The Heermans

Saturday Morning

2012-01-28T14:00:00.002-06:00

I went grocery shopping this morning. It was quiet, and I got some great deals. Cheerios for $0.93 a box, organic baby crackers for $0.39 a box, Kleenex for free... It was a good shopping morning.

But this is what made it an excellent shopping morning...

Micah was napping at home with Daddy. Meg brought her purse because she had her "wallet" with "money" in it, and she wanted to pay! We went to Kroger, where she got to push her own shopping cart around and she got some stickers. Then we stopped at Starbucks where she got some chocolate milk. Finally, we went to Publix - where she got a sprinkle cookie, a balloon, and a ride in the race car shopping cart.

And she was really good the whole time. What a great morning.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T15:10:00.000-06:00

After driving home from the beach on Saturday (all day), we were home for three entire days before packing up in the car again and driving again! We left Wednesday around lunchtime for Jennifer's parents' house in North Carolina. We celebrated Thanksgiving together with BeBe (Jennifer's mom), PopPop (Jennifer's dad), Shelle (Jennifer's sister Michelle), Jon (Michelle's husband), and Tattoo (Jennifer's sister Heather). It was the first time we've all been together since February, and the first time we've all celebrated a holiday together in years! We had such a sweet time together.

Mom did so much work ahead of time that there wasn't much to do on the actual day! So, Thursday morning was relaxing and fun, just spending time together:

Meg loves the piano!

Micah and Uncle Jon

Meg with "Shelle"

Having fun on the porch swing

My sweet, beautiful girl

We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal together (look familiar?)

Micah even got some sweet potatoes to celebrate Thanksgiving.

We had our big meal for lunch. After naps, we went to visit some dear family friends. The moms are good friends, the little sisters are good friends, and the oldest brother and I were good friends in high school. (The middle son and his wife weren't able to be there) We saw the oldest son and his family back in February (they live in Raleigh), and it was nice to get our children together again!

Micah and Daniel - our boys are just five months apart!

All the children

The whole group - we're like one big family. :)

At home, as we were getting ready for bed, Micah found his feet! So cute.

We put the children to bed. Then we did something crazy. Bill and Heather went to stand in line at Best Buy. I slept for about an hour, then Mom, Michelle, and I hit the midnight opening of Target! (Mom and Michelle were too high on adrenaline to sleep!)

Ready to go get some bargains!

We hit Target at midnight (the line to get in was all the way down the shopping complex!), then Heather joined us and we stood in line at Belk for the 2 a.m. opening. Mom and I ran into Penny's when they opened at 3 a.m. and then we came back to the house and crashed. It was absolutely nuts -- but really fun. I got almost all my Christmas shopping done in one night! :) And we have some great Target stories to tell about getting the last Kindle and refusing to let a pregnant lady steal our shopping cart!

On Friday (after sleeping in just a little bit thanks to my sweet husband), Mom gave Meg her first real haircut (not a trim).

A little distraction with a book to help keep her head still!

Helping clean up!

Meanwhile...

Micah's shirt says "My Grandpa Digs Me"

Starting him early!

PopPop's brand new Camaro (red, of course)

Friday night, Nana and Grandpa (Jennifer's grandparents) came over for dinner and to celebrate Bill's 30th birthday (on the 27th). They got to meet Micah for the first time!

Micah and Nana

Micah with (Great)Grandpa

Celebrating Bill's birthday

This picture makes me laugh - it's totally staged... which is what always seems to happen with my family, and yet we always insist on taking a staged, blowing out the candles picture!

The entire family!

(I can't believe Meg is actually looking at the camera and

smiling... that's got to be some kind of miracle!)

Our family of four

Sisters!

Jon and Michelle

Mom and Dad/BeBe and PopPop

Nana and (Great)Grandpa

We drove home on Saturday. When we pulled in the driveway, Bill and I looked at each other and said, "Let's not drive anywhere else for a long time!" We had two great trips, but we are also happy to stay home for a while!

Sunny Florida Days

2011-12-06T15:50:00.042-06:00

The week before Thanksgiving, Bill had an entire week of vacation. Since the last few vacations he's had have been spent at home (due to pregnancy and a newborn), we decided to take a real, go somewhere fun, stay in a hotel kind of vacation. I wanted to go somewhere warm (in November) and we decided we needed to drive - so, Florida it was!

On Sunday (11/13), we got up and hit the road by 5 a.m. We'd packed almost everything the night before, so we just got up, packed the last bits, scooped the kids out of bed (after feeding Micah), and took off. It was a LONG drive - about 15 hours in the car. But both Meg and Micah did really well. We had hoped Meg would fall back asleep in the car in the morning, but she was much too excited about the beach!

When we finally arrived that night, we took her out on the sand so she could see that we'd really come to the beach. She was scared! It was dark and the waves are loud and the sand felt funny to walk on - who can blame her?

On Monday morning (11/14), we woke up to see the beautiful sand and water from our balcony.

Just lovely. We had a condo right on the beach, which was so nice. We decided to give Meg another introduction to the beach, so, after breakfast, we took a long walk down the sand. Meg was not so sure at first, but it wasn't long before she was running and splashing in the water!

Bill's mom came in on Sunday and checked into the condo for us. So while Bill and his mom went to finish the check in process, I played with Meg inside and Micah took his morning nap. When they returned, we packed up a lunch and hit the beach again, this time with swimsuits and sand toys! Meg was really excited to build a sand castle and play in the water. Micah played for a bit in his bumbo, then took a nap in the shade.

We came inside for late naps and went out for a delicious seafood dinner that night.

On Tuesday (11/15), we took a morning walk on the beach to collect seashells. Then we drove to the Clearwater Aquarium to see some dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays, and more! It is the home of Winter - the dolphin from the new movie Dolphin Tale. The aquarium is a little small, though they have expansion plans in progress. We ended up getting in free with our Nashville zoo membership! The actual exhibits might not have been worth the full price of a ticket, but they do a lot of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation there, so I would have been okay paying to support their organization. We didn't stay too long, but we got there before the big crowds, which was really nice.

Checking out Winter the dolphin

Winter and another dolphin

Meg with a sea turtle

Sweet boy - happy as usual!

On Wednesday morning, Bill's mom drove to the airport to fly home while we headed to the Tampa zoo for the day. It was a really nice zoo. We stayed all morning, ate lunch there, and came back late. Meg was nearing a breakdown when we left, but it was totally worth it!

Thursday morning was rainy, so we drove back into Tampa to visit the Florida Aquarium. It wasn't the biggest aquarium (I was disappointed they didn't have any dolphins or whales), but it was well laid out with several neat animal shows. Meg even got to pet an alligator!

Friday (11/18) was our last day at the beach. We went for a long walk down the beach in the morning, then played in the sand and water in the afternoon.

We woke up super early again Saturday morning to be on the road by 5 a.m. The kids did really well on the drive back, although Micah cried quite a bit the second half of the drive. He hated being all alone and unable to see anyone! We made pretty good time (with two small children) back home in about 15 hours.

It was such a wonderful, relaxing week filled with sweet moments together as a family. Truly a gift!

November Recap

2011-12-05T15:52:00.002-06:00

Here's how November went:

Spent a week trying to catch up from September and October.

Spent the next week packing and preparing for vacation.

Spent the next week in Florida!

Came home for two days, then drove to NC for Thanksgiving.

Came home and spent a week recovering from all that travel.

Now it's December. Let the holiday madness begin.

Sheesh.

Rice Cereal

2011-11-07T13:18:00.001-06:00

At Micah's four month checkup, our pediatrician asked me, "So, are you ready to start solid food?" And I said, "Oh, I think we'll wait a little while." He said, "That's fine. Anywhere between four and six months..." and continued his reminders about solids.

With Meg we started solids early and added new foods quickly. I suspect that is one of the reasons (among others) why I was only able to nurse her until about 8 months (when my supply dwindled). I planned to wait longer to introduce solids to Micah, in hopes of keeping my milk supply up.

Micah did not agree to this plan.

He must have heard the doctor talking about food, because for the next two days he fussed and cried to eat every few hours. Like he was starving.

On the second day, I decided I'd had enough! We started rice cereal.

And he liked it...

We're still going to (try to) take it slowly with other foods. We're sticking with rice cereal for a while... but Micah is definitely happier with a little more in his tummy. This little boy is going to be an eater! :)

October Summary

2011-11-05T20:59:00.002-05:00

So, the entire month of October got away from me! I can't believe it. My last post was the end of September, so today I'm posting about everything that's happened since then...

September was a harder month than we've had in a while, as far as Bill's work schedule goes. He was doing ER shifts, so he worked lots of long (10 hour shifts) and erratic (sometimes daytime, sometimes overnight) hours. Then, the first week of October, he had a week of nightshift - which meant he left home at 4:30 pm, came home about 6:30 am, slept until 2 pm, and started over again... which meant that Meg hardly ever saw him. He worked six night shifts, had one night off, worked one more night shift, then switched back to days. The rest of the month was better, but still hard - gone by 5:30 am, home after 5:30 pm, and only four days off for the month (one stretch of 11 days between days off).

We're back in full swing with Trinity stuff, too. We host small group on Wednesday nights, I do Sunday School for the infant class, Bill helps with set up and tear down and (occasionally) sound on Sunday mornings, I have Tuesday night women's Bible study, and Bill has elders meetings and responsibilities.

I have heard people talk about the blogosphere and how it can portray our lives as more perfect than they are. It's true that I usually only talk about the good stuff and only post the cute, put-together pictures. But we definitely don't have it all together at our house! In fact, any lack of posting on my part should be interpreted as a busy and/or hard season! In the past month, we have been exhausted, I have been bitter about Bill's job, we have failed to communicate well in our marriage, we have gone through the motions of life - just trying to tread water until we can breathe again.

But that's not also to say that there haven't been good moments in the midst of the hard ones. I am blessed, whether I feel like it or not! God's goodness always sustains, always strengthens, always provides all that I need.

Last weekend, I attended the first ever Trinity Church women's retreat. The topic for the retreat was "Contentment in Christ". My dear friend, Julie, shared on the first night that, for her, contentment is a verb. By that she meant that it wasn't something that just came or a feeling she just had - it is something to be worked for. That really resonated with me, and I am prayerfully striving to seek my contentment only in Christ - not in my clean (or not so clean) house, or my ability (or lack thereof) to keep a good routine for my household, or anything else. It is a constant battle of fighting the sin of discontent and taking my thoughts captive.

And now you know how to pray for me! :)

So, to return to the original subject for this blog entry... we'll actually start at the end of September...

The last month (or so) in review:

- Micah turned 3 months old

- a visit to Cheekwood to see the "Trains" exhibit

- our cute, growing baby boy

- a family outing to the pumpkin patch

- fall beauties

- a visit from BeBe and PopPop, and Halloween festivities at the zoo

- Micah is 4 months old already!

