Love Our Life Group

Chris and I are blessed to be a part of an amazing life group. We meet usually every other week to join in a marriage lesson designed by my senior pastor. It is such an amazing lesson that we have gone through it once already and decided to start over again. What I love about the group, second to the food (amazing pot luck every time) is the fellowship and growth we gain from each other. I think we learn more about marriage, communication and our relationships from hear each others experiences then we do from the lesson itself.

Well around the holiday's we try to do something different with the group, something fun and memorable. Last year we went to a famous Christmas Lights Trail. This year we enjoyed a bonfire and hayride. Loved it all.

Bling Bling ... Ouch!!!

I tried for so long to resist posting this video but I feel this moment is just to precious not to share with my friends and family.

Sorry Chris ... Fé will still love you.



And the finished product: beauty!!!

New Home and Harvest

From the title you can see this post is going to be filled with a lot of fun updates.

First off, we have finally and officially moved into a new home. All boxes have been unpacked and the rooms are all situated. We have all made ourselves very much at home. Here are a few picks of the home. Missing some picks of the awesome space downstairs in the basement at least you get a good idea of where we are now.

 We also got to share some good family time over the harvest weekend. We visited a local farm for some pumpkin patch picking and other farm fun activities. Ty had a blast with the baby goats (kids) and the pumpkin train ride.

And then we all had the opportunity to attend the annual Harvest Festival together as a family. Ty loved being Buzz Lightyear so much he is still asking to wear the costume.

Love, 

pchanner

A Prayer For the Ladies

Dear God, This is my friend whom I love and this is my prayer for her. Help her live her life to the fullest. Please cause her to excel above her expectations. Help her to shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love. Protect her at all times, lift her up when she needs You the most, and let her know when she walks with You, she will always be safe.

In Jesus Name!


Amen!

Tys New Sleep Time Companion

Yesterday Ty had a very special friend fly all the way to his house. They had first met briefly at Toys R US this weekend. We realized during the departure that if we did not ask him to come to the house to live with us we would be the worse parents ever.

Giving God My All

There is no denying the awesome amazing power of Gods works shown in my families life. If you don't know do a quick walk through of this blog and you will find Him all over.

I am realizing now that it is about time that I give back to God all of me. The different ways I hope to give back.

Prayer.

Daily Reading.

Fasting.

Serving.

Don't misunderstand me though. My decision to do these don't somehow make God better or bigger or somehow make up for the blessing He has given us.

No! It is my focused actions in making me a better vessel to be used by Him to be a blessing to others. He's blessed me through others and now it is my turn to be available and ready to be used by God to bless others.

We Are Moving!!!

I am so thankful that my family decided that we were going to serve the one and only truly amazing God! A God who knows how to move mountains and perform jaw dropping miracles.

For a few weeks Chris and I have been prayerfully seeking an opportunity to upgrade our living situation to accommodate our expanded family. We know one day the kids would want rooms of their own. Sharing with a boy who has cooties is unacceptable for a princess of Fé's magnitude.

Well God worked his wonders ones more time in our lives. He opened up doors for us to move into a home that is again (similar to our current pad) owned by a family that we know, love and trust.

And when I say that this house is amazing, I am not doing it enough justice. It is one of the most adorable and spacious homes I can say I have ever lived in. It has more storage space and living space then we have furniture to fill. And the yard space is ....

( this big )

Once we get in a get settled we are going to share some pictures but wanted to just let you know the news.

Hairy Situation

One of the main fears and concerns I had about having a baby girl was the unavoidable time when their hair becomes long enough to need to brush and tame. Well lucky me for being a follower of a Lord with a huge sense of humor my daughter Fé was born with a full head of hair. We have already experienced of share of tearful mornings trying to get her hair presentable. I wise'd up this week and picked up some baby de-tangler. So far so good. On day two and so far tear free and smelling like strawberries.

Ty's First Sleepover

I am so happy to announce that last night Ty successfully survived his very first sleep over with his best friend Judah. Chris and I had some stuff to take care of last night and this morning and we were trying to figure out how to get things accomplished smoothly with a toddler running around. I passed by Lauren in the hall way and just suggested the idea. Praise Jesus she didn't run away screaming!!! Thanks Lauren.

And in the typical Ty like fashion when we arrived at their house he promptly made himself at home playing with Judah, Charlie and the chu chu trains. So much so to the point that when I was trying to leave he paid absolutely no attention to me.

