Christmas is OVER!!!

Wow!! What a busy week. Where should I start?? Last Tuesday was the start of a very exciting week. I had my 20 week appt. (even though I was 18 weeks). It was the BIG gender ultrasound. I invited my cousin Chelsey to come along because Kev had to work and watch the girls. When we showed up I started drinking orange juice just to get the baby moving so we could see "the parts" :) We had to wait for 45 mins after my scheduled time because they were backed up. I guess everyone wanted a doctors appt. before the holidays.
I really believed in my heart that it was a boy but in my head I felt it was a girl. This pregnancy was SOOOOOO different from the girls' that I knew it had to be a boy........but Kev was always saying he could only produce girls :) So....the time came when the ultrasound tech checked out the privates. I told her I wanted to find a boy part (I was more descriptive) and she said that she would do her best. Sure enough she did a great job and the boy part was in full view. There is NO DOUBT that its a boy. He definitely wanted to show off "the goods"! Chels and I cheered and gave high fives because we were so excited! Then, for the next 1/2 hour, I was in shock calling all our family to let them know. The Lord knew the desire of my heart and blessed us with our boy!! Now we feel we can OFFICIALLY close this chapter of our lives and just enjoy our children. We have two girls and a boy now! I still can't believe it! The Lord is SOOOOO good!! Now to find boy stuff!! :)
That started the exciting week of Christmas presents and travel. Weds we spent in Waterloo at my parents and then that night at Grandma Tink's. I haven't been there for a while so it was nice to see my family I haven't seen for a while. Christmas morning was spent in the van driving up to Lake Mills. Once we got there the cousins got together and had a fun filled day of just running around and being kids! The girls got so many presents between the two families that we had to clear out a couple bins of toys just to make room for the new stuff!! They had such a great time with family.
Friday the girls went home with my parents and Kev and I were kid less for the weekend!!! It is our 4th anniversary on the 31st and I got tickets to the Vikings game for us! We went to a couple of movies and ate ALOT!!! It was so enjoyable just being together ALONE! The game was GREAT and Kev was super happy that we spent our anniversary in his "world". We drove home and I stayed the night at my parents (Peyton was already sleeping when we got there). The girls and I finally drove home Monday morning and spent most of the day unpacking and washing clothes.
It was a great week with family, but I'm so very happy to be back home! Thanks to all my family that helped us out this last week. We really appreciate everything you do!! Love you all!

Sleep

I am having the most frustrating time with Reagan. She hates to sleep!!! The worst part is that she is waking up 2 or 3 times during the night crying. She doesn't seem scared or anything, just mad because she is uncomfortable or her blanket fell off or just because. Peyton is the total opposite of Reagan in that department. She is absolutely the best sleeper ever!!! You never have to worry about her. She needs to be to bed by 6-7pm and will sleep till 7:30am. She can not handle being off her schedule at all!!! She is a mess if she doesn't get her required amount of sleep!
Anyways......will I ever sleep again? I really thought by the time Reagan was 2 she would have no problem sleeping........I was VERY wrong. I know I have at least 5 more months till the baby comes but I'm kinda in panic mode. Peyton is suppose to move into Reagan's room but that can't happen until Reagan can sleep through the night. I know God has a plan but that room is the only option we have when you have a 3 bedroom house!!! I'm just venting because I'm exhausted and I can't see an end in sight! Especially when there is a new baby coming into the mix. That is a guaranteed no sleep zone until he/she is 4 months or so. So my question is.....will I ever get a full, uninterrupted night of sleep again??? I know in my head I will, but my body is telling me no :)
On a happier note, I have been feeling the baby A LOT today. It has decided to kick me very hard multiple times today!! It is nice to know that everything is going good in there. I REALLY enjoy feeling the baby move! It is 6 days until the ultrasound! Then I can blog a him or her! I'm so excited!! Well I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!! I will be MIA for the next couple of weeks because of all the Christmas' we are going to!! Hopefully the weather holds up! Talk to you all later!

