When I was younger, I went on several mission trips with my church to Mexico. I loved going on these trips, and I learned a lot about myself, the Lord, and the world from having my "eyes" opened to what life was like in a Third World country. A people without many material possessions, but most importantly, a people without a knowledge of the Lord. Those are some amazing memories.
Anyway, the reason I even mention these Mexico mission trips, is because we would experience this thing called "Hurry up and....Wait." We would find ourselves being told by the leaders of our trip that we suddenly needed to get our things together, get in the 15 passenger seat vans, and load up immediately. We hardly knew the reason for the rush....perhaps we had an important place to be for a specific time, perhaps there were some local villagers who were not happy with our presence in the little remote villages we were visiting, perhaps there was a major rainstorm coming and we needed to get our big parade of vans off of the unpaved, treacherous, mountainous roads before we were stuck...for good. We experienced lots of trials and dangerous situations out there in the remote lands of Mexico, so we never questioned when were told to "Hurry up!"
But, we laughed a lot at these frequent orders to hurry up....and we DID indeed hurry up......because so many times we would hustle and climb in the vans, get ourselves into our assigned seats, and then.........
(crickets)
(tumbleweed)
We waited.
Now eventually, we would get on the move. But, "Hurry Up and.... Wait" became a Mexico Mission Trip inside joke. We never hesitated to hurry because we didn't always have to wait, and there was always a good reason our leaders were telling us to climb on board, but it did get humorous sometimes. Waiting. It's good for the soul. It teaches you to trust and to be patient.
ANYway, if you haven't figured it out yet, we have been doing some "Hurry Up and..Wait" all over again here at the Bradshaw house. My last post was over a week ago after I went to the doctor for my last check-up. It was at that appointment that my OB told me I had really progressed and that, in her opinion, labor was imminent and soon. So, I---in my limited OB knowledge and in my extremely limited vision of God's perfect timing---have assumed that we would be holding a baby girl by now. Alas, we are not. We are still waiting on Miss Stella's arrival, and we are anxious to hold her.
However, we have had a wonderful past week. We've done lots to get ready for her, we've had a heightened awareness that our days of a family of four are passing us by. I have really appreciated the good nights of sleep I've experienced in the last week, and I have seen the nights that weren't so good as preparation for her arrival. We've had lots of contractions. We've had a few nights were we thought "Hurry up...this could be it." Only to "wait" again as my contractions slowed down, allowing me to drift back off to sleep.
My mom came into town early Sunday morning (2 am), and we are so thankful that she is here! I really wanted my mom to make it for Stella's arrival, so we have had a huge prayer answered in her being with us. Not to mention, Nora and Liam are thrilled to have Nana with us. We got to attend some dear friends' wedding on Friday evening, spend a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with our family and friends, and enjoy just a relaxing time together as a family.
I think all of the "Hurry up" that I felt after last week's appointment kinda stressed me out a bit because I just kept thinking that at any moment my water could break. I felt like I needed to be ready at a moment's notice, but now I am keenly aware that my due date is still two weeks away. She could be here in two more weeks, not just in any second. So, we'll see what the Lord has in store for Stella's birthday. He has numbered her days. He knows the perfect moment for her to take her first breath. He has the hairs on her tiny little head already numbered, and he knows the perfect moment for her momma and daddy to see her precious face. Until then, we are waiting. We are exciting and anticipating her arrival with much joy. But, we are waiting and trusting a mighty, good, all-knowing God.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Pregnancy Update: 37 Weeks
Well, technically I am 37 weeks in the morning, but seriously, that's just a few hours away.
I went today for my 36 week/37 week appointment with my doctor, and it seems that over the past week Little Miss Stella has been making LOTS of progress! Last week, I measured a "stretchy 1 cm" dialated. That means that she could stretch me to a 2, but I was not very low and cervix was just starting to thin out. Today, Dr. Y checked me and I was 4 centimeters dialated, 80% effaced, and at -1 station. Basically, I could go into labor at any time.
AT ANY TIME!
After she told me I was 4 cm (which surprised me, because I really don't feel that different from last week), I started to talk to her about possibly scheduling an induction. My parents are 10 or so hours away, so we were hoping that if Stella didn't come on her own beforehand that we could schedule something for June 10th. Dr. Y cut me off and said, "Casey, I don't think you'll make it to 39 weeks. I don't think we even will talk induction." She said I am very close to going into labor. "Go home, pack your bags, and tell your mom to be on call." She said IF I make it to my next appointment, we'll talk. She also said that she thinks my labor will go very quickly. YIKES!
I measured 32 weeks fundal height, which is very small for being 37 weeks pregnant, but Dr. Y said the reason I am so small in the measurement is because she is SO low in my pelvis. This baby girl is ready to go! She asked if I had noticed much change or pressure in the past week, and I said that I've felt low pressure for several weeks now, but the only main difference in the past week was a nerve pain I've been having in my right inner thigh. Depending on how Stella is positioned, she may lay on this particular nerve which basically disables my movement in that leg. The frequency of that pain in my inner thigh has increased tremendously in the past week. Dr. Y said, "That's progress. She's looowww."
