16 Weeks!

This week has been a bit of a doozie. My littlest man is trying to get over Fifth's Disease (we think) and my big boy just tested positive for strep today. It is so hard when your babies are sick. Hard on me and them. We're so grateful my sweet mother-in-law could come over today to keep the boys so we could both go to work. I don't see how full-time working moms do it. Thankfully I'm healthy and doing well and have the day off tomorrow, so if we can get the boys well we'll be good to go.

Yesterday was 16 weeks for Baby Selph so here's an update....

 

 

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: 5 inches long and weighs about 3-3.5 ounces. About the size of a turnip. =)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 6 pounds so far.

Maternity Clothes: More and more. I'm still doing mostly regular shorts and pants and mostly maternity tops. If the cooler weather would hurry up and get here I'd have more options... which I'm ready for. I'm getting tired of wearing the same things over and over again.

Gender: We find out next week! I think Terrell is more excited/ready/impatient to know than me. We just want to call him/her by his/her name. And figure out what new stuff we need. And start talking about him/her with the boys more. I think once you know the gender the bonding gets way stronger. I'm so excited. At my doctor's appointment on Friday morning I had a boy feeling come over me when I heard the heartbeat. Hmmm. A sign? Neither one of us have a super strong feeling/instinct either way but I think we're both leaning more towards boy.

Movement: I keep feeling little, subtle somethings but haven't had that without-a-doubt nudge, kick, or punch yet. I can't wait!

Food Cravings: This week it's been pink or raspberry lemonade.

What I Miss: Feeling normal and good in the mornings. Oh my gracious am I tired of feeling sick/queasy/icky/not right in the mornings. I told Terrell this morning that I guess I'll feel better after he/she arrives. Until then the not-so-good mornings are sticking around it looks like.

Sleep: It's going good. I never sleep the whole night without waking but when I do wake it's usually not for too long and I can go back to sleep pretty fast.

 

Symptons: Feeling weird and not right in the mornings and being hungry all the time once the strange morning sickness passes.

 

Best Moment This Week: Hearing the heartbeat!

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting everyone well, Austin's party this weekend, and finding out if Baby Selph is a girl or a boy so we can start to prepare for his/her arrival!

 

 

*Austin's update at 16 weeks

Austin's Day

Today is my littlest man's 2nd birthday. He made his entrance at 8:37 AM 2 years ago after many, many hours of labor and we are so thankful for the gift God blessed us with in him!

 

Tuesdays are off days for me and Austin anyway, and since Garrison wasn't quite ready to head back to school yet we all got to stay home together. Terrell had to be at work early this morning for a training but Austin woke up just in time to see him before he left... plus lots of balloons! He was pretty excited. =)

 

Once Garrison finally woke up we celebrated with doughnuts and candles and singing Happy Birthday. Austin didn't know what to think about the candles...

 

So Garrison stepped in to help out. Austin's face is too funny.

 

Because Garrison wasn't back to 100% yet and because Austin is still covered in a strange rash, we had to lay low at home again today. We had our moments but overall it was a fun day. The boys played and played with balloons, watched an episode of Mickey Mouse, went outside, ate a good lunch, had a good naptime, played with balloons some more, and then enjoyed one of Austin's favorite meals for supper.

 

He also got lots of special phone calls today. He was sooo cute walking around talking on the phone. Just adorable. (Please excuse the massive toy pile...)

We had Garrison's first football practice tonight so Austin got to tag along for that for a little bit before coming home early and enjoying a bubble bath solo. I'd say it was a great ending to a fun birthday. =)

 

We are so thankful for this sweet, loving, busy, energetic, talkative little man and can't wait to celebrate him all over again with lots of family on Saturday. Happy Birthday Austin Selph! We love you!!!

Labor Day Weekend

Well, our Labor Day weekend hasn't been anything like we planned or expected. Both boys have been sick and we had to cancel Austin's birthday outing planned for today. Boo. We're hoping to reschedule for a couple of weeks from now. Even though it's been disappointing to be stuck at home, we are still thankful for the long weekend, extra rest, and more time with family. It's definitely been a blessing to have the day off today since neither of the boys would've been able to go to school.

Austin started running a fever on Thursday so Terrell took half a day on Friday so I could go to work and he could stay with Austin and take him to the doctor before the long weekend. He sent me this picture Friday morning. Poor baby had been playing in our office with a few toys and just fell asleep in the floor. It about broke my heart. He has never done that. Turns out he had a virus and we'd just have to wait it out.
 

