Monday, September 24, 2012

Today is the Day!!

Ready or not, here she comes!  Today is my induction day, and hopefully by this time tomorrow Emma will be here!!  I really can't believe it.  This is our last days as a family of four (including Daisy of course).


I guess you never really feel fully prepared for a child.  Even though we already have one (and it wasn't all that long ago that we had her), adding another child still makes me nervous even though I am super excited.  Having two will add a whole other dimension.  I am about to have child(ren); pleural!  It truly blows my mind.  I guess because we are so comfortable with where we are with Addy, it is just the fear of the unknown that is making me anxious.

Today is Addy's last day as an only child.  Saying that brings tears to my eyes for some reason.  I am trying to spend as much time with her as possible, because from now on I will have to split my time between my kiddos.  I feel bad that Addy will no longer be the only one.  I feel bad that Emma will never be the only one.  I wonder how I will be able to split my time and my attention evenly.  All of the questions and concerns that every parent has, I suppose.

But I know that it will all work out and be wonderful.  Despite the nervousness and anxiety, my biggest feeling is excitement.  Excitement for the future and all that it has to bring.  Excitement for my girls to grow up together and never know any different than having the other right there beside them.  A constant companion, a constant annoyance, a forever best friend.

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives :)  Bring it on!!

Finished Nursery!

Yup, Emma's nursery is finally complete!  Only 2 days after my due date, ha ha :)  Nothing like waiting until the very last minute, right?

Her room has to be a combination nursery/guest room, but I think we managed to make it work.

Before:

Guest Room
 
 
Transformation in Progress:
 
Daddy putting the crib together...
 

...with his favorite little helper.
 

Addy is taking a break.  Daisy will fill in ;)
 
Working on our DIY projects:
 
Painting, painting, and more painting
 
 
Daddy helped out by painting the fabric circles :)
 
 
And...done!!!
 
Full view
 

Addy wanted to get in Emmy's crib
 

Left to right: Ultrasound photo, handmade Baby Girl card from a friend, plain pink scrapbook paper where we will put Emma's footprints, birth announcement, and maternity photo.  I interspersed the butterflies to add a little something extra.
 
 

New bedding, and I painted the picture frame above the bed for the bright pink flower photo that we had, which just happened to go perfectly with the color scheme of the room!
 
 

Shadowbox arrangement (I painted those too.)


Probably my favorite aspect of the room: the fabric circles.  Mike painted the rings and I added the fabric.  I love the clock and the mirror in there too :)


Emma's crib.  The quilt on the front was handmade for her by one of my friends!


Mirror that I painted and DIY mobile...that I just finished last night ;)
 

Close up of the mobile
 

Another view from the doorway
 
We are officially done with the nursery and ready for Emma to join the family!  Good thing, since I am scheduled for my induction in T-minus 6 hours!!!!  Ready or not, here she comes!
 


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Parks and Music

Last Wednesday Addy had a jam packed day that started at Duke Gardens with friends and ended with her first music class of the year!

It was a gorgeous day at Duke Gardens!

Addy and Anna getting ready to feed the ducks :)


Perched and ready!
 


Addy and Phoebe playing together :)
 

Addy loved the fish!  I had to keep moving her back from the edge for fear that she would fall in!
 

Checking out the chickens
 
We had a great time there with the girls from my Mom group, however I was kicking myself for not bringing a stroller.  I was the only one without one (and the only one pregnant!), so Addy either had to walk or I had to carry her the whole time.  Talk about exhausted!  Addy and I were both wiped out by the end of that excursion.  She was such a trooper though, and she walked for a lot of the time while all of her little friends were getting escorted around in their strollers :)
 
Then that evening was her first music class of the year.  Addy loves that class and she especially loves to be in the center of the circle at all times!
 
Dancing Queen!
 
 
Notice all of the other kids staying next to their parents?  Not Addy.  She heads right for the middle of the circle!
 
It is so comical watching her during music class!  I took a video with my phone but I can't figure out how to put it on here.  It takes hours upon hours saying that it is uploading, but it never finishes.  So the pictures will have to do.
 
Hope everyone is having a great week so far!
 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Baby Shower Number Two!

I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends and co-workers!  A lot of people don't get a baby shower for their second child, but somehow I was showered with love twice!  My co-workers threw me a baby shower a few weeks ago, and the girls in my mom group threw me one this past week!


 
We went to a local restaurant called Relish, and I got Italian mac and cheese, which was to die for!  Then Becky made these cute little cupcakes for dessert.  There were ten of us there, and it was so fun hanging out and catching up with these girls without having to worry about chasing around our little ones!
 
I got some really cute outfits, and a lot of diapers which will definitely come in handy in those early days when the cloth diapers won't fit yet.  I am so excited for Emma's arrival, yet I cannot believe she will be here in a week or so!  I still feel like there is so much to get ready.  Ha ha, ready or not, she's coming soon!!!!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Addy's First Day of School!

