Sister's Pick :)

Tonight after work Nya and I had some errands to run. We stopped by a really neat store on the way home and looked into a few things for both Nya and her sister.

Fortunately for me, the store was having a big sale on diapers. I was able to pick up a pack of newborn Pampers, qty 60 for $11!!! I would have bought the whole shelf, but there was only one package left :( None the less, what a steal for me with the 1 pack I did get!!!!!!!!! How often do you come across sales like that!

While there, we came across a shelf of adorable Easter baskets. Now, tradition is, every year Dennard and I have an Easter egg hunt for Nya. We hide plastic Easter eggs filled with hand picked surprises (ie. hair clips, stickers, candy, costume jewellery, etc) and hide the eggs in the backyard. Nya excitingly runs out into the yard and collects all the eggs she can find. Once all the eggs are collected, she has the fun in opening up each egg to see what surprises each egg holds.

Seeing that this tradition will continue, and now with two little girls :), we are in need of another Easter basket.

While looking at the shelf of baskets, I let Nya pick which new basket she wanted for herself and which one for her sister.

Below are the baskets Nya chose. Nya picked the pink one for herself and the yellow one for her sister. We even bought extra plastic eggs tonight too ensure there will be enough plastic eggs to fill for both girls next year :)

I can't wait to see our two girls running around the garden a year from now collecting eggs!!

Let the memories begin......

How Low Can You Go...

Sweet Pea has been very low this week!!! When I say low...I mean low!!!!!

I can literally feel her sitting on my bladder and putting pressure on my pelvic area; kicking it most times.

It's not the most comfortable feeling in the world to say the least, lol.

The last two days I have experienced very uncomfortable lower back and hip pain; this could be as a result to where she is positioned right now.

I didn't get much sleep Tuesday night and last night was the worst.  I was up at least 5-6 times trying to get comfortable and trying every position possible to alleviate the pain; nothing worked. It didn't help much either that the lower pelvic pressure was intense. I had to move so slowly with each toss and turn.

Come 5am I threw up my hands and said 'Forget it! If you can't beat em', join em'. lol
I could not get comfortable and by this time I was wide awake, mind swirling with my list of never ending 'To Do's', so I decided to get out of bed and get started on my day. (Something I ended up regretting come 7am when I was hit with exhaustion and feeling sick to my tummy because of it)

I did however get a lot accomplished this AM which I am SUPER happy about :) Come time to start work, I felt like I had already accomplished 90% of my To Do's for the day.

I have been very very tired the last few days. Nya goes down for bed every night at 8pm. Once putting her down, I find myself crawling into my bed shortly after. I can't seem to stay awake past 9:30/10pm. Some company I have been to my husband! ha ha

Wednesday's I find are the hardest nights for me. Between being on my feet and running a daycare all day and then rushing to outreach right after work (literally!), coming home late from outreach, getting dinner, tidying up and getting the house in order for daycare the next day, I am DEAD! Mentally and physically dead! lol

I was on the phone with my mother-in-law the other day and she said to me 'Devin, how do you do it? I just don't know how you do what you do all the time? It's truly God's grace.'
I chuckled and thought to myself 'I really have no idea how I do what I do either!! It has to be God's grace that carries me, as it's definitely not by my own strength!'. lol

I have to admit however, the last two nights I have gone to bed with the dishes in the sink because I've been too tired to tackle them. This is something I NEVER do! lol

I was soooo happy to wake up in the AM to find that both times my husband did them all for me before he went to work :) I was dreading having to do them before I started work. lol

Aside from the tiredness and the back pain the last two days, things have been going awesome with Sweet Pea and myself! The soreness in my feet have subsided, my energy level during the day is still high, my pregnancy acne is not nearly as bad as it was with Nya (GLORY TO GOD!!! lol), I still have no stretch marks (thanks to good genes and body butter!!), my craving for chocolate covered almonds isn't as intense as before; my newfound must have craving has been for my mixed berries; a much healthier alternative :)

I can not wait until next week. I wont have the daycare kids with me, so it will be just Nya and myself for a whole week!!!!! My mind dreams of all the things we can do together, places we can go, friends we can visit and things we can see. It will be some precious time together, just the two of us, before princess Sweet Pea arrives :)

The days are winding down and four months is not a lot of time left!! I was envisioning today what and who Sweet Pea looks like. July can't come fast enough when I can just smother her little face with kisses and love!!!

One of the things I'm looking forward to most is breast feeding Sweet Pea. When I think of her, I most often think of the two of us together in her nursery, lights dimmed, the house peaceful, rocking in her glider as I breast feed; just the two of us snuggled together. My heart warms at this thought and the excitement overwhelms me.

Exciting Event
Today, while resting on the couch during the kids naptime, Sweet Pea gave me one good hard kick. She kicked me with such force, the blanket on my tummy moved!  I have been waiting for hard kicks and jabs like that for Nya to feel, but every time I put Nya's hand on my tummy to feel for herself, Sweet Pea stops :( One day soon, Big Sister Nya will feel her sister's kick. When it happens, I hope to catch her expression on camera; it will be priceless :)

Let The Games Begin

Let the games begin! lol

I have been on a cleaning frenzy the last two weeks (still a work in progress! lol) and now I am on a sterilizing binge.

Today I sterilized all the parts to my breast pump, all my bottles, milk storage containers and my baby bath tub.

I kept everything from when we had Nya as we knew we wanted more children one day :) It sure pays off too keep your children's things because it has saved us a ton of money not having to go out and rebuy everything. Plus, the things you don't need anymore, you can bless someone else with.

I have a few friends who are also pregnant right now that I have been able to share and give things too. There is no better feeling than to bless and see someone else blessed by something you can pass along.

Now, there are still some things we need to buy, but at least we have the necessities which is the most important, and usually the most expensive.

Right now I have all of Nya's old baby clothes sorted and organized and awaiting washing. I am not going to wash her newborn to 3 month clothes until next month once we move the crib set into the nursery. Once that is done, I can wash everything and load it into her drawers and closet :) I'm very excited about that!

