Everett's Birth Story

August 19th my due date for our little man came and went like any other day. For 40 weeks so much anticipation for one day and then nothing. I was prepared to go a maximum of 10 days over my due date if need be. In the beginning I made it a point to ask how far over the due date I would be allowed to go. I am proud of myself for continuing to work out up until 39 weeks and going to work until two days before I delivered. Physically I could've worked the day prior but emotionally and mentally I was done. If you couldn't tell by my sign I was tired of answering the same questions over and over. Yes the baby is still in my belly, yes I'm still working, yes I'm over my due date, no I'm not getting induced. Add in all those wonderful extra hormones and the patience gets a bit thin. So I am sorry to anyone that I may have snapped at because at the time I was just ready. So ready to just meet him. I had my very last Drs appointment on Thursday the 25th I had a non stress test and baby boy passed just fine. If he didn't come over the course of next 4 days I would have to be induced Monday morning the 29th. I was really hoping he would decide to make his appearance over the weekend. I have been blessed with two great pregnancies and for that I am so thankful. 

I have no idea what I even did the previous evening but it was my last as a mom of one. At 4 am on August 26th my labor began. I only had back labor with Lainey so I was nervous that I may not know when the real contractions started vs having the Braxton hicks. Lainey had actually just snuck into our bed to snuggle when the first contraction made its appearance. As she snuggled in under the covers next to Daddy (he just snoozed away) I snuck out of our bed and into hers. I laid there for about 10 minutes and then decided yep this is for real. I proceeded to clean stuff up around the house- dishes, laundry, etc. I figured staying occupied would help. My pain tolerance is about zip so every time a contraction would come I felt like I was dying. Around 6:30 am I decided to start timing and writing down each contraction. Another worry I had was when do I know it's time to go to the hospital. Even though this was not my first rodeo I was still very anxious about certain things. Their was absolutely no reason to believe things would go exactly the same as with Lainey. The contractions were consistently 10 minutes apart. After timing them for about an hour or so I contacted Sylvia my midwife. We discussed a few things and then determined when I should head to hospital. We live over an hour away from the hospital so did not want until last minute to go that direction. Better to be safe and go earlier than too late. Rhett woke up and after learning what was going on he decided to get a few chores on the farm taken care of. I contacted my Mom aka Grandma Gina and soon she made her way over. When we left our house Lainey was still sleeping. Our firstborn, the one that made us parents, soon to be big sister, just sleeping the morning away. The drive wasn't horrible and around 10 am we arrived in Shiloh at Memorial East hospital. 

So many emotions and questions running through ones mind. Is today the day this baby is going to make his arrival, I wonder how dilated I am, will they keep me oh gosh they better keep me......I was praying that I would be further along than a 1 like I had been at Drs appointment previous day. The contractions were still about 10 min apart and occasionally 7 minute stretches passed as well. After getting checked in to a room, several questions, the nurse seeing how dilated I was (at a 3 & 80% effaced), and Sylvia being updated with my status it was determined I would be staying! Thank the lord because if they would've said you need to go home and come back when contractions are closer together I would've been so upset. I was able to eat lunch- a grilled cheese and some bland ass chicken noodle soup. I was so thankful for this because I had not eaten since 6 am a peanut butter sandwich. When having the back labor for two days at home with my first pregnancy I literally did not eat for a long time. Food was the last thing on my radar. This time though I guess with the long enough stretch of time between contractions I was totally able to eat. Sylvia made the comment, "You would not want to run a marathon without eating first." I completely agree too. That grilled cheese held me over until about 930 that evening. At 1 pm I was dilated to a 4 and had a bulging sac of water. My membranes were then stripped. I was totally ready for that epidural so that process started around 130. That was almost the worst part of entire labor process. Sitting in that hunched over position is so uncomfortable when you have big boobs and my hair was down so it was draped over my face. I kind of felt like cousin it. By 2:30 the epidural was in full effect and Sylvia broke my water. At 3:00 dilated to a 5 and at 5:30 dilated to a 7. I just laid in bed in my epidural glory texting all my people with updates on my progress. My epidural with Lainey pretty much sucked compared to this one. This time I was so numb I was afraid I wouldn't even be able to push at all. I like being informed of what's going on so the entire time I was on fetal monitor or when they took my vitals I was constantly asking how everything was. I'm not particularly prob the greatest patient. I am used to being on the opposite side working in the medical field. The next time Sylvia checked me she said oh your crowning. Holy crap!!! I had no clue that things had progressed to that point. Rhett was the official photographer this time around. He was able to capture the moment of me reaching over and helping to pull out our sweet baby boy. After about 6 pushes our son entered this world at 6:12 pm on August 26th 2016. He immediately was placed on my chest for mommy snuggles. Our perfect beautiful baby boy. 