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, Austin was feeling lots better so we headed to Barnesville to help AnAn and Frankie paint at their new house. The boys also got haircuts while we were in town and Garrison even got to help paint. He loved it. The house is coming together and we are so excited for Anna and Frankie!

We got home Saturday in time for pizza for supper and to get the boys in bed so we could watch the Georgia game. I made it to half-time! I was SO worn out I just couldn't keep my eyes open. My sweet hubby didn't mind me going to bed early. It was a tough loss but we're handling it well. Time to move on to South Carolina.

Now for sickness updates...

Austin started with a light rash on his face Saturday and by the time we woke up Sunday morning his face was bright red and blotchy and the rash was spreading. He has absolutely no other symptons and after doing some research we think it may be Fifths Disease... which means he isn't contagious. Thank goodness. It's still there today and has faded just a little on his face but is now pretty much all over him.

Unfortunately Garrison has really sick. He started Saturday night with a touch of the stomach bug. Thankfully it hasn't been anything like what he had this past Spring but it still hasn't been fun. Poor baby still isn't back to 100% or a full appetite. Sooo, we've been hanging out at home for 2 days straight. Terrell got out yesterday during naptime to run some errands and Austin and I got out today to take care of a few things, but other than that we've just been laying around. Garrison has watched enough TV the past 2 days to last him a month. He just hasn't felt like doing anything else. Other than going a little stir crazy, we're all enjoying our day together. Tonight we're grilling steaks and hoping for everybody to get well!

As for tomorrow, the boys and I are all staying home again. Thankfully it isn't a school day for me and Austin so Garrison will just stay home with us. We are hoping every family member can fully enjoy celebrating Austin's birthday tomorrow and that Garrison will be up for his first football practice. Happy Labor Day!!

A Few Pieces of News to Share

*We are declaring it official..... Austin is potty trained!! I can't believe my not-even 2 year old is going to the potty like a pro. We are SO proud of him! He's been wearing "big boy underwear" at home full time for a while now. We'd have our occassional accident but for the most part he would always stay dry, tell us when he had to go poop, and never fought going when we took him. We gradually tried outings in underwear and just this week started letting him wear it to school. And he's just kept right on making progress. Right now we still put him in a pull-up or diaper for nap time and bedtime. I'm thinking he's ready to try nap time with underwear since I can't remember the last time he was wet after his nap, however bedtime is a different story. We may be in diapers and pull-ups for in while in that department. But I'm okay with that because he "trained" and caught on so young. He even beat his brother's record of being potty trained at 2 years, 3 months. In my opinion, boys being harder has got to be a myth. Now if I could just figure out how to stop him from wanting to visit public restrooms multiple times... yuck.

*My sister and her fiance' are now proud homeowners!! Yaaaaaay! They signed on the dotted line Monday afternoon after a crazy, long, stressful journey of purchasing a short-sale home. The Lord definitely opened doors for them throughout the way and wanted them to have this house based on all the TOTAL craziness they went through to get it. My father-in-law was their agent on the sale and that was definitely a God-thing too. He worked long and hard for months to insure they would eventually close. And they did! We are so excited for them and thankful God provided a beautiful home for them to start married life together.

*Saturday we're heading to Barnesville to help in any way we can with Anna and Frankie's new house. I'm mainly going to entertain my kiddos and keep them out of the way... but my hubby is ready to be put to work... until our deadline of 4:00 when we'll need to wrap it up and head home. Saturday is a BIG day for my UGA-lovin husband. We're picking up pizza and watching the game start to finish. Both of us. One of his birthday requests was that I watch the entire Georgia-Clemson game with him. I'm going to try my best to keep my eyes open and my mind focused. Ha!

*Austin turns 2 on September 3rd so we have a fun birthday-Labor Day planned when we all have the day off together. Then, his party will be the following weekend. We are super busy finalizing everything and getting ready for our baby boy's big day.

*I have a doctor's appointment on Friday morning that has taken forever to get here. 5 weeks to be exact. I'm just ready to hear the heartbeat and know everything's okay. And, we get to find out Friday when we'll find out the gender of Baby Selph. I'm so excited! Of course we'd love a little girl what with already having 2 boys... and because girls are typcially close to their moms/families, BUT, this baby wasn't our try for a girl and we will be over the moon thrilled with another boy. Afterall, we know boys and haven't got a clue about girls. Haha. I LOVE my boys and they LOVE me back. =) Two moms I know at two separate times told me they wished every mom could have a boy and share that experience because it's a love like you've never known. And it's true. But girls are definitely special too and I think the friendships most girls share with their moms is pretty priceless as well. Whether Baby Selph is a girl or a boy we know it's God's doing and His plan for our family. We can't wait to find out and finally decide on a name and call it something besides it. =) I'll keep you posted...