- pumpkin carving

- Micah's 4 month checkup

- Halloween!

Halloween

2011-11-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

Last year we started a tradition for our family. We had a bunch of friends over for chili before going trick or treating in our neighborhood. Sweet and simple, right? Well, this year we had 18 adults, 12 children, and 2 babies at our house! We decided to eat outside in the backyard - which was a wise move, I think. It was complete chaos, but it was lots of fun.

(our best attempt at getting all the children to sit on the porch for a picture!)

I found two dalmatian costumes at a consignment sale this year, and since 101 Dalmatians is one of Meg's favorite movies, it was a perfect find. To go with our little dalmatians, Bill and I dressed as Roger and Anita. Unfortunately, you can't see our costumes very well in the picture, but it was fun, nonetheless.

Props to our friends, the Raines family, for being the only others to dress completely in costume. Their boys were dressed as alligators, so they dressed as "gator farmers"! Love it. :)

Trick or treating, en masse...

Among our guests were two Chinese students from Vanderbilt. We're getting to know them through the "First Friends" program. I'm sure they found this American tradition to be very strange and amusing! But I think they had a good time, too!

Micah's Four Month Checkup

2011-11-01T21:58:00.002-05:00

We had a visit to the doctor yesterday for Micah's four month checkup. It was fun to be out and about on Halloween. Many of the nurses were dressed up, and there was candy (of course). Meg got a special spider from our nurse. I think she must have made them for the patients. It was super cute - made from a pompom, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes. Meg loves it. We went into the grocery store after our appointment where we saw more costumes, a bagpipe player (who played a tune by the seafood counter - sooo cool!), and Plato the Publixaurus!

Back to Micah's appointment... He is definitely growing! He had a few shots - but he recovered quickly since I fed him afterward. Meg was a little distraught by his crying, too. It's sweet how she is so concerned about him.

Micah's four month stats:
Weight: 16 lbs. (75th percentile)
Length: 26 5/8" (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 3/8" (90th percentile)

Actually, I expected Micah to weigh more. He weighs a little less than Meg did at four months, but he's over two inches longer! No wonder he's wearing her 6 month Halloween outfits already!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-30T20:13:00.000-05:00

We had fun carving pumpkins tonight! Daddy made a silly face, and Mommy made a kitty cat. Meg helped with scooping out the insides. We didn't take pictures of the completed projects, but we did light them and go outside in our pjs to enjoy their glow. It was sweet, and they look great!

Micah is 4 months old!

2011-10-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

(This picture just makes me melt!)

I really think four months might be one of my favorite ages. I remember thinking it was really fun with Meg, too. Micah is still a snuggly baby, but he's so interactive and showing so much personality! He's so fun, and (bonus) not yet mobile! I love it.

Micah at four months:
- nurses six times a day
- wears size 6 month clothing
- rolls from front to back
- reaches for toys and familiar faces
- loves his sister (watches everything she does and stops crying when she talks to him)
- loves to belly laugh!
- smiles, coos, and "talks" all the time
- naps irregularly throughout the day, usually takes at least one good nap in the pack n play
- sleeps from 10 pm to 7 or 8 am
- loves playing in the exersaucer
- getting much stronger in his torso (better at sitting in the bumbo and the exersaucer)
- loves his thumb and his "soft blanket"

A few more 4 month photos:

Ghouls at Grassmere (with BeBe and PopPop)

2011-10-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

We love celebrating at the Nashville Zoo every October. They have a great fundraiser that goes on the three weekends prior to Halloween called Ghouls at Grassmere, and this is our third year to attend (although apparently, I've never blogged about it before). There are trick or treating booths set up, a hayride, a "scary-go-round", and lots of other fun carnival activities. This year my parents joined us for the weekend.

Getting ready...

Every other year, we've arrived as soon as they open at 5, while it is still light outside. This year, we were busy trying to cram other things into our weekend with my parents, so we didn't get to the zoo until after dark (like 6:30 - crazy!). As soon as we arrived, Meg started saying, "I want to go home!" We tried to convince her to do something fun - like ride the merry-go-round - which she normally LOVES. It isn't included in our normal zoo membership, so it's a special treat. We stood in line to get on, but they kept turning the lights on and off and the man giving instructions at the end of the previous ride used a spooky voice, and Meg got scared. She started crying and saying, "I want to go home!" again. I thought we might have wasted a lot of money this year, but we managed to engage her with the bounce house! She had a great time bouncing and sliding down, and then she was ready for more fun.

And she did a really great job all night - except for a minor freak out at the beginning of the hayride because it was dark, but Bill managed to calm her down. She wasn't scared of the "displays" just the dark. We laughed to ourselves later at how ridiculous we were trying to talk her out of being scared: "Look at those silly skeletons! They're so silly! Look at that ghost! He's smiling at us!" But Meg didn't seem bothered by those things at all (they weren't really that scary). In fact, part of the hayride went through a tunnel of black lights and glow in the dark bubbles - a BIG hit with Meg!

My mom and me in costume

Micah was happy the whole time

The bounce house makes everybody happy!

Waiting in line for the hayride

Ready for the hayride!

It was a fun night. We love this Nashville family tradition!

Fall Beauties

2011-10-14T15:54:00.002-05:00

Clear fall weather. Mums and pumpkins on the front porch. And Meg has finally learned to smile for the camera (and it looks like a real smile, not a grimace). The perfect combination!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-10T15:34:00.003-05:00

October is a crazy month of work for Bill. This weekend was his only Saturday off this month. Even though we really wanted to spend it quietly at home, working outside and relaxing, we knew that if we didn't go to the pumpkin farm Bill would have to miss out this year. So we went. And it was fun.

Bill didn't want to take the camera with us, but I insisted. Not long after we arrived, I needed to feed Micah, so I sat on a hay bale and fed him while Meg and Bill played in the corn. I was forced to sit and just soak in the day (the weather was glorious, by the way). As I watched Bill and Meg playing and all the other people with their children, I realized that a lot of people were taking pictures, but not very many were really enjoying and playing with their children.

Bill never thinks about taking pictures, but since we've been married he's come to appreciate them more. On the other hand, I think I am learning from Bill that sometimes you have to live the moment you're trying so hard to capture on film. I'd much rather enjoy my children than have good pictures of them. So, right then, I let it go. We took a few pictures, but I let go of the need to capture all the perfect moments. I didn't get the pictures I wanted of the four of us or the children sitting amidst the pumpkins. That's okay. Meg and I walked through the pumpkin fields and talked about the life cycle of a pumpkin. We rode the hayride and saw some cows. Meg got to really play with her daddy. It was a great day.

Cutie Pie

2011-10-08T15:25:00.006-05:00

Micah is so cute and cuddly and smiley these days! He was so adorable yesterday that I had to take some pictures. Enjoy. :)

A thoughtful pose:

Giggling:

Sweetness:

He can totally work those eyebrows:

Cheekwood and Trains

2011-09-28T20:57:00.002-05:00

Today was Bill's last day off for his September rotation in the ER and the last day before his long string of night shifts begins, so we decided to have a family outing.

We went to Cheekwood to check out the "Trains!" exhibit we'd heard about. We live near a lot of railroad tracks, and Meg loves seeing and hearing the trains. She was super excited about the miniature trains we saw today. The setup was smaller than I expected (all in one spot rather than spread out throughout the gardens), but it was very well done.

The weather was perfect. The scarecrow exhibit opens October 1st, but several were already set up, so we got to see some of those as we wandered the grounds. It was a sweet morning together.

Taking it all in:

Me and my sweet girl:

Daddy and Meg (in a picture frame):

Our little beauty:

Daddy with his babies:

Micah is 3 months old!

2011-09-27T14:55:00.001-05:00

A few pictures:

A few facts:

At three months, Micah...

- nurses 7 times a day

- coos, smiles, and laughs

- sucks his thumb to go to sleep

- holds onto and mouths toys

- reaches for toys and familiar faces

- sleeps about 8 or 9 uninterrupted hours at night (10 pm to 6 am)

- loves watching his sister (especially when she reads books to him!)

- likes to sit up in the bumbo, so he can see what's going on!

- naps irregularly throughout the day, usually in his swing or car seat

- is a happy, healthy little boy!

Micah's Giggles

2011-09-25T20:16:00.002-05:00

He's been trying for a week or so now. Micah will give us a wide grin and coo like he's trying to laugh. Last night, those coos turned into a little giggle! Once he did it, I worked really hard trying to get him to do it again. Baby giggles are addictive! :) Bill was right next to us when the first laughs happened - which is really sweet because his schedule is busy and about to get busier. He was pretty happy he got to be there for it.

Tonight, after he ate, Micah was in a happy mood, so I pulled out the iphone camera. And I captured them! The best laughs are right at the beginning and again around 1 minute. Enjoy!

A few photos and some news

2011-09-14T15:14:00.010-05:00

Here are a few good shots of Micah I've taken in the past few weeks. Because he's cute. And it's my blog. So there.

Sweet boy

He's already working the eyebrows...

Almost caught that smile!

Loving the overalls and collared shirt!

This face makes me laugh!

In other news, we are currently on day three of potty training Meg! She is doing so, so well. It's scary how well she's doing, actually. I'm waiting for something to go terribly wrong! :) Bill and I were both home with her all day Monday (day 1). I think Meg actually enjoyed it because she got nearly all of our attention, all day long! Yesterday morning, Bill was home, also. We haven't left the house yet. The first day, Meg only had a couple of accidents, but she peed about every 10 minutes most of the morning! Fortunately, today she has gone a little longer between trips to the potty, so maybe by next week I'll be brave enough to take her out somewhere!

I'm really proud of her. My sweet baby is growing up! (sniff)

Can't Help But Love a Smiling Baby!

2011-09-11T09:41:00.005-05:00

Micah starting smiling responsively at about 8 weeks. At first they were just flickers that were impossible to capture on the camera. He's been smiling more and more, as he is figuring out that he gets a great response from us when he does! This morning, I was able to capture the moment as he gave his daddy some big grins. He has been cooing when he smiles, and this morning he almost laughed a couple of times! So cute!

Tummy Time

2011-09-10T14:26:00.003-05:00

As Micah is growing and getting stronger, we've been doing more tummy time. And he's too cute not to share...

Micah's Dedication

2011-09-06T14:46:00.008-05:00

On August 21st, we dedicated Micah to the Lord during the morning service at Trinity Church. It was a sweet moment for our family as we recognized that Micah's life is a gift from God and promised to raise him in the love and knowledge of the Lord. It was also particularly sweet to do so in the presence of our new church family at Trinity. We so love and appreciate the fellowship and community we have there. It is an honor to have these people we love promise to walk with us, helping us raise our children to seek and love the Lord.