Speaking of the nursery, tonight Dennard, Nya and myself are going to look for a white shag area rug for Sweet Pea's room. I've never been a fan of shag carpets, but I saw a really gorgeous, low shag, almost silk like texture the other day. I want to investigate the price and have Dennard give his input.

To date I've washed my breast feeding pillow cover and my nursing cover. I've also washed all the bassinet sheets, crib sheets, baby face cloths and baby bath towels. They are currently folded and put away in Sweet Pea's closet. Sometimes I find myself going into the nursery and just looking in the closet admiring all the little things stored away for Sweet Pea. lol I'll move something more to the left, then to the right and think 'Ahhh! Just right! Perfect!'. lol

It's such an exciting time in life and to be privileged to do it all again a second time is a blessing!!
I don't take the gift of my children for granted.

A few weeks ago I saw my Dr for my regular prenatal appointment. She forwarded my medical form to the hospital I plan to deliver at; Credit Valley. I swear by this hospital! I have nothing but amazing things to say about this hospital with regards to the Dr's, the staff, the rooms, the care and treatment of myself and Nya. I am currently awaiting a call from the hospital in hopes of getting in to see an OB soon. Once the hospital calls me, I will no longer be seeing my family Dr for the duration of my pregnancy, rather, I'll be seeing a team of OB's that work out of Credit Valley Hospital until I deliver.

I have only 4 short months left to go :( Time is going by too fast!!!!
Sometimes I wish I could push the 'pause' button in life and cherish moments like these a little longer.

First Purchase For My 'Girls' :)

Friday after work, Nya and I headed to Carter's/Osh Kosh to look at their summer fashions.

While browsing the ever so adorable girls department (yes, I know I'm partial to things for girls! Lol) I came across two adorable tops; one for Nya and one for Sweet Pea.

I showed them to Nya and explained that I was thinking of getting one for her and the other for her sister; she was quite keen on the idea! She carried them to the counter herself,  put them on the counter for purchase and insisted she carry them out of the store. Lol

 This is my first purchase for my 'girls' :) hee hee

I can't wait to take a picture of the two of them together in these sweet little tops; it will be scrumptious :)

How cute are these tshirts!! :)



The Return of the Snoogle!

I'm at the end of my 21 weeks of pregnancy. Little Sweets has been very active; I saw my tummy jolt for the first time this week from some of her movements; incredible!!!!

My feet have been achy and extremely sore this past week; especially in the heels of my feet.  I don't know if it's because I'm on my feet all day or as a result to the lack of circulation in my feet with being pregnant? Whatever the case is, they have been quite bothersome.

I'm so fortunate to have a husband who really loves and cares for me. Several times this week he has massaged them for me; even when he was busy and really didn't have the time or desire too! Lol The crazy thing with this foot pain is, right after the massages stop, the pain comes right back within seconds :( BUT, for the minutes of relief I get when they are massaged, it's like a mini vacation. lol

I had this off and on in my pregnancy with Nya as well, so this is nothing new to me.

On a different note, last night we cleaned out our storage space under the stairs and brought out all of the bins filled with Nya's old clothes. I have to admit, I got teary eyed pulling out her small little outfits and reflecting on each piece. I remember specific pieces she wore, where she wore it and taking pictures of her in them.

On several occasions I would pull out a piece and say to my husband 'remember this??'.
Surprisingly, he remembered quite a few of them. Lol

Nya soon started pulling out clothes and asking 'daddy, do you remember this?' as she held it up to her now big girl frame. Oooooh how fast children grow :( It's a bitter sweet time.

Sitting on the floor, sorting each and every bin, Nya excitingly sat beside me, putting each little outfit into piles based on size and season. My big helper :) She has been apart of this journey with us from the very beginning!  She kept pulling pieces out and putting them to the side saying 'ooooh this is for the baby! She can wear this tonight!'. Lol

Amongst the bins of clothes under the stairs I came across a bag that contained my old best friend; my beloved Snoogle!!!! Now for any mother who doesn't know what this is, let me inform you, you missed out when you were pregnant!! Ha ha

The Snoogle is every pregnant woman's 'must have'. My real best friend, lol, told me about this pillow when I was pregnant with Nya. She ranted and raved about this pillow as if it were the Royals Royce of pillows. It didn't take much convincing on my end. Once she explained the extreme comfort, the incredible support, the improved nights sleep and the multi purpose of this pillow, I was sold! I remember after a few weeks of restless nights, around 6-7months pregnant, I ran out to Babies R Us after work and purchased a Snoogle of my own!

Let me tell you, my sleep thereafter was HEAVEN!!

Now, this pillow isn't small by any means, nor the most attractive pillow, and especially not the nicest 'accessory' to your bedroom, lol, but when your pregnant and sleep combined with comfort is as precious as gold, it doesn't matter! Lol

My sleep thus far in this pregnancy has been great. I have had no issues or discomforts.
I fortunately sleep through the entire night; with the exception of  bladder 'wake me ups'.

However, when I saw my Snoogle last night, it was as if the lights dimmed, the disco ball dropped down, the slow music started playing and the spotlight was on my Snoogle; it was love at first sight all over again! lol I pulled it out of its bag, slipped my freshly washed Snoogle case over it and happily situated it on my bed for that night.

As mentioned above, the Snoogle is not small. It literally takes up the space of a third person in bed. lol And when you have a queen size bed like us, space already doesn't come easy. lol

My husband fortunately has never complained about it :)

In anycase, as I tucked myself into bed last night and situated myself comfortably with the Snoogle, I must had fallen asleep within seconds; literally! lol

I know that as my pregnancy progresses, this pillow will be my life saver once again.