Of course as always I did more worrying and fretting then he would even care to know about. He did great. They even slept in the same room and fell asleep about the same time they normally would. I did get a morning report saying that around 3 am he did wake up and call for mommy but by the time Lauren arrived to consul him he was already back to sleep. I guess waking up and finding his best friend in the room was comforting enough.

I just wish I had a camera on him the whole time just to see all the fun he was having.

On the other hand Chris and I were in pieces in the house without him. We both stood by his bed briefly and just stared for a moment at the emptiness. Yes we are sad.

My Son Makes Me Super Happy/Proud...

Allow me to tell you how awesome my son is and how proud he makes me. I have watched this kid of of mine grow and I am just amazed at how smart he is. He's in the stage of asking questions which is just adorable. He's not straight out asking you a question, it's whenever you ask him to do something, he would ask this, with a very high inflection. Or he'd repeat just the last bit of what you asked, with that high inflection. It is the cutest.

Anyways, last Friday, he had to go to the doctor to get some blood drawn. Nothing's wrong, it's just apart of his 2 year check up. Oh, the best part is that I got the wonderful pleasure of carring him. I think I was more nervous than he was. He has never had to have any blood drawn before, so immediately I was like, is he going to be ok? How's he going to react?

We got to the lab, and signed in and waited. Finally we were called, and because I am a very protective dad, I start dropping questions about everything possible to the front desk person. I am thankful she wasn't annoyed by me and my questions. Although, after the fourth or fifth question, she just said that the tech would be able to answer all of my questions. Fine. I can handle that. At this point, Ty is not at ease at all. He just doesn't like anything resembling a doctor's office. We sit down the room, and in walks the tech. Ty is watching every move he makes. Watching everything he's doing.

The tech walks me thru everything that was going to be done. And so we started. Ty wasn't so happy that he was being stuck with the needle. He cried, well, there were no tears, and once he saw the blood moving, his attention was focused on that. After that the tech gave him a sticker. But wait, not just any sticker, a Buzz Lightyear sticker! At that point, all was right with the world.

After that, to celebrate my son's bravery, we went to the mall to ride the cho-cho. Another big deal. He even got a chance to sit in the front and ring the bell and sound the horn. To top the cake, we then spent some time in the play ground area. He got a chance to run and play with some other kids and just burn some energy.

Every evening when I get home, I make it a point to just sit him in my lap and just hug him and kiss him and tell him how proud I am of him and who much mommy and dada loves him. I think he knows.

Double Dose of Goodness

Today we had scheduled doctor visits for both Ty and Fé. Big boy Ty's 2 year check up and Fé's 4 month check up. Happy to say both kids are doing great and very healthy.

Ty my man is now up to the 75% for his weight at 30.5 pounds and still in the 97% for his height at 37 inches. Big boy. He is already wearing all 2T and some 3T clothing. The 3T are just slightly big, but most pants at that age have the adjustable waist so we can make them work if we have to.

Fé my big lady bug is growing just as fast and strong as she can. She all around is at the 75% for her age. Weighing in at 14 pounds 13 oz and 25 inches long. She is progressing wonderfully and even trying to sit up on her own already. If there is something beside her she is good but on her own she will tumble over eventually.

Oh and I must say that both did phenomally well with their shots. Ty made little whines here and there but no real crying at all. Even the flu mist in the nose went over very well. Fé received 3 shots and the first two she barely even blinked at, the third was a little more intense but that little cry she did lasted only about 10 seconds. After that she was giggling once again. Now she is out like a light.

Family Update

Okay guys I know it has been months but we are all doing great. Today is TY's BIRTHDAY ... yeah. Our big boy is two years old now. So excited! We have a fun party planned at the Little Gym for him.

Things have been moving and shaken around here. Fé is already 4 months old it is amazing. You should just see her little personality shine already. She has a smile that would stop traffic and a squeal that is like music to my ears. She is a pro at sleeping in her own bed in the kids room and only wakes up once (okay sometimes twice) at night.

Ty received his first major booboo this week. He fell running and playing with daddy and scrapped his knee. He is okay now, healing physically and emotionally well but he loves to show it off to everyone he sees. It is almost like he is proud of his battle wound.

