Our Monday In Pictures

Lillian and her BFF Barney at Chuck E Cheese. She never watches Barney on TV but can't get enough of this ride every time we go to Chuck E Cheese.

this was Shepard's first trip to Chuck E Cheese!

Eli and Colton playing their favorite game

taking care of her baby...she is going to be such a good big sister!

sweeping up after dinner. She is wearing Shaun's socks-such a silly girl!

It was a GREAT Monday!

37 Week Check Up

Had a great check up today with Dr. Struaghn; Whitten is looking great and is quickly running out of room. I have progressed a little more, but not too much. I am now 3 cm and 75% effaced, but anyone who has been pregnant before knows that doesn't mean much. It definitely doesn't promise me that I will go into labor on my own anytime soon. I was scheduled to have Whitten on September 16, but my doctor told me today that I could have him on the 15th if I wanted to and of course I jumped at the chance. Lillian was born on May 15 and I think it would be neat if Whitten was also born on the 15th. Also, my Dad is suppose to go out of town on September 16 so this way he will get to meet his grandson before he has to leave.

Shaun and I are very excited and are so ready to meet our son. He will be here before we know it, and we still have a lot to take care of between now and then. Hopefully I can get some things done while Lillian is at PDO this week. Alli has been on top of me to get my bag packed for the hospital and put the car seat in my car, but I am still pretty sure we won't be seeing Whitten's sweet face for a couple of weeks.

The Things Lillian Says

Lillian has been telling Shaun and I that we have to "tip toe, tip toe" around the house because her Baby Brother is sleeping.

When I go into her room in the mornings or after nap to get her she loves to tell me, "I wake up Mommy"!

Last weekend she had a pen and piece of paper in her hand and walked up to Shaun and told him, "I write a check Daddy".

A couple of weeks ago Lillian and I had gone to church by ourselves while Shaun stayed home and studied for his final exam. As we were leaving church together Lillian looked up at me and said, "Mama, I stubborn". The police officer working the cross walk almost fell over laughing. What can I say, she is very stubborn.

Our dog Moxie went to live at a new home probably three moths ago. A full month had gone by without Lillian asking one word about the dog, and then out of no where she started asking about her constantly. Even though Shaun tells her that Moxie lives with a new family, Lillian insists that Moxie is getting a bath and having her hair "scrub, scrubbed". 

Lillian LOVES to call Shaun at work and talk to him. She will go on and on about playing with her friends and she especially loves to call to tell him that she hasn't napped that day. She will say, "No nap Daddy, I play my friends".

This past Tuesday Lillian had a bad day at Parent's Day Out. When Shaun got home that night he asked her what happened at school that day. She said, "I cried Daddy". When Shaun asked her why she cried Lillian told him, "I miss my family". It goes without saying that I did not send her to PDO that Thursday. We will start fresh next week.

My Letter To Whitten

To My Beautiful Boy,


In three weeks, or less, we will be kissing you precious face, marveling over your tiny hands and feet, and arguing over who you look like. My heart is so anxious to meet you, to know you, to hold you and to see what God has in store for your sweet little life. Your Daddy and I have prayed for you and your safe delivery long before we even found out we were pregnant. We prayed for a child that we were not sure the Lord would grant us-but how grateful we are that He has specifically created you to be our son and Lillian's little brother.

Whitten, I hope you know that the second we found out we were expecting you your Daddy and I both felt complete. Our family felt complete in that one moment, and then finding out that we were going to be having a son made that feeling even more intense. For months I have dreamt about the little boy you will be. Thought about the man I hope you one day become. And prayed that in every aspect of life that you will seek God's face and His perfect will that He has thoughtfully laid out for you.

Your Daddy is an amazing man, and I know that he is nothing short of the role model that you will need and deserve growing up. He will teach you what it means to be a Godly man, an honest and loving person, and he will ALWAYS be there for you whenever you might need him. Be sure to watch him closely as you grow up Whitten. Listen to him when he prays for you and for our family-it will be those moments that he is teaching you to pray. Take note of how he treats and speaks to me and to your sister. Respect him as the head of our family, and for his willingness to take on the role as the solo provider for our family. It is heavy burden that he bares with grace and pride. Be patient with him when he tries to explain everything to you in away that probably will not make sense until your twenty-five. Do not get mad at him when he doesn't want to get you a dog; he is not a good pet owner. Most importantly take every math homework question straight to him...he is a brilliant man.

