waiting on consistency

I began feeling Addie Grey move weeks ago. However, it was VERY light and VERY inconsistent. To the point of not really being sure that's what I was feeling. On the day I turned 17 weeks, I started feeling her to the point of knowing beyond a doubt that it WAS her. I've pretty much felt her every day since, but there are times when it's so much stronger than others. Yesterday, I barely felt her at all. Maybe once or twice in the morning. Then today, I've felt her pretty consistently for most of the day. I look forward to the afternoons when I can get home and lay flat and see if I can feel her. All mommas know that, when pregnant, there is nothing more reassuring than feeling them move around. Well, other than looking at them on an ultrasound screen. It doesn't matter that it's the third time around....the feeling is still as miraculous as it was the first time. I'm cherishing every single second. I know by the end of the pregnancy, I'll be tired of being poked and prodded from the inside. But, for now, I'm anxious for some strong kicks on a daily basis. On Saturday night, while I was lying in bed, she was kicking hard enough to feel from the outside. I wish Joey had been lying right there. It only happened for a couple of minutes and hasn't happened again since. But, Makinley got to hear her heartbeat for the first time on Saturday too. Her little face was precious! Her eyes got so big. Addie Grey decided to move someplace new and I couldn't find her again to be able to let Joey and Tripp hear. It's hard to believe I'm almost 19 weeks. She'll be here so soon! Our "big" ultrasound is Monday, and I can't help but be a tad bit anxious. I just keep praying for God to take any worry or fear away. I know He has a perfect plan for her and for her life. I'm just anxious to hear that she is healthy and developing right on track. Although we have had several ultrasound so far, we've yet to have the one where they do all their measurements and check for all the things they look for.

It really is amazing how fast they grow! Looking forward to even more pictures of her on Monday. This will probably be the last time I "see" her until she's in my arms!

gone buggy

Tripp's school play, BUGZ, was last night, and I couldn't be more proud of our boy! I have been very nervous ever since the Kindergarten square dancing debacle that he wouldn't do what he was supposed to do once he got on stage. Man, was I nervous for NOTHING. He got on that stage and he was in his element. I don't know if I've ever smiled so big! He was an Army Ant and the song that he was part of was like a rap, so their dance moves were very "hip-hoppish"....I didn't know he could move like that! Must take after his Uncle Trey! :-) We didn't get any pictures (because I left the camera in the hands of my husband, who didn't realize that I turned the flash on the camera off, so he didn' think he could use it), but we did get video. Unfortunately, during his ant song, he was on the back row, and I couldn't get a very clear shot of him. However, for the final song, he was front and center, and boy could you tell! I was able to get that one on video. He's already talking about trying out for next year's play. Our little athlete may be an actor as well!

Thankful another sweet momma captured this shot for me!

gender revealed!

Joey and I went for our ultrasound on Thursday, and it was SO hard not to look at the screen while she was getting the gender shot! BUT, I'll admit it made it easier just being able to lay there and watch the baby move. Once, I saw that, all I cared about AGAIN was health. But, I was definitely dying to know if I was looking at a moving baby boy or a moving baby girl! Once we left the Dr's office, I took the envelope with the gender sealed in tight to a girlfriend of mine and she proceeded to make my idea a reality.

As our family arrived at the park, everyone voted on what they thought the baby would be. Don't let all the marks on the pink fool you though. My daddy voted for a girl five times!

With voting complete, we opened the box!

First, we had to get the black paper off the top.

Then Joey had to cut into it to open the actual box.

At this point, the kids had caught a glimpse of the color of the balloons and were starting to yell it out, but we couldn't get the balloons out yet!

Once I could get one balloon out, there was no doubt!

My absolute favorite picture of the night! I feel like you can just sense how happy we are!

Poor Tripp was hoping maybe there was another balloon in the bottom that just MIGHT be blue! He held himself together for the rest of the time that we were at the park, but once we hit the car, the tears started to flow and it took a little while to calm him down. Now he wants us to have ANOTHER baby! Ha! NOT going to happen!

