Pregnant Review

I really love being pregnant.  It's a blessing, a miracle, and really...a joy.  However, it's true what they say: after the first experience of being pregnant, learning everything for the first time, and not having to run around after any other children...you get over the joy of being pregnant a lot faster.  Yep, I'm there. I'm healthy, feel fine, and am just truckin' along, but I'm ready to meet her.
I have been horrible at keeping track of my growing tummy this time around and haven't really written anything during my time of being pregnant.  BUT, I will recap the major highlights and show some pictures of things going on in our life...

In March, I surprised Matt with a little getaway, just the two of us.  Before life with two girls became our for real life, I thought it would be fun to do something, just us.  We went to St. Louis and had just the best time.  We felt like young, married kids.  We went to the Budweiser Brewery, we ate at great little restaurants, we went to the Delmar Loop, we got massages, we walked around and stayed up late. We stayed in a cool hotel and even met up with our friend Nicole for a drink late one night.  It was all we could have asked for in the trip.  It was the perfect getaway.  I am so thankful for that trip and it's one I will look back on fondly. (Of course, we must have been having too much fun..we hardly took any pictures.  Next time.)

As much as "touring" isn't really our thing, the Budweiser Tour was really good.  We enjoyed it.  You have to do it once in your life, right?

We ate at 360, a bar/restaurant on the top of a building where you could see all over STL.  It was great weather, great food, and super great company. :)

Our church had its first annual Daddy-Daughter Dance in honor of our wonderful pastor Joey.  It was country western theme.  Matt and Siena went for a bit...so cute.

Pappa turned 60!  We weren't able to travel (even though I wanted to get back and surprise him so bad!) because of the long trip and me being 8.5 months pregnant.  But, Pappa came to us for a short bit, and that was a real treat!  We took him out downtown for a nice dinner and Siena and I made him a cake for his birthday too. :)

At school, we had a school spirit week.  One of the days was Twin Day.  My team thought it would be cute to ALL be pregnant.  This picture just makes me laugh...

Easter was celebrated at Linda and JD's house.  All the family and kids came over.  The little ones went searching for eggs and goodies.  It was a beautiful day.  Gotta capture the Easter Dress!

Our precious family of 3...and a half! :)

A few randoms...and yet, ever so sweet:

Siena came up to school during my last week (before having Livvy!) to see the baby chicks that hatched in the 1st grade hallway.  It didn't seem all that long ago that we were doing this same thing...a YEAR ago!!  Wow.

We went to the zoo a couple weeks before I was due.  Just trying to fit in things with Siena before Livvy arrived.  Nothing like trying to walk the baby out!  The zoo is huge and it was SO hot that day.  But it sure was fun! :)

The best animal at the zoo - Nakita!!

May 12, our dear cousins Marcus and Jodie got married!  They asked Matt and Siena to both be in the wedding.  Obviously, it was all depending on if Livvy came early or not.  I wanted to be there so bad, but since she didn't come early, Matt and Siena flew to GR the 4 days before my due date.  Siena was a super-precious flower girl and Matt a groomsman.  From what I hear, the wedding was beautiful and everything went smooth!  And ME?  Well, I sat on the couch and didn't move much.  Livvy was NOT coming out while they were gone!  Thanks for staying curled up there, Livvy!

Mother's Day, 2012!  In just a few days...I get to meet the other little one who will make me a Momma!  Best gift ever.  Love my girls.

In preparation for Livvy, there wasn't much to do in her room!  Siena moved to her big girl bed and new room.  Livvy got the baby room (with new letters).  We put the crib back in there and got a little extra help from Siena.  She also thought it would be a good idea to "test" the crib for her sister - make sure it was comfy.  I think it passed the test! :)

And now we wait for Livvy...

Announcing...

It is with no greater joy that Matt, Siena and I announce...

OUR FAMILY IS GROWING BY TWO FEET!!!!

