You Are My Sunshine

We have had such great weather (up to 80 degrees) until today. Today was rainy and now it's cold again. Kendall did however, get to wear a summer dress for a few days.

It's a Belly, It's a baby, It's a....shelf?

Please disregard the double bad hair day

Stop the Madness

You know that disturbing scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where they are floating down the chocolate river and they enter this tunnel and suddenly they are speeding out of control and all these images flash on the tunnel's ceilings and walls? I always hated that part. However, it is an accurate example of what my brain does when I'm trying to sleep. It zooms from one thought to the next out of control and it's impossible to fall asleep; images flash and then disappear to be replaced by another completely unrelated image. This lack of sleep combined with crazy pregnancy hormones has created one emotional woman. In the book "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" there is an entire chapter titled "Pregnancy Insanity". Before today I think I have had it pretty much under control but nine months of insanity came out today....poor Brian. If there was a pregnancy insane asylum I think that I would be top on the guest list. However, as a result I'm exhausted and so I'm hoping I'll at least be able to fall asleep tonight.

"How You Are?"

This morning Kendall and I did a big grocery trip. I emailed Lorie to tell her that I would be at the store and to call me if she needed anything. Lorie recently had surgery and is pretty much stuck in bed. We did receive a call so on the way home we stopped at her house to drop of the goods. As we were getting out of the car Dani walks out onto the deck and yells "hi" to Kendall. Kendall looks up, gets excited and says, "Hi! How you are?" just as clear as day. We started to crack up! Kendall always has liked to say 'hi', actually it was her first word (to herself in the mirror). I always say hi back to her and then ask, "how are you?" Guess she got the words mixed up a little.

Eviction Notice

Pursuant to the provisions of RSA 540:2, you are hereby given an eviction notice and notice to vacate, on or before March 19 , 2007, the premises and appurtenances owned by
Ashley of the City Uterus, in the County of Huge-mongous, which premises are now occupied by you (Kate).

Sonogram again today. Looking good in there. The technician again mentioned all the hair that Kate has, I actually saw it floating in all that fluid she has in there. Maybe I should take a pony tail holder for her to the hospital, ha. Since next week is my last (gasp) and since everything looks so good we decided against the sonogram next week (It would be on Friday and my c-section on Monday). I think I'm ready for her now. I didn't get Kendall's room painted, Brian decided he didn't think I should be up on a ladder so I'm looking to hire someone to do it now. Brian needs to install our baby carseat in my car but I want to wait until after Susan gets here so we'll all be more comfy coming home from the airport! I want to bring up the baby swing and get the cover washed this weekend and re-wash the baby sheets, boil the bottles/pacifiers...all little things that wont take much time. I'm going to make a grocery trip and try to get all stocked up on Monday (and maybe again on Friday/Saturday for perishables). Finally I want to do one big house cleaning to have everything ready for my time away. Brian was so cute last night, I was paranoid about being sent to the hospital today (this happens every week before my sonogram) and he was reassuring me how everything would be okay and he said that he and Kendall could have some "quality time together". I loved that. Pictures to come....Brian was out of town with our camera but he is home now. Kendall looks really cute today so I'll take some pictures when we go for our afternoon walk. Until then here is an old picture of Kendall that I love...looking forward to hot afternoons and exposed chubby arms and legs (Kendall's and Kate's not mine).

Just for Justin

I have NEVER not published one of your comments! Either blogger is messed up or you aren't doing it correctly. Stay tuned for requested photo.

Gettin' Down to Business

So tonight Kendall tells me, "Poo poo potty" and walks into the bathroom. So I took her in there and we sat together for about 5 minutes or so but regardless of the effort nothing came of it other then these super cute pictures. I'm hesitant to start the process just two short weeks before her world will be turned upside down because I hear so much about how toddlers will regress during these times. I think I will wait a couple months after Kate gets here and get down to the business of potty training.

