32 weeks---only 7 more to go!

I will be 32 weeks along with this sweet baby on Thursday!  I can't believe it!  In some ways it has taken forever, but in some ways it seems to be going by fast!  I knew time would fly as soon as the anticipation of Christmas was over, now the little milestones to get through are New Year's Eve/Day, Super Bowl, and Valentine's Day!  I see the doctor on Thursday morning, and Kris and I have planned a date for Thursday afternoon/evening.  Part of our "date" is looking for a vehicle.  We sold our Honda Element (I miss it so much!) because it only seats 4 with seatbelts, and we need 5 full time seatbelts, not to mention the extra kids that we drive to/from school and church stuff sometimes.  I would really {heart} a nice used Honda Odyssey, but I am not sure if we are going to be find one we can afford.  We are looking for something with lower miles, 6 or more seatbelts, and a low payment...seems impossible, but I think it will be ok!  We will find something!  After our car searching, we're planning on having dinner at my very most favorite place to go to dinner in all of the world---Olive Garden!  Yay!  I would like to go to a couple of stores to look for some pj's for the hospital (mine are all so old and raggedy!) and get a couple more little things for the diaper bag.  We might see a movie, not really sure yet, but we're just planning on enjoying being together---alone (except for the kiddo I can't escape!)  I cannot wait!  It's been such a long time since we've gone on a date.  We need this time together, it's just so important.  I'm hoping it will be a little refresher that I need to get me through the rest of this pregnancy!

The kids have been enjoying plenty of movies on this Christmas break.  It's not been nice enough for them to play outside, they both have had runny noses and coughs.   I'm hoping that the next couple of days will be in the 50's and 60's so they can get out and run off some energy!

Christmas Week 2010!

The kiddos had a great Christmas this year!  Here are a few pictures! 

Katie started her Christmas break from school on Christmas Eve-Eve (the 23rd), so we kept busy that day while waiting on Daddy to come home from work with some painting...

And some Legos and wink-practicing...

Then on Christmas Eve we did some more waiting on Daddy to get home and then headed to Jay and Jill's house.  All of the grandkids got to have a special visit with Santa, everyone sat on Santa's lap except Asher, he wasn't about to sit on this stranger's lap who came right in the back door!  We had to settle for a group picture of all of the kids (and precious Louie-Meme's favorite grandchild!) with Santa!

Then on Christmas morning, little dreams of a Felicity Doll and  a Choo-Choo came true!

Sunday we had Christmas with my family, and Katie and Asher both had a good time playing with cousins!

We are so blessed this Christmas!  We're blessed not only because of the material things that you can see in these pictures, but because of the greatest gift that has ever been given-Jesus!  We feel so fortunate to know that his gift meant salvation for us, a chance for an eternity in Heaven!

Merry Christmas!

This mama's prayer.

I have to admit that I have been struggling a lot with anxiety and depression the past couple of weeks on and off. Some days/hours are good, and I feel calm and happy, and others it's all I can do to not just run away and scream or crawl in bed and cry.  It's so hard to admit that I am not just a perfectly chipper mom who always does the right thing. When I was younger, I had visions of what I might be as a mom, and truthfully, I am not that mom yet, but I still desire to be...I want to be full of grace, kindness and wisdom, but most of the time I find myself anxious, grumpy, and speaking/yelling too quickly. My mom had those same problems when she was a young mother, but now she says that if she could go back, she would just relax, and not worry about everything so much.  She says that now she realizes that time goes by so fast, and she feels like maybe she shouldn't have sweated the small stuff.  I want so much to learn from that, but I still struggle...I just struggle.  I know that I need to be IN THE WORD...every single day, and PRAYING every single day, but I just make excuses.