Whitten, as you and Lillian grow up please try to value each other and the relationship that you will have. It will take years for both of you to figure it out, but having a brother or sister is an amazing gift and probably one of the best things your Daddy and I will ever give you. Both you and Lillian have a responsibility to one another; a responsibility that will only become more important as you both grow up. Your jobs are to support each other. Encourage one another. Watch out for one another. Respect each other. You should not tear each other down, but try each day to build one another up both emotionally and spiritually. Hold one another accountable for his and her actions. Take the blame for each other every once in a while. Tell secrets to each other. Fight and make up. I promise you, one day Lillian will be there for you in a way that no one else can. She might even set you up on that first date with your wife; that is how your Daddy and I ended up together.

As for me, your very proud Mommy, you and Lillian are my deepest treasures. For as long as I can remember I have wanted nothing more than to be a Mother, and I am forever grateful to you and Lillian for giving me that opportunity. I love you more than you will ever know Whitten and cannot wait to hold you. Please feel free to come whenever you are ready, even if that is a little early (hint, hint)! Thank you for completing our family.

Love,
Mommy

McWane Fun

Today we went to the McWane center and had a great time! The last few times that we have been it has been packed because school was out for the summer, and the crowds were just too much for my little one to handle. Today we got there at 10:00 and literally there was NO one there but a few other stay @ home mommies. It was McWane center heaven! I literally had to drag Lillian away when it was time to leave. At one point I though that chasing Lillian around all three floors of McWane was going to send me into labor, but I couldn't be so lucky.

Lillian LOVES her friends

Eli was done holding hands...Lillian was not.

Colton decided the Potato Head's arm worked better coming out of his face.

waiting for Eli to come down the slide.

36 Week Check Up

Today I had my 36 week check up and was happy to find out that I am "progressing". I am 2 1/2 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced (sorry Mark and Johnny). Whitten still has not dropped yet, which was no surprise to me. He is definitely running out of room in there and I am running out of comfortable positions to sleep in. We scheduled my induction for Thursday September 16! So unless he decides to have some mercy on his poor Mommy and come a little bit earlier we will be meeting our son three weeks from this Thursday!

Hospital Tour

Tonight we had our Big Brother/ Big Sister hospital tour. I cannot tell you how EXCITED I was to take Lillian on this tour. I don't know why I got so giddy about it, but I could not wait for Lillian to see where we would be having her baby brother in just a few short weeks. Lillian loved the tour-especially the cookies at the end. However she was a little disappointed that we left without Whitten. She told us later at dinner that she needed to go to the doctor to have her baby taken out of her tummy. I am so excited to have Whitten, to hold him and kiss his sweet face. My heart melts when I think about Shaun holding our son and how surreal it will be to be a family of four! But most of all I cannot wait to see Lillian with Whitten, and watch as their relationship grows over the years.

Lillian was obsessed with her Publix ballon and kept trying to blow it up.

Lillian and Mommy

Big Sister/ Little Brother Shirts

This past Sunday night I woke up with contractions around 2:00 a.m and even though they were 15-20 minutes apart they were all in my back, so I felt like there was never any relief even when the contraction was over. They lasted until 5:00 a.m so I didn't get much sleep to say the least. I had back labor with Lillian because of the way she was facing, and I am assuming that Whitten must be positioned the same way. Anyway, the whole point of this story is that all I could think about during all of this-other than I should wake Shaun up to suffer through this with me- was that I had not had Lillian's and Whitten's Big Sister/ Little Brother shirts made yet! So Monday morning the first thing  I did was go straight to the store and drop off Lillian's shirt and Whitten's onsie to get monogrammed. While I was there I also went ahead and had another little hat monogrammed and a sweet gown. I was very excited when they called me today and told me that everything was ready. I ran right over and picked it up, so Whitten can now come whenever he wants! His room may not be ready, but at least he and Lillian will have cute shirts to wear.

