Photos Photos Photos

I have a big photo update coming your way from our trip to Zoo Blooms and the Butterfly Show at Franklin Conservatory these past few weekends, but Gavin is starting to stir in his crib and I'm on limited time here, so for right now, I just want to share some pictures from Gavin's spring photos with Jennifer Rose Photography and Baylor's pseudo-successful 3D/4D ultrasound:

We are really happy with how they turned out, especially because they are from a mini-session and you never really know if you'll get any good shots in such a short period of time.  Of course, my favorites are the ones where Gavin is smiling (since I think his smile is the cutest thing in the whole world) -- but I really think each of them captures his personality at this stage.  He's constantly on the move, constantly needing to be wrangled, and full of expression and joy.  He's my little heartbreaker.  :)

And now for Little Miss Baby's close-up:

As I mentioned, this one picture took THREE ATTEMPTS.  Baylor seems most comfortable when she has her hands in her face -- Gavin was the same way -- so a good, clear 3D/4D shot was hard to come by.  In fact, we were so sure we wouldn't get any pictures this time that Stephen didn't even come with me yesterday, but thankfully, the tech was able to score a cute picture of our princess with her arm only partially blocking her face.  I love it, because we actually have a really similar shot from Gavin's 3D/4D ultrasound at 30 weeks:

Stephen thinks Baylor has puffier cheeks than Gavin (which I can't even fathom, since Gavin's cheeks look perpetually stuffed with marshmallows), but otherwise, we're thinking they look adorably similar.  I'm so excited to meet her and see Gavin in his role of big brother.

Also, I may or may not have bought this outfit for Baylor last night (in anticipation of another disappointing ultrasound), prompting Stephen to say that he may or may not ever let me out of the house to "run errands" again, haha:

Okay, that's a KOALA holding a CAMERA.  Have you ever seen a more perfect outfit for the daughter of someone obsessed with both Australia and photography?  I mean, COME ON!  Little Miss has way too many clothes -- we knew this would happen, despite our claims that we learned our lesson from Gavin, blah blah blah -- but if Stephen can buy fifteen Bengals outfits for our son, I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to buy this little cutie for OUR little cutie.  (Quite frankly, I'm shocked Stephen isn't IMPRESSED that I didn't buy the whole koala collection from Gymboree!)

That's all for now.  Bobby and Stephen are finishing the crib tonight, and then I get so start decorating the nursery, so stay tuned for lots of photos from both our recent and upcoming adventures!  This time of year is so fun.

30 Weeks

Earlier this week I wrote about the emotional pain of losing our family puppy -- but unfortunately, I have been dealing with some physical pain this week as well.

Yes, I have finally reached the point in my pregnancy where I can stop bragging about how wonderfully easy this whole experience has been for me.  Suddenly, I am finding it difficult to work at my normal pace.  Suddenly, I'm waddling everywhere instead of walking.  Suddenly, even turning over in bed is a big production.

It's rough.  And because my pregnancy has been so uncomplicated so far, I had forgotten about a lot of these common discomforts.  It's annoying enough to be up every two to three hours peeing in the middle of the night (especially knowing that these are truly my last few weeks of "uninterrupted" sleep) -- but to also fight the constant aches and pains of late pregnancy?  Blech.  In all honesty, I'm probably just to the point where I need to take it a little easier on myself -- I've carried Gavin around far longer than my OB recommended and I'm usually spending free time running errands, doing household chores, or working out -- so it's probably just time to kick my feet up a bit.  But with an active toddler, how realistic is that, really?  Stephen is working full-time and taking classes.  I'm working four days a week.  Somewhere within this alleged "free time," appointments need to be scheduled, bills need to be paid, Gavin needs to run around, meals need to be cooked.  I just don't see how I can afford to slow down now.

Anyway, I've been told a few times that my belly has really, really popped this week -- but I don't think I look much bigger than I did at 25 weeks.  With Gavin, I remember the huge changes happening between 30 and 40 weeks, when the baby gains all its fat, so I'm assuming these next ten weeks will cause the buttons on my maternity clothes to pull even further!

