Thursday, October 31, 2019

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Preggers V: 37 Weeks

How far along?  37 weeks, 4 days



Comparisons:
 37 Weeks with Tracey


35 Weeks with the Twins because they were born at 36 weeks exactly, and I never took a last picture


37 Weeks with Lee Lee


How I am feeling? Well... emotional and pretty exhausted... but we just keep chugging along.  Physically, I feel great.  I feel very grateful for all I'm able to do so far along in my pregnancy.


How big is the baby?  The size of a papaya -- 18.9 inches long, 6.17 pounds


Sleep: Sleep is glorious.  I hope this is a wonderful sleep week.


Boy/Girl Predictions: Well, after months of Tracey expressing her desire for a sister, she suddenly announced that she KNOWS we are having a boy.  So for the past week, she has told anyone and everyone who will listen that she knows we are having a boy.


Baby Nicknames:  Baby


Exercising:  I have exercised 6 of the past 8 days, and it feels really good to be in that routine again.  I definitely go easier than prior months -- very few exercises with weights.  I figure my body itself is a weight at this point.


  Best moment this week: Watching Michigan pummel Notre Dame last weekend was pretty awesome!  We spent the day a the pumpkin patch and get home in time to watch most of the Michigan game... and Michigan creamed them!  That was an awesome moment of the week.
 
 
Food cravings:  Nothing in particular.  Water!
 
 
Missing:  Nothing really.
  
 
Movements:  Yes, and I really like them.  Getting pretty strong in there.
 
 

Labor Signs:  I notice more and more contractions from time to time.  Hopefully just my body getting ready for a quicker labor and delivery when the time arrives.


General Attitude:  Just trying to be ready for the baby... but also patient because it still may be awhile.


 What I am looking forward to this week:  Halloween!  I love Halloween with my little ones!  I do wish the new baby was here and home in time for Halloween... but it looks like that is unlikely.  So, we'll just enjoy Halloween with him or her next year.


Milestones: I'm officially considered full term.
 

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

She's Cute

She's cute... and Monday was way too long and hard for me to write anything other than a cute picture of my youngest...


 

Monday, October 28, 2019

Colorado Alert

We're under a winter storm warning in these days leading up to Halloween, and as Coloradans, we still have to live our lives with or without the snow alert.  For us that means, Hubby driving an hour to work, my driving the kids an hour to school... and then all over the valley to see students, Lee Lee and my making a trek for a Doctor's appointment for her, a trip to the hospital to give birth looming, and my parents being in Vail until the baby arrives ... Life goes on with our without a mountain snow alert. 
All that being said, this picture from facebook really made me laugh:


 

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Celebrating Addallee

This was a very long week... so I'm not going to write a lot, but here are some pictures from Lee Lee's birthday celebrations.  Some pictures from her actual birthday, and somes pictures from a few days later, when we had time for her to open birthday presents.

She loved telling people that it was her birthday and that she was two years old!  Days later, she's still telling strangers, "Its my birthday yesterday!"









She's so proud of the pumpkin she painted and covered with stickers at school.


Covering her eyes as we lay out her presents.

















 

Friday, October 25, 2019

Wisdom

These are wise words... I might need to tape this to my mirror...



 

Thursday, October 24, 2019

At Work

Just two ladies at work on their computers...


 

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Happy Birthday Lee Lee!


 The happiest of birthdays to our sweet, wonderful, Addallee Marigold!

This child is so much fun and has added so much spunk and light to our family.



She as a huge surprise when we found out she was on the way, but I am so very grateful God knew exactly what was needed in our family.  She has rounded out our three big kids so very well.

When Addallee came home from the hospital, Caroline was less than two years old (21 months) and it was like she had waited her whole life to be a big sister.  She truly found her footing in our family once Addallee was there to nurture and care for.

Howard and Tracey have always had a certain adventurous spark, and Caroline spent 21 months watching them, cautiously deciding what activities were for her, and what she would watch them do from afar.  When Lee Lee arrived, Caroline had found her place in our family, as a loving big sister.

Likewise, Addallee allowed Tracey to enjoy being a big sister.  When the twins arrived on the scene, Tracey had little to no interest in babies.  Even today, I don't know that Tracey really considers them her younger sister and brother -- probably only when she is reminding them that she is the oldest.  But she truly loves being Addallee's big sister and understands the responsibility that comes with that in a way she never embraced with the twins.

And, our Howard... he relates to Addallee in a completely different way than he does his older sister or twin sister.  He truly understands that he is her big brother and he speaks to her and looks out for her in a way he does not do with anyone else.

Addallee was the first baby that I felt I hit my stride as a mother.  With Tracey, everything was new.  With the twins, everything was new and hard.  With Lee Lee, I finally got to enjoy her in a way I did not my first three children.  If anything, Addallee gave me the confidence and joy and courage to keep growing our family.

At two years of age, Addallee is our most communicative child at this age.  She has been speaking in full sentences for months... anything to keep up with her older siblings.  While she used to just echo what they would say, now she hears what they say, and will repeat what they say with her own emphasis or point of view.

She will say things like, "I pulled my orange hair tie out," and "I see two horsies.  Horsie say 'Neigh Neigh!'"

None of our other kiddos were speaking that well before age two.

I also think she is our toughest child.  She wants to do anything her siblings are doing, and when bumps and bruises result from the big kid activities, she usually jumps back up and simply tries again. 

She has quite the temper when she wants to assert herself, and has even taking to just screaming when she's not getting her way.  This is not my favorite of her qualities... but we're now in the toddler years, so a lot of big emotions come with being a toddler.

She is so much fun to talk to, and so much fun to love.  I cannot imagine our life without our precious Addallee Marigold.

Scroll down for some of my favorite Lee Lee pictures over the past two years: