Happy 5th Birthday Claire!

(saved from December 18)

Claire is the 2nd oldest niece on my husband's side of the family.... the oldest will be 7 this summer!!  Ahh... these kiddies grow up TOO fast.  I vividly remember when Claire was born.  I found out that Lisa was in labor the day that we were headed out on a mini vacation to Chicago!  We kept getting updates and every update was "still laboring" over and over!  The train ride to Chicago felt like it took forever because I kept waiting for that call that didn't come until hours later when Matt and I were sound asleep.  Claire finally decided to show up and see what this world was all about!!

I love just watching Claire... she has SUCH a personality!  Much much different from the rest of our nieces and nephews so it's taken time to be able to figure her out.  As a baby you couldn't go scoop her up and expect her to be happy... nope she wanted Mom or Dad.  She knows exactly what she wants and always has!  I remember one time I was babysitting her while Dave and Lisa went car shopping.  Claire was FURIOUS!  They left and she screamed and screamed and screamed.  So I set her down across from me, gave her some toys and just let her stare at me.  After awhile we were best friends!  And that's how it's always been with her... she needs her space... let her warm up to ya... then BOOM she loves ya!  It's such a fun process to watch and one that I think is dwindling away.

After we moved in with my in laws I saw her every Tuesday and was able to really get to know her.  One day she came to me and brought me a book to read to her and she hopped up and curled up on my lap while I read to her... talk about making my heart melt!!   She's just so reserved that when you do get that cuddle or that hug it's a big deal!  And you know she really means it.  For other kids to hop on a lap and read a book it's not a big deal, but to Claire it is!  It's just that much more special!

I'm glad that we have moved closer to her, because I think if we didn't we wouldn't get all the loving we get from this girl!!  And I'm lovin' the lovin'!!

Happy Birthday Claire!

Week 7: And the Fun Continues

(saved post from December 18)

I think I can I think I can I think I can.  Ugh, I can't believe how sick I am all day every day.  When I was prego with Makenzie I was really sick for 2 weeks, and that 2 weeks is up and I'm still sick.  Hmmm......

My days are spent laying around while Makenzie watches TV.  A LOT of TV.  I hope she doesn't get too use to it, because that won't last.  When she's bored with it and wants to play with Mama I try to play, but it doesn't last long.  This poor girl is just desperate for attention!  Can't wait to be done with this morning sickness!

I was definitely being sarcastic in my title, but we did have some fun this past weekend.  We celebrated my neice's 5th birthday and Makenzie's 2nd!  Yes... the party is OVER!  I made it thru it!!  (Unfortunately the fish we got Makenzie for her bday were dead by time the party is over... I know Grandma I don't do well with fish!)

Week 7:
Weight Gain: Up 3 pounds, pants don't fit... I'm living in pj's!
Cravings: Carbs, carbs, carbs. That's all I eat.  Seriously.

Week 6: Eat, Gag, Eat

(post saved from: Dec 11, 2012)

Oh I am so hungry!!  But it's so hard to eat when you feel like you are going to lose it at anytime.  At this point I do feel better after I eat... it's just hard to.  I have started taking a B6 vitamin, which worked miracles on me with Makenzie.  As of yet, I don't feel any relief from it.  I don't throw up, but I dry heave all day long.

My Dad, he's so great!  This was the week that I needed to go grocery shopping (my every two week adventure).  Well, I wasn't sure how it was going to go by myself, so he came to help out and be there in case I needed to run!!  Ugh, grocery stores stink!  The mixture of all the different food smells, then looking at all different foods.  Yuck.

Makenzie's birthday party is in a few days!!  I was SOOO excited for her birthday party, but ended up dreading it because I was feeling miserable and having 20 people coming over and trying to act like I'm "feeling" good isn't something I can easily do.

Matt and Makenzie decorated the tree!  It sat in our house looking lonely and bare for awhile!  I handed out ornaments and watched :0)  Makenzie thought that was pretty cool!
 