We had attempt #2 at a 3D/4D ultrasound last week, and it was another big failure.  Baylor is already head-down and spine-up, which I've been told is "just perfect for labor and delivery" -- though, with ten weeks to go, I don't need her to be just perfect quite yet!  As a consolation prize for another failed attempt at seeing our little girl, the tech decided to take her measurements and tell us how much she's currently weighing.  3 lb 6 oz, at 29 weeks.  Gavin measured 3 pounds exactly at 30 weeks, and ended up being 8 lb 10 oz -- so needless to say, I'm now picturing giving birth to a 12 pound baby girl in a few weeks.  In addition, TWO different doctors have now told me they won't let me go past 39 or 40 weeks with Baylor (whereas with Gavin, I had to beg to be induced once I passed the 41 week mark).  I feel like there's something I'm not being told here, haha!  The important thing, as always, is that she's happy and healthy in there -- and though I'm uncomfortable and in a substantial amount of pain, I am also healthy where it counts.

I can't believe how close we're getting to being parents of two...!

All dogs go to Heaven -- but especially Wilson.

On Monday morning, we said goodbye to our family dog, Wilson.  Last May, he was diagnosed with a tumor in his spleen.  Eleven months later -- eleven great months filled with so many family memories -- Wilson's spleen ruptured and he suffered an internal bleed his poor little body couldn't recover from.  My dad was with him when he collapsed at home and immediately rushed him to the vet, and my mom, Gavin, and I were able to spend time with him and say goodbye before we had to let him go.  It's somewhat comforting that he was surrounded with so much love in his final moments, and I know my parents held him and told him what a good puppy he was as he drifted off to sleep.

I'm crying as I write this, even four days later.  He was honestly that good a puppy.  Truly the best.

Wilson was everybody's favorite dog.  It wasn't just that he was adorable -- though he certainly was -- but more than that, he just had the sweetest personality.  He always wanted to hold hands and cuddle, and he was amazing with Gavin.  Stephen and I did our best to teach Gavin how to be gentle with animals, but he's a toddler, and sometimes his petting would get a bit...zealous, shall we say?  Wilson never seemed to mind.  Wilson was Gavin's little guardian puppy, and I'd like to think that he still is.  I hope it meant something to Wilson to see Gavin one last time and have Gavin's little toddler hands pat pat pat on his back.  It meant something to me.

My parents are amazing pet owners, and this loss has hit them very hard.  Wilson was the way Wilson was because my parents took such incredible care of him.  His demeanor was so gentle because he was given so much love and attention from the very beginning.  But there was something innately special about Wilson too -- something that set him apart from all of the other dogs our family has had over the decades.  It's something that will never be duplicated, and something that leaves us all with a hole in our hearts in his absence.

We love you so much, sweet puppy.  From the time you joined our family until the time you left us, you were as loved as any puppy could ever be.  We miss you terribly already and will always remember how much you brought to our lives in the short eight years you were here.

Joanna's Visit to Cincinnati

One of my best friends from college, Jo, came to visit us this weekend!  I hadn't seen her in nearly three years -- though it wasn't for lack of trying -- so she hadn't even had a chance to meet Gavin yet.  Needless to say, I was really excited to see her, especially amidst all the changes in both of our lives recently!  I've been pretty nostalgic for my IU friends lately, especially those I sang with in Ladies First, so this visit was just what the doctor ordered.

On Saturday, we ate good food (sushi followed by Orange Leaf yummm), saw a GREAT show at Playhouse in the Park, and spent lots of time playing with Stephen and Gavin.  Today, we made an attempt to see the Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory -- but after driving all the way to Eden Park and shelling out $3 per person, we realized that the Butterfly Show doesn't start until April 20.  So...we took some pictures, walked around, and grabbed a quick lunch at Don Pablo's before sending Jo on her way back to Chicago.  It was a whirlwind for sure, and never enough time, but it was so nice to see her and catch up.

