Our Katy Beth!!!

Well, our sweet little baby is indeed a girl!!  At our first ultrasound, we weren’t 100% sure, as her knees were up to her chest & wouldn’t give us a good shot.  I was so hesitant to make purchases or do anything to prepare for the arrival!  SOOOO…I opted to do a 3d ultrasound in Frisco while going to see my dear friend Kelly. 

Luckily we found out that YES she’s a girl!  DEFINITELY a girl!  haha!  It’s amazing how much more clear it was this time!  Our silly girl has her legs folded up and her feet are by her face.  Natalie did the SAME thing!  She is currently breech…makes no difference to me since I will have a c-section anyway!  HOWEVER, it made it very difficult to get good 3d photos.  I wasn’t too impressed…so…but it was neat to see her face!  I think she looks a lot more like Cole than Natalie!  She already has chubby cheeks!!  We got to see her yawn and I SWEAR she’s chewing on her umbilical cord…hopefully not :)  haha!

Sweet profile 

Feet right in front of her face!  You can see one really well.  To the left of the picture is her arm bent, so you see her elbow.  Her hand was covering her face in this photo too…haha!  Shy girl!

Her face in 3d (profile)…her umbilical cord is going over her nose/eye…so it’s making it look a bit bulbous…haha!

Well, as soon as we left the ultrasound, it was time to shop!  I bought her a cute outfit at Carters…as did Auntie Jess (I also got a matching top for Natalie…so far they have 2 matching outfits :))  I also splurged and bought part of her bedding.  It’s the only one I've wanted since we found out she was probably a girl.  The only bad thing is it’s pottery barn…eek!  I just bought the quilt and bed sheet.  I’m trying to decide if I need the bumper and bed skirt?  I also want to buy the twin bed sets too…but its all so expensive.  Hopefully I can catch a good sale!! 

We are really worried about Natalie in this whole process.  If you’ve met Natalie, you know she has the total Princes/Diva personality.  I guess we’ve spoiled her a bit and she’s always been “baby” to us.  She’s having a hard time accepting that she’s not going to be the only princess anymore.  She will soon get her big girl twin bed and move into “Bubba”’s room until the baby is around 6 mos or so (sleeping through the night..so maybe a year?)  She was at first excited and is now saying that “Katy Beff” will sleep in Bubba’s room.  We will be potty training and transitioning rooms at the same time, so I HOPE we can play up the BIG GIRL thing and she will be ok.  Plus, she loves her brother, so I think it will be fun for them. 

25 weeks 4 days

Yeah, Yeah…I’m late…SUE ME!  :)  Just kidding!! 

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 25 weeks 4 days

Size of baby: Eggplant!  9.2 inches and approx. 2 lbs!  Wow!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Uhhh…I’m guessing 20 lbs or so?  I’m scared to look!!!  Valentines day really did me in!

Maternity Clothes: All maternity and regular t-shirts!  I just bought my first full belly panel capri pants!  The only thing is that capri pants look like high waters on me since they hit at the ankles.  Oh well, I can roll them up!  I also got 2 cute tees from target.  I’m in a size 8 maternity pant (GAG!!!) and MEDIUM maternity shirts.  For reference…I was in 4 maternity and EXTRA SMALL and SMALL for my previous 2 pregnancy.  when I say I’m fat, I mean it, ok?  I would appreciate it if you people would agree and not LIE TO ME!  (hahaha…I’m going through weight/fat roll issues…ok?)  :)

Movement: She’s moving a lot!  I don’t know her (is she a her still???) location in my belly…but it changes often.  this morning she was kicking or punching out the right side of my belly.  Last night it was left…and a few days ago it was my wooha.  :)

Sleep: I went to Lubbock Sunday-Tuesday and forgot my Snoogle….sleep wasn’t great!  Last night was wonderful!  I love you snoogle, I really do!

