Wordless Wednesday

All About Baby Number 3

Sharing all about this sweet babe today!!

I'm getting flooded with questions. So many are curious about this little baby!! So I thought I'd answer a lot of questions on here.

How Are You Feeling: Miserable. Absolutely miserable. Unfortunately I am one of the unlucky ones who experiences horrific first trimesters....and beyond. I'm several weeks past my first trimester and still feeling nauseous every day. I typically do until the halfway mark so I'm just taking it day by day until fall gets here. This has been the longest summer ever. So much nausea, so much vomiting. I am beyond thankful for my sweet husband who has really stepped up to the plate and completely taken care of our boys, house and dogs. I have felt like the most useless mother, wife and house keeper these last few months and it's made me sad. I have an extremely heightened sense of smell, awful food aversions, headaches, all day nausea, and end my evenings throwing up what little I can manage to eat. All of my first trimesters have been rough but I would say this has been the worst to date. Medicines don't help me. I've tried them all. I have taken Bonjesta every day which has allowed me to have at least a few hours in the morning to feel like a normal person but after an early lunch it all goes downhill after that. I am also completely depleted of energy. I don't know if it's the Bonjesta (it has unisom in it) or that I have two other little guys to take care of, or the fact that growing a human is just hard work. Probably a combination of all. I am exhausted every day and so tired of feeling like a zombie. I said when I was pregnant with Bennett that I could never be pregnant again because of how hard it is on me. I really mean it this time. I know an amazing little person is the result of all of this but I honestly can never put myself through this again....not that I was planning on it anyway.

When Did You Find Out: June 11. It was the boys first day of summer school. I felt like I was getting my period that day so I didn't think anything of it. But as the day went on I started to wonder. My cycle is regular to the hour so with each passing hour I kept thinking about it more and more. I picked the boys up from school and went home to see if I had a pregnancy test. Sure enough I had one random test at home and decided to waste it (or so I thought) because I knew I wouldn't be able to stop wondering all day if I didn't. Fully expecting it to say nothing, a second line immediately appeared. My jaw dropped and I started shaking. I think I was in a daze the rest of the day.

How Did You Tell Scott: I was so scared and nervous to tell Scott for some reason. Looking back I'm not sure why. I waited all day to say anything and finally got my nerve up later that evening. He was in his office working. I sat down on the sofa and he turned around in his chair and started to tell me about everything he had on his plate and how stressed and overwhelmed he was. He said "I sense you're about to tell me something that's going to cause me even more stress." and I just nodded and said "I'm pregnant." He gasped the loudest gasp and covered his mouth with his hand and I just started crying. His response was "why are you crying???" It's such an odd feeling when you aren't planning for it. We hugged while I cried and Scott said "wow" about 48 times. We sat in shock for a while, then laughed at ourselves and finally Scott said "I guess this was just meant to be!"

Are You Not On BC: Okay kind of TMI but I'll go there. No, I'm not and I haven't been for about 8 years now. My cycles are like clockwork almost to the minute so it's always been very easy for me to keep track of everything. We have never not once had any concerns. I knew my ovulation was approaching but I figured it was far enough out to be okay. I mean, it always has been in the past!!! So when I got the positive pregnancy test it wasn't like "OMG how could this have even happened?" it was more like "wow.....that little sucker survived for a long time." And I did not ovulate early. I still remember the day it happened and thinking "yeah nothing's going to happen."

When Is Your Due Date: February 20. Since I've had both of my babies at 37 weeks though, we're already predicting and planning for this baby to be born at the very end of January!! I predict January 31. I will be 37.1 weeks. I went into labor with Campbell at 37.3 weeks and with Bennett at 37.2 weeks so 37.1 weeks follows the pattern! We shall see!!

Are You Excited: We are! It feels very surreal though and I still can't believe this is happening. Sharing our news made it feel more real. We have kept this a tight locked secret telling only immediate family and about 3 friends. I think we just needed a minute. I've also been too exhausted and sick to muster up any energy to tell anyone honestly. But we feel really lucky for this sweet blessing. I was never opposed to having three kids and even always said I wanted another but then I got really comfortable with just my two. Life is easier now than it has been in 4.5 years and now we're starting over!! I get totally overwhelmed sometimes when I think about it. But then I also see tiny little babies or baby stuff and I'm so glad that I get to have another one of those tiny little humans again. I picture our life in 10 and 20 years with our three boys and it makes me so happy that tears fill my eyes. I never, ever, ever imagined I would be a mom to three boys. Wow. I think Scott has already started a savings fund just for the amount of food we'll go through when they're teenagers. My only hope and wish is that they will all three be the absolute best friends. I think our family dynamic is going to be so fun with three boys and I trust in the Lords plan for this next adventure that awaits us!! I can't wait to hold this baby in my arms.

Grand Finale

We have a sweet little addition arriving early next year!!

