Spring Break (& 14 weeks!)

This week, like every other week, has flown by! We didn't fit it as many "fun" things as I had planned, but there's always Summer :)

On Monday we went to the Metro Richmond Zoo. It was a nice (but breezy) day and the girls had a blast. I was so happy that my SIL and niece could join us!!


"It was so cute to hear Abigail "talk" to the animals..."Hi, monkey! Bye, monkey! See you later!"


This tiger totally came up and "attacked" the window, right in front of a little boy...he was petrified, but it was hilarious!


A little nervous, lol


Poor kid!


She wasn't fond of sitting in her stroller. Whenever we stopped, she'd want to get out. Such a big girl!


I thought for sure that Audrey wouldn't want to get near the giraffes, but she was all about it!


"Come here, giraffes!"


On Tuesday I had a quick dr appointment. We heard the baby's heartbeat and my blood sugar levels looked fine. Afterwards I took the girls to the mall for ice cream (Audrey), Chic-fil-a (Abigail & me) and play time. The girls were wonderful, as usual. I always enjoy my outings with them. I am so, so anxious about being out and about with 3 kids (if I'm ever brave enough to do so!) I got a few things done around the house while Chris trekked up to Ikea to get Audrey's new bed.

On Wednesday, Chris spent the day cleaning out the garage, washing the cars (thanks, baby!!), and mowing the lawn. Audrey even helped him for a bit (she was in Heaven!) I got more things done around the house (having Baby #3 on the way is a great motivator!) Chris grilled some chicken and we had a great dinner. I was craving a milkshake (I've been wanting them a lot lately!) so he made a quick run to McD's :) It was a very productive day.



On Thursday I took apart Audrey's bed (her old crib) and reassembled it in the baby's room. I cleared out her room and vacuumed before I set up her mattress with her new bedding. She was pretty excited to nap on it! Abby fought her naps all week and today was no different. She just spent a couple of hours chilling in her crib while I worked on the nursery.


Our current office (which we basically use for storage) will be the new baby's room. It is small and doesn't have a closet, but it's just the right size for starting out. I can't wait to transform it into a sweet little room for Ben or Annie!


First night in her big girl bed!

Friday was a pretty easy day. I put together Audrey's Barbie Beach House and then we went grocery shopping after naps. While I feel like I have most of my energy back, I find that I still need a siesta!


14 weeks

All in all it was a great week. Only 10 more until Summer!

Easter

Saturday was our first gorgeous day of the season, so I dressed the girls up (thanks for the beautiful dresses, Mom Maw!) and took some pics:



Easter Sunday was chilly and rainy. The girls found their baskets on the front porch as Chris was making breakfast. I took a nap when they did, then we headed to Grandma's for an (indoor) egg hunt and decorating eggs:


Cousins!


Besties :)

This time next year I'll be filling THREE Easter baskets!

13 weeks! And Things I Don't Want to Forget

Bye bye, 1st tri!


12 weeks

I feel like I'm on the upswing. I'm still majorly tired. I still can't bring myself to get up extra early like I used to. I still crash as soon as the girls are in bed and I still nap when they do. I get dizzy when I stand up. I can't wait for my energy to return because our house is a mess and there's tons of laundry to be done! Despite having a few snow days in March, I've been pretty useless!

I went to breakfast with my mom and sister a couple weeks ago and I had my first cup of coffee! It just sounded really good all of sudden, and it was! But I haven't been able to bring myself to have it regularly. Hopefully soon. My cravings are all over the place. Basically, I'll get something in my head and then I'll have to have it (hello, Easter candy!)

On Wednesday I saw the perinatologist for the NT screening. I was so nervous! I got weighed (130 lbs) and had my blood pressure taken, then answered some questions. During the ultrasound, the tech spent a good 10-15 minutes checking out the baby and getting measurements. It was exciting to see that he/she actually looks like a baby now :) The doctor came in and said everything looked great. I then saw the genetic counselor who asked a bunch of family history questions, then I had a blood test (it was just a finger prick but it hurt like a son of a bitch!) He should be calling me Monday with the results.



