Sweet Girls

A couple weeks ago we had a Princess Tea Party, just for fun. I'd been wanting to do a photo shoot with them before the baby came, and when Audrey asked to put on her Cinderella costume, I thought it would be cute to combine them!

While Abigail was napping, we got Audrey all dressed up. She was hilarious in front of the camera, loved every minute of being a little model!


I laugh EVERY time I see this one! Her face is so serious, and what's with the hand?! HAHAHA!!


FAVE!!

Abigail was so excited to dress up like Belle...but she's definitely not into sitting still and posing for the camera, lol!


Sweetness!



Yesterday was the first dance class of the season. I was so disappointed to see that the bench (where we've taken pictures each year) was gone, but these pictures came out great...


Audrey's facial expressions kill me! She thinks she's a supermodel, lol.



Ownership has changed this year, so things are a bit different. The girls have a new teacher, Mr. Phillip. I was surprised that Abby's class is way more structured and ballet-focused (no more obstacle courses! They're already learning across the floor!) Abigail was very shy at first- hiding behind me, clinging to Audrey. Once she got warmed up she followed along (with a LOT of direction from me!) But for part of the class she just ran back and forth in front of the mirror, lol. I swear, I'll see how she does the next couple months. If she doesn't improve her attention, we're dropping it. Formal dance lessons may not be her thing!

I decided to keep Audrey in the same class as last year (Dance and Play.) But I was surprised to see how much younger the other girls were. I think we'll be moving her up after we see how this month goes.

I love having girls, especially these 2 sweethearts!!

The Day (and Things) I Don't Want to Forget

Friday was awesome. Chris took Abigail to Grandma's house (she was thrilled!) I took Audrey to her second day of school (she was super excited to go back!)

As soon as I dropped off Audrey I went straight to my doctor appointment, so I was early. I got to hang out with my sister and BIL until the NST machine was ready. The baby looked great and then it was sonogram time. Even though it's just a 2D ultrasound, the face was SO clear! Dr K said that it was because I don't have a bunch of fat layers to go through, lol. He seemed really excited about the image too and said, "Man, your sister is going to be so jealous!" LOL. He confirmed my induction date for 9/25 (although I'll still need to call that day to make sure there's a bed available.) I am pretty positive that this little one will come before that :)

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After my appointment I met back up with my sister and BIL for a yummy (huge) breakfast. This is such an exciting time for our family- 2 sweet babies due at the same time! It's going to be so fun to see who goes first or if we go at the same time!

I left to pick up Audrey from school. She had another wonderful day and told me all about it as we headed to Grandma's. We swam the rest of the afternoon. The pool was so cold, but it was so nice to float around, relax, and just enjoy the girls. On a whim I took the babes to Sweet Frog on the way home. I know we'll be so limited on what we can do once the baby is here and the cold weather sets in. I'm trying to cram in some fun things while I can :)

I ended the day with a nice dinner and relaxing bath. It was a pretty wonderful day, and I'm really enjoying EVERY day with just the 2 sweethearts!

Other things I don't want to forget:

Abigail has been obsessed with puzzles lately, especially a princess one. She will do it 10x a day. She sits quietly in her room and puts it together, then takes it apart and does it again.

She talks extremely well. Some of my favorite things she says are: "Come on Mom, follow me!" "What are you doing?" "Where'd that come from?" " I don't like that, it's yucky." "Audrey locked me OUT!" "I'm sending Grandma a message," (on her play phone.) "Let's do this thing!" "I so proud of you!" "Mom, you help me?" She calls ravioli, "abbyoli." "Pretty, pretty please?!" "I love _____! It's my FAVORITE!" and "Get me outta here!" (when she wants to get out of her highchair, lol.

Audrey is really into drawing and now writing. It's so adorable how she sounds things out as she writes. "I love you" is written as "OLOVO" and "Thank you" is "Fangu" (which is close to how she pronounces it!) She wants to make books and write stories, so I end up doing the folding and cutting and stapling. Her latest project is a shapes and colors book for Abby :)

Each and every day I'm reminded of how different these girls are. Audrey is still very much a Momma's girl, "please help me do everything." Abigail is SO independent; she's constantly saying, "No, I do it mySELF!"

On days that Abigail doesn't have a nap (either we're out or she just plays quietly in her crib during nap time) the girls go to bed at 6:00!! That's a whole hour early and it's awesome, lol.

The girls are insanely confident in the pool. At the beginning of the summer, Audrey wouldn't even get her face wet. Now she jumping in without any help! So of course Abby has to jump in, too (with her floatie.) Audrey now attempts to swim (across the stairs and to me.) I am so proud of them and I *hope* they don't lose their bravery over the next year!

36 weeks & unemployed

The end is near! I'm getting more and more excited about meeting this baby. My feet swell on the daily, my ribs are killing me, and I swear the baby's head just swivels and grinds down on my cervix. I do love being pregnant, though, and I will SO miss feeling this baby try to punch its way out, lol.

