Mini Post: Be Back Soon!

As all of you know:

I'm pregnant!

Well, it's that time.

We're having a baby!!

Just wanted to let all my readers know that I'll be away from the blog site!

We'll be in the hospital for a couple of days & then home as a new family of 4.

We'll be adjusting to the new life as well as taking advantage of all the loving this new child brings us. We'll be overjoyed and all consumed in this new chapter. 

I'll be sure to update you all when I can with all the fun details and happenings of this new journey-

but it'll definitely be a couple days before I post again!

I want to relish every single moment! 

[I'm sure you understand]

Thank you for following our story!

Looking forward to filling you in soon.

:) 

To My Dear Sweet Girl

Dear Hadley,

I'll never forget the day I found out that you were growing in my belly. We had just moved into our new home & we were in the midst of unpacking boxes. That whole week I had felt a little unusual so I decided to take a test. And that's when I saw it, a little plus sign that represented your life. 

We had been hoping & praying for you for months. 

And now we had you. 

We were full of excitement to be adding on to our family. We had so many questions and curiosities about how different things would be having 2 children. We wondered if you were a girl or a boy, if you and your sister would get along and be close. 

We were nervous- would we be good parents and would we be able to adjust easily to the new family dynamic? Would you know how much we love you? 

Then we found out you were a little girl. 

We cried tears of joy and so did the rest of the family who attended a little gender reveal party we had in your honor. We were overwhelmed with excitement. 

We were going to have 2 little girls to love and cherish.

You already had your name,

Hadley Catherine.

Our little Haddie. 

[naturally, Haddie Cat]

We went to doctor's appointments and ultrasounds, all revealing what we already knew- you were perfect. In our eyes, no matter what you would've been perfect.

To see you on screen in your ultrasound was something I'll always remember. You would cuddle with your feet, bringing them all the way up to your face. In the pictures, you had such long arms and legs- you get that from the Turner side. The majority of the time you would hide your face from the camera, rolling away so we couldn't see you. There was one time, however, that we got a glimpse of your face. Your lips were absolutely perfect. You were cuddling with the placenta, just sound asleep. Sleeping so peacefully. I'll forever have that image etched in my mind. My perfect little girl. 

You would always roll around during bath time & when listening to classical music, I think you enjoyed those as much as I do. I loved playing with you. You were always up for a good game of hide and seek. I would rub my belly and you would flip to the other side, then I would tickle you on that side and you would move to the other. You made waves in my tummy like I had never seen before. We would always watch wondering just what you were doing. There was so much movement that people could see you from all the way across the room. It was unreal and completely amazing. 

I'll miss that feeling. 

Your sister loved to put her hand on my belly and feel for you, never for too long, but long enough to feel you. She used to lay her head on my belly & you would kick her constantly, but she would just lay there. She knew your name. We would say what is Baby Sissy's name, 'Haddie' she would reply. Most of the time, she just called you Baby though. Ace got his loving in with you too. He would curl up as close as he could possibly get to you, he seemed very curious about you too. 

I've been counting down until February. I cannot wait to meet you and find out all about you. I can't wait to watch you grow. I've been picturing how life will be once you arrive. Every time I imagine, I get the biggest smile. 

I hope you and your sister become the best of friends. & I hope you grow together and learn from one another. 

I hope you have your daddy's eyes & curly hair, but I hope you get my dark features. 

I hope you love sleep as much as your parents and sister do.

I hope you love to play and have a vivid imagination. 

I hope you find your own place and don't follow what others are doing.

I hope you know what is right and always try to do right by others. 

I hope you smile & laugh constantly. They equal the best medicine. 

I hope you have undeniable faith.

I hope you know just how truly loved you are. & I hope you know that no matter what, we will always love you. 

I hope you learn that we are always going to be here for you. & I hope you're never afraid to come to us with anything.

I hope you dream wildly.

I hope you know how much all of your family cares about you. & that there isn't anything that we wouldn't do for you.

I hope you learn at an early age just how important family is. They're everything. 

Above all, I hope you know that all we want is for you to be happy.

The closer we get to February the closer we get to you.

I cannot wait to meet you baby girl. I'm counting down and waiting patiently I can't wait to hold you and to look at you. I can't wait to see you look at me. I hope you recognize our voices and know that we have been loving you all this time and that our love will only grow for you. I'll be waiting baby, please come when you're ready. 

Until we meet,

Your loving Mommy . 

39 Weeks!

I am 39 weeks pregnant as of this last Sunday.

Something happens in a woman's body between 38 weeks & 39 weeks.