We are adding another amazing little boy to our family!! I can't wait to share all of the details with you guys. I shared the news on social last night and have been overwhelmed with the love and also the messages!! Curious minds wanting to know all the info! I love that so many are interested in our sweet baby three. That's what we're calling him. Baby three. Hopefully we'll come up with a name before he arrives!!! I attempt to look but get overwhelmed and quit after about five minutes. Naming a person is so hard!! Anywho, I have been working on a post for a while with all of the FAQ's and I'm trying to answer them all. I wanted to post today but the day got away from me so come back tomorrow and I'll share all the details! XOXO!!

White Chicken Chili & Pretzel Hugs

It's been a while since I've shared some of my favorite recipes. I wanted to share two super simple (because if it's not simple I'm most likely not going to cook it) recipes with y'all today. This first one is actually in my slow cooker right now. I knew it was going to be rainy today and it's only 71 degrees which is crazy for August in Arkansas! When I was meal planning earlier this week I thought this sounded like the perfect meal to have for dinner tonight. I dropped the boys off at school today then came back home and threw the ingredients for this meal in my slow cooker. My house smells delicious right now! Slow cooker meals are seriously just the way to go. They make my life so much easier. This white chicken chili recipe is super simple and very yummy!! Click the link under the photo for the recipe.

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Another recipe (I mean I guess it's a recipe....it's so simple it almost seems silly to call it a recipe) that I love to have for a sweet treat are pretzel hugs. My sister-in-law made these last year for us to snack on during the holidays. I had never had them before and I couldn't stop eating them. They're so simple to make but beware because they're also so simple to just continue to pop in your mouth and before you know it you've had a dozen of them! Pretzel Hugs are perfect for parties, tailgates, holidays (you can use the seasonal M&M's to make them festive!) or if you just want to make some to have around the house for a little treat. Everyone will love them!

Pretzel Hugs

Wordless Wednesday

Bored.

Y'all. I don't think I have ever been bored, like I am now, since becoming a mom. I mean, who has time to be bored when you're a mom? Me! Apparently I do. It has been a long boring summer for us. I've tried to dig down and figure out why and it hit me. It's because of our move.
Don't get me wrong, I love our house. It's finished and decorated how I want and it feels like home. What we don't have anymore though is our neighborhood community. I know I frequently mentioned how much I loved our previous neighborhood. It was a place where everyone knew everyone. It was very social and friendly and I loved it. I knew leaving it would be the hardest part about moving. And it has been. Our neighborhood now is SO new. I would guess maybe 20 homes exist and they're all very spread out. It will grow and have hundreds of homes one day but that obviously takes time. So I basically feel like I have no neighbors and live in a construction zone. It kinda stinks honestly.
Whenever I was bored or needed some adult interaction, it was so easy to have that at my old neighborhood. I'd just walk outside. Someone was always outside walking their dog, in their yard, or playing at the park. I would be able to chat and pass the time away.
It makes you realize how important community is. It's good for your soul and mind. I'll get community back one day. My street in particular is filling up quickly and I think by this time next year it will feel so different. For now though, it's quiet and a little lonely. It's an adjustment for sure.

On a completely unrelated note: we always wash and change our sheets on Saturday or Sunday. We washed them this past Saturday night and when I crawled in them I mentioned to Scott that I wish I could have fresh clean sheets every single night. Now I wish I could take that statement back because, in fact, that "wish" has come true. Thanks to all types of spills and accidents, I have had to wash and change my sheets every single day this week. And I can't blame this all on the kids either. On Sunday morning I was laying in bed drinking my coffee and I spilled it everywhere. I was so frustrated at myself. Campbell said to me "it's okay Mommy, everyone makes mistakes." Ha. I love him.

First Day of School

Today was the boys first day back to school! I have been so excited for this school year for some reason. I just have a feeling that both of my boys are going to really enjoy their year. They were both SO excited to go this morning. They are normally slow pokes to get out of the door but they were anxious to hop in the car and head to school!

When we pulled into the school parking lot Campbell asked if he could go to his class first. I always like to drop Bennett off first because it's easier but I may have to just start taking Campbell first because he is always so ready to go to class to see his friends.

We took Bennett to his class and got him all settled. He was so excited. I was worried there may be a few tears since it's a new class with new teachers but there wasn't! He was happy to be there, walked in with a paci, Minnie, Daisy and his lunchbox. He handed his lunch to his teacher, gave me a kiss and that was that. Such a big boy! I was so proud of him.

Campbell walked into the preschool building, found his name over his backpack hanger, hung his backpack up, got his lunchbox and walked right into his class with a big smile. He turned around real fast and let me give him a big squeeze before he took off towards his best friend and immediately grabbed a bucket of toys to start playing.

When I picked the boys up I could immediately tell they'd had a great day! Unfortunately, Bennett had not one but two accidents at school! I was worried that would happen. I told the teachers when I dropped him off that when he's having fun he does not like to stop to use the potty and won't even act like he needs to. They said they kept putting him on the potty and he would just shake his head and say no. So he went through two pairs of shorts today. Sigh. I'm hoping Thursday will be better. Campbell told me he made a lot of new friends today but he doesn't know their names yet. His teacher said he did perfect tracing S on the white board which she thought was great since it's a hard letter. All in all, a great first day! I'm excited for this year and hope my boys learn a lot, have fun and make a lot of new friends!!