Sibling Quality Time

There is just something special to a parent when you look at your children and smile cause they are just doing something so sweet. We know for a fact that Ty just simply love his sister. At every moment when Fé cries, he is right there trying to find out what's the matter. He also wants to hold her every chance he can get, and he's been getting more holding time. We think he's getting it how to hold hold her. We know he's only 20 months so we take care to always shadow him.

Also, we really try to not block him out. What we mean by this is that whenever one of us is with Fé, the other is with Ty. We think it's working pretty well. We noticed also that Ty is developing his own sense of independence. Sometimes he would just go into his room and play with something in there. Or sometimes he would drag it out into the living room.

All in all, we can't wait till Fé is old enough to play with her big brother, because I feel so bad constantly having to tell Ty to be gentle. I know he is just excited about his sister and want to play with her. Oh, and this weekend, our Lil Princess is 1 month old! Oh how the time has flown by. She has her doctor's appointment next week. I am so curious to know how she has grown.

That's all for now. So later.

Let The Workout Begin

We have passed the two week mark and I have decided that it is time to begin whipping myself back into shape. I am starting out small by doing a few simple work pits in the Xbox360 Kinetic. We have Zumba, Your Shape Fitness Evolved and Dance Revolution. So I should have a good work out routine for several weeks. We also have the nice lake behind the house I can walk around a few times.

Will keep you posts on my progress. Now real results to report yet.

Our Growing Lil' Princess...

It's been a little over 2 weeks now since Fé was born. Yesterday, Fé went for her check up at the pediatrician and because I missed it, I waited earnestly for the reports of how our Lil' Princess was progressing. I think every parents at these check ups, just really want one thing, wanting their little one just to be healthy.

Glad to say that the reports were all good. We will check back in like a month to show Fé's progress report. Here it is as it stands at 2 weeks:

Born April 30th,2011 @ 5:03pm
Birth length: 20inches
Birth weight: 6lbs 14oz
Wk 1 weight: 6lbs 10oz
Wk 2 Weight: 8lbs

I just want to point out the weight gain from week 1 to week 2. Wow! Ty's week 2 to week 3 gain was 6lbs 7oz to 7lbs 8oz. I think Fé is really giving her big brother a run. One thing for sure is that Fé is quite the eater. She definitely has an appetite. Now, if only we can get her on a regular sleeping schedule. She tends to sleep more in the day and eat and naps at night which is really hard on Phil.

Well, I will always ask to keep us and the family in your prayers.

ESTEEM ONE ANOTHER

Okay so almost every one of our family posts have revolved around our children. However I wanted to change things up and share a devotion I read today which made me think of my relationship with Chris. After seven years of marriage it is so tempting to relax and take each other for granted. Reading this words gave me a nice wake up call and reminded me just how much I need to daily honor and esteem my wonderful husband.

EPHESIANS 5:2

Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savior.  (KJV)

Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  (KJV)

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S VERSE

We don’t often hear the world esteem used very much in our culture, but the Bible tells us to esteem and delight in one another. One definition of esteem is to hold in high regard. That means we are to honor and value one another. And you may not always agree with everyone around you. They may not always act honorably, but we are to honor and esteem people because they are valuable in the eyes of God. If you had a very costly and valuable piece of jewelry, you wouldn’t just wear it to the gym or leave it on the kitchen sink.  No, you would treat it carefully.  You would put it in a safe place and protect it.  When we see others as valuable, the way God sees them; we should treat them carefully as well.  We should watch how we talk to other people.  We should look for the good in others and honor them for who God made them to be. The Bible tells us that the way we treat others is like sowing seeds, and it will come back to you.  Choose to esteem and delight in one another. Sow good seeds, and you will see a harvest of blessing in your own life in return!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, today I choose love. I choose to honor the people around me. Help me to see the value in others the way You see the value in me. Help my actions and words to esteem and delight in others so that I can be an example of Your love and light. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.


Ever Growing, Ever Loving and Ever Caring Channer Family

Twins?

Here we are a little over a week, and Ty and Fé are just the cutest things. Both Phil and I was looking at Fé's pictures that were taken a day after she was born and some of the ones we took and we noticed, oh my goodness, both Ty and Fé could pass for twins. They look so much alike at 1 week old, it's like wow! Below is a picture of Ty at 1 week and Fé at 1 week.

What do you think?
















They are definitely siblings.