Lord, I just want to pray right here and now for YOUR grace, wisdom, patience, and goodness to permeate my very heart, my soul, everything that I am.  Lord, I just want to be filled with your love for my children, my husband, my family, and even for strangers.  Please free me from the bondages of sin, anger, anxiety, and depression.  You know me inside and out Lord, you know my comings and goings, every move I make, every thought I have, and you hear every word that comes out of my mouth.  Lord, please forgive me and cleanse me, help me recommit my life to you today, Lord, right now.  I want to be all that you want me to be, as a mother, daughter, wife, and friend.  Lord, I say yes to you today.  In your precious name I pray, Amen.

30 weeks along...only 9 weeks to go!

We made it to 30 weeks!  I had my clinic appointment yesterday, and three blessings happened--I passed my glucose test, and my blood pressure was perfect--126/76, and our sweet baby's heartbeat was perfect!  Those are just huge blessings for all of us!  I talked to nurse about scheduling the c-section, and she said we would schedule it at my 36 week appointment, and it would most likely be scheduled for Thursday, February 17th!  We're so excited to meet our little 5th Alexander...we just cannot wait!  Unless my blood pressure goes back up, we will most likely not have another sonogram, so it looks like we won't know *for sure* that we have a girl in there until the birth...it might be kind of exciting!  I have been sorting baby clothes for both, and did little pink and blue laundry, so we will see!  I just feel so blessed that things are going ok...I was so worried there for a while, but God is so faithful!

We have been keeping pretty busy with Christmas stuff.  It seems like we just have a ton of church activities right now...I'm having trouble keeping up with everything!  I think the thing  I am most looking forward to this Christmas is Christmas Day, just hanging out here at home, just the 4 (5!) of us, in our PJ's for the day.  I told Kris that I just want to sit on the floor and play with toys with the kids, and not worry about laundry, dishes, or cleaning...I just want to savor the time with Katie on one of her probably last "toy" Christmas's, and listen to both of them talk and laugh and play.  Lord, please just help me relax in you for the day...just help me to stop and breathe and play this Christmas...please help me recognize these beautiful gifts are from YOU, because of YOU, and for YOU!

Asherisms...

Asher and Kris were just eating leftover pizza for lunch, and Asher kept asking for "or ee-huh," "more pizza".  It made me think of all of the cute things he says, the way he pronouces things, and I wanted to write a few of them down so I don't forget them someday.  He pronouces ice cream, "i-heam", which is funny, because I remember Katie saying "hi-ki" for ice cream.  He says, "ding-ding" for thank you...have no idea where that came from, but it sure is adorable, and he says it A LOT--he is very courteous! He has started saying "all aboard" when he's playing trains or lining up dining room chairs for a train...he says it pretty clearly though!  He loves trains!  Santa "might" be bringing him THIS for Christmas, and I can't wait to see the look on his face! He seems to be getting more to the "terrible two's" stage, and is into dumping toys, just to hear the crashing sound and see my frazzled reaction!  Being 7 months pregnant and chasing a big toddler aren't mixing too well, but we're making it...a day at a time.  I'm so thankful for this little two and a half year old blessing...he really is amazing and wonderful...even on his difficult days!  I love you little Asher Pea!

28 Weeks and Christmastime!

We're 28 weeks along this week!  We have about 10 weeks until we get to hold our new baby in our arms!  I go to the clinic tomorrow morning, hoping to have good blood pressure and a good blood sugar test.  I have eaten WAY too much during the last week with Thanksgiving and pre-tasting Christmas Reese's Bells, so I'm hoping all of those turn out ok.  I am feeling the baby move so much.  Today I could feel BIG kicks in my ribs and tiny fingers wiggling down low in my belly at the same time...so amazing!  Kris and I STILL cannot believe we've been blessed to have another baby.  It's more than we ever imagined!

We're getting ready for Christmas around here.  We have the tree and inside decorations up, Asher loved putting the Christmas tree up this year.  There are about 15 ornaments hanging on one bottom branch of our tree that he decorated himself, and I just love it (but our tree seriously is leaning a bit on that side!)  I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done.  I did a lot of it online this year, just to avoid too much stress of being in the stores.  I have been wrapping things and putting them under the tree already...so far Ash has only unwrapped one, and it was Katie's---he picked the wrong one! 

