Happy Birthday Ansley Elizabeth

Ansley made her appearance into the world Sunday August 28, 2011 @ 8:26am.  She weighed in at 6lbs 9oz and was 19.5inches long. She is absolutely perfect and is very strong but has a laid back personality so far. 

I will post a birth story later with more details and pictures. 

Come on little one…

We had another ultrasound this week and we were hoping for the magic number of 20mm. Well drum roll please… my placenta was 22mm away! YAY! Praise God. Although the doctors were willing to let me labor before with our 18mm. It is now a safer decision with the previa being resolved.

I started early early labor Thursday night(8/24), and since I have no baby news to give you, you can tell how effective they have been.(Although I have dilated some!) The contractions are the real thing, mostly every 4 minutes, just not strong enough. I know she will come out eventually, but sooner rather than later would  be much appreciated!

I was thinking today would be a good day. With Caleb, when I delivered I was 39weeks and 2 days on the 27th of the month. Today is the 27th(different month of course) and I am 39weeks and 2days! Doesn’t it sound like today is the perfect day??? Or maybe it just sounds like I have everything done off my to-do list and I am just plain bored waiting on the Little Miss.

Caleb

I needed to make a list of all things Caleb to help those that are helping us with Caleb while we are in the hospital.  Most of this list is more of a way to make the adult’s lives easier(help with frustration) than it is a must-do-list to keep Caleb happy.  Then I decided it would be fun to document some of the things that are Caleb at 22months.

*Disclaimer-if you are not keeping him you might want to skip this post as it will have A LOT of crazy details! Some are funny quirks and some are boring how to-do’s.

