Protector

When we were first married, I felt like Shonn didn't show enough emotion or get impacted by things as much as I did, and it bothered me!  I wanted to know why he didn't get upset when things happened.  I have come to find out that wasn't (and isn't) true at all. Instead, Shonn doesn't show his emotions to me because he wants to be strong so I can be weak. :)  I learned this after our first dog, Sophie, died.  

Sophie was such an angel - for those of you who knew her, you remember how true that was!  I had my little blond cocker spaniel through a lot of transitions, and she was the most loving, loyal, and consistent companion for me when things weren't that consistent otherwise.  I really believe God gave her to me just when I needed her most!  

Shonn and I were both teaching in Shelbyville and I was chaperoning a dance when Shonn came to pick me up one night.  I'll never forget him saying, "I have to tell you something, and I want you to be okay.  It isn't good.  Sophie isn't good."  He held my hand and I cried even thinking about losing her.  When we got home that night, she was in the garage, and he was right - she wasn't good.  I picked her up and held her in my lap on a white chair in our living room.  And I cried.  I loved her so much that it makes me cry even telling this story.  But it's an important story to tell, because Shonn stayed right there with me.  Did he love Sophie? Yes.  But mostly because he knew how much I loved her.  

He went to the vet with me the next day and he held my hand and hugged me and again, was strong, as I said goodbye.  It was horrible.  When we got home, he dug a grave for her, and when I was ready, we said our goodbyes.  I fell apart, and again, he was strong. 

Months later, I asked him how he could stay so strong during such a heart-wrenching experience, and he shared with me that while he dug the grave, while I wasn't there, he wasn't strong.  But when I was around, he didn't show emotion because he wanted me to have someone to lean on and depend on.  I loved him before that day, but even more afterwards.  

Many times since that experience, which was in the first year of our marriage, I have wondered, "Why isn't he upset about this, too?"  Then I remind myself of the strong man who held my hand when I needed it and cried over the grave of my sweet Sophie when I wasn't watching.

I am so lucky.

29!

Little Mister was too busy "writing ABCDs" to pose today.

We are 29 weeks with tentative c-section in 10 weeks. It is going so fast!

Here is what baby center had to say this week:

Your baby's very active now. Your caregiver may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let him or her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.

Some old friends – heartburn and constipation – may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which can in turn cause gas and heartburn – especially after a big meal – and contribute to constipation as well.

Some women get something called "supine hypotensive syndrome" during pregnancy, where lying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. You might note that you feel light-headed if you stand up too quickly, too. To avoid "the spins," lie on your side rather than on your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.


Luckily, I have avoided most of this stuff, although I do get lightheaded sometimes. Overall, I feel great!

Hardworking Hubby

I am so thankful to have a husband that has such a great work ethic!  Shonn is really doing well with his business and it's because he is such a hard worker (and creative and smart).  Monday and Tuesday of this week, he got up by 5:00 a.m. to get ready, take the truck in to be serviced, and get to Springfield for a certification program that will help him grow the business and do more with it.  He was there all day long, and then, instead of staying at his parents' house, which is only a short drive from Springfield, he drove all the way back home to spend time with us.  On Monday night, he had dinner with us and then went out to the office and worked on some paperwork before coming in.  On Tuesday night, after another full day of testing and seminars, he came home and installed additional things in Baby's closet!  And he always does these things without complaining.  I feel so lucky to have someone who does so much for our family!  (Not to mention that when he isn't home in the mornings, I realize how much he does to help get Beckett ready!)

PS) He passed 4 tests with amazing scores, when most people get 60% right, if they are lucky. He got 96%!

Homemade Yum

For dinner tonight, the boys made homemade pizza. It was delicious and fun!

Beckett helped spread the sauce by thinning it out.

He loves olives, so only about half of them ended up on the pizza.

We added an extra layer of pepperoni on top of the cheese.  We made it into an H for Hild, home, house, hat, happy, and any other h words we could think of.

Shonn also made homemade Oreo milkshakes. Amazing!  I think our whole family is enjoying this pregnancy. :)

Favorite Things Party

Last night, Allison hosted a Favorite Things party.  There were 12 girls who each brought five of their favorite things under $6, along with a favorite dessert or appetizer.  We spent the first hour chatting, laughing, and catching up, and then we swapped favorite things.  Each girl drew 5 names and then explained what they brought as a favorite thing.  The five names they drew each got one of their items, and the last person drawn got to go next.  It was so fun, and we all left with five new favorites.  Allison did a great job hosting and decorating for everything, as usual!  I didn't take too many pics, but here are a few.

This was the "Swag Bag" everyone put their goodies in.  You can see some Chi hairspray peeking out of mine, along with a new Voluminous mascara, two of the items I got to take home. 

There were five tables full of goodies, and here is a picture of one of the tables. You can see lip gloss (Ingrid), coconut oil in a jar (Jen), anti-bac with Starbucks gift cards (Heather), Subway art (Ally), water bottles (Tara), embroidered holiday dish towels (me), and little bags (Lindsey).  Some other things were hairspray (Jayme), a collapsable vase (Emily)...and I can't remember the others right now.

