20 weeks with Cheney

 

How far along?: 20 weeks

How big is your baby?: the size of a mango (she weighed 11oz today--54th percentile!)

 

Total weight gain: up 4lbs as of my last appointment

Sex: a baby GIRL!

 

Maternity clothes: yes. of course. so tired of them.

 

  Sleep: still sleeping good! (besides the nights when the boys are up randomly-ha!)

 

Symptoms: Having some hip pain at night when I sleep, but that's it!

 

Movement: I have an anterior placenta this time just like I did with Griffin. I didn't feel him until 22ish weeks. I think I may have felt a tiny flutter last night but I'm not sure. I can't wait to feel some definite kicks!

 

Best moment this week: we got 100% confirmation that our sweet baby is indeed a GIRL yesterday! I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief now. Cheney was so stubborn so we got zero good face or profile shots of her. She made us work for almost 20 minutes just to get the gender shot!

 

Food cravings: nothing new. I am already starting to get really full, really fast. Everything is happening a lot sooner this time!

Belly button in or out: in.

 

What I miss: Nothing right now!

 

What I'm looking forward to: My mom, the boys, and I are driving to Baton Rouge on Thursday to spend a few days with family. My cousin is having her first baby shower & I can't wait to see everyone! It is also supposed to be sunny and 75 degrees while we are there...halleluah!!!!

are we really ready for this?

Three kids age 4 and under. We definitely planned this, don't get me wrong, but there have been many times recently that we have asked this ourselves this question. Or even more so, "are we really crazy enough to be doing this?!"

 

These boys keep us on our toes. As soon as I think we have an awesome sleep routine, they switch it up. Griffin has been waking up again in the middle of the night again thanks to his double ear infection from a week ago. I'm all about letting him cry, but y'all, he is LOUD. Loud enough to wake up his brother even though we use sound machines. Grayson has entered the phase of occasional night terrors. Between the two of them, there has been a lot of lost sleep around here recently.

 

A few nights ago we even ended up with both boys in our bed. Never happening again. Ben & I both looked at each other the next morning wondering what in the world would happen when we threw a nursing newborn into the mix. So, I ask myself, "are we really ready for this?!"

 

I guess the answer is no. I don't think you are ever really 100% "ready" when it comes to welcoming a new baby into the world. Excited? Absolutely. Over the moon excited. But ready? Ha, after the past week of sleepless nights, I am not so sure!

 

I have been getting really sentimental about the boys being so close recently. They are best friends and I love that so much. Of course they fight but they love each other fiercely. It makes me that much more excited to see Cheney added to the mix. I think Grayson and Griffin will be awesome big brothers to their baby sister. My heart feels like it may explode when I see the boys being sweet to each other; I don't know how it will handle another sweet baby! This is the part that makes me think that we CAN do this & it will be just fine. Just like when we added Griff to our family.

 

We may be tired & we probably are a little crazy, but we are as ready as we can be. I have just adopted the motto that I will sleep when I'm dead. At least there is always a cute reason as to why I'm tired!



19 weeks with Cheney

 

 

How far along?: 19 weeks...one plus of a scheduled C-section is that I can say I am pretty much to the halfway point of this pregnancy! It is going by SO fast!

How big is your baby?: the size of a sweet potato

 

Total weight gain: up 4lbs

Sex: a baby GIRL!

 

Maternity clothes: yes, yes, yes. I keep thinking it is time to retire the jeans & then it gets cold again.

 

  Sleep: Baby girl is letting me sleep just fine! However, baby boy Griff is not. He is getting over a double ear infection, has had a horrible diaper rash from his meds, & is starting to think it is cool to party in our room for a few hours every night. It's pretty much like having a newborn.

 

Symptoms: I am starting to get the hip pain from sleeping on my sides at night. That is starting a whole lot sooner this time around!