So, keep checking in to see when our little lovey arrives. I have sorta packed our bags. We have notified our next door neighbors and in-laws that they could potentially get phone calls in the middle of the night. I pulled out of the parking lot of the doctor's office and headed straight to Babies R Us. I sorta panicked that there were a few things I still didn't have. I came home, fixed supper, washed all our laundry, and put together the carseat. I am about all nested out for tonight, so let's pray I can get some good sleep because I didn't sleep well last night at all.
We know that the Lord knows the day and time of Stella's arrival! I am trusting in his perfect timing. I would, however, like to make it to my hair appointment tomorrow night, and if possible, a pedicure would be a nice treat before she comes, but we'll see if that fits into our schedule in the next week. Plus, I must shave my legs! (Vanity, I know, but it's nice if it can happen!)
Thanks for your prayers! I'll keep you posted!
I went today for my 36 week/37 week appointment with my doctor, and it seems that over the past week Little Miss Stella has been making LOTS of progress! Last week, I measured a "stretchy 1 cm" dialated. That means that she could stretch me to a 2, but I was not very low and cervix was just starting to thin out. Today, Dr. Y checked me and I was 4 centimeters dialated, 80% effaced, and at -1 station. Basically, I could go into labor at any time.
AT ANY TIME!
After she told me I was 4 cm (which surprised me, because I really don't feel that different from last week), I started to talk to her about possibly scheduling an induction. My parents are 10 or so hours away, so we were hoping that if Stella didn't come on her own beforehand that we could schedule something for June 10th. Dr. Y cut me off and said, "Casey, I don't think you'll make it to 39 weeks. I don't think we even will talk induction." She said I am very close to going into labor. "Go home, pack your bags, and tell your mom to be on call." She said IF I make it to my next appointment, we'll talk. She also said that she thinks my labor will go very quickly. YIKES!
I measured 32 weeks fundal height, which is very small for being 37 weeks pregnant, but Dr. Y said the reason I am so small in the measurement is because she is SO low in my pelvis. This baby girl is ready to go! She asked if I had noticed much change or pressure in the past week, and I said that I've felt low pressure for several weeks now, but the only main difference in the past week was a nerve pain I've been having in my right inner thigh. Depending on how Stella is positioned, she may lay on this particular nerve which basically disables my movement in that leg. The frequency of that pain in my inner thigh has increased tremendously in the past week. Dr. Y said, "That's progress. She's looowww."
So, keep checking in to see when our little lovey arrives. I have sorta packed our bags. We have notified our next door neighbors and in-laws that they could potentially get phone calls in the middle of the night. I pulled out of the parking lot of the doctor's office and headed straight to Babies R Us. I sorta panicked that there were a few things I still didn't have. I came home, fixed supper, washed all our laundry, and put together the carseat. I am about all nested out for tonight, so let's pray I can get some good sleep because I didn't sleep well last night at all.
We know that the Lord knows the day and time of Stella's arrival! I am trusting in his perfect timing. I would, however, like to make it to my hair appointment tomorrow night, and if possible, a pedicure would be a nice treat before she comes, but we'll see if that fits into our schedule in the next week. Plus, I must shave my legs! (Vanity, I know, but it's nice if it can happen!)
Thanks for your prayers! I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Life According to My iPhone
So, I finally dumped a bunch of pictures that I have taken on my iPhone over the past...I know, YEAR....onto our computer. It is so fun to look back at the random moments I have captured, despite the poor picture quality, because I am just not talented at the slow shutter speed of this particular camera. Also, my subjects are typically two very fast-moving, in-motion, not-really-wanting-to-cooperate-with-Momma kiddos. So, here are some fun pics of our family going back...WAY back! Enjoy!
Ok, well, there you have it. Our last 9 months in iPhone pics. Hope you enjoyed the tour. See you next year, or perhaps sooner, but don't hold your breath!
Crazy man wearing his construction goggles.
Enjoying some dessert with Daddy. This was September 2010. I wasn't even pregnant with Stella yet. See how I am TERRIBLE about keeping up with stuff!?
Ok, have you seen that app for the iPhone called Fat Booth!? Well, this is Liam (same pic as above) in the Fat Booth! Isn't this hilarious! Keep eating that ice cream boy and you'll end up with cheeks like that!
Typical trip to Sam's. I wonder how long they'll both fit in those buggies. Cherishing while I can still contain them.