Oh the Pain

I wrote just a few days ago about how much my labor hurt. Oh it was an intense process that I will never forget. I thank God for my amazing husband. His assistance, support and protection contributed 100% in my ability to survive the process. A few times I had thrown in the towel and just wanted to give up. But his strengh and coaching brought me through. God worked an amazing miracle through Chris this weekend and I love him more today than ever for it.

However I have discovered a new pain. Apparently they weren't joking when they said the after pains you can experience with baby two are more frequent and strong then with your first. I can faiguly remember having postpartum contractions with Ty but nothing to write about. This time ... Ooh My. Some of the contractions I am feel post labor are just as bad as actual labor. And they only intensify when I am breastfeeding Fé.

I was getting nervous so I checked out some info online and found out that not only is it normal but expected and good for you. So I just have bit down hard and fight through the pain for now.

Ty's New Role...

One of the questions we get asked a lot since Fé was born is how is Ty handling Fé's birth?

It's a very fair question. I am happy to report that Ty is taking the new role as big brother very well. For a while now, we have been slowly changing Ty's world to include Fé. It started with us talking more and more about Fé and where Fé was, in mommy's tummy. Then we added her car seat in the care with him. So he would get used to the idea that Fé will be sitting in the back seat with him. Then, we started rearranging his room, since they will be sharing the room for the first couple years. We changed his bed to his big boy bed. We started decorating his side of the room and Fé side of the room. And so on. All this to say, that when Fé was born, Ty was, and still is, very excited to see Fé.

I sit down with him every now and then, talking with him and just telling him that he is a big brother now and needs to watch and protect his little sister and help mommy and daddy. I think he's getting it. This morning when Phil was changing Fé and she started crying, he ran from the living room into the bed room, and with this look of concern, he proceeded to stroke her hair and hold her hand. It was touching. He also loves getting a chance to hold her.

I think Ty is doing just great in his new role. How long will this last? We'll see when they are both screaming for mommy or daddy because they are in each others rooms. The anticipation is killing me :)

Fé's Grand Entrance

I am so excited to share with you that our little lady bug has finally made her grand entrance into the world of the breathing. She couldn't have chosen a more beautiful day. Let me start my story first thing in the morning.

I woke up just a little after seven o'clock in the morning to a full bed. Ty, the little monkey he is, woke up and needed to come join us. I laid there for a bit enjoying their snoring symphony then finally remembered that the day before we were having some nice contractions and that we were getting closer. So many people that I work with claimed baby Fé would come this weekend so I was very hopeful. While laying there I had one contraction but then throughout the morning again they were coming very sporadic. So once everyone woke up we all agreed a walk was in order, especially Ty.

We walk to the park down the road and on the way there had contractions every 3-4 minutes, very good pattern. We let Ty play on the play ground for a bit as I continued to walk and contract around the play ground. They started to get more intense so we decided it was time to head back home to call the midwife and see if we should head in. She confirmed so I headed to the shower while Chris confirmed all the stuff we needed were in the car. Ty fell asleep so we had Chris' parents meet us at the house to hang with him till he woke up and they could all join us at the hospital. After a quick tuna sandwich we headed out.

Praise Jesus on the way to the hospital I only had one contraction. So glad the hospital is so close to our home. When we got in and got checked we were already at 6 cm. We got monitored for about 30 minutes before being moved the actual room in which Fé would be born. Once we were situated the contractions started to really come harder and more frequent. I will be completely honest, no matter how much I know I wanted to have a natural delivery, each contraction I experienced made me seriously consider the logic behind that decision. To the point where one of the last contractions I experienced I was yelling at Chris that I needed an epidural right now and how much this hurt far more than when I delivered Ty.

I can vividly remember the intense pain of the last contraction when I knew that she was ready to come. The pressure was so crazy I felt the bottom half of my body was going to fall off. I told the midwife I think she is ready and we moved on to the bed. She checked me over and said yes it was time to push. My water hadn't broken yet so she got the tools ready for that but just as she was going to do break it, it broke all on its own. But then the fun really started because I had the strong urge to push and couldn't stop. Poor thing, she kept trying to get me to listen to her and focus and slow down, but my body just took over and I couldn't stop anything. Three quick uncontrollable strong pushes and out came first partial head, then her whole head, then her whole body. It all happened so fast I don't think she was able to fully say ... stop pushing.

