Maternity Session..Awaiting Baby Camryn!

A dear friend of mine was ever so sweet as to take my maternity pictures for me. It is kind of hard to take them yourself. :) She did a fabulous time even though we were pressed for time and our little angel Bailey, was a STINKER despite what the pictures showed. I am ever so great-full to finally have maternity pictures, as I've wanted to get them with the past 2 pregnancies. Thank You GRETCHEN!!!!

Not only did we get them, we got them on our 6th wedding anniversary. Makes them, in our mind, a little extra special. :) I just placed a huge order of enlargements to go in our bedroom. I can't wait to see them! :-D

I plan on paying back the favor and taking Gretchen's family pictures this fall. :) Gretchen is also the photographer at The Women's Hospital and a night shift RN (that's how we met, back in 2005.) Upon Camryn's cooperation (unlike Bailey's), Gretchen plans to be in the O.R with Keenan and I when Camryn is born to take rated G photos for us! She was going to do the same with Bailey, but she decided to come EARLY and at 3:35AM. :) Camryn so far, is scheduled to arrive around the 2nd week in August pending a good amnio result, despite my Sept. 3 due date.

Bailey will be starting pre-school Aug 31 at USI 2 weeks after Camryn is born. YIKES!!! Think I might be a little emotional? :) We are only having her go Tues & Thurs half/day just to give her some "ME" time esp with a new baby in the house. My friend whose son goes there too, recommended I get on the waiting list last winter, GLAD we did! We got a call early this spring and they are taking Bailey a little early since you are supposed to be 3. So, we lucked out, or she would've had to have waited another year. I've already gotten the paper work (almost) filled out, her lil toddler backpack ordered and her 3 ring binder! That's right, a 3 year old needs a 3 ring binder...geeze....They start them early! It makes me sad to be sending her, as I said I would not send her to preschool, but the more I thought about it, she will gain a LOT from doing this. Especially with her not getting mommy's FULL attention as she gets day in and day out. Fingers crossed that this rocky transition in our lives will go SMOOTHLY! :-D

Slideshow design created with Smilebox

Summer Fun Part 2!

Another hodge podge of pictures via slideshow....better than nothing though, right?

I've included pics from Bailey flying her first kite, spending an afternoon outside with Bailey's great-grandma, who is recently at Cypress Grove Rehab Center, bless her heart. Pics from our campout here at the house (in practice to do a big fun camp-out with friends, but it got too hot too quick..

Memorial Day Cookout with our awesome friends who just so happen to be my monthly mama's night out girls Jessalyn & Melissa...(MNO consists of one night a month, us 3 get to go child free to Zuki and enjoy some awesome sushi, quiet, relaxation, conversation etc! :)

Also have pics from Part 2 of our mini vacation to Dinosaur World & Chaney's Dairy Barn. We were supposed to do several other things that sounded awesome, but the heat/humidity told hubby and I otherwise. We didn't want me to go in labor or get dehydrated. So, we cut the trip short, came home early and finished Camryn's room (all but the fun decorations!)

I am sure I have some pics stored somewhere that I've missed...but this is an idea of what we've been up to. I've been so busy taking pictures of my clients that I am a bit burned out to pick up a camera to take pics of my little girl. :( Hope that changes SOON!

Enjoy the slideshow!

Create a slideshow design

Brown County State Park: Part 1 of our mini vaca 2010

1st off: We absolutely LOVE our new mini van. We were so reluctant to go that route. Nearly bought a Tahoe, for the 2nd time in a year....but our main reason for getting rid of the trailblazer was the need for cargo space. After talking with some friends with kids that have Tahoes, we wouldn't be gaining a whole lot without having to take out the 3rd row and store it. So we decided to spend half as much money and have the 3rd row fold flat to the floor, add the 2nd row captains chairs and we have TONS of room to take trips in, especially to nonny's when the baby gets here. Bailey loves the ability to watch a dvd or stretch her legs after a potty break all done in the van! It will be perfect during icky weather AND on our big trip to Florida with our friends next spring/early summer!!!!. SO SO SO glad we got a mini van. I have now joined the club I said I would never join. LOL! :)