Oh Christmas

This month has already been a busy one. Every weekend we have something going on which forces us to travel. That's what happens when you live in a small town :) This weekend we have Kev's business party in Des Moines on Friday night. We then will drive to Waterloo that night so we can be back for a breakfast party at a friends house by 10am on Sat. Saturday night I have nursery at church (don't I get enough kid time during the day :) Then Sunday will just be a day at Grandpa and Grandma's house. Then starts another week. Followed by 2 family Christmas'. Then "real" Christmas comes and then our anniversary weekend in Minn. All the sudden it will be January!!! But before the "real" Christmas I will be having an ultrasound to find out what this little bean is. 13 days and counting!! I'm so EXCITED!! Everyone needs to think blue!!
I love Christmas music!! I have it playing almost constantly in my house. 1st, because I like it. 2nd, because the girls LOVE to dance to it!! Peyton is becoming one of the best dancers. She can dance sitting or standing! A very talented child! Reagan is a hip shaker....I have NO IDEA where she got that!
We are definitely enjoying the holiday season! We hope all of you are too and I'm sure we will see many of you soon!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Well, it is now Sunday, already, of the Thanksgiving weekend. It has gone so fast and ALWAYS goes so fast. On Thursday we headed to the Amana Colonies, Ox Yoke Inn. The food was GREAT and it was so nice to see my family. Unfortunately with such a huge group (23 people) I didn't get to talk to many of my relatives :( The other bad thing about a restaurant is trying to keep the girls under control. The Lord was so good to us.........the girls were PERFECT. No crying or outbursts the 2 hours we were there. And it was during their nap time!!! Thank God!
On Friday Kevin's dad came to visit us (his mom was sick ). The girls love spending time with their grandparents no matter how long they stay. Reagan had a lot of fun with him and I've never seen Peyton sit on someones lap that long!!! He stayed until Saturday afternoon and we all had a good time.
On Saturday I was able to go into Waterloo and go to a movie with some of my girlfriends. It was so great to be childless for a afternoon! I even got to go grocery shopping by myself! When I got home we had Peyton open her presents for her 1st birthday. She had so much fun with the bags and tissue paper!! I liked the gifts!!!! She didn't seem to care but that would be her age. I can't believe 1 year ago I was having her!! The time flew by!! We are going to finish her birthday with a cake today!! I'll get lots of pictures of the birthday cake face. Don't worry!!
I loved waking up to snow on the ground!! Especially since we didn't have to go anywhere today!! We have our beautiful Christmas lights up on our porch and we will finish this wonderful day with putting up our Christmas tree tonight. What a GREAT day!!
This week is kinda an exciting one for me. Monday Peyton will get her 1 year shots....not exciting. Wednesday, though, I have my second OB appointment which I'm very excited about. I haven't had one since I was 9 weeks so this 16 week appointment will be fun. I'll actually get to hear the heartbeat with the doppler!!! This will also be the appointment where we will schedule the gender ultrasound!! There finally will be a date set to see what this little pumpkin is!!! I can't wait!! I hope all your Thanksgiving were great too!!!

Showers

This might sound a little ridiculous but I love showers!! It is so hard to find time to shower now-a-days. There usually is a child up about 6:30 am......I'm NOT getting up before that!!:) And all day long they need supervision, especially Miss Peyton. That child does not listen and is so stubborn. (Please, I already know where she got it) By the time 8:30-9pm comes around I need to pick up the toys, do the dishes, and try to get caught up on the laundry. Finally my "chores" are done and all I want to do is lay in bed.
I was just thinking back to those times where I would get up every morning and think I "needed" to shower. Will those days EVER come back?? I hope so. I really don't want to be known as the "stinky" mom. :)
Wow, that was a rant. Anyways, I actually got a shower this morning! Peyton went down for a early nap and I put Reag's in here high chair with a movie and playdoh. It's so nice to feel clean (and shaven). Kev will really like that my leg hair isn't as long as his anymore. (I know, too much info.)
Just wanted to share my random comments and remember to enjoy your showers!!!

Another week....

