16 weeks

I really can't believe I'm 16 weeks already.  Mainly because I was 16 weeks when we found out with Lincoln that he was a boy.  I remember feeling like getting to 16 weeks in that pregnancy took FOREVER and this time it feels like it's flying by!  Unfortunately we have to wait until 18 weeks to find out the gender of our precious little peanut but I suppose I can wait.  I really admire you ladies who wait until the baby is born to find out.  Obviously I don't have as much patience as you all. 

16 week update:

*Feeling REALLY fat lately.  Ugh. 

*Evening sickness is sorta going away.  It seems like it hits me even later in the evenings now but every couple nights it'll hit early in the evening.  Like I've said earlier, I'll take this timing of sickness (rather than morning or all day sickness) anyday!

*Headaches are getting worse.  Was able to get adjusted by my amazing friend (who also happens to be a Chiropractor!) and I think it's helped a little.  Mostly I think it's stress and I'm tense all the time.  The funny thing is, I don't feel stressed but then if I think about it I realize my neck and face are all tensed up quite often.  Don't really understand why.  I just need to learn how to relax I guess.



So I thought I'd include a "behind the scenes" picture from when Tyler takes my weekly belly photo.  All I can say is that photoshop does amazing things! Notice the purses all over, my little helper who needed to be in the picture as well and the awesome tape holding up the fabric :)

tubes, seeds and date night!

It has been almost 4 months since Lincoln got his tubes put in.  And it was probably the BEST decision we have ever made.  He has had almost no problems with getting infections since then.  All I have to do is look for drainage coming from his ears (as a sign of probable infection starting) and the doctor just prescribes some ear drops and it's cleared up.  JUST LIKE THAT!  No more antibiotics for this dude.  (knock on wood, haha)  I was getting scared about how often he was taking them and them not working.  So this solution has been absolutely wonderful.  I just wanted to follow up since I know you all were on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what we thought of the tubes.  Thought it'd be helpful for any of you with a kiddo who has lots of ear infections and you are debating whether or not to get tubes (like we were).  I'm chalking this one up as a success! 

Today is full of running errands all around town today.  Which equals lot of time in the car for Linc-man.  But I'm really excited because we get to try out his new cds that he got with some of his birthday money.  They are called "Family Worship Seeds" and they have different ones like, Seeds of Faith, Seeds of Courage, Seeds of Character etc.  It's verses set to music.

I'm going to start playing it at nap time and before bed for him and I bought one for the car as well.  It'll hopefully help both of us memorize the verses.  Which has fallen by the way side lately for me.  I really need to get back into memorizing scripture. 

And I'm SUPER duper excited because tonight is date night!  Tyler and I are trying to squeeze in as many dates as possible before we possibly have 3 kiddos, cause then getting someone to watch them will get a lot harder.  Right now we have an awesome set up with another couple who has a boy about the same age as Lincoln and we just trade off weeks.  We watched Lucas last week so they could go on a date and tonight they are watching Lincoln.  Best part, no one has to pay for a babysitter!  And we both get about 1-2 dates a month!  Talk about a win-win!  We were thinking about seeing a movie tonight but I want to see Crazy, Stupid Love and Tyler shot that down and he wants to see Cowboys and Aliens and I said, heck no!  So maybe a movie isn't such a great idea :)  No matter what I get to spend time alone with my man and I couldn't be more excited! 

Hope you all have a great weekend!  We are starting the house hunt tomorrow morning!  eeeek! 

young love

So I don't think I've ever done a post on how the Mr. and I met.  I've read a couple other blogs who have written our their "love story" and thought it'd be fun to do a post on ours.

Background info:
We both grew up on farms outside of two small towns. 

Little did we know we grew up 6 miles down the road from each other but since we went to different churches and schools, never met.  Until.....

It was the summer before my freshman year of high school (2000) and we were both camp counselors for a Christian Day Camp that was right by my house (put on by Tyler's pastor and his wife).  I thought he was super cute of course.  I had my own group of elementary age girls and he was in charge of the canoes.  So here we are, awkward as ever, sitting on the dock just the two of us with all the girls in their canoes paddling away.  There was one canoe left so he asked if I wanted to join him.  Of course I did!  But since we were both so shy, neither of us said hardly a word the whole time!  I was in the front so he couldn't see me blushing.  Talk about awkward! 

