dinner at eight

"dinner at eight" is something that rebekah from a bit of sunshine and her friend andi started.

they started it as a way of being more intentional of dating their husbands during this busy season of life with little kiddos running around the house and a small date night budget.  

the idea is to, every once in awhile, put the kids to bed early and have an "at home" dinner date with your hubby.  She has monthly themes that they do and has started posting them and I've decided this is something we should start doing.  

this months theme was "Takeout for Two."  Since I remembered late in the month to do it, I didn't have much time to prepare but we had a fun night anyways.  

This last monday night was our "date night."  Since it was rainy and cold outside, I decided to just spread a blanket out on the living room floor, propped up some pillows against the toy box coffee table and we had our take out.  Tyler chose chipotle as his takeout and I had none other than the delicious chicken fajita rollup from Applebees (with extra mexi-ranch sauce of course).  

Tyler took on the task of giving Linc-man a bath at 7:30 while I went to get our takeout.  I had pre-ordered everything so it was all ready when I got there.  Also had to stop at the gas station nearby to get milk for Linc and that's how I ended up with our sugar cookies for dessert :)

We ate and relaxed while watching one of our favorite shows, "How I Met Your Mother" 

then spent the evening sorting through housing listings to get some narrowed down.

These are all blurry but it was funny trying to take a picture of Tyler stuffing the whole cookie in his mouth.  I have such a talented hubby :)

We had a great evening talking, relaxing and laughing.  It was good.  Although I think we decided that relaxing on the floor - no matter how many pillows you have- isn't very comfortable for this preggo momma and my "day after running 22 miles" hubby.  Either that or we're just getting too old!

I'm really going to try to keep up with these monthly "dinner at eight" dates.  I loved this one and hopefully we'll be able to get in a few more before this baby decides to come!

Quick Sonogram update

So I had another sonogram this morning and it went REALLY well!

I had the best sonogram-tech EVER.  

She was super nice and didn't seemed annoyed when I asked questions.  

Baby brother (since we still don't have a name, he gets to be called that for now) is looking great. 

He's still a boy! lol.

Weighing in at +/-  1 lb 7oz.  

If I remember correctly, Lincoln was 1 lb 10 oz at 24 weeks.  Both weights are right on track.

Heart beat was 159 bpm.

Plenty of water for him to swim around in.

And swim he did, the tech was getting frustrated because she couldn't get good measurements of him since he was moving around so much.....remind you of anyone else?  :)  Lincoln would do the same thing when they would do non-stress tests for him each day.  Crazy boys!

He was head down and pressing on my extremely full bladder....how rude. :)

Cervix is looking great.  Dr. M was kind enough to use his whole body weight to press on my stomach to make it move or to see how strong it was.....ouch I wanted to cry.  He's such a nice guy (see this post from my last sonogram and you'll see how sarcastic I am being!)

The blood flow through the umbilical cord looks great as well (that's what they monitor for signs of pre-eclampsia)  

Will go back in 6 weeks (at 30 weeks, wow) for another sonogram to check it all again.

24 weeks!!!!

So it's official: this pregnancy is different than my last pregnancy, at least as far as when my water is going to break!  Can I get a whoop, whoop!!  I have never been so relieved.  Since finding out I was pregnant, I've waited for this week to come with lots of anxiety.  I still have a long way to go and more hurdles to jump over as far as pre-e and hellp go but I can celebrate the fact that I am still at home growing this babe in my tummy instead of at the hospital for the next 8 weeks.  So now I'm looking to my next goal of 28 weeks!

I couldn't admit it until yesterday (I officially turned 24 weeks yesterday and it's the same day my water broke with Lincoln) but this past week I have been all sorts of a mess.  Thinking that I was getting too overly confident and paranoid that every little stretching or tightening was a contraction.  Totally convinced myself that I was going to go into labor last week.  I'm crazy, holy cow.  Thankfully it was just my mind playing games with me, nothing to worry about.  But I woke up Sunday morning and felt like I could take on anything that comes our way now that I've made it this far.  I may have cried a few tears of joy.....but no one saw me so there's no proof :)

