. She loves to look at houses (just like Mommy & Gammy Gladys!) so I'm hoping she'll enjoy it once we are ready to start that process. She is very routine-oriented and doesn't deal well with change, so she's going to have a tough time dealing with her Daddy not being home as much and then eventually, having to move.. Then, add a new sister into the mix. It's going to be difficult so please pray for sweet Maggie, too!

As for me, I don't really like change either. I can barely breathe when my Big Daddy isn't home. We had a long-distance relationship for our courtship, so I know we can deal with the time apart, but we're not looking forward to it. I'm used to doing most everything around the house, but just having him nearby is nice. Right now my biggest worry is selling the house, having to move and then dealing with The Muffin's feelings and a new baby. In other words, the whole thing. Our friend Linda, from church will be listing the house, so at least that part is taken care of. We were in the same office before I left the real estate world and Big Daddy knows her from church, so it's someone we know, love and trust. I have many great real estate friends, but we already see her every week at church, so we can keep our eye on her!!

Please pray that all of these things go smoothly for us. I may be putting up a poll soon to let you guess how long our marriage will survive this!

As if all of this isn't enough, we will eventually have to find another church. I think this is the toughest part of all. Big Daddy is already thinking that we could commute the one hour for Sunday services. I don't think that would work with two children...we'll see.

My Strong-Willed Child

My strong-willed child is trying to drive me crazy today.
We went outside to work and play in the yard around 9:30. Everything was fine until we went for a walk around 11:15. I had finished putting out 8 bales of pine straw and decided to reward The Muffin by letting her ride one of her toys on our walk. When it was time to go home (because my pregnant body was about to die) she refused to ride back towards our house. I counted to three and infrmed her that I would carry her and her bike back to the house if she didn't cooperate. I only had to take a few steps (Thank You, Sweet Jesus) with her under one arm and the bike under the other before she decided that she would ride the bike back to our house. When I put her back on her bike she asked for me to pray for her. I did and I think it helped for a little bit. She only fell apart about 10 times in between lunch and just now when I declared it was naptime.
I'm sure she is jealous because Big Daddy and I have been so distracted with all of the moving issues and then add those 48-parent-free hours with Nana & Pawpaw. She's out of her routine AND the time had to change on us, too. She's talking back and being very sassy and it's all getting the best of me.
I think I'll pull out my only parenting book ( The New Strong Willed Child) and do a little reading later. I don't apply or agree with all of Dr. Dobson's teachings and ideas, but several of the things that I've applied from the book helped tremendously when we first began the terrible two's. I would have happily shouted "I Love You" if I'd seen him out and about.

Wish me luck...and pray for peace in our household.

What I Learned This Week

I'm joining the "What I Learned This Week" Carnival with Jo-Lynne at Musings of A Housewife again this week. Here's just a few things that I have learned.

-I miss The Muffin when she's away, but its nice to have a break once in a while...even if I stayed busy the whole time.
-Muff has a hard time getting back to our routine when she has had a fun-filled 48 hours with Nana & Pawpaw and no Mommy or Daddy around.
-I get stressed out really easy.
-Big Daddy really stresses me out.
-When you pray and God answers your prayer it doesn't always make decisions any easier to make.
-Looking at new, bigger houses is sort of like a silver lining on the dark cloud of having to move.
-The Muffin can still throw a tantrum in public that's bad enough for me to think that someone may call social services. I thought we had ventured past the worst of it, but she still has it in her.
-Being strong-willed isn't always bad and I even read that it's a sign of great intelligence. (The Muffin s a genius!!)
-We cannot even stand to think about having to go to a different church. One Sunday service at our old church left Big Daddy asking if we could not do that again. If you knew Big Daddy, you'd know that this in itself is an answered prayer and quite miraculous.

Baby Belly- Week 27...and more

No picture of the belly this week. I took one, but I just don't feel like posting it. Our Baby-to-be weighs approximately 2.5 pounds now! Her eyelashes are growing and that baby fat is still growing, too. I still can't believe we are so far into this pregnancy. Baby Ellie kicks all the time and I love it! Things have been so different than when I was pregnant with The Muffin and we can only hope that this is a sign that our delivery will be quite different as well.

We had a busy Thursday-Saturday with The Muffin being away with Nana and Pawpaw. I did lots of things that aren't very pregnancy-friendly. The combination of my activities and the temperatures in the low 80's caused my feet to swell, so I tried to put them up a little yesterday evening.

Having snack before Kindermusik.

