Summer recap

I'm 17 weeks pregnant.  I've been terrible about taking bump pictures.

I can't believe we are almost half way there.  Its been a rough pregnancy but thankfully I think I'm getting better.  I'm so thankful Brian has been home to help out.  I'm not ready for him to go back in a few weeks.  The heat this summer hasn't helped and we've had to find some fun things to do inside.  I'm kind of bummed that we haven't done alot this summer.  Its been a day to day thing if I wake up feeling good or not.  I'm still getting migraines but not nearly as bad.  I'm still having some nausea.  The doctor has given me some meds that have helped. I've only been to the hospital 2 times to get meds and fluids.  I've been trying to eat more and drink more but its hard when you stay busy and have 2 little ones.

We had a structured playdate at a friends house with storytime and a craft.

Pool time with the friends

reading with daddy

Celebrating my good friend Allie and her baby on the way. So thankful our kids are close in age.

We will do anything for free food- Its Cow Appreciation Day at Chick Fil A

Brian and Jaxon had fun on a father/son date at celebration station riding gocarts and playing arcade games.

Surprising Brian at the drive in movie with friends for his birthday. We saw the Secret Life of Pets.  It was a fun kid free evening thanks to the grandparents for watching all the kids.  We packed dinner and sat outside our cars and waited for the movie to start at dark.

Thankfully the kids spent several days kid free at the inlaws. The kids loved going to VBS at their church and this time both of them loved dancing during worship. Brian and I got some things done, went to the lake, and enjoyed eating out.

Father and son fishing together

Kaelyn loves her baby dolls and will take them everywhere
She likes to do things herself and she will let you know it
she loves buckles
she follows her brother around and will copy him
new words- baby, bye
She loves to make a monkey face and make monkey noises and she cracks herself up.

She loves to call her brother "bubbie" and is always looking for him in the morning.
when we ask her a question she will nod her head yes or shake her head no
She still sleeps in late until 10am and takes a good nap in the afternoon at the same time as Jaxon. She is a good eater. She loves making a mess while feeding herself yogurt for breakfast.

She also loves corn on the cob.

Jaxon and Kaelyn really love each other they love giving each other hugs.

We decided to drive an hour and a half away to Marbles on a hot day.  Its a really fun indoor children's museum.  They had so much fun checking out a new place.

We made a day of it.  We ate some really good BBQ and stopped by Bass Pro Shop

At bedtime we read a bible story, pray and then Jaxon likes to sing a few songs.  Now Kaelyn joins in and follows Jaxon around

Went to Mom and Dad's for a family reunion in Maryland.  We made a long weekend of it and met a friend at a local park and rode the train and carousel.  We also went to some museums in downtown DC and Jaxon loved riding the metro.

Having a tea party at Mimmie and Pop Pop's

Yummy crabs at the reunion

Riding the metro into downtown DC

When we got home my good friend from high school and her family came for a visit.  We showed them around in hopes they would fall in love with the south and move down here.  Took them to a few parks, the old mill, fed them a southern breakfast, and dinner at Prissy Pollys for some good BBQ.

Spent some time at my cousin's apartment pool  Kaelyn loves the water.

father son time at the lake

We went on an overnight visit to see Aunt Lillian and Great grandma.

The kids enjoyed showing her the Cars book and introduced her to Lightning McQueen

We made a pit stop in Rockhill to see the Gordon's.  Ashley and I graduated from college together.  We seem to get pregnant around the same time.  The kids enjoyed seeing their chickens and playing in the dirt.  This is me at 20 weeks.  Ashley is a few months ahead of me.

We are still working on Jaxon pooping in the potty.  Each time he has done it, which isn't very many he has gotten a sticker.  When he gets 5 stickers he gets a toy at Field and Stream that he wants.

Jaxon-

The other day I asked Jaxon,
"Do you want to help me make some muffins?"
His response, "No I'm going to watch the news"
Minutes later I asked him "so whats going on in the news?"
He said, "They are calling for rain tonight"

Well we definitely got rain that night, I guess he was paying attention.

Been struggling with horrible migraines this pregnancy, worse than my other 2. Jaxon has been so sweet to check on me and ask how I'm feeling. Today I think he had other motives for asking, he really wanted to see if I was feeling better so he could play his drums and sing really loud. Tonight when we were out running errands he asked if my head still hurt and I said yes buddy it does. I told him he needed to pray and ask Jesus to make me feel better. He said, "Do you want me to pray for you right now?" I said, "Yes, I would love for you to pray for me." So he prayed for my head right there in the car while we were driving. He's so sweet. I love that he knows how to pray and talk to Jesus already at age 4.


Summer update to be continued with our Escape the Greensboro heat trip........
  

Christmas blessing

So we thought having one of each was plenty and we were content, having a son and a daughter, but God had other plans.  I was late and decided to take a test.  We got a surprising positive pregnancy test on April 23.  We will be adding to our family in December.  We are excited and are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for our family of 5.

So first thing on our list was that we needed to start shopping for a new vehicle.  We hadn't planned on getting one so early but on Mother's Day weekend we traded in my SUV and got a Toyota Sienna minivan.  We have officially crossed over to the dark side of being in the minivan club.  Brian didn't think we would be a minivan family but he loves it.  When we were shopping around one of the salesmen asked me if I was a cool mom.  I said, I hope so.  He said alot of mom's don't like the image of being a minivan mom.  I told him I didn't care, we just needed more room and I need space for 5 people in the van. I was sad to trade in my SUV but was excited to have more room.