First, Bill read a scripture. Micah's name means "Who is like God?" so we chose Micah 7:18-20 as our life verse for him. We pray that his life would reflect the truths found in this passage, that he would know the faithful God of the Bible, that the Lord would show unchanging love to Micah and cast all his sins into the depths of the sea.

"Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity

And passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession?

He does not retain His anger forever

Because He delights in unchanging love.

He will again have compassion on us;

He will tread our iniquities under food.

Yes, You will cast all their sins

Into the depths of the sea.

You will give truth to Jacob

And unchanging love to Abraham,

Which You swore to our forefathers

From the days of old."

(Micah 7:18-20)

After reading the scripture passage, Drew, our good friend and an elder at Trinity, prayed over Micah.

At the end, we (along with two other families also dedicating their children) made promises to raise our children in the knowledge of Christ, and the congregation promised to help and support us in that effort. This is the pledge we made. I think it is beautiful.

"We dedicate our son to the Lord who gave him to us, surrendering all

worldly claims upon his life in the hope that he will belong wholly to God.

We promise, with God's Fatherly help, to bring up our child in the

discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort,

with patience and love, to build the word of God, the character of Christ

and the joy of the Lord into his life.

We further promise to make it our regular prayer that by God's grace

our child will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of

his sins and for the fulfillment of all His promises to him, even eternal

life, and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings."

It was also Micah's first time to go to church. He was perfect! He was awake for the dedication (at the beginning of the service). Afterwards, I took him to the nursery to feed him. When we came back, he promptly fell asleep until the end of the service, waking up to take family pictures! He's such a sweet, easy baby.

All of the grandparents were in town for the occasion, of course. After the service, we took some family pictures - some good of Meg, some not so good. That's how it goes with a two-year-old! :)

Micah at Two Months

2011-09-05T14:09:00.006-05:00

Actually, Micah was two months old about a week ago (August 27th), but we didn't get the pictures taken on time. I tried on the 31st, but I wasn't happy with the light settings on the camera and needed Bill's help. This was the best one from that day:

Bill helped me try again this morning, and here's the best of that batch:

So, the photo is really "2 months -ish old" :) But I did make some notes in Micah's baby book, so this list is more accurate than the pictures!

Micah at two months:

- weighs 13 lb. 12 oz. and is 24 1/8 in. long (at two month check-up, 8/25/11)

- nurses every three hours during the day with an extra feeding or two right before bed

- sleeps from about 10 p.m. until about 5 or 6 a.m.

- takes short, inconsistent naps throughout the day, usually in the car sear when we're out and about or in the swing when we're home

- loves his swing, riding in the car, and taking walks in the stroller

- loves to watch everyone, especially Mommy, and follows people across the room with his eyes

- very interactive with Mommy and Daddy

- coos all the time (so sweet!)

- starting to smile reactively (even sweeter!)

- a thumb sucker (just like his sister!)

- very happy and easy going, but knows how to demand attention when he needs it!

We love this little boy so much! It's hard now to imagine how we did without him. I'm excited to see his personality start to come out, but I'm also sad that he's growing so quickly. We love you, sweet Micah!

Sisterly Care

2011-09-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

The other day, Micah was sitting in his bouncy chair in the kitchen. He was fussing a little, and I knew he was tired, so I just let him fuss. Meg doesn't like it when Micah is sad, so she brought him his "soft blanket" and laid it gently across him. A few minutes later, I realized he had stopped fussing. I found him holding onto the blanket and sucking his thumb. He quickly fell asleep.

Just a sweet example of the excellent big sister Meg is becoming. She loves to take care of her baby brother and hates it when he cries. And Micah seems to return the affection. When Meg is nearby, he will just watch her every move. It is so sweet.

Finger Painting

2011-09-01T21:27:00.005-05:00

I tried making some homemade finger paint this morning. It didn't exactly turn out the right consistency, but it was good enough to smear some colors on some paper. Meg enjoyed painting, but she insisted on wiping her fingers off after each smear. How very Meg of her. :)

When she was done, we hung it up on the fridge. Since we have a stainless steel fridge (which is not magnetic), we don't usually put things up. That makes it quite special, and Meg is quite proud!

Still Here!

2011-08-31T14:07:00.002-05:00

Hi, blogland! We're still here! With school starting back, summer is ending for most people. But for us I feel like we're just getting started! Micah got his first round of vaccines last week at his two month appointment, so we're getting out of the house much more. And the weather has cooled just enough for us to enjoy the heat without feeling like we might spontaneously combust or suffocate in the humidity! And since the school calendar doesn't really affect us, we're determined to make up for the time lost this summer!

Last night, after dinner, I sat on the porch swing - holding Micah as he slept and watching Meg and Bill run around in the front yard, first in the sprinkler and then chasing each other with the hose. I was enjoying the moment so much I didn't even feel the need to grab the camera, although Meg holding the hose and laughing at her daddy is a picture I'll keep in my head and heart forever. Sometimes you just have to live the moments and soak in the joy of the simple things. I thought to myself, "My heart is full. And I am so thankful."

More to come soon, but for now I have to spend a little time talking to my cooing baby, who is already growing too quickly.

Micah and Pop Pop

2011-08-22T14:06:00.000-05:00

Micah at 8 weeks with Pop Pop

The Children's Rooms

2011-08-13T15:20:00.014-05:00

I had put great stock in the hope that Micah would arrive early. Since he didn't, I spent the last few weeks of pregnancy finishing my lengthy to-do list. As a result, Micah's nursery and Meg's big girl room were completed by his arrival!

The pictures are overdue, but here they are. We'll start with a tour of Meg's new big girl room.

The before pictures:

I finished Meg's quilt and we put her into a twin bed in early May. She did so well! I'm so thankful that she is still an excellent sleeper!

In addition to the quilt, I covered the letters of her name with fabric to match, added a bunch of family pictures to the wall, hung curtains after making ties to match her quilt, and rearranged the other pictures and furniture.

The after pictures:

Now for Micah's nursery - our former guest bedroom. My sweet friends Jennifer and Sharon made his baby bedding. I found some letters at Joann's to cover in matching fabric.

We moved the glider into Micah's room. The prints on the wall are adorable ABC and 123 animal prints I found online (available in all different background colors). I loaded them to a photo website and ordered enlargements.

I am proud to say that I made the curtains for Micah's room myself. It was quite an accomplishment for me! I also moved the cross stitch from Meg's room. As you can see, this is also where our spare bed remains!

The pinwheels came from the blessing shower my friends gave for Micah before his birth. And, of course, I added some maternity shots around the room.

He's not using it much yet... I don't wish to run up and down the stairs for middle of the night feedings... but I'm very happy with the way it turned out!

Six Weeks

2011-08-10T15:35:00.003-05:00

On Monday, I had my six week post-partum visit with my doctor. Everything has healed up nicely, and we got a picture of Dr. Smallwood with Micah for the baby book, since we didn't get one at the hospital.

In honor of this occasion, I finally finished writing down Micah's birth story... a post I started just a few days after his birth. If you are interested, you can read it here.

My Little Helper

2011-08-09T19:27:00.004-05:00

It's never too early to start assigning chores:

Actually, she brought the stool into the kitchen tonight and asked to help with the dishes! She's such a sweet helper (most of the time!).

Also - if you look closely, you'll notice her pink fingernails. I painted mine yesterday, and she asked for them, too. Bill thought I was crazy, but I think it's cute. Makeup will have to wait for quite some time, but painted nails are just fun. :)

6 weeks old

2011-08-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

Micah is more alert and responsive than ever before. I especially loves how he's starting to hold onto me when I'm holding him by gripping his arm around mine.... and the way he starts kicking and opens his eyes wide when I talk to him.

Such a cutie pie...

Five Weeks

2011-08-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

My sweet little man is growing so quickly...

He's losing his baby hair, too. Poor guy has a receding hairline already! :)

Wet and (Not So) Wild

2011-08-01T20:29:00.008-05:00

How did we spend the next to last day of Bill's vacation?

Well, we enjoyed a little pool time...

...had a water gun fight...

...played in the sprinkler...

...and gave Meg her first freezer pop experience.

And what was Micah doing while we played in the backyard?

Reason #7,364 why I love having a screened-in porch!

Overall, it was a perfect summer morning!

Sing a Song

2011-07-29T22:07:00.005-05:00

Meg loves to sing. She remembers the words to so many songs... it amazes me how quickly she learns new songs. The other day I was able to catch her in the kitchen singing some of her favorites.

The beauty of the iPhone is that she didn't realize I was filming her:

Once she figured out what I was doing, she started being less cooperative... hamming it up a little more:

I love hearing her little voice... especially singing hymns. She even knows the words to the verses. One of her favorites is "It is Well". I tried to get her to sing it for the camera, but she was being too silly and wouldn't sit still at that point!

Evenings with Micah

2011-07-28T14:33:00.003-05:00

Micah gets a little fussy in the evenings and wants to be held constantly. After we put Meg to bed for the night, Bill and I take turns holding him while we watch TV, have dessert, talk, and relax. Micah likes the attention, and we don't mind having a little alone time with him (especially since his "fussyness" is nothing compared to the colic Meg had as a newborn!).

One Month Old!

2011-07-27T14:11:00.005-05:00

Today Micah is one month old! He's growing like crazy - I think his newborn outfits may not fit for much longer! He celebrated the milestone by sleeping for six hours between feedings last night (from 11 pm to 5 am). It was awesome. His daytime naps are irregular, but most nights he goes at least 4 to 5 hours between bedtime and the first middle-of-the-night feeding. About three times, he's gone for about six hours. It looks like he might be a good sleeper like his sister - and that makes me a very happy mama!

After a few weeks of eating every two hours all day long, we've managed to stretch out Micah's feeding schedule. He eats every three hours during the day, with a few cluster feedings right before bed. He's usually down for the night after his last feeding around 10. During the night, he eats and goes back to sleep pretty easily. Again - happy mama!

I love that Micah is starting to be more alert and aware. He definitely recognizes my face and voice. He's even starting to track objects with his eyes (usually my face), turning his head to follow it.

Meg loves her "baby brudder" and calls him "my darlin" - something I think she picked up from "101 Dalmatians". She's very sweet with him and a good helper (most of the time... when she's in the mood!). She's still two, with all of the accompanying temper tantrums and battles of will, but she's adjusting quite well, I think.

We sure love this little guy!