I have attached a picture of my Snoogle on my bed so you can see the size of it relative to the rest of the bed; its huge! lol

I've also attached a picture of the wonderful ways a Snoogle can be used :) It's quite funny!
Not included in the pic are several other ways it can be used as well; curled as a breast feeding pillow, curled as a support system when playing with the baby, curled up as a back support for reading, etc. Oooooh the many ways and wonders of a Snoogle!! lol

Nesting

Nesting has officially kicked in!

I've always been a very clean, tidy and organized person. I thrive on organization and cleanliness. To the shock of some, cleaning and organizing is one of my most favorite things to do; lol.

Its something that has run through my blood from the very beginning of time. lol
At the age of 10 years of age, I remembering spending many a PD day with my Nana and Buppy (grandparents) and my Nana leaving her dishes and bed unmade until I got there because she knew how much I loved to clean. My Nana, like myself, was a very clean and tidy lady. She would even scrub her floors and bathrooms in pearls and heels! lol Oh how the times and generations have changed. lol

My dad always use to tell me, Devin, no one can get a place as clean as you do. You have a talent for making rooms sparkle.

Even now, many years later, I look forward to afternoons, nights and weekends when I can just roll up my sleeves and get down and dirty with my bucket of cleaning supplies. lol I get excited about this! lol (many eyes I am sure are rolling right about now! lol)

I don't claim to be the perfect house wife by any means, but I do take great pride in my home and making it a space that is clean and welcoming to all; especially my family and myself.

I have found that over the last two weeks, I have been bitten by the nesting bug. ha ha
I think it was around this time in my pregnancy with Nya that I was bitten as well.

I find myself gutting closets and reorganizing cabinets, drawers, storage places, etc.

I tackled the kitchen this afternoon when the kids had some free play time. Last week I reorganized Nya's room and the week earlier it was my linen closet.

It wasn't until I was talking to a girlfriend of mine last week that it hit me that it was nesting and not just a cleaning frenzy I was in.

At this rate, Ill be all set and packing my hospital bag again soon, along with Dennard's and the baby's. With Nya, our hospital bags were packed and ready two months before my due date. lol

You can never be ready for a baby too soon; its all about being proactive and not reactive so you can enjoy your pregnancy and be stress free. With my luck too, you just never know when the baby is going to come, so being prepared ahead of time is a smart thing! lol

21 Weeks Pregnant, 1 Day

Yesterday was Family Day; which means a HOLIDAY!!!! :) lol

It was so nice to finally have a day of relaxation with my beloved family; Dennard, Nya, Sweet Pea and myself. Our first Family Day as a family of 4. hee hee

The weekend was busy with church, fellowships, a Valentines Day girls sleepover and our Gender Reveal; so it was nice to have a day to do nothing!!!!

We started the morning snuggling together as a family in bed; nothing gets any better than that :)

After a half hour or so of snuggling and playing with Nya, my husband brought out a Valentines Day gift bag for Nya filled with special Valentines Day gifts for her.

This is a very sweet and cherished tradition he started with Nya when she was born. Every Valentines Day, Dennard buys Nya something just from him for her. Until Nya grows to become a lovely woman one day with a Prince Charming of her own, her daddy will be her Valentine :) This is a tradition he will continue with our precious Sweet Pea when she comes along.

After Nya opened up her bag full of goodies from stickers to bubbles, craft supplies and funny straws,
my husband scooted out to a great little breakfast joint up the street from us and brought back bacon, sausages, eggs and toast for the three of us. A wonderful treat!!!! He refused to let me cook on our holiday :)

We enjoyed a relaxing day together at which point Dennard took Nya outside to play for a bit and blow bubbles.

Very cool fact: bubbles blown in extreme cold temperatures turn into a glass like substance. The bubbles become floating balls of glass; very neat!

Sweet Pea was VERY active!!!!! For the first time ever, I was able to feel her move from the outside of my tummy with my hand. I sat in awe as I felt her twists and turns and little thuds :)

In the evening we went to a dear friends birthday party and were out until midnight :/ A regret I had in the AM when I couldn't pull myself out of bed I was so tired. lol

Today Sweet Pea has been quite active; I think she's starting to realize her space in my tummy is becoming more and more limited as she grows. ha ha

I have 4 months to go and I am afraid its going to fly by too fast:( I'm trying to cherish every day, every week and every month as I know it will be over before I know it.

How We Announced The Gender

Gender Reveal Date: Saturday February 14th 2015

Valentines Day! What better day to share the gender of our Sweet Pea than on the day of LOVE!

We had it planned to announce it to my family on this day and to Dennards family the same week on a free evening. When pioneering a church, its not very easy to find many free nights, let alone weekends to do and announce special things such as this. When a day opens up, we have to jump at it and book quickly! lol

Anyhow, we had planned for some time now two special ways of announcing to both families; unfortunately, we were only able to announce it according to plan for my family as, long story short, things didn't work out as planned and Dennard decided it was just best to call and tell his family
 :( Not such a special way to announce, but it is what it is.

As for the reveal for my family, it went wonderfully and according to plan!!! I am happy at least one of the two plans worked out.

Here is how the reveal went :)

Everyone in my family was asked to wear the colour of the gender they thought Sweet Pea was.
My older sister Jennifer and her eldest daughter Ava  came in pink; her youngest daughter Oliva wore blue (b/c my sister was torn on the gender! lol)
My middle sister Cheryl, her husband Rick and two boys Ryan and Grant wore blue.
My mom wore blue and my dad wore pink.

It was so cute to see everyone in one of the two gender colours. It was quite exciting see what everyone was wearing as they walked in the door.

Everyone was given a balloon in the colour they were wearing; those in pink got a pink balloon and those in blue got a blue balloon. Now ahead of time, I had put pin holes in all the blue balloons so they couldn't be blown up; even at the hardest attempt :) he he

The pin holes worked amazingly as they were so tiny, it was impossible to see them with the naked eye.

Anyhow, I let everyone have one final chance to switch their guess before they blew up their balloons; as I had suspected, everyone was confident in their gender of choice and no one wanted to switch.

At the count of three, iPad recording and all to capture the special moment, everyone blew up their balloons at the same time.