Yep, we are having a baby!! We are so very excited and are blessed to be able to have another child in our life. Siena has been more of a blessing and joy than we could have ever dreamed. We can't wait to meet the newest member in May and watch as our family grows in love, happiness, and craziness!!! :)

Here's our story:

After Siena turned 2, we thought maybe we'd try to have another baby! We were excited about the idea, but weren't planning on having an easy road. We just didn't know and didn't want to assume anything. We called our Specialist to get some information and to see what our next step would be. We met with Dr. Stewart (whom we love!) and his response was basically you can decide what it looks like for you guys. We could try a few things that didn't work for us last time or we could cut straight to the chase and go with what worked and gave us Siena. We left the appointment excited and hopeful that something wonderful would come out of this.

Come to find out...we were pregnant when we went to the appointment and had NO idea. I took a test one morning before hopping in the shower, not really thinking much of it. How many have I taken and seen only 1 line! When I got out of the shower to look, Matt was waiting on the bed, ready to go to work that Monday morning. I peeked out from around the wall and just looked at him. He looked back at me and all we could do was giggle and say, "No way!" Nothing like God putting you in your place and saying, "See...watch what I can do!!" Yep. We were pregnant - all on our own. That was September 11, 2011.

I called the Specialist back that morning and her response was, "Weren't you just in here a couple days ago...we didn't do anything! Way to go - congratulations!!!!" We got the bloodwork done to confirm and had an ultrasound to make sure things looked good! All was great!! We were pregnant and due May 15!!!

From there, we set up appointments downtown with St. Luke's and got the ball rolling! We got Siena a Big Sister shirt (and told Siena it was her ABC shirt until we didn't care if the whole world knew - a secret is NOT safe with her!) and spread the news to the grandparents that way. Everyone was super excited - us being on the top of the list.

A couple weeks later, after we heard that precious heartbeat, we told Siena what all the excitement was about and how her world was going to change! For a 2-year-old brain, she seemed very excited and was bound and determined that it was a BOY. Why, we asked. "Because I'M the girl...that's the boy." Okay, well, there you have it. Since that initial reaction, she has gone back and forth about what she thinks "Mommy baby" is going to be. For the first while, it was all boy. Then, it switched to girl. Then it was one of each. :)

I felt great throughout the entire process. No real cravings to speak of. I thought I had a craving for about a week when greasy cheeseburgers sounded good. But, sometimes, when don't those sound good?! I thought that meant I was having a boy. When that subsided and didn't really last, and I realized how good I felt - just like with Siena, I started thinking it was another girl. Either way, we would have been thrilled. Seriously. A boy would have been a wonderful change and something different. A girl would mean Siena would have a sister. The best gift any girl can be given. So, we were good either way.

The week of Christmas, we were able to sneak in and have a doctor's appointment to find out the sex of the baby and check all the major organs and measurements. We didn't tell anyone about our appointment and thought it would be perfect for a Christmas present! Everything looked super healthy with our little darling. The heart looked good, the measurements came out right, the spine and head were great...we were so thrilled for that! A super healthy little baby. No better words. (I do have a case of placenta previa, which after finding out what that really means, is not a big deal and we will find out more about that later.)

Drum roll, please..............

WE ARE HAVING A...GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

The second we found out, we were thrilled. Siena gets a sister. We know what to do with girls. We are having a baby girl! Yeah!! When we told Siena she was having a baby sister, she seemed to love the idea. And to hear Siena talk about her baby sister is precious. Our two girls are going to be exactly the same age apart that my sister and I are. My sister is my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without her. To think that Siena and her little sister will have that same opportunity is more of a blessing that I think I can even imagine right now.

Now, it's January 21 and I am over halfway there already! Man, it goes fast. It's true when people say that the second time around just flies by! I don't just sit around and wonder (and worry) about every little thing. And because I have felt so great (aside from being a little tired that first trimester), I just carry on with our daily routine and run after a 2-year-old!

I popped out quick with this one. I felt like I showed a lot faster. However, then I started to mellow out and didn't feel like I looked as pregnant as I was far along. Just in the past week, I feel like that is all evening out and I am feeling more and more pregnant. The whole bending down and putting on shoes and sitting on the floor thing is getting to me a bit more. Nature of the beast, right?!

Now we're thinking ahead to names (which is hard the second time around!) and getting Siena in a new room and what our summer is going to look like...and all kinds of other fun things. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's actually happening and that we're going to have 2 little girls running around before we know it! WOW! How blessed are we...