I got to cut the umbilical cord which was great because Rhett got to for Lainey. I was so anxious to know his weight and height. Rhett announced it to me 6 lbs 15 oz which just so happened to be exactly what Lainey weighed at birth. 

-My amazing midwife Sylvia-

What are the odds! Especially since he was 1 week overdue. His length was 20" and Lainey's was 21". Once home and I was writing in the baby book I compared the chest and head measurements. They both had exact same chest size and his head was 4 cm bigger. Soon after I was able to start nursing him. We had some very anxious family members all day so once we knew things were really happening we told them to come on up. I think both sets of grandparents and my sister all arrived around same time around 7 pm. Rhett and I decided we wanted Lainey to be the very first person to meet little Bon Jovi. At this point we still had not decided on a name. 

My Mom said Lainey was extremely excited all day about her little brother coming. Rhett went out to get her from the waiting room as I eagerly anticipated her coming in. I made it a point that I was not holding the baby when she came in. When she came in the room I was able to hold her immediately and she hopped up into my lap. As I introduced her to the tiny little human that was now such a huge part of her life-that moment was utterly priceless. The look on her face was so precious. Sorry Mom that we didn't allow you to be in the room to get a picture. The first wonderful memory of our now family of 4. 

Soon everyone else joined us in the room to meet the little man. Although we did not have a first name decided we did have the middle name picked out. I knew the moment it was a boy that I wanted to use Rhett's father's middle name for our baby's middle name. *Patrick* It was fun announcing that to Grandpa Simpson. Lainey's middle name is Nicole after my sister. I just love having a special meaning to part of their names. Our evening was a bit chaotic but one filled with lots of love and happiness. My Aunt Nancy and cousins Kelsey & Jenn eventually came as well. They also came with food which was much appreciated after a long day. I had a special gift for Lainey from her brother. She now had her own little baby boy doll who she adoringly named George (peppa's little brother). She is obsessed with Peppa Pig currently. 

Eventually everyone left and I was happy to see a nice hot hot shower. The first evening was a bit rough. I pretty much had zero sleep. Before I fed the baby every single time (for the first 12 hours of his life) they had to prick his little heel to check his blood sugar. It had to do with my blood type/his blood type and the combination of it. They also checked his bilirubin all 3 days we were there which equaled more sticks. I was ready to go home pronto. Plus they want you to document how long you nurse and which side blah blah blah. Being at home is just so much better for both Mom & baby. Saturday we had more visitors Aunt Erin, friends Allie & Alicia, Uncle Alex, Grandpa Phegley, and my Mom/Lainey/Jaimee came back too. Rhett took a little time to leave the hospital while I tried to nap and baby got circumcised. I don't even remember when we officially decided on name but it was some point on Saturday. Years ago long before kids were even on our radar we discovered the name Everett. We had traveled to Tennessee to purchase a sprayer. The man we purchased it from was named Brandon Everett. Also the Grandpa (with his southern drawl) asked us if Rhett's name was short for Everett. Ever since it is a name that we both liked. It means strong & brave. I also like that it is similar to Rhett but yet not a jr. I think it's absolutely perfect for our little guy. Choosing a name is hard but once we decided for both kids the names just seemed so right. 

Comparison Lainey & Everett 

 A lot of people have said they think he looks like her. 

Sunday we were allowed to go home. Yay!! We got out of there around noon which put us at hospital almost exactly 48 hours. Other than a nagging headache physically I felt really good. This labor & birth was much easier than with Lainey. We were all ready to get home and get settled in.

I know I shared the newborn pictures we took on facebook already but I had to make a video too. When I first heard this song it made me cry and I immediately liked it. I honestly had no idea what godspeed meant so I googled it. 

