Happy Birthday, Ivy!

Happy Birthday to our Silly Ivy!

Dear Ivy,

I can't believe 3 years ago this morning I was laying in a hospital bed, going on 14 hours, waiting for your arrival. No matter what the doctors and nurses did to try to "convince" you that it was time to make your debut, you stuck to YOUR plans of staying inside of Mommy's comfy and cozy womb. It was not until 9pm that FINALLY we got to meet our 7 lb 4oz baby girl via a cesarean section. You were gorgeous! Your first look at me totally and completely melted my heart. You had your Daddy's eyes and I was amazed with how immediate your facial expressions looked exactly like his. I was in awe at the amazing creation that God had blessed us with. You had a few troubles as a newborn... mostly because you were so laid back (haha... not anymore), you didn't want to eat- you just thought sleep sounded better! But after a month you got eating down and you started to grow and never stopped. Three years has flown by! You have been transformed from an itty bitty baby to a 3 year old girl with TONS of spunk in your personality. You love life, love people, and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE babies! You are like a little mommy in your own world of baby-dolls, changing diapers, feeding bottles, reading stories, etc. I see you mimic many things that I have done for you over the past 3 years. It is amazing to see your maternal instincts at such a young age. You also love to be silly. You make faces, dance, and do funny voices all that catch Daddy and I off guard. You love to be with people. You are in awe with your family and you have a little group of friends that you talk about all the time! We can't wait to see how you grow and change even more over the next year. You are turning into quite a little lady and we are already trying to teach you "lady-like" behaviors. We are so proud of you and know that you are going to continue to make us proud over the years. You are a child of God and you are starting to understand this more and more each day! We are so thankful for the blessing of your life.

We love you, pretty girl!

Happy Birthday, Ivy!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Snug as a Bug in a Rug!!

Every time Ivy goes to bed "SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG!" We tuck her in tight all the way down to her "pink toenails" (as she demands). This helps Ivy continue to get the swaddling like sleep that she loved until she was a year old....gasp!

When a child likes something, they want to share it with all their friends!

That explains why she was quite proud to show us how she tucked Jack in "SNUG AS A BUG IN A RUG!" She even shared her beloved blankie. This kitty is the best with putting up with Ivy's shenanigans!

Another Day with Ivy's Imagination

Maybe you remember Ivy's friend, Niko, from a little over a year ago. Well, Niko stuck around for most of last summer but Ivy's imagination kept most of Niko a secret. She would give little reports about what Niko was doing and she would laugh if you asked her about him when she wasn't already rambling about her little friend. And then POOF.... out of no where Niko was gone and never talked about again.

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Ivy has moved on in her stories of imaginary friends... or enemies. Meet Poppy!

This could be Poppy....

Or this may be Poppy on an older day....

Or this might be sad Poppy, when he is in trouble.

Poppy has been around for the past few months. We hear about Poppy daily.... multiple times. Poppy particularly makes his debut when Ivy is about to be rotten or has just gotten in trouble for being rotten. :) We believe Poppy is Ivy's conscious talking to her!!

This is what we know about Poppy:

1. He is a boy.

2. He has been said to be anywhere from 2 to 5.

3. Ivy identifies Poppy as any boy in public who is crying or getting in trouble.... a boy stealing puzzles from the library, a boy throwing food at a restaurant, a boy screaming at the park, a boy in time out at the pool.... these are the occasions where we have spotted Poppy.

4. Poppy lives in the Shaved Ice Shack on Main Street in Nicholasville. (We wave when we pass Poppy's house!)

5. Poppy's mommy gets very sad when Poppy is bad.

6. Poppy's mommy has given Ivy permission to punish Poppy.

So we typically hear about Poppy when he is in time out or when Ivy is telling him what his consequence will be. Ivy typically talks to Poppy in the car and the conversations are very familiar.... usually one that I have had with Ivy in the last 24 hours.

A Typical Talk with Poppy:

Ivy: "Poppy, you know when you don't talk nice it is sad."

Ivy: "Yes, Poppy, it does make us all sad."

Ivy: "Well, when you make the choice to use ugly words you will go to time out."

Ivy: "If you say those mean words again we might have to wash them out of your mouth."