Only the pink balloons inflated when blown, whereas all the blue remained deflated because of the pin holes.

Within seconds of blowing, the room erupted in a roar of ITS A GIRL!!!!!! when they saw my older sister and dads balloons inflate. It was awesome!!!! The reaction of everyone was priceless; especially from those who thought Sweet Pea was a boy. lol

Everyone cheered and clapped and celebrated with us as we threw up pink balloons in the air.

It will be a memory and moment we will NEVER forget :)

The Morning of the Gender Reveal

20 weeks pregnant 

Team Boy

Team Girl



 

Everyone with their balloons before the reveal.....

 

After the reveal...ITS A GIRL!!!!

 

 



We are having a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

I can finally shout it from the rooftop for all to hear....WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!!!!

A GIRL!!! A GIRL!!! A GIRL!!!That's right....its a GIRLLLLLLL :D

I'm OVER THE MOON!!!!!!! I don`t think a hundred exclamation marks and capitalized letters could properly express my true and genuine happiness and excitement that we are having another girl!!! lol

Not only are we blessed with the gift of another girl in our life and family, but Nya gets to have a sister :) WOOOO HOOO!!!

That's what she has wanted from day one! lol When ever she talked about the baby, it was always `my sister`. When asked what the baby was, it was always `girl`. lol She never talked about a brother or Sweet Pea being a boy. She was adamant she was having a sister; and she was right!

I know first hand the joys of sisterhood; nothing quite compares. I was privileged to have grown up with two sisters in my life. I say `privileged` because it was truly a blessing and privilege to have two best friends to experience life with.

We are all 3 years apart; my oldest being 6 years older than I and my middle sister being 3 years older. Yes, I am the baby of the family and boy did and do I love it! ha ha

We were always very close growing up and still remain very close to this day. The bond and relationship of sisterhood is not like any relationship. There is a linking of hearts that is so deep and beautiful.

I once read a quote on sisterhood that I loved:

``Sisters are like having a best friend. Whatever you do and wherever you go, you know that they`ll always be there.``

This quote is SO true; at least for me it has been! Sisters stick together. Rain or shine, no matter what obstacles you face in life, no one quite understands you and loves you like a sister does.  They have been like my Aaron and Hur to Moses in the Bible.

They have held me up in times when I couldn`t stand on my own. They have laughed with me, rejoiced with me, cried with me, inspired me, encouraged me, corrected me, loved me, supported me and shared their lives with me.

In the darkest times in life, my sisters have always been by my side. In the most wonderful times in life, they have always stood by me celebrating.

It is also because of my sisters that I am Saved today! Thank you Jesus for my sisters!!!!

In any case, I say all this to say, sisterhood is a rich gift that only gets richer and richer as life progresses and there is no value you can put on such a relationship.

To know that our precious Nya will experience this wonderful gift in her life could not make me any happier!!!!!!!

I am SO excited for her! And truth be told, for me too as I LOOOOOOOOOVE having a girl!!!! lol

We truly and honestly had no preference in what we wanted or hoped Sweet Pea was; boy or girl; however, there was something in the depth of my heart that longed for another girl. In my dreams Sweet Pea always seemed to be a girl. When I envisioned our family, I almost always saw it with two girls, etc.

One thing that I absolutely love about having another girl too is that when I pray for my children, I pray for `my girls` and `my daughters`. he he It makes me smile every time :) :) :)

So, now that the cat is out of the bag and the gender is revealed, FINALLY!!! lol,  I no longer have to tippy toe or watch myself when talking about the gender of Sweet Pea :) It feels liberating to finally be able to say SHE SHE SHE SHE!!!!!! he he

Ive been wanting to say that for sooo long!

 I love this shot!

This is Big Sister Nya announcing to the world, we are having another GIRL :)

 

Nya trying to blow up the ITS A GIRL balloon for the picture announcement above; too cute!

The Simplest Things In Life Bring So Much Happiness :)

Wednesday February 11th 2015

I am 20 weeks pregnant and loving every day of it more and more!!!

Our little Sweet Pea is a quiet baby, but when he/she moves, I can feel every toss and turn very distinctly :) I absolutely LOVE it!!! Its no longer a 'fluttering' feeling, rather, I can feel actual movement now. For those who aren't moms just yet, it's the coolest feeling in the world and an experience you have to look forward to.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Sweet Pea is most active at night; especially when I lay on my back. That is when I feel the most movement. I feel the baby move off and on throughout the day, but for the most part, usually when I'm sitting still for a period of time or laying down.

I think the busyness of my lifestyle sooths and rocks the baby to sleep; at least that's what people keep telling me . lol

When you chase around 4 children under the age of 3 all day; 5 days a week, cook, clean, do laundry, run errands, be a wife and a mother, not to mention a Pastor's wife on top of it all, there isn't much room for 'quiet time' or 'rest'.

What exactly is rest anyway? lol That word has become foreign to me as of 3 years ago when we started our church, I became a Pastor's wife and a new mother. ha ha

Anyhow, as crazy as life may get, sometimes its the simplest things in life that can bring so much joy and happiness.

Growing up my dad always use to tell me "Devin, no one gets quite as excited as you do for things! Never change that; it's a rare and wonderful quality to possess!".

Needless to say, several years later, not much has changed.

The simplest and smallest of things can send me into a frenzy of excited shrills, claps and a series of oo's and aw's.  It really doesn't take much to get me excited. lol

Just yesterday, I got a call from my mom saying she found the dark wood wicker laundry basket I've been looking for for Sweet Pea's nursery. Not only did she find the basket, but she said she had purchased it for me as a gift for the nursery and was on her way over to drop it off. Now, to some you may think 'That's nice of her, she got your laundry basket', but for me, it was more than just that; my heart literally leapt with excitement! I was thrilled!! lol

I was so excited, I text my husband right after and told him what my mom had done. lol

When she came to the door, with laundry basket in hand, I let out a shrill and began to clap my hands with joy. lol This is just a natural reaction for me!