Ok, so the next two pictures need some prefacing. Jonathan and Nora have this bedtime ritual that doesn't happen every night, but at least several times a week. Nora calls it "relaxing." As in, "Daddy, will you relax with me tonight?" Most of the time, Jonathan says yes and once they are all ready for bed, he'll hang out in her room with her where they talk, sing songs, make shadow puppets, and sometimes take random pictures in the dark with his cell phone. Then, they text the said crazy, in-the-dark pictures to me who is probably sitting in her bed across the house eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs in peace.
Here's an example:
Now, if I'm in the right mood. I might send something like the following in response:
But, only if I'm up to it.
Warm day in early March in Granddaddy's backyard.
This is Liam with our good friend, McKenna. Liam really loves McKenna. She's pretty. She's older (5), and she dotes on him. Not to mention she has dark hair. Have I mentioned he has a thing for women with dark hair?
This is what remained after I ordered room service during Jonathan and I's getaway to Atlanta in late March. I.love.room.service.breakfast.
Here's Nora with her friend Claire after music class. The music class met at Smart Toys & Books toy store, so the girls loved playing together afterward and occasionally dressed up.
"Get your hard hat!"
Girl's first time to drive a fire truck.
Seriously, this makes this boy happy. He loves to "ride" the Thomas bike, although all this means is he climbs on it and sits. Still. As in, no movement. I am enjoying the lack of injuries and running that I am having to deal with as a result of this. I know my days of chasing him down the street aren't too far away.
First picnic at the playground this Spring.
Liam's first time of dyeing Easter Eggs. We continued our tradition of dyeing Easter Eggs with the Townsend girls.
Nora got her face painted like a butterfly at a party we went to recently. She loved it!!!
The best Daddy ever! Here is his "markeling" with the kids while I cooked dinner.
Our little love. Can't wait to meet her!
While I was in the shower on the morning of Mother's Day, I could hear Liam wander into the bathroom. I then heard the toilet flush and Liam very excitedly squeal and laugh. I got out shortly thereafter and found this. Since then, he has dipped several toothbrushes in the toilet and just last night threw in a whole roll of toilet paper. Not funny.
Dessert.
Liam finally got some "manly" Lightning McQueen sunglasses for his birthday.
Here he is trying them out.
First trip to Dollywood Spring 2011. We went last week with Granna and Geegaw and had a great time!
Nora driving the cars in the 50's car ride. I was sitting next to her and managed to snap a photo amidst the craziness of her driving. She was totally into it!
Teacups.
Ducks.
Here's some evidence of the nesting instinct I've had lately. Washing clothes for Stella. Apparently a green crayon managed to make its way into this load of laundry and the dryer, so I had to re-wash this entire load, spraying nearly every item with Shout, to get the green out of it. At least Stella's clothes are super clean!
This week at Target, I picked up a hat for each of the kids for when they are out in the sun. Liam LOVES his "ball ca-yap" and has rarely taken it off during the past two days. Nora, who couldn't be outdone by Liam, posed for this shot.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Busy Schedule
Last week, I was sitting down with my calendar and pen to fill in some dates for the upcoming weeks. We've got weddings and doctor visits and family coming in town and care group and all the other normal stuff. As I was just getting started, I noticed Liam had a dirty diaper, so I left my calendar and pen on the table to take care of that business. When I returned, several minutes later, Nora was very busy writing away.
"What are you doing, Nora?" I asked.
"Drawing on your calendar," she replied.
I walked over and looked how she had very carefully and very specifically filled in the month of June. She pointed to the date of June 6th and said, "That's Stella." If you look closely, that is her 3.5 year old version of a stick-figure, and clearly looks like Stella to me! I thought this was the cutest thing ever. We apparently have a very busy month of June ahead of us, and I am so thankful for Nora's help in keeping me organized! Too precious!
Liam's Two Year Stats
I took Liam this morning for his two year well-visit at the pediatrician's office. Everything checked out great with our big ole boy, and he doesn't technically have to go back until he turns three! Wouldn't that be awesome if we didn't go back until then!? That would be wonderful to go a year without sickness, but we'll see!
Anyway, here are Liam's stats:
Height: 35.75 inches (85th percentile)
Weight: 28 lbs, 10 oz. (65th percentile)
Head: 50 something mm (?) (90th percentile) ----I heard the number 50 and that's all I know about that measurement, plus I remembered the percentile.
There was a questionnaire I filled out about some of Liam's behavior and skills to determine if he was an early diagnosis for Autism, but everything looked great. Also, he passed all of the two year vocal and activity level skills. So, he's just a typical, two-year-old boy! He did so great for Dr. G. and didn't even whimper with all of the poking a prodding. I am thinking all of the dr. visits over the past few months have built his trust in Dr. G. They are old friends now!
We are thankful for a healthy boy!
Just for comparison's sake, here are Nora's two year stats:
Height: 33.5 inches (45th percentile)
Weight: 24 lbs. (<25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 75th percentile
I think that Nora and Liam way roughly the same right now...she's somewhere in the 27-29 lb. range so they are basically just a bit different in height! Won't be long before he's passing her up altogether!
