She's definitely a performer!

Yesterday Cadence had her 6 month dental checkup and cleaning. Usually this isn’t a big deal - we go in, they clean her teeth, 20-30 minutes later we’re finished and out the door. They did mention when they took her back that they wanted to get xrays since she had some teeth come in since her last visit, so I was guessing it would be closer to the 30 minute mark than the 20.

I sat back with my phone and tried to get comfy, and could hear her voice through the walls.OVER AN HOUR LATER she finally comes back out, and proclaims that she has been “The sweetest little girl EVER!!!” The hygienist takes me back, because the dentist wants to talk to me, and they let me have a seat. Then, the first thing the hygienist says is “Well, her ballet skills are excellent! And her princess identification is spot on!” Yes. Yes they are. I know this, but how come the hygienist knows this, and feels the need to tell me this first?? She then gave me a run down of the visit (we have 4 loose teeth - including the top two front ones - and one cavity - probably because my daughter decided she didn’t like her toothpaste, didn’t tell me, and has gone who knows how long wetting her toothbrush and not actually brushing her teeth) and told me Dr. Cook would be over shortly.

Then Dr. Cook comes by and tells me that I have quite the talented little lady on my hands, and let me know that they turned on “New York, New York” and let her dance around to it. That suddenly explained why it took over an hour to do a cleaning - she was putting on a Broadway performance! He also mentioned that he wouldn’t be surprised to see her on stage one day, and was very impressed with her dancing skills.

I have to schedule an appointment to get the cavity filled, and he made her promise that she would actually BRUSH her teeth from now on, and not try and hide it. She agreed - she got a new Tiana toothbrush and some blue sparkly toothpaste! Brushing is fun again!! - and we left. She is such a total opposite of me. I NEVER would have showed off in the middle of the dentist office, and the thought of doing it now makes me cringe. Cadence, however, is a totally different being, and it’s one of the many reasons I love her.

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) Good checkups
2) Our awesome dentist
3) Princess toothbrushes and sparkly toothpaste
4) Rock renditions of “Down by the Bay”
5) Over-active imaginations

25 Weeks - We have a Rutabaga!

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Still boring, and still pregnant. Last night she decided that she wanted to sit diagonal across my stomach, so that made for an intersting night. And I’ve discovered she goes through spurts - one day it’s like a 24/7 party, and I’m sore by the end of the day. The next, she moves just enough to keep me from getting too worried about her. It’s giving me hope that she may be a little calmer than her big sister, because she NEVER went through spurts! She was full force, all the time!

We finished the quilt on Wednesday night, and Cadence is SO proud of it. I will admit, the designer in me is bothered by the fabric combinations, but Cadence adores it. And ultimately, that’s all that matters.

Here are a few pictures of her with the quilt, and me at 25 weeks. 15 weeks to go!!

Home, and injured

Cadence and I made it home about 3:30 or so yesterday afternoon, and had a wonderful time in Memphis! The zoo is amazing, I got to see a friend I don’t get to see nearly often enough, and we had another friend from TX meet us there as well! I think all the kids had a blast at the zoo - even if it was 5,000 degrees outside - and I’m grateful to Stacey and Robin for not getting upset every time I had to stop and sit. The kids loved all the animals, and were especially impressed with the monkeys in the panda exhibit. They kept doing flips and jumps and playing, and we sat there for a really long time watching and laughing.

Cadence had a blast playing with Emma all weekend, and they are almost identical. They are built alike, act alike, and even have the same tone at times. It was almost scary how much alike the two were! I think they really enjoyed playing on the deck together (and with the huge hammock!), and playing the Wii. They also colored a lot, had a “spa day” and got to go shopping - a 5 year old girl’s dream vacation!

I also fell this weekend and injured my ankle. I was going into the garage to get the baby swing, and when I stepped down, my left ankle gave out. I have no clue what happened, or why it did that, but it was the most awful pain ever! Thankfully, Stacey was there, and she helped me hobble into the living room once I was able to get up. Stacey, Trisha and Tony bandaged and iced my foot, and I decided that since we were 99% sure it wasn’t broken, I would try to make the drive back home. Stacey followed me to the gas staion and pumped the gas for me. I kept it propped and iced last night, and today it looks so much better. It’s really sore and still swollen, but there’s hardly any bruising. I just feel like an 80 year old woman hobbling around! I think it scared Cadence, too, because she told Mike last night that I was screaming and crying when it happened. Um, yes. Yes I was.