Lindsey brought Maybelline Baby Lips and China Glaze polish in Sexy Lady.

Beth brought two bottles of anti-bac soap.

Allison made Subway art with the artwork included for spring, summer, fall, and winter. (Plus a cute magnet) 

Name that Dino!

Beckett has been really into dinosaurs lately.  I got a few books at the library and the Disney movie Dinosaur, and then today, Mee Maw did a cool Stegosarus craft with him.  She also brought these really neat mini dinosaurs that get bigger when you add water.  Beckett was taking them all out and naming them - Stegosaurus, T-Rex, Brontosaurus, and Triceratops.  He did it a few times and then I tried to get some of it on video.  He amazes me!  I'm sure all moms feel that way.  <3 p="">

Picasso

Beckett drew on the chalkboard this morning and here he is pointing out the "walls" he made just on top of the "abcd"s and "efelant".

The medicine is working! Eyes are much better!

28 weeks!

Beckett looks adorable in this picture, so I had to post it. :)

28 weeks today, and we had an ultrasound to see baby girl's growth.  Oh my!  She is such a little person!  It was amazing - we saw her heart working, all of her bones, and we even got to see her blink!  The doctor was wonderful - she said, "Your baby is the most photogenic baby I've seen."  I told Shonn I didn't care if she did tell every person that, I believed her! :)  She also called her by name throughout the ultrasound, which I thought was so sweet.  She said everything looks beautiful and that she doesn't have any concerns.  Baby girl is measuring about a week ahead and weighs 3 pounds.  :)

We have another ultrasound at 32 weeks (less than 4 weeks away!) and we will have an echocardiogram down at that point, too.  That appointment is in Effingham, so we will get some good 3D pictures to post.  

I have pictures of the baby, but I need to scan them and then I'll update.

Here is what Baby Center says about 28 weeks:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Eye Update

Wednesday morning - eyes are still really sad.  He is so sweet, though, and still as happy as can be. He takes his eye drops really well and just wants to snuggle!

Sad Eyes, Happy Boy

Well, some bad news today... We woke up and Beckett's right eye was really seeping and swollen.  I knew right away he must have picked up the pink eye bug from his buddies.  He didn't sleep well last night, so I had a feeling something was up.  The sad eye was confirmation.  Shonn took him to the doctor today, and she confirmed: pink eye with the added bonus of an ear infection.  SAD.  Shonn raved about our doctor, Amy Leifheit, who is so loving (she told Beckett "I love you, sweetie!") and patient.  Beckett wasn't quite as enthusiastic, greeting me with, "Doctor cry. Cry doctor."  Shonn said he just wanted to watch the fish in the aquarium in the waiting room and wasn't happy about leaving them. I asked B why he cried and he said, "Scared."  SAD!  But he did really well and Shonn treated him to a s-h-a-k-e on the way home.  (He treated his wife to a b-l-i-z-z-a-r-d, too. XO)

But Beckett was as happy as can be tonight.  My mom said he was cuddly this morning, but they still did a cute Valentine's Day craft, wrote letters for his mailbox, and read his new books "at least 10 times each".  She said he was telling her what the dinosaurs were, and on one page she said, "Triceratops," to which Beckett replied, "No. Stegasaurus."  HAHA!  Dad said Beckett was going to teach them about the dinosaurs.  So since the guys were on their way home behind me and I had a few extra minutes, I stopped at the library and got a few more dino books and the Disney movie Dinosaur.  I wanted to treat him with a super-fun night since he isn't feeling well. Shonn went to a basketball game, so I had a couch date with my little man: we read a few dino books (on every page, he would ask, "Name is?"), ate popcorn and gummy bears, and then watched about 25 minutes of the dino movie. It was fun, and he was very interested.

He did really well with the "eye candy" drops, and was smiley and his usual sunny self tonight. If only we could all be as happy - what a different world it would be!

Sad eyes, but happy boy in the bath.  He was splashing Mommy and laughing hysterically.

Elmo PJs make everything better!  

Monday Funday

My mom met Beckett and I at about 8:30 this morning for a trip to Champaign and lunch in Tuscola.  I needed to get a shower gift and go to Sam's for some basics.  Beckett was up late last night and early this morning, so I had a feeling he would be a little sleepy.  I made breakfast at home (his favorite - "potatoes"), we got bundled up, and headed out. He fell asleep on the way, so I ran into Sam's while he and mom stayed cozy in the warm car.

Then we went to Hobby Lobby (Beckett calls it "Holly Bobby"), Barnes and Noble, and Toys R Us.  Beckett got some new books - his favorite! - and we could have spent the entire day there, reading all the books!  As it was, we ready probably 25!

Then we went to Tuscola to meet my bestie, Maria, and her wonderful mom, Cathy, for lunch!  We love this little place in Tuscola called the Soda Shoppe (actually, I can't remember what it's actual name is - HA!).  We've been there a couple of times now, and they have homemade desserts and candy, along with a great menu of lunch items. Beckett picked out gummy bears and a chocolate fish for Daddy.