Godspeed may refer to:

• An expression of good wishes or good luck to a departing person or a person beginning a journey.

So...to my sweet precious son Everett Patrick Simpson-Godspeed on this journey of life that you have just begun. Time is already going way too fast. At 3 weeks now his cheeks are chubbier and he's already looking more grown up.

Birth Session Video Link

Settling In

Well we have been a family of four almost two weeks now. We are all settled in and enjoying life every day. Not having much of an agenda is pretty great. Some days I have a list of things I want to get done and most days not everything gets crossed off that list but that's ok! The visitors have slowed down, Daddy is busy with work, & Grandma Gina had her knee surgery. I look forward to sharing Everett's birth story but that shall be a completely different post. We have definitely had a busy last couple of weeks. No slowing down for this Momma. Everett had his very first outing at 4 days old to his first Drs appointment. We are going to Illini Pediatrics (Dr Cangas) in Columbia and the first visit was amazing. I am extremely happy we chose to go there for both kids now. This was pre knee surgery for my Mom and pretty much our last outing together. Margaret was kind enough to watch Lainey so that I could focus on the little guy for the day. He weighed 6 lbs 6 oz so he lost 9 oz since birth weight. I look forward to going back this Friday for a weight check and seeing what he is up to. After the appointment we did a Walmart trip and ate lunch at Imo's. Everett completely missed all the fun and slept the entire rest of our outing. Which meant he was an absolute angel and didn't wake up (ready to eat) until right when we got home. Perfect timing! We have enjoyed several visitors at our house since coming home most with food in tow. Thank you to everyone for that.

 I did my first outing with just Mommy and both kids over to Sparta to my work. I noticed that the veins behind my right knee were feeling different than they did during my pregnancy. Their was suspicion that I might have a superficial clot but had to get ultrasound to confirm. The girls at work very much enjoyed the visit and meeting Everett. I'm sure it was especially fun for Ashley who loved rubbing my belly bump every single day I was at work & had scanned him in utero. Afterwards we stopped for an ice cream at DQ and then at Rhett's grandmother's house. It was a wonderful visit. Lainey tends to get very shy and timid especially around those she doesn't see often. Before we got to Grandma Jefferson's I explained that she didn't need to be shy and we were going to visit Daddy's Grandma. Within minutes of being there she was holding her hand, whipping out cartwheels like no other, and running around the house like she lived there. I was amazed! Everett #41 great grandchild (YES that's right!) just slept the whole visit. Grandma gave us a very nice quilt as a gift and I really enjoyed our time visiting. Soon we were on our way to the next stop which was to see my Mom at the Red Bud Hospital. I wasn't keen on visiting two hospitals in one day bc of germs but honestly it was totally fine. At my work we didn't have to sit in the waiting room at all and he never even got uncovered or out of the car seat the second go around. Lainey has a pretty awesome immune system so here's to hoping so does Everett. Plus how could we not visit Grandma Gina after her surgery. It was a very short visit but glad we stopped to say hi. She needed her rest anyways. Now my Mom is home and already moving around like a pro. Lainey keeps stating that since she got a new knee soon Gina will run with her in the yard and jump on her trampoline! Our day wouldn't have been complete without stopping at the park and enjoying the nice weather and playground. I am sad to say that typically I am never the one to take Lainey to parks. We just don't take the time to go into town and hit them up. Although my mom often takes her to different playgrounds and knows which ones are her favorite. During my 12 weeks off this Mommy is going to learn her favorites too especially once the weather cools off some. We had a crazy busy day and I was exhausted but I did it! I ventured out by myself with both kiddos and it wasn't bad at all.