The past two weeks have been surreal. I keep thinking about what I'd be doing at work. For example, last Thursday afternoon I was putting on the crib bumper and at the same time I was thinking about how I'd be dashing around my classroom like a mad woman trying to get everything ready for Open House. It's just really bittersweet. On Tuesday, instead of having that first Morning Meeting with my new kids on the first day of school, I sat at my doctor's office, my feet in stirrups for my first exam. Audrey ended up joining me for the day and as we sat outside at Panera enjoying the gorgeous weather, I felt really, really happy. I've basically been blessed with the gift of time!



Staying home really has been the best decision. It would be so difficult at this stage in my pregnancy to be energetic and motivated and focused. I'm not sleeping that well and I'm just physically limited. I am really excited to spend so much time with this last baby. With Audrey I went back to work after 12 weeks, worked for 3 months, then had the summer. With Abigail I went back after 6 weeks, worked 2 weeks, then had the summer (that summer flew by!) This baby will be almost a year old by the time I go back next year!!

I had two appointments on Tuesday; my regular with Dr K for the BPP and NST (baby did GREAT!) And then my monthly appointment with the peri. Since they were on the same day, the peri just measured the baby and we got some cool pictures of that sweet face!


This one reminds me of Abby, the way he/she has his/her eyes narrowed. It's her scowling and concentrating face.


This one and the next remind me of Audrey's newborn pics



I see a lot of resemblance between the girls and this baby...big chubby cheeks and the eyes and round nose. The baby weighs about 6 lbs 2 oz, which is right on track. I am a little worried that he/she will come out swollen like Audrey was. My insulin hasn't had to be increased lately, so I'm hoping to keep the diabetes under good control for these last few weeks.

Not much to do now except sit around and wait for things to get all crazy up in here!

First Day of Preschool!

No one was more excited than Audrey! And thank goodness...I don't know what I'd do if she were a clingy hot mess. She was up early and playing in her room when I walked in at 6:30- very normal for her. But then I noticed she was completely dressed in the outfit I'd laid out for her, lol. I can't help but love her enthusiasm! The girls played together, ate breakfast, and we read some books before we took pictures and left.



I wanted to walk to school, but her backpack was pretty full and we had an extra bag of supplies, so we drove. We walked in together and she put her backpack away in her cubby. Then she gave me and Abby hugs and kisses, then walked right into her classroom! Abby was a little confused, lol. I let her play on the playground before we left. She kept asking, "Where Audrey go? Why Audrey not in her chair?" But once we got back home she was fine :)



Abby and I did walk to pick Audrey up (after the longest 3 hours EVER!! And quietest, haha!) Audrey was so happy to see us, she gave Abby a big hug and kiss right away. She even forgot to get her backpack and give her teacher a hug good-bye! After we left, we played on the playground for a few minutes, then it was non-stop chatter all the way home about her new friends, what she did, and how she got TWO stars for being helpful and having good manners :)



She said some funny things; "Thanks for walking to pick me up...you need the exercise!" I said, "Why do I need exercise?" and said, "Because it will help the baby come out!" When I asked her if she wanted to go back to school on Friday, she said yes. I said, "But can't I keep you home with me all day, every day?" She said, "But I have to learn stuff!" The way she said it was hilarious, like she was trying to let me down easy, lol. I was a little ambitious about our walk because when we got home I was not feeling so great! Luckily Audrey had quiet time and Abby took a nap. I rested for awhile while Baby Burns went crazy in my belly. I swear I'm waiting for my water to break at any moment...it feels like one big baby movement could set it off!

This was Audrey's picture exactly one year ago:



I am so proud of this sweet girl and I just know she's going to make the best of this school year!

35 weeks & Naming #3

Choosing a name this time wasn't very hard.

With Audrey, it was pretty easy. I was meant to have a girl named after my idol, Audrey Hepburn. That was a guarantee, not open for discussion (but thank GOODNESS Chris was on board, lol.) Her name fits her so well; she's only 4 years old, but she's a classy little lady. She even says things that an older woman would say, like, "Oh, dear!" and "You startled me!" Her name means "noble strength." It fits her well; she's generous, honorable, and incredibly genuine. I love my timeless girl! If she had been a boy, we really liked the name Jack. Therefore, we called her "Jaudrey" for 9 months :)

With Abigail there was more discussion. Chris brought up the name Ben for a boy. While I still liked Jack, I started to like Ben more and more. Easy. With the girl name, not so much. I listed a bunch of names and Chris rated them on a scale from 0-10. I found that list the other day! I had Anna, Annabelle, Jacqueline, Lauren, Olivia, Abigail, Claire, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Sophia. My favorite was Anna and I fought hard for it, lol. But Christopher's favorite was Abigail. I did like the idea of her having the choice of going by a formal name or a nickname. I was reluctant to give up on Anna, but I did get my Audrey, so it was only fair :) I think Abby's name fits her perfectly. She's ridiculously cute and wonderfully sassy. Her name means "Father's joy" and that is certainly accurate!

