Random Thoughts

So, I haven't blogged for awhile because every time I think about doing it, I have so many different thoughts/ topics to blog about that I just end up not doing it. :)

Keira has been saying the funniest things, so I have been writing some of those down, and will be updating those shortly.

One thing that she has been saying alot is "Actually". For example, she will say "It is raining out....actually it is just cloudy". It is so funny to hear her say that, as it sounds so grown-up! She also really enjoys singing/dancing, and we spent some time this evening listening to some upbeat gospel songs on Youtube and letting her dance to them.

This morning when we were walking into church she asked "Where is God at?" It is fun to see her thinking and realizing that GOD exists! We are thankful for all the Christian influences she is around and continue to pray for her salvation. She really enjoys Toddler Time now, and has also been coming to Sparks with us on Wednesday nights. :)

This weekend was REALLY nice as we had a pretty relaxing weekend just around town. On Friday night Keira walked in TJ's Homecoming Parade with Aunt Faith. She had such a good time and kept saying, "I go in another parade later! My got LOTS of candy!" when it was over. It was super cold that day, and so she looked hilarious. She had skinny jeans on, a HUGE bubble coat, and then an adult t-shirt over the top. When she was walking she looked like a miniature sumo-wrestler! ;) We then went out for Pizza with Grandma Lea.

On Saturday we went to an extended family reunion, and Keira made friends with her cousin Emme. They had a great time playing babies and singing songs sitting under the tables.

We then went to a husker party with our small group Bible Study which was fun. They are such an encouragement to me and I am so thankful that God has given us a group of friends who we really enjoy spending time with and are able to share our lives with. :)

On Sunday we slept very LATE and then made it to church. It was so dark and rainy that I could have stayed in bed all day! We enjoyed lunch at my parents with the college kids. Keira thinks they are all there for her to entertain, and she sings her ABC's over and over and makes hilarious faces to get them to laugh. After that we ran some errands, Austin dropped me off at Walmart and then ran to Mendards with Keira. I was amazed at how a) quickly and b) stress-free I could shop without her. It was a nice change of pace!

We then came home and made my mom's potato soup...it was a family effort as we all worked on it, and it turned out as Keira said "SUPER SUPER YUUUMMYY!!!" I have really enjoyed cooking more lately, and have involved Keira in it more as she LOVES to cook/work in the kitchen and it makes for a good activity to keep her busy on rainy days. After dinner we continued in the kitchen by making Pumpkin Chocolate muffins for us to take for breakfasts in the morning. Keira kept licking the batter out of the bowl, it was all I could do to keep her from eating it all before we got it in the oven!

As the weather is getting colder and we are inside the house more I am starting to get really excited about our new arrival at the beginning of January. It almost feels like De Ja Vue as I am expecting at the same time as I was with Keira, so I remember that last time once it started to feel like winter I was on the home stretch! :) The baby is moving alot now, and I can tell if I drink something cold/ eat sugar she reacts quickly! I have had some contractions this last week, so I have been trying to take it a bit easier. They usually start around 8 or so in the evening, so I think I just need to take it a little easier. :) We went to the doctor on Thursday, and she let us see her face! Her mouth and nose look very similar to Keira's...so we will see what she looks like when she arrives! Right now she is measuring around 1.5 lbs, right on track for her due date of the first week in January. :) I did go to Bigwheels this week and got some maternity clothes with birthday money from my parents. Now that I have some cuter maternity clothes I am feeling like I look cuter pregnant. :)

Lots of other things have been happening (mainly work related) but it was so refreshing to have a down weekend with family!!! :)

My Monthly Update

So...
Since I am so bad at updating this on a regular basis, I have a sticky note with all the memorable things on it that I wanted to blog about. So much for keeping up with technology, haha!

So here are the big things going on in our lives as of late. :)

1. My trip for work in August IS CANCELLED!! Hallelujah! I am so excited to have a month with no travel as it is the first time since November that I have had a month with home (as in not leaving the Omaha area)!!! I am just going to enjoy it, hopefully have a couple get-together with friends, and not think about September! ;)

2. I wasted alot of time today looking for a matching bedset for the baby...I bought Keira a new bedset in January, and apparently since then they have discontinued it. I really want to get another one to match for her little sister since they are going to share a room. BAH HUM BUG! I looked all over online and am convinced you CANNOT get it anymore. In the end Shopko had awesome deals on back to school bedsets so I bought one for Keira that matches the crib beddng I already have. I am going to wait to put all her new stuff up though until about November..so that she gets something new too. ;) Of course, I had to buy a matching lamp and drawer organizers too!

3. One day last week on my lunch I went to Childrens place as they had amazing deals on summer clothes. I bought the girls their first matching outfits for next summer...it was SO much fun! I got two matching sundresses, matching swimsuits with lace tutus' and the CUTEST little tanks with rosettes on them ( I wish they made that shirt in my size!) Austin thinks me buying new clothes for the baby is ridiculous...which it is, since we already have all of our girl stuff. However, I figure I have to get something new for this one, and I will just make sure to do it in moderation ;) I have been using coupons, watching sales, and just in general trying to do free stuff...and really it hasn't been too bad.

4. New Budget: EEK!!! We redid our budget in August to cut out 1/2 my salary should I need/want to do that once the baby arrives. We started living on the new budget now to see if we can actually do it, and actually WANT to do it. So far it is going well, but has been somewhat difficult. The good news is that we are still on budget though! I am really determined to prove to Austin that I can stay on it, as I don't think he really thinks it is possible, since I usually am the one who likes to spend (not in excess...but just for sanity, at least that's what I always say!)

5. Mini van: Another EEK! We are seriously considering buying a VAN when the baby gets here. Ugh...I don't know about this! We were planning to get a different vehicle once the baby arrived as the Jetta is way too small to fit a car seat, and we just need a bigger vehicle. We had wanted to get an SUV, but after looking at the price differences, gas mileage, and room, we are thinking a van is just a better buy. So, although I hate to admit it we will probably go the van route instead of the SUV route. Guess it is a good thing it doesn't matter if I am cool or not right?! ;)

6. Baby Names: Berfa

We are keeping the babies name a secret (in fact) it hasn't even been decided yet for sure. However, I told Keira ONCE and she repeated it, so I started telling her it was Bertha, just as a joke. Well apparently that has stuck in her head, and she now calls the baby "Berfa" all the time...including when she talks about buying stuff for the baby, when she sees pictures of babies, etc. When people ask her what the name is she sheepishly will whisper "Berfa" like she is telling them some highly confidential secret. I think it is hilarious, but it makes Austin so mad!!!

Well- I hope to post more soon. On thursday I have an ultrasound for the baby, I haven't been to the doctor in 6 weeks, so I am excited to see how she has changed! ;)

Lots of other stuff going on right particularly with work, I will update more when I have time.

Funny Keira Sayings of the Day :)

We are trying to record these a bit more...so we don't forget they funny things she did when she was little!


This is what happened tonight when Austin was putting Keira to bed:
Keira put Daddy in time out...she hopped off the bed, held up her finger, and with
big eyes said, "I be right back" Austin asked her, "where are you
going?" She cracked open the door and peeked back in and said, "SSH! I be right back"
She then came to the kitchen to find me, where I was getting her
some apple juice. I said "Guess what? Mommy is getting you some apple juice!"
She leaned over, put her hands on her knees and with big eyes, said "Are you serious?!" HAHA!!

A Day in Our Life....Thursday Style :)

I read Kelly's Korner and she has been doing a blog this week on documenting how each day of their week works so she can remember it later on....I have really enjoyed reading her blog each day, so thought I would document our day. :) Plus it was a fun one, so lots to talk about.

First of all, we have about 3 different types of days in our house

1. Work Days (Days that I go into the office) these are pretty self explanatory and structured, which is sometimes less stressful. We are out the door by 8:30 or so and home by 6 for whatever evening things we have going on. :)

2. Days that I am "home"- these are the days that I don't go into the office and these are the craziest days of the week. It is usually a hodgepodge of a playdate in the morning, errands, work for my job from home, and then cooking/cleaning/ house stuff, and then whatever our evening activities are. ...OH and did I mention that there is a 2 year old running around like a wild child the whole time?! ;)

3. Weekends: These are the best! I really try to stay off the computer on the weekends as I am on it so much during the week for work. I feel like I really need a break after 5 days of being on the computer ALL the time. I even usually try to avoid facebook (although I do check it on my phone, haha) :) We usually have at least one thing planned on Saturdays, and then spend the rest of the day catching up around the house, doing a family activity, or having friends over. On Sundays, we always go to church in the morning, then to my parents for lunch, and then usually have the rest of the day to relax, catch up on work/ homework and then usually hang out with Becky and Zach in the evenings. :)

So...after that LONG intro: Today was one of my "at home" days, which I LOVE! :)

Keira woke me up around 8 (I have been trying to get up a bit before her...but that wasn't the case today as I didn't feel good this morning. I haven't been sleeping well lately, and am hoping it is just a passing symptom of first trimester pregnancy.)