To close, I think about the sweet moments with my girls. Siena prays for "Mommy Baby" every day. Siena talks to my tummy and will pull my shirt up to talk right at my belly button. She talks about sharing her toys (that remains to be seen) and showing her how to walk and go "peeps on the potty". She yells out that she's going to be a big sister in public places (yes, as in Papa Murphy's pizza). I can't wait. These two girls are helping shape my life as I type. I can't wait to meet this little love and watch her nuzzle her way into our family and make herself right at home. We love you, little darling. You are a gift from God and we love you dearly. Enjoy your time in there...for when you come out, it will not be as peaceful and quiet. You've got a wild ride ahead of you! :)

Major Highlights.

Okay, I feel like lots of posts have a disclaimer in front of them, and I comment on the fact that I have been bad about keeping up...this is a record. I have not written in FOREVER!! And SO much has been going on - hence the reason for my MIAness. It's one of those things that I think about and tell myself I want to do and keep up with...and then it doesn't get done. And with all that has been going on in our lives these past months, there are a million things to catch up on! I know I won't be able to document the little things that have happened, which makes me sad...those are moments I don't want to forget either! But unless I decide to just give up on this thing all together, I have to just hit the highlights. I mean, for pete's sake, I missed all the holidays! Those are the picture times, right?! The moments you have to record! And here I am, mid-January...haven't talked about Halloween yet! Ugh. Here we go.

Matt had another good football season! They performed well and were proud of what they did on the field. Their season got cut a little shorter than they hoped, but were proud of their highlight, beating South! I had to get in at least one photo of the season...and Daddy's biggest fan!

Opa came to visit and we always love when family comes in town! We had a short, but very sweet stay with him (he was traveling through on business). We made the most of our time, as usual, and even got some time outside...it was so nice out! Opa got crafty and even made Siena a puppet stage for her new critters from Opa. Coley, Simo, Radar, and Kit Kat were the stars of the show!! Thanks Opa! We love when you're here!!

Halloween, Siena was Minnie Mouse! We went to Target (our very favorite store) and I went up and down the aisles with Siena for her to look at the different choices. She came up with Minnie. A perfect choice for her. We went to Robert and Sharon's house and walked around their neighborhood a little bit with Andrew, Kayla, and Isaac. A few houses and we called it good. She's still young enough when after 10 houses we can go back in and watch Monday Night Football and there are no complaints from her. :)

Moving right along...Thanksgiving! Due to a shorter football season than State, we made our way to Michigan for the holiday. A very smooth drive up there and a wonderful time spent with family. There's not enough time in the day to write about how great it is to spend time up there and be with the people I love most in this world. It's great to get Siena around them and to relax with family. We started out the "long weekend" with Pappa and Joyce. Delicious food, good conversations, late nights, laughs upon laughs...that's what we do there! The rest of the time was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's house with ALL the family. Again, late nights, card games, good conversations, football, great food...hello! Doesn't get better than that! Siena loves to be with Opa and Oma and keep them on their toes. Building fires, going to the zoo, eating multiple Olive Burgers and Yesterdogs. The good stuff. And at Great Grandma's house - there are lots of young people that can wear Siena of some of her energy. Thank goodness for Bryce and Lily, my youngest cousins! They saved this tired Momma from lots of running around. Everyone did for that matter...maybe that's why it's so great to be around family! :) Unfortunately, there aren't tons of photos to capture the moments of Thanksgiving, but one yearly tradition was...the annual family football game. They're vicious!
Winners...
Losers...
Opposing teams...and yet, teammates in their ability to be ridiculous?!
Bryce and Lily - the two people that can keep up with Siena best!! :)

Siena and Grammie - football fans!

After getting home from Michigan after Thanksgiving, we were in full swing of getting to Christmas! It's amazing (every year!) how that time flies! We were bound and determined to get our fresh Christmas tree up with enough time to enjoy it before we left for Michigan again. So a few days after Thanksgiving, we found the most perfect tree and got her up and decorated. Siena was very excited about her own Christmas tree in her room. She got to decorate it with the ornaments that she wanted and have colorful lights on it and everything! She was a happy girl!