We took it to the nursery and set it in its corner. I stood back and smiled ear to ear as I admired my new laundry basket for my darling Sweet Pea :)

Moments later, I got a knock at the door and it was my dad!! He had surprised me and stopped by to install our new nursery light and dimmer switch.

Now as if the laundry basket wasn't enough to make my day, I was now floating on cloud nine! lol

I immediately ran up the stairs and excitingly pulled the ceiling light from its box and began to help my dad lay his tools out. Once everything was said and done, room swept and things in place, my level of excitement hit the roof. lol

I couldn't believe the transformation of the nursery with just a new ceiling light and dimmer switch.

All that's left to do now is buy a white area rug, white curtains and move the nursery furniture in once Nya's big girl bedroom set arrives in March.

The base colours of the nursery are cream and white with accents of my Sweet Pea's gender colour :) I wanted a very light, 'clean and fresh' (lol) look; something calming and soothing.

The nursery furniture is all dark wood, the walls are a rich tan/cream colour, the rocking chair is dark wood with cream cushioning, the bookshelf is dark wood with cream fabric baskets, the carpet will be white, as well as the curtains.

Seeing the nursery come together is soooooooo exciting!!!! I can't wait to start loading freshly washed little clothes into the closet and dresser drawer :D

I also need to shop for nursery accessories like pictures, etc. but that will come later.

I'll post pics of the nursery currently and document the changes as they occur; stay tuned :)

 

The Nursery- A Work In Progress :)

(Ps. Don't mind the ironing bored in the pic;

this has becoming our ironing room until the baby comes! lol)



Good-Bye Week 18...Hello Week 20?!?!

I got quite a shock tonight.....

I just got back from my 19 week prenatal appointment and everything went as usual; blood pressure  measured, weight checked, baby's heart beat detected, etc.

All looks great thus far with both myself and Sweet Pea :)

I have gained a total of 8lbs this pregnancy; not much of a shocker. I didn't really gain with Nya either; I was literally all and only baby weight with Nya.

My blood pressure is good and Sweet Pea's heart beat is nice, strong and healthy.

Once the standard check-up was administered, my doctor and I began to discuss how my pregnancy has been going when she mentioned "so, you're 20 weeks now eh!". Thinking she must be mistaken, I said "No, Im 19 weeks as of yesterday; 19 weeks and 1 day today to be exact".

Puzzled, she went through my file and grabbed a pregnancy chart to determine conception until now.
She said "well, according to our calculations and this conception chart, you are 19 weeks; however, your ultrasound results came back stating you are actually 20 weeks. Ultrasounds are more accurate than our chart. The ultrasound technician can determine the age of the baby based on development and size"

My mouth hit the ground! lol What?!? 20 weeks!!!!  Allllllll this time I have been a week behind?! lol Every week I read up on the development of our baby, what's changing and growing, etc. Just when I thought I was up to date with my body and our baby, this comes out of left field!!! ha ha ha ha

I said "So I'm exactly at my half way point of my pregnancy then???!!!!".
She chuckled and said "Yup, you are half way there!! You are 20 weeks, 1 day today. You're due date therefore is no longer July 7th but June 30th!".

I called my husband on my way home and told him the news; he was super excited about it! lol I laugh b/c I really didn't think he'd have much of a reaction, but he surprised me. ha ha

I called my mom shortly after and told her the exciting news as well. She said "Oh wow!!!! Well, we are having your shower the beginning of June then; we aren't taking any chances of you having this baby before your shower again!!! Nya came two and a half weeks early and so who's to say when this baby will come! We are going to be ready ahead of time this time!".  lol

So, good-bye to what I thought was the end of 18 weeks and HELLO 20 WEEKS!!!!!!!! Super exciting!!!!!!!! :)

Pregnancy is full of surprises! ha ha

This was taken at what I thought was 18 weeks pregnant.

Knowing now, I guess I was really 19 weeks at this time! lol



Big Sister Nya at 19

20 Week Prental Appointment :)

 

Big Sister Nya Enjoying Her Chocolate Treat

Every time Nya comes to my appointments, the nurse at the front always treats her with a chocolate. Nya LOVES it!!!

What's In A Name?

Since the very beginning of our pregnancy, I had two names in mind for both a boy and a girl.
I thought I was pretty much sold on both names; that was until Tuesday's ultrasound appointment.

Once we found out the gender of Sweet Pea, the name I had in mind for that particular gender didn't seem to sit well with me anymore. I really don't know why, as I had loved that name for some time. Something just changed.

I hadn't completely ruled it out; however, I wasn't 100% sold on it anymore.

As I was praying in my bedroom yesterday AM, I was going through my regular prayer list, lifting up each need one by one. When it came time to pray for Sweet Pea, I began to pray specific prayers for and over our child. As I lay my hands on my tummy and my heart out before God, a name came to my lips as I was praying for Sweet Pea. I immediately stopped what I was praying for and opened my eyes. I starred at my tummy as I began to think on the name that just uttered from my lips. It wasn't a name I was thinking of or contemplating before; it literally came out of no where.

It was a very nice name; a unique name; a name that just seemed to resonate well in my heart.

I continued with my prayer and left the name swirling at the back of my mind for the rest of the day.

When we got home from Outreach, I prepared and cleaned up from dinner, got Nya ready for bed and joined my husband in our bedroom where he was reading. I immediately grabbed my '100,000 Book of Baby Names' and sifted through the pages looking for the name that passed my lips that morning during prayer.

I came across the name and with eyes a lit, was very excited to see that the name had a Christian meaning behind it! BONUS!!! lol

Now, for some, they don't care or get caught up in the meanings of names, but as for my husband and myself, we really do take into consideration the meanings of each name.