Speaking of Kate we had our sonogram on Friday and

she is 5 1/2 pounds and is swimming around in only slightly diminished fluid. Fluid loss is expected at this point and mine is still within the safe zone so we're looking good. I'll have another sonogram every week now (really only two more times) just to make sure it doesn't drop. Kate was all curled up in a tiny ball in the same position that she was in last time (head down all on my left side) and she was sucking on her knuckles. We got another 3-D photo and you can see her little shoulder and arm--so very cute. The technician could see hair moving in the fluid so she must have a lot!! Kate now weighs more then Kendall did when we came home from the hospital and as of this week this pregnancy will have lasted longer. When Brian pointed that out it made me feel really at ease, not so anxious about having her too early now.

We've been trying to talk to Kendall about Baby Kate coming home but I really don't know how much she understands. I was telling her how Gram was going to be coming to stay with her too. She is having such a hard time saying Gram for some reason. Every other word she says is getting so much more clearer but we have to keep working on "Deweese". Deweese??

Back to the Bug

Just a few pictures of Kendall. She has been a little monster today I was completely exhausted by 11am. Luckily she is having a nap now and the only thing productive that I have done is make a to-do list (of things that will not get done today). She has been busy lately...messing up Baby Kate's room, walking baby, and creating masterpieces.

Baby Kate news: we have a time for our c-section now. At about 11am on the 19th Kate will be making a grand entrance! We have our ultrasound tomorrow say a prayer today for stable fluid levels or Kate may be making a surprise appearance even sooner!

Waddling Target **Edited

It's that time of year again! As my friend Jennie says, being pregnant makes us "easy targets" for the Girl Scouts and their cookie selling. I ordered some about three weeks ago and they still haven't arrived....getting a little panicked. I mean, what if she forgot where I live? I need those Samoas. At Bible study we all tell our "highs and lows " of the previous week. I was wondering if the missing cookies were a petty low/prayer request. At the last minute I decided against it but now I'm wondering if I needed the additional prayers?!?!?

**Update: Crisis averted, the cookies were delivered today.

Book Review

Some of you have mentioned that this has turned into Kendall's blog. I don't know if I ever recall a time that this blog wasn't about her but for those of you that need a little more here is a little post about non-Kendall things. I'm reading a book that I really like right now. It's a biography about a woman that spends a year in three countries where she examines a part of herself in a culture that does that one thing well: Italy=eat, India=pray, Indonesia=balance. This book reads more like a fiction and the author is really very witty.

And now a little pity party: I miss being able to paint my toenails (heck, I miss seeing my toes), I miss "normal" clothes and the ability to drink something other than water without feeling extreme guilt, I want some sushi and a glass of wine, today I felt like a slug....with a limp. Okay, thanks for listening just had to send my whining out into the blog world.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

We did a VERY quick photo shoot yesterday at the park. The weatherman said it was 55 but it was SO very cold that we couldn't stay very long. Lorie caught these pictures in the 5 minutes that we were there.

Home Sweet Home

Gushy Cheeks

Here is a very blurry picture of my latest sonogram (3D). Note the little gushy cheeks! You can't see it but she also has hair, we saw it sticking off of her neck, so cute. She weighs in at a whopping 4.5 pounds now. My amniotic fluid did drop a little from 40 down to 38 (I need to look up what unit of measurement they use) but as long as it stays above 36 we're okay. Send up lots of prayers for us, I don't know what they will do if it drops but I'm hoping it isn't bedrest!!! We get another sonogram on March 2. Just three and a half weeks to go, can you believe it?!?!?!

The picture is a close up of the face in profile, she is looking to the right

Updated to add another picture. The monstrosity that we call a double stroller arrived today. We have put off buying it I think that Brian was secretly hoping that I would decide that I didn't need it. As intimidating as it looks I still think it will be easier to push around then letting Kendall walk! I took apart our "old" stroller today and got it super clean...mark another thing off my "to-do before baby arrives" list!