Both of the girls are taking naps....YES!!! They are so sweet but I enjoy my alone time too. I am so excited for the holidays!! There is something about this time of year that makes my heart happy. I can't wait for the girls to get a little older so we can start our own traditions. Right now all we can focus on is not letting them destroy the tree :)
We are going to the Amana Colonies this Thursday for Thanksgiving with my side of the family. I think we have 23 people so it was decided to go to the Ox Yolks Restaurant to handle that many people. It will be so much fun. Both the girls eat regular food so no baby food needs to be brought!!! YEAH!!! This weekend we plan on putting up our Christmas decorations (just our tree) and also celebrating Peyton's 1st birthday. We are not planning a party or anything... she won't know what's going on anyways :) I cannot believe she is already going to be 1. The first year is definitely hard but it has flown by. I love watching both the girls grow and become their own person. God has truly blessed Kev and I.
It is very easy for me to get caught up in the chaos and work that it takes to raise these girls. It really is hard for me to just relax and enjoy the time I have with them. I need to remember that they are not mine but God's. He is loaning them to me for a while. The Lord is so good to give them to us.
This 3rd one is also a HUGE blessing that I haven't enjoyed yet. I'm in my 15th week of pregnancy now and am feeling good. Many times I forget that I am pregnant because the baby isn't moving that much yet. Soon he/she will keep reminding me they are in there. I have my next appt. on December 3rd and can't wait. I didn't get to hear the heartbeat at my 9 week appt. so it will be so nice to hear it with the doppler. At that appt. I should schedule my ultrasound for the end of December, beginning of January. That will be an exciting appt. This is my last pregnancy and at times I'm sad it will be ending for good. These exciting moments will forever be gone but I know will be replaced with other exciting moments. There is so many more memories that will be coming our way. It may not be baby memories but it will be peeing on the potty, tying our shoes for the first time, first day of school, first crush and so many more. I'm so excited to go through all these moments with Kev and my kids.
Remember during these holidays to really enjoy your family and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus was born which is better then any present or cookie there is!!!!

What a weekend!

This weekend was such a blessing for Kev and myself. We actually were able to go out with some friends to dinner, the UNI volleyball game, and then dessert. I can't tell you the last time we were able to go out, without the girls, with a FUN group of couples! It was such a BLAST! My mom was gracious enough to watch the girls and put them to bed. We just LOVE her!! The girls love spending time with their grandparents and don't really want to leave when it's time to go home :)
The girls are growing, growing, growing!! Yesterday Reagan counted to 10 all by herself!!! It was so awesome to see because it's not something we've worked on. I'll count when we are going up the steps and just for fun but we've never "practiced it". It was amazing to see how smart she is!! And Miss Peyton is just a walking around like crazy. She has great balance now and is getting pretty fast. I see running in her future VERY SOON!! Their personalities are so different but so entertaining and fun to see come out! I've decided that I Love these ages! The first year is officially not my favorite but when they get to 1 I really start to enjoy it!!
I just have to try to enjoy it one more time for this 3rd baby. Can you believe I'm almost to 14 weeks?? While I was going through the first trimester I thought this time would never come but now that I'm here it seems to have flown by. I am feeling this baby every once in a while, which is really fun!! It just helps to assure me that everything is going well in there :)
The holidays are right around the corner and will make this second trimester fly by. I should be getting an ultrasound at the end of December so that will be here before I know it! Kev is not sure if he wants to know, but I definately do!! I think it would be kinda fun to keep it a secret from him. The problem is that everyone is going to want to know.......how are they all going to keep a secret??? Maybe I'll have to be the only one to know!! I'm going to the ultrasound by myself.....again (he only came for Reag's) so if he doesn't want to know, there will be less temptation! We will have to see how that plays out!! I bet it would be hard for him not to know and me to know. I'll keep you updated on what is decided!! I hope you all have a great week!!

What a Day!!

Some days are easier then others. Yesterday was a VERY HARD day. I have never felt the way I did yesterday. I was so tired that I could barely move. It was the weirdest most annoying feeling ever. Bless Kevin's heart, he cleaned the house for me. I stayed in bed from 6 to when I went to bed. I literally COULD NOT move. I'm so glad today is better. Reagan and I were able to go outside this morning and play. It's so nice to be able to go outside with just her. Peyton was taking her nap and Reagan and I really got to spend some good, quality time together.