That's it for now. Happy Wednesday!!

Fun Filled Weekend

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend filled with a girls night, family time, a birthday celebration, more family time, and a special trip. We were all exhausted today but I'd say it was definitely worth it. =)

Friday night my in-laws came over to baby-sit so that Terrell could go to a work thing and so I could have a girls night. My boys were in heaven with their grandparents and loved every second of having Nana and Pops here, and I had the best time catching up with my teacher friends from the "Dream Team".

I taught 2nd grade with a group of 7 other ladies (of all different ages) my second year of teaching back in 2007-2008 and we formed a bond that's remained close even after we all went our separate ways. We worked together like a dream, supported one another, prayed for another, and even went on a weekend trip together that school year. We all got along so well and became such good friends, we deemed ourselves the Dream Team... and still call ourselves that to this day. We had been trying to get together for months so I was so thankful the conflict Terrell had didn't cause me to miss out. Another "member" and I are expecting babies within a week of each other so our next get together will be before the babies arrive. =)

Saturday was a really fun day too. We signed our big boy up for flag football. It's sponsored by a local church so it's similar to Upward programs and we're really excited. Garrison goes from being nervous to excited so we'll see how the season goes. We decided against soccer this season due to the fact that our Fall is crazy busy, soccer around these parts is super expensive, the season is really long, and we knew we'd have to miss at least 3 games. Sooo, it just wasn't worth it. We're praying flag football is fun, safe, and a great experience for our little man.

Saturday afternoon my parents, sister, and Frankie came over to celebrate Terrell's birthday with us. The boys loved having all that company. (In fact Austin hasn't stopped asking for every single one of them. =)) They had the best time playing and getting lots of extra attention. We had a delicious dinner out at one of our favorite local restaurants and then went to the Square for ice cream. My mom brought along a cake and candles too. Unfortunately it was too windy for the candles to stay lit but we got a big laugh out of crowding around the cake trying to block the wind while singing happy birthday super fast. The boys had a ball playing and eating and we had a super fun night...except apparently Austin ate too much. Way too much.

We woke up to a huge mess Sunday morning around 1:15 AM. Yuck. Poor baby threw up everything he had eaten the night before. Thankfully after we got him and his bed cleaned up and a load of laundry started he went right back to sleep and slept all night.

Then, bright and early Sunday morning, Terrell and his dad got on a plane bound for St. Louis to watch the Braves play the Cardinals. They visit a new baseball stadium every year and make it a day trip. This year they went to the Gateway Arch while they were there and rode to the top. Here are the pictures Terrell sent me...

The tiny, 5-seater, "capsule" you ride in to the top... which takes 4 minutes. Terrell wasn't a huge fan. Ha!

 

The view from the top looking straight down. Whoa.

After the game, (which the Braves won!), they saw John Smoltz and Brian Jordan at the airport and they were both nice enough to pose for a picture. We are huge fans of them both and since Brian Jordan knows me (we once made eye contact and he winked at me and smiled really big... probably because I was so star struck... however, I'm sure he definitely remembers me), that picture in particular is special because it should have been me in it. Haha!

The boys and I woke up to a crazy start to our day but finally made it to church in Barnesville and spent the day with my parents, AnAn and Frankie, my uncle, and my grandparents. It worked out great having extra help with the boys and spending time with family I don't get to see that often.

We all missed daddy big time though. I know some families/couples/husbands travel often and would probably veiw a day trip out of state as no big deal...but it's a very big deal to us. This annual baseball trip is literally our once a year time apart due to travel. (Just call us spoiled I guess.) And it's tough on everybody. Garrison and Austin both struggled with daddy being away (mainly when they woke up, on our way home from Barnesville yesterday afternoon, and at bedtime), and I struggled with nerves and just wanting him to be safe. When your husband leaves the state once a year on an airplane... and that's it... you just feel sort of antsy the whole time. Or at least I do. (And I'm guessing it's because it's only once a year versus a regular thing we're used to.) God blessed them with a great trip and a safe arrival home late last night. The boys were SO happy to see daddy this morning and so was I!

This was the longest weekend recap ever, but we filled it up full with lots of fun. Now we're looking forward to a long weekend coming up and celebrating my baby turning 2!!