Here’s a ton of pictures from the weekend, and hopefully the rest of the week will stay uneventful!

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) Really good family and friends who will take care of me
2) Cruise
3) Ice packs
4) Fun time with friends
5) Pictures!

24 Weeks - We have an Ear of Corn!

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Nothing major to report, except I’m still huge and pregnant! This little one has decided she likes sitting off to one side of my stomach, and I’ll look down and see a funny lump on one side or the other. The past two days she’s been on the left side, but I’m sure that will change soon. I think there must have been some sort of growth spurt, too, because Terry (the babysitter) has insisted I looked bigger the last three days. One thing I read online said that my uterus should have moved up some by now, so maybe that’s it. Or, I could just be getting bigger. :)

The quilt is coming along great, and we’re almost finished. Last night we got the batting and back sewed on, and next week we’ll press it, then sew up the hole at the bottom we used to flip it. Cadence was disappointed that we didn’t get to take the quilt home last night, but we will this next time. We also got our first baby gift last night. One of the sweet ladies that helps at the front desk has also been helping with the sewing class. She brought us the cutest tiny pair of moccasins. They are SO soft, and white. I guess I need to buy some thank you cards now, so that I can get her one!

I’m going to the zoo this weekend in Memphis, so pray for me. I’ve told my friend to help remind me to drink LOTS of water, because they last thing I want is to get dehydrated. I’m terrible about drinking enough, though, so keep your fingers crossed that I remember throughout the day. And also, that the weather isn’t unbearably hot!

And on the name front, still no decision. We have two first names that would be ok, but Mike hates every name I suggest (too long, complicated or flowery) and I can’t stand his (too plain or country.) We’re down to two first names, but are having SO many problems settling on a middle name. I just take comfort in the facts that 1) we have a possible first name and 2) every name he suggests is a thousand times better than the options we had with Cadence. Plus, I still have 16 weeks. Hopefully we’ll have something by then!

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) The constant kicks I’m getting
2) Name discussions (even frustrating ones)
3) I leave at noon tomorrow!
4) My huge belly
5) Water. And AC.

Happy Birthday to ME!!

I know, it was actually last Friday, but I'm just now getting around to posting pictures! I’m meeting a friend of mine in Memphis this weekend, so I told Mike that for my gift, I wanted money for gas and for the zoo. I also told him that I wanted a cake - one that I didn’t have to decorate, that I didn’t make myself, and that I didn’t have to go pick out.

First, some back story. My grandmother (who now lives in TX) used to bake cakes for a living, so every birthday, cakes were A BIG DEAL. My cousins and sisters and I would spend weeks picking out *the* perfect birthday cake for that year, and my grandmother always came through with the most amazing creations. Because of this, I’m spoiled when it comes to cake. I will usually either make the cake myself (not as good as Nana’s, but I’m getting there!), or just buy a cheap one from Wal-Mart or somewhere. I refuse to spend a significant amount of money on a cake, because honestly, they are never as good as Nana’s.

So, when I told Mike I wanted a cake, I was fully expecting something from Wal-Mart, or maybe an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. I told him I didn’t care what it looked like, but I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I just wanted cake. He sent me an email on Tuesday, asking to make sure I was going to be 30 (yes, honey, 30. A year younger than you.), another asking how much a cake from Dairy Queen costs (no clue, call them and ask!), and then a third asking what kind of decorations I wanted on it (doesn’t matter to me! As long as it’s cake, I’m fine!) I think he got a little upset after the third response, because he stopped asking questions. That afternoon, he was smiling when he got home, and informed me that I was really going to like my cake, and he had stopped to put a deposit on it. I kinda went into shock at this point, because you don’t put deposits on cakes from DQ or Wal-Mart. He then told me that he was wanting it to be a surprise, but when I saw the bank account I’d know where he got it from. He stopped and ordered me a cake from a local place called Dream Cakes, and the total cost was going to be $55. I almost died, because I was REALLY expecting to get $10 cupcakes from Wal-Mart!