But little did I know, before that he had spotted me practicing hurdles on the Aurora Track at school (since my little school didn't have a track, the team came a couple times to actually practice on a track-yeah we are cool like that).  I didn't know this but he started asking around to find out who I was...

So later that summer that same Christian Camp puts on a "Travel Camp" for highschool-ers and we both went.  I was a little obsessed with trying to get to know him.  My friends were so kind and made fun of me (you know who you are).  Tyler had a shirt on one day and all it said on it was "What?" in huge letters and so it became so funny for my friends to ask me, "Hey Marie, 'What?' is over there?!"  Anyways, at one point I convinced my friend Kelly to come with me as we followed close behind him and his friends on a hike up a small mountain at Jenny Lake.  We were running late to get back to the bus so we started running.  Well my sissy ankle gave out on a rock and I couldn't walk anymore.  Him and his two friends were kind enough to carry me piggyback the rest of the way down.

So camp ended and my cousin Matt was gracious enough to set up a double date for us.  First date, we went mini golfing, batting cages and finished off the night with some DQ and a movie.  We continued to date for a couple months, went to homecoming together, he would sneak into my high school and place a gatorade in my locker for my volleyball game that night, he left a poem in my car (which happened to be my families old mini van, you're all jealous just admit it!) and then I broke his heart and dumped him.  I know your thinking, what in the world, why would you break up with a sweet guy like that!?!  I don't know.  I just knew I wasn't ready for a serious relationship and since he was a senior, he was looking for more serious than I was looking for at the time.  Everyone told me I made a huge mistake and wouldn't find a guy like him again.  I ignored them, but secretly knew they were right, and finished out my sophomore year.

Fast forward to middle of my Junior year (Tyler is now a freshman in college at Wichita State University, 4 hours away).  This was back when MSN messenger was the cool thing to do (before Facebook and everything, old school, I know!)  We started chatting on there a lot.  I started to realize how much I missed him and that I really did make a huge mistake but I didn't want to admit it.  Meanwhile he hasn't given up on me but has started thinking that I wasn't ever going to come around so he tried one last time and asked if I would ever be interested in dating again otherwise he was going to start dating this other girl at college.  Gave me the ultimatum basically!  Well I didn't let that opportunity pass and I told him yes!  He came back for my Jr prom and the rest is history....

Jr. Prom

Thought I'd include this one for those of you who have never seen Tyler with any hair.  Yes this was when he was in college and yes I thought it was super cute!

Sr. Prom (I absolutely loved my dress!)

More of the shaggy hair

And then he cut it short

We dated throughout the rest of high school and since I was convinced that I didn't want to just "follow" him to Wichita State, I did my own thing and went to Hastings College to play volleyball.  That only lasted for a year before we got engaged and married 6 months later! Yes I was 19 years old.

On our honeymoon cruise!

I moved down to Wichita with him, he had a year left of school and I had 3 1/2.  We lived in the basement apartment of some friends from church and loved it!  It was small and cheap, we started out only paying $250 for rent and no utilities! Doesn't get much better than that!

So that's our little love story.

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fall.

I'm already dreaming about Fall.  It's my favorite time of the year.  

I canNOT wait!  So many fun things about it.

cute boots

Football

pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING

cool evenings

warm Fall colors

Beautiful trees

schedules are back

Volleyball

Our favorite TV shows are back on :)

Cuddling on the couch with a soft blanket and hot cocoa

Soup

Cardigans

Scarves

This year our Fall is going to be very exciting and busy.  My belly will be growing rounder.  We are moving (same city just different houses).  And we HOPEFULLY will be welcoming a 1 year old boy to our family (we keep praying that it happens!). 

I used to be someone who wished time away.  Like when I was ten I couldn't WAIT until I was 16 so I could drive. Then I couldn't wait until I graduated and went to college.  Then I couldn't wait until that one weekend a month came when I could see that cute boy.  Then I couldn't wait until he proposed.  And I couldn't wait until I married the man of my dreams!  And then I couldn't wait to have babies (that one felt like the LONGEST since I made a promise to myself to graduate college first, and I made that goal and 2 months later Lincoln was born!).  I feel like I've "wished" my life away.  Never enjoying the here and now and always wanting the future to get here sooner.  The next "big" thing.