What I miss: Exercise…walking, lifting HEAVY weights that make me groan, running until I can’t run another step, running up my hills and enjoying my downhills, the wind on my face, the feeling of just completing a long run, beating my times.  I MISS WORKING OUT SO BAD!  I miss my beautiful musclicious legs.  Now they are fat and ugly :(

Cravings: Nothing

Symptoms: fatness 

Do you see a trend here in this post?  I’m really going through an “I’m fat” depression.  I’ve never had legs this poofy or a poofy face or flabby thighs…at least  not in the past 8 years or so.  I’m so disgusted and I feel so helpless.  I mean…what can I do now at 25 weeks pregnant?  I can’t exercise to get my heart rate way up?  I can’t do a million squats, I can’t run, I can barely even walk that far.  I just don’t want to get to a point of no return…If I KNEW I could get back to the me I was this summer, I’d be ok.  I’m just starting to worry!  With the c-section I will be out of commission for 6-8 weeks (don’t tell me I can walk…walking is not working out for me!!).  THEN…I breastfeed and I have serious issues with running/lifting weights and breastfeeding.  Formula is NOT an option for me….I just won’t do it, so I’m looking at next May before I can REALLY get at it as far as working out goes.  Actually, I fully plan on reading as much as I can about working out hard and still breastfeeding.  I have a feeling that means I will be drinking 20 gallons of water a day and eating a house, but if that’s what it takes to workout, that’s what it takes. 

Sorry, no pic…no one is here to take it :(  Maybe I’ll get Cole to after preschool!

Happy 4th Birthday Cole!!

(pictures from Cole's Star Attraction Day at Ms. Angie's)

I can't believe my first baby is FOUR YEARS OLD!!! It doesn't seem like 4 years ago TODAY that we brought him home from the hospital in the snow. :) I'll never forget laying on the bed with Justin to take a nap when we got home (as my mom watched Cole)...and looking at each other with big wide eyes and crying. WHAT ARE WE GETTING IN TO? haha!

Back to my four year old! As soon as he woke up on his birthday, he said, "Am I FOUR today mommy?" I said yes and he said, "COOL!". He told everybody about it all day. We had a small birthday party for him on Friday (his actual birthday). My parents, Justin's parents, my sisters, Brittainy (next door neighbor) and her 2 kids and my friend Alana and her two kids all attended. We had pizza, cake, ice cream and a fun Buzz Lightyear Pinata! I think Cole had a great time! He's very rarely the center of attention...and i think he enjoyed it! His big gift from us was a bicycle with training wheels! He got lots of games and thomas the train stuff too! It's going to take a while for him to figure out the bike, but I think by summer time he'll have it figured out!

What is my FOUR year old up to?

• He is potty trained completely! He doesn't pee overnight (except on the rare occasion) and goes #2 on the potty!
• He talks like a grown up now! (with his little boy "r"s and "l"s of course). Today he was talking to Natalie and said, "Did you do that or didn't you? Tell me the truth!" haha!
• He is a pleasant young boy to be around! He likes to please and just gives you the sweetest grin when you acknowledge something he's done well.
• He looooves to write his name! I don't have many papers or bills or envelopes without his name sketched on them!
• He is ALL BOY! I'm so glad because he's surrounded by girls most days. He spends a lot of time driving his trucks around them or flying his planes into their doll house or pouring dirt on them. :)
• His best friend is now Daddy. I knew this would happen...especially now that I'm not as fun. He loves to do everything Daddy does...especially fixing things.
• He is SUCH a helper! I tell you...4 year olds really can do just about anything you ask them! It's been NICE!!!
• He's starting to eat better! He ate (wait for it....) Steak and Green Beans the other day! I was sooo impressed. However, we have to call it "cow" for him to eat it! haha!

I'm sure there are so many other awesome things he does that I'm not posting. I just love him! He's "my favorite boy". (I tell him this with a kiss everyday) I can't wait to see what this year holds for him!! I'm so proud to call Cole my son!!! (pics later)

23 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: I have a hard time finding this…but what I did see is that she’s over a pound now and Is about the size of a baby doll.  ha!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Don’t know…don’t really care to know.  :)

Maternity Clothes: Same as other posts…only I’ve added leggings to my wardrobe.  They are so comfy and I’ve had them for a while…just nothing to wear with them.  The big sweaters swallow me and I look like a troll.  I bought some summer dresses (and used some of my own) and put them over the leggings and where a sweater on top!  VERY cute with flip flops or boots!

Movement: She’s moving a lot!  She has gotten my ribs in the past few weeks.  Long legs again :)

Sleep: I’ve had a good week’s sleep!

What I miss: Exercise and energy

Cravings: Various things.  I had to have laffy taffy last weekend.  Yesterday it was fried chicken.  It just depends on the day!

Symptoms: Constipation and indigestion.  Not a fun mix. 