Sinterklaas came to town on December 5! Siena put out her wooden shoe to make sure she got a few treats for being a good girl. Usually you give the horse some carrots. We were fresh out of carrots, so parsley and biscuits were going to have to do! I don't think the horse minded...Siena found a few Dutch treats in her shoe the next morning!

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we celebrated 7 years of marriage! What a treat it is to spend my life with Matt. He's a wonderful husband whom I love dearly. He makes me better and I'm as happy to be married to him now as I was in the little chapel in Michigan that snowy December evening. Cheers to 7 years - and Fogo de Chao...and a late night free coffee stop at Rumor's on the way home. Love you, babe!

It was also imperative that we go to see Santa! This year Siena has really embraced this man in the red suit. She was bound and determined to sit on his lap and tell him what a good girl she had been. Last year she wanted nothing to do with him, so we were thrilled to hear that she wanted to meet with him! Bass Pro, once again, was the hotspot for Santa. She dressed up in her pretty dress and was ready to meet him. We asked her what she was going to tell Santa she wanted for Christmas...her response: "A pogo stick and a candy cane!" A. I have no idea where a pogo stick came from. Not sure she would know what to do with that or where she got that idea in the first place. B. A candy cane was a sure fix for Santa - nothing like instant gratification for Siena! Good job, Santa! The experience was pleasant and we enjoyed the company of Grandma and Grandpa too!

Then, Christmas Break! We started our time off up in Michigan. The first part was spent with Opa and Oma. It's always a magical time at Christmas - and being there adds to the "wonderfulness" of it. We weren't busy, we weren't rushed...it was just perfect. The first couple days were pretty normal and low key. We ran errands, did a little shopping, and just took it easy. After all, those first couple days off are needed to just unwind from the busyness of school! Then, on Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a tiny bit of snow (that's all we got this year!), attempted to slide down the front hill a couple times, went to Christmas Eve service, ate a super delicious meal, and then started the fun of opening presents and stockings by the fire till late in the night. Siena got to open hers first, before she was off to bed. We never think it's going to take as long as it does...but before you know it, it's 2:00 in the morning and we're still going! Worth every minute of it and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Those are sacred times that I look forward to every year.

There wasn't much, but beggars can't be choosers! We went for it! And Siena got her first (hopefully not last) sled in of the season!

Christmas Day starts the second half of the Michigan trip and we're off to Great Grandma and Grandpa's house. Everyone meets there and from then on, we're in relax mode and just hanging out with family. We did a "white elephant" (with good gifts) exchange this year to try something new. We ended up with a beautiful painting of The Point (Up North) made by Heather and some darling Anthro bowls that are too sweet. A couple Euchre tournaments, many rounds of food, puzzles, games, football games on TV, and good conversation took the rest of the time. We had a Christmas get together with Kim, Kellie, Brad and the gang before we left too. That's always a fun time with little ones running around everywhere!!! It was everything we were hoping our time up there would be.

Siena getting a pretty princess dress for Christmas - complete with "magic magic poof" wand, crown, and pink heels!

Siena helped Great Grandpa (and everyone else, for that matter) open his Christmas present.
Cute story. We went to meet Mom up at the hospital for lunch a couple days before Christmas. At the gift shop, Mom bought Siena a balloon puppy. This puppy, who was named Finky, was the cutest balloon you have ever seen. It had string legs and just enough air that when Siena held the balloon by the "leash" it set on the floor and looked like she was walking a real dog. She ran all through the hospital with that dog! For the next few days, Finky was the family pet! Hands down, the most wonderful pet 2 parents could ask for...all the playing fun and none of the hassle of a real dog! Everyone was happy!! :)

Wednesday morning we headed back home to celebrate the holiday with Grandma and Grandpa back in KC. We spent a few days with them and pretended to wake up all over again Christmas morning. Matt set up a flag football game with friends from high school, college, and now. They had a great time pretending they were young again! We had a great time with Robert and Sharon and it was special to veg out with them too...

I can't say I quite know what's going on here, but she sure has the Christmas spirit!