I have been working on planning the grocery lists and menus for Christmas food.  So far I'm planning on bringing Jalepeno Popper Spread and Buffalo Chicken Dip to celebrate Christmas Eve with Kris's family, Christmas Morning brunch will be Amish Breakfast Casserole and French Toast Souffle, and we'll probably have munchies and soup throughout Christmas Day.  It will be just the four of us...I'm really looking forward to the whole day of playing with new toys and relaxing!  We're celebrating Christmas with my family on Sunday afternoon, and I'm thinking we'll have even more munchies/snacks/appetizers that day. I'm trying to kind of cut down on all of the candies/goodies I'll be making this year, just to save a little stress and money.  I'm planning on making two kinds of Velveeta Fudge, chocolate and peanut butter (it sounds weird, but is SO good and SO easy!), my Mom's caramels, and maybe cinnamon stained glass candy.  We'll make cut out cookies to leave for Santa too.  I always looked forward to caramels, cinnamon candy, and sugar cookies when I was growing up, I use my mom's recipes for all three of these and I think that makes it kind of special.

Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas this year!

So very thankful!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!  I just feel so very blessed to have Kris, Katie, Asher and this new little one in my life!  I have to admit that today wasn't the easiest parenting day for Kris and I.  Asher was 1/2 cranky and 1/2 ornery, and Katie was 1/4 great and 3/4 sassy all day!  What a day...Kris and I were both so happy for bedtime to come.  BUT...we are both so thankful for the two of them...we know that this is all part of the privilege of being a mom and dad.  With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I just needed to focus this evening on how blessed we are...even on rough days!  We have so much to be thankful for...our kids (all THREE!)...our families...our home...Kris's job. We are so very blessed!

Tomorrow we will be 27 weeks along in our pregnancy!  I can't believe we only have 12 weeks left before we get to hold our new baby...we were talking today about how it still doesn't seem real sometimes.  We are amazed that we get to hold a newborn again...our newborn...it's just awesome!  We can't wait to see how much Katie and Asher will just love her (or him!)  We just can't wait to have our family of five in the recovery room all together!  What a day that will be (12 weeks away---YAY!)

25 weeks today!

We're 25 weeks along today!  I visited the clinic today, and my blood pressure was down to 112/78 so I didn't have to visit the hospital like I thought I might have to.  The first time they took it, it was higher, but it went down just a few minutes later, so they counted the best one of the two on my chart.  I think we're going to make it just fine through this pregnancy...I just need to have faith.  This morning Kris and I prayed together and I prayed and read one of my favorite verses, Zephaniah 3:17.  I tried to just really focus on the meaning  of all of the words in this verse.  It says that The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will quiet you with his love, and he rejoices over you with singing.  I know that I've talked about this before, but can you just imagine our Heavenly father "quieting" us with his love...you know...when your child is crying, you just try and quiet them by holding them in your arms and talking quietly to them...ahh...I love the thought of letting Jesus do that for me!  I also just can imagine him singing a song...about me...to me...sounds pretty selfish, but that's how much our Savior loves us...really He does!  Can you even imagine it...it's hard for me to believe sometimes, but I know it's true!  Anyhoo, we've made it to 25 weeks!  Yay!  If we were having a normal delivery, we would have 15 weeks to wait, but since we're having a scheduled c-section, we only have 13 whole weeks left, and possibly a few days of the next one!  If she delivers us 10 days before the due date, our sweet Valentine will be here on February 14th!  So excited!  I think we have decided on the name, Claire Elise Alexander...Kris and I both just really like it...and if she comes out a boy, he will be Palmer James Alexander...either way, we are so incredibly blessed!

Thankfulness...

