This Fall With Kate

This is a sassy picture of Kate after church that was cute, but I also wanted to have a picture of her wearing the dress I made her. It turned out very cute on her and it is making me realize that I need to keep making these dresses so I don't forget all of the steps... and it is much cheaper than buying them! I finished smocking another dress, I just need to put it all together now.

Kate playing peek-a-boo at the pumpkin patch hosted by a church nearby. She had fun going back and forth behind this painted stand... she had no idea what the other side looked like, she just thought she was playing peek-a-boo. This is a classic Kate face- she is very expressive with her face these days!

Kate and her daddy posing for a picture with the pumpkins.

Kate trying to escape my grip to run through the pumpkins some more. It is very hard to get a decent picture with her lately because she doesn't want to be held back from any exploring.

Yummy! She wanted to eat the pumpkins. She has become obsessed lately and she tried to steal our neighbors' pumpkins the other day right off of their porch. She pitched a fit when I made her put them back and walk away. The next morning, she had her very own tiny pumpkin on our front steps- I guess they felt sorry for her that she didn't have one. We have had a few other things going on, a pumpkin was the last thing on my mind!
About Blake- we thought last night was going to be the night. I was having contractions every 4 minutes, but they just weren't getting stronger and they were just uncomfortable (not unbearable) so we waited it out and they died down. It is just a matter of days now until we meet him, so it can happen any time and I will be glad. The on call doctor I saw last Friday laughed and said he didn't think Blake could hang in there past Sunday... who is laughing now? At the very latest, it is only 3 days and a few hours until we meet him! I am enjoying my last few days with my only child. She has been waking up in the middle of the night (she must know that we were counting on some good rest before the sleepless nights began), but the other night I got a little sentimental when I realized that it could be one of the last nights to be up snuggling with just her! I can tell this is going to be an emotional experience for me, so please keep us in your prayers as we welcome sweet Blake into our family this week!

Blake is Getting Some New Stuff

Blake is going to be using a lot of hand-me-downs, whether it is equipment from Kate or clothes from consignment sales. He is going to use the same carseat that we used for Kate, the same pack-n-play, the same jumperoo, swing, bouncy seat, toys, etc. Here are some of the little things that I have gotten(purchased or not) for JUST Blake:

This is called a Hooter Hiders nursing cover, and this is the pattern I got. Brandon got me this for my birthday and I really was so excited about it! I think I will be out and about more than I was at first with Kate, and this way I can be discreet. I still don't think I will be nursing in public places, but I can use it at several places we go all the time.


This is called the "Miracle Blanket" and Kate had a pink one. It really is a miracle worker, it is almost like a straight jacket for babies. It keeps them swaddled so they don't wake themselves up by their movement. I found this one and a solid cream one on Ebay for a great deal!

This is almost just like the cradle we have for Blake. We didn't use it for Kate because we put her in her crib so fast. She has already claimed that room, so Blake is using the cradle that I actually used as a baby. Brandon had to tighten a few screws and my dad put some reinforcements in the joints of the wood, and it is just like new!


These are the BPA-free bottles from Dr. Browns. I had the other ones for Kate, and Babies R Us took back the other ones and exchanged these for free! I know I technically did not buy these, but at least they are just for him!
I don't know why it makes me feel better to have a new thing or two just for him, but it does. Everyone keeps saying, "You seem so relaxed, are you sure you are ready?" How ready can I be? I have everything set up, I feel (somewhat) prepared physically and emotionally for a newborn and all that entails. I guess i will just have to play it by ear and see what life is like once we do have him. I don't know that you are ever really prepared for a new baby... I know it is going to be a learn-as-you-go thing for me!