Anyway, here are Liam's stats:
Height: 35.75 inches (85th percentile)
Weight: 28 lbs, 10 oz. (65th percentile)
Head: 50 something mm (?) (90th percentile) ----I heard the number 50 and that's all I know about that measurement, plus I remembered the percentile.
There was a questionnaire I filled out about some of Liam's behavior and skills to determine if he was an early diagnosis for Autism, but everything looked great. Also, he passed all of the two year vocal and activity level skills. So, he's just a typical, two-year-old boy! He did so great for Dr. G. and didn't even whimper with all of the poking a prodding. I am thinking all of the dr. visits over the past few months have built his trust in Dr. G. They are old friends now!
We are thankful for a healthy boy!
Just for comparison's sake, here are Nora's two year stats:
Height: 33.5 inches (45th percentile)
Weight: 24 lbs. (<25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 75th percentile
I think that Nora and Liam way roughly the same right now...she's somewhere in the 27-29 lb. range so they are basically just a bit different in height! Won't be long before he's passing her up altogether!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Quality Mom Moments of the Day
I hope you can pick up on the sarcasm in my title. If not, you don't know me well enough and perhaps we should fix that!
So, first of all, quality moment number one as a mother was when I finally satisfied my craving for a Starbucks Frappuccino this morning. I have seen advertisements for Happy Hour this week at Starbucks where their Frapps are 1/2 off from 3-5 pm, but that is right in the midst of nap time and "get supper ready" time, so I highly doubt I'll make it there in that time frame. But, I DID have a free drink coupon, so on our way to the grocery store this morning, I swung by and got a grande nonfat Mocha Coconut Frappuccino. And YES, it was as delicious as it sounds. I had packed each kid a cup of water in the car, but when they saw Momma sipping on this luscious, cold, refreshing coffee beverage that, frankly, looks like a cold chocolate Icee, they started asking for some. So, I said, "You can each have one sip when we get to Kroger."
BIG MISTAKE.
They were hooked. "Coffee. coffee. coffee. coffee." They practically drank the thing by themselves before we could get out of the car. Then, they were bouncing off the walls. Nora even told me, "Don't drink it all, Mom!" I guess she expected me to share more with her when we got home.
So, now my children are addicted to caffeine and chocolate-flavored coffee. Great job.
Second quality moment of the day....(and keep in mind, people, it is only 3:30 pm. Surely, there will be more). I started cooking some of the steps to assemble a Chicken Lasagna for dinner tonight. Once I got the kids down for a nap, all I had to do was chop up some chicken and then assemble it so that when supper time gets close, I can just stick it in the oven. Perhaps I should have waited until AFTER my afternoon catnap because I fully assembled the lasagna UPSIDE DOWN! I didn't even realize it until I was sprinkling the mozzarella cheese over the very top. Way to go, Casey, way to go!
So, just in case you are wondering, here's how to assemble chicken lasagna upside-down:
1. Little bit of spaghetti sauce.
2. Layer of cooked lasagna noodles.
3. Chicken mixture.
4. Layer of sauce.
5. Layer of noodles.
6. Layer of chicken.
7. More sauce.
8. Cheese.
It makes NO sense at all. But, my name is Casey Bradshaw and I do have pregnancy brain. Tune in next time for more Quality Mom Moments with Casey! Hey, at least I am laughing at myself! Right!?
So, first of all, quality moment number one as a mother was when I finally satisfied my craving for a Starbucks Frappuccino this morning. I have seen advertisements for Happy Hour this week at Starbucks where their Frapps are 1/2 off from 3-5 pm, but that is right in the midst of nap time and "get supper ready" time, so I highly doubt I'll make it there in that time frame. But, I DID have a free drink coupon, so on our way to the grocery store this morning, I swung by and got a grande nonfat Mocha Coconut Frappuccino. And YES, it was as delicious as it sounds. I had packed each kid a cup of water in the car, but when they saw Momma sipping on this luscious, cold, refreshing coffee beverage that, frankly, looks like a cold chocolate Icee, they started asking for some. So, I said, "You can each have one sip when we get to Kroger."
BIG MISTAKE.
They were hooked. "Coffee. coffee. coffee. coffee." They practically drank the thing by themselves before we could get out of the car. Then, they were bouncing off the walls. Nora even told me, "Don't drink it all, Mom!" I guess she expected me to share more with her when we got home.
So, now my children are addicted to caffeine and chocolate-flavored coffee. Great job.
Second quality moment of the day....(and keep in mind, people, it is only 3:30 pm. Surely, there will be more). I started cooking some of the steps to assemble a Chicken Lasagna for dinner tonight. Once I got the kids down for a nap, all I had to do was chop up some chicken and then assemble it so that when supper time gets close, I can just stick it in the oven. Perhaps I should have waited until AFTER my afternoon catnap because I fully assembled the lasagna UPSIDE DOWN! I didn't even realize it until I was sprinkling the mozzarella cheese over the very top. Way to go, Casey, way to go!