But that all changed the day I found out I was pregnant.  Ever since I've become a mom, I've NEVER wished away time.  I'm here.  I'm living my dream.  I have the best man as my husband and father of our child.  I am a mom.  I get to stay at home.  I am happy.  SO happy.  Time already goes way too fast when you have a child and I've actually wanted to do the opposite than I usually have and wanted to slow time down.  Hold up, I have a 2 year old already?!  How does that happen.  It's like he just wants to keep growing up.  Rude.  Can we rewind a bit?  No? Bummer. 

But I find myself getting impatient and wanting the Fall to be here.  For this baby to be here.  To find out about Baby J.  And then I stop and remind myself to live in the here and now and enjoy these last few months that it's just Linc man and I.  We will never have this time again.  And with the possibility of going from 1 kiddo to 3 kiddos, our lives are going to change dramatically.  So as much as I'm looking forward to Fall and all it will bring with it.  I'm super excited about today. 

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

15 weeks

  

And we've reached another week!  Yay!  I had another dr. appointment this past week and everything went well!  Although we had to wait for over an hour to see him and then the whole appointment probably took 10 minutes.  Oh well, at least the other ladies in the waiting room had a good laugh at Tyler.  He had worked 11:30pm to 11:30am the night before and my appointment was at 12:45 so he just stayed up to go with him (such a sweet guy) and so needless to say, he fell asleep in the waiting room.  When the nurse called my name, I got up and he didn't.  It was quite humorous.  Don't worry Tyler we were all laughing with you not at you :)

I have been having headaches that won't go away with Tylenol (since that's the only thing I can take) and so it was making me nervous/paranoid since that's a sign of preeclampsia.  And so I was constantly taking my blood pressure here at home (I have a cuff from last pregnancy).  It was always fine but it still worried me.  I asked the dr. about it and he just thinks it's gotta be from stress.  I didn't think I was stressed but maybe subconsciously I was.  Anyhow, they gone away for the most part.  Just need to relax more I guess. 

We heard a strong fast heartbeat at 163bpm and I'm measuring right where I should be.  

I started feeling little "fluttering" this week and I love it!  I can only feel it because I know what it's supposed to feel like.

I don't wanna jinx myself by saying this but the last couple nights I have been feeling "ok."  I'm not 100% but I'm not miserable either.  As long as I keep myself distracted and eat constantly (I've still only gained 2 lbs, despite my horrendous new eating habits!) I'm fine. 

I've found that frozen blackberries are scrumptious.

I was able to start "working out," not sure if I can even use that term, and am walking in the mornings before it gets hot out.

2 year pictures of my little man...

I took another shot at taking my little man's pictures and I think I got some good ones!  Finding the place to take them is what took me the longest, I'd say.  I was just going to go to a park but then realized that our little complex had a great spot, in the middle of a round about!  It had trees, rocks, bushes and was the perfect setting.  We got some weird looks from people driving by but oh well.

I've learned that the older he gets, the HARDER it is to get a good picture of him!  Crazy kid just wants to play, I can't imagine why?  But thanks to continuous shooting (which led to over 100 pictures being taken in 10 minutes) I got some that I really like!

So go ahead and take a look...  (random but typing that dot, dot, dot made me think of the bachelorette)

Oh and there are a LOT of pictures!

He had to carry his own props....he's gotta earn his keep somehow! kidding!

This face cracked me up!

Such a somber look

 and off he goes again!

If you can't tell, he was getting pretty tired by this point

AND....he's ready to go back home.

14 weeks!

So I am well on my way into the 2nd trimester and am at 14 weeks today. 
 That means I'm only 10 weeks away from my first goal of making it to 24 weeks
and
20 weeks away from my ultimate goal of 34 weeks!
 Anything past that is a blessing and another day for this little peanut to grow big and strong!

I finally got around to taking a belly picture (although I feel like I have more of a belly than I actually do). 

I took one last week for 13 weeks but didn't like how it turned out so that one got deleted.  I wanted to do something a little more "uniform" this time around so that each picture looked similar so I got a black backdrop (free fabric from a garage sale!) and I'll do them all in black and white just because I think that looks classy.  My goal is to take a picture each Sunday from now on (nice that I change weeks on Sunday so I'm dressed nice for church anyway for a picture!)  We'll see if I keep it up for every week but I'm sure gonna try!

