Library & Zoo Week

This week we introduced Haylee to the library. Wonderful idea. I just wish we would have done it months ago. I love our library's kid section. Lot's of books, a play kitchen, puppet show area, movie time and a 2 story castle. Haylee's in heaven. So far we've been there twice this week and I'm thinking about taking her once a week for story time and then to play.

Haylee and I went to the zoo again yesterday. I want to enjoy this nice weather and my Haylee-Mommy time while it lasts. It seems the 2 will end about the same time and life around here will be a little more hectic. Yesterday was the perfect day to go to the zoo. The lions, wild dogs, leopards, and the bears were all awake and wandering around which was a surprise since they are usually sleeping or hiding everytime we go. The bears were "putting on a show" to say the least. If you ask Haylee she'll say they were doing "piggy back rides and bear hugs." We'll leave it at that-naughty bears! Haylee was also excited that she got to feed a squirrel. She had a piece of popcorn in her hand and he grabbed it with his little paw and put it in his mouth.

This past week has been busier than usual and I have enjoyed it. Next week I have one of my final ortho. appointments before I get my braces off. Then we have a baby appointment to check on Natalee. Saturday I'm a vendor at a local craft show so I've been finishing last minute projects and getting ready for that. Busy seems to be the word around here and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon!

Haylee doesn't like dog kisses!

We've had a busy week this past week. Monday, my mom took off work so me and Haylee were out shopping with her all day. It was such a beautiful day and we got some wonderful deals. We met Josh for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and Haylee was so excited to see him. We left the house before 8am and didn't get home till after 5pm so I was exhausted!

Wednesday and Thursday were appointment days. Dentist for me and Josh Wednesday and baby appointment Thursday. We took Haylee with us to the baby appointment this time because it was a simple appointment with no ultrasounds, blood work or exams. She wasn't so sure watching the doctor measure me and listen to the heart beat but afterwards she told me "the doctor put soap (gel) all over my belly and..." The happiest news was that all my blood work came back normal! No gestational diabetes, anemia, or thyroid issues. I gained a whole pound in 2 weeks so I have now gained 23 lbs. That's 4 lbs. more than I had gained with Haylee at this point in the pregnancy. I feel a lot bigger this time too! I measured right on track, and the doctor said I'm carrying low and all out front. I'm just glad my little girl is doing great!

Friday Haylee went to Grandma's to play with Hannah for a couple hours while Josh and I watched a movie at home. Saturday morning we took our Teacher Kits down to Treasures 4 Teachers as part of our "give a day, get a day" to Disneyland. I'm so glad we could help teachers out with school supplies they need. That night we took Haylee to the Todd Oliver "Dogs Gone Wild" show. When I had bought the ticket months ago I was under the impression it was more of a show where the dogs do tricks. Turns out, Todd Oliver is a ventriloquist and the dogs "talk." It was still funny but I think Haylee was a little disappointed that they weren't running around dancing and doing tricks. When the show was over the dogs came out into the lobby and Haylee got her picture with them. That made her day! Until Irving licked her that is.

And these are Haylee's funny dress up pictures of the week! Keep in mind, these are put together completely by her.

30 Weeks

*How far along: 30 weeks


*Total weight gain/loss: Up 23 lbs.! (4 lbs. more than I was with Haylee at this time)


*Maternity clothes: Uncomfortable. Pants are getting too tight and shirts are getting too short to cover my belly.


*Sleep: Not too bad. I toss and turn but only get up once to go to the bathroom.


*Best moment this week: Hearing that all my blood work (glucose, anemia, thyroid) came back normal.


*Movement: All the time. I love seeing my belly move as she rolls all around.


*Food cravings: Anything and Everything!


*Gender: Sweet little girl.


*Labor Signs: Oh no. Not this early!


*Belly Button in or out: Still in. I never lost it with Haylee so I don't know if I will this time.


*What I miss: Being able to carry Haylee easily.


*What I am looking forward to: Washing all her clothes, buying last minute stuff, and getting ready for Natalee!


*Milestones: I'm 30 weeks!!!

All You Need Is Love

We celebrated Valentine's Day all weekend! I know the holiday is overrated, but it was more for Haylee this year since she was aware of the holiday and talked about it all the time thanks to all her shows having Valentine's Day specials.


Friday me and Haylee made cookies for Haylee to give out to her friend Jake, her Daddy, Grandma and Hannah. She did really good helping me roll the dough and make fun cookies with cookie cutters. That afternoon, we went next door so she could exchange Valentine gifts with Jake. She hasn't seen him for awhile so she had a fun time playing with him. She told me before we went over there that she wanted to go upstairs and read books and play with his tiger and elephant. That night Josh and I took Haylee to see Princess and the Frog since she's been wanting to see it for awhile. Again, she sat through the whole movie and loved it. She danced along to the music and ate her popcorn. I absolutely love taking her to the movies now that she sits and watches the entire movie.

