From (No) Hair To There

When Lexie was born, I was overjoyed that I had a little girl! 

She entered the world with a head full of golden fuzz...which quickly fell out!  It took forever for that hair to grow back in.  In fact, on her first birthday, I had to duct tape a bow to the wisps of hair on top of her head.  But...she was the most beautiful "bald" baby!



By the time she was 2, she had enough hair for 2 little pigtails.  And after that?  Her hair grew and grew and grew.  It grew so quickly that she needed a haircut every few months.



I adored her long, wavy hair.  At the beginning of this school year, she begged for a short cut.  I promised her that if she still wanted short hair at the end of the school year, she could get it cut.  Sure enough, she reminded me of that promise last Wednesday.

So, I fulfilled my promise to her.  I loaded the girls into the car, and drove Lexie to the salon. She was so excited, but I admit, I let out an audible gasp as the hair stylist pulled her hair into a ponytail and snipped the entire thing off!

The result was shocking, because it was so different, but she sure looked cute!  Lexie absolutely loved it!

I loved that long hair so much, probably because I waited so long for her to grow some hair!  But she is rocking her new short 'do!

Trendy Tot Tuesday

I am linking up with Megan, Kelly, and Lindsay for Trendy Tot Tuesday!


{Liliana & Alexandria}

I found the cutest tutu outfits for the girls at one of my favorite places to shop...Costco!  Seriously.  They have the best prices for brand name pajamas and clothing, and they always have the cutest stuff!  Oh...and you may notice Lexie's new short hairstyle!!!





Shirt and Tutu:  Jona Michelle
Shoes:  Bare Hugs
Headband and Flower Clip:  Girls Crochet Headbands




Shirt and Tutue:  Jona Michelle
Flip-Flops:  Bare Hugs



{Dylan}


Dylan prefers to wear sporty clothing most of the time now.  When he doesn't, he opts for a preppy style in a polo and shorts. 





Shirt:  The Children's Place
Shorts:  Carter's

{Baby #4}


I've been thinking about coming home from the hospital outfits for our baby.  Since we don't find out the gender, I do buy a girl outfit and a boy outfit.


My girls wear dresses a lot, so it's fitting that if I have another girl she will come home in a dress, too!


 
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If Lily had been a boy, I had a really cute romper as the going home outfit.  I like these ones:


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I'm going to be buying two special outfits in the next few months!  I haven't decided on them yet, but those are just a few that I like!

The Happenings of Week Nineteen

May 7th

After picking Lexie up from school, we met Jocie and her boys at the library for a playdate.  The kids played for a while and picked out some books, then we headed over to the neighboring park.  Tyler ended up coming home to play with us a bit longer while Jocie went grocery shopping.  After he got picked up, I stocked up my new SUV with all our stuff.  Have I mentioned that I absolutely love that car?!?  I got Aubrey off the bus, got Dylan off the bus, then began our busy after school/homework/dinner routine.  My dad picked up D and Lexie to take them somewhere just as Grant got home.  Grant and I ate dinner, then put Lily to bed early.  It was so nice getting everything done and being able to relax before the kids came home!  They went to bed right away, and Grant and I managed to watch a bit of TV before I fell asleep on the couch.  I am so tired these days!
 




May 8th

It was a typical Spring Wednesday for us.  Lexie had gymnastics after school, I got Aubrey and Dylan off their buses, we rushed to get homework and dinner done, and Dylan had a baseball game.  









May 9th
 
I picked Jack and Lexie up from school, and we met our friends at Burger King for a playdate.  On the way home, the girls and I stopped at TJ Maxx.  We got Aubrey and Dylan off their buses, had dinner, then we all went to Dylan's baseball game.  Aubrey joined us this time, so Lexie was really excited.  That evening, Aubrey spent the night, because she was going to come to the zoo with us the next morning.




May 10th

The kids had the day off school. I woke them up early to go to the zoo.  It was raining, but we decided to brave it anyway.  We picked up Amber, Audrey, and Jack, and headed to the zoo.  Nobody was there when we arrived, and it only rained for the first 15 minutes!  It turned out to be a beautiful morning, and the kids had a great time at the zoo! When we dropped Amber and the kids off, D decided to stay with them.  The girls and I went to my parent's house for a visit.  That evening, my mom and I went shopping and got stuck in a huge storm.  By the time the car was loaded, we were soaked! We had dinner with my parents, I dropped Aubrey off at home, and the girls and I returned home.  They went to bed, and I did laundry and housework until 1 AM!




May 11th

Dylan was supposed to have a baseball game, but it was canceled due to rain.  We ended up having a lazy day at home, then going to a friend's house for dinner and the Pens game.





May 12th

Happy Mother's Day!  I had a wonderful day, and Grant and the kids spoiled me!  We stopped by to visit my mom (and most of my sisters!) that afternoon, then stopped to visit Grant's mom and Nannie.  We came home, Grant cooked dinner and cleaned up, and we put the kids to bed.


