"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:15

Friday, June 27, 2014

16 Weeks



How Far Along: 16 Weeks

Size of Baby: Avacado 

Weight gain: Back even to where I started

Gender: Only about two weeks left until our sonogram!  

Movement: I most often feel he/she moving when I lay down at the end of the day. 

Sleep: Better this week.  A couple days I could have put my head down on my desk for a quick snooze!

Symptoms:  Overall I feel pretty good.  A headache here or there, and I am feeling more "stretching."

Maternity Clothes:  My scrubs have started to feel a little tight this week.  I am sure it is entirely too early for that to happen.  Looks like I'll be switching to bigger scrub pants and t-shirts for awhile!

Cravings:  Something cold to drink...all the time!  

Best Moment This Week:  My sweet niece and nephew were born, healthy and without complications 8 weeks early!  I cannot wait to go see these precious babes in person!

Looking Forward To:  It's been nice to be home this weekend,  catching up on laundry, playing with Lyle, and getting some sewing done. 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Things I Don't Want To Forget

Lyle has been talking from a pretty early age.  But now he is not just repeating words and phrases, he is coming up with his own stories, and repeating those words in completely new settings.  (Most of the time this has been good, but I know it could get scary soon!)

It seems like his imagination has taken off lately, and I love to see what he thinks up.  There have been several things that made me laugh, and they were so much funnier in person, but I wanted to write them down so I didn't forget!  Enjoy!
Looking not so sure at the dentist.  Who knows, maybe it will make a great story later!

He got a little tool bench for his birthday from his grandparents.  Most of the time he is hammering away, pulling the nails up, and hammering them back in.  He will make sure he has someone's attention, "Mama! Mama!  Me BUSY!"  Meaning he's working I guess.  But he will keep doing this, Mom! Dad! Me BUSY! quite proudly while he works.  If he's not "busy," he is pretending to cook.  He will bring me nails that are "cake" and a screwdriver to use as a fork.  I love it.

Continuing on his growing imaginations, Lyle loves to pretend that there are "monsters" coming.  We usually hide, count to three, then jump out and scare them.  Then each time he will change the color of the monster, "Green monster comin, hide!"  "Pink monster comin, hide!"  Lately he has been talking about wolfs and giants.  I'm assuming they have been watching or reading fairy tales at daycare and learning about Jack and the Beanstalk and the Three Little Pigs.  I was telling Zach's mom this, and Lyle launches into the story.
In a deep voice, "knock, knock, little pig!" "knock, knock, little pig!"  "knock, knock, (in a high voice) come in!"  then he blows and blows.  I was cracking up!  Grammy taught him the rest of the story and he was huffing, puffing, and not by the hair of my chinny chin chin-ing away!

I picked Lyle up from daycare one day last week, and told him maybe we could go ride in the combine tonight with his dad.  We got home, and Zach was still there waiting for us.  Lyle ran in and said, "Dad! Dad! Combine!  It's IMPORTANT!"  Very important indeed.  :)

We were praying before bed, and I asked him who he wanted to pray for.  He said, "Bless Daddy, Gigi, D&J's......"  HAHA.  Yes God, we are very thankful for D&J's and their amazing cherry limeades!  Last night he prayed for dolphins, lions, whales, Mommy, Daddy, and Lyle.




Monday, June 23, 2014

15 Weeks

My sister at 31 weeks and me at 15 weeks.  Cousins meeting for the first time! 

How Far Along: 15 Weeks

Size of Baby: Navel Orange

Weight gain: I gained another pound this week, so down one pound overall

Gender: We get to find out on July 14.  I cannot wait!

Movement: This little babe was moving more this week!  I love that feeling.

Sleep: Sleep hasn't been great this week.  I feel like I can't quite get comfortable, so trying different combinations with pillows to see what works the best!

Symptoms:  My headaches were improved this last week.  Just starting with some lower back aching, and of course my facial complexion has seen better days!

Maternity Clothes:  I finally got a couple pairs of shorts, and have been loving my maternity tank tops!

Cravings: Fresh fruits and vegetables have tasted pretty good.  I got some sweet tea from McAlister's this weekend and it was sooooo good.  I need to buy some regular decaf tea bags, so I can make a jug at home!

Such a good visit

Best Moment This Week:  I got to go to Arkansas this weekend with my mom to spend time with my sister in the hospital.  It was so wonderful to be there with her, ask all my curious nurse questions, and see first hand that she really is doing okay!  There is no predicting how long the babies will wait to come (just like with any pregnancy!) but we were encouraged to hear that they had a momma up on the floor who didn't deliver until 72 days after her water broke!  So we know it's possible, and we will just keep praying God will keep Kristen and the babies safe until they come!  It was also pretty wonderful seeing my boys after being away all weekend!

Combine rides while I was gone
Looking Forward To:  This is just a "take-it-as-it-comes" week!  Zach will probably be in the fields some evenings, depending on rain, and if not we will most likely be bumming at home!  Here's to a week of enjoying summer at it's finest, without plans, and free to do whatever sounds the most fun! :)

This is how Grammy found him after his nap on Saturday.  I die laughing every time I see this picture!



Sunday, June 15, 2014

14 Weeks



How Far Along: 14 Weeks

Size of Baby: Lemon

Weight gain: I gained a pound this week, so down two pounds overall

Gender: It's getting closer to being time to find out!

Movement: A little flip every once in a while

Sleep: Tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable

Symptoms: Headaches

Cravings: Oh boy the hunger train hit this week! I had several pregnant moments, including stealing my son's snack at church.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing the heartbeat was wonderful! It was a nice week of being home and I love that. 

Looking Forward To: Planning on some rides in the combine as long as it dries out enough to cut. 

