Lock Out

Yesterday while cooking dinner I stepped out the back door to grab some veggies from our garden. As I was approaching the door, Noah, who was still inside decided to lock it. Somehow I knew this day would come. It just so happened that I did not have an extra key and my neighbor who has the spare was not home either. As I banged on the door, Noah would stand there and laugh at me. Then he would run to the playroom, grab toys and bring them to show me with an occasional wave of hello. As I begged him to unlock the door, he would say "I can't unlock it" and run to the chair in the living room and just laugh at me. So, there I was, 9 months pregnant standing in my husband's flip flops and my 'kiss the cook' apron staring through a glass door as my dinner sits cooking on the stove and my son giggles at the site of locking me out. What a site. After about 20 minutes, long enough to let me imagination run wild, Noah came back to the door. I finally was able to convince him to unlock the door. To my surprise, he had also dead bolted me out. I had no idea he even knew how to work the locks, let alone reach the deadbolt. He surprises me with new things everyday and teaches me great lessons such as hiding a spare key somewhere!

Our Growing Family

We recently got together with an old co-worker of mine and he took these pictures. This is Noah at 2.5 years old as well as a couple family shots including the baby belly. We went to a place just down the road from our house that was really cool. The property had a grape vineyard, barn and old chimneys. It was perfect!

Less than 24 hours to go

For weeks now I have been dreaming of the day I could not only hold my sweet baby, but regain my body back. Now here I stand just one day, less than 24 hours, until I start the process of labor. And honestly I am a bit overwhelmed. Maybe this is why God created labor to be mysterious, so that you wouldn't be in control of when it would happen. From my experience with Noah, once you are labor, you just plug through and don't have a lot of time to be anxious, which was nice. On the other hand knowing the date has helped us plan and prepare. I guess there are perks to each side. It is just so hard to wrap my mind around that fact that sometime tomorrow I will be a mother of two, responsible for double diaper changing & feeding. And, that this will be my last time pregnant. With all the challenges of being pregnant and uncomfortable, it is truly the most amazing thing I have ever gone through. And, for that I thank God everyday. Not just for my beautiful children, but for the opportunity to feel them grow and move inside my belly. And to see what a miracle having a baby is. I imagine as the day comes to a close tonight, these emotions with continue to stir. But, I am comforted that my heavenly father is in control of this great miracle and that tomorrow everything will go smooth. I am excited to share the news, so please keep us in your prayers.

Awaiting Peanut

I had my 37 week checkup last monday and I am still 2cm. I feel like baby is working on getting here as I am very uncomfortable! Dave and I decided that we would opt for the induction for June 30th. That way my mom will be here (she arrives the night before) and we can make better arrangements. I had a very rough labor with Noah and I really want to make sure that this time my doctor is the one to deliver according to my birth plan. Also, I think it would be very special to share my birthday with baby. What a great gift! So, as of now, I am scheduled to start the process at 4am on June 30th. My doctor said baby should arrive no later than dinner time. (Sounds too good to be true!!) Now that we have set a date, I am just waiting for the surprise labor like noah. He decided to come a day before we were going to induce. So I have been frantically packing and organizing everything. The past two days I have been getting strong back pain which has made it hard to do anything...maybe it's a sign!

Garden Progress

My lettuce is getting big!

My garden is growing like crazy! I now have little tomatoes starting to sprout and so far about 7 cucumbers on the vine. Last night I got to eat some of my lettuce and radishes. Yum! It is so much fun to see my hard work pay off. Now I am just hoping that my carrots and cantaloupe give me a chance!

36 Weeks, 3 Days

Went to the doctor today and had an ultrasound done. It was so awesome to see the baby!! It certainly has done some growing since the 20 week ultrasound. At one point we got a really clear picture of the face and baby was sucking it's fingers! I really started to tear up at that point. There was my baby!! The ultrasound tech said she could see the sex, which was harder for me than I thought. Good thing Dave was there to keep me honest! Anyway, baby is healthy and measuring in at 6lbs 14oz (+/- 10%). This was encouraging to hear as they are saying that maybe this baby won't be THAT big! They are saying it will be close to what Noah was, and he was 8.5 lbs. So, I think 9lbs. I was also excited to find out that I am now 2cm along...so at this point I am making progress towards labor! Yay! So, for now I will just keep on with my crazy list of nesting projects and wait. I am looking forward to holding my baby in just 3.5 weeks. Yay!

More Noah Quotes

Well, the language just keeps exploding and when it does he says the craziest things. I love seeing his little personality come out. Here are a few of the newest ones:

-While driving downtown one morning I was drinking my coffee. Noah sat in the backseat repeating "Mommy put your coffee down and put your hand on the wheel." Finally to appease him I did so. He then responded with "Thank you. Two hands on the wheel!"

-Mommy, I need ice cream cone. (Thank you grandpa parker for introducing that one. lol!)

-While playing Lions, Tigers and Bears I told Noah that I was scared of the lion. He replied with "Mommy, lion not scary. He just eats food and water!"

-"Mom, let's sing the poop song." I don't even know what the poop song is.

-If Noah doesn't like what he is eating he responds with one of these: "I don't like it, there is..."
a)bugs in it
b)pee in it
c)its just yucky

-I am still "pissing him off." Any suggestions for removing words? I can't seems to figure out where this one came from. Urg!

-While I was cleaning the kitchen, Noah took the broom and started cleaning the floor. He said, "mom, I am sweeping the yucky crumbs up." When he was done he handed me the broom and said "That was easy!"

Baby Shower for Peanut

My friend Erin (above picture) threw me a shower for peanut. It was so lovely! We stuffed our faces, enjoyed yummy cupcakes, and shared labor stories. We got lots of great things, like diapers and wipes. I am so thankful for all my friends who joined me and can't wait to share baby with them.

35 Weeks and Some Days

And the bonding begins...

Well, I feel like I could burst! As you can see, my belly is no longer small. Though it is fun to sport the swallowed watermelon look, I am truly uncomfortable. This Alabama heat hasn't helped either. With being in the high 90s I am swelling up like crazy! It's terrible how many times I have to change my clothes during the day. I went to the doctor yesterday for my first weekly checkup. My regular doctor wasn't in, so I saw a new one in the practice. She measured my belly and then said "so you are 39 weeks then, right?" When I told her no she quickly looked at my chart and her jaw hit the floor. I am still measuring 4 weeks ahead. Just like I did with Noah. So, as much as I would love to believe that my due date is wrong, I know it is just a big baby brewing in there. She has scheduled me for an ultrasound next week as she would like to look at the due date again. On the other hand, I was already 1cm dilated, so maybe I will luck out and go early. (Crossing fingers!) I truly hate to complain about the discomfort as I do still remember what life will be like with a newborn...and now with a toddler in the mix. Yikes.

My first garden...progress

Lettuce...I have three heads even though they are not in season

Looks empty, but it won't be for long. This bed has lettuce, cantaloupe and squash

This bed has radish, carrots, tomatoes, beans, cilantro, basil, cucumber and peppers

Well, I don't have the best green thumb, but I have been dying to have a garden. Nothing is better than fresh veggies and fruit. So, my friend and I are trying the square foot garden method. This is where you section off the garden in one by one foot squares. Through this method you will be able to plant more variety all year long. It looks neat too. Though I am new to this, I have already found that I put way too many seeds in the ground so I just recently learned how to "thin" my garden! At 35 weeks pregnant and with some Alabama heat, it was quite the experience! My radishes are almost ready to eat and I have been loving the basil. I am looking forward to eating the rest!