I bought some fabric to make a blanket and other accessories for Katy last weekend.  I think I’m going with a light aqua blue and brown and pink for her colors (with greens & yellows thrown in too).  I still have not bought her anything else.  I guess I just figure Natalie has too many clothes (good thing they will get used twice!), but I really need to buy Katy her own things!

Family Fun Day in the Snow!

When the temps got into the 30s, I knew we needed to get out!  Cabin Fever is SETTING IN!  (speaking of getting out, I made it to Blackburn’s and got some cute black boots I’ve been eying all winter for 40% off!  yay!)

Justin had a dream (ha) to build the best snowman ever, and I think he did a pretty good job!  The snowman has a carrot nose, Cole's tool chest bolts or nuts or something for the eyes and no mouth :) 

The kids had a ton of fun enjoying the snow, we all actually got hot!  Supposedly it’s going to snow tonight, Tuesday, & Wednesday too!  Luckily it’ll get warmer in the days to melt most of it though.  I’m kind of done with being stuck inside.  Cole got sick last night…101 fever and threw up once but he’s better today?  Hopefully it was just from all the fun?  Anyway, we got some good pics from the snow!  Enjoy!  (PS there are more pics at www.flickr.com/photos/janetmp10)

Finally, SNOW!

We finally got snow in Childress!  This is the first time all winter!  However, it’s been to cold to get out and play much.  All of the cities to the East of us are still out of school due to ice and snow.  We just had delayed classes…which we are FINE about because then we get all our snow days!  That being said, we’ve had little to no ice.  The temps have been below 20 all week with lows around 1 or so!!  The kids got to go outside for a few minutes, (literally…no more than 10 minutes).  Nat came in crying about her fingers…yeah…knit gloves don’t cut it when you’re making snow angels.  I took most of her clothes off her and snuggled her against my belly.  Justin thought I was crazy, but I wasn’t about to let her get hypothermia!  (yes..i put her cold hands on my warm belly to make them warm…hehe!)  Also…here are a few random pics from the last month!

 

 

Cole and Natalie getting ready to go to the local stock show sale with their Daddy! 

 

This is what we do and how we dress on a snow day.  Mess up the playroom (ok…we do that everyday) and wear pajamas and a tutu.  I think she looks a bit like Jim Carey on Ace Ventura :)

Here is Natalie ready to spend an afternoon playing with Daddy.  Daddy days require Camo and if she wears camo, she likes boots!  I threw in the ruffled jeans to be a bit feminine :)

The only way to get Nat to smile for me was to get her beloved Kitty.  :)

All dressed up in MANY layers to go outside to play!  Cole had on pajama pants and jeans, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and his jacket.  Nat had on her fleece pajamas, sweatpants and the camo pants…plus a sweatshirt under that jacket.  And they STILL froze!

My handsome boy playing in the snow :)

All Natalie wanted to do in the snow was make a snow angel.  We have no clue where she learned about snow angels, but Justin put her on the snow and away she went…making a snow angel!  She made a really good one!

Here’s Cole making one too!!

Our other son, Maverick has made his appearance in our house lately.  With low, low temps and below zero wind chills (we’re talking  -20), I knew we needed to bring him in.  Maverick USED to be an inside dog.  He was great, but with a tick infestation and the birth of Natalie, I kicked him outside in 2008.  He’s been an outside dog ever since.  We’d toyed with the idea of bringing him in again…but we were too afraid of accidents and the thought of him eating toys.  AMAZINGLY he has been GREAT!  Sure he chews on a few toys, but only to get attention.  Most of the day he lays on the floor like in the pic above!  That’s what he’s doing now…as Brynn dances all around him.  I was most worried about him sleeping in his crate (he used to whine in there).  Justin decided to try something different and brought his dog bed into our room (you know, the plush beds).  We put up everything that could get eaten and shut all the doors.  The bed, of course, went by Justin's side of the bed.  He laid in bed ALL NIGHT LONG!  I was soooo impressed!  He’s done it for 3 nights in a row!  This is very exciting for us because we would love him to spend some time inside when its too cold or too hot.  He has never had an accident either!  Always nudges my hand or whines when its time to go outside!  We are so proud of him!  The only problem I have is that he stinks like crushed Special K cereal…or stale cookies.  I tried to give him a bath, but since he weighs almost as much as I do  and I’m prego…I wasn’t up for that struggle.  We need to just take him to get groomed again :) 

If you followed that novel, thanks!  I plan on posting some of Cole’s cute comments soon…since he DOES turn 4 in a week!