The Muffin and I had a busy morning with Kindermusik and a visit with Gammy Gladys. We attempted to go to Mc.Donald's for lunch, but after several minutes of waiting in line at the only register that was open, I decided we would leave. The Muffin refused to walk and I had to carry her across the restaurant and parking lot literally kicking and screaming. I took her shoes off when her fit first started so luckily, I didn't have to stop and pick them up. When we made it to our car I had to spend 15 minutes trying to get her buckled in her ar seat while she kicked, screamed and flailed her arms. (All of this after we've been having so many tantrum-free days) I stayed calm and only started crying after we were on our way home. She continued her tantrum for a few more minutes while I cooked lunch and then ate and told me that she loved me. I'm trying to remember that she was away for 48 hours with Nana & Pawpaw, did not have her daily nap and is just totally of of our usual routine. We prayed together after lunch and she apologized for her behavior. I can only hope that she'll feel better after her nap. We're planning on some outside play time while the temperatures are still in the upper 70's. It's hard to believe that just a week ago it was snowing and in the 20's.

Reading Bible stories before bed.

Big Stuff

I'm off of hiatus. Not that I've really been on a hiatus or anything.

There's been lots of big stuff going on around here...not really. It's lonely and quiet without my Muffinhead around. I miss her so much! We've only left her for two nights in a row a couple of times when we went to the beach, so being home for two nights without her is a new experience.

I had a list of things that I wanted to do, but only marked two things off of it. (We won't even talk about how many things are still on it or all of the things that I've yet to write down.) I managed to make Ellie a hairbow holder to match her bedding and I made a little monogram for The Muffin to attach her hairbow holder too. (She has lots of hairbows, but usually only wears elastics) After drank my Glucola in preparation for my gestational diabetes screening at the midwife appointment I sat in the floor and made a little framed-name for Ellie's room. It's not as cute as I had pictured in my mind, but it will have to do. I did a great job of cleaning the dining room around 5:30 on Friday morning. I was up and decided to get my day started. I also washed my car...by hand. This is a huge task for a preggy! I realized that I needed a stool or ladder or something to get the windshield and the sunroof clean, but I decided that a little dirt would be okay. I was worn out after that and had a little nap. Big Daddy came home and we ate dinner out with friends and Muff was so missed by their little girl. I felt so sad eating with her friend when she wasn't there. After a trip to the local home improvement warehouse, we came home and I called to check on my Muffin. She had missed her nap (again) and had just fallen asleep in Nana's lap. (sigh) I can't wait to get my hands on her this afternoon.

We have big things going on in our lives, but I'll just keep them to myself, for now. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for our little family as we make decisions and adjustments.

Happy Saturday!!

Finding A Church-Part 2

So, this past Sunday was special at our church...I should say it was more special than usual. I always feel like something special has happened in the early service or in our Sunday school class.

It was the first Sunday of the month, so I was excited about Communion. (I love Communion) Anyway, the associate pastor delivered a wonderful message. Near the end of his message, I noticed two men that came in and sat down on the other side of the church. We had prayer and then we took our place in line to have Communion. I noticed them near the end of the line and the pastor welcomed them when it was their turn to break bread.
After Communion one of the men stood up and began to speak. Pastor Mike stopped him and invited him to the front of the church. He told us (through tears) that he had come with his son to pick up the contents of his wife's car. He said she had been killed the previous month in a car accident in our town. The had traveled about 6 hours to get here and their car had broken down. They had enough money to fix it, but it had taken all that they had. He told us about the church that they attended in their town and asked for our forgiveness if he had offended anyone and by asking for help. Someone immediately got an offering plate and we took up money for them.
After the offering, the pastor asked him to close in prayer. He had missed the pastor's message, but the scripture that he quoted went right along with it. The pastor hadn't even realized that it was Communion Sunday and his message went along with breaking bread together. Big Daddy and I usually give The Muffin all of our cash for her offering, but he had left his wallet in the car and I had left my purse in the sanctuary when we took Muff to the nursery. We actually had cash on us. I handed Big Daddy my wallet and he emptied it into the plate. After the service we met the pastor in the hallway as he was telling someone who doesn't attend that service about the visitors. Big Daddy told him about how we actually had money. It seemed like it was all just meant to be.

In Sunday school we discussed the visitors and how you couldn't help but be skeptical of people's intentions these days. Then, we talked about judging other people and how we we would be judged for how we treated them regardless of their intentions. I think about how sad it would've been if the had to come to our church needing help and we had turned them away.