Last week I felt fine. I had the, 'I can do this' type attitude. 

Then 39 weeks rolled around....

I'm exhausted.

I want to sleep all day. [which I can't, so jokes on me]

I am getting migraine headaches, which are zero fun.

Nothing tastes good but I'm hungry all day. 

And all together I just feel grumpy.

I don't know what happened.

I didn't have to go through the final 2 weeks of pregnancy with Caroline,

I got induced at 38 with her, therefore I never had to experience this part. 

It's zero fun.

I find myself thinking:

"I should go buy some pineapple & maybe get that Raspberry Zinger Tea I keep hearing about"......

You know, to go ahead and get this show on the road.

But then, I don't.

I step back and look at the nicely laid out plan that we have for when the time comes.

& I think about how Hadley really needs to wait until February to arrive.

So I don't do anything. 

I just continue to wait.

Sounds like a lot of complaining that I'm doing right?

Joseph says the same thing, lol.

GIVE ME A BREAK, PLEASE! 

I deserve to be able to do a little bit of complaining.

I've been really good throughout the months.

But back to the positive- We literally have 1 week.

1 week!

Until Hadley's expected arrival.

I could not be more thrilled.

We can make it one more week :) 

Pray for us! 

We also had our 39 week doctor's appointment today! 

[just got home from it actually..]

Just a regular check up! 

Sitting at 1cm & "a pinch" as my doctor said. 

Progressed a little bit, but nothing too crazy.

We're still set for February at this point!

How far along? 39 Weeks

Total weight gain: 41 pounds 

Sleep: Falling asleep super early, waking up super early, & wanting to take naps all.day.long.

Best moment(s) this week: We celebrated Caroline's actual birthday over the weekend- just the 3 of us as a family :) We have a 2 year old! Still crazy to think about! 

Miss anything?:  Feeling like a normal human being. 

Movement: Constantly.

Best thing about this pregnancy: Another baby! 

Worst thing about this pregnancy: Wanting time to go slow so I can have more time with just Caroline and wanting time to speed up so we can meet Hadley and be a new family of 4. Wanting both is rough. 

Food cravings: This week all I want is milk. Nothing is satisfying to me. Nothing tastes good. Only milk. & I get awful heartburn from seriously eVeRyThInG. I hate it. 

Labor Signs:  Contractions. . 

Belly Button in or out? Barely poking out. 

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: We rarely have fast food  -- & we don't have a Whataburger in our area, so when we went on a day trip to Brewton we swung through Whataburger, I was very indecisive about what I wanted. I had a little melt down over chicken fingers or avocado burger. It wasn't fun. My sweet husband told me I could get both if I wanted, but I definitely wasn't going to do that. I was a mess & had some tears fall for a brief couple of minutes.. -- & in case you were wondering,  I got chicken. 

What I am looking forward to: Hadley!

Weekly Wisdom: Get your life together and in order. Don't make things more difficult for yourself than they have to be. 

Celebrating Caroline

Yesterday was Caroline's 2nd birthday.

We celebrated just the 3 [4] of us :)

The weather was uncooperative for the plans we had laid out for the day.
It was F R E E Z I N G.
No, really. It was 28 degrees when we woke up.

Pretty sure it warmed up to a nice temp in the 30's for the day,
but the wind was whipping which made it no fun to be outside for a long period of time.

So- there goes our zoo trip.
There goes our trip to the Fairhope playground.
And there went our trip to our favorite ice cream parlor.

We didn't let it get us down though.
We just had to change it up and find something else to do to celebrate..
I N S I D E.

There are possibly some parents that are going to look down on me for this,
but I'm sure they'll forget about it in time.

We let Caroline have chocolate milk & a cupcake for breakfast :)
She requested it.
& she's the birthday girl, so I wasn't going to tell her no!

The sugar high led to a lot of fun activities in the living room.
Rolling around on the floor- playing with all of her toys & just goofing off as a family.
We went ahead and gave her the gifts from Mommy & Daddy
& then we continued to play with those.

After a lot of floor time the birthday girl took a birthday bath.
-You're like... 'a bath, really?'
But you have no idea how much this kid loves her baths.

We used her color bombs and turned the water pretty colors
& we of course added bubbles to it as well!

She played with all her bath toys &
then we introduced her to "bath crayons"
She colored on the walls for a while & was pretty excited about them!
She enjoyed them a lot more than I thought.
[which makes a mom happy]

She would stay in the bath tub all day if we let her.
We had to add a little more hot water to the tub half way through, the water was getting cold from sitting for too long. Haha :)

After the bath, we got her all bundled up & took her to the backyard to let her run around on the swing set for a few minutes. [like 30]
30 long minutes I might add!
it was, like I said above, FREEZING.

