27 weeks

I thought I'd give a montly update on baby boy. I'm 27 weeks now, and growing bigger every day, yikes!

Not much has changed since last month, other than my belly, but we have decided on his name. He will be called Graham Davis Furr, or Baby Graham, as his big sister calls him. There's not much of a story to his name. Davis is my maiden name, and although we would have loved to have called our son Davis, I really wanted to call him by his first name, and we couldn't come up with anything we liked for a middle name with Davis.

Graham is a name that we've liked since I was pregnant with Mimi, but it wasn't our top choice. Our top choice from back then had gotten a lot more popular since 2008, and there were issues with so many others that we liked such as they didn't go with our last name, etc. Graham was a name that we had thrown around but hadn't committed to it yet. However, Amelia immediately started calling him Baby Graham and kissing my tummy and talking to him all the time. After about a month of that, it really felt like that was his name. So Graham it is.

We're clearing things out of the guest room and hoping to make some major progress in the nursery while we're off for Christmas. I will be sure to share that progress when it happens.

And to compare, here's a belly pic when I was a little further along than I am now, at 28 weeks with Mimi.

Although I feel ginormous, I guess my belly isn't that much bigger than it was with her, although the scale says otherwise. I do weigh a few pounds more now than I did at this point with her, as my doctor was so kind to point out to me the other day, ha. I'm trying not to freak out too much over how big I am, and just be thankful that everything is healthy for me and for him so far. He is a super active little guy, much more so than his sister was. We've reached the alien in the belly stage! Last night I was just watching him jump around in fascination. Isn't the miracle of life amazing?

I got so annoyed during my first pregnancy when people would make comments about how big I am, and say the always annoying, "I don't think you're going to make it!" But this time, I have to admit that I think that on an almost daily basis, lol. Just how AM I going to make it for 3 more months?!

A Fancy Nancy Birthday

Even though it's almost Christmas, I just couldn't move on to the next holiday without finally documenting Amelia's third birthday! I promised that I would scale her party back this year, and I did. Really, y'all, I did. But that doesn't mean things can't still be cute, right?

I absolutely loved everything about her party this year! The theme was based on some of Amelia's favorite books, the Fancy Nancy series.  It was so ridiculously pink and girly and this girl loved every second of it. I am pretty sure it was the happiest day of her life so far.

Here are a few shots of the party details.

 

There was a dress-up table for the girls and boys to get fancied up as they entered the party.

  

The girls got more into the dressing up, of course, but this guy liked being fancy too!

Some other random shots of the birthday girl and her friends

She blew those candles out like a champ! I was so excited for this because last year it was too windy and the candles wouldn't stay lit. This was her first time to get to do it (besides the little cupcake we had at home last year.)

As you can imagine, she absolutely LOVED opening her presents this year. Since she has SO much stuff already, I seriously considered requesting no gifts from our guests, but after seeing her get so excited for her friends at their parties, I thought I should at least give her one more year of gifts, especially now that she's old enough to be excited about them.

Posing with one of her faves, Aunt Katie

 And Grammy and Papa

 and Aunt Mare

Believe it or not, there are about 150 pics that I did not share. You're welcome, ha. It was such a fun party, and I'm so glad that we did it for her. She said thank you over and over again. I have decided that three years old is the best age for enthusiasm for things like birthdays and Christmas. A trip to the Dollar Tree excites this girl, so you can imagine what a birthday party and Christmas is like for her.

And now that I've finally documented her birthday, we can move on to Christmas in a few days. Didn't 2011 JUST start?

Baby Update

Well, I think it's past time for a baby update. In many ways, this pregnancy has been exactly the same as with Amelia, so I haven't really had a lot of newsworthy stuff to share the second time around. Unlike with Amelia, we haven't settled on a name yet, we haven't started on his room yet, and really just thinking about all that makes me want to take a nap, ha. How things change with the second baby!

But don't you worry, this boy will have a great name and a fabulous nursery. I just haven't had as much time, energy or money to get everything going like we did the first time. It will get done. I'm looking forward to having the next week off and then time off for Christmas to get some things done in that area.

The great news is that things are going very well for me and baby boy. I've been blessed with a pretty uneventful pregnancy, health-wise, so far. This doesn't count the nausea and fatigue of course, since that's pretty normal. And there has definitely been more fatigue this time! But I just chalk that up to the busy time of year and the fact that I have a three-year-old to deal with this time. That reminds me, I haven't even blogged about her third birthday and party! That will have to be next. I really want to do better at my memory-keeping.

The bad news is that I. Am. Huge. Seriously, y'all. It came out of nowhere. I feel SO much bigger than I was with Amelia at this point. Up until recently, things have felt exactly the same, but I don't know if it's the fact that he's a boy, or that it's my third pregnancy or what, but I am already much bigger than I was with her, and I just feel much more pregnant already. Shortness of breath, back pain, etc. I am not complaining at all. Well, maybe a little, but I don't mean to. I am so thankful for a healthy pregnancy and baby when I know so many who would give anything to have that. I am just surprised by the way I look and feel this time. Here's some proof:

(Pic taken with my cell phone at work today. Cliff hasn't been around much lately to ask him to do it at home.)

To compare, here's the first belly shot I took with Mimi at around the same time, 23 weeks.

I'm lol'ing at how I'm wearing work out clothes. That could be a reason I'm bigger this time. I haven't worked out since, oh, about July when I found out I was pregnant, ha.

Here I am in the same dress at around 25 weeks with Mimi. Maybe the bumps are about the same size, I don't know. I just know it feels so much bigger this time.