Up until now I haven't allowed myself to buy anything maternity except one pair of jeans.  So today I rounded up my awesome motherhood maternity coupons (thanks Megan!!) and justified spending way too much money on two more pairs of jeans, some leggings (oh my I'm going to be living in these....lounging in them at the moment!), the shirt you see in the picture and another tunic.  Pretty sure Tyler is going to flip but hey, you don't want me wearing my normal clothes anymore as they have turned into belly shirts!  I needed $5 to spend in order to get another $20 off my purchase so I bought baby brother another pair of adorable teddy bear slippers.  He's gotta have some new things of his own, right? :)  

24 week points of interest:

*another sonogram tomorrow.....mainly just to check my cervix length

*almost finished with another antibiotic for strep b.....

*weight gain - 11 lbs

*belly button is almost flat.....already feeling the stretch

*we still can't agree on a name, I'm afraid baby brother is going to be born without a name (or if we haven't agreed by then, that Tyler would give in and let me use my favorite name since I just gave birth to a second son for him!) I can only hope, right? :)

*I'm so hungry all the time!  I eat so much but I'm sure Tyler is thankful I haven't made him run out and get me a burger at 10pm in a while (yep I did that when I was in my first trimester and STAR-VING 24/7)

*This boy is constantly moving in there and I'm enjoying it like you wouldn't believe, since Lincoln didn't have much run to move from this point on it was really hard to feel his movements (when he did move, he wasn't really able to move very often) so this is really cool for me! 

Well that's all I've got for this week!  Hopefully I'll have another boring post next week....that's my goal, to be as boring of a pregnant lady as possible.  

Oh and P.S. I'm CHOPPING my hair off this week.  So those of you, like my mom, who are against this  random act of cutting of the mane, you have some time to get used to the idea before I post my new picture with my new do next week.  Just need a change, hey maybe I'll even dye it darker too for the fall?  :)

how am I feeling

about reaching 24 weeks...

scared.

excited.

relieved.

anxious.

paranoid.

worried.

yet confident.

doubt.

weird.

nervous.

thankful.

thankful.

I am so thankful to have made it this far with no big problems.

nervous.

Nervous about what the rest of this pregnancy will be like.  This is new territory for me. 

weird.

I really don't know how to feel sometimes....which is weird.

doubt.

can I actually do this?  

confident.

that things will actually go well this time around.  yes I can do this.

worried.

that at any moment my water could break.

paranoid.

every little thing makes me wonder if it's something more serious.  are those contractions? no, I'm just making that up....or am I? yes I must be. 

anxious.

anxious to meet this little guy so I know all this pregnancy worry is over.

relieved.

to have (almost) made it to my first goal! and every time I feel him move inside my belly.

excited.

to be a mom again and feel super blessed to have this opportunity.

scared.

Yes scared.  Of the unknown, of the coming weeks that I will relive what happened last time, that I could get h.e.l.l.p. again, that my water could break at any minute and even of having a c-section again (I had a horrible experience).

wrap all that together, tie it in a knot, throw it around a little and that's how I'm feeling about this week.  

I've been reliving that terrifying morning.  How scary it was.  And I look over at my perfectly healthy boy and squeeze him extra tight today.

23 weeks

oh 23 weeks.  

i can't believe you are here.  

how is it possible that this pregnancy is going so fast?!

I think about January 15th (due date) and that seems like it's just around the corner.

and then i think about the possibility of having this baby boy early and that just seems like it could come WAY too soon!

But that's not gonna happen right?  

It'll be January 15th and I'll be crying tears of joy that I made it to my due date.

At least that's what I'm praying for. 

so for all who like the bump....here it is at 23 weeks!

this week:
pretty uneventful for the most part.
*I haven't heard back from Dr. S's office so I'm taking that as good news as far as the Strep B goes.  I'm not on an antiobiotic yet for it so hopefully it stays at bay.
*bought my Halloween costume - I think it's pretty cute....you'll all have to check back closer to Halloween to see pics.
*We are having the hardest time agreeing on a name for this little guy.  Tyler has a top pick and I have my top pick and neither of us are giving in....hmmmm maybe we just need a whole new name to compromise on.
*This crazy boy inside me is kicking like crazy......Lincoln hasn't felt him kick yet but always puts his hand on my tummy when daddy does and thinks he's so cool :)
*I've started making a list of things we'll "need" for this guy.....the list is longer than I thought it would be since we're having another boy.  But I'm realizing we borrowed a lot of things for when Lincoln was born and then I've added lots of things we want need :)

  Like this adorable crocheted fedora!  So who of my friends knows how to crochet? huh? huh? :)

AND this adorable Petunia Picklebottom Bag:

so all these wants needs are making my list long :)  

It's so fun to look at least!