Maybe a trip to see my sister who is on bed rest in the hospital after her water broke at 31 weeks. We are hoping the babies will stay put for a bit longer and keep growing! I am so glad for medical technology and that they can take care of babies that small! 

Friday, June 13, 2014

Five on Friday

This week went quickly..mostly because work was busy everyday, and I had things to work on in the evenings.  But, even when your week goes quick, Friday is still a very welcome sight!  :)

I'm joining in the fun today, and sharing my top five on this wonderful Friday!  If you want to link up with Natasha, April, Christina, and Darci, visit one of their blogs and share your own fab five!



ONE Harvest time is upon us.  This is always a crazy time in the life of a Kansas farming family.  Zach is planning to take some days off work to help his dad cut.  It's time to bust out Lyle's pearl snap cut off shirt and go for some rides in the combine!  That boy is BEYOND obsessed with combines.

Last year riding in the combine
TWO  Fun weekend plans.  We have friends coming down tomorrow morning, and we have a birthday party to attend on Sunday.  We are pretty terrible at getting together with friends, but always have so much fun when we do.  Something I know I need to work on!  So friends, know that we love you, and shoot me a text....maybe we can get something planned! :)

THREE  Our weather has been gorgeous this week.  Lots of rain, which is much needed (it delays cutting wheat a bit, but honestly this year it came too late for the wheat and probably won't make much of a difference).  The temperatures have been in the 70's and 80's which is basically unheard of.  Usually we are least in the 90's by now, and the last few years have been in the 100's from May till September!  So we are taking advantage and playing outside after work, going for walks, and taking lots of gator rides out on the farm!

Bird Baths aren't just for birds, right???
FOUR  This boy.  He cracks me up.

He was using a stick as a cane, and singing: "Cane, Cane, Cane, Cane"  What a goof.

FIVE  Father's Day is on Sunday and I am forever grateful for my husband, who is the absolute best father to our son!  And Happy Father's Day to my own dad and to my father-in-law!  I am so blessed.
Love this picture
Grandaddy (my dad) rocking with Lyle

Papa (my father-in-law) giving Lyle a ride

Happy Friday and Happy Weekending! 

Saturday, June 7, 2014

13 Weeks





How far along: 13 weeks

Size of baby: peach

Weight gain: no change, so still down three pounds from what I was before I was pregnant
Gender: Lyle says that it's a girl.  I think that's because he's learning who is a girl and who is a boy, and he knows that momma is a girl!  lol

Movement: A little flip here and there 

Sleep: My overall energy has been better this week, but I haven't been sleeping very good, so still tired.

Symptoms: Headaches, some nausea in the evening (got sick one night), lower back aches

Cravings: Sherbert!  Seems like anything cold and refreshing has sounded good this week: iced coffee, sweet tea, fresh fruit

Best moment this week: We got to see our sweet baby on the sonogram on Tuesday!  We didn't have any sonograms this early in our last pregnancy, and it was so fun because you could see the whole baby in one view.  The baby would kick off the bottom, and then slide back down, and was moving it's hands around like crazy!  I'm going to have another mover on my hands!  Lyle always was a big mover when he was in my stomach.  I don't ever remember having to "count kicks" with him, if I would have I would have been done in the first three minutes!

(We had a sonogram along with genetic testing done.  Did you know they can measure the skin fold in the baby's neck at this point, and it is 90% accurate in protecting down syndrome??  I am amazed and what technology and medical research can do!)



Looking Forward to: My actual doctor's appointment is on Monday.  I love when they use the doppler to find baby's heartbeat, and we haven't actually heard it yet (just seen it on the sonogram), so that will be exciting!  

Monday, June 2, 2014

Weekend

Ever have that kind of weekend that leaves your heart full and a smile on your face?  That was this weekend.  We didn't do anything earth shattering, but we spent a lot of time together as a family and that is what I love best!

To start the weekend, here is a picture of Lyle's buzzcut.  And his scraped up face.  Poor boy bit it down the last couple porch stairs onto the cement.  Nothing a hug and some gummie snacks can't fix!


Friday, Zach and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.  He sent me beautiful flowers, we ate nu-burgers for supper, and went to feed the goats.  We live a wild and crazy life, people!  But what a better way to celebrate than being with my family!


Saturday morning, my sister and her kids came down, and we went out to the strawberry patch.  I am sure the kids ate their weight in strawberries that morning.


So sweet helping his cousin!




After my sister left, and Lyle napped, I worked on a sewing project.  Progress is being made!  We finished the day off with a trip to the park. 


Turtle Power!


After church on Sunday, we headed up to Wichita to go to the zoo.  We were gifted a family membership for Lyle's birthday, and this was our first chance to go.  I love the zoo!  They had a map of all the future expansions they are planning, and it is just going to keep getting better!


Lyle wanted to see the Lions the most!



Pretending to be gorillas.


Here's to a great week!  Enjoy it like you would a weekend! :)

Sunday, June 1, 2014

12 Weeks



How far along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: large plum

Weight gain: not sure, I forgot to weigh this week!
 
Gender: still a mystery! 

Movement: I really feel like I've felt this baby movin already! I might be crazy though. 

Sleep: I busted out my pregnancy pillow a couple nights ago, and it's been helping. I didn't feel quite as tired this week which was wonderful!  But after I wrote this I was exhausted from a day of fun and went to bed at 9.

Symptoms: A couple of headaches this week, and still not feeling great in the evenings. 

Cravings: We picked strawberries and they were soooooo good! 

Best moment this week: Spreading the word about this little babe! We also had a great relaxing, fun long weekend! 3-day weekends should be required at least once a month! :)

Looking Forward to: We have a sonogram scheduled for Tuesday! Can't wait to see our baby on that screen!