He stopped and picked it up on Friday, and it was very pretty. I was still extremely skeptical - until I cut it and tasted it. I swear, if it didn’t have fondant on it, I would have thought he had somehow convinced Nana to come over from TX to make the cake. It was SO good, and it’s definitely the closest I’ve ever tasted to one of hers that she didn’t make. It was so good, in fact, that we’ll probably get Cadence’s cake from there this year since I’ll be a week from my due date at the time.

Momma, Sarah, Cecily and Benjy came up, and we spent the night playing the Wii and eating cake and pizza. I’m posting some pictures of the cake, along with a video of Sarah and Cecily playing Raving Rabbids. I think Sarah got video of me, too, and if I can find it, I’ll post it as well (might as well embarrass all of us!) It was a great night, and an awesome 30th birthday!

Cadence picked out the "30" candles. She wouldn't let me get 30 individual ones because she didn't "want the icing to melt, and stuff."

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) Cake
2) Birthdays
3) Time with family
4) Another year to enjoy
5) Cake :)

Some sad news

My cousin, Rachael, the one that Cadence was a flower girl for in October 2008, lost her MIL today. She had been battling cancer, and even though they knew to expect this, it that doesn't make it any less painful. I simply can't imagine losing your mother, much less losing her at such a young age, and hearing of someone passing away from cancer really hits home, especially with what my grandfather is currently going through. My heart it just broken for them. Please send a prayer their way, to Josh and Rachael, along with the rest of their family.

My grandmother (the one who recently moved to TX) also lost her BIL (well, ex BIL, but him and his wife had remained close to her) yesterday. Bessie and Dave were married for over 50 years, I just can't imagine losing your spouse like she has. Please send prayers to her and her son.

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Things I'm thankful for:
1) Family
2) Prayers and support
3) People to lean on
4) Memories

23 Weeks - We have a Mango!

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Things are going along well! I’ve discovered that I can’t sleep without being surrounded by pillows - even for a few hours - or I’ll wake up and not be able to walk. I’ve also discovered how utterly awesome mint chocolate chip ice cream is. I’m now to the point that I have problems putting shoes on (I have a basketball in the way!) and there are days I have issues putting on pants (it hurts to lift my legs that high!) Cadence is still commenting on my belly almost daily, and loves to give my stomach kisses and talk to her baby sister. We’re also working on ideas for maternity shots, so if you have some, send them over!

We were able to work on the baby’s quilt again last night, and we now have the border on it. Cadence is extremely proud, and I’m afraid that we’re going to send this child into sensory overload! The quilt is extremely bright and colorful, but it was all Cadence. I know the baby will love it!

And just because, here’s a picture of me from Tuesday (22w5d) and of Cadence holding up her quilt. Also of the wonderful surprise I had waiting on me this morning. My birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but the girl I work with is only in the office Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so she surprised me today. I love surprises!

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Things I'm thankful for:
1) Surprises
2) Ice cream
3) Big sister love
4) Pillows. Lots of pillows!
5) Ninja chops to the bladder

Pretty, pretty fabrics!

My sister has decided to make some blankets for the baby, so we went and bought fabric today. The teal fabric with the birds is going to be a flannel blanket for us to throw on the floor/drag around/use for whatever needed. The pretty purple, teal and green fabrics are going to be a patchwork quilt. The white fabric with the flowers will be the back, and the other 4 will be the squares on the front. I also hope that there's enough scraps of the white with flowers to give to my cousin, Kahla, to make some burp cloths with! Cadence hates it, of course, because it's purple and not pink. :)

I also bought some other fabrics for burp cloths. I have no idea how many this will make or how far it will go, but I hope Kahla was serious about me bringing her some fabrics! Cadence picked out the pink with the butterflies, and I picked out the owls. They were just too stinkin' cute to pass up!

We also went to see Despicable Me today, and I loved it. I was worried about how kid friendly it would be because of the cast, but it was great, and Cadence, Sarah and I giggled through the entire thing. It was a lot of fun!