And Fé was born. She was quiet for a minute then she started exercising those lungs of hers. Chris got to cut the cord. Oh side note, the cord was wrapped around her neck once but it didn't have any effect on her at all. She has been feedding like a champ, having great diaper changes and passing all her test.

Thankfully, Chris and I get to go home in just 24 hours after her birth which is soon. So we are packing up and getting ready to go home.

I Am Ready

Okay so honestly, when I say I am ready ... I really mean that I am tired of waiting.

I knew that once I started to believe that Fé would be here early like Ty that things would change. I am starting to understand now that not only is she not coming early but I truly believe that we will make it to her due date or further.

The past few days I have been having contractions on and off and would slightly get my hopes up. I have a contraction tracking app on my cell phone that would show the 5-6 in a hour and it would keep up for a few hours and then ... nothing.

Now I have given up and not even bother to track.

When she is ready she will come. There is nothing I can do that will help move this process along. Sure you can do a lot of research on-line on different things you can do ... don't waster your time. Your just going to frustrate yourself and those around you.

I am ready to see baby Fé. To hold her and change her diapers and feed her. But she isn't ready for me yet. I will have to wait.

Week 39...Drum Roll Please....

Week 39!

Can you feel the excitement? We are at T minus 7 days to go. I do believe we might be in for the long run with Fé. Fé is still sitting cozy in Phil and loving on mommy. Last week Friday and Saturday, she psyched us out by giving Phil contractions through out the day. And man we were ready to go. However, alas, here we are at week 39.

Now, don't get me wrong, Fé's due date is estimated for May 3rd, so she's still good. Phil on the other hand, at this time, is just again, so ready. Last week I told people I give Fé till Wednesday, tomorrow. Will this happen, I am doubting more and more. Also, the parent's anniversary is tomorrow. So they have been saying it would be the perfect anniversary gift. We'll see.

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it's that, Fé is a very independent child and will choose when she wants to be here.

*Smile* That's my girl?

Scary :)

Later

Olive Oil in The Ear

I don't know about you but I find nothing more exciting than putting olive oil into my sons ear in hopes to cure his ear infection. This is now his fourth ear infection and I am just getting uncomfortable with loading up his little body with antibiotics each time he gets one. Just in case you didn't know ... while antibiotics do a great job on snuffing out the infection, they also do a greater job in snuffing out a lot of the other 'good germs' that we have in our body that serve a good purpose.

So far this is the second night that I am trying it out. He was a lot better today. We had to stay home from work because he did have a slight fever (hasn't been back since the olive oil). We have to wait at least 24 hours of fever free before he can go back to day care. We should be fine for tomorrow.

Poor little guy of course hasn't been eating right and is very fussy ... but who can blame him.

Ty's iPod Touch

What in the world would a 19 months old do with an iPod Touch?

Well, apparently quite a bit. Don't believe me, ask my son. Both me and Phil have iPhone 4's and we both like to game. So it's only natural to download game apps, because some times we are away from our consoles, and we need a fix. Also, having a toddler, there are apps that both entertain and educate him. So we found that to be great. Oh, another thing, iTunes. Nick Jr. videos of his favorite shows and kiddie songs at times are just life savers. So in those crazy times, all you gotta do is whip out the phone, find the game or video, start it up and voila, his is calmed.

Since he's around Phil alot more of the times, he has access to her phone. And on her phone, he has an entire page of all his stuff. After a little while, we would notice him touching the screen and interacting with the phone. We didn't think much of that. It was funny when he came across someone with another phone which was not touch screen because he would try to touch the screen and nothing would happen.

Then it evolved to just starting whatever thing he wanted and putting it in his lap and he would go at it. Then it happened. One day, he got up, went and found Phil's phone, sit down with it, unlocked it, swiped to the page with his stuff, which side note, is one of 5 pages if I'm not mistaken. Then he would select a game or whatever he wanted to do. We laughed and was just amazed. At that time, we just thought it was just random. Until we actually just sat and watched him and that's when we realized that he was very calculated and know exactly which game he wanted. When he was done, he knows how to get back to the home screen and he would select a different item. It was solidified when friends and family started noticing this also and just being amazed by it.