There have been names in the past that we had liked but ruled out because of its meaning. Some names are fantastic, until you read its meaning like "man of the swamp" or "rough barked tree". lol I just made those two meanings up, but there are names with crazy meanings like these out there; believe me as we've seen them!!! lol

Once we fell in love with the name 'Nya' and read it's meaning 'One with a purpose' the name was even more beautiful and meaningful to us. There was no shadow of a doubt, that was going to be her name!

Anyhow, once I saw this particular name and its meaning in my baby book, my heart leapt. I mentioned it to my husband to see what he thought; we very rarely see eye to eye on names. lol He put down what he was reading, looked up at me and responded "hmmmm....I like that!".

I immediately ran to grab a piece of paper and pen to write the name out; first name with last and beside Nya's name to see how it would read. I loved it!!!!

I showed Dennard and he too agreed it looked good. It even looked nice when paired with Nya's name.  Call me cheesy or silly, but I wanted to see what my kids names would look like side by side when written on birthday cards, Christmas cards, etc. lol

Anyhow, we aren't committing to the name JUST yet!!! We still want to research and look up other names; however, this name is definitely a high contender :)

I think it's so crazy and wonderful how this name just literally 'popped up' .

I was so excited last night that I wanted to call my sisters up right away and ask "What do you think??". lol

I composed myself and talked myself not into jumping the gun too soon. A conversation I have with myself quite often. ha ha

My husband and I are still deciding on whether we will announce the name before or after birth.

Seeing that everyone will know the gender come next weekend, we may keep the name a secret to keep some element of surprise. Giving everything away can sometimes take the fun out of things, so we shall see :)



Big Sister Nya Praying for Sweet Pea Saturday AM

What's In A Pregnant Woman's Pantry?

Ever wonder what's in a pregnant woman's pantry?

No two pregnant women are the same. Every pregnant woman is very different with eating habits, portion sizes and cravings.

For me, here is a little glimpse of my favorite snacks that myself and Sweet Pea love to indulge in together :)

I have to do a grocery shopping, so I only captured the few 'must haves' I have on hand at the moment. lol

Above: Delicious frozen mixed berries (blueberries, cherries, pomegranates and black berries), Craisins and almonds (a great snack combination!)

Peanut butter (yes, the JUMBO size-lol)

Kosher Dill Pickles (to die for!!)

And of course, my much cherished treat.....chocolate covered almonds :)

 

 

These are just a few of my 'go to' snacks. The pickles aren't really a snack, but a delicious treat on the side of an egg salad sandwich :)

 

 I also LOVE snacking on cut up tomatoes with a dash of salt with a side of red peppers and cheese. Ooooh my mouth is water now! ha ha

 

Another fave is crackers or pita bites with cheese and a big glass of milk; very satisfying!

Or cut up apple slices with peanut butter-delish!!!

 

I try and eat super healthy when I'm pregnant. I kick out the ol' caffeine (bye bye Coke- sad face), unnatural sugars and unhealthy food items. The way I see it, you have only 9 months to give your child the best nutrition and diet as you possibly can to help them grow and develop. They are depending on you to make the best choices for them.

 

One of my most favorite things to eat for lunch; spinach and kale salad with sunflower seeds, strawberries and craisins-sooooo good!!!!

 

 

Some other 'Must Haves' I like to always have on hand aside from the above:

 

• 2% Milk
• Marble Cheese
• Vanilla Yogurt
• Eggs
• Apples, Bananas, Purple Grapes and Nectarines
• Oatmeal
• Raisin Bran
• Travel Size Carrots

 

This is just a little look into my snacking habits with Sweet Pea :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And The Gender Is......:)

We just got back from our 18 week ultrasound and I am literally floating on cloud 9!!!!

I am thrilled to say and shout from the roof tops.....WE KNOW THE GENDER OF SWEET PEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Through the power of prayer, believe it or not, our technician told us without hesitation!! Not only did she tell us the gender, but I got to see the gender for myself :)

'Excited' is a total understatement for how I feel right now!!!!!!!! I could not be more thrilled with the results from todays ultrasound; I honestly feel like I am dreaming!! lol

Here's a run down of how things went...

It was discussed for weeks with my husband the plans for today's ultrasound; with the exception of how we were getting there. lol

Our appointment was for 3:50pm; at 3:30pm I called Dennard in a bit of a panic asking where he was. Nya and I were ready and waiting at home for him so we could travel there together after work. When he told me he was on the highway (which is about 20 mins away from our clinic), I became a little concerned. There was no way he was going to make it home to get Nya and I and  make it to our appointment in time. I was under the impression he was coming home first, he was under the impression we were meeting at the clinic. A simple miscommunication on both ends, but one that could have cost us our appointment! Long story short, we agreed to just meet at the clinic.

Now 3:35pm and in a frenzy to get myself and Nya out the door and on the road, I called the clinic on the way to inform them of my slight delay.

I was able to make it to the clinic around 3:52pm; fewfh!!!

I signed in and Nya and I found our seat. Expecting to be called in at any second and concerned Dennard wouldn't make it in time, my heart sank at the thought that he might miss such an important and special appointment :(

Just then, my knight and shinning armour appeared from around the corner :) I was so relieved that with tear filled eyes, I gave him the biggest hug ever.

Once the tears began to fill the pockets in my eyes, its like they couldn't stop. The reality of the moment hit me and the excitement was overwhelming.  I began to fan my eyes trying to compose myself as I laughed at myself from the inside; Dennard and Nya looking on like I was crazy. lol

We were able to snap a few "before" shots of the three of us in the waiting room before my name was called. Once my name was called, I followed the technician to her room and left my little family waiting in the waiting room until she called them back.

I was pleasantly relieved to see that the technician I was assigned to was the lady with whom I had made a connection with earlier for both Nya and Sweet Pea's ultrasounds.

Once in my room, she gave me the warmest smile and we began chatting as I prepared myself on the bed for my ultrasound. She remembered me from before and we giggled and laughed reminiscing on my previous ultrasounds where I have cried with joy.

I was sure to express our desire to find out the gender and how excited we have been to finally know what our little one is. I also told her about the 'Pepperall Tradition' and how anxious my family is to know the outcome of this pregnancy.