We had to upgrade to make room for another carseat coming in December 2016.

It was a little hard to fathom that we were pregnant again. I had my initial appointment and everything looked good- there was in fact a baby in there.  We went to the doctor on June 1 and they were concerned with what they saw on the ultrasound.  The nucal fold (in the back of the neck) was a little thicker than they wanted to see.  It was a little early to measure and to really tell anything so they wanted me to come back in a few weeks for them to look at it again.  But they did say it could be a sign that the thickness could be a sign of a chromosome defect, heart defect, or nothing.  It was the longest few weeks ever.  I was worried and my thoughts were going everywhere.  It didn't help that I was home by myself for a days while Brian was at work. The kids were at my inlaws because I was having horrible migraines. I had had migraines when I was pregnant with Jaxon and ended up having to go to the hospital to get some special meds.  But with Kaelyn I had some and they weren't as bad.  I had more nausea with Jaxon than with Kaelyn too.  I had told the doctor about my migraines and she prescribed vicodin to save me a trip to the hospital if my migraines got worse.
I had lots of friends praying.  I had to pray and trust that whatever the outcome was God was going to be with me and things would be ok no matter what.  I found a bookmark that my BSF leader had given me that was truth that I needed to cling to. "Do not fear for I AM with you. Do not be dismayed for I AM your God. I will strengthen you and hep you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

On June 13 I went back to the doctor and they did another ultrasound. I was thankful Brian could be with me.  That afternoon he had an interview for a new teaching job so I was just praying we would have an encouraging appointment.
The nucal fold checked out fine.  It measured at 2.3 and they don't want it over 3.5  I was so relieved.  I finally feel like I can be excited about being pregnant and I can relax.
On June 22 and for the next several days my migraines got worse.  The vicodin didn't help and I couldn't get rid of them.  I was in the bed for a few days.  I'm so thankful my inlaws were there to help because Brian had to work for a few days.
On Monday June 27 Brian ended up taking Kaelyn to the doctor and she ended up testing positive for strep then he had to come home and pick me and Jaxon up and drop me off at the hospital.  I still could not get rid of my migraine.  I was nauseous and probably dehydrated.  It was hard for me to eat and have an appetite which probably didn't help things.  I got sick on the way to the hospital, which makes 2x now that I've gotten sick with this pregnancy.  The special drugs they gave me at the hospital and the IV fluids did the trick.  I felt so much better.  I knew that if I could just make it through the first trimester things would only get better.  At least thats how it happened with Kaelyn and Jaxon. Praying that feel better soon.  I forget that nausea comes with being pregnant, otherwise my pregnancies have been ok.

We aren't finding out the sex of the baby until he/she decides to make their grand entrance into this world.  We are excited about our Christmas/New Years blessing.  Due date is December 29 and I know that Jaxon and Kaelyn will be great with their little brother or little sister.  Jaxon is already so caring and loves his sister and Kaelyn loves babies.

Daddy's home

I just started putting pigtails in Kaelyn's hair and I absolutely love it.  I think it makes her look older.

Playtime outside

So we told Jaxon our news and asked if he wanted a brother or a sister.  His response, "I want 2 sweet peas"  then later he said, "I don't want nuffin"

I had to take him to the bathroom with me.  After I went he was looking at my belly.  I said you see my big belly, there is a baby in there.  He said, How's it going to come out?" I said "well we will go to the hospital and they will get it out."

I was able to get away for a few days and go to the lake with mom, my aunt, and some cousins with no kids (well for the most part).  My kids stayed home.  We relaxed in the lake, took a boat ride to get dinner, played spoons, and visited with my great aunt.

On our way home we stopped to visit with my grandmother

Somebody was sick Fathers Day weekend, I think it was Kaelyn, so we decided to stay home from church and spend some time together.  We went to the park and went for a walk.

We are so excited that Brian got a new teaching job.  It will be closer to home and he will have a longer summer.  He's been wanting a job at this particular school for a long time, but nobody leaves because everyone loves it there.  Its a school with alot more diversity and students go there that don't know English very well because they are just coming into the country. There is a smaller number of staff and they seem very close and also our church is very connected with the school.

An older theater downtown is showing alot of kids movies this summer.  We chose to go see the Cars movie, Jaxon's favorite.  Daddy missed out because he had a workday at his new school, so my inlaws took us.  Jaxon had alot of fun and we ran into a few of our friends there.

We went to the children's museum with daddy

This year was Jaxon's first time in VBS.  The theme was CAVE QUEST.  We love that our church is so invested with the kids.  The decorating committee did a great job getting the church ready for the kids.  His teacher told me that every time they had large group in the sanctuary Jaxon was up front dancing and singing and doing the motions.  We got a glimpse of him during family night.

We found a new play area at a nearby mall.  Then of course the day that I decide to leave diaper bags in the car Kaelyn throws up in her stroller.

We visited with Bessie, Brian's grandmother.

They both love to ride in the shopping carts

We have been getting a ton of veggies from Brian's garden.  I take no credit for it.

We enjoyed a July 3rd cookout with good friends.  So thankful to have friends with kids that can grow up together.

July 4th we went to visit family nearby and enjoyed good food and swimming in the pool.  The kids had a great time.  Jaxon loved driving sister around in the pink barbie jeep. Kaelyn loved eating the corn.  We stayed for a good part of the day.  It was a little over an hour to get home. Jaxon was pooped and fell asleep on the way home.  Kaelyn talked the whole way home.

Jaxon got a new hair cut.  He looks so grown up.  What a stud. He wasn't too sure about the spikes.