• Breakfast is baby oatmeal(mixed with almond milk or apple juice served cold), blueberries and a sippy cup(apple juice or almond milk). He is flexible with other meals and snacks but this is pretty much a standard.
• He feeds himself with a fork or spoon(does best with baby oatmeal and applesauce, but we let him start feeding himself and then help as needed.
• Watch out for his allergies. Remember: milk, egg and peanut. The epipens are in his diaper bag and laundry room. Benadryl is in his diaper caddy in his room and in his diaper bag.(Benadryl dose: 3/4teaspoon)
• Juice cups are half juice, half water.  Leave his cup where he can get it but offer it to him several times during the day and refill it as many times as needed.
• He will not tell you if he is hungry(or thirsty), he will start getting a little cranky.
• The schedule is on the fridge as far as times for when he usually does things.
• Bibs are up to you. Bib now or stain treatment later…your choice!(sometime we do choose the later for some reason.)
• “No” means “no” ,well and “yes” sometimes. Use context! You will know when “no” really means “NO!!!!”
• “Baa” means everything…have fun with that one!(it is even what sheep say). The more he is excited or dead set for something the more baa you get and the louder!
• Clapping means “yes”, “more”, “want” and of course “YAY”.
• He tries to say “pain”, you can tell he is trying to say it because it starts with a “p” sound but the real clue is he points his two pointer fingers together(or pinches the top of the other pointer finger). He will use it appropriately but he also has made a game of it. He says “pain”, you say “where” and he points either to his feet or his booboos that are on his knees. Just play the game!
• He also likes to pray A LOT! He will clasp his hands and say '”pray”. Pray a short prayer(other wise you will run out of things to pray-for I am not joking!) and then his favorite part is saying Amen together. (its more of a slow drawn out version like aaaaaaaaaaaaa(really quiet)-meeennnnnnnnnnnn.)
• “Barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” means “please play my Barney Dvd”! If you say “Barney?”, he will then really exaggerate it out and say “barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-y”. He will ask for this all the time. Please only let him watch it once/day! You might have to hide the remote controls because they remind him of it!
• Other words he tries to say: ball, go, bath, brush, book, buttons, Mom/momma, daddy(daa-e),juice, berry, back(as in the body part and as in put it back), splash
• If he throws a book at you(and maybe even says “no” at the same time) that means “please read this book to me!”
• If you ask him a question about what he wants and you get some chinese answer kinda like “ming ma ming” that means “yes” too!
• If you are out and about and its getting close to naps, change his diaper, take off his shorts,socks and shoes before you put him in his carseat. If you are trying to make it home with out him falling asleep don’t give him his burp cloth. But sometimes no matter what you do, he will fall asleep. Just be quiet when you get home, and slowly transfer him into his bed. He should stay asleep. This happens to me several times a week.
• Sometime late morning turn on the AC in his room. When you lay him down for naps turn AC off, floor fan on low, and ceiling fan on too. (we turn the ac back on in the late afternoons too to get ready for bedtime, if you think its hot and needs it. his room is the hottest in the house). Leave his door slightly cracked. Fans on for bedtime too. Curtains closed if AC off, curtains open if AC is on.
• If he holds something behind his head, he is asking permission to throw it. Sometimes he throws it anyways.
• He sucks his right thumb. He also like to hold something in that hand. Ideally it would be one of his burp cloths(no preference to which one) but will settle for any cloth, maybe even your shirt collar or sleeve if he is cuddling with you.
• Gate closed if he is upstairs!
• Bedtime routine is bath, brush teeth, lotion, pajamas, read a couple of books in chair, turn out light and rock and sing to him for a couple of songs. Once you are done singing, don’t make eye contact, just place him with his burp cloth in the crib and walk away. He will probably cry. Don’t fall for it, keep walking out and crack the door. He doesn’t need covered with a blanket.  If he is still crying after about 10minutes, go and try the rock and sing part again.
• In real life likes to point out every dog, balloon and airplane. Knowing that is what he is “talking” about helps out a lot.
• In books likes to point out moons, boats, dogs, airplanes and balloons. (again that just helps you understand him!)
• He likes to hide in the bathrooms(even if its dark and close the door), in our closet, or under Ansley’s crib and wait for you to find him.
• He is NOT allowed to touch the stairs with out us telling him it’s ok and being right behind him.  He is excellent at crawling up, but you have to really watch him going down “feet first”, he forgets what he is doing and will just sit down and fall. It might be easier to carry him down. (or you can practice his new skill of holding his hands and helping him walk up and down them)
• Bath time. He will either love it or hate it. If he is having a good time take a long time, if he is mad and/or crying go as fast as you can. You don’t have to baby him, he is ok/likes to have water poured on his head and loves to be splashed.
• Brushing his teeth. He does this several times a day on his own, yes we let him walk around and play with them!(There are two green toddler toothbrushes around, and there is an adult on in our bathroom(look for the frayed look!). When getting him ready in the morning and right after bath, we will sit him on either bathroom counter(add his baby paste) and attempt to brush them for him. Sometimes he lets you do it longer than others. (please focus on the top front ones the most!)
• YOU(yes, I am talking to all the grandparents here) can tell him NO. Don’t be afraid. Please say no to the whining!
• At home activity ideas: books, play doh, color wonder markers, window markers, crayons, hit the ball(more like golf), baby pool/water hose, sandbox, fort, playing with toys in his wagon, wagon walk, letting him just walk in the street and explore
• On the go activities: Parks, library, Children’s museum, errands
• All the books on the bookshelves(even adult books) are fair game for him to “read”.
• Physical therapy with Mrs. Kristy is Tuesday mornings at the house 8:15-9:15am. She might ask you for Barney DVD on, a kitchen chair in the living room,or a burp cloth(there will be tears and snot that need to be cleaned up)
• Education therapy with Ms. Kim is Monday afternoons at the house 4-5pm. She might ask you for the high chair(lowered) to be brought into the living room to strap him into so he will focus on her activities.

{I will update this as I think of more things that are Caleb! Check back before you watch him for the most updated list!}

Daddy did it!