Old Man Scrunch Face

I also got peed on for the first time when changing Everett's diaper. I'm learning I must be much faster. It also takes a bit longer to get things done with two vs one but I'm learning how to balance things. My daily vice is a good hot hot shower and I try to make it a point to get that every single day. Even if moments of the day were stressful and I feel like I'm going to lose it a shower just refreshes me. Big thank you to Daddy for always helping me out to get that. Lainey is loving being a big sister. She is always wanting to help Mommy and singing to her little brother. She enjoys holding him for about one minute and then she's usually done until a few minutes later when she wants to hold him again. Overall she is adjusting great. Everett had his newborn session done with Forever Young Photography. We did the pictures at our home which worked out well. Lainey was not real excited about taking pictures but in the end she cooperated and did a great job. I just got the gallery and they turned out really nice. I am excited to share them with everyone soon. So far Everett is a pro at nursing. Before you know it he won't be my little tiny sack of potatoes any more. He is the sweetest little thing. He likes to scrunch up his forehead at moments. I call it his old man scrunch face. Yesterday he laughed for the first time. Lainey was playing on her play set while I held him as he slept. It was pretty darn cute. His umbilical cord just fell off so he is ready for a real bath. The newborn clothes fit perfectly and they are so tiny. Mommy, Daddy, & big sister are enjoying spoiling and loving him every single second. I have a feeling these 12 weeks are going to fly by because 2 already have!

My beautiful angel girl

What Day Will Baby Arrive....

At work I insisted they make a calender with guesses on the baby's due date. I said depending on who wins will determine what the prize is!! I really am lucky and have a great group of people in our department. We have a lot of fun together. Obviously we are past several of the guesses for dates. So we play the waiting game now.

I had my 39 week appointment this past Friday and nothing exciting is happening yet. No signs of labor near. At my 39 week appointment with Lainey nothing was going on then either. I delivered her right after midnight day before my 40 week appointment. I would prefer to avoid induction so here's to hoping he decides to come sooner than later. I think I feel officially ready. (At least around the house and with my list of to do's)...Actually who am I kidding. I might possibly feel more nervous this time around. Fearing the unknown might be better than being clued in on what really happens. I'm a bit nervous as to how Lainey's reaction is going to be to the new addition. We have been discussing the baby quite often and it is always positive. She likes talking to my belly and rubbing it. I bought her a baby boy doll and that is going to be her gift from her little brother. She picked out a gift a while back for him. We still don't have an official name yet. The car seat and my bags are all in the vehicle ready to go. Rhett got the changing table all put together and it actually doesn't look half bad being white with the wood furniture. I survived working the night shift this past weekend. I joked to my mother in law that maybe my water would break while I pushed a stretcher down the hallway. I know several people that had similar due dates to mine and they ALL have had their little ones already. Overall I am saying come on baby boy we are ready to meet you and snuggle, kiss, cuddle, & love love love.

 

    

4 Weeks To Go!

The final countdown is on and it begins with 4 weeks to go until my due date. I delivered Lainey one day early so I hope that I am right on time with this baby as well. A lot has happened in the last two months concerning our new arrival. The baby room is officially vacant of anything related to a computer room. I didn't think it would happen but Rhett and Derek worked their butts off in the basement. The baby room is still not 100% ready but its getting there. The dressers that go with the crib we have are completely out of stock everywhere. When I ordered the crib in April I never anticipated this would happen. I wish I would've just gotten the dressers and stored in our shed but that's an after thought. Now I have a closet full of clothes in piles and no dressers. I'm going crazy!! I really have a kick butt collection of clothes for this kid. Mostly hand me downs ( free & extremely inexpensive) and I am loving it. I had a growth chart made for the baby's room and I can't wait to see it in person. I found two on etsy and pinterest I liked so had them combined. Super excited about it.

Also looking forward to hanging the two canvas I purchased and rearranging the furniture in the room. I feel like I'm finally getting it together. The car seat and diaper bag are ready to go too. My work schedule has been crazy the last couple months with different shifts than normal. One week I worked 4 different shifts. Talk about up and down and not a normal sleep schedule.

I feel pretty good overall. Other than the fact that this heat can take a hike and I'm so ready for October weather. Its by far my favorite. My right ankle is swelling a bit with my varicose vein/heat. Also getting heartburn quite often. I feel that I am carrying him high so contributing it to that. Recently I had a patient acknowledge my pregnancy first and that was really nice. Typically I am the one that makes conversation about it and brings it up first. One thing about my work schedule being different is I have had far less weekend shifts and that means less getting up at 3 am and working 12 hours=Awesomeness
I have still been working out with Darla about once a week. I am now to the point where I will go to my Dr's appointments on a weekly basis. It's just crazy how quickly it goes from once a month-every two weeks-weekly. I definitely feel pregnant now especially when sleeping. Rolling out of bed is interesting. I have been sneaking into Lainey's bed quite often for much needed space. She is more interested in sleeping in our bed still which is fine because it leaves hers vacant...for ME!!