I am just so thankful today.  Thankful for my family, thankful for our safe, warm home, thankful for cars that run (most of the time), thankful for Kris's job, thankful for our amazing church, and mostly I'm thankful for my Savior who loves me, unconditionally.  I just feel blessed today.

Trick or Treat!

Our little "Alligator"!

Big Sis and Little Brother!

Our little "Funky Fairy"!

Posing with Daddy on the porch!

We had a fun Halloween this evening!  We took the kids out in our neighborhood, and they really had fun!  Asher learned how to say, "Trick or Treat", and remembered to say "Thank You".  He kept saying, "nice to me" after each house!  I think he thought everyone was so nice to give him "nandy"!  So cute!  Katie was a good big sister, and helped Asher up and down stairs! 

Baby update...we'll be 24 weeks along on Thursday.  Things are going ok.  I've had some problems with my blood pressure going up and down, but at least it's not consistently excessively too high.  I had to visit the doctor's office twice last week to check it. It was a pretty stressful week though, so it's not surprising that it was high. I guess I'll have to keep going weekly to monitor it.  My other labs and tests seem to be ok.  We only have about 15 weeks to go!  We're all getting pretty excited to meet the 5th member of our little family!  I'm feeling ok, pretty tired sometimes, but otherwise doing well.  My belly has finally started to look pregnant, rather than just extra fat!  I'm enjoying feeling the little kicks and wiggles of our sweet little one.

22 Weeks and good news at the doctor's office today!

My blood pressure was much, much better and my lab tests that they took last week were ok!  I feel so incredibly thankful and blessed!  I am really feeling our little one move around these days, I love that feeling...so wonderful!  We're 22 weeks along today, only 17 more to go!  We'll probably have the baby at 39 weeks somewhere around February the 16th-18th!  I still wish we could find out *for sure* that she's a girl!  We're just going to plan on pink and take one baby blue outfit to the hospital *just in case*.  Either way, we are so blessed to have this little one on the way!

We have some fun days coming up!  Tonight we're going to Bryce's last football game of the season in Altamont.  Tomorrow at 8 pm Kris starts vacation!  Saturday is our nephew, Tre's 3rd birthday party, and we're looking forward to using our new firepit a couple times this weekend.  Next week is Neewollah here in Indy!  Monday night Katie and I are going to honor our tradition of attending the Queen Neelah Talent Competition.  Wednesday the food boothes open, Friday is the Kid's parade, and Saturday morning is the Grand parade.  Then, of course, Sunday is our church's Homecoming and Halloween! We're planning to take the kids trick-or-treating around our neighborhood, and then we'll come home and have "Mummy" dogs for dinner!  Love it when we have such a fun filled calendar!

Doctor's visit...

I went to my appointment today, and was able to hear sweet Claire's heartbeat!  Such a beautiful sound!  After my appointment I had to have some additional blood work, to check my thyroid and creatinine level (which measures kidney function) and I am also having a lovely 24 hour urine test. Later this afternoon the nurse called and we got a little bit of bad news, though.  My blood pressure was very high, so the doctor wants to see me every week until we get it under control.  She also wants me to rest as much as I can.  She didn't put me on "bed rest" but she did ask that I take it easy, get help with housework, play with Asher while sitting down, and lay down if I become dizzy. I have had some dizziness and headaches lately, but I didn't think anything of it.  It has felt like normal pregnancy symptoms. I did pass my first 1 hour glucose test, though, so that was good news.  I am praying that through my diet, I can overcome these blood pressure problems.  I just need to be able to provide a safe little home for Claire for at least 18 more weeks.  If you have an extra prayer to spare, I will sure take them...

Our weekend...

Yesterday we headed over to my parent's house to have a work day, and help them catch up with some yard work and house stuff.  Lots of wood cutting, weed chopping, roof patching and fence building got done yesterday!  Then we sat around the fire and roasted some hot dogs and GIANT marshmallows!  It was a good day, and I think Mom and Dad were excited about all 6 grandkids visiting at one time.