 

Movement: I don't think I felt Grayson move until about 23-24 weeks. I had an anterior placenta with Griffin and didn't feel any movement until 22 weeks. I keep hoping I will feel her soon but no luck so far! I love baby kicks!

 

Best moment this week: We were so productive this weekend! We have a lot to do before this baby arrives...including switching all 3 extra bedrooms in our house. We started over the weekend by cleaning out the attic, taking 2 car loads of stuff to Goodwill, & rearranging/organizing the closets. The boys now officially have a shared closet in their soon-to-be new room & Cheney has a closet in her soon-to-be nursery!

 

Food cravings: is food one? all the food?

Belly button in or out: in.

 

What I miss: in the midst of a double ear infection and diaper rash hell, I kinda sorta wish I could have a glass of wine.

 

What I'm looking forward to: we have our anatomy scan on Tuesday morning! I'm still paranoid that maybe perhaps Cheney is a boy...haha! Also, we will plan Cheney's official birthday (unless she comes early) at my next OB appointment! 

Grayson at 3.5 years old

I really am having a hard time comprehending that my biggest boy is now 3 1/2. He is 2 short years away from starting kindergarten. I feel like I blinked & he morphed from that alert baby boy to this very opinionated & hilarious little boy.

 

There is no shortage of personality around here, that's for sure. Grayson keeps us entertained daily. He says the funniest things & keeps us all laughing. Right now G's biggest source of pride is his ability to pick out his own clothes (cue the mama eye roll-ha!) and get dressed himself (that part is AWESOME.). Picking out clothes for G is no easy task. I almost never get it right. He is obsessed with basketball shorts and wants to wear them daily. He also likes to wear t-shirts. But not just any t-shirts; he prefers white or gray t-shirts. Oh, and we can't forget his bright red tennis shoes! This is Grayson's daily uniform:

Stylin'! I realize his shorts are all crooked, he's wearing tall striped socks, his undershirt is probably backwards, & his shoes are on the wrong feet. BUT? He did it all by himself and that is what is most important to our big 3 year old!

 

It should noted that at 3 1/2, Grayson is super excited about getting a baby sister. I want to remember this time because I am sure she will drive him absolutely batty within the next few years! But, right now, he is over the moon happy about Cheney joining our family. G understands it so much better this time around & it is really fun to experience it with him. He is proud to be the biggest brother & tells me all the time that he will hold Cheney because "I will be SO BIG!" He is also fascinated with the girl clothes we've gotten so far. We had a good mail day last week & a sweet smocked dress arrived. As soon as I showed him the dress he said, "that for Cheney? I love it! It's so pwetty." Haha, I just love his excitement about all of this.

At 3 1/2, Grayson loves:
-ALL things sports related. He loves playing football, basketball, & baseball. This kid has quite an arm and is awesome at hitting a baseball off his tee. I can't wait to sign him up in the fall for tee ball!
-Superheroes. This is pretty new to us still, but over the last few months he has grown to love all superheroes. His favorite are Spiderman and Batman. He got a bunch of small superhero figures for Christmas & they get played with all the time!
-Being outside! I love this about G. He is not the type to prefer watching tv over playing outside. This winter has been difficult for his because we were stuck indoors for many. many months...this sunshine & warm weather has been so good for us! He loves driving his Gator around & doing all of his yard work in the front yard. He also likes to "be crazy" when he drives by himself and he flies all over the yard. I fear the teenage driving years.
-School. Preschool has been so great for him. He loves learning, he loves his friends, & he loves his teachers. His favorite part about school is going to Praise on Tuesdays. This boy loves him some music! Specifically "Jesus music" as he calls it...makes my heart happy!
-Trucks. This hasn't changed since he was 1..trucks were pretty much his first love! He has taught Griffin how to love trucks, too. They have a lot of fun together playing with our huge collection of trucks!

This age is a lot of fun, but it has also been the most difficult so far. I think three is just hard in general. We are still trying to learn what discipline techniques work best for our stubborn yet sensitive little guy. Life just gets a little more difficult when these toddlers start voicing their opinions!