Well, here we are. Before I got my iPhone 4, I had an iPod Touch. After I got my phone, I didn't use the Touch anymore. So me and Phil decided that, maybe we would charge up the Touch, load it with his items, and let him use it. Helpful because then Phil will have her phone back. We did it and well now our 19 months old has an iPod Touch, and knows how to use it.

Think about it, when you were 19 months, how technologically savvy were you? We are, not surprised, just amazed, proud, and just like wow, awesome. We got a pretty cool smart kid. But, hey, look who his parents are :)

Next stop, getting a case for it.

Later

Fé, It's Week 38...

Dear Fé,

Mommy and daddy would like to know, are you that comfortable inside there with mommy? As much as we would love to meet you, we totally understand that we'll meet you when you are ready to meet us.

Love Mommy and Daddy.

Folks, we are well within week 38, and we are all anxiously to meet Fé. As of the last appointment, Fé is doing great. She's running out of room in there, but she's obviously quite cosy. Phil is doing okay also. She's just ready to meet her little ladybug. Plus, she's so uncomfortable right now. She's been having contractions more often now, just not frequently enough, but these are good signs. Everyday at work, I am just waiting for the call where I have to run out and race to her an hour away. Can't wait. Everything is pretty much in order for Fé, bag's pack, room's ready, and her wardrobe is going. I guess that's to be expected.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please stay tuned for any breaking news.

Later

A Change in Plans

It has been a whirlwind past couple of weeks. So much has changed ... except the fact that little Fé is still baking away in my tummy.

So as you may know Chris and I have had high hopes, plans and expectations to have our precious lady bug in the privacy and safety of our own home. Well due to some crazy financial changes with the midwifes we were using, we are no longer able to make that happen.

Long story short, we have changed midwifes and will now be delivering Fé at local, Shady Grove hospital. We of course aren't completely thrilled but we have prayed and have peace with where we are in our plans.

We have met and discussed our birth plans and desires with the midwifes and they are confident that we can still have the birth we want at the hospital. I am still a little skeptical but trying to stay positive. One thing that is out of their hands is how long we would need to stay at the hospital afterward. If everything is fine with me they can release me, but I have to wait for the pediatrician to come and release Fé. So praying that is a quick a smooth process.

Please pray for us as we prepare for her delivery ... any day now :)

Phil's Belly Cast

Took way too long to get these pictures up.

It was just one of those fun projects we wanted for Fé that would be a family project. So Phil got the idea to do a belly cast. Honestly, I didn't think it was going to be as easy as it was. Best of all it was fun also. She ordered the belly cast kit from online. A couple days later, a small box came. In the small box was, 4 rolls of plaster cloths, skin moisturizer, a non-latex glove, drop plastic, and instructions. After reading the instructions, I was like, really, that's it!?! Okay, let's start.

First, we talked about how and where she wanted to plaster. Then, I measured, cut, and laid out the strips in the order I wanted to put them on. After that, I got a warm bowl of water and after oiling the areas that that was going to get casted, dipped each strips and started layering. All in all, I think it took about 30-45 minutes to do. Then came the fun part, getting it off in one piece. After about 10 minutes of drying hard enough to be removed, Phil carefully got up, leaned forward, and gave a little wiggle. After that, pop, it came off. But not without pulling some hairs. I allowed it to dry for a day or two, light sanded it, and spray painted it with about 3 coats. Then we each placed our hand print on the belly.

As you will see, Ty moved abit with his hand print, but that's ok, it gives it class. It was great!

And so, below, you'll see the pictures. It came out pretty nicely, I do say. And now, we sit waiting for Fé's arrival, any day now.

We are at 37 Weeks...

21 days to go!

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it. This journey has just been totally different from with Ty. Of course a major reason being we both are working full time jobs, Phil's not on bed rest and just the added responsibilities. Honestly, all this has just made the time race away.

Now, here we are at 37 weeks and I can't help but look back at where we were and what was happening at this time with Ty. If we looked back, Ty was on his way as with Phil in being in labor and everything was just crazy exciting. Fé's due date is May 3rd, but after Phil's last appointment and finding out that she was 3cm dilated, it's a very strong possibility that Fé could be here before that 40 weeks mark. Now, fyi.com (ha ha ha thanks Kane Show) Phil has said this Thursday, April 14th, she is going to be going into labor. (Nervous laugh) We'll see.