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Things I'm thankful for:
1) Pretty fabrics
2) Crafty family members
3) Baby related items
4) The weekend!
5) Spending time with family

Update on PaPaw

PaPaw had another chemo treatment yesterday, and a head scan. He’s been really forgetful lately, and they wanted to make sure it was chemo related and not cancer related. Thankfully, the scan was clear, and it indeed appears to be chemo related!

He is now on his way to Michigan with my mom, sister and grandmother, because it’s one of 3 continental states he hasn’t visited yet. I think they’ll be back about Monday, and I hope he has a blast!

22 Weeks - We have a Spaghetti Squash!

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

I’ve decided that this child has stealth ninja skills. Cadence liked for everyone to know where she was at all times, would instantly kick you (HARD!) if you put your hand on my stomach, and loved to move around and poke me. This one moves, but she’s a lot calmer, goes silent if you try to feel her kick, and stays really low in my pelvis most of the time. She’s also mastered the art of karate chops to the bladder that make me have to jump and run to the bathroom. I think she’s a ninja baby.

The baby stuff is coming along. I have to make a trip to TX at some point to pick up some things from my wonderful cousin, and my mother-in-law has already bought some clothes. Most are onesies and sleepers (and almost all pink), so we have some clothes in the drawers now. She also picked up a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle onesie, and I can’t wait until she hits 6 month clothes and can wear it.

Cadence and I are taking a class at the church, and it’s on how to make a 9 patch quilt. We’ve decided that it will be from Cadence for the baby, and I’m letting her do as much as possible. Last night she traced and colored the design for the middle, laid out the fabric in the order she wanted, and helped me sew it. I let her control the foot pedal, but she also got to sew some of it completely on her own. The only thing she’s not happy with is that we have to wait until next Wednesday to work on it some more.

The painting of the living room is coming along, we’re working on getting toys situated to make room for baby stuff, and will possibly be getting new furniture this weekend (in exchange for a 6 pack of beer. Only in the South.) Things are just cruising along!

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) New wall color
2) Projects with Cadence
3) Movements, even ones to the bladder
4) Free baby gear
5) Tums

Our latest family portrait

When she brought me in to show it to me, she informed me, "Look Momma! I drew you and your big belly!!" It's totally going in the baby book as soon as we get one for the new little one.

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Things I'm thankful for:
1) Honest artwork
2) The rain
3) The temperature drop
4) We're getting closer to a name
5) Cute baby things

21 Weeks - We have a carrot!

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

The kicking has definitely ramped up, but it’s still not quite hard enough for anyone else to feel. I tried to let Mike feel her last night, but even though she felt like she was doing jumping jacks to me, he said he couldn’t feel her moving at all. My appetite seems to have calmed back down, and I still haven’t had any crazy cravings or aversions. Overall, nice and boring.

I pulled out the one box of stuff I kept from Cadence, and found a few sleepers and onsies that I still have from her. I also found a few cute dresses that I had bought, so all of that was washed last night. We’re going to try and use the top drawer of Cadence’s dresser for now, and see if we can keep the baby’s clothes in there with her.

I forgot to mention the question Cadence asked me after the ultrasound the other day. While we were eating at Chick-fil-A, she asked me how the doctor knew that the baby was a girl and not a boy, and it hit me that she hasn’t been around boys enough to have realized yet that they are different than her. She knew that the doctor was going to have to check the baby’s head, legs, heart and other parts to make sure they were all growing right, so I just told her that when she got down to the baby’s legs, she saw that she had girl parts, because girls and boys are different down there. She goes “Oh, OK!” and went back to her chicken nuggets. I have a feeling quite a few more biology related talks are going to come up in the following months!

Still no news on a name. We can’t seem to agree on anything, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she’s named before Christmas. And if one more person comments on how disappointed Mike or I probably are over the news of a girl, I think I might scream. Yes, I would have loved a boy, and hate that we can’t honor our grandfather’s with the name. But we’re both perfectly fine with another girl, and Mike even told me he’s slightly relieved. Girls are ok!!!

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Things I’m thankful for:
1) Honest questions with honest answers
2) Cute tiny baby clothes
3) A very easy pregnancy
4) Sisters
5) Baby kicks, even if they are aimed at the bladder