We had boots, jackets, hats & mittens.
We wanted her to do something she really loved though- & she loves that swing set.
The cold didn't seem to even phase Caroline at all.... Mommy was shaking though!

After playing outside we went back inside to warm up and eat a little lunch.
We had one of Caroline's favorites....
P I Z Z A
with Ranch of course.

I know you're seeing just how nutritious her meals were for the day.
lol - one day isn't going to hurt!

We played some more and then our little 2 year old was worn out -
so she napped :)
Nothing like an afternoon nap on your birthday!
Girlfriend must have been exhausted because she slept for a good while.

After she woke up, the rest of the day we just played with all her favorite toys.
We made a mess of the living room & her bedroom.
But that's OK. She had a blast!

Throughout the day she FaceTimed with everyone and talked to them on the phone.
Everyone called and text to wish her a Happy Birthday.

I would say she had a pretty great day even if we didn't get to go see the animals and have ice cream.
[we will just have to do that another day when it's not so cold out]

It's still baffles me to look at her and see that we have a 2 year old now.
She has grown so much & she is smart as a whip.
She definitely keeps us on our toes!

I can't wait to continue to watch her grow and learn.
She is the light of my life.

Happy Birthday, Caroline!

My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore

My first child, my sweet little pea, our Baby C is turning 2 tomorrow.

I seriously don't know where the time went.
& I really don't know how she grew up so fast.

People always say "time flies"
It's one of the truest things ever.
The past 2 years have gone by so quickly.
 I remember my little newborn like it was yesterday.

I find myself crying and being in awe when I look back through her pictures.
Seeing the transformation she has made over the past 2 years just amazes me.
Who am I kidding?
Just seeing all the changes that she's made in the past few months is amazing.

She's such a grown up toddler now.

She's independent.
She's confident.
She's crazy smart.
She catches on to everything so quickly.
She is talking so well, more and more each day.
There isn't a shy bone in her body.
She is so loving.
& so curious.
She's always making us laugh.
& always doing something cute.
She's such a mess, but the cutest mess ever.
Even when she's grumpy we can't help but smile at her.

I've said it already, but she's turning 2!
I really can't believe it.

The day she was born was one of the best days of my life.
^I know everyone says that.
But it's true.

She changed our whole world.
She is our world now.
She made us a family.
& she helped us learn how to be a family.

I'm so happy to be able to celebrate our girl's birthday tomorrow.
& I'm looking forward to making the day all about her.

Caroline Ann -- Mommy & Daddy love you so much.
The world is so much brighter with you in it. 

Caroline's 2nd Birthday Party!

Over the weekend we celebrated Caroline turning 2!

[she turns 2 on the 23rd but we had her party this weekend so we can spend her actual birthday together as a family]

Any-of-the-who, It was such a great day!

We had friends and family come from all over. 

Caroline got to run around and play with her cousins and her friends.

She was so happy.

We had the party at the house.

Nothing too elaborate- we kept it simple.

I didn't do the 'Pinterest party' -- & we didn't have a theme.

Although, I kind of decided that if another person asked me what the theme was going to be I was going to say bright & colorful because Caroline has brightened up our lives for the past 2 years.

Haha :) 

I know, very clever.

Really though - we decorated with color everywhere.

We used streamers, balloons, birthday banners, confetti, candy and table cloths that all had a PoP of color in them. 

We had a lot of food - probably too much for a 2pm party,

but I was so happy to see that almost everything was gone by the end of the party!

& I got quite a few compliments on the food too!

[which always makes me feel good]

maybe i'll blog some of the recipes another day if people keep asking :) 

Menu:

- Ham & Swiss Hawaiian Sliders - Pigs in a Blanket - Layer Dip - Sweet & Sour Meatballs - Mixed Fruit Bowl - Veggie Tray - Popcorn - 

^^Success! 

We made it an inside/outside party. 

We had the swing set for the kids to play on & even the adults had some fun on it too ;) 

& we pulled out all of Caroline's cars & bikes for the kids to ride on.

They had a blast! There was so much laughter involved.

We gave all of the kids bubbles as their party favors - so they got to play with those during the party as well. Caroline is a bubble maniac. She absolutely LOVES them. 

Inside we had a coloring station - we turned our entertainment center into a free for all coloring zone. 

It was a hit. 

& of course, we put Caroline's kitchen set in the living room for the kids to enjoy so obviously that was played with quite a bit! 