Quirks

I have been tagged to list a few quirks... which is hard to do for yourself! I can name everyone else's quirks in a heartbeat, but it is no so easy to name them for yourself.
1. I am definitely not organized in every area, but I have to have my clothes hanging in order of color. I don't know how this really helps me, but I guess it is easier to pick between 2 blue shirts if they are right next to each other. It would probably help more to organize by outfits, but that would throw off the whole closet and it would not be as visually appealing.
2. I start a book before I am done with another one, so I end up reading several at a time. It is not really out of boredom, it is usually just because I can't wait to see what the next one is about. Brandon makes fun of me all the time for this and he will check on me to see if I ever finish a single book. Just so you know, I am currently not reading anything since I just finished 2 I have been working on. Sometimes you just need a little variety!
3. I absolutely CANNOT HANDLE hearing someone eat! If I can hear you chewing or smacking, you are either way too loud, or we are way too close! There are a few people (I am choosing not to name) that I will actually avoid sitting by because I know their eating will be too much for me to take.
4. I hate mayonnaise!!! Random- I know! I worked at Roly Poly in high school (don't be jealous) and they would make us take the giant vat of mayonnaise and put it into little squirt bottles with our hands (at least we did use gloves). This is what completely ruined mayo for me. Feeling the greasy, nasty texture in your HAND makes it a little hard to eat on a sandwich. At Auburn, we would go to Breezeway Restaurant every Wednesday night after chapter and my favorite sandwich was called the Salsalito, which was a salsa-basted turkey sandwich toasted with cheddar cheese on sourdough bread, yum! BUT, if you weren't careful, they would load on the mayonnaise and soak the bread in butter (which makes for a not-nice tummy later). So I always ordered mine with no mayo and no butter on the bread. You would think they would get it after awhile, but they still would try to slip in one or the other. I would send that sandwich right back and they tried to just scrape off the mayonnaise one time, but I lied and told them I was allergic to it so they wouldn't try to do it again. My sister also had to take care of it sometimes because I would still be gagging at the sight of it. Anyway, the strangest thing about this hatred of mayonnaise is that I have actually eaten it on fresh tomato sandwiches this summer- I am blaming it on the pregnancy. I had a sandwich and didn't realize it was on there, and I was ok with it. If I am conscious of the mayo's presence, there is no chance of it coming near me!
5. I bite my nails. I am a nurse, educated on all of the possible bacteria under there, and I still have a habit of biting my nails! It is not all the time, and I have been able to grow them out here and there, but it always seems to come back. My grandmother used to tell me that I would become Venus De Milo (the Greek statue with no arms) if I didn't stop biting my nails... that still didn't do the trick.

Enough about the quirks~ onto baby news!
I went today to see Dr. Adcock, and I was 3 cm dilated, 80 % effaced, and his head is "engaged" in the pelvis, which means... COME ON LABOR! I don't know what Blake is waiting for, evidently he is comfortable! I am praying that any day now he will decide to join us in the outside world because I am past the point of comfortable. Brandon and I went to Tuscaloosa and spent the night on Sunday, and at about 10 PM, I was having pretty strong contractions (a few made me jump out of bed and walk around) every 10 minutes, but they went away. It was not a good time for labor to start anyway, but I still got excited to think, "This could be it!" We went ahead and scheduled the induction for Halloween just in case Blake decides to hang in there, but I am seriously praying that he will come any day now. I do not go to the doctor anymore now, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Brandon has the day off tomorrow, so maybe we will go for a LONG walk!

Blake Update

I went to the doctor yesterday to see how ready we are for Blake, and we are moving right along! When the nurse went to look for his heartbeat, she was surprised at how low he is positioned. I have been telling Brandon lately that I thought he had dropped because my ribs don't hurt quite so badly and I cannot go more than an hour without having to go to the bathroom. I have also been having tons of contractions, but I have had them for a while. And they are not the regular (real) contractions, but the uncomfortable (becoming more real) Braxton-Hicks contractions. However, even the Braxton-Hicks ones can mean that something is going on and your body is preparing for labor, so I don't mind them all that much! Anyway, Dr. Adcock checked to see if I was dilated and he just said, "Wow." That can mean a lot of things, so I asked if it was a good "wow" or a bad "wow." He said it was good and that I am already 2 cm dilated. I asked him about how low Blake is and he said he thought he was pretty far down there too. I got really excited for a second, but then I remembered that women walk around for weeks dilated 2 cm, so that doesn't mean he is coming all that soon. And, Dr. Adcock said he doesn't think Blake will be that big afterall. He said he would be surprised if he was much bigger than Kate (which made my day)! When I asked about scheduling the induction, they just laughed and said, "We shouldn't schedule it yet, you're probably not going to make it until Halloween." I am not going to hold them to that, but it is nice to know that at the longest, I will only have to wait 2 weeks and 2 days to meet Blake!
Brandon has this dream of throwing everything in the car and speeding to the hospital (forgetting the fact that we live all of 7 minutes from the hospital), so he is excited that I may go into labor myself instead of being induced. Then, his Nascar father-to-be dream will come true! He is supposed to go to Greenville this weekend to do some work on his hunting land, but I am a little skeptical now for him to go too far if he doesn't have to. We also have a residency interview scheduled for Sunday night/Monday morning in Tuscaloosa that I have been given permission to travel for, but I don't know about that either. The last thing I want is to be far away or alone when I do go into labor! If he goes to Greenville, I think I will be taking Kate to stay with my parents so I won't be alone (and because they will wear her out playing). I guess you just never really know how or when labor starts, so I am just going to keep on with my normal life and pray that he is ready whenever he does come! We will keep you posted on any updates!