(Haylee and Jake)

Saturday, after making me and Haylee a yummy breakfast, Josh ran to pick up my prescription for me and came home with flowers for me and Haylee. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever and Haylee loved getting her own. That night Josh and I went out to dinner at Outback (where I got the yummy teriyaki sirloin) and then we went to see Valentine's Day which was an okay movie, nothing special, but we enjoyed our time out together.

Today, Josh made us breakfast again. I could get use to this! We gave Haylee a little bucket with a Chipmunks coloring book, a Princess shirt, and a few other little things along with 3 balloons. She was very happy and has been walking around the house all day with her balloons. Haylee gave Daddy his handmade card, picture frame with a picture of the 2 of them, and the cookies she made for him. I got a card from my little girl and one from my wonderful husband along with 2 Target gift cards. Josh and I always agree not to buy each other anything because we always go out and that's enough. However, Josh never seems to listen always does something to make me feel special.

(I just absolutely love this picture)

Haylee

I've always been called Shelley Specific, Daughter of Patti Perfect, because I like things done a certain way. It's been a joke that I have OCD-which I really don't, because I'm too organized with things (and my thoughts too).

Lately I've noticed Haylee is already taking after me. Poor girl. We will call her Have it Her Way Haylee. I feel bad now that I see what Josh has put up with the last few years from me. It's not always a bad thing. She does like to close doors when we leave the room, turn lights of, shut drawers/cabinets after getting things out etc. So in alot of ways it's nice because she'll help clean up because she wants her toys in specific places.lol I start to feel bad for her when she tries to list things over and over so that she doesn't forget them (organizing thoughts) like the characters she got pictures with at Disneyland, the Princess costumes she has, and when she recaps her day for Dad each night. I guess that's the reason she has a great memory. I've always been one to do this, I think it's more of a way for me to remember things myself, but sometimes it drives me crazy, so I feel bad she picked up on that. I have to laugh when she lines up all her shoes or all her figurines because she tries to "organize" them she says.

Haylee loves to draw. She's gotten a lot better at it lately. I drew a picture of her and she drew Mommy and Daddy right next to her. I love when she draws things, or colors pictures. These are things I want to hold onto forever.

Another favorite hobby is reading. Haylee loves books. She'll sit in her room and read books for a long time. Sometimes out loud (which is my favorite) and sometimes she just looks at pictures. She is such a good little girl.

Stay tuned for details about our fun Valentine's Day weekend!

Locked Door

When we were coming up with solutions to Haylee's sleeping issues, I was advised by a couple people to turn her door knob around and lock her in. Of course, we did just that and it worked great! However, locking her in also introduced her to the fact that door knobs have locks. For a couple days I noticed she would shut the door, push the lock button in, then pull the handle to unlock it-just figuring it all out I guess. Well last Friday the 3 of us were in her room along with Hannah and Jackson waiting for my Mom to come get Hannah. When she got there she came in Haylee's room and she sat down and we were chatting when Haylee mentioned, "Don't lock my door," or something like that. It was then that we all stared at each other like, "I hope Haylee didn't lock us all in here." Sure enough, she had locked the door and shut it and all of us were locked in her room. After a few minutes of trying to figure out what to do I said, "Oh, I'll just call Jody to come over....uh nevermind, there isn't a phone in here." So genius Shelley came up with the idea to take one wheel off one of her hot wheel cars and use the pokey wire thing in the door knob to open it. I'm so glad it worked. You can bet Josh switched the door knob back right away and Haylee hasn't locked a door since!

Opinions

*Please note: This post is based entirely on MY opinions.*

I have to admit, I've always been a person with strong opinions. Before I became a Mother (and even after I guess) I use to say I wouldn't use certain baby gear, or let my child do certain things. It's amazing how my entire perspective on some things has changed. I can now relate a lot better to why Mom's do the things they do. For example, I use to see Mom's wearing their baby in a sling and say, "I would never use one of those. My baby could suffocate." Well after being educated a little on baby wearing and hearing how people highly recommend them, I've decided to get a "nicer" one to use with Natalee. After some research, I've decided to go with the Adjustable Pouch by Kangaroo Korner.

Another thing that has always bothered me is when parents have their child on a leash. I know they make cute ones attached to little animal backpacks and whatever else, but there is still a leash you are holding that is attached to your child. In my opinion, leashes are for dogs. I now understand why parents use them but I still can't justify on this one. I did however buy something similar (for when we took Haylee to Disneyland when she was 16 months) called the KinderKord but I rarely used it. A "KinderKord is a wrist to wrist connection for you and your child which leaves your hands free--while keeping your child physically connected to you." This I could justify (even if it's similar) because I wasn't holding a leash, I was wearing a bracelet and so was my child and it kept her from running to far away.