 Last week my Grandma got tickets for most of the granddaughters to go to a Christmas concert, I think I posted about this before.... but here's what I didn't say....

I was going to pick up pizza for the group and head to Grandma's to eat dinner then go to the concert!  I ordered the pizza at 4:45 to pick it up at 5:30.  I got to Jet's to pick it up and the line is to the door.  I had left Makenzie in the car thinking I'd go in grab it and go (and I had my phone in the car with my parents on the line).  Now I'm in the building like do I go get her or will this go fast!?!?  I decide to stay there and watch the truck.

The line moves forward and now the truck is out of site.  By heart rate and blood pressure are quickly rising!  FINALLY it's my turn, 10 mins later (5:40).  I pay and the woman says it will be another 10-15 mins!  What!?!?  I ordered the pizza AN HOUR AGO!!!  Couldn't believe it.  So at this point I go and get Makenzie out, head back in.  I'm pregnant, it stinks in here, I'm hungry, I'm beyond ticked, and now have to figure out how I'm going to get Makenzie and 2 boxes of pizza and a salad out of there... WITHOUT dropping them. 

15 mins later they call my name, a man at the front says she's already picked it up and left!  So they start calling out my order to whoever has the same thing next in line!  I attempt to scramble to the front, get Makenzie off my lap, and yell at the guy who tried to give my pizza away!!  "THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE AMANDA'S!!!"  I got my order and asked the woman what she would do for the inconvienence.  She goes want a pop?  (No I don't want a pop, but I'm ticked and it's free)  So I spit out YES!  Idiot, now I have a pop, 2 boxes, salad, and Makenzie to juggle to the truck.

We make it and I get to the truck and am balling!!  I got so riled up!!  Needless to say I'm over Jet's Pizza for awhile. 

Week 5: When we Found Out!

(Dec.4, 2012)

After a few days of feeling a little "different" I decided it was time to go out and take a pregnancy test!  I waited to take one until I was pretty sure that I was pregnant so I didn't set myself up with anticipation just to be let down.  So on Friday, November 30 Makenzie and I headed out to go pick up Christmas Cards and Pregnancy tests! 

Home we came, took the test and sure enough... positive!!  I was so excited (Makenzie was too!) we were jumping and clapping!  (I'm pretty sure she was celebrating me using the bathroom!)   I was 5 1/2 weeks along with a July 31st due date.  Boy do we have a busy July: 7 Birthdays (soon to be 8) and 2 Anniversaries!

While Makenzie ate lunch I made a big sister shirt for her to wear when Matt got home...... what a L-O-N-G wait.  (It didn't help he ran an errand after work!)  When he got home I told him Makenzie had a surprise for him, so he needed to shut his eyes and sit down.  I had the camera taking video of Makenzie walking towards Matt in her "Big Sister" shirt.  You could see his gears spinning... flying!! Then I gave him a box with the positive pregnancy test and due date that confirmed what he was seeing.

With Makenzie, we were in total shock and disbelief!  We had been told that when we go to try having kids it would probably take awhile; yet there we were not trying and she was coming!  Our excitement came months later AFTER we were able to see her on the ultrasound and hear her heart beating.  This time, the excitement was now!

The next day... the morning (all day in my case) sickness began.  Boo... we were hoping I'd feel good for awhile yet, because I wasn't sick with Makenzie until week 6.  Anyways, off we headed (with Makenzie wearing her shirt) to meet up with Matt's family to pick out our Christmas tree.  Matt's mom took her jacket off (totally not noticing the shirt) and Lisa standing close noticed it RIGHT away, which then tipped off Matt's mom.  She looks, screams (mind you we are in a restaurant at this point), scares the bejezus out of Makenzie, has heads spinning from all over the place, then dangles Makenzie in the air to show the restaurant her shirt!  Classic. 