 

May 13th

It was a typical Monday.  We didn't do much during the day, but that evening, Dylan had a baseball game, so it was our normal evening rush.

24 Weeks with Baby #4

I'm 24 weeks pregnant today!  It also happens to be the anniversary of Grant proposing to me, 14 years ago! If you do the math, you'll realize that we were both really young (still teenagers!).  A lot of people thought we wouldn't last, but here we are, with 3 kids and another on the way!

How far along: 24 Weeks

Due Date:  September 6, 2013

Total Weight Gained: None, as of my last appointment.

How big is baby?  Our sweet pea is about 12 inches long and weighs just over a pound!

How baby is growing:  Baby #4's brain is also growing quickly now, and the taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he/she hits the outside world. The skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon. {from babycenter.com}

Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing my regular clothes. My belly is growing, but my regular pants are still too loose.

Stretch Marks:  None!  I've never had one before, so I'm hoping that trend continues!

Sleep: For some reason, I wake up every morning at 6 now.  I'm not sure if it's because I have to pee or if it's because the baby's movement is waking me up.  I'm also starting to drift off on the couch around 10 now.  I can't stay up late anymore, no matter how hard I try!

Best Pregnancy Moment of the Week: Feeling the baby move.  I can feel him/her all the time now.  He/She seems to be awake often these days!

Movement:  The baby is very strong and active!

Food Cravings:  I actually had my first craving yesterday.  I desperately wanted bottled lemon iced tea over a ton of ice.  I didn't have any, and the craving did disappear!
 
Food Aversions: Just about everything!

Morning Sickness: I still have hyperemesis, and I'm taking daily medication for it.

Gender: It's a surprise! We didn't find out with Dylan, Lexie, and Lily either!

Names: The girl name is chosen, but we still have a huge list of boy names and nothing sounds perfect!

Symptoms:  Hyperemesis (horrible morning (ALL DAY) sickness), Braxton Hicks contractions (irritable uterus), abdominal pain, Anemia, exhaustion,  peeing more frequently, constipation, restless legs and itchiness some nights, and irritability. 

Exercise:  Treadmill workouts Monday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday this week.

What I miss: Feeling normal.  I have been sick since January 3rd!

What I'm looking forward to: Watching my baby bump grow and meeting our precious baby!

24 Week Picture: 



 

Scenes From Cinco de Mayo

This year, we attended a picnic on Cinco de Mayo, hosted by our friends, Tracy and Gary.  Cinco de Mayo is a special day for them, because it's the day they got engaged years ago, which we were also present for!

It was nice spending the day with our friends, and the weather was PERFECT!











I got to sit and chat with my friends while the kids ran around with their friends, which is why I only took a few pictures!   It was a nice day with friends, Mexican food (and drinks, which I couldn't have!), and a pinata!

Dylan's Mother's Day Tea

Once you become a mom, there are few things as special as the things your children do to honor you.  Sometimes it's the most simple gifts and moments that mean the most!

Yesterday I attended the Mother's Day Tea that Dylan's 2nd Grade class was hosting.  Dylan's teacher goes out of her way to involve the parents, whether it's with a Thanksgiving Feast, a Mother's Day Tea, or a Father's Day Coffee. 

Dylan met me at his classroom door, and ushered me to my seat (his desk).  The classroom was decorated so nicely, with flower garland strung in the doorway,  and handmade flowers hanging from the ceiling.  The desks were covered with pink tablecloths and set with cards, gifts, flowers, and cookies.   A Mother's Day card signed by all the students hung on the Promethean Board. 

The kids immediately lined up at the front of the classroom, where they read the book "Love You Forever"  (which makes me cry when I'm NOT pregnant!!!), sang songs to us, and recited quotes that mothers say.





The kids then presented their moms with flowers that they had hidden behind their backs, and served us tea and cookies. 

Dylan was so excited to show me the gifts he had made for me!  He decorated a flower pot filled with pretty flowers, and made me a keychain.  Inside his decorated Mother's Day card/folder, was a Mother's Day storybook filled with pictures he drew of me and fill-in-the-blanks, a picture of him on a flower frame, a decorated paper tea pot holding a tea bag, and a fill-in-the-blank questionnaire.  Some noteworthy things?  I am prettier than a flower and he wouldn't trade me for Halo Reach!  He did say I weighed 140 pounds, but he also said I was 6'9" so I guess that makes me tall and skinny!  It was the sweetest gift!



After that, we sat together, drinking tea and eating cookies!

Dylan was blessed with an amazing teacher this year, and you can bet that I'll be requesting her for Lexie!



Dylan was so happy to have me there, and just as excited that he was able to leave a half hour early with me!

It was a great afternoon spent with the boy who made me a mom.  I love him so much!