Seeing Baby Lincoln

Today has been an exciting day so far. I found out that I passed my 3 hour glucose test (glad that's over!!!), got my haircut for the first time in 7 months, but the most exciting thing is we got to see baby Lincoln!We hadn't seen him in a couple of months so we were so excited to see how much he has grown! He, like Amara, has big lips. On first seeing him, Frank said he looks just like him. If you ask me, it's too soon to tell. I can't wait to meet him. In this picture, Frank was talking to him and he smiled. It was so sweet.

Getting Ready for Lincoln!

This past weekend, we finished Lincoln's nursery for the most part. There are still pictures that need to be put in frames and cleaning that needs to be done, but the bed is ready and the curtains are hung!Preparing the nursery was so easy this second time around. For one thing, we didn't have to paint. Also, with this being a second child, I knew things that I really needed and really didn't and basically just kept it simple. When we were preparing Amara's nusery, we bought the whole crib bedding set, but I quickly realized that we didn't use hardly any of it! The crib skirt was only used for a few months because once we lowered the mattress when she started pulling up, we had to take it out. Also, we never really used the bumpers because of them being a suffocation hazard. So this time around, I knew exactly what we're going to need and left it at that.

I wanted a crib skirt but didn't want to spend a lot on one since we'll probably only use it for 6 months or so. I absolutely love madras fabric but all the pillows and bedding pieces I saw on different websites were so expensive. I wondered if I could find the fabric and make it. So, my mom mentioned that I should check Hobby Lobby. And I was just sure that they wouldn't have what I was looking for, but to my surprise, they had EXACTLY what I was looking for! And the woman that worked there told me to pull up a coupon on my phone to get 40% off at the register when I checked out. So, for the price of one sham at PBK (you can guess where I'm talking about), my mom and I made the crib skirt, two throw pillows and two shams! And the crib skirt fabric can be changed into something else later. I was so excited! And I'm so glad that this is a room that Lincoln can grow into.Frank picked out some really nice navy curtains at Lowe's for such a great price. As far as decor for the room, we have this awesome olive green mantle that our good friends were going to leave on the wall in their kitchen at their old house. They said we could take it, and I'm so glad we did because it's perfect for the nursery. On the mantle is a vintage looking car door frame I got at Hobby Lobby and also some wooden letters that I painted red. Frank has got to attach a wood block to the back of the "C" to keep it from rolling off, so for the picture it's just leaning. I also got a vintage looking school bus picture frame, and it's hanging on the wall by the crib.Above the changing table are frames in the colors of the fabric. Next week we are getting new family/maternity pictures taken, so the frames will only have the Hobby Lobby models in them for a little while longer.Next task is to clean, clean, clean. And then just wait for baby! Speaking of baby, tomorrow we will get to see him at our 4D ultrasound. Can't wait!

Not Another Glucose Test!!!

Warning...this post is just a ramble. No pics, nothing fun, just thoughts.

When I was pregnant with Amara, I failed my initial glucose test (to test for gestational diabetes) by just a couple of points. If you aren't familiar with this test, you basically don't eat anything after dinner the night before the test, and then the next morning you drink this awful sugary drink (given to you by the doctor) and then they take your blood an hour later. Because I failed, this meant that I had to go back and take another test where I'd drink another sugary drink (with twice the amount of sugar of the first one) and have to get my blood taken every hour for 3 hours. They assured me at the doctor that because my numbers were so low, they were SURE I would pass the second test. So, what is the point, then? Anyways, I did it and of course I passed and all was fine.

So, with this pregnancy, I was determined to pass the first time. I even "prepared" for a couple of days prior by limiting my sugar and carbs. So, I went to take my initial test and guess what...I failed by a measly 8 points. I was SO upset! And my pregnancy hormones had me in tears, right there in the doctor's office. Again, I was assured that because my numbers were so low, I'd pass the 3 hour test. But that doesn't make it any better that I have to use a whole morning of my time (and time away from my precious Little) to get my blood drawn 4 times. Anyway, I had my 3 hour test this morning and am just hoping and praying that I've passed.

At the test, the lab tech even told me how common it is that people fail the first test and pass the second. She said a lot of doctors have even started doing a 2 hour test initially in order to hopefully get a more accurate result the first time.

Though it is a pain to go through, I will do anything necessary to protect my sweet baby Lincoln. We are so excited for his arrival and are so anxious to see Little with him. She has been so sweet to care for babies lately, and we know she's going to be a great big sister. We actually finished his nursery this weekend, so hopefully I'll take some pictures today and have a more positive post later.

And my ramble is over...for now.

Adventures in our Kitchen

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that Frank and I really like to cook. My latest experiment was homemade banana pudding. My mouth is actually watering as I type this. It was delish! I ate a third of it by myself as soon as it came out of the oven. Isn't it beautiful? I normally don't like meringue, but it definitely tastes different when you make it from scratch and eat it warm. Yum yum!Little has also taken up an interest in cooking lately, particularly cooking with her Daddy. You should know that Frank makes the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. So, he decided to make a chocolate chip cookie cake with Little Pea. Here they are at work. And what cookie cake is complete without homemade chocolate icing? My thoughts exactly. So, my contribution was the icing, and Little helped clean the bowl. You may notice Frank's beard. He decided to grow this about a week ago, and I must say that I do think he is very handsome with it.