So, just in case you are wondering, here's how to assemble chicken lasagna upside-down:
1. Little bit of spaghetti sauce.
2. Layer of cooked lasagna noodles.
3. Chicken mixture.
4. Layer of sauce.
5. Layer of noodles.
6. Layer of chicken.
7. More sauce.
8. Cheese.
It makes NO sense at all. But, my name is Casey Bradshaw and I do have pregnancy brain. Tune in next time for more Quality Mom Moments with Casey! Hey, at least I am laughing at myself! Right!?
Liam-isms
Life if flying by at warp speed these days. You know, I say that and it feels true, but at the same time it also feels like the days until we meet Stella are creeping by. How is that!? I am 35 weeks pregnant today which makes me SOOOOO close yet SOOOO far away. Anyway, the purpose of this post is to jot down some of the things that are going on with Liam lately. Funny things he does. Silly things he says. Habits, likes, dislikes, etc.
- Liam fell into the pool the other night. We were at Paul and Joyce's house (grandparents) for Mother's Day, and Liam and his Geegaw were hanging out by the pool doing man things while Amy, Joyce, and I prepared dinner. Suddenly we could hear Liam screaming hysterically, and Jonathan casually walked over to the back deck, looked down over the pool, and said, "He fell in. Don't worry, Geegaw got him. He's already out, but he fell in." My reactions: I laughed. Now, if I had been downstairs and witness to the entire unfolding event, or if I had been the one responsible for pulling his big little body out of the water, I probably would have had a panic attack and would be scarred for life having nightmares with my son's life flashing before my eyes. Thankfully, however, I didn't hear about the event until he was rescued, and as my mother-in-law so wisely said, "It had to happen." Liam LOVES to throw things in the pool. His tennis ball, his Spider Man ball, Nora's Nemo kick board. And he thinks he is big enough to bend down and retrieve these things without help even though we constantly tell him to back away from the pool, that it isn't safe. So, this time, it was the Nemo kickboard he was after, and he went in head first. Thankfully, Geegaw was right beside him and rescued him within a matter of seconds. So, I hope the child has learned his lesson. I doubt he has, but I can hope.
- Speaking of Liam and things water-related. Liam also likes to play with the toilet. He likes to flush the toilet. He likes to flush toys down the toilet. He likes to dip toothbrushes in the toilet and then suck the water out of them. Yes. It is disgusting. I cannot tell you how many toothbrushes we have thrown away, and I can't tell you how many times we have corrected this boy for doing such behavior. The lightbulb still hasn't gone off in his head, people!
- Liam is talking SO much these days. He speaks in full sentences sometimes, and he is really good at articulating what he wants when he wants to. There are times, however, that he will be repeating something and I have NO idea what he is saying. I have noticed lately that Liam is turning one syllable words into two syllables. Now, I know we leave in East TN, but I am from New Orleans, his Daddy is from Mississippi, but we don't have a very thick Southern drawl. Nora speaks mostly like we do, with maybe a few Southern drawl dynamics to her speech, but Liam is hilarious! He sounds like a little country boy. "Tha-yat", "Dow-un", " "Thi-yus", and so on. It's so funny to hear him, and I just know my parents are going to give us a hard time about this!
Some other funny things he says include:
- He refers to himself as "Miam Piam"
-"Miam do it."
-"Where" is pronounced as "Wur" (like fur)
-His favorite expression to date that he says almost all day long: "Mommy shooed you." (He wants Momma to hold him all the time. Not an easy task).
-Some of Liam's favorites these days are Thomas the Train (he got his first figure-8 set for his birthday), Legos, and building blocks. He still doesn't watch much television (which is totally fine with me), but I can manage to get him to sit still for a few minutes if Yo Gabba Gabba is on, or if it's the Backyardigans or Little Einsteins. He likes Elmo and Mickey Mouse, but he just doesn't care about it long enough to sit still to watch.
- I love riding in the car with the kids because we have created some games to play along the way. We always look for Jeeps! Everyone of us LOVES Jeeps, and so when we spy one, we call out "JEEP!" Liam always looks for tractors and dozers, and he is rarely disappointed when we are out and about and finds them often. I find myself looking for these things even when I am driving by myself!