My blood sugar levels were starting to creep up into the 90s in the mornings, so I called Dr K and he upped my insulin to 8 units twice a day. But he said that overall my numbers are great and he feels like I'm managing well. I see him on Tuesday so he can see how the new dosage is working out.



Things I Don't Want to Forget:

Abigail is speaking so well! One of my faves is, "Thank you, Momma!" Last weekend she cracked us up at dinner when she copied Audrey and said, "Stop it, TJ!" She actually just started saying his name (the girls LOVE him and Steph!) She's counting to 10 and saying her ABC's (with help!) She sings Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It's very hard not to eat her face off- she's so freaking CUTE!! She's going to be 2 next month, so party planning has begun!

Audrey is getting her big girl bed this week. She went a whole week without going on the Manner Mat at school, so that's what Chris promised her (actually, it's been 3 weeks straight!). She is driving me crazy with her constant competition with Abigail. The other day she actually bragged that her car window was down further than Abby's. REALLY?!? I think it's normal, but I'm not sure how to deal with it. Other than that, she is the happiest 4 year old I know and every moment with her is such a joy.

We are aching for warm weather. I need to get out and do some walking in the sunshine. Audrey wants to ride her bike, sit in the green stroller "next to Abby", and taste honeysuckles. I want excuses to give my kids extra minutes of recess and I want to drive with the windows down. I haven't been able to do the girls' Easter pics yet, and Mom Maw sent them the cutest dresses! I am soooo done with Winter! I am thrilled that I get to enjoy my 2nd tri in beautiful Spring (3rd tri in the Summer is another story, lol.)

Another Baby Burns!

I knew in my heart that there would be a third child to complete our family...I just didn't know it would happen so soon!

TIMELINE:

Feb 4-8 All week I try really hard to enjoy my morning coffee. By the end of the week I can’t even stand the thought of it. Flashback to my 1st trimester with Audrey (major coffee aversion!) Holy crap. Am I pregnant? When was my last period? Oh man.

Feb 9th: Took a test. Surprise! BFP. Happy dance/freak out mode. Find out later that night that my little sister is pregnant! Tell Chris (rather, Chris takes one look at me and asks, “Are you pregnant?”) His reaction was better than the first two times, lol. He is beyond thrilled, immediately puts me at ease. Love him.

Feb 14th: Dr appointment. Audrey comes along, looks at the sonogram and says, “That is one cute baby!” Heard and saw the heartbeat (WOW!) Weighed 127 lbs. I’m 7w 1d, due Oct 2nd.



Feb 21st: Back to the dr because I started testing my blood sugar and my numbers were high. Put on 6 units of insulin at night. Blood drawn for AC1 test.

Feb 25th: Blood test came back normal (yay!) Put on 4 units of insulin in the am. Another ultrasound (8w 4d.)



I had a few days of feeling nauseated until the extra B6 kicked in. The only symptoms I have now are exhaustion and major bloat (sadly, I busted out the maternity pants this week!) I definitely have to eat several times throughout the day. I cannot wait until my aversion to coffee is over (although frozen coffee I don’t mind!)

Once again I’m pregnant with my sisters! This time it’s my sister and my sister in law (both first babies!) So funny how it keeps working out that way. It will definitely be an exciting August/September/October ☺

It’s still very early (I'm 10w), but news got out pretty fast. Chris told everyone (EVERYONE) right away, lol. I let a few people at work know because mornings were a bit rough for me and I was taking off a few afternoons to see the dr. And of course, Audrey knows so it was bound to get out amongst the preschool crew, lol. I'll wait a couple more weeks to tell the FB world and my students.

Baby Burns number 3 is on the way! I’m so ready to rock this last pregnancy!

Catching Up

I've been such a blog slacker! I have no reasons or excuses...life is good, the girls are great and I feel blessed and content.

Abigail is 21 months old. She seems so much older, though. She wakes up completely happy and plays and laughs and babbles all day. Chris says it's hard to keep her entertained when he's home alone with her, but I never have that problem. Even if she's not playing with Audrey, she's content to play with various toys and books. She's even starting to show more of an interest in TV (she loves Mickey and Doc.) She is the best sleeper at night. I love to rock with her before putting her to bed. She lays her head down and will hum along with me. She's starting to sit still through short books. I definitely dropped the ball on reading to her nightly because she has always been too antsy-pantsy. Now she requests 'I Love You, Goodnight.' I put her down wide awake and she's out for the night, even if she doesn't fall asleep right away. Bedtime is nice and early, about 7-ish. She has been fighting naps lately and I'm praying that it's just a phase!