Next week we will be doing my maternity pictures so looking forward to that. My sister helped me go through all my options and helped pick out what I'm wearing. I have stayed up to date on my belly book each week and documenting this pregnancy. I had a growth ultrasound week 33 and everything was just great. Baby measured 4 lbs 5 oz. and in 22% size. Maybe he is going to be tiny like his big sister was!! I failed my one hour glucose test week 26. That drink is so nasty. Instead of taking the 3 hour test ( because like I said that crap is nasty) I chose to check my blood sugar for two weeks. That was an interesting first few days of learning how to prick myself and work the little glucose monitor. I documented every single thing I ate for 2 whole weeks and all my levels 4 times a day. (fasting, breakfast, lunch, supper) All was well with my numbers. Then for the following two weeks I only had to check fasting twice a week and after a couple meals. I of course checked the fasting one every single day though because its me. Sylvia approved of all my numbers and said I officially did not have to check anymore and did not have gestational diabetes. Woo hoo! Very thankful I have not had to prick myself since.

The other day I asked Lainey what she thought baby boy was going to look like. She stated blond hair like me, brown eyes like Mommy, and short. Most people comment that she favors Rhett so I'm hoping he favors me! The girls at work threw me a little get together at the park one weekend. They are all so sweet. We didn't take a single picture though I am sad to say. Where was Grandma Gina?? I have my list all written down for things to take to hospital. I work the next 3 days but Tuesday when I get free time I may just pack  it all up to be prepared. Ready or not these 4 weeks are going to fly by!! Soon we will meet you precious little man and I just can't wait.

We Love You Already!! 

Growing up

The other day I was in the post office and Lainey was playing a game of hide and seek behind the rack of bubble wrap/mailers. The postal worker asked how old she was and when I replied 2 years 8 months she said oh my I thought you were going to say 3 or 4. I am happy I can still say 2 because just the thought of her being  3 & 4 makes me sad. When she turns 4 will she still say things like, "Tuggle (snuggle) me Mommy." "Your my best friend." I have no room left at all in her baby book to do monthly updates so here we go for the last couple months. My pretzel/noodle obsessed girl has had quite the busy summer so far.

First and most importantly we got a puppy. Cocoa Rainbow is the newest member of the family. I have taken to calling her Loco Cocoa lately. She is a sweet puppy and enjoys getting into Lainey's toys a little too much. It has been good practice for the baby teaching Lainey we don't choke the puppy and picking up her toys. Sometimes she calls the puppy her baby and even gave her a stroller ride one day. Drake (Cocoa's Daddy) who is 7 years old plays very well with her. Ammo (14 years) pretty much ignores her. He does let Cocoa lick his ears though. That is something Dakota used to do on a regular basis so its a positive! Mommy, Daddy, & Lainey went to the movies to see Finding Dory. I think that is her 3rd movie so far. Complete with popcorn, slushy, and m-n-m's overall it was fun. On the way to the theatre she fell asleep so we ended up buying tickets for an adult movie. Right before it was to start Lainey woke up so we hurried to switch screens and got lucky finding seats in the very back row. We attended a Cardinal's game (tickets courtesy of Rhett's boss). The seats were great! Very close and the evening weather was perfect. I think we may have spent more time getting food, going to the bathroom, and rearranging seats but it was a fun night. Thanks to Allie & Avrie for coming with us.

We attended a Mommy & Me cooking class at Eckart's. This consisted of blackberry picking and learning 3 new recipes. Lainey was a pro blackberry picker but we probably will wait until she is a bit older to go back for another cooking class.