- Liam and Nora still have a love-hate relationship. They argue a good bit, struggling over sharing and over Momma's attention, but they definitely have more and more moments where they play really well together. I pray that as Stella gets here that they will cling to each other more and more. Having a sibling so close is such a blessing, and I pray that they realize the gift they are to each other. However, Liam is quite the instigator when it comes to getting on Nora's nerves. He certainly knows which buttons to push, and when one of Nora's baby dolls or toys is missing, often if I ask Liam if he knows where it is, he will say, "Uh huh," and then walk right up to wherever he has hidden it. (The rascal). Just this weekend, Jonathan witnessed Liam take Nora's little Rapunzel doll, walk up to Nora, wave the doll in her face as if saying, "Nanny nanny boo boo...look what I've got" and then he ran off in the opposite direction. Naturally, Nora started crying and the rest is predictable, but isn't he such a mess!? I mean, no one taught him that! He just knows how to be a pesky little brother!
- Our boy can be quite the ladies man if he wants to be, and it appears that Liam has a thing for girls with dark hair. I don't know if it's that his sister, momma, aunt, and grandmothers all are blondes, so he likes the contrast, but he will flirt like crazy with a dark-haired girl. He loves McKenna (our close friends' little girl) who has really dark hair!
- Today as I was getting Liam ready for his nap, he started talking about Baby Stella. He asked where she was and I told him she was in my belly. I asked him if he wanted to hold her when she got here and he said yes. I then talked to him about how we'd have to be gentle with her when she got here because she would be so little. I talked about how we'd have to be quiet sometimes if she was trying to take a nap, and then I went on to say that sometimes Momma would have to feed Stella. "Snack," said Liam. "Yes, Stella might need some snacks sometimes. Momma will have to feed her a snack." "Stella eat Bar." "Yes, sure, Liam. Maybe Stella can have a bar some day when she gets here." (Bar means cereal bar...one of Liam's favorite things to eat). "Liam have a bar, too," he said. "Yes, Liam, you can have a bar too when Stella gets here!" Sweet boy. His world is going to be rocked. I think he will love Baby Stella, but I pray his adjustment goes easier than I am anticipating. Either way, it will be good for him to adjust to having someone else in the picture (besides Nora).
Those are just a few of the things that I am chronicling about Liam right now. He makes us laugh daily, and is just so darn cute. We love him bigger than space and are crazy about him.....chaos and all!
- Liam fell into the pool the other night. We were at Paul and Joyce's house (grandparents) for Mother's Day, and Liam and his Geegaw were hanging out by the pool doing man things while Amy, Joyce, and I prepared dinner. Suddenly we could hear Liam screaming hysterically, and Jonathan casually walked over to the back deck, looked down over the pool, and said, "He fell in. Don't worry, Geegaw got him. He's already out, but he fell in." My reactions: I laughed. Now, if I had been downstairs and witness to the entire unfolding event, or if I had been the one responsible for pulling his big little body out of the water, I probably would have had a panic attack and would be scarred for life having nightmares with my son's life flashing before my eyes. Thankfully, however, I didn't hear about the event until he was rescued, and as my mother-in-law so wisely said, "It had to happen." Liam LOVES to throw things in the pool. His tennis ball, his Spider Man ball, Nora's Nemo kick board. And he thinks he is big enough to bend down and retrieve these things without help even though we constantly tell him to back away from the pool, that it isn't safe. So, this time, it was the Nemo kickboard he was after, and he went in head first. Thankfully, Geegaw was right beside him and rescued him within a matter of seconds. So, I hope the child has learned his lesson. I doubt he has, but I can hope.
- Speaking of Liam and things water-related. Liam also likes to play with the toilet. He likes to flush the toilet. He likes to flush toys down the toilet. He likes to dip toothbrushes in the toilet and then suck the water out of them. Yes. It is disgusting. I cannot tell you how many toothbrushes we have thrown away, and I can't tell you how many times we have corrected this boy for doing such behavior. The lightbulb still hasn't gone off in his head, people!
- Liam is talking SO much these days. He speaks in full sentences sometimes, and he is really good at articulating what he wants when he wants to. There are times, however, that he will be repeating something and I have NO idea what he is saying. I have noticed lately that Liam is turning one syllable words into two syllables. Now, I know we leave in East TN, but I am from New Orleans, his Daddy is from Mississippi, but we don't have a very thick Southern drawl. Nora speaks mostly like we do, with maybe a few Southern drawl dynamics to her speech, but Liam is hilarious! He sounds like a little country boy. "Tha-yat", "Dow-un", " "Thi-yus", and so on. It's so funny to hear him, and I just know my parents are going to give us a hard time about this!
Some other funny things he says include:
- He refers to himself as "Miam Piam"
-"Miam do it."
-"Where" is pronounced as "Wur" (like fur)
-His favorite expression to date that he says almost all day long: "Mommy shooed you." (He wants Momma to hold him all the time. Not an easy task).
-Some of Liam's favorites these days are Thomas the Train (he got his first figure-8 set for his birthday), Legos, and building blocks. He still doesn't watch much television (which is totally fine with me), but I can manage to get him to sit still for a few minutes if Yo Gabba Gabba is on, or if it's the Backyardigans or Little Einsteins. He likes Elmo and Mickey Mouse, but he just doesn't care about it long enough to sit still to watch.