She's crazy messy with her meals. We need to bathe her almost every night because at some point during the day she has poured or smeared food throughout her hair, lol. And bath time is a whole new mess because she scoops up water and throws it out of the tub (or splashes like mad!) Messes aside, I love her wild ways! She loves jumping on beds and couches and tables. We come home in the evenings and I turn the TV on to the music stations and she just dances around until it's dinnertime. She's become a great singer! I first noticed it when we were in the car and 'Locked Out of Heaven' was on...all of a sudden I hear Abby say, "Uh!" And right.on.cue. I almost died! And Audrey thought it was hilarious. Another song she loves is 'Ho Hey' and she signs right along with all the "hos" and "heys." More and more she's catching the tail end of lyrics and singing them and I think it's the cutest thing ever. I know Audrey is musically inclined and I think these girls have something in common, lol.

She's talking so much now. She has a word for just about everything, and if she doesn't she knows to point to it. She's putting words together like, "Help me" and "Juice/cup/bite please." She'll say, "I try!" or "hold it!" if she wants something. She has the sweetest little voice. Goodness, I could eat her up!



Audrey Cate continues to be amazing in every way. She is loving school and I am thankful everyday that things have worked out so she can be with me. She's learning so much, but more importantly she's flourishing socially. I love hearing her talk to adults, older kids, and the kids in her class. She is a total and complete sweetheart.



Four hasn't been without its challenges, though. She is a little bit harder to bargain and rationalize with. She has the arms-crossed, full-on pout, eyes-narrowed look down pat, lol. I'm finding that if she doesn't want to do something, I have to draw more patience with her and then everything is fine. If she ever threw a tantrum I seriously don't know what I'd do- we've been lucky so far! She's almost always agreeable and go-with-the-flow.She's become mater of delaying her bedtime. First, she needs water. Then she has to go pee. We usually don't hear from her after that, but every once in awhile it'll be something random that possess her to come out. She tries to have a serious look on her face, but she cracks every time because she knows she's not fooling anyone, lol. The past few night I've awoken to her standing beside our bed and asking to "snuggle" with us. I have her lay down on her little Dora couch (that pulls out) and she stays until it's time to wake up. If it's the weekend, she usually goes back to her own bed for the last hour of sleep.

The way she interacts with Abby is pretty awesome. More and more she's including her during playtime (not always!) In fact, she will be the first to invite Abby into her room, or give up some toys so that Abby can play, too. When I give Audrey a snack, she almost always gives Abby the first bite, or some part of it. She hugs on her and tries to teach her words. It took awhile, but I'm finally seeing them build that sweet sister bond.

Birthday Slide Show

The moment I heard this song I thought of my 2nd graders...then Audrey. How I just know in my heart that they have all the potential in the world to go out and be great.




Hall Of Fame
By The Script Featuring will.i.am

Yeah, You could be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the king kong banging on your chest

You could beat the world
You could beat the war
You could talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up
You can be the clock
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks
You can be a master
Don't wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

You could go the distance
You could run the mile
You could walk straight through hell with a smile

You could be the hero
You could get the gold
Breaking all the records that thought never could be broke

Do it for your people
Do it for your pride
Never gonna know if you never even try

Do it for your counrty
Do it for you name
Cause there's gonna be a day

When your, standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Be a champion, Be a champion, Be a champion, Be a champion

On the walls of the hall of fame

Be students
Be teachers
Be politicians
Be preachers

Be believers
Be leaders
Be astronauts
Be champions
Be true seekers

Be students
Be teachers
Be politicians
Be preachers

Be believers
Be leaders
Be astronauts
Be champions

Standing in the hall of fame
And the world's gonna know your name
Cause you burn with the brightest flame
And the world's gonna know your name
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

(You can be a champion)
You could be the greatest
(You can be a champion)
You can be the best
(You can be a champion)
You can be the king kong banging on your chest


(You can be a champion)
You could beat the world
(You can be a champion)
You could beat the war
(You can be a champion)
You could talk to God, go banging on his door

(You can be a champion)
You can throw your hands up
(You can be a champion)
You can be the clock
(You can be a champion)
You can move a mountain
(You can be a champion)
You can break rocks

(You can be a champion)
You can be a master
(You can be a champion)
Don't wait for luck
(You can be a champion)
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself
(You can be a champion)

Standing in the hall of fame

Audrey is FOUR!