 After we got our tree we headed to my parents house to share the news with them!  Makenzie immediately went to see the Christmas train that they had set up so her back was to my Mom, but my Dad was standing next to her totally not noticing anything.  Then Makenzie turned around and was facing my mom.... nope nothing clicking!  Finally!  My mom nonchalantly asks: Why is Makenzie wearing that shirt?  It's Claire's right?  Me: Nope not Claire's... that's Makenzie's.  Mom: So... why is she wearing it?  Matt: Why do you think?  Mom: Well your not pregnant!  Me: Are you sure?  The woman was in total disbelief!!  LOL!

It sure was fun to see everyone's reactions!!

Here I am!!

For anyone wondering... I haven't left!  I am still here.  I have had something come up that I have been dealing with for the last 6 weeks! See!?!?!?

Matt and I are so excited to be bringing another life into this world!!  Wednesday I will be 11 weeks along and we are due July 31, 2013!  What a difference this pregnancy has been from Makenzie's.  I was pretty sick for a couple of weeks with her- then I was just a giant sleepy head.  Now I have dry heaved the days away since December 1st and am exhausted! 

So most of my December was just doing all I could do to take care of Makenzie and get ready for Christmas... then deal with me :0)  Blogging got put on the back burner.  I'm hoping to start feeling better soon so I can do my usual posting while she is sleeping!  We will see... my days are totally unpredictable!

Makenzie's Idol

Miss Makenzie is a Daddy's Girl through and through!  Every time I go to get her out of her crib (either in the am or nap time) she calls for Daddy and ask 'Where'd he go?  Where's Daddy?".  She talks about Daddy ALL DAY LONG.  It's cute, but can be annoying after answering that Daddy is at work for the 100th time.

Matt's after dinner STRETCH! With Makenzie joining in!
(Thanks to this picture I was able to see our pic was crooked!!  All fixed!)

 Since I wasn't feeling good this past weekend Makenzie got a LOT of one-on-one Daddy time and LOVED it.  The giggles coming out of both of them was almost enough to make me feel better.  At the dinner table, when she is done playing with her food, she does what daddy does....

The "Okay, I'm really stuffed" look or "I'm still hungry... do I dare
ask for more" look!

 These past couple of nights Makenzie, already in bed, continues talking to Daddy over the baby monitor for a good hour before she goes to sleep!!  Haha.  Last night she was kind of whimpering about 9 so I went in there to see if she was all right and says... "Daddy, Rock!"  So I called Matt over so he could rock in the rocking chair with her for a few mins.  He put her back in bed and she was OUT.  She just needed that extra few minutes with Daddy last night.

Love, Love, LOVE!

Cookie Disaster!

Like I said last night Miss Makenzie and Matt were in the kitchen making Christmas cookies!  I printed off a recipe that I had Pinned (from Pinterest) and handed it over to him to make.  Very simple recipe, didn't look hard to make at all.  Let me tell you.... WRONG!  It was a disaster!!

 

I was so bummed because it was a spiral cookie and looked really neat.  But as we were following the recipe we were able to quickly tell that our flaky dry dough was not the creamy ball of dough it described in the recipe.  Matt tried all sorts of things to rectify the situation and we didn't really get anywhere.  He was able to smash it all on a cookie sheet and bake it all as one giant heap.

Grrr!  I get SOOO irritated when that happens... especially when I actually FOLLOW the recipe.  I should have known it was trouble right after I noticed it took 2 and a 1/2 sticks of butter and only 2 cups of flour (is that not a rediculus amount!?!?).  It was a mess.  Matt kept his cool, where I would have hucked the dough outside and thrown myself a pity party. 

Haha, Matt, determined to make a decent cookie before Makenzie went to bed, went to work on Gingerbread cookies!  The first batch ended up a little overdone, but they still taste the same... just a little crunchier!!  I'd have to say I think Gingerbread cookies are my fav Christmas cookie!