Even better, stay tuned. Also on Thursday, she has an appointment, so we'll keep you posted on that. Oh, we finished the belly case. It's all painted and ready. I'll snap some pics and show everyone. It's pretty cool. Okay, I'm out for now.

We can see that finish line and we are excited. We are all packed, the kids' room is almost there and one day we'll get a van, because, wow, we need it.

Sorry, getting side tracked.

Later.

To Fé, With Love from MedOptions

Fé is being shown soooo much love. This is from a surprise baby shower my job threw me. I was genuinely surprised. I never expected it at all. Although, through out the day, I was really suspicious of folks because they were acting a little different. Even with that, I never thought it was a baby shower. Another one of my co-workers, who is like 3 weeks behind Phil, was also surprised with a baby shower. I can't stop saying thanks to my job and I, we are so blessed. Love you all at MedOptions.

36 Weeks...Let the count down begin...

28 days to go! Well, if Fé decides to go the full 40 weeks that is. Could you believe we are 36 weeks prenant?!? That's 9 months folks! Wow. Anyways, everything is going great. Fé is growing and still as active as ever. Phil is getting the brunt of that. I think she is just ready to finish this pregnancy up. She is exhausted. I am so proud of her. This weekend was the baby shower, but I'll do a separate post on that. This post is about seeing that 36 weeks belly shot. So let's see it.

Tooth Monster

Poor little Ty has been visited by the evil tooth monster recently!!

I know, I know it has to happen but it is so hard to watch him in so much pain and frustration. We noticed he had a slight fever last weekend. That has ended now but the remaining effects are just as bad. Poor little man isn't eating as much, very fussy and wakes up several times a night.

I wish there was more we could do for him. Baby Tylenol helps a little. We are considering getting some oral gel for him also ... just a little hesitant. We gave it to him the first time with his first set of teeth and he absolutely hated it. Maybe now that he is older he can handle it better.

Just hope this doesn't take too long. I am ready to have my happy go lucky little boy back.

Drop It Like Its Hot

I think with all the working, walking and nesting I did last weekend I prompt baby Fé to do the ever famous baby drop. I started to notice it the first few days but didn't quite put my finger on what was happening.

It started with eating. I can now fit more food in my tummy because it isn't as smushed up against my chest. I still have heart burn but not as frequent and bad. Oh and I can breath so much better now.

My next sign was my morning excersize and stretching. I start with some nice deep stretching and I realized that I could no longer bend over as far anymore. I guess she was high enough that I could bend forward but now she is sitting right at the bend point so I get stuck. Sucks cause I can't stretch my legs like I need ... they get so stiff in the night ... but I do get some relief.

Just one more step closer to the big day. I have at least three and a half more weeks to go to make it to 37 weeks.

Mother Bird is Nesting

After much waiting and anticipation the nesting phase of pregnancy has kicked in. I have heard so much about this stage of life. I didn't experience it much when I was pregnant with Ty. I think that is mostly in part because it wasn't my house and we didn't have much space to really nest about. The one room we were living in was mostly kept clean, except for occasional laundry build up.

Now however things are different. We are now staying in a 2 bedroom condo and all of our stuff is out of storage. While it isn't 'our' home it is our living space right now and we have a lot more to work with this time around.

It all started a few weeks ago but really hard this past weekend. I have constantly running around the house cleaning up messes and making sure the house is always clean. But then this weekend I started looking into corners and closets I usually wouldn't bother about. I am also now constantly looking for projects around the house to start getting into.

Good thing, house is getting clean and organized and prepared for baby Fé's arrival. Bad thing, I am pretty sure I am not suppose to be doing so much manual labor around the house.

Fé's 3D/4D Ultrasound

It only took 3 days to get Fé's 3D/4D ultrasound done. Well, not all that time, Fé just wasn't having it on the first go round on Saturday. This is all deja-vous. She's following right in her brother's footsteps. On Saturday, Fé would rather snuggle close up to Phil's placenta. She was right up against it, so the images weren't that clear. The folks at Stork Vision, who I must say were just warm and friendly and all round awesome, really wanted us to get the images, so they suggested rescheduling and trying again. It was a good decision, because we went back today and captured some amazing images.

So we have pictures and a video of the session. Here check out some of the pictures of Fé, our Lil' Ladybug.

Later.

Interested in 3d ultrasounds, check out Stork Vision at http://www.storkvisionmd.com/