Meg's First Movie

2011-07-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

Bill is on vacation this week, so today he took Meg to see her first movie in the theater. (I'll admit, I'm a little jealous he got to take her!) They saw "Winnie the Pooh", of course. She loved it and came home talking nonstop about all of her favorite characters. Here she is just before the movie began:

Micah's First Bath

2011-07-22T14:28:00.005-05:00

He started out screaming but then decided it wasn't so bad. Not his favorite activity, though! At least, not yet... :)

Baby Bliss

2011-07-21T18:38:00.002-05:00

There's nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby... especially when said baby goes 6 1/2 hours between feedings, allowing his mommy to get 5 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Here's hoping for a repeat tonight!

Three Week Checkup

2011-07-18T15:53:00.004-05:00

Micah went in for his two week checkup today - which was really his three week checkup since he's three weeks old today! It was the only time we could find an appointment.

So, I took two children out by myself for the first time today... to the doctor's office... at 12:30 which is right between lunch and naptime... Needless to say, I was a little nervous about how well that would go! But Meg was great! That's undoubtedly due to my threat of withholding the sticker at the end of the visit unless she was obedient. Whatever works. She was a pill at home before and after the appointment, but the entire visit she was quite pleasant. Oh well.

Anyway, on to Micah. Here are his stats from today's visit:

weight: 10 lb. 1 oz. (75%)

height: 22 inches (75%)

head circumference: 15 3/8 inches (75%)

In a little over two weeks, he's gained a little over a pound and a half! In three weeks, he's grown 2 inches! He's a healthy little guy, and we are thankful.

These are a couple of pictures I took before we left for the appointment. He's growing and changing so much already! (And he really loves his pacifier, much more than Meg ever did.)

Big Sister

2011-07-08T09:53:00.009-05:00

Meg loves being a big sister. When she came to visit in the hospital, I made sure that Micah was in his bed so that I could pay full attention to her when she came in. She came in the room and immediately asked, "Where is he?" She wanted to see this baby brother we'd been talking about so long.

When I asked her if she wanted to hold Micah, Meg was a little hesitant. She wanted to sit next to me and have me hold him.

The novelty soon wore off and she was ready to be entertained by grandparents and aunt again.

Since we've been home, Meg has asked to hold Micah at least once a day. She's very sweet with him most of the time. She's gentle and loves to kiss him on the head.

Meg has been a great helper so far, going to get things for me and helping me with Micah. She always wants to get his pacifier for him. When he cries, she says to me, "He needs you. Go get him!"

On the other hand, Meg has had some adjusting to do, and it hasn't been easy. There have been many tantrums, battles of will, timeouts and spankings. We have worked really hard to be consistent with discipline. It is hard for Meg since she's used to having all of my attention all of the time. I can understand that there is some grieving on her part, having to share her mommy with someone else. Actually, since all the family and visitors left, she's done a little better - certainly because she's spending more time with me instead of playing with whoever was here.

Bill and I have to be very intentional about giving her one-on-one attention. The other night after dinner I took her to the library while Bill stayed home with Micah. We were only gone for about 45 minutes, enough time to drive to the library, get a few books, and come home. When we got back, Bill put her to bed while I fed Micah, and it was the easiest bedtime we've had since Micah was born! She really thrives on that kind of attention, and, even though it is hard to give it to her as much, it is so important. I know it will be a little easier when Micah is older and can be left for more than 45 minutes at a time! But it will always require intentionality on our parts as parents.

Since Micah is too young to be around people, we stay home during the day. That means that Meg isn't getting a lot of physical activity. We could play in the yard, except that it's been so very hot. I think that is also hard on Meg. Twice this week, after dinner, we've take a brief walk around the neighborhood. Meg rides in the stroller for a few blocks until we come to the street with sidewalks. We let her walk on the sidewalk and part of the nearby greenway. Last night, after we'd been walking for about 15 minutes, Bill said of Meg, "I don't think she's stopped talking for the past five minutes straight!" (For my little extrovert, that means she's really excited!) She really loves the walks, and she does really well obeying and holding our hands to cross the street. It has been so good for her. I'm hoping for more cool(ish) nights so we can continue to take family walks.

On the whole, I think we are all adjusting quite well. I try to remember that in the moments when Meg is trying my patience to the last! Meg is already a great big sister. I'm looking forward to seeing Meg and Micah's relationship develop.

One Week Old!

2011-07-05T15:27:00.006-05:00

Micah was old week old yesterday!

He's eating well and producing lots of evidence of growth (in the form of diaper output). I put the sleeper he wore home from the hospital on Micah yesterday and noticed that it's not quite as loose as before!

The last two nights Micah has gone for one stretch of 5 hours between feedings. It's amazing how much better I feel getting four uninterrupted hours of sleep after nearly a week of no more than one or two hours at a time!

He makes the funniest faces. I think all newborns do, probably, but watching Micah's face makes me laugh. I especially love the way his forehead wrinkles up. He looks like such a little old man!

So far, Micah is a laid back little guy. Meg loves him, although she's still adjusting to sharing the attention of all the adults in her life. I told Bill last night that I wish you could have the second child experience with the first child because the newborn part is so much easier this time! It's juggling the newborn with the two-year-old that's hard. Meg is doing well, but she's still two and acting out in a two-year-old way when she's feeling insecure, so she requires a lot of extra effort, attention, discipline, and love. But more on that later. It's nice not to second-guess myself so much with this baby. And other things are a little easier... like not having a severe kidney infection and spending six days in the hospital. You know, little things like that.

Tomorrow is my first day flying solo as a mother of two, as Bill goes back to work and all the family visitors have gone. I'm both looking forward to it and dreading it. For now, I'm just taking a day at a time and trying to enjoy BOTH of my beautiful children.

A few more pics of my littlest love:

Micah's Labor Story

2011-07-02T18:25:00.003-05:00

Monday the 27th was my due date, so I was scheduled for an ultrasound at 8:30 a.m. followed by an appointment with my O.B. The ultrasound went well, and I headed over to wait for my doctor. I talked to Bill on the phone while I was in the waiting room. When I told him that the technician estimated Micah's weight at 9 pounds, 8 ounces, he decided to come to my appointment (although he didn't tell me that right away). He knew we'd have some decisions to make.

Bill got to the office just in time. We talked over lots of options with my doctor. Based on the weight estimate and my desire to avoid both an epidural and a c-section, we decided to go to the hospital that morning. My doctor was wonderful and very supportive of my desires to try for a natural childbirth. I felt like he was honest about the data we had, as well as his opinions based on many years of experience. But he didn't tell us what to do - he helped us make a good decision together.

Some of the reasons for our decision:

- while induction doesn't seem to change the c-section rate for "big" babies, larger babies do have other problems at birth and it isn't advisable to let the baby get too big

- my cervix was really ready to give birth (4-5 cm dilated and 60-80% effaced), so the likelihood of a c-section was very low for me.

- I had been having LOTS of pretty regular and painful contractions, but they kept stopping before going into full labor.

- Bill aptly ranked our desires and priorities this way: First, a healthy baby. Second, a vaginal delivery. Third, no epidural.

My doctor was willing to let me wait another week, but unwilling to allow me to go past 41 weeks. And, although I was anxious to try for a natural birth, I was also really tired of being pregnant!

The final decision was that we would go to the hospital and my doctor would break my water to see if that would start my labor. If that didn't work after so many hours, then we would try pitocin. I agreed to this plan because if my labor started with my water breaking, I would only need intermittent monitoring and no IV. I didn't want to be confined to the bed as would be required with a pitocin drip and constant monitoring.

So, we headed home, packed up our bags, kissed Meg goodbye, and drove to the hospital. Thankfully, my parents were already here, so they were able to take care of Meg... and she was so excited to be with them that she barely cared that I was leaving! :)

Bill felt good about our decision, as did my doctor. I'll admit that it was hard for me, and although I did agree to the plan, I was putting a lot of trust in Bill's opinion. I cried most of the way home and back to the hospital because this was not the way I had planned it and I was fearful. In my mind I kept spiraling from pitocin to epidural to c-section.

We checked into the hospital and were directly admitted to a room in Labor and Delivery. I changed into my gown, got a hep-lock, and waited for my doctor to arrive. He came over and broke my water about 12:30 p.m. It wasn't long until my contractions started to come regularly. I was able to get out of bed and move around and labor as I wanted. Bill was a great supporter and coach.

Things moved along well until I got to about 6 cm - probably about 4:30 that afternoon. Then it became the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life! This continued for about an hour, at which point I said things to Bill like, "I'm going to die! Why was I so stupid? Why didn't I get the epidural a long time ago? I'm going to die!"

Since it had been an hour, we had the nurse check me again. Still 6 cm. I decided I needed an epidural. If I'm not even in transition, then I can't do this. If the pain is going to get worse, there is no way. But the epidural takes time and I needed something NOW. So, the nurse gave me some anti-nausea meds (zophran) and a narcotic (stadol) in my hep-lock. It didn't really help the pain, but it calmed me down some, since at this point I was just frantic through the contractions. All that calm, breathing stuff had sort of gone out the window!

Stadol makes me super loopy, so I wasn't really with it while the epidural team talked to Bill about my prior medical history and the potential side effects of the epidural. I kept feeling this strange sensation that felt like I was vomiting or something. I couldn't figure out what it was.

The anesthesiologist had the needle out and was ready to put it in my back, when I felt it again. This time I said to the nurse, "I think I need to push!" So, she checked me again - twenty minutes after the last time she checked and I was at a 6. This time I was at 8 cm!

nurse: You're at an 8. Do you still want the epidural?

me: Yes! Epidural!

nurse: You're probably going to have this baby in the next 30 minutes.

me: (groans of pain) okay...

She was right.

I don't know how long I pushed, but probably only 10 to 15 minutes. (And there was lots of screaming... it was kind of a strange feeling of realizing those screams were coming from me and then not caring at all!)

Thirty minutes later, Micah was born at 6:22 p.m. He wasn't the 9+ pounds estimated on the ultrasound, but he was a good sized baby at 8 lb. 11 oz!

I went from 6 cm to baby in less than an hour. Very intense.

Even now, I can't believe I actually did it. It was the worst thing I have ever done, but I am so glad I did it. Although he was very supportive, Bill doesn't understand it at all. "Next time," he says, "just get the epidural!" But I think I would do it naturally again. I felt more aware of what was happening and more connected with my baby. The recovery was much faster and better (not to mention avoiding an additional hospital stay for a kidney infection!) And it is completely empowering to know I actually did it without an epidural! I'm not saying it is for everyone or even every labor. I am still certain I did the right thing getting the epidural with Meg. But I am glad I didn't get one with Micah.

And you know what? Five minutes after experiencing hours of the worst pain of my life, it was completely forgotten. I held my son in my arms for the first time. I have two precious children and an amazing husband. I never knew my heart could hold so much love.