One day my Mom asked if I had ever posed the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I actually had never asked this before so I went ahead and asked. Of all the answers to receive I did not think my child would respond a "Hunter". I thought this was a pretty funny answer. We do have dead animals mounted everywhere in our living room so I shouldn't be surprised. I'm pretty sure her Daddy thought it was a cute response. We attended the 4th of July parade/picnic in Steeleville. We didn't end up with much candy other than some flavored tootsie rolls since Lainey was very timid about picking it up. She pretty well stayed glued on my lap the whole time. Honestly it's probably better off too. Less sugar for her and me! At the picnic we had a huge moment when she rode her first carnival ride. We had done a carousal ride before so I'm not counting that. She has always been so shy and reluctant when it comes to bouncy houses, monkey joes, any type of ride including the small ones at Wal-mart. This is a kid that is in love with her trampoline and jumping. She stated that she wanted to ride the cars with Avrie so I thought we would give it a shot. Surprisingly it went awesome and I was the crazy Mom going ape shit crazy taking pictures, video, smiling from ear to ear, and waving to her. All Avrie wanted was to ride the orange motorcycle. Bless her heart because she settled for the blue car with a partner.Thank you so much to Allie for having her ride with Lainey because I don't think she would've done it by herself the first time. A bit later she did indeed ride it by herself though. She's growing up and getting braver!

In the evening we went to Valmeyer for fireworks and although last year she enjoyed them this year she did not. She stated that she only liked the little ones. Recently we have made good progress with the computer/baby rooms and this also meant changes for Lainey's room. The mattress for her toddler bed got moved into the baby's crib which meant we needed to purchase a full size mattress. Let's be honest though she currently sleeps with us. Now that she has a full sized bed in her room the goal is to get her in it. She was extremely excited about converting it into the "big girl bed". It really makes her room seem so much more grown up. Not sure if we will change the theme of the room yet or just buy solid sheets and pillow cases for now. Proof that she really did sleep in it by herself for a few hours!!!

This girl is loving the water this summer. We have made one trip to the OFallon splash pad and hope to get back before baby arrives. She has also enjoyed the sprinkler, pools, and swimming in our lake. Between Rhett getting sand delivered-Jaimee & Will bringing back a ton of sea shells from Florida we have our own little beach.

Lainey and I spend quite a bit of time together just the two of us but she & Daddy also have their own one on one time. Lately they have been going to feed the pet deer at Grandpa Simpson's. They also are the produce pickers from our garden. One Sunday morning while I was at work I received the sweetest picture and message from Rhett. It said "Someone wants to go to church." Typically she #1 never wants me to brush her hair. #2 would probably prefer to stay in underwear rather than get dressed. #3 waking up early for something is a struggle #4 refuses to let me take her picture without bribery. Not for big Daddy! He said that she hopped right out of bed and totally cooperated. After church they went to breakfast at Lisa's with my parents. I don't think it gets any better than that. Seeing your husband being an involved and loving father is truly wonderful. Looking forward to the next chapter in our lives with little Bon Jovi arriving.

                                               
                                                  We enjoyed celebrating Bailea's 1st Birthday!!!!

                                                  Lots of Fun Time spent with Grandma Gina!!!!!

Hello 3rd Trimester!

3rd trimester I am welcoming you with open arms! One thing I am not welcoming is the hot summer weather. I might possibly melt before this baby comes out, live exclusively inside for the next 15 weeks, or just be naked 24/7 inside the confines of my home. I might be exaggerating just a little but I think the older I get the more I dislike hot weather. Lainey & I might be spending a lot of time in the lake to cool off.

Life is as busy as ever. I'm not sure how people do all this with more than one kid...lol Soon enough I will be finding out though. I am so thankful for my Mom because I would be truly lost without her help. Not only are we lucky enough that she watches Lainey while I'm at work but she never hesitates to help Rhett if he needs something. Whether it is a ride, food, running an errand...We are blessed to live close to all our family but most importantly her. Thank You MOM for everything you do. Their are not enough words in the world to express how much we appreciate you.

Video of the little bit opening & closing mouth

Baby Bon Jovi now weighs approx 1 lb 10 oz. Growing growing growing!!! I have been feeling more movement which is such a delight. I finally got all the junk out of closet in baby room. It is amazing how much stuff is accumulated in 8 years. Their is actually a floor in it. Hallelujah. I have also began quite a collection of shoes & clothes from yard sales. I didn't think boy clothes would be near as much fun as girl clothes but the little plaid shirts are too cute. I ordered a crib and big Daddy got it all set up already. Thank you to my husband who endures all the honey do projects I throw at him while he is extremely busy with his farm work. Lainey even enjoyed some crib jumping after I set up her mattress in it. The bedding looks great along with the curtain. Next item to get for the bedroom is dressers. Construction began on the computer room & bathroom in basement. Rhett & his friend spent an entire Saturday working and got quite a bit accomplished. Things are moving in the right direction and electric/plumbing are next.