I know, I know.  She is only a year and a half old.  But being that it is just her and I hanging out most days, I wanted her to start playing with other kids on a more consistent basis.  And when we joined the local YMCA back in January I found out that they have a "Transitional Two's" preschool class there.  Meaning that all of the kids in that class will turn two during this school year.  I thought it seemed like something that Addy would enjoy, so I signed her up.

Her class is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12:30, and so far she seems to really like it!  There are seven kids total in her class and two teachers.  I like both of her teachers a lot and they seem to really love the kids.  They have a little schedule of activities that they do, including indoor playtime, outdoor playtime, craft time, reading time, and of course, snack time.

When Mike and I went to parent orientation the week before school started we got a little list of things the kids needed to bring to school, and amongst them was a lunch box and backpack.  I was so excited to get little Addy her school supplies, so I promptly headed over to Pottery Barn Kids and picked up the cutest little matching lunchbox and backpack :)

Here she is in Starbucks where I presented her with her school supplies :)
 
Mike thinks I'm crazy for: #1 Getting excited about it, and #2 Spending the money to get her stuff at Pottery Barn Kids.  But in my defense, both items were on sale, and I figure she will use them both for many years to come.  There is my justification :)
 
So school started last week, and Mike and I both had off to take Addy there for her first day.
 
We started off the morning with a pancake breakfast :)
 

She loves that lunchbox, and when she picks it up she walks away saying "Work!".  It's so cute!
 

Ready to go!!
 
 
Love this picture!
 
 
Still hanging on to that lunchbox
 
 

Walking in to school
 
 
Had to give the geese a quick kiss before we went in ;)
 
 

 

 

Mike and I took advantage of what would probably be our last solo meal in a long time, and went out for an impromptu lunch date :)
 

All of their little backpacks lined up in a row for pick up time... I love it!
 
 

Addy had a great first day, but boy was she tired!
 
 
The very first school art projects :)
 
 

Each child has a little notebook and the teachers write a note in it every day about how their day went.  I think it's such a great idea and Mike and I love to read them.
 
 
There it is.  Addy's first day of school has come and gone.  Now don't worry, I'm not completely crazy.  I use the term "school" loosely, and I realize that it's more of a glorified daycare at this age.  But she really does seem to enjoy it, and she's been adapting exceptionally well so far.  She didn't cry either day when we left, and on the second day she started clapping when we got into the parking lot!  So I know she's having fun, and that's all that matters :)
 
 
 

Friday, September 14, 2012

Addy's First Haircut!

Yup, we finally broke down and did it.  We've only been talking about cutting Addy's hair for, oh, 8 months or so.  In every monthly letter I would tell her we were doing it soon, but it just never happened...until I couldn't stand it anymore.  I would have cut it a long time ago, but Mike was actually the one who was reluctant.  He liked her rat tail and her wings.  I thought they were cute for awhile, but they were getting out of control. 

So on vacation to Sandbridge, we made a big production out of it, and gave our baby her first haircut.  Grandma had the camera, Aunt Tina had the video camera, and we gave Addy a Popsicle and got to work.

Tina took some photos of us earlier in the week (our last photo session as a family of three!), which I love...but check out Addy's hair.  The photo shoot was very short (like 10 minutes) because Addy wasn't feeling it at all. 

This first photo is the ultimate pre-haircut pic:

Those are some massive wings that Addy has going on on the side!
 

So sweet :)


These next few don't showcase her wild hair as much, but I threw them in because I love them :)




Our precious little girl :)
 
 
 
She is growing up way too fast.  Sigh.  
 
Anyway, onto the task at hand.  The big haircut!
 
Preparation:
 
Don't mind my gigantic belly protruding out from the bottom of my shirt ;) ... My due date is a mere 2 weeks away in this photo.
 
 
Check out that rat tail!!  Told you it was high time for this haircut to occur.
 

Addy has a tight grip on her Popsicle in case she needs it ;)
 
 
Ha ha...could she lean any farther away from me?


"Are we done yet?"  And yes, that is Popsicle number two in her hand.
 
 
The remnants of the rat tail
 

Finished product.  Doesn't look too bad from this angle, but trust me, I botched it.  It is really uneven, and really short.  If Addy didn't look like a boy before, she definitely does now!
 

Fresh new do :)
 
 
And in case all of the photos weren't enough for you, here is a video of the big haircut.  Don't worry, I trimmed it down so that it's not obnoxiously long:
 
 
 
So there it is.  Although it is far from being a good haircut, anything is better than how it was.  And hopefully as her hair grows back in, it will be fuller and not so sporadic (i.e. just wings and a rat tail).  Here's hoping!!!