I was really hoping that because this is my 12th week of pregnancy my morning sickness would "magically" disappear. I was SO very wrong about that assumption. I'm still having waves of nausea daily. When is it going to end???? Not soon enough :)

The girls and I are headed to Waterloo for the weekend. Kevin is busy with work stuff (a very hard Saturday at the Iowa/Penn State game). It's a hard life for him isn't it?? SO the girls and I will be hanging out with Grandma Renee. The girls love hanging out with their grandparents. Somebody fun and new! That will be our weekend......Hope you have a good one too!!!

Around the corner......

I think I'm finished with my morning sickness! YOOHOO!! I had a cold this last week which made my MS not seem so bad. Anyways, I'm praying that I've turned that corner and moving on with the next set of issues with this pregnancy.
I will finally be ending my first trimester this week. It has felt so much slower than the other girls' pregnancies. I know I need to relax and enjoy this one because it will be my last. (Hopefully) :)

One exciting thing that happened today is that Peyton decided to walk around. For the last month she has decided that she didn't want to. She absolutely COULD but chose not too. What a funny kid she is. Today though was different. My mom came over to take us to brunch and Peyton just decided she would walk across the room to Grandma!!! It was so exciting and cute to see her so determined. Afer that she tried 7 or 8 more times. It's hard to imagine that she will be running around soon. It is so true that they grow up too fast.

Reagan is really starting to be a 2 year old. She is constantly challenging me and disobeying. I feel at times that all I do is tell her "no" or punish her for something she did. I guess that is just how it's gonna be until we learn those hard 2 year old lessons!! :)
She is really becoming the little "mother". She loves to grab Peyton's hand and walk her around the house (even though it ends up that she is dragging Peyton around the house). She also changes her baby's diaper, feeds her baby a bottle, and puts her baby down for a nap. It's really sweet to see her personality come out. She will be a big help when the new baby comes home.

The sweetest thing is happening as we speak. Reagan is laying on me fast asleep. I kept asking if she was tired and she kept telling me "no". Well, momma was right and now she is sleeping with Elmo in her arms on me. How sweet. I love these moments with the girls. It makes all the hard times with them just disappear. I guess its time to call it quits and put her to bed. Nite everyone.

Another Day!!

The girls are both napping and this is my FAVORITE time of day!! I have been so sick with this pregnancy so far.......maybe a boy??? I don't know but it's making it very difficult to take care of the girls. All I want to do is lay in my bed and sleep. That definately does NOT happen!! I just have to remember that this is temporary.
The girls are once agian growing up so fast. Peyton is taking 4 or 5 steps before she sits down!! Reagan is really talking alot more. She is so smart........it's so fun to watch them both. Kev is VERY busy with his job. He is working super hard for Federated and seems to be enjoying it.
We love having our OWN house!! It is so nice to have a place to call "home"!!! The only problem is that I have ZERO energy right now to clean it!!! Once again this will pass and I will be back in the swing of things before I know it. Well I know this post is short but I need some sleep before the girls get up!! Bye for now!!

I'm new to this thing!!

Well it's about time I get into this Century!!! I hear blogging is cool so I thought I'd give it a try. I just want to let you all know that I do not claim to be a writer and will probably never be one! :) Right now we are at our home in Belle Plaine. We just purchased it in July and we LOVE it!! Kevin is gone doing work stuff (Federated Insurance) and I am here once again with the girls. I feel very privileged that I get to stay home and see these girls grow up. They are so smart and entertaining at these ages. Reagan (who is almost 2) knows most of her colors and body parts. She is finally talking more and letting us know what she is thinking. She loves to dance and sing and play with ALL her toys.Peyton is a climber and puts EVERYTHING into her mouth!! I have to watch her constantly!! Our house can get VERY chaotic but right now it's fun and managable. On Saturday, September 13th I took a pregnancy test and it was positive!! That was a HUGE shock to Kevin and me. This was not our plan but obviously God has a bigger, better plan and He knows what is best for us. Now that we have had time to digest this, we are very excited. Our 3rd and final baby will be due in May. My first doctors appointment is in October and hopefully then I'll get an "official" due date. That is definately our exciting news for now but you never know what could happen next! :)