Frank also likes to juice veggies and fruits. Yesterday, he harvested quite a few carrots from our garden and decided to make some juice with them. Of course, Little Pea wanted to help with this also. He had planned on drinking the juice for lunch, but she ended up drinking half of it in one swig. This girl loves carrots!

Moving to a Big Girl Bed

Last night was a night to remember at our house. It is so bittersweet. Little Pea moved to a big girl bed. She no longer has a crib in her room. It's official...she's growing up. Tear. To say I'm proud of her does not even describe. She did SO well, and I'm hoping she'll keep it up.

Yesterday afternoon, Frank started moving the baby furniture (crib, changing table, rocking chair) to the guest room (which is becoming Lincoln's nursery) and we transformed Little's room to a big girl room. Let me say, though, there is nothing much in her room. We were afraid that she would be too tempted to get out of bed and play if she had things in there, so we kept it simple. She just has her couch and her bed. As far as the bed is concerned, we took the full size bed that was already in there and removed the frame and box springs. So, her mattress is just on the floor and when it's time to sleep, we position the pillows from her bed around the mattress just in case she rolls off. We purposely didn't use rails because this little girl is a climber. We were afraid that rails would just tempt her to climb over and cause a fall.So, we put her to bed and waited, impatiently, for any little noises. But to our surprise, she was quiet. After about 30 minutes, she talked for about 5 minutes, so we went to check but she was just sitting in the same spot we left her in and talking. We told her to go to sleep and she smiled really big and waved at us as we left her room. We didn't hear from her again until 8:45 AM, and when I went to get her, she was still laying in the same place we left her.We were worried about naps, but right now she is down for her first nap in her big girl bed, and so far so good. She was excited to get in it, too. I don't know if I should be happy or cry about all this. :) I might just do both.

Christmas Vacation!

This year, Frank and I decided that instead of getting each other Christmas presents, we'd take a little family vacation. And let me tell you...it was a great decision. We had such a wonderful time! We'd been wanting to take Little to the Aquarium, so this was the perfect opportunity. We invited my parents to come with us and all headed out to Chattanooga a few days after Christmas. We decided that once we got there, we didn't want to have to drive anywhere. So we stayed at a hotel right by the Aquarium and the Creative Discovery Museum. We were also only one block from Sticky Fingers. Yum! The hotel was so nice, and we got such a good deal on the room (I am a cheapo). We actually got all kinds of deals the whole time we were there. Thanks to Frank's handyman skills, we even ended up getting free breakfast ($11 per person) for all 4 of us for the whole stay, which was about $90 worth of breakfast buffets! Hilton Hotels are known for their chocolate chip cookies (the recipe is actually a secret even from the employees) and we got free cookies the whole time we were there. The staff at the hotel restaurant even gave Little a necklace and toy. We also had adjoining rooms with my parents, so while Little napped, we were able to go in their room and hang out. We couldn't have asked for things to work out any better.

The first day in Chattanooga, we just ate and ate and ate. We walked one block to Sticky Fingers and Frank ate a whole slab of ribs for lunch. Then, we got cupcakes from a little bakery next door. For dinner, we went to a wonderful seafood place called Bluewater Grille and shopped at the Moon Pie store.

The second day of the trip was Aquarium Day and so much fun! We got up and had our free breakfast in the morning and then headed to the Aquarium. This was such an experience with Little Pea, and she really enjoyed it. We didn't have to wait in any lines because we got there when it first opened. First, Little pet the sting ray while Daddy J was feeding it. This girl is fearless. She also pet a snake! She made a few friends while we were there. (Notice her penguin feet attached to her shoes.)After a couple of hours there, we went back to the hotel for morning nap and then for lunch we went to Cheeburger Cheeburger. Little had her first milkshake, and let me tell you...we had to bring her up for air once she started sucking that milkshake down. She ended up drinking half of Frank's big milkshake. And then she ate lunch too! This girl can put away some food.After lunch, we headed back to the Aquarium, and this time we saw Little's two favorite things...the River Otter and the Peacock Bass. She ended up picking out an otter to take home as a souvenir and has enjoyed kissing him and singing to him ever since.Our last night there, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant (which as you can see in the picture is a really nice restaurant), and the food was wonderful! It was a great relaxing evening after having such a busy day.Our last morning in Chattanooga, we had another free breakfast and then headed next door to the Creative Discovery Museum. This was just what Little needed to wear her out for the car ride home.I would definitely recommend this vacation to anyone looking for a fun family getaway with a toddler. We will most certainly be going back and will probably stay at the same hotel. It was a great experience!

Christmas Day

First thing when we woke up Christmas morning, Little got to see her present from Momma and Daddy (aka Me and Frank). Her very own kitchen. She was so excited, and it kept her busy for hours.
We then headed over to Momma J and Daddy J's house for lunch and Christmas celebration with Little's cousins, and they were so glad to see each other.After we ate, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, a long time tradition in our household. Emma and Ivey, two of Little's cousins, made the birthday cake again this year, and it was delicious!After lunch and cake, we all gathered in the living room to hear Ivey read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and then to share presents with each other.
Stay tuned for a post about our Christmas vacation in Chattanooga!