I am still feeling good minus a yucky varicose vein that has reappeared on my right leg. I had it during my first pregnancy so not surprised it is back. This was so random but I did get nauseous one day and threw up. That is the second time this pregnancy that has happened. Thanking my lucky stars because two times was enough for this momma. I have continued to work out on Fridays at Design Fitness with Darla. I do tire much easier but after each workout I am proud of myself for what I achieved in those 45 minutes. I wish I could I say that I started back up on Tuesday & Thursday mornings but sleep always wins. Last week we worked on bench pressing and I actually was able to do 100 lbs. Only 4 reps but it was after 10 reps each time of consecutive weights starting at 50 lbs and increasing each time. Have to get these arms ready for this baby boy! We will see how long I last but hoping to continue as long as possible.

My most recent appointment was at the new Memorial East building in Shiloh. I am not sure yet if will deliver there but I did get the grand tour. Everything looks very nice. The office is much smaller than Belleville Memorial and was so laid back and quiet. It was wonderful. The whole facility opened on a Tuesday and my appointment was that Friday. All was well and go back this upcoming Friday for 26 weeks. I am not looking forward to the glucose test that I will need to take soon. After this appointment I will begin going every two weeks instead of four. That is scary to think already to that point. I have a lot on my to do list before this little boy makes his appearance.

The only picture I took all day on her 2 1/2 year Birthday!! Not sure why the pout because she was very happy with her slushy and new baby doll. 

This post has been all over the place so to complete it just a little review on our sweet Lainey Nicole. She is officially 2 1/2 years old now although if you ask her she replies with 1. Already fibbing about her age! She is in love with playing outdoors especially on playgrounds, the number 19, all animals, play dough, stickers, strawberry Popsicles from the Schwans Guy, popcorn, Barney, balls, and jumping on the trampoline.
Dislikes include taking a bath, getting her hair brushed, most men, leaving Grandma Margaret's when it is time to go home, Grandma Gina going home, bugs, brushing teeth, and going to sleep at a decent hour. She does go to bed late but sleeps in quite late too. This is great for now but when preschool arrives in a few years hopefully we have a better schedule.
This girl talks like crazy now. The things that come out of her mouth are so sweet and a hoot. The other day she had a ball up to her ear and she was telling me how she could hear the ocean. It was apparently a makeshift sea shell. One day after I got home from work she said, " I missed you today Mommy....so much." The so much is what killed me. The sentences just make her seem so grown up. At the end of any Barney episode when the I Love You song plays she always always has to give a hug & kiss while she sings it. She can spell her name now which my Mom & I have been working on! She can be extremely timid and shy one moment but yet so outgoing and open the next. She is such a joy and I know she is going to be a great big sister. Just wish time would slow down a bit but don't we all!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day complete with freshly picked roses by Rhett (from our landscaping) and a mushy hand written card that def brought out the tears. This is one blessed Mama.



 

Halfway There!

I am officially halfway through this pregnancy! Hard to believe 20 weeks down and 20 to go. I def would have to say that the first half has flown by. Lets hope the second half slows down just a tad. I'm so excited to meet my little Mr but savoring the moments with my sweet Lainey as my baby. The work has not begun yet on room in basement so baby room is still a computer room upstairs. I know it will happen eventually though. It's a busy time of year around here. I am just so anxious to have everything set up and ready way ahead of time like the first go around.

One thing I do have taken care of is getting the bedding and theme of room picked out. It is of course going to be farming!! I could not find any bedding at all that I liked so I got lucky enough to find someone to custom make it for me. It was a bit of a challenge deciding on which fabrics I liked best and hoping it would all turn out. I have such a hard time visualizing and I am the worst on making decisions. Thank goodness my sister helped me A LOT.  I would be lost without her help on all and everything in between. Also the girl that made it for me was great at giving me options and ideas. I don't have it in person yet but have a few pictures to share! It will also come with a curtain valence and changing pad cover. It's probably hard to see but on the dotted fabric it includes little white apples and on the other is farm animals/barns/farmer. Extremely excited and happy!