Newborn Checkup

2011-07-01T15:21:00.001-05:00

We went to the doctor today to have Micah's weight checked (among other things). He was down to 8 lb. 3/4 oz before we left the hospital on Wednesday. Today he was up to 8 lb. 7 oz! The doctor was a little amazed, even saying that it made him a little suspicious that one of the weights wasn't exactly accurate, although it is certainly possible that Micah actually gained that much. At any rate, Micah looks awesome, and we spent more time talking about Bill's residency than about the baby! :) I'm thankful that both my babies have been good eaters and my milk has been plentiful so that I've never had to worry about them gaining weight. It is certainly a blessing that I don't take for granted.

Sweetness

2011-06-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

Coming Home!

2011-06-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

A few pictures from today's homecoming:

All dressed and ready to go!

Strapped in

(wow - adjusting those straps made us realize how tiny he is!)

Getting in the car

Our family of four at home!

Meg wanted to read Micah a book

He's Here!

2011-06-27T23:07:00.003-05:00

Micah John Heerman

born at 6:22 p.m.

8 pounds, 11 ounces

20 inches long

We're in love already.

39 weeks (and 2 days): Doctor Appointment

2011-06-22T13:41:00.003-05:00

Monday night, I was convinced that labor had begun. I had contractions about every 45 minutes all day, and by bedtime they were every 15 minutes or so. And they were painful ones, too! Sadly, we went to sleep and the contractions went away. Very disappointing...

I had my 39 week checkup this morning. I'm currently at 2 cm dilated and still about 60% effaced. It's not much, but it's something, I guess. After all those contractions, I was hoping for 3 or 4 cm! Apparently, my body likes to do things the slow and steady way. Right now, we're scheduled for an ultrasound on Monday morning (40 weeks) to see how things are going, then we'll make some decisions. I'm really praying we won't have to make that appointment, though!

38 Weeks (and 2 Days): Doctor Appointment

2011-06-15T14:10:00.004-05:00

I had my weekly doctor appointment this morning. I was feeling pretty discouraged after the last visit and really praying for some good news. After hearing Micah's beautiful, strong heartbeat (such a great sound!), my doctor said I had a "good exam". I am now 1-2 cm. dilated and about 60% effaced. That's some progress, at least! He also said that Micah is about a -3 station (I asked because I feel like he is really low!). Dr. Smallwood said I was "right on track."

I'm thankful that something is happening with all of these contractions I'm having. I'm just praying that "right on track" doesn't mean two or three more weeks. I mean, that would be normal and fine, but I just don't feel like my body can make it that long. I am certain I felt much better at the end of Meg's pregnancy than I am feeling now at the end of Micah's. Bill agrees, so it's not just my failing memory! It's probably a combination of the heat, caring for a two-year-old, and Micah being so low (lots of pressure on my joints and tendons!), but with Meg, we went for walks almost every day while with Micah I can barely climb up the stairs.

We'll see when this little boy decides to make his appearance. In the meantime, we've been doing a lot of cleaning and house projects (Bill's on vacation this week), and I am doing a lot of praying. It's another lesson in laying down my desires at the Lord's feet, choosing to trust and believe that His ways are higher than mine! As my doctor said, "the waiting game continues!"

37 weeks (and 4 days): Doctor Appointment

2011-06-10T11:34:00.002-05:00

I had an appointment with my OB this morning. He checked my cervix and said it was unchanged. I've been having lots of contractions, and some of them have been pretty painful. Not real labor painful, but a little worse than just uncomfortable. I was really hoping for some progress from all of that! But, alas, no. I'm disappointed and a little discouraged. But I am reminded of the Lord's goodness - His timing is perfect. Bill is on vacation next week, so at least we'll be able to spend some sweet family time together while we wait! :)

Tears

2011-06-09T07:34:00.004-05:00

My dear friend, Emmett Stallings, went to be with the Lord this morning. My heart is broken with sadness, especially for sweet Wendy and Quinn, but I rejoice that he is at home with the Savior, who has conquered death. Their story has been one of faithfulness in great suffering, and the glory of God has been clearly shown in their lives. It is a beautiful, painful mystery.

Please pray for the Stallings family today and in the coming weeks.

Braids

2011-06-08T22:09:00.004-05:00

We've been practicing french braids for the last week or so in our house. They are super cute, but my baby looks so grown up!

37 weeks!

2011-06-06T17:11:00.001-05:00

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today - and really feeling it! I am very thankful that this pregnancy has been so much easier than the last, but I am not one of those women who love being pregnant! I'm definitely ready for this little boy to make his appearance. I feel like my belly is huge - I'm at the point where I have only about two or three clothing items that fit me and none of them is very comfortable! I'm really interested to see how big this baby turns out to be! I'm feeling sluggish most days with episodes of weakness and dizziness. I've had lots of contractions, some of them becoming a little painful, but no real labor yet... hopefully soon! :)

I'd like to say that I don't love this picture, either, but taking another picture requires wearing something other than stretchy p.j. pants and that's not going to happen right now...

Grief

2011-06-03T13:24:00.004-05:00

Life is full of joy. I am thankful for so many joyful blessings the Lord has granted me - a wonderful husband, a delightful daughter, a sweet little boy on the way, loving family, amazing friends, physical provisions beyond number. As a believer, I enjoy these precious gifts and find even greater joy in the spiritual blessings the Lord has lavished on me - forgiveness of sin, union with Christ, access to the Father, the promise of eternal life. The Bible is filled with promises of God's goodness and favor toward His people, and I have confidence in His character, that He will be faithful to those promises.

But the older I get, the more I find that life is also sorrowful. It shouldn't be surprising, really. The Bible is filled with stories of suffering; Jesus was straightforward with His disciples that hardship and pain are to be expected in this life, perhaps even more so for followers of Christ than for others. But suffering still continues to catch me off guard... and it seems to be a theme of life lately.

A high school classmate, an army pilot, killed in Afghanistan during his second tour of duty, leaving behind a four year old daughter and his wife (also a classmate of mine) who is pregnant with their second daughter.

A fellow church member who has been looking for steady work for nearly two years. Although he is a hard worker, he can only find temporary work with minimal pay.

A friend who recently discovered a lump on her neck and received a diagnosis of cancer on her 9th wedding anniversary. She is married with three young children.

A dear friend, who has battled esophageal cancer for over a year, received the news today that the chemo is no longer working. He and his wife are trying to process this news and what it means for them and their four year old son.

Grief. Suffering. Hardship. Pain.

Many cite these as their main reasons for rejected the God of the Bible. How could He allow such suffering? How could He be good?

In my anguish, I choose to run toward God, not away. Somehow, in the midst of the sorrows of life, there is a beautiful paradox of God's love. All of those promises He makes? They aren't really about health and prosperity and physical safety. He promises to give us faith, never leave us, make us more holy and Christlike. How can I expect to be made more like Christ, the man of sorrows, without walking the same path of suffering He took?

This week I have listened to this song and wept at the beautiful, painful truth expressed. The best line says, "What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I don't have answers for the suffering I see. But, as Paul said, "I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." (II Timothy 1:12). I know His purposes are greater than mine, that His ways are higher than mine, that He loves us more deeply than we can know, that He is faithful to all His promises. The greatest gift He gives us is Himself. In the midst of great pain, it is enough. And He is the hope upon which we stand.

36 Week Doctor Appointment

2011-06-01T14:16:00.004-05:00

It's June! It's baby month! And that also means that this is the part of the pregnancy when I start posting a lot of "nope, baby's not here yet" posts. No, labor hasn't begun yet, but I do have some good news...

On Monday, Micah definitely dropped. I was never really sure when this happened with Meg, but I spent all day Monday thinking, "Am I just imagining it? Or is he lower today?" When Bill got home, he confirmed that the baby bump was lower than it was before. Now I can breathe a little better (but not too much - I'm too short for it to make THAT much of a difference!). Not that his dropping means much of anything about timing of delivery - could be 2 weeks, could be 4 weeks, could be whenever - but it is at least a sign that we are moving towards labor. And that is movement in the right direction!

This morning I had my 36 week checkup with my doctor. I tried not to get my hopes up, since every visit he's checked my cervix and said, "No change." But today he said, "You're dialated about 1 cm." Hurray! Now, he also said that there was no real thinning (effacement) yet, so we don't expect to go into labor in the near future, but once again - we're headed in the right direction!

I am thankful for those encouraging signs this week because being 36 weeks pregnant in this 90 degree, humid Nashville weather is not so fun. I haven't been feeling too well lately, and I'm not sure how I'm going to survive the rest of the month. But, on the other hand, at least the end is in sight! And I still have a few things to do to prepare, so we'll just keep waiting!

Great Blog with a Giveaway!

2011-05-24T14:33:00.003-05:00

My friend Tobi has a great blog (DrBabyMamaDrama) with fashion, design, decorating, and hosting tips. She's a fashionista and much cooler than me! And, right now, she's hosting a giveaway for some great jewelry, so it's the perfect time to hop over and check out her blog! Enjoy :)

Stay-cation Babymoon

2011-05-23T21:36:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, Bill and I started talking about finding a time to go away somewhere without Meg before the Micah is born. We'd never left Meg overnight before - mostly because we've never had the opportunity to do so! And we knew that if we didn't do it now, we wouldn't be able to do it for another year. Then we decided it was too expensive to go away somewhere and get a hotel. So, we came up with a plan to have some alone time without traveling anywhere or paying for a hotel. And, thanks to some very generous friends, we were able to do it this past weekend!

Friday afternoon, after she woke up from her nap, we dropped Meg off. Then we went out to dinner at the Bonefish Grill, did a little shopping (I got a sundress at Walmart - big excitement!), took a brief stroll on the greenway near our house, had some gelato, and then relaxed at home for the rest of the evening. Saturday morning, we slept in, went out to breakfast, and took a walk (a very slow amble) at Radnor Lake. Then I got a (much-needed) pedicure while Bill played at the Apple Store, we went to see "Thor" (a very enjoyable movie, by the way), and we had a late lunch at this great little Italian place near our house (same place we got the gelato - great pizza!). We went to pick up Meg, and she was just waking up from her nap.

It was a perfect mini-vacation for us. Exactly what we needed: refreshing time spent together.

I'll admit, though, that it was harder to be away from Meg than I thought it would be. Of course, that could have something to do with the major pregnancy hormones I have going on these days! It was great to spend some time together, but I was also glad to see my little girl again! :)

Family Pictures

2011-05-19T08:31:00.012-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had some pictures taken. It was a combination of family pictures, Micah's maternity pictures, and Meg's two year old pictures. We went to the same place we had our engagement pictures taken, and it was a beautiful morning. IN addition to getting some great photos, we had a fun time together! Here are a few of my favorites (although it was hard to choose):

Pictures taken by Jill Bishop - a friend and great photographer. Check out her website if you live in the Nashville area and need a photographer!