Hopefully we'll have a chance to get out to Chicago soon(ish) to see her -- we've tried before, but every single time we seem to be foiled by illness or bad timing -- but until then, we were thrilled to get to share our little world here with Jo.  Here are some photos from our quick adventure!

In quick Baylor news, we were supposed to have a 3D/4D ultrasound on Saturday morning, but our little girl is clearly as stubborn as her big brother.  Gavin always had his hands in front of his face for ultrasounds, or his legs crossed (in the case of our gender scan) -- and sure enough, Baylor was positioned spine-up, with her arms smack dab in front of her face.  We couldn't see ANYTHING.  It was disappointing for sure, but we get to go back next week and try again.  Hopefully she'll be more cooperative!

Splinters

Horror of horrors -- today, I found a splinter in Gavin's pinky finger.  A pretty large one at that.  We've been playing hard at the park these past few days, so it wasn't a HUGE surprise, but it certainly wasn't something I enjoyed seeing.  Gavin got a splinter in his foot when he was six months old, and -- I kid you not -- I called my brother (the surgeon) to remove it.  Don't get me wrong, I can deal with a lot of things.  I'm usually the one forced to restrain Gavin when he's getting shots or having his ears checked at the pediatrician.  I'm usually the one covered in vomit and/or other bodily fluids when Gavin is sick.  I'm usually the one armed with Q-tips, medications, and other forms of toddler torture should sickness or injury occur.

But splinters...  Splinters I don't do.  Something about digging into my child's skin is just too difficult for me as a mother.

So today, as I stared at this splinter in Gavin's pinky, I was faced with a dilemma.  My brothers have both moved, so calling them wasn't an option.  It seemed unreasonable to call the pediatrician (and pay a $20 copay) for her to remove it.  Which left me with...my dad.

My dad is a fantastic doctor.  He's an even better dad, and beyond that, an even more incredible grandpa.  That being said, he really fears Gavin associating him with any sort of pain.  (I think I probably scarred him from all the nasty things I yelled while he chased me around with flu shots when I was little.  I'll be real -- I didn't make it easy on him.)  When Gavin tugs at his ears, my dad won't even take a peek inside for fear that Gavin will associate him with his fear of doctors.  I get it, I totally do.  But the splinter had to come out, and Dad was the only one for the job.  So as I headed to work, leaving Gavin to eat lunch with my parents, I asked my mom to kindly persuade my dad to save my child's hand.

An hour later, I received this text from my mom:
"Splinter out.  Both cried.  Both comforting each other.  Both very brave."

(I'd like to take this moment to also thank my mom for her role in the splinter removal.  While Dad manned the tweezers, my mom restrained a crying, screaming toddler.  Not an easy feat...nor a fun one.)

Ten minutes later, I received this picture:

See, Dad?  Gavin is a lot of things, but he's not a grudge-holder.  There's nothing that can't be fixed by a good book and some cuddles from Grandpa.  In the end, Gavin's hand was saved, and grandpa and grandson were able to read their pre-nap stories in peace.

(For the record, when I picked Gavin up later that day, the first thing he did was hold out his little bandaged finger for me to kiss.  The kid loves sympathy when he's been through an ordeal.  He is his mommy's child, haha!)

Spring has Sprung!

FINALLY -- some beautiful weather here in Maineville!  We've taken every opportunity to bring our family fun to the great outdoors this week, whether by hiking around Landen Lake or spending the evening at our neighborhood park.  Here are some photos of our little boy enjoying the new season:

And after an evening spent rolling around in gravel, what's better than a BUBBLE BATH?

 

This week, we had some new neighbors move in next door, and they have two little girls (one of whom is only six months older than Gavin).  Our neighborhood is literally bursting with friends to keep Gavin entertained and active!  Our house might feel small -- (smaller by the second) -- but we really couldn't ask for a better neighborhood to raise our babies in!

HAPPY SPRING!