Friday, May 31, 2013

In Her Element

There's nothing that Charlotte loves more than the park... okay, wait, I lie. She loves water, Pocahontas (although she changes her mind about her favorite princess as often as she changes her underwear), the color yellow, chocolate, and hugs. Nonetheless, going to the park/playground falls under that list as well.

I love seeing her "in her element"... and had to snap quite a few of her recently to remember her smile on that special outing. Charlotte really doesn't need much... seriously. She's a fairly content kid... but there's nothing that I love more than surprising her with an outing to a place she loves, on a whim.







Pin It!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Waiting Out The Storms

The last few weeks since I've been back in Oklahoma from my visit to the East coast, we've been bombarded with tons of severe thunderstorms... and severe thunderstorms mean, tornadoes or hail. We've been pretty fortunate when it comes to being "hit" by these storms, compared to other places (like Moore or Shawnee), but still... anytime the warning is out, you sort of "freeze" and try not to leave your house, because you never know. Having a storm shelter gives us security, not to mention that these weather guys here, are FANTASTIC at tracking storms/predicting where tornadoes may pop up. They give you some decent warning.

The hubby flew for the first time in awhile on Wednesday, and go figure, his plane was diverted... Charlotte and I have been around and waiting out the storms... and we're hopeful we'll have him back by Saturday (my birthday)... in the meantime, I try not to go too far away, or plan too much in my days, knowing that I could be shuffling my preggo self into my storm shelter. I've got tons of "nesting" to do, and yet, there's only so much I can get done without the hubby around to help. So for now, we'll just turn on the sprinkler, and hand water the plants (I don't want them to be overwatered), and wheel in and out the herbs (I planted them in this amazing vintage wagon that I'll blog about soon)... and wait out these storms.






















I might definitely be sunbathing my belly in the above picture... anything clinging to it these days, is just SUPER annoying... We are definitely being storm safe by carrying out my phone with "LIVE" weather streaming, to keep us in the loop. Charlotte has been on a Pocahontas kick... so while jumping through the sprinkler today for over 45 minutes, she might have been singing at the top of her lungs, "Just Around the River Bend..." 
Pin It!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Nothing like "Girl Time"...

When friends come to visit, there's nothing but fun to be had. It was my second time having visitors, but these stayed a bit longer, which meant more fun. It was a girl weekend+my hubby... and he handled it like a champ. I loved all the giggles/laughter we shared... and super excited to be able to add my other little girl to the mix for our next ladies weekend. Let the planning begin... because there's nothing like "girl time".














And of course we had to have a fun photoshoot of the mamas and their girlies... 

And, of course Charlotte had to crash the mama/daughter moments. 

and a couple of us ladies together... 

Pin It!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Come Away With Me

May 23rd holds such a SPECIAL place in our hearts... 2 years ago today, we looked into our dear Charlotte's eyes for the first time. I wonder if she even knew (at the time), that we'd be her parents... oh I'd give ANYTHING to know what was going on through her mind at the time. I clearly remember what was going on in mine... and to be honest, I wasn't even sure if I was "cut out" to be her mother. In my heart, I knew... but in that first moment of meeting her, my mind was unsure. I was hit with this emotion of uncertainty. Fear.

How would I ever be able to nurture this little one and give her all that her body craved... deserved? She was so tiny and frail for a 3.5 year old... only weighing 18 lbs. Her eyes were completely blank, as though there was nothing in them... but she didn't seem nervous at all. She seemed open to us... the nanny was holding her, and my husband... oh my sweet sweet husband... he went straight for her. With no hesitation... he dove right in, with open arms, and she went willingly to him, while I just stood there and watched. He cried (sorry honey, I know that might embarrass you to share with everyone, but it was exactly what I needed at the time, to sort of reassure my mind) and immediately stated that she was "our daughter", no doubt about it. I just stared at him, with a racing heart and watched him love on our little girl... He was so brave. I was so jealous of his courage... We could have continued on, on our journey, and met other little ones at different orphanages.  They give you 3 visits before you have to decide... but my husband already knew in that moment... and I had to let go of that fear. I trusted what God was telling him, and what He ultimately was telling me... that my mind needed to let go, to trust my heart. It took a few weeks, but it happened. And I let her in...














2 years later... I wouldn't have dreamed of having any other little girl as my daughter.














"Come away with me... come away with me... it's never too late, it's not too late, it's not too late for you... I have a plan for you... I have a plan for you... it's going to be wild, it's going to be great, it's going to be full of Me."
Pin It!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

32 weeks { bump }

And just when I thought I couldn't get bigger... I did. Most of the time, I look at the calendar and think, 8 more weeks (down to 7 now)? Every time I walk by a mirror, I do a double take, because I really can't believe how BIG it's gotten. I've been having fun "startling" people these days... yes, they see me from behind, and then just as I turn around, they're completely startled that I'm even pregnant. It's hilarious, last week it happened about 3 times... I should keep a tally board. All I hear is, "You are ALL belly"... and that I am. So much so, that it's super uncomfortable to sleep these days. Honestly, I'd much rather be up and walking around, then sitting or laying... and so onward I march as a sleepless pregnant zombie.

While I was out east, I was due for an appointment, because I'm supposed to go every 2 weeks now... but once I came back to Oklahoma, we were hit with terrible weather. Literally the moment I landed, we rushed to our house for safety from severe thunderstorms, which turned into back to back tornado watch/warnings. The day of my scheduled appointment with my midwife, was the day after the crazy devastation in Moore, Oklahoma. The water pressure wasn't working at the facility (at OU), and so my appointment was cancelled. I'm guessing by next week I'll be seen, because I'm way overdue. My blood sugar levels have been fine. I've been taking them almost every 2 hours after eating (4x) a day, and have upped my protein intake (which has made a HUGE difference in my level readings). I feel fine though, other than some Braxton Hicks... over these storms, I've had quite a bit of them. I just walk them out, or drink more water, and they dissipate. She's usually crazy active right after they happen... it's been fun watching her "roll" all around in my belly, as though she's trying to make room in there. I feel pretty terrible that her "home" for the next few weeks is crazy squishy and tight quarters... maybe she'll love snuggles and swaddles when she comes out!


Cravings: I'm still loving fruit and ice... anything cold, is fine by me. Whenever I eat a warm meal, I feel like I'm having a hot flash. I've been drinking lots of milk lately as well. 

Turn Offs: nada thing.

Daddy's thoughts on the pregnancy thus far: I'm fairly certain he was pretty intrigued by how "big" I got after being gone for 3 weeks... he's speechless at this moment. 

Charlotte's thoughts on the pregnancy thus far: "I think she's going to stay inside until I go to school... and she's going to be super cute." 

Pin It!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Oh Nursery...

Oh nursery... my very favorite kind of nursery....

















While other "expectant" mothers are dreaming up and creating their little one's nursery... I'd much rather be dreaming up my future flower beds and taking in all the beautiful and bold colors of the plants in the local nursery... it's just what it is dear friends. 
Pin It!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Loving Her Love

I have such an adventure seeker... usually the first thing Charlotte wants to do when she wakes up in the morning, is head outside. Doesn't matter if it's rain or shine, pajamas on or off, breakfast ingested or not... the girl is READY for something. We're working on getting grass in our backyard in Oklahoma, but for now, these last 3 weeks, she's really enjoyed all the grass she's been able to play in here on the east coast. We even had a first the other day... she found a worm, and had tons of fun torturing the poor little thing. She definitely wanted it to "fly" when she was all done playing, and flung that little creature, fairly far.  I love her love for the outdoors... I don't think she'll ever tire of it.







Pin It!