It was SO good to see Maria and catch up!

When we got home, we took a nice nap!  Then I made dinner and we got out Beckett's new books to read. I also got him a little mailbox for the playroom.  (Melissa and Doug stuff is awesome!)   He wrote a letter to his two Mee Maws and drew a picture for Daddy.  I wrote him a letter and we "mailed" them all.  I think he will have fun with the mailbox because he loves talking about Daddy getting the mail. :)

Now, he's sleeping next to me, all snuggled up!  It was a great day. :)

Apple Turnovers and Moncials

Beckett and I had a really relaxing, fun day yesterday!  Shonn finished painting the baby's room (He did an awesome job - YAY!) and then went hunting with my dad and my brother.

Color preview - nothing is in place yet, but I love how the yellow turned out with the bunting!  Not sure where I am going to hang it...

Bathroom color preview with a sweet night light.  

After his 3 (!) hour nap, we went to Monicals for lunch and enjoyed some pizza and "oli".  Mee Maw Hild sometimes makes ravioli for lunch and Beckett loves it.  He often gets in the pantry to pull out the can and ask if we can have some.

Lunch date!  He loves drawing on placemats in restaurants. This is a funny picture because I tried that iPhone reverse picture feature, so he was pretty fascinated by the ability to see us in Mommy's phone.

Shonn thought enchiladas sounded good for dinner, so Beckett and I picked up a few supplies at the grocery store.  He said hi to everyone in the store, and we talked about lots of different foods.  We spent a lot of time in the produce section, and surprisingly, he wanted me to carry him about halfway through. That never happens because he loves pushing the little carts so much.

When we got home, we had fun cooking!  Beckett rolled the enchiladas and then helped make dessert.  We used an old family recipe for homemade apple sauce (kind of like fried apples at Cracker Barrel) and then filled cinnamon-sugar coated croissants with the filling and baked them.  Easy, fun, and yum!

After we mixed it up, Beckett took a bite of the cinnamon-sugar  mix and said, "MM. Delicious."  He took another bite, and said, "MM. Tasty."  Then I had to remind him we were dumping it on the apples.  He said, "FUN! Make pie!"  

Jack and the Beanstalk

When we were playing outside last week, Beckett loved climbing his ladder and going down the slide.  We probably did it ten times.  Once, while climbing, he reminded me of what a great memory he has...He was climbing like Jack climbed the beanstalk. :)

Worms, Worms, Worms!

It was so nice out last Friday that we were able to spend some time outside!  We searched for worms in puddles and played on the swingset.  It was a lot of fun!

When we came inside, we made dirt dessert.  Beckett was great with the mixer, and we ended up making several desserts that involved using the mixer this weekend.  (He has a little play one, which he likes, but he really prefers Mommy's loud one.)

Artsy B

We did a couple of fun art projects last weekend, and even got to use the smock the Bleichs got Beckett.  He loved painting and wanted to use his hands.  The brush wasn't quite as efficient. :)  I need to find some finger paints.

The other project I got from one of my teacher's classrooms - we colored coffee filters with marker and then (B's favorite) sprayed them with the water bottle to make the color run and blend.  At the end they looked like watercolor.  He wanted to make one for Daddy, "Two Meemaws", "Papa" and "Grandpa". He has just started to differentiate between the Papa's by sometimes calling Jim Grandpa.

It was lots of fun!

25 weeks!

Well, we have skipped a few weeks in our pregnancy counting!  I can't believe 4 weeks have gone by! The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were insanely busy and hectic at school, so I think I just let time go by without marking it, and Shonn was very VERY busy with a large landscaping project, too.  In fact, the other day, he asked me, So are we like 22 weeks now?  That's when I realized we had let the pictures slide! :)  Beckett loves picture day because he gets to "color!" on the chalkboard with Mommy.

I am really feeling baby girl grow...She is pretty high, so sometimes it is hard to catch my breath.  I know it seems really early for that, especially because I didn't have that feeling with Beckett at all.  But this pregnancy is so much different than his, which everyone reminds me is the case with most pregnancies.  I am really loving feeling her move, which is frequently and gaining in intensity.  I can see her movements from the outside now, and Beckett got to feel her "kick", too!  We were sitting on the couch reading, his back against my stomach, when she started moving.  I said, "Can you feel sissy saying hi?" and he said, "Sissy KICK!"  It was so cute.  :)  Shonn hasn't felt her move yet, though...probably because Beckett is between us most of the time!

I got the results from my glucose screening: NORMAL.  Yay!  Shonn called me from home when the results arrived so I could celebrate by eating some sugar. (He knows me too well!)  I have another appointment tomorrow (Friday, at 25 & 1/2 weeks) to make up for the appointment I left over break.  Let's hope I don't have to wait 2 hours!

Here is what Baby Center has to say about 25 weeks.

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Big Boy Bed!

On Monday morning, Shonn and I worked on moving a new bed into Beckett's room and the crib into Baby Girl's room. While that sounds like two simple moves, there were quite a few steps that went into the process.  Beckett loves climbing into his new bed...we'll see about sleeping in it! :)