So I've been started to look back at this point in my pregnancy with Lincoln.  This was my last normal week with him.  I had just finished student teaching and was getting ready for my graduation.  Everything was normal.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  I'm trying not to let that freak me out but just praying my way through each day.  Next week is my first goal: 24 weeks.  That's when babies reach that magical timing of being "viable."  

Praying my way through each day....that's all I can do.  

heartache.

i don't even know how to type this post. 

 i didn't even want to write it but telling people over my blog is much easier than in person.  

heartache.

that's what I feel.

for a one year old boy that we won't have the chance to bring into our family.

i don't understand it.

the system.

the timing.

why?

the aching and pain is exactly what I felt last november.

after my miscarriage. 

only worse because I've gotten to know this boy.

we've grown to love him and started to make a place for him in our family.

lincoln loves him and asks for him.

i know God has a special plan for him.

he's survived when everything was against him.

i just really wish that plan included us.

the why, is what gets me.

why would God basically put this boy in our path

just to take him away?

i completely trust Him and know He has good reason for everything.

maybe it was just to see if we would put our "yes" on the table and risk this heartache.

to see if we would be willing to follow his command to care for the fatherless.

but when there is such great need, why take away a perfectly good home for this boy?

someday we will understand but right now we trust through the storm.

i know you are are thinking, 

"well at least you still have your baby growing in your belly"

yes but that doesn't make this any easier.

he was already ours, in my heart.

yes this will make things easier on me to just have one more child right now instead of two.

but "easy" isn't what this life is all about.

it's about doing what God calls you to do, no matter the cost.

so that's where we are at right now.
sad, hurting. 

embrace the camera - Sept. 15

Thought we'd embrace the cooler weather today with our cardigans and vests.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall and am so happy to see it coming! :)  Here are a couple pictures before heading out the door this morning....and brrrr it was actually cold today!

kisses for my little man

handsome lil' dude, growing up way too fast

22 weeks

Sorry if these posts are starting to getting monotonous.  I do this for myself more than anything.  I like looking back and seeing what was going on each week etc.  I did this with Lincoln only I wrote it all down in a journal so it's fun to look back and see differences and similarities with each pregnancy.

*Fall is in the air and we've already started our first round of sickies around here.  Just colds but those still take a toll on ya and when the medicines to take with a cold while preggo are slim pickin's that makes it a little worse to.  But don't worry, we will survive :)
*Dr. appt went well this week.  Blood pressure 110/70 woohoo!!
*They are retesting again to see if the strep b is back and if so it looks like I'll be living on antibiotics until 30 weeks....sure hoping it stays under control so that doesn't have to happen.
*Dr. S is sending me to get another ultrasound next week.  Mainly just to check to make sure my cervix is holding up.  My cervix wasn't the problem last pregnancy but want to make sure to cover all our bases since I'm high risk for so many things.  I'm just excited to get to see this little boy again!  Eeek!  The perks of being high risk, you gotta stay positive, right? ;)
*Baby boy's heart rate clocked in at a nice 159 bpm.  It was hard to hear because he was kicking and squirming around so much.  Dr. S said I've got an active one....big surprise - these boys like to take after their high energy dadddy (yes please pray for me!)
*The hips have started widening already - which for me means restless nights already (Tyler is almost ready to go sleep in the guest room because I keep him up all night tossing and turning, sorry honey!)....just getting prepped for baby to get here (a little early but hey I'm not gonna complain!)
*Weight gain = 9lbs
*Still keeping my appointments at every 4 weeks at least one more time, unless I notice my bp getting higher or I start having contractions.