Dear Audrey,

Four years ago tonight I was admitted to the hospital after walking around for hours trying to make something happen. I was sore, exhausted, but so completely thrilled to welcome our little Jack or Audrey.
BR> I never could've imagined how much I would love you. I'm not even sure what to write right now; everything that is in my heart...well, I tell you every day! I tell you how much I love you, how precious and wonderful you are; how beautiful and smart and perfect you are. I tell you these things because I want you to have so much self-confidence that no one will ever be able to tear you down. I tell you these things because they are true; every single time I look at you I feel an overwhelming rush of love; you are my dream come true.

You truly are incredible in every sense of the word. You amaze us with your creativity and how you remember everything. You are so enthusiastic about life and so animated. One of my most favorite things to do is just sit and chat with you. I also love to watch you interact with other people, especially the kiddos in my class and the teachers at school. Do you know they all adore you? You have a way of brightening the room, and you've certainly earned the nickname, "Sunshine."

I will never take for granted the fact that I can hug and kiss and you and shower you with praise. Baby, some pretty awful things have happened to families we know recently- heck, just last week the terrible tragedy in Newtown happened. These things that have happend- where precious babies have been taken away too soon- make me realize how important it is that I continue to love on you like I do. You will never doubt my love for you, I will make sure of it.

I love your passion for singing and dancing. It doesn't matter where we are- you will break out into song and dance at any given time. You make everyone around you smile. What I love about that is how so different that is from me- I am quiet and reserved...you are outgoing and loud and I SO hope you keep that facet of your personality. Dad asked me if I was like you when I was a kid. NO. Not at all! And that's why I completely encourage you to express yourself whenever, wherever. You are such a superstar, baby!

I am so proud of the little girl you are developing into. You try so hard to be responsible and the caregiver in any situation. You revel in the fact that you can teach Abigail new things...good AND bad ;)

You are sensitive. When you've done something wrong you are immediately remorseful. When you fall you make it to be waaaay more than it is, lol. But I will always take care of you and make you feel better. I am always emphasizing how it's OK to make mistakes; I hope you know that you'll make lots of them and that it's so important to learn from them. I also want you to know that the people you care about will make mistakes and that it's just as important that you forgive...I love how when I apologize to you (or apologize for Abby), you always say, "I forgive you." You emulate me in so many ways...I do try to be the best role model I can be- except for my sweary mouth ;) Living with you is like living with a real-life censor, haha. You are such a good girl :)

I think if I had to pick out what I love most about you is your compassion; recently you've tried so hard to take care of Abigail. You go into her room when she wakes up from her nap. You like to turn on her light and turn off her fan. You turn off her ocean sounds and monitor. You open her curtains. And then (this part makes me want to cry!) you say, "Good morning, sweetheart!" You are the sweetest thing and you know this because I tell you. You look at me and say, "You don't know how much I love you." Ugh. Could you be any more adorable? No, no you cannot!

I don't know what I did to deserve you. I honestly thank my lucky stars every.single.day that I have been blessed with having you. My heart soars when I see you- I really can't explain it any other way. When you come out of your bedroom in the morning with a bright smile on your face; when you see me though the windows during recess and yell, "MOMMY! MOMMMMYYYYY!!"; when I pick you up from Pop Pop's or Grandma's house...you just have that effect on me. I love you more than words can ever say and I want to thank you for giving me the BEST 4 years of my life.