I May Be Tired...

But not too tired to shop for bargains! I went to CVS earlier and had a great trip!



I am starting with 10 ECB from last week, so here is the breakdown...

Transaction #1

Soleil Razor, $5.99 (on sale from 6.99)

2 Soleil Razor Refills, $5.99 each (on sale from 6.99)

Colgate Maxfresh Toothpaste, $2.99 (on sale from 3.29)

Coupons Used:

(3) $2 off Soleil coupons

$4 off $20 CVS purchase coupon (printed from last purchase)

$10 ECB from last week

Total out of pocket: $1.66, and then I earned $4 ECB for each razor, and $2 ECB for the toothpaste, and then a bonus ECB popped up on the receipt thanking me for my summer spending... So, basically including ECB I spent $11.66, but I earned $15 ECB, making a net profit of $3.34. CVS just paid me to take home this stuff!

Transaction #2

Tylenol Rapid Release, $6.00 (on sale from 7.49)

Children's Motrin, $6.00 (on sale from 6.99)

2 Children's Tylenols, $6.00 each (on sale from 7.49)

CVS Hand Sanitizer Spray, $1.99

Coupons Used:

$2 off Tylenol Rapid Release

$3 off when you buy 3 Tylenol/Motrin products

$5 off $25 CVS purchase printed with first transaction

$12 ECB from razors

$2 ECB from toothpaste

$1 ECB from summer spending

Total out of pocket: $1.59, and then I earned $1 ECB from the hand sanitizer and $10 ECB for spending $20 on Tylenol/Motrin products.

So, I started with 10 ECB and only spent $3.25 cash out of pocket for $55.71 worth of merchandise, and I still have $11 ECB to roll next time! This is why I love CVS! I will probably do another week or two and then take a break from CVS-ing to spend some time with Blake. Besides, we have enough razors, deodorant, and toothpaste to last another year!

Finishing Projects

I have been trying to get a few last minute projects done... and I have finished a couple!

I have added ribbon and monogrammed some burp cloths for Blake. I went to Babies R Us the other day and bought a few last minute necessities like receiving blankets, a Boppy Cover, and some little tiny shirts and pants for him to wear right away. I have washed all of his newborn clothes and sheets and blankets, so I only have a few things left to wash and I will be all ready.