I wasn't feeling too good this morning, and was up during the night quite a bit not feeling well, so the kids and I missed church today.   Even though I missed being "at church" there was a certain relaxed feeling and comfort of staying home today with the cloudy weather and little bit of rain this afternoon.   Asher and Katie got in clean PJ's and watched some tv, and played Littlest Pet Shop toys together in the living room floor.  We also caught part of the Chiefs game today, and it was exciting for a little while, but they ended up losing to the Colts.  I got a little bit of housework done including killing 1 zillion ants in our kitchen...yuck...so frustrated with those.  Later this afternoon we drove through Dairy Queen (in our PJ's) and got ice cream and drove through the park to see the animals.  Asher likes the goats and the buffalos the best.  It has just been a really nice day!  I only wish Kris hadn't had to work today...he would have enjoyed it.  This evening we're having Creamy White Chili for dinner, and just going to hang out and wait for Daddy to come home from work.

I see the doctor this week on Thursday morning, can't wait to hear sweet Claire's heartbeat again.  We have been calling her Claire, but we're still working on that middle name.  I am really feeling lots of movement now, and can kind of feel those individual limbs, when she stretches or kicks...I love that...so very much...it's the best feeling.

I think that's all for now. I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Baby Girl Name Possibilities...

Claire Veronica Alexander

Claire Elyse Alexander

Claire Alise Alexander

Claire Naomi Alexander

Avery Claire Alexander

Ava Claire Alexander

Clara Mae Alexander

Myah Claire Alexander

Avory Claire Alexander

Ella Claire Alexander

These are my favorite names so far!  Kris keeps calling her Claire Annette (get it--clarinet?)  Ha!  We can't name her that, although I do know a sweet person named Annette!  :o)

20 weeks-we're half-way to our sweet baby today!

Yay!  We made it to 20 weeks today!  I'm so happy!  I feel so blessed!  I still can't believe it's happening!  I'm feeling the baby move now, just tiny little bumps, but I love it.  I still don't look too pregnant, because I'm such a big girl, but I am wearing mostly maternity clothes now.  I still haven't gained weight, only lost about 3 pounds, but again, with me being overweight already, we're doing ok.  I'm feeling ok, with morning sickness still *pretty much* gone.  I'm just still tired a lot, but I think that has to do with just taking care of Asher and the house.  We've been thinking about names a lot, even though we don't know for sure if it's a girl.  We have Palmer James picked out for a boy, and Claire_______ for a girl.  We need name help!  We love the name Avery Claire, but Kris really truly wanted the first name to be Claire...so we'll see!  Maybe we will just need to look at her face to know for sure.  We're trying to decide whether to pay for another sonogram on our own, maybe a 3-D one, to find out for sure if she's a girl.  The insurance and type of clinic only pays for one unless ordered by the doctor.  Hopefully we will know before we go to the hospital so we'll know what to pack!  We just can't wait.  It's nice, though, that during our waiting time, we have so many holidays and other things to keep us busy!  :o)  We can't wait for our little Valentine!

Tissue Paper Garland

Hi!  I am linking up to Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest! I am always so inspired by everyone's craftiness there!  I have been wanting to try one of the rag garlands or a wreath, but haven't been able to make it out of town to get fabric.  I was trying to think of something I could "try it out" with that might not be so expensive.  I thought about tissue paper, but wasn't sure I would be able to find a "muslin" colored tissue paper.  Then my wheels started turning and I remembered the adorable candy corn tissue paper I had seen at Wal-Mart...lightbulb moment!  So here are the steps:

1. Probably the most time consuming part of this project-Go to Wal-Mart and buy tissue paper 2/$2. I bought two packages.

2.  Unfold the paper and refold so that it fits in your paper cutter, cut 5 inches wide.  You can also cut with scissors of course!

