The Night Before

Can you believe the day has finally arrived?!? I definitely cannot. 

To have worried for so long that you would make an early appearance and then to end up making it all the way to the end has been quite the roller coaster. I'm unexplainably excited to meet you tomorrow! I can't wait to find out how big you are, how long, and every other itty bitty thing about you! 

The beauty of a second pregnancy is that while being pregnant with your brother and sister I only thought becoming a Mommy would be great. Once they were born and during the past four years I have gotten to experience the absolutely best, most wonderful blessing of my life. So, now that I'm about to meet you, I'm not wondering how wonderful being your Mommy will be. I know it will be so amazing!

Part of me is a little sad to see this day come. Don't get me wrong. The past nine+ months have been very hard at times. However, tonight as I write this, I can feel you kicking and doing the rolly polly thing you do and I just can't imagine never feeling this again. The past few days I've been trying to memorize exactly how every little kick and squirm feels; how funny my belly looks when you get to moving so much I can see it from the outside; how many wonderful times your Daddy and I have had sitting in bed talking about the future with you in our family. You probably won't ever know or understand just how much joy you've already brought to our family.

I can't wait to see if you become a girly girl or wind up into sports. I wonder if you'll be a planner like your Mommy or prefer to fly by the seat of your pants like your Daddy. Or perhaps you'll surprise us all and take a path that I can't even picture right now. 

Tonight I'm so thankful for the blessing of you and the blessing of hope for the future. You are nothing short of a miracle and I'm already blessed to have been chosen to be your Mommy. 

So little lady, I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life being your Mommy!

39 Weeks

I am officially 39 week pregnant - as pregnant in weeks as I am in years!

I can no longer find my ankles and my feet are so swollen that they hurt and I cannot bend my toes. Acid reflux and heartburn are in full force and there is no longer much I can do to get comfortable. I always sound like I have just finished running up a flight of stairs, as it seems that I am consistently out of breath.

Hard to believe that I carried two babies last time and it felt like a much easier pregnancy.... but then again I was also five years younger and not keeping up with two four-year olds!

At any rate, it is a tad bittersweet to be approaching the end of the pregnancy. Albeit an unexpected tremendous first (pregnancy without the help of science), it is also a tremendous conclusion to our journey as a family. This is most definitely our last baby and as tired and swollen as I may be, I intend to savor each and every last moment!

How Far Along:

39 Weeks

Baby Stats: 

She should be over 7 pounds by now. She is "launch ready", head down and curled up with her legs on her chest and knees against her nose.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 

Around 20 pounds (as of last Friday)

Movement: 

Despite being full-term, she is still very active and moves around quite a bit. 

Sleep: 

Hoping for sleep to return in about 18 years once she heads off to college!.

What I miss: 

WINE and sushi!

Cravings: 

Subway Turkey Sandwiches, Crushed Ice, Watermelon, Orange Gatorade, Unsweet Tea with lemon

Four Year Stats

Ella and Aidan had their four-year check up this morning. 

They were both so grown up and did amazing! They both passed their hearing and vision tests (20/18) and took their four shots each like little champs! Aidan didnt even shed a tear! The good news is that they do not need any more immunizations until 11 years old!

I have to admit that it was funny for the Dr to say "Well, it looks like I will say 'See you next week rather than see you next year!'"!

Ella:
Height: 43 inches (97%)
Weight: 38.6 pounds (90-95%)


Aidan:
Height: 42.5 inches (90-95%)
Weight: 38.8 pounds (75-90%)

We are in the last few days before baby girl's arrival and have not slowed down one bit. 

Yesterday we cleaned house windows, both inside and out. This afternoon Mike worked like a fiend and cleaned the minivan inside and out as well.

We are ready and waiting!

Vacation Bible School

Friday was the last day of Vacation Bible School for Ella and Aidan. They had a fun week and I enjoyed a few hours to myself each morning knowing that they were well cared for at church.

All good things must come to an end, and now we are on our own for the remainder of the summer. 

They were so cute in their special shirts - ready to head out for the last day and excited that I would be there to see them in their performance:

The performance was so darn cute!  Ella sang like a champ, while Aidan was not so cool in the whole idea. Apparently, he would only go up on stage if he got to sit on one of the helper's laps.

Flashback Friday - 1 Week

Today I am 38 weeks and 2 days along. If all goes according to plan, in just one week our newest addition will be cradled in our arms.

Thinking about newborns, take a moment and remember that sound - you know the one - that unmistakable newborn cry!

Ella and Aidan were just over 2 weeks old in this video.

Busy, Busy, Busy

We have been busy little bees around the Parker household lately.

I have been in an extreme nesting mode lately. We have even gone so far as to have the air ducts in the house cleaned out - I am yearning for order and cleanliness!

In addition to all of my own work preparing the inside of the house (cleaning and organizing kids's closets and dresser drawers, ensuring stockpiles of basic supplies, completing the nursery and all last minute baby items, desperately trying to keep the house spic and span in case of an emergency baby delivery, etc), Mike had his own "Honey-Do" list of items for the outside of the house.

We were in desperate need of re-mulching all of the beds in the front and back yards, as well as the kids' play area - we literally had not done it since Ella and Aidan's first birthday!

Thankfully, my photography money managed to cover the cost of such needed items, so we were able to cross a few things off of Mike's list!

Mulch for the beds - that is over 96 bags of mulch....and we wound up having to go back for another 20 to complete the job:

Tumblesafe mulch for the play area - that's three yards of mulch, and it wound up not being enough!

Yardwork is made much easier (ha!) with little helpers! And to think that we still have to complete the yard with pine needles! 