The Rainbow Song

2011-05-17T13:10:00.004-05:00

Meg loves to sing. We sing to her all the time, and I'm amazed at how many words to songs she already knows. A recent favorite (especially at mealtime, for some reason) is the rainbow song. No, not that rainbow song (although every time I read "rainbow song" that gets stuck in my head). This is a song that anyone who has every been to the downtown Nashville Public Library for storytime knows quite well.

This particular morning Meg was cracking me up singing this song - more like shouting when she got to the end of each verse.

Meg-isms

2011-05-16T15:20:00.002-05:00

Last week Meg was playing in her kitchen and told me she was making me some dinner. A little later she came up and said, "Your egg's almost done, Mommy." To which I replied, "Oh, they are?" She looked at me and said, "No, only one."

Really?! Not only does she understand that "they" means more than one, but she was using a contraction to say "Your egg is almost done" not "your eggs almost done." Wow.

When I woke Meg up from her nap on Saturday, I told her we needed to comb her hair because it was all sweaty. She said, "My hair's wet!" I replied, "Yes, it's sweaty because you were hot. Were you hot?" Her response: "Yes! So I took my covers off because I was hot."

Really?! Sometimes I just look at her and think, "How did we get here? How did you suddenly become a little person who has conversations with me? Aren't you still a baby?"

This morning, as we were coming downstairs, Meg wanted me to hold one of her dolls. She said, "Mommy, you hold that baby. I'll hold this baby."

I think understanding the difference between this and that is pretty advanced. This girl is so verbal!

It's so fun to be able to talk to Meg, but it also reminds me how quickly she's growing up. I'm noticing that she's starting to say things correctly that she used to say in her own cute way. She's always asked us to hold her by saying, "Hold you, Mommy." Now about half the time she actually says, "Hold me, Mommy."

I'm going to miss that!

But my current favorite Meg-ism is something she's also started saying in the last few weeks. She runs up and hugs me and exclaims, "I love my mommy!"

And THAT makes all the discipline, temper tantrums, and battles of will TOTALLY worth it!

Invasion!

2011-05-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, people in Nashville started talking about the impending cicada invasion. Apparently, the cicada comes to the south in massive quantities every 13 years - and this year, we're due. The cicadas emerge from the ground after 13 years of a larval state, shed their skins, fly around and mate. Then the females lay the eggs in the bark of trees. The larvae emerge, feed, and drop down to the ground where they burrow down to feed off the roots for 13 years before starting the cycle all over. (All this is recently acquired knowledge, by the way.)

True, there are cicadas every summer, but this year is supposed to be the big one. I have been dreading it for months, hoping it wasn't really true, and trying to pretend it wouldn't happen. I've also been trying to enjoy the early spring we've had that has so far been bug-free.

But last Saturday, as if on cue, the cicadas started to emerge. It is the weirdest thing. Friday - no cicadas. Saturday morning - reports of cicadas start popping up on Facebook. How do they know to all start coming out at the same time??? Creepy.

This morning, I decided to do a little documentation for my friends and relatives who are fortunate enough not to live in a cicada-invested region. And to prove that I'm not exaggerating - they really are everywhere!

The fence next to our parked cars:

All of those black spots are empty skins of the larvae or adult cicadas. The other night I came home after dark and everywhere I looked along the fence there were new beetle-like creatures crawling up the fence so they could shed and emerge as adults. It was very creepy. Ugh!

The irises in my flower beds:

A bush in our backyard:

It may look like this bush has lots of dead, brown leaves, but think again!

Let's take a closer look:

ICK.

This morning, taking these pictures, was the first time I'd ventured in our backyard for more than the time it takes to walk in from the car. But Meg was begging me to take her outside to play bubbles, so I decided it was time to be courageous. Turns out, it wasn't so bad. The cicadas didn't swarm us like I feared, and we were able to play with the bubbles and even in her swing. I don't know if that will be true next week or in a few weeks, but I was proud of myself for conquering my fears and taking my daughter outside! Every day more cicadas emerge and more die, leaving their carcasses all over the grass and walkways, but some areas of the city are worse than others. Our front yard has very few compared to the back, and the zoo didn't have many at all this morning.

They are only supposed to last about 5 or 6 weeks, so I guess we'll survive. I'm just wondering how long their bodies and shells will hang around... blech.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T13:51:00.006-05:00

We had a quiet Mother's Day weekend. Bill's mom came for a visit, and Meg loved playing with her Grandma. We went out for a nice lunch after church on Sunday, and Bill gave me some beautiful impatiens in hanging baskets for the front porch. I am truly blessed with my sweet family. I love being a mommy, and, even on the hard days, I wouldn't trade it for any other job!

Bill and his mom on the front swing:

Meg with Daddy and Grandma:

The best we could get of me with my girl:

(It was waaay past naptime, and I'm squinty... oh well!)

Sneak Peek

2011-05-10T14:45:00.005-05:00

These are the pictures of our 20 week ultrasound back in February. We temporarily misplaced the pictures, but finally located and scanned them this week! I love looking at them and imagining what our little boy will look like. I can't wait to see his little face in person!

I was looking at the pictures on the computer this morning while Meg ate breakfast. I showed them to her and told her what it was. Then she kept asking to look at Baby Micah again. So sweet. She may be in for a bit of a shock when Micah comes home, but I know she's going to be a great big sister!

Growing Belly

2011-05-09T14:34:00.005-05:00

January 3rd (15 weeks pregnant):

February 22nd (22 weeks):

April 3rd (28 weeks):

May 8th (33 weeks):

We're getting close! Grow, Micah, grow! :)

Bookworm

2011-05-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

This girl LOVES books. It makes me so happy. She loves to be read to and is starting to "read" the books to herself, talking about the pictures and mimicking the words. It makes my little teacher heart so proud! :)

Decorating Eggs

2011-04-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

We were a few days late, but Meg helped me dye and decorate Easter eggs yesterday. She loved it! So fun.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T14:59:00.024-05:00

Easter was a sweet time of celebration with family and friends. We had a great weekend.

On Saturday, Meg's friend Nathan celebrated his second birthday with a party in the park, complete with an egg hunt. The weather was gorgeous, and we all enjoyed the party!

Playing on the playground:

Hunting for eggs:

Found one!

"Look over here! Look over here!"

(this picture makes me laugh)

Pretty excited about chocolate:

Taking a thumb break after all that hunting:

Having some lunch:

Birthday boy:

Having a yummy cupcake:

Sunday morning was a joyful time of worship with our church family at Trinity. We managed to get a few good Easter pictures, too:

My parents left right after church. We decided to do our Easter meal on Sunday night. We gathered with some friends for an informal brunch for dinner. We even had an Easter egg hunt for the kids. It was a another sweet time of fellowship - a perfect ending to a great weekend.

A Working Vacation (of sorts)

2011-04-25T16:17:00.010-05:00

Last week was my dad's spring break (he's a high school teacher), so my parents decided to come see us for a nice, long visit! They arrived on Monday and stayed through Sunday. While they were here, they helped us make a lot of progress on the "to do before baby arrives" list! My dad installed a ceiling fan in the den, reversed the back screen door, hung Meg's swing in the backyard, and put up some curtain rods. My mom and I painted the nursery (including all the trim), and she advised me as I made curtains for the nursery. Bill ended up having quite a few mornings or afternoons off from clinics, so he was able to be around quite a bit, too. He hung more curtain rods, hung blackout shades in the nursery, and fixed the area around the HVAC units outside. Overall, we had a super productive week, and it felt good to get some things accomplished! Of course, we did make some time for play, as well, so here are a few pictures of that! :)

The rocking horse my grandfather made for me and my sisters when

we were little. My parents fixed it up with a mane and tail and brought it for Meg.

She loved it!

Meg and PopPop

Being silly

Lovin' her new swing!

More swinging

More silliness (a two-year-old face!)

Blowing bubbles outside with BeBe

Meg and BeBe

With Mommy at Bobby's Dairy Dip

Chocolate ice cream!

The nursery is definitely starting to come together, and I LOVE the paint color we picked out. I'm still working on a few projects, so I'll post pictures when I get it all done!

Little Gardener

2011-04-16T16:05:00.000-05:00

It didn't take us long after moving into our house to realize how much it had been neglected. We spent the first few months taking care of some maintenance issues and giving everything a good scrubbing. We weren't really able to do much about the yard until this spring. As the weather has warmed, we've been slowly trying to reclaim some of the very overgrown beds and finding treasures amidst the weeds. It's been a slow battle and won't likely be finished this year, but we are finding satisfaction in seeing little corners of the yard transformed. Bill's been very sweetly helping weed a little more each time he mows the grass. That's great because I am gradually able to spend less and less time in the sun and on the ground! Meg thinks being in the yard is great fun and loves to run around and play while we're working. Sometimes, she even wants to help! This picture was taken last weekend:

If we're going to train her well, we need to get her some little gardening gloves and her own tools!

Another Zoo Day

2011-04-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we took another trip to the zoo to enjoy the gorgeous weather and sweet friends. This time we paid the goats in the petting area a visit...

They were a big hit. Looking at these pictures reminds me of how much Meg has changed in a year...

Then we had to hit our favorite spot at the zoo: the bridge by the flamingos!

This time Meg and friends decided to camp out in the middle of the bridge for a while. They looked like they were having a picnic! Too funny.

No More Cast!

2011-04-12T15:14:00.001-05:00

Meg got her cast taken off yesterday! We talked about it (A LOT) beforehand, and she did really well with the whole thing. I had a couple of concerns: the appointment was at 3:15, which is normally the middle of Meg's naptime; and I couldn't go into the x-ray room with her because of my pregnancy. Thankfully, Meg took an early nap and woke up in a good mood. I am even more thankful that Bill was able to finish up work in time to come down and be with us for the entire appointment. He didn't even have to go back to work afterwards! That was a great blessing!

Bill went into the x-ray room with Meg, and she didn't even cry. Then we had to wait to talk to the doctor. Meg was playing and laughing in the exam room. In fact, she didn't cry until the lady actually came in with the big machine for cutting off the cast... and she screamed almost the entire time the cast was coming off. But I can't really blame her - the machine is pretty loud and scary! I had told her it would be like the vacuum cleaner to try to prepare her, but it was still a little scary. Afterwards, Bill cleaned off her leg with an alcohol wipe and threw the cast in the trash. The whole ride home Meg kept telling the story about what happened: "Take a picture of my leg. Took my cast off with the vacuum cleaner. Daddy clean my leg. Daddy throw my cast away! It's all gone!"

Waiting for the doctor

Bye bye, cast!

She was hesitant to walk on it, saying it hurt and wanting to be carried, but only a few hours later (while we were running errands) she was walking around the store. She still looks like she's walking with a bit of a limp, but I think it is mostly because she's in the habit of walking with the foot turned out from the cast, not because it really hurts her much. I'm certain she'll be back to running in no time!