Finding A Church-Part 1

Big Daddy and I spent the first seven and a half years commuting almost an hour to church each Sunday. We went for church and to see my family. We were content. I had wanted to find a church here in town when we first moved here, but it just didn't happen.
Between Big Daddy's school schedule and The Muffin, our weekends were getting away from us. I casually mentioned finding a church here in town and for the first time ever, Big Daddy agreed that it was a great idea. We made our "list" of three churches that had early services and went to one.
I was pleased with the thoughts of going there. Several people that we knew attended this church. We didn't leave The Muffin the nursery because we just couldn't. Big Daddy left with her a little after the service started. We both thought the church felt a little cold and the people were not as friendly as we'd expected. It reminded me of the church that I grew up in and I just thought we would start going there. The Muff was sick the next week and Big Daddy went to that church alone. He decided that it wasn't the right one.
Several months passed and just over a year ago we went to "our" church for the first time. One of my former co-workers went there and we happened to run into her in the parking lot. She helped us find the nursery and we left The Muffin. For the first time ever, we left her with people that we didn't know. Everyone was so nice and warm and welcoming. Big Daddy went to check on Muff and came back carrying her. She had been crying. She made it through part of the service and then he left with her. We left church that day and decided to try it again. We went the next Sunday and actually left The Muffin for the entire time. That is when she fell in love with Ms. Bell in the nursery. (We thank God for her every single day) We fell in love with this church and we never made it to number three on our little list!
A little over a year later we enjoy going to church. We're not content...we're happy. Each Sunday we walk away with something that matters in our lives. I think every sermon has felt like it was meant to help us deal with the previous week or it helps us deal with a trial that we know we will have during the coming week. As we get in the car Big Daddy always asks if we could have found a better church, and our answer is always no .
This past Sunday we had a very special service, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

To Be Continued...

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Monday was another Snow Day here in central North Carolina!

One More Thing...

before I go on auto publish for a few days!

The Muffin received a surprise haircut this afternoon. Big Daddy and I decided to give her a little bob. It turned out SO cute and she loves it. She was a little worried that she would be "ball headed". When she saw her new hairdo in the mirror she said, "I think my face looks different too".

I.Love.This.Girl.

Before

After

What I learned This Week

I'm joining the "What I Learned This Week" Carnival with Jo-Lynne at Musings of A Housewife again this week. Here's just a few things that I have learned.

-Pray, pray, pray. Sometimes that seems like the only thing you can do to try and make things better for someone that you love so much.
-The Muffin has regressed and decided to wake up numerous times during the night. I blame her crazy dreams, but I have no excuse for the past two mornings and her waking up raring to go at 5:30.
-I love Big Daddy so much more now than I did, even though I thought I couldn't love him any more.
-I need a break from everything. I'm taking myself off of the computer (except for email because I need something from the outside world) for the rest of the week. As much as I love reading blogs, I really need to focus attention on some things that are going on in our lives. I'm also going to use my free time during The Muffin's nap to work on a project for her and the Baby-to-be's bedrooms. And then there's those two nights that Muff will be with Nana & Pawpaw and I go for my monthly midwife visit. I may post a weight gain update, but I make no promises. Okay, I should be totally honest...I may read your blogs, but not comment. Maybe I just need to go cold turkey!!
-The Muffin loves snow, even if we're only out in it for five minutes. (I'll have pictures to auto-publish for a little "Wordless Wednesday" post tomorrow.)
-Sometimes God uses unlikely messengers. (I'll have something on auto-publish to explain this too, so stay tuned on Thursday AND Friday.)

The Baby Belly-Week 26

Top to bottom, our Baby-to-be is now measuring around 13 inches. She weighs about a pound and a half and is getting her baby fat. I continue to be amazed that we are this far along! I am enjoying all of the little kicks and I'm still in baby bliss. (this is the can't hide anything maternity dress)

I was so focused on the ultrasound and all of the issues that I had with The Muffin's delivery for so many weeks. After the ultrasound and lots of support from my friends in the IVPF email group, I have put a lot of my fears to rest and decided to have faith that everything will be better this time.

I spend most of my time (when I think about baby stuff) planning. I plan how I want the delivery to be, introducing Maggie to Baby Ellie, and how I want things to be after we're home. My main focus is on breastfeeding right now. I still feel bad that I only nursed Maggie for a few days, but I'm certain I would have lost my mind if I'd try to do it any longer. Big Daddy and I were so afraid and insecure and our sweet Muffin cried so much! I'm so thankful that my midwives and Muff's pediatrician were supportive of our decision to nurse and our decision to give it up and go with formula. When I look back, I wish I had stuck with it, but I know that I had so many issues surrounding the traumatic delivery that I was close to loosing it!

I keep thinking about how I knew we would never have another baby on the day after Muff's birth. When my midwife told me what happened during the delivery I told her that I'd never have another baby. She told me that I would change my mind and of course, I did. For so long Big Daddy and I were completely content with thinking of The Muffin as an only child. One day I began to see her as a big sister. She is so caring, sensitive and considerate...at times. I knew all along that I couldn't imagine never growing another baby, but I couldn't face all of the fears.

Now, we look at The Muffin and all of the joy that she brings us. We make plans for Ellie to be welcomed into our lives and we can't rule out not having another baby. We'd always planned for only two, but having a baby changes everything.

Muffins by the dozen...almost

Eating Oreos

Trying to get her glasses "fixed" before her picnic lunch

Yummy!


Unpacking her lunch from her special lunch bag

Friday morning's Tea Party

She likes Earl Grey Tea just like her Mommy!

Waiting for the porridge, a.k.a. oatmeal

Getting ready for Daddy's special bedtime stories.

Listening and laughing at all of the crazy things that happen in Daddy's stories.

Hanging with "Toto" on the couch.