We then got up, let the dog out, and fixed some breakfast. We made English muffins as that has been my pick (and consequently hers) for the week. :) I make mine with butter and cinnamon and hers with peanut and jelly. I usually then let her eat breakfast while watching Curious George so I can catch up on my work email...or today as I got up with her I did devotions while she ate. That is something that I have really enjoyed about being home more...it has helped me to finally get on a consistent devo schedule, even on the days I go to the office. I can tell it makes such a difference in my life when I start my day that way!

After breakfast I did some laundry and looked through ads for grocery shopping. We are having a 4th of July party so I was trying to find the best deals on food for the event! :)
Keira and I then outside and painted our fingers and toes. I love that she likes to look "cute!" and be my little mini me. Having a girl is so much fun, and I just want to enjoy each moment that I can with her, as who knows if I will get another girl.;)

Austin then came home for lunch around 11 and we ran up to Burger King with him for some chicken nuggets. We do that every once in awhile as a treat for all of us on his lunch break. Keira and I then stopped down by Grandma Lea's for a few minutes, as she had the day off and wanted to see Keira.

Around 1:30 Keira and I came back to the house and worked for a little bit while she played toys. We then got ready and went to the pool around 3, as it was over 100 today! Everytime we go to the pool she is more brave! Today we stayed for around 2.5 hours, and she cried when we left. We went with Carissa, James, and Henry...it was a great day to just sit and enjoy the water. :)

We then got home around 5:30 and Austin left shortly after for a work function. I let Keira watch a little bit more George as she was exhausted due to the pool and her idea that she doesn't nap anymore. I worked for a little over an hour and then we had dinner. After dinner we cleaned and organized the house...which is something I always want to do, but never seem to have time to do as much as I want. (usually because going somewhere with others always wins over that!) While I was cleaning in the basement Keira was coloring and I "thought" she was being so good. Come to find out she had colored the whole microsuede office chair! We are still working on getting purple gel pen out of the chair. Any ideas?

Once Austin got home around 9 we went for a quick walk (as it had finally cooled down enough) and then came back and gave Keira a quick bath and tucked her into bed. Since she was so sleepy she actually let me rock her tonight for a bit. SO NICE! She hardly ever lets me do that anymore. :) She was adorable as she looked up to me and said, "Mommy, my want to hold my little brother...my want to give him a kiss" He so tiny!....Apparently she thinks the baby is a boy, we will see if she is right! She is really getting into the idea of being a big sister, and so excited for her sibling, she seems to grasp the concept well, but we will see.

After we got her to bed it is FINALLY time for Austin and I to sit and relax a bit. We like to watch Nightline together and eat a snack then hit the sack after about an hour. My craving this week has been pickles, so I just had two of them. ;)

Good night all! :)

International Travels and the Latest :)

It has been about a month since I have posted and alot has gone on in that month!

First of all, Austin and I made a 10 day trip to Europe with my boss and his wife for work/ pleasure. We were able to visit Paris, France, Berlin, and Hamburg Germany. It was a great experience as I had never been out of the States, however I was VERY happy to get home to see my little girl. We have become quite attached as of late ;). She did great while we were gone though...I was so happy that did not seem to be sad at all while we were gone. I have been so happy to be home this week though. I just keep saying to Austin, "Wow! It feels great to be home!"

We had a nice lazy weekend which was great to be able to catch up on my laundry...as I was running out of clean pants, lol. It was nice just to have nothing on the agenda and be able to spend quality time with Keira and also some friends. My mom was on vacation last week, so Keira went to play with her friend Lauren while I was at work. They had a great time as they are both only children (for now as they both have siblings on the way). I am so thankful to have trustworthy Christian friends who can watch Keira when I am at work!

In other news: we are preparing for the massive and soon impending flood by stocking up and brainstorming ideas in the event that my parents and sisters move in with us. They are on the west end and could very well be flooded out. I know it would make for a full house, but we can definitely make it work! It is amazing and scary to see all the flooding around and how high the river is getting! I am so thankful to know that GOD is in control and our materials in this world are just that: THINGS!

Baby news: I am now 12 weeks and 3 days pregnant! I am in the last week of my first trimester, PTL! This first trimester has been SO much better than last time, thanks to my miracle drugs. I am so thankful I had those this time. Just this week I have started to pop out and feel big. I go to the doctor again in two weeks and am hoping to be able to see what we are having! My gut feeling is that this is a boy because:
1) I want to eat all junk food (pizza, chocolate, fries...it is HORRIBLE!) I have a feeling I will be MUCH bigger this time around if I keep this up. All I wanted with Keira (after I finally quit puking) was veggies and fruit.