Playing with Daddy

2011-04-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

I got an iPhone for my birthday, and one of the things I love about it is always having a camera nearby. Granted, it is nothing like our nice, big camera, but it does take pretty decent pictures. I love capturing sweet moments like this one of Meg and Bill playing, taken on her birthday (March 31st). The pictures are a little dark and not so great, but the memory is precious.

Meg loves building block towers and knocking them down. She especially loves it when daddy (or mommy) helps her build a really tall tower!

Waiting... and Growing!

2011-04-10T15:03:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted any belly pictures yet, so it's about time for one! Here I am at 28 weeks pregnant (taken April 3rd)....

This little boy is going to be big, I think! He's also incredibly active. I felt him moving really early, and he hasn't stopped since. Meg was pretty active, but there were times I would get worried because I hadn't felt her in a while. There's never been a moment of worry about that with him!

By the way, we've chosen a name for the littlest Heerman...

Micah John

I've always liked the name Micah. It means "Who is Like God?" After Bill's dad passed away in September, we knew that if we had a boy, we'd use John for his middle name. It's also Bill's middle name, so I think it is perfect.

We can't wait to meet this little one!

BeBe and PopPop

2011-04-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

A sweet picture of Meg with my parents - taken the day after her 2nd birthday party.

Meg's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-04-08T15:56:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we celebrated Meg's 2nd with a Pooh party! It was a huge success. The grandparents were all in town, the weather was beautiful, and Meg loved every minute with all of her friends. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

The party spread:

Closeups of the food:

The menu:

Rabbit's Garden Vegetables (with dip)

Roo's Fruit Kabobs

Owl's Tea Sandwiches

Tigger Tails (cheese puffs)

Pooh cupcakes

Pooh cake

The star of the food show (courtesy of my mom!):

Mommy and the birthday girl:

As the guests arrived, we started with coloring. We had two child-sized tables set up (one of which was Meg's present from BeBe and PopPop) with crayons and Pooh coloring posters.

Next we went outside to enjoy the sunny weather with some bubbles and sidewalk chalk.

Next up was the Pooh pinata! All the kiddos took turns taking a swing at it:

Even though a few of the older kids got some good hits, it was a hard sucker to crack! So, Bill had to help out a little (it was a pull-string open):

Finally enjoying the spoils (gummy bears, teddy grahams, and raisins):

The older kids knew there was supposed to be candy, but the younger ones didn't... and Meg loves raisins, so she was happy!

Next, it was back inside for a game of "Pin the Tail on Eeyore". None of the kids really understood the game, but they had fun anyway!

Finally it was time to eat!

Then came the cake... Meg knew what to do this time!

Yummy! (or as Meg says, "Nummy!")

That was the official end of the party - and most friends had to leave. But a few stayed around enjoying the nice weather outside for a little bit. We hung out on the front yard, soaking in the early spring sunshine!

We waited until after nearly everyone had left to open presents. Meg got lots of fun stuff and really enjoyed opening the gifts. This was probably her favorite, though - a generic magnadoodle I got for $2 at a consignment sale! :)

It was a successful party all around! Great friends, delicious food, lots of fun, and perfect weather. We had a wonderful day celebrating our sweet girl. We are so thankful for Meg and for all of the friends and family who love her so well.

Meg at Two

2011-04-04T20:48:00.004-05:00

We had Meg's two-year-old well child checkup this morning. Even though she didn't have to get any shots, Meg wasn't too pleased to be there. She cried most of the time, but I can't really blame her as every other time we've been there she has gotten a shot (or two!). Here are her official "stats":

height: 35 inches (85 percentile)

weight: 32 pounds (90-95 percentile)

head circumference: 19 1/4 inches (95 percentile)

So, she's growing very well (not that I was worried), and her vision and iron screenings were excellent. While we at it, I thought I'd give a little snapshot of Meg at two...

Language: Meg amazes me every day with the way she is able to communicate. In many ways, she already talks like a three-year-old. She speaks in five to seven word sentences and uses new vocabulary almost every day. One of her favorite new words is "delicious". Yesterday at dinner she said, "Daddy, these carrots are delicious!" She never fails to make us laugh, either. The other day, she found a little Bible my grandparents gave her at birth and exclaimed, "Thanks, Mommy! Bible tells me so!" She is so verbal I'm afraid her little brother won't speak at all until he's about three -- he'll never have the chance!

Play: I love watching Meg develop more imaginative play. She loves her three baby dolls -- "Baby Karen", "Baby Doll", and "Big Baby". She takes one of them with us nearly everywhere we go and sleeps with them every night. She likes to wrap them in blankets and bounce them, saying, "Shhhh." She puts them in the doll cradle and the new bouncy seat I bought for the baby, and I often overhear her talking to them: "You okay? Baby Doll, you poopy? No, just wet. Change diaper, okay?" Meg's other favorite toys are puzzles, books, and coloring. Recently, she's started carrying around a purse with a small book and an electronic Yahtzee game, which she calls her phone, inside. She frequently calls her grandparents on her play phones.

Friendships: Meg has many friends, most of whom go to church with us at Trinity. She is amazing at remembering names and talks about people all the time. On Saturday, when we told her we were going to church in the morning, she cheered and clapped her hands, exclaiming, "Yay! I have lots of friends at church!" At bedtime, she wants to pray for everyone we know, listing them off by name. I'm helping her pray on her own, and tonight she prayed, "Thank you, God, Gideon Abe. Thank you playground. Thank you slide..." Then she continued to list all her other friends. It was so sweet. There are two "older boys" (four year olds) at church who are particular favorites right now. The funny thing is how much they both dote on her - holding her hand and helping her do things. It's pretty sweet, but I think we're in for trouble in the future!

Songs - Meg loves to sing and have us sing to her. Her favorite songs to sing right now are "Wheels on the Bus", "My God is so Big", and "Jesus Loves Me". Every morning, when I open the computer, she wants me to play "Cruella deVille" and "Belle song" (Beauty and the Beast) for her. At bedtime, she likes for us to sing "All the Way" ("... my Savior Leads Me"), "Baby Jesus song" ("Away in a Manger") and "Mary song" ("Mary, Did You Know?"). I love that she knows a lot of the words to songs already, but it also makes me a little more cautious about the music I listen to when she's around!

Other - a few more Meg facts...

- She remembers everything. I've just started asking her where things are because she usually knows better than I do!

- She loves fruits and vegetables. The other night we "bribed" her to eat her meat by promising her more carrots when she was done! What kind of two-year-old does that?

- She loves order. In other words, she's a little bit OCD! If a door is left open, she wants it closed; if something is left out, she wants it put away. Sometimes I just look at her and think, "Oh dear..."

- She can be very sensitive, especially with her Daddy. A little while ago, Bill was yelling for me to come upstairs because he was concerned about something, and Meg burst into tears because of the urgency in his voice. She kept saying, "Sorry, Daddy!" (He's learned that he has to keep his voice very calm for her!)

- She loves her Daddy's approval. Every time I fix her hair and Bill is home, she has to go and show it to him. He's learning how important his approval is to her. It's amazing how that need starts so young!

- She has a strong will, but she's also very sweet. It's the typical two-year-old mixture, I guess. Meg has delightful moments and moments of being a big pill. Fortunately, the former outweigh the latter. :)

We are so thankful to have Meg in our lives. We love you, sweet girl!

Meg's Birthday Day

2011-04-01T08:42:00.016-05:00

We had a great time celebrating our birthday girl yesterday. Bill didn't have to leave for work until 7:30, so he got Meg up and got her dressed. When he said, "Guess what, Meg? It's your birthday!" Meg grinned and said, "It's gonna be delicious!!!"

We had time for a birthday breakfast together. Bill had to eat and run, but it was still a sweet treat for us!

Pancakes with strawberries and cool whip! Yum!

Breakfast and a present

Birthday girl showing her new age!
(and wearing a shirt from my recent consigning adventures - $2!)

With Daddy before he left for work.

A present to start the day - new coloring books!

Thoroughly enjoying her pancake breakfast!

Meg and I had a low key day. We went to the Y for a little bit, then walked across the street to Whole Foods to buy cupcakes. I let Meg pick out the cupcake she wanted. She chose this one:

She talked about her piggy cupcake all day. I told her we had to wait until Daddy came home and we'd eaten dinner. After dinner, she was pretty excited!

Waiting (somewhat) patiently...

Singing Happy Birthday

Once she got the cupcake, she wasn't quite sure what to do. It took a little convincing to get her to blow out the candles. She kept saying, "Mommy do it. Daddy do it." But after I coaxed her into blowing the first one out (and helping a little), she was more ready to try the second candle.

"Okay, now what?"

"I'm not so sure about this..."

"Well, okay."

When we gave her the cupcake to eat (Whole Foods cupcakes are delicious but enormous, so we only gave her half), Meg started to eat it with her hands, but she got upset about the icing all over her hands. So, Daddy had to help her eat it with a fork. That's pretty classic Meg! :)

She thoroughly enjoyed it, though!

We spent the rest of the evening putting together her big present from us - a new play kitchen. We didn't finish it until after she'd gone to bed (it required a trip to Lowe's), but Bill was pretty proud when we did!

It's a great kitchen! When Meg got up this morning, we showed it to her. She didn't want to come downstairs to eat breakfast! She kept saying, "My present! My kitchen!" As soon as she ate, she said, "I wanna go upstairs play with my kitchen!"

We were so thankful to have a day to celebrate our daughter and the joy she brings to our lives. It was full of sweet family moments. The best part? Bill was on jeopardy (back up call) last night and didn't get called in! That never happens! We were both very grateful for that. The day was a precious gift from the Lord - just like Meg. :)

Happy Second Birthday, Meg!

2011-03-31T08:09:00.007-05:00

Today is Meg's second birthday. I can't believe how quickly time flies! Here's a little photo timeline for you...

Two years ago:

First birthday:

Daddy with the birthday girl this morning:

My 30th Birthday - Take Two

2011-03-25T21:52:00.009-05:00

Last weekend, we finally got the chance to celebrate my 30th birthday with a party! We had a bunch of friends over for an adult party. No, not that kind of adult party... a we-all-get-to-hang-out-without-our-children party! Some wonderfully sweet girls from Trinity (our church) volunteered their babysitting services for free. They're so awesome. So, we parents partied! Everyone brought an appetizer and something for dipping in the chocolate fondue we had for dessert. It was delicious. After eating, we played a hilarious game of Cranium. It was probably the best birthday party I've ever had (sorry, Mom - I did have some great childhood parties). That's probably because time spent with sweet friends is precious these days, and time spent with friends sans children is priceless! We had a really great time. I am so thankful for the amazing friendships Bill and I have been blessed with. As I welcome in a new decade, I feel nothing but blessed! Bring on the thirties!