With this one, the boy's name was going to stay. I really like Ben much better than Jack. Chris suggested Christopher Jr, but I like having only one Christopher :) So we compromised on Benjamin Christopher. For a girl, I was determined to make him like Anna. This time Audrey put her two cents in; she really wanted to name the baby June! I think she got it from Little Einsteins. I have to say, I did briefly consider it. I thought Anna June would have been perfect! But Chris just could not get on board with Anna. He did, however, like the name Anne. Now, I've always loved the name Annie (ever since watching Father of the Bride to be exact!) So sweet and innocent...and of course I really like that she could have a formal name AND a nickname. Chris wasn't completely sold...he's wanted a Kate for a long time. I do love that name- but we say Audrey Cate a lot, so that didn't really work for me. We tossed around Kaitlyn/Katherine, but I wasn't feeling it. I had already fallen in love with Annie (and since I am so sure we are having a girl I come to think of the baby as Annie a lot!) Anne means "full of grace" and so that pretty much solidified my choice. As for a middle name- that was super hard! We'd already used Catherine (after my MIL) and Mae (after my Nana.) It was difficult to find something that flowed well AND had meaning. None of our family names really worked, so I spent some time testing out some classic, timeless names. I ended up liking Elizabeth the most. It has such a regal sound to it...Princess Anne Elizabeth, lol.

When people ask about our names they (understandably) wonder if we're deliberately going with all 'A' names for our girls, lol. It just happened that way, but I kind of like it :)



So those are the names! Sometimes we refer to the baby as BenAnnie :) I am so excited to see which one it'll be!

34 weeks and restless

I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. Every time I get up, my stomach tightens. I started to have some rib pain a few days ago early in the morning and it hurt to lay on my right side. My fingers are constantly sore. I can't really sit in one position too long. This baby really loves hanging out on my right side! Luckily there's not too much to do around here. The big things need to be set up (swing, PNP, co-sleeper) but that's basically it! I find myself chilling out on the couch more and more. I'm definitely taking lots of breaks in between getting things done.

At my appointment on Tuesday I saw a different doctor who suggested adding a fast-acting insulin at breakfast. My morning fasting and breakfast numbers are too high. My doctor poked his head in halfway through (he'd come from the OR) and agreed. So I'm up to 48 units of NPH at night, 48 in the morning with 10 units of Novolog. I will be soooo glad when I can stop! Baby is 5 lbs (perfect!) and aced the BPP and NST. We got a couple of pictures, including this creepy one of the mouth and nose!



My teacher friends are getting back to school early and working on their classrooms...I am a little jealous! I love this time of year. Working allows me such great balance as a mom and teacher...I can be my absolute best at both jobs. Chris asked me if I was going back next year, and I just looked at him like he was crazy, lol. He pointed out that I'd better enjoy this year, because when am I ever going to have this much time with them again? He's right...I know that I'm very lucky to have this opportunity. So I'll just have to settle for Pinning school ideas so that I can rock it next September :)

Our Middle Child

One of the things I worried about the most with being pregnant is that Abigail would become the middle child. I majored in Psych and I remember studying Adler's theories on birth order. It was pretty interesting how birth order and sibling relationships contribute to personality traits and self-esteem. I started reading all I could about "middle child syndrome."

The first step to avoiding it is to be aware...done! I know that having 3 kids will mean less individual attention. But I think this is where being a teacher is going to be so helpful; I'm used to not only dividing my attention, but being able to pinpoint who needs what (and quickly) is a strength of mine. Within the first few hours of being in a classroom I can spot who needs what. I love the saying that fairness isn't giving everyone the same thing; it's giving everyone what they need. My babies are going to need different things...that has been apparent with just having 2 (very different) girls! I can say that I am very in-tune with their needs and I feel very confident that that will continue.

The second issue I read a lot about was how to avoid favoritism. This is a little tricky, because I identify more with Audrey at this point. I basically like 4 better than 2, lol. I empathize with Audrey more when Abigail does something to piss her off. I try not to take sides during an argument...I now simply separate them and that usually does the trick. I talk to them after we've all cooled down. After all, they are learning to get along but they're at two completely different stages in their cognitive development. Again, I try to give them what they need, whether it be reassurance, a shoulder to cry on, or a stern talking-to :)

I think sibling rivalry is going to be the hardest issue to tackle. Sometimes when I'm snuggling with Abby and telling her how much I love her, Audrey will say, "Do you love me, too?" HA! As if she really has to ask...but I completely understand where she's coming from. I know they're going to have different strengths...all I can do is foster those and never compare them. They will compare themselves enough on their own. It's important for us to encourage them to support each other, teach each other, and cheer each other on.

After all my reading, I feel much better about Abigail. I'm "forewarned and forearmed." My babies will absolutely not live out the negative stereotypes of their birth order (for example, this last baby will NOT be spoiled rotten!) Middle child syndrome stems from parenting that falls short. And that will certainly not be the case for us.