Update!

Well it seems the days are flying by! I can't believe I am 14 weeks already. Ayda is changing by the day. And we are just enjoying life. Kevin is busy with work. He made some changes to how things are being run which we hope will pick up business some. He is so diligent with everything!

Ayda is into her dolls big time right now. She loves wearing her back pack wherever we go. She loves picking out her own clothes, which is usually a dress. We are once again trying to get rid of the pacifier during the day. We were well on our way when she got a cold several weeks ago and I caved and let her have it back. Then I was just lazy in breaking her again. So we're at it again. We are also introducing potty training. She talks about it and is excited but doesn't quite have the concept of telling me ahead of time. We'll keep working on it but I'm not willing to do the potty bootcamp at this point with her. Give me a few more months. I would LOVE for her to be potty trained before baby #2 arrives. Fewer cloth diapers to buy, change and wash!!!

I'm feeling pretty good. Some mornings are still rough but overall I feel pretty good. My energy is coming back for sure. No motivation to exercise but I'm hoping to get into that soon! I need to for sure! The obsession with Hamburgers finally died down which I am sure my arteries are thankful for. I can't believe I am half way through another Bradley series! We have a few more classes. I'll start another series in November and then that will likely be it till after baby is here. I'll miss teaching though! I love hearing how Bradley is helping these couples have the birth they want!

Sorry for no pictures yet again! I have a couple to post of Ayda but I have not downloaded them to the computer yet. And I need to get a baby bump pic but I'm not exactly feeling uber attractive at this point in the game. I will say people were not lying when they said you show earlier with the second baby. No joke!!! I am wearing my maternity (actually...my SIL's maternity clothes and a friend's...I own about 3 things!) clothes already. I tried to stay in my regular clothes but I can't stand anything to be tight on my waist, especially when I am pregnant. So elastic bands are back!

Promise to post the pics soon!!!

Announcing Finally...

We are so excited that we will welcome a new little member of our family into our lives in March! I am almost 13 weeks pregnant!!! This pregnancy has been SO very different from mine with Ayda. I have only thrown up twice (rather than about 6 times a day) and I have cravings I can't ignore!!! It also means instead of losing 8 pounds this trimester like I did with Ayda, I have gained 8 pounds. But I will take those 8 pounds happily because I have been able to pretty much manage the nausea and keep to a pretty normal routine. Ayda and I have definitely slowed down though. I beat myself up for a while about her watching too many movies (mainly my baby can read and baby einstein) but looking back as our schedule is filling back up I think will treasure those mornings snuggled in bed watching her movies or afternoons on the couch munching on apples or grapes. It was like she knew I was not 100% and she was content to slow down with me. But I am very grateful to feel like my energy is coming back little by little and we are taking off to the park, pool, playdates, music class, etc. It's nice to be out and about...just have to remember snacks for me and Ayda and we are both happy!

I had my midwife appointment today. We were waiting till this appointment to finally announce the pregnancy. People found out at 8 weeks with Ayda because I was a nice shade of green. It felt like forever to not say anything this long! My appointment went well! Everything looks perfect and we were able to hear the baby's heart beat with the doppler. We don't plan to do ultrasounds again with this pregnancy and hopefully we won't have to use the doppler again till I am in labor. It was still music to my ears when they finally found the sweet sound. Apparently my placenta is front and center which made it very tough for them to get past that and to the baby. That also means I probably won't feel kicking till later which is a bummer! But we'll see...maybe this baby will be crazy strong like Ayda and I'll feel it regardless. I felt the first kick from Ayda at 16 weeks and Kevin felt her at 17 weeks!

So we are very excited and I cannot wait to feel this little one inside me knowing God is knitting him/her (we feel it is a him!) together! My heart is full of joy!

Overheard at our House...

Mommy: Ayda!!! Did you put ALL the fish food into the fish tank?!?!?

Ayda: Uh Ooooh

Mommy: Ayda I have told you not to touch the fish tank. Only look at the fish! What are we going to do?

Ayda: Fish! Eat Eat!!

Mommy: Yes the fish are eating...ALOT! I'm calling daddy to find out what to do!

While cleaning Ayda's bathroom a spider jumps out of the trash can and runs across her room:

Mommy: AH! Spider!

Ayda: Eeeeeew! Bug!

Mommy: Yea huge bug...don't move!

Ayda: Eeeeeew!

Mommy: Ah! He ran up under the chair into the lining. I can't get him Ayda!

Ayda: Uh Oh!

Mommy: Yea big uh oh! Well I guess we'll trap him in there and hope he is stuck! Ok?

Ayda: Ooookay

(Luckily we have not seen him since, and the pest control guy sprayed some stuff into the lining of the chair!)

Ayda walks into our room eating something:

Mommy: Hey beautiful! What's in your mouth?

Ayda: Ama (Ama is chinese for Grandma and is what she calls Kevin's mom)

Mommy: Ama gave you something? What did she give you?

Ayda: Ama

Mommy: Oh, Ama is in your mouth?

Ayda: Noooooo!

Mommy: Ama just gave you something and you aren't going to show me what?

Ayda: Okay! Bye bye

Ayda leaves room and closes the door on her way out! And I still have no clue what she was eating!

ChuckECheeses!

