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.

Cat's out of the bag

I have been absent from blogging lately for several reasons. First, summer is a busy time for me at work and at home, and I just haven't had a lot of spare time to blog. Second, all of my friends and family are on facebook now, so I don't feel as much of an obligation to share Mimi pics here since it's so much easier to share them there. And thirdly, I haven't been feeling very good the last couple of months. But all is well.

I'm just pregnant.

Yes, Amelia  is going to be a big sister! We found out the week we got home from the beach, and since then I have been doing a LOT of gagging and sleeping, ha. Of course we were nervous for the first couple of months that something might go wrong, and there is still a chance that something could, but for now everything looks good, and we are praising God for a healthy pregnancy and baby so far. We kept it a secret for what seemed like FOREVER, partly because we didn't want to share with everyone in case something went wrong, and also because we wanted to wait until after baby Jackson was born so Mare and Justin could have their special time all to themselves. But we finally told our families and closest friends a couple of weeks ago and shared the news on Facebook the other day, so the cat is officially out of the bag.

I do have a tiny baby bump already, which could easily be mistaken for eating a lot, but I haven't been able to eat much lately and had actually lost a few pounds at my last appointment. However this week my appetite and energy level seem to be picking back up. I am 12 weeks along and due on March 19, which happens to be Cliff's mom's birthday. Not sure if I'll actually deliver that day, but nevertheless it is special to be due on her birthday.

So that's what's been going on with us. Hopefully I'll feel more up to updating soon. I loved having a record of my pregnancy with Amelia and her tiny baby months, so I definitely want to do that for number two. Since I definitely won't be doing any scrapbooking, this is the next best thing. As for Big Sis, she doesn't quite understand, but I know she is going to be a great big sister and helper. She adores her new baby cousin (pics of him coming soon), and is really into helping right now, so I think she is the perfect age for a sibling. Next big thing up for us is finding out the gender. We should find out sometime next month, and I can hardly wait! Amelia says it's a girl and her name is Molly. Not so sure about that, but it is a cute name. I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. Boy or girl, we will be thrilled.

Over-due Mimi update

I am so overdue for a Mimi post! I have no excuse at all, other than being kind of busy at work and just not making time to record some memories, and for that I am so over myself!

We have had a busy and fun summer. Here are a few recent pics:

She had a blast at cheer camp at Co-Lin. This was her first time to wear anything resembling athletic gear and tennis shoes, ha. We couldn't get over her in this outfit! I laughed because she was really just dressed like a regular kid, but this was a rare occasion for us not having her all dolled up

Amelia is blessed to have lots of little friends, and that means she gets LOTS of birthday party invitations. We try to make as many of them as we can, and I think we probably average 3-4 parties a month! It's exhausting (and expensive) for me, but she always has a good time. We especially enjoy when they have waterslides.

I've already shared pics and video of her time at gymnastics camp, but here's one of her and her BFF Joy. They are in the same class at school and they just started their weekly gymnastics classes this week. These two are a mess together! If they are not loving on each other, they are arguing or bossing!

Mimi was so lucky to have Katie off this summer to hang out with her every day. They did lots of fun things like going swimming, going to the library, the splash park, arts and crafts at home, etc. This was them making rainbow cupcakes on their last day of the summer together. She has been giving Katie the cold shoulder lately and I think she's mad at her that they're not playing together every day, ha.

 And to end up the summer, we took our annual trip to the local Exchange Club Fair. As always, it was HOT. But we always have a good time eating and seeing everyone we know. The past couple of years haven't been that much fun for Mimi, but she had the time of her life this year! Cliff and I just smiled our faces off the entire time getting to watch her have so much fun.

Classic Angela moment. My camera died shortly after we got there, ugh! So I only got a few pics. If it had been working, I would have gotten pics of my little daredevil and her Daddy on the giant ferris wheel. I was a nervous wreck with her being up so high with nothing more than a bar protecting her, but she begged to go on it and Cliff took one for the team and did it with her. Love my boo for that one!

Funny sidenote: The Exchange Club owns the park that the fair take place at, and the rides are there year-round, even though the fair only goes on once a year. Katie and Amelia went to get some ice cream near the park a few weeks ago, and Amelia looked over at the ferris wheel and said, "Oh, Katie, I wish I was a little girl on that ferris wheel!" Ha. Well, she got her wish.

We attended a baby shower for Mare and baby Jackson a few weeks ago. He got some precious things and we can't wait to hold him in 6 more days!

Amelia has really gotten into painting and doing art projects this summer. Here she was working on some frames for Father's Day gifts for Cliff, Papa and Grandbob.

So that's a little update on some things I've failed to blog about this summer. I am going to try to do better about blogging, because this funny girl is getting more hilarious every day, and I've got to get better at recording some of the things that she says and does!