I'm trying to really enjoy this pregnancy and cherish every day.  I'm treating it like it's my last pregnancy (not that, that's what we've decided but depending on the outcome of this one, we'll have to play it by ear) but that does NOT mean we are stopping at 2 kiddos, oh no!  :)

Here are a couple quick 14 week preggo facts:

*I am still awfully sick in the evenings, yuck.....this too shall pass but if I had a choice between evening sickness and morning sickness I would pick evening hands down!

*I'm slowly getting some energy back, I need a nap every couple days rather than every day!

*I've gained 2 lbs....not too bad I'd say.

*I'm already wearing maternity pants.....I can wear my other pants with a bella band but maternity pants are just SO incredibly comfortable I just went straight to them!

*Random fact: I didn't buy any maternity pants when I was preggo with Lincoln because after I went to the hospital at 24 weeks all I wore was sweat pants......but then I had to buy a couple pairs after he was born because of all that stubborn bedrest weight

*I crave salty things just like with Lincoln

*pregnancy pillows are uh-mazing.  It takes up more than my half of the bed so I don't think Tyler likes it too much but it's SO comfortable!!

Well that's all I've got for now!  Hope you all are having a great weekend!  Check back soon for Lincoln's 2 year pictures :)

embrace the camera: July 14

Before heading out the door to run some errands today we took advantage of the nice weather and played outside for a bit.  Since we don't have extra room in our garage or a backyard, all of Lincoln's big toys (sandbox, wagon, slide, car, bike, mower etc.) get to decorate our front porch.  The decorator part of me wants to badly to get a couple of cute chairs and a fun table to set on the porch but then the mom in me is so happy to see those toys every single day as we leave or pull into the garage.  It means a little boy lives here and I LOVE that I GET to have those toys all over :) 

Apparently I have a little copy cat....Lincoln found one of my headbands and put it on by himself.  Who says I need a little girl to dress up in cute headbands? hehe 

I promise I'm not going to start dressing my son in headbands!

Isn't he pretty?  

The headband is off set by the streak of an attempted swipe of the hand to wipe his nose before I could get back with a kleenex.  THIS is why as soon as we see a runny nose we say, "HANDS UP!"  It's quite the sight to see him like that hands up in the air waiting for us, runny nose and all. :)

"Mom, what do you think you are doing getting in my picture?"

Again with the headband......and this is his face he makes when I ask him if he's scared.  I didn't ask him though, I guess he just wanted to look extra feminine in this picture! ha! 

(Tyler, I promise he rolled around in the dirt, drank his milk from the gallon jug, caught some frogs, burped and switched the headband for his backwards baseball cap)

my sanity amidst the chaos that is our living room at the moment :)

No really, I have never been so excited to see a drive thru Starbucks in my life!  They just put a new one in not 5 minutes from where we live and I had to treat myself today after get 10 viles of blood taken at the hospital.  yuck.  Thankfully I didn't pass out, although I did start feeling a little woozy 20 minutes later but don't worry I stayed conscious.  I deserved a little treat after that.

So this recent addition of a Starbucks SO close by is not good for my wallet or my hips but FABULOUS for my mood somedays.  You wouldn't believe how few and far between a drive thru is at a Starbucks around here.  And with a kiddo to drag in and out of there, I would often drive right by and not give in to my craving (which was REALLY good for my wallet and my hips but not so great for my mood!) hehe.  Coming from Wichita where there is a Starbucks on almost every corner and all of then have a drive thru I was surprised when we moved here.  But worry no more for me friends, I've got easy access to extremely overpriced lattes, frappes and ice coffees :)  I think my blow money budget is going to suffer now.......

Linking up with Emily today!

jumbled thoughts all related

I have so many half written posts swarming around in my head lately.  Since I haven't felt up to typing them out, I've just "typed" them out in my head.  What you mean I actually have to post them on here for you all to know what's going on with us and what's been on my mind lately?  You mean you can't read my mind?  :)

So I sit down to write and I can't decide which one to start writing about so I have no idea where this post is going to go, you might just get a big jumbled mess of all the thoughts swarming my head these days.  Most of which all center around the new addition(s) to our family.  And with those thoughts include more thoughts of change, taking on, possibly 3, children, moving (because our place is too small for 2 more littles running around), selling our escape and possibly making the jump to a minivan?!, energy or lack there of that I may or may not have, my abilities, can I give enough attention to each child, doubts, joy, excitement, love, strollers, cribs, potty training and the list going on and on and on and on AND on.