Ivy: "Yep, that is what we will have to do....but for now, sit in time out."

This was a recent conversation between Ivy and Poppy. It is interesting to have our "rough" mommy moments played out between your child and their friend (or enemy). It also humors us that if we ask what Poppy did or why he did it, she usually just says she doesn't know but it makes her and his mommy really sad. I think this means she is remorseful for her actions... or that is what I am going to keep thinking!!!

Poppy, we hope you stay around as long as you are motivating our girl to keep her attitude around only when punishing you and reminding her how sad it is to get in trouble!

A Much Needed Update...

The view from up here....

The view from out there....

Well, I say it is a "much needed update".... not because much has changed but because I don't think I have blogged about pregnancy since about 20 weeks. I suppose that is what happens with your second- it is a lot more fun to take pictures of Ivy than it is to try to pose for a picture myself!

So I am 33 weeks pregnant today.

Exactly 7 weeks from this moment I will be holding Baby Tula.... and I can't wait.... or maybe I can. I am excited (but nervous) about being a mommy to a newborn again but I am just praying that all the insight I gained through reading and talking to other mommies will come flooding back. I truly love the newborn stage. I loved it with Ivy and I am excited to be back in that place. I looked at her baby pictures this morning and got giddy inside. But I know it will be different and that is why I am nervous. I am going to have to carve out time for EVERYONE and this will be a new feeling. I am thankful for my many friends that I have already watched adjust to being a mommy of 2... and they survived!

Thoughts on this pregnancy:

* I feel one million times better this time than I did with Ivy....

a. I am eating way healthier.

b. I am more active- walking 4-5 days a week.

c. I have no choice but to get up and get moving every day!

* I have gained about the same amount of weight to this point... but it looks very different this time. I don't see it as much besides in my belly. By this time last time I was already VERY swollen and it was ALL OVER weight.

* Heartburn- yes!

* Cravings- fruit and ice cream

* Nursery- almost done... :) (pictures soon!)

* Most excited about- nursing again, loved this time with Ivy and it was cut short due a variety of things that led to her to stop... this time I know what to do different as a working mommy!

* Most worried about- Ivy adjusting and feeling just as loved!

* So far I have liked this pregnancy so much more. It has flown by and I am feeling so much more comfortable. I hope to continue this positive mantra when school starts and I am EXHAUSTED!

* Once again, I am crazy and love being pregnant in the summer. I will plan it this way again and again. People always say.... "Picked a hot summer to be pregnant"... but really I wouldn't have it any other way!

UPDATE: Since I know you all care (NOT REALLY!!), but I do and am so excited about this update. I went to the doctor yesterday and I am 6 lbs down from where I was with Ivy at this same point. Which is super exciting!! I gained a whopping 52 lbs with her and anything less would be a total victory. Heck, maybe by my 3rd baby I will stay between 25-35 like they suggest. For now, I have gained 29 lbs at 33 weeks! Cheers to that :)

Daddy Daughter Date!

This past Saturday Greg and Ivy had a very special day! They went on a double Daddy daughter date with our friends, Trent and Addy. Not only was Ivy elated to get to have some one on one time her Prince Charming.... Daddy was more than excited to introduce Ivy to something that he loves. They went canoeing! Greg loves all things outdoors and he has been talking about taking her to canoe Kentucky. He was pumped when he heard that he could canoe so close to home with Trent's outdoorsy connections. All week long, Daddy prepared Ivy for the canoe trip. He talked about safety (only with Mommy's prompting) and he talked about swimming in the Kentucky river. All the talking paid off.... Ivy wasn't scared at all! She loved their canoe trip and is still talking about it. I love seeing how much Ivy loves Greg and I am so thankful for them to form these memories together. Now, it is my job to make sure he continues to take her on dates throughout her teen years (when the drama is peaking).... maybe dates with Daddy will keep the boys away!!

Poor Boys

So Unc came in for a little visit last week. He was here to have some surgery on a cyst on his ear. Well, it just so happened that very same day Greg had to get a mole with abnormal cells scraped off the side of his head. We are thankful that both boys are recovering fine, but we could not help to crack up at the sight of the two of them eating dinner at my parents. They were pitiful.... but were the source of lots of laughter for everyone else! Talk about hilarious :)

Sad about their sore heads and puffy bandages.