I lay on the bed, hands clenched on my chest as I watched the technician do all her measurements of the baby through the ultrasound. At this point, the screen was turned away from me so only she could see Sweet Pea. It's only after she's done doing what she needs to do, that she turns the screen for me to see.

Her measurements and information collection went on for a good half hour. I analyzed her facial expressions and her eyes to see if I could read anything from it as to whether or not everything with the baby looked ok.

I debated on whether I should just lay quietly and let her focus on her job, or strike up conversation in hopes of getting some information out of her. After about 15mins,  I decided to break the silence and ask her questions regarding the size of the baby, if everything looked normal, etc.

Technicians are told not to discuss results with a patient, but I was going to try anyhow.

She was more than willing to share her findings with me and reassure me that everything with Sweet Pea looked normal. That's all I wanted to hear!!!

I was in the middle of a sentence when I was literally stopped in my tracks by the most wonderful 'wosh, wosh, wosh' sound of Sweet Peas heart beating.  I literally jumped when I heard it :) My technician let out a chuckle and said "wow! that got quite the reaction!". lol

Just then, she turned the screen to me and I saw my precious 18 week old little Sweet Pea; head and body facing towards my spine. He/she was still for a few seconds and then began sucking their thumb and moving around.

She pointed out all their perfect little features and explained to me exactly what I was looking at. Within seconds,  Sweet Pea moved again and she said "oh look, here's a leg and here's another leg". Just then it hit me....."I can see the gender of my baby!!!!!!". I shouted out "oh my gosh, I can see the gender!!!!". She laughed and said "Yes!". Right then I told her not to say anything until my husband entered the room; I wanted to find out for sure what the gender was with him.

She left the room and called my husband and Big Sister Nya back into the room. Nya hopped up on the bed beside me and my husband stood behind the technician as she walked them through each frame of the baby and what he/she was doing.

She asked all three of us what our final guess on the baby's gender was before she announced it. Dennard said he saw a "wiggling thing on the screen" and guessed boy, LOL, Nya surprisingly said boy (she has been team girl from the very beginning!! lol) and I said girl.

Right then she told us the gender. It was like the world stopped for a moment and it was just me, Dennard and our Nya....
Dennard and I immediately made eye contact with one another and with eyes a lit and smiles ear to ear, we let out a cheer of excitement!

We were sure not to repeat the gender to Nya, in fear that she may spill the beans before our February 14th Gender Reveal.

The technician gave us 5 print outs of Little Sweets and congratulated us on the ever so exciting news.

We packed up our things and dreamily headed out of the clinic to go home. It honestly felt like a dream; I couldn't believe that we finally knew what our baby's gender was and I COULD NOT be more excited and thrilled about it!!!

Before going to the car, I stopped into a dollar store beside the clinic with Nya to see if we could find a balloon announcing the gender of our little one. Strangely enough, Nya walked right over to the balloons and started sorting through a bin of loose balloons pulling all the balloons in the colour of her baby brother/sister. I didn't tell her what we were there for or even discuss what the gender was;  it was crazy to see her gather balloons in the correct colour.

With a big smile on her face and a fist full of balloons, she said "I want these ones mommy!". lol

Its now 9:30pm and I'm still sailing on the news from today. As I prayed for Nya before bed tonight, I incorporated her sibling in my prayer, giving thanks for the two of them and praying for their relationship and future together.

I came downstairs afterwards, and with tears of joy streaming down my face, expressed my genuine excitement with Dennard over the news we received today.

God only knows, I really couldn't be happier :) My heart is so swollen with love and excitement!!!

Now the fun begins.....shopping for Sweet Pea and getting their little room ready in the colours that compliment their gender; woo hoo!!! And you better believe this will all start tomorrow!!! ha ha ha

Just when you think life can't get any better, God has a way of making it even more sweeter!!


Funny Story:

I don't know if other mothers can relate, but when I was pregnant with Nya, the cry of a newborn would send me into a battle of fighting back tears. lol I could be in Walmart, the mall or even walking up the street. When I heard that little cry, everything in my motherly heart just swelled and a wave of emotion would come over me. Yes I was hormonal, lol, but I was just so excited to be a mommy.
I can't tell you how many times Dennard and I laughed together as I fought back those tears. It was like I knew I was crazy, but didn't care! lol

Now fast forward 2.5years. The sound of a newborn crying doesn't have the same effect on me this time around with Sweet Pea's pregnancy; however, I did have a 'newer episode' just a few weeks ago when I took Nya swimming.

If Dennard read this he would probably die of laughter and mock me for years (thank goodness my husband doesn't read my blog; well at least I don't think so?!? lol)

Nya and I were a little early one day for our Parent and Tot swim class. We had some time to spare, so we decided to ahead across the hall and watch a little boys basketball game taking place.

We found a seat by the court window and watched as these little 5 and 6 year old boys ran the court, dribbling the ball and shooting at the net. An overwhelming sense of pride came over me and my eyes began to fill. lol

I know, I know....it must sound crazy for those reading this, it's even crazy for me writing this!! ha ha
But I couldn't help but watch these little boys play the little hearts out on this court and be so proud of them; like I was their mom watching from the sidelines.

It struck up several emotions in me in that second. I just couldn't be more privileged to be a mommy and to have two beautiful children to call my own.

It may not pay a penny, you may not be recognized or awarded, but being a mommy is truly the most rewarding job in life. Nothing can nor ever will compare to that of being a mom. I'm so grateful to wear such an honourable title.

Before Heading Out To Our Gender Ultrasound

Tuesday February 3rd 2015

Big Sister Nya and I On Our Way To Our

Ultrasound Appointment

 

 

Big Sister Nya Anxiously Waiting For Our Ultrasound :)

Daddy and Nya

Our Last Family Picture Before We Found Out The Gender Of Sweet Pea



 

 

 A Close Up Of Precious Sweet Pea at 18 Weeks

(Looks like Sweet Pea has my face shape!)