Birthday and Father's Day

I officially turned another year older on Saturday. We had a wonderful day together as a family - not that I have the energy to do too much these days!

What really mattered was a nice dose of family time, followed by Grandaddy and Grandmommy taking the duo for a few hours to give MIke and I a little break.


They shopped....










....and enjoyed ice cream.

Mike has to work today, so we won't get any pictures or have any fun adventures today. In his honor, I thought I would post a little video about "The Dad's Life":

Flashback Friday

Ella and Aidan had just turned two in this video. It isnt anything spectacular, I just like hearing those sweet little voices...

Wordless Wednesday - Cell Phone Pics

Twin Talk Tuesday

Sunday evening Mike and I had our grown up tour of the hospital's maternity center. Kids were not allowed, so our beloved Miss Paula came to stay with the duo for us.

Apparently, Ella and Aidan really paid attention during their sibling class, as evidenced by the conversation Ella had with Miss Paula:

Ella: "Miss Paula, did you know that babies' belly buttons fall off and then look just like ours?"

Miss Paula: "Wow, Ella - you sure know a lot about babies".

Ella: "Oh yes, I know everything about babies!"

Also, since the class, Aidan has been "hospital man" and has been taking excellent care of his superheroes!

Busy Weekend!

So, I know I said that I really needed to slow down, but somehow life just does not want to allow that to happen these days.

No preschool = no breaks for Mommy = having to entertain the duo all day every day.

We spent a fun Friday evening with the boys. We had the best of intentions heading out to their pool for an end of school party....but Mother Nature had other plans and we found ourselves caught in a major thunderstorm, complete with hail! We waited out the storm in the lifeguard office, and decided to bring everyone back to our house, since they had no power.

Nothing like a bit of fun outdoor play!

We spent most of Saturday at Grandaddy's pool, where Aidan could do this all day long (watch the diving board):

Sunday turned out to be the hit of the weekend! Ella and Aidan had a Sibling Tour at the hospital, and it was such a wonderful experience! They got a tour of the infant nursery, learned all sorts of facts about babies, and even got to tour a room just like the one Mommy will be in very soon.

The kids also got to diaper a baby. We were supposed to bring along their favorite doll or teddy bear.....but Ella and Aidan insisted on bringing IronMan and Rapunzel.

Once Ella was offered a baby doll by the intstructor, she quickly changed her mind:

Aidan; however, would not be deterred and we officially entered the hospital's history with the first ever diapered superhero!

Flashback Friday

This is Aidan's favorite video - he loves to watch himself clapping.

Like last week, they were nine months old.

Three Little Birds

We recently had a little family of baby birds on our back porch.

All along, I thought there were only two babies, and I amused myself thinking about Mommy bird and her little twins.

Then one day, there was a surprise third baby.....and I could not help but be even more amused at the similarities between this Mommy bird and myself!!

At any rate, the kiddos and I love to watch the babies and check up on them each day.

When Mommy bird was gone, the three babies sat perched high up in their nest, observing the curious world around them.

But when she re-appeared, they start squawking and chirping…begging for food. She’d quickly place food into their tiny mouths and then fly off to go get more for them.

We were fascinated watching her fly back and forth, as she gathered food for them.

I added my own commentary, as Ella and Aidan attentively observed the sweet bird family.

“Wow, look at them eat…I don’t hear any of them complaining about not liking what she’s giving them. I don’t see them spitting the food back out or wasting one little morsel”.

Of course, Aidan had to add, “Well, she’s probably feeding them something that they want, like macaroni and cheese".

36 Weeks

I have finally decided that I have hit the wall, and just cannot do the things that I am used to doing. 

No more photo shoots for clients, and I am really finding it hard to keep up with the housework. The cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc....while still getting done, is not getting done in any sort of a timely manner. 

I am not a stay at home kind of person, and I can already see the difference in the kiddos - they are used to being on the go and out and about at various kid-frindly spots, or playdates. We are spending much more time at home, especially in this extreme heat, as I just do not have it in me anymore - too darn tired! 


I cannot believe that we have just about 3 weeks until we get to meet her in person!  My Dr says it is possible for me to go at any time now, but of course, the longer she stays in, the better. Needless to say, the hospital bag is out and I have begun packing things as I think of them.


Ella and Aidan have their "sibling tour" at the hospital this weekend and Mike and I have our maternity center tour as well. I will be delivering at a different hospital this time since I switched practices, and I am excited to see the facility.

How Far Along:

36 Weeks

Baby Stats: 

She weighs nearly 6 pounds and should be over 18 inches long by now. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 

Around 12 pounds (as of Monday)

Movement: 

In the past few weeks she has definitely become more active, and it is no longer limited just to evenings. My entire belly now moves each time she does!

Sleep: 

Hmm....not really even able to define the word "sleep" anymore.

What I miss: 

WINE and sushi!

Cravings: 

Crushed Ice, Watermelon, Orange Gatorade, Unsweet Tea with lemon

Twin Talk Tuesday

Last night  I was sitting in bed resting while Mike fed the kiddos dinner (yes, he is a total keeper!). Ella enjoyed a nice phone conversation with Opa, after which she came upstairs to relax with me until Aidan had his chance to chat with Opa as well.

Me: "Ella, how was your conversation with Opa?"

Ella: "Mommy, it's a long story, I cannot tell you about it right now."

Flashback Friday

We are gettting down to the last few weeks before our new baby girl makes her grand entrance.

I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some favorite videos of Ella and Aidan when they were little.

Bathtime has always been a fun affair in our household! 

Aidan in particular could stay in the tub for hours if we let him! This video shows them at just under 9 months old - Aidan having a blast in the baby tub, while Ella has fun in Daddy's arms.

Wordless Wednesday