Let the games begin...

Senso-sketch: pictionary with your eyes closed.

Serious Sculptorades happening...

More Senso-sketch

A little charades...

"It's like he's trying to tell us something!"

Lots of laughs

Sweet friends!

Sneak Peek: Meg's Big Girl Room

2011-03-24T08:59:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited. I started the first major project for Meg's "big girl room" today. I've taken on the ambitious task of making a twin sized quilt for her.

I've never quilted anything before, and my sewing machine has only been taken out of the box two or three times since I received it for Christmas four years ago (mostly because I had nowhere to put it). I have done some sewing before - mostly in high school. So, why not make a quilt?! :)

Fortunately, I have lots of very crafty, talented friends to guide me through the process. I loved picking out the fabric a few weeks ago with my expert seamstress friend, Sharon, a few weeks ago (seriously - she's really talented. Check out her Etsy shop!) Yesterday, my quilting expert friend, Betsy, came over to show me how to cut out my squares. She brought her nice equipment with her, as well. After a few hours, I had a stack of squares ready to go! I laid them all out during Meg's nap and decided how I wanted to arrange them. Today I'm going to buy some fabric and start sewing! Maybe I'll really get this project finished! Stay tuned...

What Season is it Anyway?

2011-03-23T08:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got a sunburn on my arms from sitting outside at the park in sunny, 80 degree weather. Tomorrow the high is 45 degrees. Welcome to spring in Nashville! You never know if you'll need your shorts or your sweater! We'll take it, though. It's been wonderful to enjoy the warm weather, but I'm glad we're having a cooler spell... I was starting to worry about how hot it would be in July if we're already wearing shorts in March!

More Playdates

2011-03-21T15:26:00.001-05:00

We're taking full advantage of the weather this week, spending as much time as possible outdoors. This morning we had some playtime and a picnic lunch at the park with friends. It's crazy that we're wearing shorts in March!

Spring!

2011-03-20T15:14:00.003-05:00

We have had a beautiful weekend here. This morning, after church, I had to take some pictures of Meg in her sweet spring dress (a consignment sale purchase!) I'm loving her in blue these days. It's definitely her color!

Playdates and Consignment Sales

2011-03-19T09:32:00.002-05:00

This week one of the biggest consignment sales in Nashville is being held. I discovered Encores and More North last year. My friend Teresa and I shopped the night before the sale opened to the public for the "new moms sale". The selection is enormous - they rent out an entire former Goody's store to hold all the clothes and toys and equipment. However, the lines were terrible! We took turns waiting in line while the other shopped. We were in line for probably two hours, not getting home until after 11 p.m.

This year, we decided to do something a little different. We each worked a shift so we could shop early. Teresa worked two shifts, and I worked one. So, she got to shop Thursday night and I went Friday afternoon (the sale opened to the public Saturday morning - a week ago). It was wonderful! When I arrived, there was no line to get in, a very short line to check out, and lots and lots of goodies. The best part of shopping early is that you pick the best prices. For example, there were probably 50 infant bouncy seats ranging from $5 to $20. Since the individual consigner decides the price, there were identical items for different prices. I picked the one I wanted for the best price and got a great, like new seat for $10! I also found a section of baby boy clothes from the same consigner who obviously wanted to get rid of it - most of it was only $1! And that was for an entire outfit - shirt and pants. Or a set of five onesies for only $4. Needless to say, I got a lot of great deals. And it was so stress free to shop early! When I left a little after 5:00 Friday night, the consigners (who got to shop at 6 p.m.) were already lined up down the entire length of the shopping center!

In order to work our shifts last week, Teresa and I traded childcare. I watched Nathan for her on Wednesday, and she watched Meg for me on Friday. It worked out really well - Nathan and Meg play very well together.

It was definitely worth working the shift to shop early! We might try it again - although we're both expecting babies in July, so the August sale might be a little tricky. We'll see! :)

Warmth at Last!

2011-03-18T10:02:00.011-05:00

We've been having some incredible weather this week. Yesterday was sunny with highs around 70, so we headed to the zoo with some friends. We love having a membership to the zoo because we can take our time and enjoy as much as we want without feeling like we have to "get our money's worth". Meg and her best friends, Abraham and Gideon, spent a long time playing on one of the bouncing bridges near the flamingo exhibit. And we were happy to let them play.

It was St. Patrick's day, so they were all wearing green. Meg started the morning with leggings and a sweater but after a few hours, I just let her wear her sundress. It was so nice!

We did also see the animals and play on the playground before having a picnic lunch. The friends love sharing the double stroller and riding together:

Unfortunately, in addition to the nice weather, it was also spring break, so the zoo was super crowded by the time we left at lunchtime. We were glad we'd gotten there early! I'm looking forward to more time spent outdoors as spring arrives!

Hoarder

2011-03-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Meg was in the pantry and discovered a sturdy paper bag with handles. She snatched it up, and I heard her say, as she walked out of the pantry, "Oh! I put stuff in it!" And that's what she did.

Soon the bag was full of every toy she could fit in it.

She carried it around the house for quite some time.

That's the way it is these days. I can't leave a laundry basket empty and unattended for five minutes without coming back and finding it full of toys and clothes and whatever else she finds. Last week, after taking the cat to the vet, I found the kitty carrier full of all kinds of interesting things. For now, I'm trying to remember to keep a close eye on my keys... otherwise, you never know where they might end up! :)

Update on Meg's Leg

2011-03-05T21:52:00.002-06:00

Thankfully, Meg woke up yesterday with no fever. She's still got a lingering cough, but she's feeling much more like herself. She and I spent yesterday at home, playing and watching movies. She was pretty content to play while I cleaned. I just set up a spot for her with toys near where I was working. She was crawling and pulling herself up to get around by the end of the day.

Last night, Bill and I had a date night, thanks to our sweet friends who came over to watch Meg. They brought their boys to play, then one of them took their boys home while the other put Meg to bed for us. Bill and I had a great dinner at the Sunset Grill and then saw The King's Speech (great movie - I highly recommend it).

This afternoon, Meg and I ventured out in the rain for a birthday party. She continued to improve today. When we got home, she was walking short distances without any help. I'm so proud of her. She's such a trooper!

A few pictures of our day yesterday (courtesy of my new iPhone!) -

Eating a snack

Reading a book to her baby

Meg's ABCs

2011-03-04T21:47:00.001-06:00

She prefers to sing the "Super Why" version. I like it better, too. :)

A Memorable Birthday

2011-03-03T20:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday - my thirtieth birthday.

Bill's week has been pretty busy, so we've been planning to celebrate in chunks. On Monday afternoon, Bill gave me a new iPhone and we went out for dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. We have plans for a date night on Friday.

Yesterday morning started out as a great day. Meg and I met a friend and her boys at Whole Foods for some muffins and coffee. Then we walked over the the Y to meet another friend and her kids to play in the gym where they have a bounce house, balls, and gymnastic equipment set up. At 11, we headed to the park to meet more friends for lunch and playing.

Sadly, that's where the day took a bad turn. Meg was playing on the playground equipment when I looked over and saw her on the ground, crying. I was a little scared at first about the way she was lying on her side and not trying to get up, but once I looked at her and picked her up, I thought she'd just had the wind knocked out of her. She eventually stopped crying and showed some interest in seeing what her friends were doing. When I tried to stand her up, though, she immediately crumpled and wailed again, refusing to put weight on her right leg. I knew something was really wrong, so I called Bill to see what I should do. He was leaving his clinic to go to a meeting at Vanderbilt, so he stopped at the park to look at Meg's leg. He was pretty certain it was broken (I definitely started crying at this point). Bill called one of the orthopedic residents who agreed to see us at the ortho clinic.

To make a long story short, Meg had a fracture down the front of her leg, visible only from the side x-ray. She now has a purple cast from just below her knee down to her toes, and she has to wear it for a month. Our return appointment is set for April 11.

It was a pretty tragic way to spend my birthday, but there is so much I am thankful for. I called Bill at 12:00, and we were home with the cast by 2 p.m. That's incredibly fast. We didn't have to go to the E.R. since the ortho clinic was open and took us as walk-ins. Bill initially thought Meg would have to have a full leg cast (which she couldn't walk on), but we ended up with a short cast which she can walk on whenever she feels ready. I was surrounded by lots of friends when Meg fell who were wonderfully supportive and helped me remain calm. If Meg had to break a bone, this was a good case scenario! I am truly thankful for that.

To make it worse, though, Meg's cold and cough from this week developed into a fever last night at bedtime. I had to rock her to sleep, but she slept from about 8:30 to 6 this morning without waking. This morning her fever was up to 101.4, but thankfully a rotation of motrin and tylenol has kept it under control throughout the day. She's been a little fussier than usual but spent most of the day playing contentedly. She even started scooting around to get to toys. She's such a great kid - and so resilient. Thanks for all your prayers for her recovery!

So, I guess I will always remember my thirtieth birthday, though not for the reasons I expected!

Little Traveller

2011-02-19T20:16:00.000-06:00

I love this picture of Meg taken on during our car ride to Raleigh. It says so much about her personality!

Roadtrip! (Part 2)

2011-02-18T14:51:00.003-06:00

Saturday night in Raleigh, my family celebrated my birthday a few weeks early. My sister even invited two of my good friends from high school who live in Raleigh to join us. It was such a treat to see them again and meet their families.

Celebrating my 3oth with cupcakes!

Meg enjoyed a cupcake, too!

Sweet friends: me with Matt and Jennifer

We used to call ourselves "Jennifer squared" :)

All the kiddos had fun playing together, too.

Meg really loved reading Michelle's National Geographic magazines.

A great picture of Heather (a.k.a. Auntie Tattoo) and my dad:

We managed to get a group photo. That's no easy feat with eleven people

plus five little ones! I think the result is a pretty great picture!

On Sunday, after church, we took some more family pictures (this time with Heather, who wasn't with us on Saturday).

The best shot:

The goofy shot:

Meg and Bebe:

The girls:

Just the three of us:

My dad had to leave Sunday afternoon to get back for work on Monday. My mom took Monday off and drove back with us. We left Raleigh Monday morning for my parents' house. We spent Monday night with my mom and dad before returning to Nashville Tuesday morning. It was a lot of driving, but Meg did wonderfully. And it was totally worth it to spend so much great time with family! We had a great trip!

I'm sad that Bill has to go back to work tomorrow, but I am so thankful for the last two weeks. Bill has been able to rest and relax and laugh. We enjoyed some really sweet time together as a family, and Meg has grown in affection for her daddy because of it. That is something I was praying for our vacation. I'm so thankful to see their relationship grow! I think we're all feeling refreshed and ready for the next few months. I'm also thankful that the next few months will be easier than the last few!