- I love riding in the car with the kids because we have created some games to play along the way. We always look for Jeeps! Everyone of us LOVES Jeeps, and so when we spy one, we call out "JEEP!" Liam always looks for tractors and dozers, and he is rarely disappointed when we are out and about and finds them often. I find myself looking for these things even when I am driving by myself!
- Liam and Nora still have a love-hate relationship. They argue a good bit, struggling over sharing and over Momma's attention, but they definitely have more and more moments where they play really well together. I pray that as Stella gets here that they will cling to each other more and more. Having a sibling so close is such a blessing, and I pray that they realize the gift they are to each other. However, Liam is quite the instigator when it comes to getting on Nora's nerves. He certainly knows which buttons to push, and when one of Nora's baby dolls or toys is missing, often if I ask Liam if he knows where it is, he will say, "Uh huh," and then walk right up to wherever he has hidden it. (The rascal). Just this weekend, Jonathan witnessed Liam take Nora's little Rapunzel doll, walk up to Nora, wave the doll in her face as if saying, "Nanny nanny boo boo...look what I've got" and then he ran off in the opposite direction. Naturally, Nora started crying and the rest is predictable, but isn't he such a mess!? I mean, no one taught him that! He just knows how to be a pesky little brother!
- Our boy can be quite the ladies man if he wants to be, and it appears that Liam has a thing for girls with dark hair. I don't know if it's that his sister, momma, aunt, and grandmothers all are blondes, so he likes the contrast, but he will flirt like crazy with a dark-haired girl. He loves McKenna (our close friends' little girl) who has really dark hair!
- Today as I was getting Liam ready for his nap, he started talking about Baby Stella. He asked where she was and I told him she was in my belly. I asked him if he wanted to hold her when she got here and he said yes. I then talked to him about how we'd have to be gentle with her when she got here because she would be so little. I talked about how we'd have to be quiet sometimes if she was trying to take a nap, and then I went on to say that sometimes Momma would have to feed Stella. "Snack," said Liam. "Yes, Stella might need some snacks sometimes. Momma will have to feed her a snack." "Stella eat Bar." "Yes, sure, Liam. Maybe Stella can have a bar some day when she gets here." (Bar means cereal bar...one of Liam's favorite things to eat). "Liam have a bar, too," he said. "Yes, Liam, you can have a bar too when Stella gets here!" Sweet boy. His world is going to be rocked. I think he will love Baby Stella, but I pray his adjustment goes easier than I am anticipating. Either way, it will be good for him to adjust to having someone else in the picture (besides Nora).
Those are just a few of the things that I am chronicling about Liam right now. He makes us laugh daily, and is just so darn cute. We love him bigger than space and are crazy about him.....chaos and all!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Happy Birthday, Liam Piper!
Guess who is officially TWO!?
Isn't that crazy!? It seems like only yesterday....
I'll stop myself.
Don't judge! This kid is ALL boy! He just happens to have a very girly older sister!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sick Kiddos and Pregnancy Update: 34 Weeks
Wow, we've had a rough couple of days. Our weekend was AMAZING, but just as we were going to bed on Sunday evening I discovered that Liam had a fever. He had a bit of a rough night that night, but we had a full day planned so I decided to just wait it out to see how things progressed. We spent the morning at home and Liam ended up taking a morning nap because he was so miserable. When he woke up, we headed to Granna and Geegaw's because I had a dr. appt. yesterday afternoon. We ate lunch, and I headed out to check on Stella Marie.
As of yesterday I was 33 weeks, 6 days. We did an ultrasound and found out that Stella has been a VERY GOOD GIRL. She is no longer breech! Praise the LORD! She is head down, and the doctor said that she will most likely remain in that position since she is getting bigger and bigger and mores squished in my tummy. I am so thankful that she flipped. I know a c-section is not terrible, but I have enjoyed my past two deliveries and would love to have a similar experience, if possible. Not to mention, c-sections are more expensive and from what I hear, more difficult to recover from.
Stella's heart rate was 134 beats per minute, and according to her measurements she currently weighs about 4 lbs., 13 oz. She is in the 35th percentile for size, so Dr. Y said she will most likely be closer in size to what Nora was. Nora was 6 lbs., 14 oz., and Liam was a sneeze away from 8 lbs. (7 lbs., 15 oz.). It was great to see her again, and she definitely has the trademark nose, chubby cheeks, and big lips! Can't WAIT to see that baby girl! I go every week now for an appointment...isn't that crazy!? Time is flying!
After my appointment, my mother-in-law told me to go home and take a nap before going back to her house to pick my kids up. (Isn't that so sweet!?) I came home and took an hour and a half nap, and then I went to join up with kids. In fact, Amy and Andrew joined us all for supper together which was a wonderful treat!