I have taken a few smocking classes lately, and I finished my dress for Kate! I took the basic smocking class to do the design on the pleated fabric, and I loved it- but they didn't finish the dress for me. It would have cost me $38 to get them to finish the dress or $45 to take the class and learn how to finish the dress myself... so I took the class. I really enjoyed learning how to do it myself, but I feel like I need a new project so I don't forget what I learned. Also, I am taking the class next week to learn how to use my pleater that I got for my birthday, and then I will be able to make a bishop dress from start to finish by myself! I am looking forward to that even though I am not sure how much time I will have to be smocking dresses soon.
We had a scare the other morning with Blake. I woke up and realized that all 3 times I had gone to the bathroom during the night, he had not kept me awake with his moving. So, I laid in bed turning from side to side and poking at him for a good 30 minutes. I got up to move around some, but he still was not moving, so I called Brandon and got him to come home and take me to the doctor. I had a non-stress test done, where they just put a monitor on me to keep up with his heartbeat and they gave me a button to press anytime I felt him move. I sat there for a while without feeling him move, so they came in with some vibrating buzzer and zapped him a few times. He went nuts! He hated it so much that he started jumping around and my stomach looked like an alien had taken over inside. I have to say that it was the greatest feeling in the world! My doctor told me that Blake is just "getting into position" and that he just isn't able to move much anymore. He was also just very sleepy that morning and needed to be buzzed to wake up. I felt like I had over-reacted, but Dr. Adcock made me feel so much better and told me he would have gotten his wife to do the exact same thing. That is the scary part about babies- if you wait at all, you could have waited too late! Needless to say, I was pretty hysterical that morning thinking of all the "what-ifs," but it just reminded me that we are not promised any good thing in this life and I am so thankful that the Lord has provided so much so far!
I am feeling more ready to have Blake these days- I am about out of room and I am way out of energy. I had Kate at the park the other day and she was running away from me, so I was chasing her. I got to her and another mom was standing with her kids and she said, "I see you are having a hard time breathing." I wanted to thank her for noticing in a not-so-nice way, but I just kind of smiled and went on chasing Kate (which would make any non-pregnant person out of breath). I also am not sleeping well at all, which is to be expected. I can't help but feel a little sad about rocking Kate's world. I know that is horrible to say, but I just have been able to give her full attention for 16 1/2 months and now she will have to become more independent and lean on her daddy/grandparents more than ever. When I had Kate, I never could have imagined the immediate love you have for your child, which makes me wonder how it is at all possible to love ANOTHER child that much. My mom and friends with more than one child all assure me that I will just feel that same love for the new baby and keep feeling that love for Kate. It is nice to know that I won't have to divide love between kids, but that God just doubles it! Anyway, I will keep you all updated on the changing emotions and the preparations for Blake as they come along!

Growing Up Fast

She is a girly girl! Kate has gotten to be obsessed with having her shoes on and her bow in. When I dress her, she pats her head and says, "bow" and then she points to her feet and says "Shoe-shoes." I actually have had to put her shoes where she can't reach them, because she has hidden one and I cannot find it anywhere! Even when I don't dress her (notice the footy pajamas), she will put her own shoes on! Doesn't everybody wear crocs over their pajamas? I do put little bows in all the time just because her hair hangs in her eyes, but she loves reminding me before I do it.

If you aren't careful, she grabs glasses right off of your face. Usually she just pulls on them and waves them around, but this morning she figured out how to put them on. She walked around holding them in place so she could wear them like me... not long enough to hurt her eyes though because I am blind!

Kate is learning how to give sweet kisses to Baby. They are still big, open-mouthed kisses that leave a generous amount of slobber behind, so we will keep working on that before Blake gets any "Kate-kisses." Brandon and I are constantly amazed at how much of a toddler Kate is, and not so much of a little baby! Last night I said, "Let's go brush your teeth," and she walked right to the sink and stood there pointing at her toothbrush. Then I said, "Go tell Daddy 'night night' and give him kisses," and she walked right to him blowing him kisses and saying "nigh nigh." Where does time go?!

Kate still loves to help her Daddy do pushups! As soon as she sees his hands on the floor like this, she runs over to him and jumps on his back. It is funny that she even knows to hold on tight, and she jumps around like she is riding a horse. I personally get a kick out of it every time she does this because Brandon can barely finish any because he is laughing so hard at how excited she gets. It is even better when Bailey tries to get underneath him with Kate on top of him. At least Bailey listens to commands, Kate is still learning!
Speaking of growing up fast... I went to the doctor on Tuesday and we are moving right along! The last time I went, I saw another doctor and he told me that Blake was going to be "significantly bigger than Kate." Yikes! So, this time I saw Dr. Adcock and he said that Kate was just on the smaller side of average (7 pounds, 1 ounce), and that Blake would likely be on the bigger side of average (above 8 pounds). He did say we can plan on inducing on Halloween... that is 29 days away! I will be exactly 39 weeks, so it is not too soon. I am feeling enormous and he is already sitting so low that I am wondering if I will make it that far! I know everyone says that... I guess it is just wishful thinking!