First Dance Class & Things I Don't Want to Forget

Today I was reminded how long it took for Audrey to get where she is today, lol. Abby was hilarious! She looked totally thrilled to be at dance class. There were a few things she was able to keep up with (none of it floor work though, lol), but for the most part she just wanted to run around and explore :) Afterwards, she kept trying to break into Audrey's dance class, so I'm assuming she liked it!


When Abby would brek free and run to Audrey, Audrey would hug her and make comments like, "Oh Abby! Not again!" LOL


Touching her toes! Yay!


Abby got knocked over at the beginning of Freeze Dance. Audrey ran right over to make sure she was ok (she was, of course!) Audrey went back to her spot against the wall but I invited her back out...I love my dancing girls!





TIDWTF:

When Audrey answers a yes or no question, she says, "Yes, I do" or "No I don't." There's something about the way she adds and says those extra words, it's so matter-of-fact.

Abigail can cry on cue. Yeah. We'll say, "Abby, can you cry?" And her face will fall and she'll make a little pouting sound.

Audrey is really good at recognizing a song after just hearing a beat or two. In the car I try to move through the stations quickly before she says, "Go back! I love that song!" Recently she's loving Kesha's new song, "Die Young." And she actually gets the words right, lol!

Audrey is getting braver about venturing out of bed at night. She's good about coming out if she needs something before she falls asleep. But usually in the middle of the night she calls for me to refill her water or milk. However, in the past week alone I've woken up twice to her crawling into bed with me (wide awake and happy as can be!) and very sweetly asking for more milk, lol.


Abigail had her 18 mo wellness check on Friday. She weighed 26 lbs and when the nurse charted her growth, she was concerned. "Do we need to put her on Baby Adkins?!" We weighed her again as she explained that the previous check-up weight was recorded wrong. She was 24lbs but it was recorded as 18. No wonder she was shocked, lol. She's 32 3/4 inches tall. That makes her between 50-75% for weight and 75-90% for height. Her and Aud will be sharing clothes in no time (YES!)


Typical Abby! She also got herself stuck between the wall and exam table as I was talking to the nurse.



Audrey was all up in the nurse's/doctor's business. She would pull the foot stool over to wherever they were and watch and make comments. When the nurse told me that Abby's chart was inaccurate, Audrey repeated, "Yeah, that's inaccurate." LOL! She kissed Abby as she was getting prepared for her shots. As Audrey was getting her flu shot, she told Ms. Sharon, "I'm not even going to think about it!" She was a total ham in the waiting room. Singing, dancing, chatting up EVERYONE. There was a 2 year old boy and she started running around with him almost immediately (Abby joined in soon after.) She brought books books to a 1 year old in a stroller and told her mother to read them to her, lol. The receptionist for a different doctor kept opening her window and saying, "She is so entertaining! She needs to be in a commercial! She could sell peanut butter or grape juice!" HAHA.

Audrey knows the words to "You are My Sunshine" and she sings it perfectly. Her cousin Bella sings the cutest color song in Spanish (and does it so perfectly!!) However, when Audrey sings it, she only recalls a few of the words...one of them being "Azul, blue...Azul, blue." But it sounds like she's saying "A**hole, blue! A**hole, blue!" This was one of the songs she sang over and over and over again in the doctor's office. The other parents were cracking up as I tried to get her to sing a different song. I was mortified!!

When I walk in to Audrey's room, she says, "Be stuffed!" She's telling her "friends" to be still. I think she got that from Doc McStuffins :)


She made herself nice and comfortable as I was getting some work done :)

Abigail loves her baths. When you ask her if she wants a bath, she runs straight into the bathroom and yells, "Bah! Bah!" I am so not gentle when I wash her hair. I pour water straight on her head and she LOVES it. Audrey freaks out if a drop gets near her eyes, lol. Abby takes the rinsing bucket, fills it up, and pours it straight onto her chest (over and over again!) She also tries to dump it on Audrey hair (she's just helping!) She also splashed like crazy. It's fun to watch!


Halloween morning, right before she left for her class

I got to visit Audrey's class for a few minutes!


She chose to do play-dough first


I learned that she doesn't like to touch the paint (I'm not surprised!)



I'm so happy it's November! I wonder if I can get Chris to bring the Christmas tree up a little early this year...