 

 

 

 

Sweet Pea's Ultrasound Growth Comparison

11 weeks (left) 18 weeks (right)



Today's THE DAY!!!!! Hip Hip Horray!!!

Oh my goodness, today is THE DAY!!!! That special day where the technician finds out and records what the gender of Sweet Pea is and, God willing, tells us what we are having :)

Its 1:32pm in the afternoon and my heart is racing with excitement. Just 2.5hrs away and I'll be laying on that clinic bed watching my Sweet Pea dance about!!!!!

I was awoken at 5AM this morning to the call of "Mommy, I am coughing!!!".  My poor Nya was having a coughing attack, but soon quieted herself down and fell peacefully back to sleep. I however; was now wide awake and the reality of today hit me.  Like a child on Christmas, the anticipation of today had my mind swirling and my heart going like a race horse. I couldn't help but think "I made it!! I actually made it to today!!! Tuesday February 3rd seemed like an eternity away and now it's finally here!!!" :)

Fingers, toes, legs, arms, eyes and ears crossed, lol, I pray that I won't leave the clinic disappointed with a slip in my hand that reads "gender follow up with Dr". I don't think I can survive another week waiting to find out the gender.

It can go one of two ways today; it's really 50/50 and totally out of my hands. So, as oppose to going into it with an attitude of "well, the chances are we'll probably have to wait :("...I am going into it with an attitude of "Either way, I get to see my baby today, and another week of waiting really won't kill me". lol

I will post later today with the outcome of todays ultrasound; not the gender, but the outcome :) lol

The gender will be revealed to everyone AFTER my gender reveal party with our families on February 14th....so stay tuned!!! he he

 

Last Picture Before Gender Ultrasound :)

 



18 Weeks and Home Sick with a Cold :(

Hello 18 weeks!!  I can't believe my little one is already the size of a sweet potatoe! My heart leaps with excitement at the thought of my precious one growing bigger and bigger and developing more and more each day.

As small as he or she is right now, they can hear my voice this week (so exciting!), they are sucking their thumb, responding to light, etc. The miracle of God taking place within me is incredible!! And to think there are people out there who claim there is no God?! It takes more faith for them not to believe than to believe.

Today I'm home sick with Nya. She caught a nasty cold over the weekend which she has passed down to me. I cancelled daycare today so that we can both rest and recover.

My sweet husband took today off as well so that he could take care of Nya as I rested. When he told me his plans last night after church, I was pleasantly surprised :) When I woke up this Am, he had breakfast for Nya and myself ready and waiting, had done a Walmart run and bought me two cartons of orange juice, a jug of apple juice and three boxes of Lipton Soup.

Call me hormonal, or just extremely grateful, but my eyes literally filled with tears when I saw what he had done. In perfect Dennard fashion, he laughed at me. lol I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was to have such an awesome man who cares enough about me and our family to take time off work and take care of us.

I didn't have to ask or say a word, he just knew it wasn't going to be easy for me being pregnant and sick, trying to nurse a sick child back to health.

With being pregnant and sick, there isn't much you can do or take but rest, drink plenty of fluids and try and pack as many vitamins and nutrients in your body as possible. It can take a little longer to recover when ill.

Friday night I had major cramping and back pain. I was so restless going to sleep. My husband at one point leaned over to massage my paining back, but after two rubs, he was out cold. lol So, I was left having to solider it out on my own. ha ha

I never had this amount of cramping with Nya; it feels more like little sharp pains that resonate in one area; particularly my right side.

With Nya, I felt most of my movement on the left side. With Sweet Pea, all movement seems to be favoured on the right side; which could also be the reasoning behind the cramping on and off on the right side.

I woke up Saturday AM day dreaming about my ultrasound tomorrow :) As I lay quietly in my bed, gazing up at the ceiling, I was playing out everything in my head from driving to the ultrasound, laying on the bed, seeing my baby, hearing the gender revealed (God willing!!!) and all the emotions we are going to feel in that exact moment!!! My heart was literally pounding in my chest with excitement as I thought about it. lol It came to the point where I was getting so excited, I had to snap myself out of it and get my day going; motherhood and wifely duties called! lol

Fun Facts/Updates

• Nya loves to help me lotion my tummy. When she sees me lathering up in the Am and before bed, she always asks if she can put lotion on my tummy for me :) Its the sweetest thing in the world. Sometimes as she's lotioning, she'll lean in with her lips to my tummy and say "Hi baby!!!"

• The other night after dinner, Nya was sitting on my lap at the table having some ice cream for dessert. She looked up with her big brown eyes and said "mommy, I'm going to say hi to the baby ok!". She lifted my shirt up to reveal my tummy, leaned down and said "Hi baby! Its me, Nya!". lol 

• The other day Nya and I were shopping and we went down the baby isle. I was drawn to everything soft and pink. I couldn't help but stop and think "Is this b/c I have a girl and pink is always my first attraction, or could this be something from within saying I'm having girl?! lol Tomorrow will tell!!!!! :)

• I've been in love with chocolate covered Almonds recently. I treat myself to a few a day, and let me tell you, it's one much cherished treat!! I savour every bite as if it were my last!! ha ha

• Every other Saturday I take Nya swimming for some 'Mommy and Me' time; something I call her 'Sibling Swim' :) It's only for an hour, but it's a time to spend together before the baby comes and an opportunity for Nya and her brother/sister to go swimming together, lol.  Call me cheesy, but I think it's so cute, and Nya gets a big kick out of it. lol Each week I take a picture of Nya in her bathing suit hugging my tummy before we go in the pool. I always tell her how much her sibling loves her and how proud they are of her swimming improvements and achievements. Hey, it's never too early to try and start that bonding experience between a child and their sibling :)

• Sweet Pea is a very quiet baby; he/she isn't very active. I think he/she may be quiet and reserved like their daddy

'Sibling Swim'

Nya and Sweet Pea at 17 weeks, 6 days