There was plenty for the adults to do as well - besides chasing the kids around ;) 

We left the tv on with 1 of the NFL playoff games playing

[I made a slideshow with the intention of having it on repeat the entire time.....but hey, what was I going to do when the boys told me that they needed to be able to watch the game]

There was a lot of socializing & playing with all the wee babies that were there!

[Caroline did some sweet loving on her little baby cousin Harper. Seriously- everyone melted at the sweetness!!]

The best part [for me, anyway] was watching how excited Caroline was when everyone was singing Happy Birthday to her. 

She was glowing with a smile from ear to ear.

The face screamed "this is all for me!"

It was adorable and made my heart smile. 

We ate cake [& cupcakes of course!] and opened presents.

Caroline actually requested to start opening presents, haha.

It's like she knew there was good things inside that she wanted to play with!

She was so funny opening her wrapped gifts.

& even more funny with the bagged gifts with tissue paper.

She became really fierce with the tissue paper - 2 hands digging in taking out one piece in each hand and throwing it forwards to get it out of the bag.

Too.Freaking.Funny. to watch!

I was really nervous about the party.

[I'll blame it on my pregnancy hormones]

I was stressed about decorations for a couple days, just wanting everything to look cute.

& I was stressed about the food - if it was too much or not enough.

If there was enough seating, if I had enough time to do everything, 

etc. etc. etc. 

& it was all for nothing.

The party was a huge success.

We received quite a few compliments on our home & the party!

& most importantly, Caroline loved it. She was incredibly happy just being surrounded by her favorite people! She smiled the whole time and was running around everywhere!

I'm not going to lie and try to take credit for all of it - I had a lot of help.

My brother & a few friends came over that morning and helped me quite a bit.

I don't know what I would've done without them.

They were a huge part of the cooking process.

& even my mom came a little early and helped with the entertaining of Caroline while we put on the final touches before guests arrived.

I'm so incredibly thankful for them.

But a huge thank you to my amazing husband for all of his help.

He had to deal with my crazy requests all throughout the week --- heck, the 2 weeks leading up to it. 

I'm so grateful for him and all the decorating, cleaning and rearranging that he did for me. 

He was such a trooper! <3

2nd birthday party --- check!

Extremely happy toddler --- check!

Exhausted mom --- triple check! but it's so worth it!

Due to the party Caroline missed her nap - no big deal.

We thought for sure that she would crash afterwards.

No.

She played her little heart out until 10:00.

& even at that time, we had to drag her away from her toys to get her in bed.

She just didn't want the day to end!

Now I'm looking forward to celebrating next weekend with a trip to the zoo on Caroline's actual birthday. The 3 of us [4 if you want to count the little babe in my belly] will be spending the day doing things Caroline loves: Seeing animals, playing on the playground, eating ice cream, and of course opening more presents! ;)

I can't believe my first baby is about to be 2!

Where did the time go!?!

38 Weeks!

38 weeks!!!

Is this real life?

 Are we really about to be adding another precious little girl to our family?

I can't believe we are so close!

It's unreal!

There is still so much to do!

I think I said it last week- but my list seriously keeps growing!

I finished my first mile long to-do list before Caroline's birthday party.

& now, I have a whole new list, that's growing by the day!

I'm so excited. & anxious. & I'm getting nervous.

Really though, God knew exactly what he was doing when he decided women wouldn't remember all of the unpleasant things about pregnancy and labor.

I remember having some rough times during pregnancy, labor and even after birth with Caroline but, I don't remember in great detail- so hey, it must not have been too bad right?

Haha.

I can't believe that in roughly 2 weeks our little Princess Haddie will be here!!

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain: 39 pounds 

Sleep: I now wake up at 6:59AM on the dot, every day. & I'm in bed doing my nightly routine by 8:30/9:00PM. 2 middle of the night wake ups - no big deal! 

Best moment(s) this week: We had Caroline's birthday party today :) (another blog post on that tomorrow) It was nothing short of great though! 

Miss anything?:  The list goes on and on. I can't wait for all of my clothes to fit me correctly again. Although I'm still doing good about not wearing maternity clothing. Every once in awhile (on a lazy day) I'll put on maternity pants just to make things easier but I can still wear my regular pants! 

Movement: Constantly. She makes alien waves across my tummy ;) (I'll definitely miss those)

Best thing about this pregnancy: Adding to our family! Giving Caroline a little sister & making her a big sister. Changing the family dynamic -- i think i've said all of this already :) <-- not changing it. That's from last couple of weeks! :) still holds true. 