I feel like I haven't said it enough, even though I know you all know how I feel, but I am so blessed.  Each day when I look down at my ever growing belly I thank God for this opportunity and this tiny life He's blessed us with.  I'm trying really hard not to take any moment for granted.  I know just how quickly those moments that you think you will have down the road can be ripped away from you.  So I'm living in the here and now and trying (key word there) to not worry about what the months to come will look like or how long this little guy will bake.

Thank you all who have been praying us through this pregnancy so far.  No matter what happens, God is still good.

sensory tub - waterbeads

I finally found these at Michael's.  I think if our Walmart was a Super Walmart, I would've been able to find them there but alas, it's not.  I'm guessing Michael's was a little more pricey.  It was $4.99 for the waterbeads.  They had all sorts of colors....Lincoln picked out the green :)

He played with these with just a cup for an hour straight and then off and on all day long. 

 I'd say they were a hit!  

These beads are awesome.  They themselves don't stain but the water they are in is green (it spilled on my carpet, somebody thought they could pick up the container by themselves....)  Just make sure your kiddo is past the stage of putting everything in their mouth.  They are so fun to squeeze between your fingers....but hard to pick up if a couple spill on the floor - slippery little suckers!

Like I said on my 10 on 10 post, I saw this idea from my friend Julie.  

It was a big hit with her two kiddos as well!

10 on 10 - September

I finally remembered that today is 10 on 10!!  I always think of it too late or just completely forget altogether.  Lincoln and I had the day by ourselves.  Daddy had to work :(  So we made the best of it.

9:00am

Practicing our abc's with Lincoln's new train puzzle....he loves to put it together!

10:00am

baking some yummy banana bread.

(I love, love, love my Bosch)

11:00am

our newest sensory tub - water beads = hours and hours of fun for Linc man 

not kidding, he played with these off and on all day!

I saw these on my friend Julie's blog, such a great idea!  Oh and they don't make a mess :)

12:00pm

fresh banana bread straight out of the oven....mmmmm.

1:00pm

my newest obsession since being pregnant - caffeine free root beer!

2:00pm

This little guy woke up from his nap super happy!

3:00pm

a quick mid afternoon bath so mommy could give him a haircut.

4:00pm

Lincoln and Mason looking out the window at Avery's house.  

Fun family BBQ for our playgroup

5:00pm

Linc was like a crazy taxi driver, pushing all the other kiddos around in this car.  

Maybe they should consider installing airbags in these cars....

6:00pm

Not bad for 9 kiddos 2 years old and under....at least everyone is sorta looking :)

I don't think this is even half of the kiddos in our playgroup!

It's a bird.....it's a plane....

no, it's........

LOTS of planes!

We went to our first air show on Monday and Lincoln loved it!

We got there just in time to cover our ears see the Thunder Birds.  

After Lincoln got some popcorn he was in heaven.  Watching planes and eating paw-con.

Man how did I get so lucky to marry this handsome guy?

I always get this look from Tyler when he realizes I'm taking pictures of him.  

He secretly likes it :)

These pilots amaze me.  Wow.

Grandma Hunni got to come too!

It was surprisingly cold and windy....we weren't completely prepared for that.  Welcome fall!

Just a couple extra pictures from our time with Grandma Hunni

We took Gma Hunni to story time at the library.  

Malinda and Kris's Wedding

When Tyler and I got married, he had been living down in Kansas for a couple years and made some great friends down there.  So for our wedding, we were blessed to have a whole group (20+ maybe?) travel the 4 hours to come celebrate with us.  Even though I didn't even know any of them yet (I got to know them all after we moved down there) it meant so much to us that they cared enough to travel just to come to our wedding.  So it was great that we were able to attend Malinda and Kris's wedding 4 hours away in Michigan.  

Malinda was a beautiful bride and I wish I could've gotten a picture of Kris's face when he saw her walk down the aisle.  He was beaming.

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell.

I love Malinda's expression in this one!

centerpieces at the reception....instead of cake she had cake balls at every table. 

 They were simply amazing.  wow.

Addalynn and Jackson checking out the ipad during the reception....these two are adorable together.

Addie dancing with her mom and Kris

Mother/Daughter :)

Aren't these two just the cutest?!  "Why is everyone taking pictures of us?!" - Jackson

We had a great time and are so happy for Kris, Malinda, and Addy!  

May God bless you guys as you start your new life together.