New Year's Eve! This year, we decided no kids! The Sterlings, Whitworths, Meyers and us decided we were going to pretend to be young for a night and have fun without our little ones. We did a murder mystery dinner party and had a BALL! We all came dressed the part and had to figure out who done it. Matt was a goth, pessimistic videographer. I was an actress who thought she had it going on...but didn't. Oh, we laughed...a lot. We had fondue, snacks, and delicious beef tenderloin. There was nothing not to like about that evening. We love our friends dearly and they make doing life a whole lot more fun. Happy 2012!!!

And there you have it. The most eventful time of the year, captured in January, in very short snippets. I guess I have to just get over that. At least it's there, sorta. I really am going to try...
We were very blessed in 2011. God richly blessed our marriage, our child, our work, our play...God was very faithful to us. We have so much to be thankful for and pray that 2012 is no less of a blessing and learning experience. Until next time...

Girly Moments

Siena is becoming quite the "princess" these days and has lots of avenues to be a true girl! It's fun to see her come into her own and really start finding her own personality and character! Here are a few examples in the past while...
I'm not sure how this opportunity first came about, but Siena has had the privilege of going to some photo shoots with Hallmark. Through a few different connections, she has had 3 outings with them! The very first one was for Father's Day greeting cards sold at WalMart. Her and Matt (and I, as moral support) went out to a park in Kansas to capture some "Daddy/Daughter bonding" moments behind the camera. We had no idea how she would do, if she would like it, if they would like her...but everything went better than expected! She loved every moment of it - I guess when you're the center of attention and you get to wear cute clothes, why not, right?! She listened to direction well, had fun with Matt (which made for great photos), and held it together for 2 hours! We were impressed with her! She did great. Apparently, Hallmark did too. She was called back a few weeks later to do another photo shoot for a different set of greeting cards. This one seemed even more of a "big deal" because they were staged in a beautiful house, with wardrobe, lighting, more people on staff, and it was really great! They were teaming up with Disney, so Siena got to hold a Mickey Mouse the whole time, which for her - major score! She did great!! She kept it together for over 2 hours and minded really well. I do have to quote one thing she said, which really gave the Hallmark crew a laugh. We were just about finished and we were outside doing some photos by a tree. We were in the middle of the shoot and she said, "Hold on...wait...I need to take a break..." while putting her hands on her knees and acting out of breath. Yes, as if she owns the place and is really working hard. Oh my. But they laughed, so I guess that's a good sign right? She went to one more with Matt a few weeks after that and I guess did a great job with that one too. Both Matt and I promised each other that if she started to not enjoy herself or if it became a problem, we would stop going. But, up until this point, she has had a lot of fun doing it and doing really well with the shoots. So, for now, way to go! Proud of you girl!


Siena, Matt and I also had the opportunity to attend a Princess Party held at Valley View. This was the first we had heard of this event and we jumped at the opportunity. Everyone we mentioned it to said how great it was and what a fun time their girls had going to it. Siena dressed up in her pretty princess/church dress and headed to the Party! We were NOT disappointed! It was darling! They went all out to decorate the place. It no longer looked like a school (or our church)...it was a fairytale princess land with sparkles, crowns, and fun activities around every corner! Siena got to meet the Tooth Fairy, get her make-up done, get her picture taken with princesses, watch the princesses sing their movie songs, make a crown, a bracelet, decorate a cookie...there were so many things to see and do! We could not have asked for a more enjoyable party to attend! This will certainly be a tradition we try to uphold. So sweet. (As a side note, another really sweet thing was that Matt was one of the only dads that went with his little princess to the party. He had so much fun with her and it was fun to watch the two of them together. He's such a great daddy and so supportive of his little girl. Love him!)


Siena's favorite princess, Tiana! Miss Tiana was walking by Siena and she stopped her to see if she could have a picture with her.

Writing a letter to the Tooth Fairy...maybe a few years early, but a little practice never hurt anyone!

Who wouldn't pick up that pretty princess in a carriage!
Siena and her PRINCE!

Very serious...she means business when it comes to make-up!

The Things She Says...