Worst thing about this pregnancy: She's "dropped." & She is head down now. Doctor says he can "feel her head." So. Imagine how uncomfortable I am now and will be until labor. [It's all worth it though!]

Food cravings: Nothing specific this week- I've been trying to be good about managing my cravings. But at the party we had pigs in a blanket & to be honest I wouldn't mind having those for every single meal and snack until Hadley's arrival ;) just sayin'. 

Labor Signs:  Contractions. Baby is head down. & I'm 1cm dilated. 

Belly Button in or out? Barely, just barely poking out. 

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: Decorating for Caroline's birthday party. I couldn't get some of the decorations to do what I wanted them to- instant tears. 

What I am looking forward to: Caroline's real birthday is this upcoming Saturday :) I'm going to have a 2 year old, y'all! 

Weekly Wisdom: Do what you can! Some daily tasks are going to become harder - don't worry about it and ask for help!

37 Weeks

Happy 37th week of pregnancy!

Every day we get closer & closer to meeting baby Hadley!

Somehow I have managed to make it this far without getting all the important things done.

Hints having a mile long to-do list that grows daily. 

This month is super busy as it is and now I have daily tasks that multiply by the minute. 

I'll get them done though. & Joseph is helping which is great. 

There just aren't enough hours in the day...

& there isn't enough energy in this pregnant woman. 

But we'll make it! & it'll all be worth it!

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: 38 pounds 

Sleep: I'm in bed by 9:00 & passed out by like 9:30. Exhausted is an understatement.

Best moment(s) this week: Hearing my baby's strong heart beat at our appointment. & celebrating baby girl at the Sprinkle my bestie Kally hosted for us over the weekend! 

Miss anything?:  There is a long list. Yes, I still want the wine. But more than that I want to be able to get dressed with out being winded after. I miss being able to pick things up without having to position myself a certain way to get around the baby belly. Lol - not too much longer though. 

Movement: She's a busy little girl in there. She's always moving! 

Best thing about this pregnancy: Adding to our family! Giving Caroline a little sister & making her a big sister. Changing the family dynamic -- i think i've said all of this already :) <-- not changing it. That's from last week! :) still holds true. 

Worst thing about this pregnancy: The weeks are getting slower now - somehow. I still find myself extremely busy and we have events each weekend until our baby arrives but somehow i find myself saying - wait, i'm still 36 weeks? wait, i just hit the 37 week mark? hmm. 

Food cravings: Food of the week - BLTs. I want them for lunch & dinner. & I've had them for dinner every night this week -- poor Joseph. I've got to add some variety for him. 

Labor Signs:  Minor contractions. Nothing regular. But they've started. 

Belly Button in or out? Flat. Waiting for it to pop out any day now. 

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: Meltdown free week. Woohoo. 

What I am looking forward to: Our next doctor's appointment is Wednesday. & then this weekend we are celebrating Caroline's 2nd birthday with a birthday party! [her birthday isn't until the 23rd.. but just incase Haddie comes early, we want to make sure we get to celebrate baby C.]

Weekly Wisdom: When you start to get upset, and you will because you're in crunch time and stressed out and emotional to the max, pause and walk away for a minute, put it out of your mind for a few minutes and then come back to the situation. If it's still worth getting upset about then OK, but chances are it's not. & there is no sense in getting yourself all worked up! 

Hadley's Sprinkle!

Today we had Hadley Catherine's Sprinkle :) 

My best friend hosted a sweet little shower for us in Niceville to celebrate our precious little girl.

[I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful friend // sister like her.]

Our little fam jam drove into town this morning. 

We got there early to spend the morning/afternoon with my parents & brother.

& then after the shower we hung around until after dinner. 

We watched football, played, ate some great food and just hung out.

We made a whole day of it!

My favorite kind of days. 

The shower was perfect though.

It was a small gathering of friends and family.

There was yummy, yummy food that I had to resist stuffing my face with..

Extremely tasty desserts that..no no no..i did not resist having one of each. ;) 

There were gifts to help prepare for the arrival of baby Haddie.

& There was a lot of laughter and conversation. 

I couldn't ask for anything more.

We were surrounded by so much love. 

Caroline had a blast. 

Her favorite part of the event: popcorn & her princess balloon.

I think she had probably 3 containers of popcorn.

& the thought of parting ways with her balloon never crossed her mind... it came home with us. 

I'm so incredibly grateful for the hostess and for her throwing us a Sprinkle.

& I'm also so thankful for everyone who came and celebrated with us.

Those that attended were from near and from far. 

I can't wait for Hadley to meet all of these wonderful people + others, obviously. 

It just warms my heart knowing how loved she already is.