Anyway, back to the kids and sickness. Liam's fever progressed as the evening went on, and Nora's cough (which she's had for a while) seemed to be picking up. Last night, she coughed almost the entire night. Seriously, I felt so bad for her because she coughed for hours straight. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning she was able to konk out, and when she woke up she had a low grade fever. Liam, on the other hand, was on fire! I called the doctor and decided to have both of them looked at just to be safe. We went this morning, and Liam had the beginnings of an infection and stuff in his lungs so he was placed on a prescription. The doctor said Nora had no infection but was just having a seasonal cough--which is what I anticipated. However, as the day went on, Nora's cough got worse and her fever escalated. She coughed so much during her nap that she started spitting up and couldn't go to sleep. She and I relaxed in my bed for about a hour, and by the time Jonathan got home her temperature was up to 101.
Needless to say, I don't really know what they've got, but I kind of suspect it may be some kind of virus or upper respiratory infection. I hate when they get sick, but I am so thankful for them both. Liam was so out of it at one point that he actually laid on the sofa for an entire episode of Little Einsteins. I cannot tell you if that has ever happened before! He does not sit still in front of the TV. After a round of ibuprofen, they both started feeling a bit better, so we decided to put together Stella's crib. Nora was SO excited that the room is finally starting to get set up for the both of them! Once I get more stuff organized, I'll take some pictures of what the room looks like. I SO have SO much to do in the next 5 weeks or so. However, Operation Prepare for Stella is underway!
That's life in the Bradshaw house today! We are praying for a better night tonight, and for a quick recovery and healing for my babies. Also, I DESPERATELY need grace from God---minute by minute---to have energy, rest, patience, endurance, and joy to care for them. Surely we know, sickness is not always fun or pretty. But, God is faithful to provide a way for me!
As of yesterday I was 33 weeks, 6 days. We did an ultrasound and found out that Stella has been a VERY GOOD GIRL. She is no longer breech! Praise the LORD! She is head down, and the doctor said that she will most likely remain in that position since she is getting bigger and bigger and mores squished in my tummy. I am so thankful that she flipped. I know a c-section is not terrible, but I have enjoyed my past two deliveries and would love to have a similar experience, if possible. Not to mention, c-sections are more expensive and from what I hear, more difficult to recover from.
Stella's heart rate was 134 beats per minute, and according to her measurements she currently weighs about 4 lbs., 13 oz. She is in the 35th percentile for size, so Dr. Y said she will most likely be closer in size to what Nora was. Nora was 6 lbs., 14 oz., and Liam was a sneeze away from 8 lbs. (7 lbs., 15 oz.). It was great to see her again, and she definitely has the trademark nose, chubby cheeks, and big lips! Can't WAIT to see that baby girl! I go every week now for an appointment...isn't that crazy!? Time is flying!
After my appointment, my mother-in-law told me to go home and take a nap before going back to her house to pick my kids up. (Isn't that so sweet!?) I came home and took an hour and a half nap, and then I went to join up with kids. In fact, Amy and Andrew joined us all for supper together which was a wonderful treat!
Anyway, back to the kids and sickness. Liam's fever progressed as the evening went on, and Nora's cough (which she's had for a while) seemed to be picking up. Last night, she coughed almost the entire night. Seriously, I felt so bad for her because she coughed for hours straight. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning she was able to konk out, and when she woke up she had a low grade fever. Liam, on the other hand, was on fire! I called the doctor and decided to have both of them looked at just to be safe. We went this morning, and Liam had the beginnings of an infection and stuff in his lungs so he was placed on a prescription. The doctor said Nora had no infection but was just having a seasonal cough--which is what I anticipated. However, as the day went on, Nora's cough got worse and her fever escalated. She coughed so much during her nap that she started spitting up and couldn't go to sleep. She and I relaxed in my bed for about a hour, and by the time Jonathan got home her temperature was up to 101.
Needless to say, I don't really know what they've got, but I kind of suspect it may be some kind of virus or upper respiratory infection. I hate when they get sick, but I am so thankful for them both. Liam was so out of it at one point that he actually laid on the sofa for an entire episode of Little Einsteins. I cannot tell you if that has ever happened before! He does not sit still in front of the TV. After a round of ibuprofen, they both started feeling a bit better, so we decided to put together Stella's crib. Nora was SO excited that the room is finally starting to get set up for the both of them! Once I get more stuff organized, I'll take some pictures of what the room looks like. I SO have SO much to do in the next 5 weeks or so. However, Operation Prepare for Stella is underway!
That's life in the Bradshaw house today! We are praying for a better night tonight, and for a quick recovery and healing for my babies. Also, I DESPERATELY need grace from God---minute by minute---to have energy, rest, patience, endurance, and joy to care for them. Surely we know, sickness is not always fun or pretty. But, God is faithful to provide a way for me!
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