2) Austin and I AGREED upon a boy name...which had never happened previously. I consider this quite close to a miracle and must signal that a boy is on the way. ;)

We shall see though!

Well I am going to head to bed...here are a few pictures that we had taken recently. It was a composite of extended family pictures, our family pictures, and Keira's 2.5 year old pictures. :)

A quick update on life with us :)

I have been really bad about keeping up with this lately, and it is my bedtime...but here is a quick update! :)

We have been staying busy with life in general as of late. This Memorial Day weekend was so nice in that we had no major plans, but just stayed around town. Charis and Nate were in town this weekend, so we went to dinner with them which is always fun! It is so nice to have a sister who is married to do double dates with now!!! :)

We also worked on tearing down our old deck, as building a new deck is our project for the summer. Once Austin and Nate tore it down, I was mortified that we hadn't done it sooner. Most of the wood was rotten, and on top of that the posts were buried in the ground all of 3 in...rather than 3 feet!!! Thank the Lord no one has died on our deck. Austin is going a bit overboard now and building a deck that can withstand about 100 people on it...so deck parties here we come!! :)

We also took Keira to the zoo for a bit. She is an absolute joy anymore, and SO GROWN UP!! She insisted on seeing the "monkeys" which are her favorite (thanks to Curious George). She looked through every single window in the monkey area, and that process took an hour, so that was about the only place we made it that day. She also saw the train go around and around while we ate lunch and she thought that was the coolest thing! She would stand up and holler "CHOO CHOO!" while giving a little pageant style wave to all the passengers.

We also had a bonfire with friends, and Keira thought that "camping" was so fun!!! She loves being outdoors and loved being able to run around outside, play in the sand, and make marshmallows. I can't wait to hopefully go camping more this summer!

In other news:

On the pregnancy front: for the "most" part I am feeling so much better this time around! I am hardly ever throwing up thanks to my miracle drug ZOFRAN! I am so thankful for my new doctor and that he prescribed that to me, it is a life saver! :)

I am still really tired, and I can tell I am hormonal as I get really down in the dumps if we don't get out of the house and do things. After being home for about a day with no activities one day last week, I had convinced myself that I had no friends, and nothing fun to do with Keira, LOL. A little extreme, I know. I then decided we were going to get out and about with friends. We ended up having 3 separate playdates to the park, outside, etc. the next day. We both had a great time...her playing with friends and being outside, and me having the opportunity to chat with other good Christian friends, who are such an encouragement to me. God knows just what I need, even when I am crazy and hormonal! :)

Keira continues to be little Miss Independent. She now has to let the dog out in the mornings, make her own juice, pick her own outfit out, etc. It is taking us INCREASINGLY longer to get out the door in the morning. However, she is the most fun right now!! She is always talking a mile a minute, and has no problem telling her opinion. If I am laying around, she will come over to me with her big eyes, and say, "You ok mom? You not feel good??" Her and I are both enjoying me being home more...it is GREAT!! :)

Well my summary has gotten quite long, good night friends! :)

First Appointment for Baby #2!- this was written a week ago. :)

So today I went to the doctor for the first time. I switched doctors and REALLY like my new one! He prescribed some medicine for nausea (I now have about 6 different ones sitting on my counter) and also took my blood in preparation for my trip to Europe (as a measles epidemic is apparently raging over there).

I honestly haven't been that excited about this pregnancy yet. Maybe it is the fact that I was totally surprised, or that it is the second, or that I am dreadfully sick. However, I was really hoping I would become more excited like I was with Keira. That is what made those 40 weeks bearable!

However, when I saw the tiny blob on the ultrasound screen I began to get excited. I am only about 7 weeks along, so you couldn't make out anything yet. However, the heart was already beating at a very strong 120 beats per minute. I think it is amazing how early their little heart starts beating!!! I looked up an average heartbeat for this stage is between 90-110 bpm. I am hoping since this one's is high it is another GIRL! :) It was so cool to hear the loud "DA-DUM, DA-DUM" of the heartbeat!

So all in all things are good. I have been miserably sick thus far, but am hoping the new meds will start working. I have been somewhat depressed, but I know that is just because I have been feeling so cruddy that I can't be my active self. I just keep reminding myself that this is a blessing and the not so enjoyable aspects will pass!! (hopefully by 15 weeks) :)