Mom and I were trying to come up with afternoon activities we could do with Ayda but also avoid the heat. We decided to head to Chuck E Cheese's and let her play. I thought for sure she would LOVE it there. Games, rides, slides! Well...

This is pretty much her face in every picture I took. She was not too sure about any of the rides. She did finally seem to enjoy a couple of them after riding them about a dozen times.

She was really not impressed with this thing. It was my FAVORITE as a kid. My childhood best friend, Rachel, would hang on the seat and we would go around and around till we got in trouble! Ayda just kept saying "All done".

This was definitely her favorite. She and mom didn't wrack up many points but they had fun throwing balls everywhere...literally! It's good there were not kids on either side of them...they might have gotten taken out!

Again...not too impressed!

Oh well, we'll try again in a couple years!!!

Playdate with Peyton!

I'm not really sure why, but I have been on sort of an anti blogging kick the past couple weeks. But I am going to try to get caught up and then get back to blogging regularly! We'll see!

Ayda and I spent a week in ATL a few weeks back. We had fun spending time with friends, my mom, and just relaxing. My best friend, Lauren, brought her precious niece over for an afternoon playdate one day. Ayda loved having a "baby" to play with. And Peyton tried to keep up with Ayda as best as she could. It was cute to watch them.

Ayda checking out Peyton's toy.

Peyton was so excited to get a turn on the BMW riding toy! Eventually Ayda hopped on there with her. A little crowded but they made it work!

My cool girl! She loves sunglasses and was very proud of herself for getting a hold of Lauren's Oakleys! I was a bit nervous they were going to get destroyed!

Peyton: "Ooo what you have there?"

Ayda: "Just some watered down lemonade from CFA!"

Peyton: "Can I try some?"

Ayda: "Nah...just keep chewing that magnet thing."

Ayda tickling Peyton's toes!

Great things are happening!

My SIL published this post on Monday night about Judah. Since then God has been doing amazing things in the hearts of so many! Check it out! The sting of poverty hit our family in the face Friday but God is still being praised through Judah's life. Judah means "to praise" and that is what is happening!!

Judah Alexander

I am still trying to process everything that has happened in the past week or so. My brother and SIL have been on a long journey to adopt a baby from Africa. After a long 9 months of them being told they would get their referral any day, they received news of their sweet son two weeks ago. Judah Alexander. They called with such excitement and sent a couple pictures for me to see his cute face. I fell in love. His big brown eyes, his tiny little body. I immediately could not wait for December when he would come home to live his life with them. My newest nephew joined the family that day.

We found out about a week later he had been hospitalized briefly. The nurse in me started running through different reasons why he was hospitalized. But he was back at his orphanage...good news. Then we found out last week he was back in the hospital receiving IV antibiotics. The next day my SIL spoke with the adoption agency and found out he was very sick with pneumonia. On Thursday, he was moved to the ICU at a different hospital. We were all praying. Praying for his little lungs (he only weighed a little over 5 lbs). Prayed for the doctors and nurses. Prayed he would pull through. I went to bed Thursday, hopeful.

Friday morning I woke up. It was my birthday but it just didn't feel like it. Something was not right. Then the phone rang. I missed my brother's call and called right back. Sitting in the floor of my room at my mom's house I heard my brother's voice more broken than I have ever heard it. Before the words even came out I knew what was coming. Judah didn't make it. He had died earlier that morning. My heart broke. Broken for my nephew who died. Broken for my Brother and SIL who were now facing a very unique situation where grieving was very real. Their son was gone. The one they waited on for a year and a half. Tears started flowing, words could not come out. I took the phone to my mom so he could tell her as well. The rest of the morning is a complete blur. My mom and I ran a couple errands but said maybe a few words. Tears started flowing from either of us without warning. We were scheduled to have facials done at a local spa for my birthday. We were late arriving but they certainly didn't care when the two of us came walking in, red eyes, my mom crying, me stone faced. They were so sweet to pamper us and try to cheer us up. We spent a couple hours at the spa, I think just to avoid the reality that awaited us when we walked outside. As I put it, I was hiding behind my eyelids during the facial. Judah never left my mind but I was able to keep my composure.

Friday also began a big celebration weekend for my mom's birthday (her's is exactly one week after mine). Family was coming from 4 states to celebrate. Though mom and I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide we knew the family would be so good for all of us. My brother and SIL arrived around 9 friday night and I was so happy to see them. One look at my brother and being engulfed in his big hug and the tears started flowing again. And it got worse when I hugged my SIL. We lost a family member on Friday. One we only saw a picture of. Never was able to hold. I pray God is telling him how much we loved him here in the states. My eyes were opened once again through this. I have spent time in Africa. I have seen the hospitals there. But how quickly I can forget after working in a state of the art hospital in ATL. My eyes are open, my heart is broken. Judah is on my mind so much still. I am still processing. Questions going through my mind that will never have answers and maybe I don't want to know. I talked to my SIL on Saturday and I can't imagine the pain she is experiencing. A mother who lost her child, but in such a unique way. Some of my broken heart is for them. Seeing them hurt and grieve is hard. I want to take the pain away but I can't. I can only pray for them. And remember Judah's sweet life with them. It was a birthday I will never forget.