As a parent, there are probably a million things we find funny when raising a child. And usually, those are the very things that no one else gets...let alone finds funny. I get that - and am fully aware. However, for my own record, I just have to write some of these things down. My memory is not my strongest quality (by far) and I know that before I know it, these memories with fade with the new things I'm sure she'll come up with. So...bear with me. But take it from me, these stories in person are really great.
So, my last post was about potty training, and I said I wouldn't talk much more about it, but this is hilarious. When Siena has to go #2, we go into the bathroom and I sit her down. She looks at me and says, "Momma, I need my 'privacies!'" I answer with a dumbfounded, "You need your privacy?" "Yes, get out of the bathroom, please!". What else is a mother to do in that situation...get out of the bathroom! Not two seconds later, when I think she is going to want me back in there, she says, "Momma, I need a book!". Yes, this situation really happened. And it happens every time she has to go. Go with it, right? Take this to the next level now. We are at a football game and in a public bathroom. She says the same thing to me, which I have to inform her that I am not going to leave her in the stall by herself. So, she tells me to turn around!! Whose kid is this?! There I sit, in the corner of the stall, turned around so that I can't watch my two-year-old go to the bathroom. And then she tells me that she's trying not to fall into the big potty. Seriously. To be a stranger in the stall next to us. I can't make stuff up this good. That's a classic.
Another fun thing these days is our Thursday nights. Thursday night the "boys come over". Matt's position players come over for spaghetti and meatballs every Thursday. Siena has come to look forward to these dinners. She loves those boys! The boys are really good with her and give her the attention she so needs from these really cool boys. So, as the season has gone along, she now knows their names, asks about them all week, and cheers for them at the games. In fact, one particular game, she looked at me and said, "Momma, I love Dante.". This was a huge surprise to me as I didn't know she knew to love anyone else other than her Momma and Daddy! I told her that she better not tell her Daddy that after the game (knowing full well that she would...or I would for her). So, when she told Matt after the game, he cleverly said, "You can only love Daddy and Grandpa. Not Donte.". So, from the on, she said, "I like Donte, I no love Donte." Out of the mouth of babes. Yes, it's cute now. When we're reading these posts 10 years from now, and she's saying the same thing, maybe not so funny. :)
Love that girl...and her antics!

PT!!!

I don't want to be one of those moms that talks about her kid's bodily functions all the time...who really wants to hear that anyway? I don't even want to hear about my own kid's nastiness, so I will spare most of the details...
However, there is one exception. And if you have ever gone through this experience, and succeeded, you know...it's worth the conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, Siena may officially be potty trained. There, I said it. I'm almost scared to post this due to the fact that last winter I also thought we were there. But this time, I think it's the real deal. Can you even believe it?!
Every once in a while, I would get brave and tale Siena to the store in panties or other places in public...to test her out. Most of the time, she did great. No major embarrassing moments. Or, unknown to me, Matt would stick her into the children's nursery at church with panties on and just hope for the best. That's riskier than I would have been, but that's why I love our partnership...and Siena rose to the challenge. But we wanted more than just "crossing our fingers and praying we wouldn't get mortified in public". :)
I guess it's true when they say it's really about when the KID is ready...not the parents. She really just decided one day that it was her time. She gets a "giddle" (skittle) for going "peeps" on the potty and a "sucka" for goings poops. I am sorry to share all that. And judge me if you like, but I was just about ready to do anything to get her trained. We'll work on getting off the "giddles" and suckers soon.
Oh, and one other thing about the training...I have always been told that you have to find something the child totally wants and is motivated by. The candy wasn't cutting it for a while, so I tried something else. At a consignment sale the other week I found a super cheap Leap Pad with a bunch of books. I thought she would totally love it. And I was right, especially the Dora and the Princess stories. So I went with it. If she had a dry day at Grandma and Grandpa's house all day, she got to play with Leap at night when we got home. She was super pumped to play with Leap, Lily, and Tad. So for a week, out of nowhere, she was dry! Mission accomplished!! That worked and now she just goes when she needs to and plays with Leap when she wants. It is lovely.
I am sure there are other horror stories that totally overshadow this one (and this one isn't even that bad), but to each his own. I think we got it. We'll disregard the little sickness she got right after getting trained and we had to put her back in a diaper for a week because, well, she just couldn't hold what was coming out. Oh, gross...I have crossed the line. I am done and that's over.
Congratulations, Siena!! Momma and Daddy are so very proud of you!! Way to go, girl! As you can tell, Siena is quite proud of herself too! As you should be, sweetheart...