I love this little boy so much. G brings so much joy to our family! He has the funniest personality and the sweetest heart. He makes a great big brother--always helping & always making sure his Griffin is okay. I love that about him. I can't wait to see what big things he will do in the future!



18 weeks with Cheney

 

How far along?: 18 weeks

How big is your baby?: the size of an onion

 

Total weight gain: up 4lbs

Sex: a baby GIRL!

 

Maternity clothes: I washed all my WARM weather maternity clothes yesterday--that means spring is close!

 

  Sleep: Sleeping really great; need to go to bed earlier. These boys wear me out!

 

Symptoms: Other than exhaustion, I am feeling great!

 

Best moment this week: Baby girl got her first official package in the mail. It was actually addressed to Cheney May & I squealed when I saw it. Made it seem real! We also starting making some progress on the house. I have packed up what I have left of the boy clothes & will try to sell them in the fall. Next up this weekend? Cleaning out the future shared boys' bedroom closet!

 

Food cravings: Ice cold lemon water. That's good for me. We'll pretend the double stuff Oreos aren't also a craving.

Belly button in or out: in.

 

What I miss: Nothing right now!

 

What I'm looking forward to: Getting to work on the HUGE bedroom switcheroo! 3 out of 4 bedrooms in our house are getting switched up before Cheney arrives. First up will be the boys' bedroom. I'm excited to start working on that project--I think they will love sleeping in the same room!

sunshine is good for the soul

It's no secret that this has been the longest winter ever. I have never craved sunshine & warm weather like I have this winter. This weekend we had perfect weather & we spent all of our time outside. And even better? Although we lost an hour of sleep on Sunday, I love that it was light outside for so much longer yesterday! It was good for all of us!

 

Our trampoline was given to us by a friend from MOPS. They weren't using it anymore so they let us have it. It is one of my favorite energy burners--these boys love to jump and run around on it!

 

Our neighborhood has been busy replacing dead trees on our street. Our next door neighbors were getting a new tree this weekend which meant that the boys got to see the forklift, chainsaw, & dump truck right in front of our house. They also got to help "dig" the new hole. It was pretty much the perfect Saturday for two little truck-loving boys!

 

 

It was so nice to soak up the sunshine all weekend with my boys & our neighbor friends. We all woke up a little happier this morning knowing that we won't be trapped inside all day! 

17 weeks with Cheney

 

How far along?: 17 weeks

How big is your baby?: the size of an avocado

 

Total weight gain: up 4lbs

Sex: a baby GIRL!

 

Maternity clothes: obviously. I was thinking today about how close I am to being D-O-N-E with maternity jeans forever. Anyone want to burn them with me?

 

  Sleep: I am still exhausted by the time the boys go to bed. Sleeping great--just need more of it!

 

Symptoms: I am back to feeling 100% normal!

 

Best moment this week: Well, let's see. Where do I even begin? Our big ol' secret gender ultrasound last week! So, so excited to know what this baby is & thrilled to be having a little girl. I also ordered some fabric swatches for the nursery!

 

Food cravings: Sweet tea & king cake. Can it be Mardi Gras year round?

Belly button in or out: in.

 

What I miss: Nothing right now!

 

What I'm looking forward to: Well, now I am anxiously awaiting our next ultrasound just to confirm that Cheney is in fact Cheney. Also, can't wait to try & get a good shot of her sweet face! 

Happenings

I feel like we have been pretty busy lately, which is a great thing considering that the Polar Vortex has made this the longest winter ever. My Timehop app is killing me daily with the reminders that in all the years past we were playing outside in short sleeves! We are currently trapped inside due to ice & a little snow. It's crazy!