Something I found myself saying often was, "my child will never act like that." I would see kids throwing temper tantrums and always put the blame on the parent for letting their child act like that. Boy was I wrong with this one. Now that I'm a mom to a child who throws fits all the time, I understand that sometimes the parent simply has no control over the situation. I can tell Haylee, "we don't act like that" or try to discipline her but it really doesn't work when she is having a temper tantrum. The best thing I've found to work is just ignoring her and try to talk about it with her when she's done freaking out. Luckily almost all of her tantrums are done at home and not in public!

Parenting is basically trial and error. Being a Mom is the hardest job, but I love my little Haylee girl so much. Some days are easier than others and some days I want to pull my hair out, but I always survive. Now raising 2 little girls? I think I'll need some Zoloft!

Haylee and her sister

Haylee loves her little sister.

Haylee loves to "sit" on her sister (my belly).

Haylee says she is going to hold her, give her a bottle and change her diaper.

When we go to Maui next year, Haylee wants to sit on the beach with her.

Haylee can't wait to play dress up with her and let her be Snow White or Cinderella.

Haylee's silly.

I just hope she feels the same once her sister is no longer in my belly.

Movie Weekend

Saturday was a fun, busy day. My mom watched Haylee in the morning so Josh and I could run errands. We went to Michael's, VF Factory Outlet, Burlington (Baby Depot), and the Swap Meet. We were able to get everything we went after making it a successful trip!

That afternoon/evening, I went to see Dear John with my mom, sister and niece Samantha. I thought it was a wonderful movie but my niece said the book is better so now I want to read the book. I love having "Girl's Night Out" time.

While I was out with the girls, Josh and Haylee had another Daddy-Daughter night out. I love how Josh is such a wonderful Dad and he loves taking Haylee out and having fun. I know they enjoy their time together and I'm so thankful Haylee has that special Daddy-Daughter bond with her Daddy like I did with mine.

This time, Josh and Haylee went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. Haylee watched the preview online about 10 times and kept talking about it. She sat through the entire movie and loved it. Afterwards they went on the carousel, the zebra and ostrich and then went to Wendy's for chicken and french fries-Haylee's favorite.

28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up 22 lbs.!

Maternity clothes: All I wear and they are getting uncomfortable.

Sleep: I toss and turn trying to get comfortable, but I wake up rested.

Best moment this week: Hearing Natalee's heart beat and surviving my glucose test.

Movement: She's a wiggly worm.

Food cravings: Cereal & mexican food.

Gender: Sweet little girl.

Labor Signs: Nope...still have 12 weeks to go.

Belly Button in or out: Still in. I never lost it with Haylee so I don't know if I will this time.

What I miss: Sleeping soundly and my clothes being comfortable.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery all ready to go.

Weekly Wisdom: ?

Milestones: I'm 7 months pregnant!

Zoo

Where else in the US can you enjoy 70 degree weather right now? Not many places. Merida and I took advantage of that today and took the kiddos to the zoo. The weather was perfect and it's always fun to get out of the house and have someone to talk to. After weeks of putting the zoo off, I'm glad we finally made it there.

Glucose Test

Today was my glucose test, or the day I like to call "last time I should have to get my blood taken for a long time" day. Drinking the "flat fruit punch" doesn't bother me, I just hate needles, and 5 vials of my blood being stolen is just horrible. But if all is good, I shouldn't see another needle till the day I go in to have Natalee and then I'll be begging for it (well not the needle itself but the epidural).

So the updates today are that I now weigh 148 lbs. so I have officially gained 22 lbs. Yes, I still have 12 weeks to go but I think I'm right where I was when I was pregnant with Haylee. Natalee's heart rate was 140-150's and I'm measuring right on track. My next appointment is in just 2 weeks! Yep, that time already. Pretty soon I'll be going in weekly. I can't believe how fast these days are flying by.

Lastly, I'll leave you with the picture that Haylee drew today of her little sister.

I thought it was the cutest thing!

Party Time

This past weekend we went to 2 birthday parties. Both for my nieces. Samantha turned 16 and Hannah turned 4! It was fun to spend time with the family and Haylee was just in Heaven seeing their balloons. Both Samantha and Hannah were nice enough to give Haylee a balloon and she has been carrying them around ever since.

Ya not quite 16 yet Haylee girl, and we definitely don't want to rush things! Stay my little innocent girl.

Samantha and my Mom.

Haylee was so proud of the Ariel doll she picked out for Hannah and the brush for Hannah's rats nest. Haylee says, "I have a rats nest too!"

Poor Haylee cried when we sang Happy Birthday to Hannah. There is something about that song that makes her cry everytime.

Before we even sang Haylee had her plate and napkin ready asking for cake. She loved Hannah's Ariel cake.

After cake and ice cream we went to the park to play. Haylee was so cute throwing this ball in the air and just laughing.

We had a fun weekend. It's always good to get together with family, especially when you don't get to see them often. You'd think we lived states away.