We decided to take a little road trip north to Brown County State park and stay at the Abe Martin Lodge. We got our indoor waterpark passes included with our room so we could not pass it up. Afterall, this trip is intended for Bailey. We were wanting to try and do some fun fun family things with her before Camryn arrives. Too bad, this can't be a bribe for good behavior when the baby gets here. You never know...Miss B might surprise us. Regardless, we still wanting to do some fun & affordable things with JUST her. So far on part 1 of the trip, she had a blast! Enjoy the slideshow! :)
We made some progress in the potty department. As she has been potty trained since November for #1, she would occassionaly go #2 on the potty. She went at the lodge and when we got home. On her own terms! I doubt it lasts, but we are still thrilled! She stayed dry the entire trip AND for the first time EVER was dry when she woke up our first morning at the lodge. No such luck the 2nd night as she coughed most of the night and we were all up from 3:30a-4:30a trying to get her to quit coughing. Finally, a dose of Benadryl & vicks on her feet did the trick then we ALL overslept our last morning there. Oh well, we obviously needed it. :)

PICTURES

Make your own picture slideshow

VIDEOS

Personalize a free photo slideshow

Spring/Early Summer Catch Up Slideshow!

Trying to do a little catch up: These are a compliation of pics from 1 of my computers. I'll have to work on a slideshow from my other computer. Organized? I use to be. I've been so incredibly busy the past few months it's unbelievable. I just need to learn the word, NO once in a while, and I probably would be ok. :)

It's been a rough go for all of my family on my mom's side. Mother's day weekend, my grandma fell and broke some ribs. After her hospitalization she was sent to Cypress for rehab. I was thrilled, one of my good OT friends works there & she's fantastic with alzheimer patients. My grandma hasn't taken the transistion very well to the alzheimer's unit...but who would? She has her good days and she has her bad-bad days. Then, last week, my grandpa ended up having an emergency surgery due to a hernia protruding through his bowel and rupturing it. The docs didn't appear to positive for his prognosis due to his age and the type of surgery he had, but all of the prayers from around the country and his strong will...he made it and is doing well, considering. He is super weak from his hospital stay and was transfered to Cypress today to get some rehab. The girls will love working with him!!! My uncle & aunt has been running and doing for my grandparents for months now. We are so thankful that he's been so caring & giving to do this for our family. Just hope he is taking good care of his own self!

We've done a little bit of everything the past few months...lots of play dates with Aubrey our neighbor, and Addie & Lydia good friends of ours. We've picked strawberries, flown kites, have been taking swim lessons for weeks now. The instructor says B has one of the best flutter kicks out of the other kids her age. The other types of kicks, are just average. :) She is a little water rat. LOVES to swim. We've gone fishing on daddy's boat, where she wrangled a fish with both hands and tossed it in the water before we knew what happened! Lucky she didn't get finned! I have video but don't want PITA knocking on my door. LOL.

Keenan has finished painting Camryn's room. Now we just need to decorate, clear out the "toy room aspect of it" YIKES...move Bailey's furniture to the baby's room and buy Bailey new furniture. UGH. lot of work!

I am just PROUD very PROUD to still be on my feet now at 28 weeks! With Bailey, at this point, I was already on bedrest for a MONTH! Very thankful at this point. My U/S have been great as well. My last appointment it measured at 6.0. The girl even had another girl come in to verify due to my history, she didn't trust her measurements! She said that my cervix is just as long as "most" pregnant women with no problems....Fantastic! I met with the specialist a month ago, and they are going to give me a steroid shot for the baby's lungs at 34 weeks. Then do an amnio on Aug 16 at 37 weeks to test baby's lungs. If they are ok, then they may deliver me that day, or wait a day or 2. They are not wanting me to go much past 37 weeks due to how many surgeries I have had--it puts me at risk for uterine abruption. We don't want that. All in all, this pregnancy is going great, I just have low blood pressure, making me a little dizzy upon standing at times. If I can get to 30 weeks (my goal) I will breath a huge sigh of relief! The baby will for sure be ok if born early. I am SOOO glad that I was proactive in my healthcare in getting the TAC up in Chicago last July. WHile the recovery was quite painful, it was MORE than worth it. I am sure some friends/family & probably my own doc thought I was a little nuts driving all the way up there to get a not so talked about surgery from a doc I never personally met...I had a feeling and I went with it. I knew if I didn't give this a try, we were not going to try and have anymore kids. This has been so worth it, and I just hope and pray I make it to 37 weeks. How awesome would that be? How awesome would it be to actually, get to hold my child after birth without her being whisked away to NICU..? Would love to be able to hold her and take her home within the normal amount of time for a c-section baby. REALLY hoping 3rd time is the charm, and Miss Camryn Reece will arrive in this world safe and sound! I've got amazing support from my close friends and family! It means a lot!

Enjoy the pics...will post the 2nd round soon!

Digital slideshow made with Smilebox