After dinner, Mommy and Daddy had things to do outside. Caleb was taking his sweet time eating his popsicle. So Daddy grabbed him out of the highchair and put him as-is in the driveway. No shorts, no shoes-no problem!

Caleb didn’t care-he thought it was hilarious! (notice the full bib!)

Daddy might be silly most of the time but there are those tender father-son moments.  Most of the time they get “their time”, I am either working or sleeping so it’s nice to be able to catch some of their moments!

Next step

Now that he has learned to walk the best thing now is for him to just keep practicing so that he gets stronger and better balanced.  That doesn’t require any physical therapy so while he is working on that, we are now focused on helping him to learn how to climb into an adult sized chair especially our couch(which requires more of the hike your leg up technique) and our kitchen chairs(which uses more of the grab the bars and puuuuullllll technique). {I may or maynot have made up those techniques, but regardless it is how he is supposed to get it done!} The other skill we are working on is walking up and down stairs. He has got the climbing/crawling part so now we are trying to get him to take “big steps” by either holding our hands, the rails or the walls-whatever he can reach.

At the park today we found the perfect set of stairs for our little guy.  Normal hand rails that go with the stairs are too high to help him. He was very proud of himself today.

Baby Shower

We were able to celebrate Ansley with some friends, mostly from our church.  We decided to make it more of a girls night then the traditional baby shower with games.  It was exactly what I needed. I was such a great time-enjoyed great food at Olive Garden, great company and of course great generosity from them.

Thank you everyone for coming out!

Devon, Becca, Heather, Robette, Bethany, Jennifer, Jennifer, Jenni, Kathy, Casey!

Maternity Pictures

(with a few that count as Caleb’s 2 year pictures)

Christy did such an amazing job I don’t know how I am going to decided which ones to print and frame!

Caleb really has been obsessed with my belly. He calls it out anytime he sees it and has to rub it. And if there is lotion around he has to smother it all over too!

He is definitely part “Big protective brother”…part “Always our little baby”!

I can really feel the cherished love we have as a family in these pictures.

We did this shot with my belly with Caleb and even though this was many weeks later in the pregnancy my belly is so much smaller with Ansley. She was moving around when we were trying to get this shot, so you can see a dip in my belly between the “L” and “E”(kinda weird)!

FLASHBACK:See! And we figured out it much more difficult to balance 6 letters! (I think I was 5 weeks earlier with Caleb in this shot)

The infamous sweaty all boy picture!

Belly!

Both of these pictures seem to have audio that go with them. I hope I can remember that forever!

Gotta love his facial expressions! We have done this picture two years in a row now…might have to make it a tradition.

FLASHBACK:Remember this one from his 1 year photoshoot!?!

I had to fight back the tears on this one. Makes a Momma cry! I will always need my kisses from my boy!

Date Night: “Don’t break your waters!”

Josh surprised me a few months ago with tickets to the Hillsong United Concert! It seemed so far away and so close to baby when he gave them to me that I couldn’t believe that it was finally time to go! Robette came over to babysit Caleb and as report has it they both had a great time and no one cried!

We went to dinner at Logan’s Steakhouse and then headed to the concert.  Many times during the night, Josh kept telling me “DON’T BREAK YOUR WATERS!”.  He was scared with all the loud music and vibrations that it might do just that. I am 38weeks now, so it would have been fine if it did. But Josh wasn’t quite ready for that. I think I was secretly hoping it would! We had great seats and it was a great show.  It was also a great worship experience with lots of time just to Praise God.

The singers has SO much energy-jumping, running and dancing around. There was one guy that was my favorite. He was crazy. I tried to get a zoomed picture of him but it didn’t work. He has long hair, HUGE glasses and purple tight pants and more energy than any of them. Hilarious! There also was one girl and from the beginning she reminded me of Bachlorette Ashley.

We had such a great time and I think this was the last date night with leaving just one kid with a babysitter.

Caleb and Jake

We got this picture text today while Caleb was at the babysitters. Being a boy is hard work!

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