Choosing to be goofy because I told them it really made for a great photo opportunity. Seriously, all the girls (except Ivy.... who was quite disturbed) were laughing hysterically at these two!!

Beach Vacation 2010

Greg, Sarah, & Ivy

Seaside, Florida 2010

Our last little family of 3 vacation....it's kind of sad, but we are excited for Tula to join the family!

We kicked our vacation off with Seaside's annual 4th of July parade at 8:30 AM! Ivy loved all the decorated golf carts, cars, and even boats driving by. She loved it even more when they would throw her candy or beaded necklaces.

We spent A LOT of time at the beach and in the sand. Ivy loved the sand from the get go, but wanted nothing to do with the "whales" in the ocean. By the end of the week we realized she thought the waves were called whales.... I kept assuring her that there were no whales that close to the beach. Just a small miscommunication!

It was a great week to spend time with family and RELAX!

Ivy was finally brave enough to play in the ocean with her Daddy and Pops and Nana thought they might be brave enough to TRY to teach Ivy how to play baseball!

I love this picture of Ivy and her Daddy running down a HUGE sand dune. Ivy definitely is much more adventurous when Mommy is out of sight and she is in the safety of her Daddy!

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Overall, it was a fabulous vacation! We can't complain about anything.... not even the car ride.... so life is good :) Maybe next year we can go back with Tula in tow! Our family was so in love with the house and the little town I am sure that will not be our last stop in Seaside!

Car Riding Happiness

We are home from an amazing vacation to Sea Side, Florida! (I promise pictures are coming soooo soooo soon.) It was all that we wanted it to be and more... and when I say more I mean Ivy was an outstanding car rider. Now, if you have talked to me about our little car rider (or poor you, have ever experienced it) you know it is not pretty. When we are making a small trek to Cin-ci-ma-natti.... you know that place just a little over an hour away.... to visit Unc and Esie, Ivy usually begins her tantrum throwing escapades by the time we get to Newtown Pike. It is NOT fun for anyone involved. So anyways you can imagine my worries about driving all they way to the beach, but to my surprise, my MAJOR surprise.... Ivy was GREAT!

Here is what we did to prepare!

1. Talk about the LONG ride. For the past month I have been showing Ivy pictures of the beach and talking about how much fun it will be, but also reminding her that it takes a long time in the car. I think we forget how much we can truly prepare a 2 year old. They are fully capable of understanding what is going on and the more examples you can give... the better!

2. Get some new movies! We bought three new movies for the car, that she had seen once (she LOVES blockbuster movie nights). She was so excited to have Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and The Jungle Book to add to her car trip viewing.

3. Buy some car toys to keep her entertained. I went to scour Rite Aid, Walgreens, Wal-mart, and the Parent-Teacher toys to buy some perfect for the car trinkets. I motivated Ivy each time I introduced something new I told her we had to be a good car rider so that she could get the next present. I spaced them out so well that I even had three new goodies to introduce on the way home.

4. Be prepared to STOP. We were not on a time schedule. In our minds we allowed for 2 extra hours for stopping and playing. We picked our places with a plan in mind. We stopped at rest areas or gas stations with an area for Ivy to run and roam. We spent 30 minutes at a small town gas station in TN because Ivy was quite entertained with the large rock pile that she ran up and down, up and down to wear her little heart out! We also were lucky enough to find a Chick-Fil-A with a play place to stop and eat lunch. That was such a blessing!

5. Cheer on yourself as a parent! I was really freaking out about my job as an entertainer. But the whole time I kept saying "Wow... Ivy you are doing awesome!" and then in my head I would say "And Mama, you are being so patient and entertaining you deserve a pat on the back.... on an ice cream sundae!!" I tried to keep in mind that I needed encouragement in this long car ride too!! :)

6. Healthy Snacks :) I know that lots of kids are distracted by eating, but I really didn't want to load Ivy (or me) up on sugar, so we packed a cooler with grapes, carrots, drinks, cheese cubes, etc. This kept us snacking but not on a bunch of junk food!

YAY! For a good car trip.... pictures of our excellent vacation will be coming soon!