 

I wanted to say a big THANK YOU for all the excitement over our baby girl. Y'all, I am so excited & I feel like I've had a silly smile on my face since Thursday. It was so fun announcing Cheney's name, too. I've had it on lockdown for years & it feels surreal that it will now be coming out of our name vault! (and for those who asked, it is pronounced Chaney -- just like our old Vice President! But no affiliation. Promise) However, I've had some anxiety that at our 20 week anatomy scan she will have grown something. haha! Does that happen?!? Don't answer that. Please.

 

This weekend was full of fun things, too. On Friday night I met my friend Elizabeth at a huge consignment sale and grabbed a few sweet dresses. I won't be buying too much just yet, but I needed a few things!

It's pretty weird opening Griffin's closet & seeing some pink! I don't hate it!

 

Late Friday night was even more exciting. Our Sunday School friends, Amye & Jim, have been going through the adoption process over the last year. They already have 2 little boys & they have been patiently waiting to pick up their little girl in China. We've been praying for this little girl & everyone was so excited that they were arriving back in Nashville on Friday night.

Jim, Amye, & sweet Emma arrived at 10:15 and it was such a sweet moment! Big brother Luke was SO excited & proud.

 

Emma is precious. She is almost the same age as Griffin & petite just like him. I am excited for him to get a new little friend!

 

Now we are just waiting for the ice to melt & the warm weather to come back! Is it spring yet??

 



Griffin is 19 months old!

Griffin, you are now 19 months old! You're closer to 2 than 1 & I can't even believe it. Excuse the scraped nose; we were walking to the playground earlier this week & Griff face planted on the sidewalk. It wasn't pretty!

The stats:

Weight: roughly 21.5lbs

Height: just about 32 inches --finally grew enough for me to move buttons on your 12m longalls!

Clothing: almost all 12 month & a few 18 month things. I have been able to pull out summer stuff from last year & you can still wear a lot of it!

Shoe: 4.5

Diaper: 4

 

Here's what's been going on this month:

-You love the playground! We've been a couple times in our neighborhood and you love to climb on everything and go down the slides.

-We put a pillow in your crib and you LOVE it. You used to moved all around during the night and now you stay right on your pillow. You are sleeping better, too!

-You added Goofy to your list of lovies. You now have to sleep with Mickey Mouse AND Goofy.

-You love music & singing. You always dance when music is on & spin around. You also love to sing the "B-I-B-L-E" song. You can frequently be heard singing "B-I-B-I-B-I" to the right tune. Impressive!

-We registered you for 2 year old preschool next fall! AHH! I can't believe it!

-You got to see your baby on an ultrasound and learned that you'll be getting a sister! You still point to yourself sometimes when I ask who the baby is. Sometimes you point to my belly, too.

New things you are saying:

-"how are you?"

"where are you?"

-buh-bye

-Bruboo (what he calls Grayson)

-Ellie

-you try to count (uh, two, eeeee!)

-Melmo (elmo)

-Gookie (Cookie Monster)

You are currently loving:

-Mickey Mouse

-Trucks

-Little People airplane & school bus. You hoard ALL of your Little People Superheroes & make them all sit in the bus usually.

-Putting on everyone else's shoes

-Playing hide & seek. Your go to hiding spot is behind the curtains!

Griffin, I can't believe another month has passed so quickly. Lately we've been talking more about you becoming a big brother. It still just doesn't seem real--you are still such a baby to me! Your personality is so much fun. Wild & sweet all wrapped up in a tiny little body. You are very social and are always "talking" to everyone. You get so excited when all the neighbor kids are outside playing with us--you just love your big friends! We love you, sweet boy!



She has a name!

I was the little girl that played with baby dolls for far too long & was thinking of baby names while daydreaming in my high school classes. I've had my favorite girl name picked out for as long as I can remember. I married a pretty great guy who has always been okay with this name, too. So there it sat, in my head, just waiting to be used.

 

Our baby girl will be named

 

Cheney is a family name (my middle name, my mom's maiden name, my sweet Papa's last name) & I just love it so much. I love it because I think it's beautiful and I love it even more because it is a special name.

 

 

We can't wait to meet our baby girl!