14 Weeks!

Hello baby #3! I only thought I got big with Austin fast... Whoa. Baby Selph is growing... or maybe it's mainly me. Gracious.

Tuesday marked 14 weeks for us so we're moving right along. Unfortunately Tuesday was a sort of rough day because I was sick with a cold or something. (Which is why my eyes are weak and puffy in this picture.) I have a doctor's appointment with my primary care doctor this afternoon after Terrell gets home just to be safe. Tuesday and Wednesday I felt the worst and today has been much better.

Here's a quick little update...

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: 3 1/4 to 4 inches long and weighs 1 ounce. About the size of a small orange. =)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm guessing about 5 pounds but I honestly have no idea. We don't own a scale and I don't go back to the doctor until next Friday. However, I have definitely, without a doubt, gained. See picture above as evidence.

Maternity Clothes: Here and there. Most of my regular, non-maternity tops just don't fit anymore. I can still wear most of my regular pants... not sure how much longer that will last though.

Gender: Still waiting. We should be able to find out next month! Terrell still thinks it's a boy... partly because of our track record and partly because of the fact that I haven't been really sick. (Almost everyone we know who has had a girl was sick during their pregnancy... not everybody but almost.) I was thinking boy and now I'm not sure. As in, I have no idea. Not a single instinct or inclination either way. It's sort of strange but also exciting. =)

Movement: I've felt a few more little flutters but nothing that I knew without a doubt was definitely the baby. I can't wait until I feel him/her and know for sure.

Food Cravings: Snack foods and ice cream lately

What I Miss: Sleeping all night without waking up.

Sleep: My sleeping has gotten better. I still don't sleep the entire night without waking up but I'm sleeping much, much better than I was. Praise the Lord!

Symptons: I still get a touch of morning sickness almost every morning. As long as I can grab a cracker or something salty I'm usually fine. I'm still having crazy dreams occassionally and still have to go to the bathroom quite a bit.  

Best Moment This Week: Buying new maternity clothes and realizing I actually have some of my energy back!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Being rid of this cold or whatever it is I have and going to the doctor next week. Can't wait to hear the heartbeat!

And just for fun here is a little comparison...

 

Austin's update at 12 weeks

 

Austin's update at 14 weeks

32 Reasons

Yesterday was Terrell's 32nd birthday and we had a really fun day celebrating. We started the day with cinnamon rolls and singing Happy Birthday to daddy, then I picked Garrison up early from school so we could all enjoy a family date for lunch. After Terrell got home from work we gave him his presents and then waited for my mom to come over so we could enjoy a date night by ourselves.

Other than me being sick, which put a total damper on things, this was my favorite part of the day...I got to get away for the evening and spend time alone with my favorite person. We talked, we ate good food, we talked some more, we laughed, we ate dessert... it was a great night. And, we had the night off from bath and bedtime... the craziest, most exhausting part of our day! The timing worked out really good with me feeling so crummy. Terrell made sure I went to bed early and has been the best nurse. I love and appreciate him more than he knows! Which is what made me decide to do a little birthday list for him... of reasons I love him and am thankful for the day he was born. =)

1. He loves me. Duh. =)
2. He gave me my babies.
3. He makes me laugh. Everyday.
4. He is supportive of me.
5. He helps clean the kitchen every night.
6. He prioritizes time with our boys and plays with them everyday.
7. He works hard for our family.
8. He kills any and every bug I come across.
9. He cleans toilets and bathrooms when I ask him to.
10. He grills delicious meals for us.
11. He is affectionate.
12. He takes Bailey out in all kinds of weather.
13. He does laundry.
14. He manages our money to the penny so I don't have to work full-time.
15. He listens to me even though I can be very long-winded.
16. He is laid back.
17. He is always willing to get up in the middle of the night if one of the boys happen to wake up.
18. He gives the boys a bath every night.
19. He is a great example for our boys.
20. He loves Jesus.
21. He does a couples devotional with me. Totally his idea. He picked out the book and everthing.
22. He helps dress the boys every morning and helps with breakfast.
23. He is close to his parents.
24. He is also close to my parents.
25. He prioritizes family time.
26. He takes me on dates.
27. He hugs me everyday.
28. He is willing to compromise.
29. He takes care of me when I'm sick.
30. He tries to make sure I get a little a "me time" every now and then.
31. He balances out my uptight, dramatic, type A self.
32. He is what makes us, US. =)

Happy Birthday again Terrell! I love you!!!