I think most of my doubts of whether or not I can do this are because right now I'm not feeling 100%.  I'm sick most evenings and feel like I can't take care of ONE child when I'm like this, let along 2 or even 3!  But this too shall pass and please don't think that I am not wanting any of this or am burdened by this because that is the COMPLETE opposite of how I am feeling!  I am elated with JOY and am so extremely excited about this little peanut growing in my belly and the possibility of being able to add another through adoption.  Are we crazy, yes, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I was reading a new blog that I've found of a fellow pre-e and hellp survivor who is expecting again but having complications.  She wrote about how people always say that "God will not give you more than you can handle" and how she went looking and there is no where in the Bible that, that is stated.  It states that you will not be tempted beyond what you can handle but that's it.  She went on to say that yes sometimes we are given situations that stretch us beyond what WE can handle so that we learn to rely on Him help us through it.  We will not ever be given more that HE can handle. 

So that's all I have time to write about right now, I have two sweet little boys waking up from naps :)  Happy Wednesday everyone!

a birthday bash

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ok first of all let me apologize, yet again, for my lack of blogging.  This whole pregnancy thing is really taking it's toll on me and even though I'm in my 2nd trimester already (yippee!!!) the sickies are not going away.  I'm still very tired and feel like I've gotten hit by a truck most days and I really have no extra brain power to even think of writing a short blog post and so that is why I've been neglecting the blog so much lately.  It also doesn't help that I try to go to bed as early as possible since that is the only way to ward off the sickies.  I've tried everything from crackers to broth to sprite and keeping my tummy full.  Nothing works in the evening except going to sleep.  Then I wake up and feel awesome so it's great!

So please don't give up on me, I promise to start posting more often as soon as I start feeling up to it!  I'm praying that's right around the corner!

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So back to the birthday bash post!  My sweet little boy turned the BIG 2 July 6th and so we had a birthday party for him last Friday evening with all our playgroup friends, church friends and even Grandma Hunni, Grandma R. and Papa R. were able to come and help celebrate!  It was SO much fun and we feel so blessed to have so many people who love our little guy.

I was so thankful that my mom was able to fly out here early and help me with all the party prep.  She is just amazing and helped so much.  I don't think I could've done it without her!  Not kidding.  Now we just need to figure out a way to see her more often!  

Since are townhouse isn't that big, the front building of the complex wasn't available to rent, trying to get a pavillion or tables at a park intimidated me, our awesome friends Justin and Kim, offered to let us come take over their back yard for Linc's party.  They have the most amazing backyard and it just goes on and on forever!  They have no idea how much it meant that they offered it up to us to use.  SO AWESOME!  And thankfully the weather was PERFECT!  I woke up to rain that morning and started panicking  but it let up after awhile and dried out for the most part.  

For the party I couldn't find or decide on a theme that I liked so I just went with colors that I'm going to do Lincoln's "big boy" room in and just got decorations in those colors. 

I know this is horrible picture quality.  Mom took it before I reset the setting for her.  But it's a good shot of the full food table and my little baby bump. 

I made this pennant for behind the food table and can reuse it in his room! 

playing with some playgroup friends at the party

some of the kiddos playing on the corn hole board

getting ready to eat

Lincoln and Lucas at the little kid table ( I got it at a garage sale for $5!)

I went the "easy" route with the cake and just made dirt cake....yummy!

singing "Happy Birthday"

he wasn't so sure what to think about everyone looking at him and singing but he DID blow out the candle!

Tyler sneaking some cake :)

the awesome pinata my hubby made/painted!  Didn't he do an amazing job?!

Lincoln taking the first swings (needless to say, he didn't do any damage)

it eventually broke and I'm thankful to say no one was hurt in the process of breaking the pinata....I was so nervous!  

 Lincoln was getting tired and crabby so thankfully, Addie was there to help open the rest of his presents

"a choo choo!"

My mom was kind enough to take my camera and capture the party for me.....but I learned a lot about how awkward I look in candid pictures.....here are some examples.....

{scratching my head? really?}

{again with the head scratching or maybe playing with my hair?} wow.

{hmmmm interesting and not flattering expression}

{stuffing my face full of tootsie rolls before the kids take all of them}

well I don't really know what to say after all those great pictures of myself.  I hope they all provided a nice chuckle for you all :)

Well we had a fantastic time at Lincoln's party and hope everyone else did too!  Thank you so much for everyone who cam and helped us celebrate!  We are so thankful for you and your friendships!