We can't wait to meet her!!! Our sweet Addison Grey! The night went exactly the way I hoped it would and I'm so glad that we did it this way. Such a special memory to make together as a family!

a happy easter indeed

We started off our Easter with a wonderful service at church. The only downside was that for some reason, they didn't have childcare for Tripp and Mak's age today. They had it for 1st-5th grade...and for babies....but not for 2-5. Go figure. It made it interesting and we didn't make it to the end of the service. Makinley is most definitely not ready for the responsibility of sitting and "listening" to a sermon (no matter how engaging the preacher is!). When we got home, we quickly got some last minute food things together and waited on the whole family to arrive for Easter lunch. My parents, Trey's family, Tom and Linda, and Tom's daughter's family all joined us for lunch. It was a great afternoon of fellowship and togetherness (while my dad, Trey and Joey barely took their eyes off the Masters).

 That all white dress wasn't lasting another second! It had to come off.

 Three generations

 After lunch, we did a little egg hunt with the kids

 Bear wasn't really feeling it.

 And at first, this one was mad because his sister was finding more eggs than him.

 She wears this crown all.the.time.

 These were two of our "hiders"

 And this little one was both sleepy and having a hard time with his sinuses being outside.

All in all, we had a wonderful Easter...as always. Hard to believe that next year there will be another one in the pictures!

dying eggs

Last year, I somehow let Easter pass us by without dying eggs with the kids. So, I made it a priority for this year. The kids have been so excited about it all week, and yesterday was the day.

Eggs all ready to be dyed!

 The kids each picked out different kits from the store, and Tripp's didn't come with cups, which made it a little more interesting.

 Makinley's were a breeze!

 Little did I know that this sweet girl would be super, super sick in only about an hour after this picture was taken. But, looking at this picture, I can tell that she wasn't feeling like herself at all.

 First time I've ever used a muffin pan as a drying rack and it worked SO well!!

 Joey was upstairs working on the kids "new" playroom while we were busy dying the eggs, but Makinley made sure he took a  break and came downstairs to see her final products.

I also want to point out that this was the first year that the kids didn't have dye ALL OVER their hands. I remember two years ago, their hands were still dyed on Easter Sunday. Can definitely tell they are getting older and are better able to handle stuff like this! Another sweet memory made with my children.

hunting eggs

We have been visiting a new church since January, and last Saturday they had their annual Easter egg hunt. At first, I wasn't sure how it would go because Tripp had been sick the day before with a tummy bug, but he woke up anxious to go. So, off we went!

My goal is to get them "real" Easter baskets before next year!

 They had two different inflatables and I couldn't keep Makinley off this slide. She had a blast!

 Tripp was somewhere inside this inflatable thing most of the time, and I couldn't track him down to get a picture!

 Once it was time for the egg hunt to start, Tripp freaked out a little bit. Any time he feels overwhelmed by a situation, he starts to cry and say that he's "scared". Why he would be scared at an egg hunt, I do not know. But, I ended up having to go with him and pick up his eggs for the first couple of minutes into the hunt. Once he warmed up, he was fine. I think some of it may have been that he still wasn't feeling his absolute best.

 Makinley was on her own from the get go, and she could have cared less!

Both kids had egg hunts at school this past week as well, but I wasn't able to go so I didn't get any pictures. I know they had a great time though!

Month 4

How far along: 16 weeks (4 months)

Size of baby: an avocado (or one site says a lemon)

Total weight gain/loss: Still pretty much holding steady at my 14 pound weight loss. I'll go up a pound sometimes, but then I'll go right back down.

Maternity Clothes: Yes! But, now that the weather is warm, I'm wearing lots of dresses. So much more comfortable.

Gender: We still don't know, but we will find out next Friday. Our ultrasound is Thursday, but we'll do our gender reveal with the family Friday night.

Baby Name: We know, but I'll share when we know gender.

Movement: Still just every now and then. And sometimes I'm not sure if it's baby or not. So ready to feel it really well so that I can have even more peace of mind.

Sleep: Still not sleeping very well. I get up lots during the night to use the restroom and then the rest of the time, I just toss and turn throughout the night. And of course, I've started having crazy dreams.

What I miss: I'm okay right now. I guess if I'm missing anything, it's still sleeping well throughout the night.

Cravings: I still haven't had any major cravings. My appetite is pretty hit or miss. I'm normally really hungry around lunch time, but then around dinner, I have zero appetite. 

Symptoms: Most of them have actually gone away. Other than getting tired more easily and my appetite being nonexistent, I could easily forget I'm pregnant at times.

Best moment this month: Since things on the baby front have been so quiet this month, I'm going to say the best moment this month was Makinley getting into the primary school's PreK lottery! Such an answer to prayer! (The saddest part of this month? BOTH kids getting a tummy bug! Still praying, as I type this, that it bypasses both Joey and me).