Bigger belly or not, we are so thankful for this sweet boy, and we can't wait to meet him! I know Mimi is going to be an awesome big sister!

Thankful

This girl has already learned about thankfulness, no thanks to our teachings. On Nick Jr, between episodes of Dora, Olivia and Peppa Pig, they've been talking about being thankful.

I hadn't noticed until my sweet girl looked over at me a couple of days ago and said, "I'm thankful for you, Mama." Melted. My. Heart. Then she said the same thing again yesterday, and it made me tear up all over again. When Cliff came home, I thought she might show him how precious she could be and I asked her to tell Daddy what she was thankful for. Her response: "I'm thankful for my play-doh."

Guess we can't be deep all the time. I'm so thankful for this girl and her baby brother!

It's a...

...boy! This is old news to most anyone who reads my blog by now, but I wanted to document it for our memories. I think Amelia is over the shock that she isn't getting a sister, and I'm kind of over my shock as well. I guess since girl is all I've known for the last three years, it surprised me that we could actually have a boy.

He is still nameless, but we're working on it. I'm just not ready to commit to anything yet. The ultrasound showed that everything looks great, and for that we are relieved and thankful. The photos aren't very good since he was squirming around so much. I've been feeling little kicks here and there every day for the last few weeks, much earlier than I felt them with Amelia.

Of course Cliff is tickled, and we just can't wait to meet this little guy and see what he's going to be like! For now, I'm starting to work on getting Mimi's room turned into a big girl room so we can move the crib into the new nursery. It's converted into a toddler bed now for her, but I'm looking for a twin bed and bedding for her. I do enjoy a decorating project, and this is going to be a big one! Who knew I would ever be buying blue?!

15 weeks

Just a quick pregnancy update. I'm 15 weeks this week, and I had my monthly check-up Monday. Everything looked great (whew!), and the baby's heartbeat was music to my ears. Somehow I have not gained any weight, however if you see my belly and boobs you would think that is impossible. My doctor had told me last month that she wouldn't make me wait a whole month before having me back for an ultrasound. So I speculated that she'd tell me to come back in a week, maybe two weeks, and we would finally know who this new member of our family is. Wrong! She was so generous to knock it down from a month to three whole weeks, ugh! My impatience is killing me!

I go back and forth on whether I think it's a boy or girl. The heart rate was in the 140s, and the wives tale suggests that means boy. Amelia's heartrates were always significantly higher than that, so it's not too far fetched. But honestly, I don't think the heartrates or the Chinese gender predictor tests mean anything at all. For the record, the Chinese say it's a girl. Amelia agrees, and says her name is either Allison or Molly, ha.

Boy or girl, we feel like it would be a win/win. We are just so grateful to be having a healthy pregnancy so far, and are praying for a healthy baby. Another girl would be precious (and convenient), but a boy would be a new and exciting adventure. I would love for Amelia to have a little sister like I had, but on the other hand, I'd love for Cliff to be able to have that father/son connection like I have with our daughter. Plus, my sister just had a boy, and it would be sweet for them to grow up being best friends, and I'm sure she would share her hand-me-downs with us. So really, win/win either way. I'm just dying to know!

October 18 is the official ultrasound day. I would love nothing more than to find a way to get it done earlier, but I suppose it's not really THAT long, and I can try to be patient. As far as symptoms go, my appetite and energy level are picking up, but I still don't really enjoy food that much (Who am I?), and I feel pretty wiped out at the end of the day. But overall, I can't complain one bit.

Since posts without pics are boring, here's a few pics of the big sis that Katie took a few weeks ago. (And yes, I will take a belly pic eventually for memories' sake, but mama is just not feeling very cute right now! Mimi pics are way more fun.)

Mimi-isms

Amelia says something hilarious every single day. I am so mad at myself when I don't write them down because I always forget. She is already starting to pronounce words correctly when just weeks ago she had her own version of them. I have to admit, it makes me a little sad when she says "french fries" now instead of "inch fries." Luckily, she still says "bemember" instead of "remember." I will hold onto it as long as I can. Here are a few other things she's said lately:

• "You did it! Good job, Mama!" after I got her a snack and turned on a cartoon she wanted to watch.
• "Will you read me a bednight story?"
• When saying her prayers, "Thank you, God, for me," before listing all the other things she's thankful for. I think this is because I always say "Thank you, God, for Mimi, and for letting me be her mama" each night when we say our prayers together before bed.
• "Take a patient," meaning "Be patient" while talking to her doll.

Take a patient from Angela Furr on Vimeo.

• Again, talking to her doll: "Audrey, you sit right here and don't fall." And then when she falls over, you know, because she is a doll, Amelia says, "Now, see, that's why Mama told you not to fall." (I laugh because she talks to her dolls exactly the way I talk to her.)
• "I can't wait to go to gymnaskets today." I think I heard her say it correctly the other day, though. Sad.
• "Amelia, what is Daddy's job?" Amelia: "He's a basketball player!"
• "Don't forget your baby, Mare!" Yelling to Mare in the middle of a restaurant as we were getting up to leave. Mare had Jackson in his carseat right next to her. 

And just because he's so precious, here's a few pics of the sweet boy. I took these a few weeks ago when we went to visit them during Labor Day weekend. He's already bigger and even cuter.

And one more of the girl, just because. This was her practicing her smile before picture day at school the other day.

So many more Mimi-isms that I can't think of right now! I have GOT to make myself at least write them down so that I will remember to blog them later. This girl cracks us up.