3.  Stack two sections of tissue paper together and sew a straight stitch all the way down the middle of your tissue paper.  You can keep going with the next set of tissue paper so you will have one continuous garland.  I used three bunches.

4.  Cut into the tissue paper about 3/4" wide and almost to the sewn line.  Be sure not to cut your sewn line!

Then do the other side!

 5.  Then start scrunching and gently pull the little fluffies apart!

6.  Hang and enjoy!

The possibilities of this little craft are ENDLESS...you could use pink and blue for baby showers, red and green for Christmas, specific colors for birthday parties, etc!



Just so thankful...

...for all of the blessings in my life!  I just have so many things to thank the Lord for this morning...my little boy who keeps giving me random hugs and squeezes this morning, for my pretty girl who tried so hard to have a better attitude last night and this morning, for our home, for Kris having a good job, for our sweet puppies laying in the sun in the backyard, for groceries in the pantry, for our church family, for this new sweet tiny baby growing inside me...so many things...I am just blessed beyond measure!

Welcome Little Pumpkin!

I'm hosting a baby shower for my friend Emmalee on Sunday.  I put everything together to see what it would look like today...I think it will be so cute!  My friend Charisse is making the cake, and we're having orange sherbert/pineapple juice/7-up punch.  This is their third girl, so instead of a traditional pink theme, I thought it would be fun to have a fall theme, welcoming their newest little pumpkin (she's due in November!)  She will have 3 little girls 4 and under!  You can click each photo to see more detail.  I hope she enjoys everything! 

It's another little mystery and other updates!

We had our sonogram yesterday, and the tech was not 100% sure, but said that if he were betting, he would say our sweet baby is a GIRL!  The important thing we learned is that our baby has all of it's organs and looks normal and healthy!  We feel so incredibly blessed!  Kris and Katie (and me too...honestly) are just a little disappointed that we don't know for sure, but it might be kind of fun to be surprised!  We'll just have to pack things for a little boy or a little girl to take to the hospital unless Dr. S. orders another one, and she likely will before delivery, just to make sure baby is ready for the c-section. 

We're planning to be completely moved from the other house this weekend, and I think I will feel an enormous relief.  I've been moving things back in the Honda, and I know already that we are going to have another garage sale soon!  We have way too much stuff!  We should close on our refinancing this week, too, and we're just feeling so blessed to be able to afford our home again.

We're looking forward to lots of fall fun stuff in October.  Friday night is Homecoming for IHS Bulldogs, and they are undefeated so far, playing Coffeyville!  We think we might try and go to the game.  Katie's school's Fall Fest is next Friday night, and then on Saturday, we're having a work day at Mom and Dad's with a bonfire and hay ride.  Then of course, Neewollah is coming at the end of the month and Halloween!  Asher is going to be an Alligator and Katie is thinking of being "Kris-The Wal-Mart Manager" for Halloween!  We really like visiting our neighbors on Halloween, it's just a fun time.  Lot's to look forward to!

Tomorrow is our sonogram!

Yay!  I am praying that we will be able to see if we're having a boy or a girl, but mostly I just want to see a healthy, growing baby in there!  I am really struggling with not being able to feel the baby move.  I try to feel it, I lay still, sit still, move around, rub my belly, talk to the baby, I've tried everything!  I just have very little feeling in my belly area.  I loved that experience with Katie and Asher, and it will break my heart if I never get to feel this sweet baby move.  Maybe as baby gets bigger, I will feel those sweet feet.

I will be 19 weeks along on Thursday. I feel a lot better, morning sickness seems to be over for the most part (Thank Goodness!).  I just have that full/bloated feeling now, and don't feel like eating too much. 

Katie wants to go to the sonogram with us, but we haven't decided exactly what to do yet.  I would love for her to see her new baby brother or sister, but I am afraid of how she would feel if something wasn't right.  I know I just worry too much!  We'll probably let her go, so it will be all four of us in that little sonogram room anxious to see our new baby!