"Hussy Go?"

We had our Jessy here visiting this weekend, what a cool chick she is. Today when we dropped her off at the airport Kendall was really sad and kept saying, "Hussy, Hussy!" and all afternoon she would randomly ask where her "Hussy" was. I, of course, didn't take ANY pictures of her and Kendall together (WHAT WAS I THINKING?). But, Lorie, of course, did and I will get some from her as soon as they are posted.

Lorie took some maternity shots yesterday and here are the few that we (and by 'we' I mean Lorie) have edited.

Love Bug

Kendall got a little

package from her Great Gram today. When I handed it to her she said, "Oh Wow"

Happy Heart Day

I love Valentine's Day. I like pink and red colors and hearts. All the magazine covers during the month of February make my heart beat a little faster. I get excited to make little Valentines cards and I want to string paper hearts around my house. Our gift to each other is our Brown County weekend. We go to a 'cabin' with three other super cool couples and have so much fun. We went last weekend and had a great time laughing and EATING like crazy. I didn't take ANY photos but Brian grabbed the camera and caught some Jenn, Justin, and Kendall cuddle time on the couch. These two are so good with Kendall, she just loves them!

Fun Day

Jennie and I took the girls to the circus today. I didn't get many shots of them watching the circus because they were sitting on our laps. Kendall loved the lel-phants and the tigers but seriously hated the clowns. During the clown part she kept her arms around my neck and her cheek pressed against mine. Occasionally she would wave her arm in the air and say, 'no, no, no, no' or 'bye bye'. Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat at the mall and the girls did a little window shopping. Tonight we go to Brown County, yippee!!

Girlfriends

I had a doctor's appointment today so after playtime at Noah's Ark Kendall went over to her friend Anna's house. I am once again hijacking photos from someone else but these are too cute to pass up.

Looks like they had a lot of fun!!

Baby Kate will be here before we know it! I now go to the doctor every two weeks instead of every month (only two more appoinments!) and I get an ultrasound everytime that I go to ensure that my fluid is at a good level. She'll be here before we know it!

For Daddy

I haven't been very good about sending pictures to Brian so here are a few pics of what we have been doing:

Cleaning

Playing 'email' at the library

Going outside

Storytime

Church indoor playground

Having tea parties with Anna (Jennie and I found them like this at the church play area, we DID NOT set this up!)

Dancing Queen

Long time no blogy. Brian is still out of town so I'm a little behind on emails and other computer stuff. Kendall has had both really good days and some really bad days. She was terrific on my birthday though! Her "bad" days aren't that she is being bad really but just that she is clingy. After consulting with other moms and Brian we decided that I will just snuggle as much as I can with her now because very soon I wont have that luxury. Actually, since I have been an unconditional snuggler her clinginess has been turned down a bit!

Last night we went to a sock hop thrown by the preschool where Lorie works. Kendall tried out some new break dancing moves on the floor and she also decided to like to dance on a platform (stadium steps) so that everyone could get a good look at her hip moves. All day today she has been saying, "Lorie, dance dance dance" she obviously had a fun time and is associating dancing with Lorie now.

Today we went to the Gap Outlet with Jennie and Anna. We found some maternity clothes and a couple of things for baby Kate. Their 18-24 month selection was pitiful for the little ladies and Kendall only got a knitted winter hat (she loves hats and will carry them around the house taking them on and off).

I had a fantastic birthday. I have such great gals here. Karin and Bailey took Kendall and me to Cheesecake Factory the night before my b-day and Lorie took me out last night. Jennie brought me the cutest stationery set today and I received so many nice emails, calls, cards and packages. I feel so blessed and loved!!

The last couple of days I've been feeling the uncomfortableness of pregnancy really set in, a lot of back pain and even contractions in the middle of the night (that shouldn't happen!!). Ironic that Kendall's clinginess coincides with my big belly and general fatigue! Well, off to do a little picking up and then I'm going to crash!!