Last Friday of the Summer

Happy Friday! This is our last "summer" Friday because we start back to school on Monday! Woo Hoo!! I know I say it all the time but I love some routine to our weeks so I am so ready for school to start back. Next month my bible study starts back up so we will have a reason to be up and out of the house every morning three days a week which I love. I like having purpose to my days and a reason to get up and moving. Otherwise we just lounge around until 11:00 around here.

I know I should soak up this year because after this school year our lives will never be the same. Campbell will start kindergarten and life will feel so different. I am very sad at the thought of him not being home with us every day. I will miss him so much. I really think he is going to love kindergarten so I'm not so much worried about him as I am myself. I will without question cry the first day....week probably. Not just because my baby is growing up but also because we will have to get up so dang early!! Haha! It will be an adjustment for us for sure so for now I'm going to enjoy my boys going to pre-school just two days a week and hanging out with me the rest of the time. We'll take our lazy pajama mornings and boring days no matter how mundane they seem because we only have about 365 of them left before everything changes.

Preschool Open House

We had our open house/meet the teacher this morning. I was really looking forward to it. It's always fun to meet the teachers and see what friends are going to be in the same classes. Bennett is moving to the toddler 2 building which is nice simply because the previous building he was in was so. far. away. from Campbell's building. He will be in a more big boy class this year that will teach him colors, shapes, etc. I know he'll love it because he says to me all day long "momma, hat's that? (what's that?) while holding something or pointing to something. He's so curious to learn right now so I think he'll thrive in a learning type environment. His teacher seemed super sweet and has been there for 12 years with the two year olds. Bennett loved exploring his classroom and when we were leaving he said to one of the little girls "bye friend!" I'm so excited to see how much he will learn and grow this year. I know he will seem soooo much older by the end of the school year. This is such a big year of growth and I have a feeling it's going to be a great year for Bennett!

After Bennett's meet the teacher we walked to the preschool building to meet Campbell's teachers. Campbell has the same teacher this year that was in his bible study classroom last year so I love that they're both familiar with one another. However, the most exciting part of Campbell's new school year is that he is in the same class with his very best friend from last year. You just have no idea how happy that makes me (and Campbell!). They met last year and instantly clicked. Apparently they are stuck like glue at school so I am just so happy for them that they get to be in the same class together again. Campbell also has another one of his really good friends that was in his class last year too which makes me really happy. I love that he will have friends that are familiar to him and I'm excited for him to make some new friends this year too. I can't wait to see how much Campbell learns and grows this year. He learned so much last year and they really prepare them for kindergarten this year so I know he's going to see a lot of growth this year and I'm excited for him. Campbell loves school and I hope he focuses on his learning but also has so much fun too.

I can't believe that this is going to be Campbell's last year here. He has been going since he was 10 months old so it's a really special place for us. We have not had one single complaint about this program and have absolutely loved every aspect of it. My boys are so loved by the teachers and their school days are their favorite days. I'm excited for another awesome year for my boys and I pray that they love this year as much as they have their previous years.

Jumping for joy that school starts next week! So excited!!

Wordless Wednesday

Big Changes, Big Boys

Well hello there! Long time no see. I took a (much needed) summer blogging break.....and kind of a break from life in general. We've just been chillin' and enjoying our last days of summer before starting back into our routine next week. I was in Little Rock for most of last week with the boys. We needed a little change of scenery and it was so nice. We got home last night and I'm spending my week prepping for the boys to go back to school. I am SO ready for some routine to our day. We have enjoyed our summer but are beginning to get quite bored around here so it will be nice to have some purpose to our week again.

Bennett is good and potty trained. He has had an accident here and there but I would say he's got it down about 95% of the time. It took Campbell about a month for him to get it down 100% so I'm expecting Bennett will be the same. He wakes up the majority of the time with a dry diaper from his nap and in the morning. If he keeps this up another month I'm going to drop the diapers completely.
Campbell experienced a big boy change himself within the last few weeks. He has 100% dropped his finger sucking habit. Campbell has sucked on his right, two middle fingers his entire life. Any time he was still (riding in the car, watching TV, falling asleep, etc) those fingers were in his mouth. I approached him a few months ago about breaking the habit and he bawled his eyes out. But two weeks ago I mentioned it again and he was ready! I bought some stuff to put on his fingernails that is supposed to make them taste horrible. It must really taste bad. I put it on his fingernails and kissed him goodnight then ran to look at the monitor to see what he was doing. When I got the monitor turned on, he was wiping his tongue on his blanket. Hahaha! So I took him some water so he could get the taste out of his mouth and he literally never stuck his fingers in his mouth again after that. I am beyond shocked at how easy that was. It's so strange, honestly, to see him being still and not have his fingers in his mouth but I'm so proud of him for adjusting to his lifelong habit so quickly and easily. I would have done that a while ago if I had known how easy it would have been!
So we've had two big changes in our household the last couple of weeks. My boys are growing up. I'm proud of them for doing so well with their adjustments!! Hoping we enjoy and soak up our last full week of summer before school starts back for us!