 The top rail cover is reversible!

 

Etsy has the cutest ideas for wall decor and I am in love with these two pictures. Some of the colors will be adjusted to match the bedding. Still not sure what we are doing for furniture as far as buying whole new set or moving Lainey's stuff into baby room and doing something different for her.

 

 

I had a Drs. appointment at 18 weeks which went very well. Lainey & my Mom tagged along. I had told Lainey ahead of time she would be meeting Sylvia ( who brought her into this world). As we waited in the wating room to go back to an exam room Lainey kept saying, "Where's the baby? I like Sylvia. Sylvia is so nice." She kept saying these three things over and over. I think she thought we were going to get her brother. Sylvia showed her little dolls different sizes of babys at specific weeks. Then she would hide the baby under her belly and explained just like Mommy. This went ok at first but then Lainey freaked out a bit. She gets a bit shy and I prob should've warned Sylvia of this but I didn't. It was all good though because after hearing the heartbeat my appointment was then over and Lainey got a sucker so she was happy as a clam. A few weeks later one day Lainey told me- Mommy their is a ballon in my tummy. Momentarily I started to flip out thinking she had swallowed a non blown up balloon but then quickly realized she was imitating what Sylvia had shown her that day. I am so excited to take her to the big sibling class before our little man arrives.

 

I had my 20 week ultrasound with this awesome lady right here! (It was really 19 weeks but who's counting) She also scanned Lainey throughout that pregnancy so it was a lot of fun for her to scan this time around too. Working with your friends really is the best. The ultrasound went well and everything looked great with baby boy. I measured spot on 19 weeks and he is approx 9 oz. I got a ton of fun pictures too. I have to say he looks quite handsome already! Lots of movement and always putting his hands up in front of face.

 

 

 I first felt movement at 18 weeks 6 days. I was sitting in the chair in Lainey's room which soon enough I will rock that sweet baby in while I nurse him. It was very distinct and I knew exactly what it was. Since I have felt some movement off/on but not on a regular basis. I have worn a maternity shirt couple times just for fun but pretty well all of my tops still fit fine. I am loving my maternity leggings and jeans though. Very comfy! I have started accumulating boy clothes and can't wait to get them all organized. Have had a few cravings lately including lemonade, cheeseburgers, and subway. Overall all is good in my pregnancy bubble. 

 

Here are some of our 3D pictures from 19 week scan.

     

 

 

BLUE FOR BOY!!!



 

It's A............

I am pretty excited to share our news about little Bon Jovi being a..... I have known for quite a while but just never have taken the time to sit down and write about it. When we revealed with Lainey that it was a girl I made cupcakes and delivered to family members. Having a party and getting all family together is sometimes impossible. This time I figured it would be just as easy to make cupcakes again. Not too original but still fun and super easy. They look pretty cute!

I am happy to say that I get to now be a BOY Mom too!!!! Everyone dug into the cupcakes and the kids really enjoyed them. Allie, Rhett, his parents, my Mom, & sister of course were the first to know

 pre-cupcakes. Rhett was very excited to tell his Mom & Dad. The boy clothes buying has begun and I've also added a decent amount of cloth diapers to my stash. Daddy says he can wear all the girlie ones but what fun would that be to not buy any new ones. I probably should sell some of my older ones to justify but who knows if a #3 comes along that could be a girl. Bon Jovi could totally stick now for a name!! Just kidding!! We called Lainey "Belinda" from the moment we knew she was a girl. It's funny how these names come about. I have a feeling the name is not going to be decided until baby boy arrives into this world. I am completely fine with that too. Not saying we don't have a list going with ideas. We totally couldn't decide the first time around until about 12 hours after she was born.

Looking back now I probably should have made it a point to get a picture of Rhett & I with the cupcakes. I was so excited taking them of everyone else. My Mom even managed to get a shot of my brothers & Dad! It looks like Napoleon is trying to sneak a bite too. No shortage of nieces and nephews to eat them. 

I am now 17 weeks and the time really is flying by. I'm always hungry and tired but otherwise feel great. Not really anything else "baby" to report for now. I think this picture of the girls shows how excited we all are to meet the little mister.