 I love how his initials look...

Lillian's Interesting Fashion Sense

Lillian has been very opinionated lately about what she wears. She will pull her stool over to her dresser and look through her drawers until she finds what she wants to wear, or even will specifically ask me for a shirt that she knows is hanging in her closet. And although it drives me crazy some mornings, I try not to fight with her as long as it is weather appropriate. This morning it was this very shiny, tacky, too small Dora pajama shirt and some pink shorts. And this afternoon before heading to the grocery store with Daddy she decided that she needed to change into her "heart pants" and throw on her pink head band. I don't think she will be winning a fashion award any time soon.

Rainy Days At Target

Turns out you can take three to Target. That is as long as there is one of these nifty, bulky, hard to maneuver bugies that you can strap your child into available. Alli and I met up at Target earlier this morning (that is what stay @ home mommies/sisters do...go to Target together on rainy days), and we quickly realized that with Whitten on the way these trips are numbered. Lillian and Eli are just four months apart and are a handful when they are together. Whitten and Shepard are only going to be two and half months apart, so I can only imagine how crazy they will be together.

of course I couldn't leave out sweet Shepard

PDO Update

Lillian has officailly completed two weeks of Parent's Day Out (four days) and I could not be any happier to report that she has done GREAT! I really agonized over whether or not to send her this year or wait another year. But just seeing how much she is loving it makes me realize that I was right, and she really was ready for this step. I walk her in everyday and there hasn't been one morning that she has cried or held on to my leg begging me not to go. And she is always happy and playing when I pick her up at 1:00. The first two days she did poke out her lip and make a sad face as I left, but never any tears. She has only had one accident there, and has gone from not touching her lunch the first day, to eating everything by the fourth day. Just another sign that she is getting comfortable with her new environment. She loves her teachers, Miss Anne and Miss Frances Anne, and we talk about them a million times a day almost. So far the only tears that have been shed have been my me! 

I will have to say that there is one BIG thing I do not like about her going to PDO. I drop her off at 9:00 and then pick her up at 1:00 (12:45 if I just can't stand it anymore). And then we get home and she takes her afternoon nap which usually last two and half hours. So by the time she wakes up at 3:30-4:00, it is like I haven't seen her all day. So this week I have started picking her up and taking her to get a little treat before heading home for her nap. And with her school being right there in downtown Homewood, there are a bunch of cute places we can choose from to stop in and grab a little after school snack. Tuesday we got frozen yogurt at Tutti Frutti and Thursday we stopped in at Savages Bakery for a cookie. And with Whitten's arrivle just around the corner it has been some really good Mommy and Lillian time. We are always going on playdates or running arrands, so it is nice to have special thing that Lillian and I do together. Of course this pregnant Momma would want that special time to involve eating. After Whitten is born it might have to involve the gym : )

35 Weeks!

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant, and the reality that our son will be here in FOUR weeks (possibly less) is starting to overwhelm me. I feel unprepared for his arrival. Unprepared physically, emotionally and spiritually. However I know that God has a prefect plan for Whitten and for our family, and Shaun and I cannot wait to see how our Heavenly Father uses Whitten's sweet little life to glorify Him.

Lillian is getting more impatient with every passing day. She is over talking about her baby brother and simply wants to see him and give him kisses. The other night while we were sitting on the couch talking with her about Whitten, she wrapped her arms around my belly and started pulling saying, "get my baby brother out". It was so funny...and I assured her that her baby brother would be here before she knew it. I am just hoping that when Whitten is finally here that Lillian allows me to actually be his Mommy. She already has told me that she would change him, feed him, bath him, and give him big hugs and kisses. I wonder if she will get up with him five times a night as well?

Let me just take a second to mention how wonderful my husband has been throughout these last couple of months pregnancy. I pretty much have one of two reactions towards any situation these days- I either start crying or yelling. Between being super-upper fat, overly hormonal and tired I know that I have been more than a handfull for my sweet and understanding hubby. I swear that I was not this way when I was pregnant with Lillian, and I am blaming it on the fact that I am carrying a boy. Either way I do not know how Shaun has done it this summer. Not only did he take on two mini semesters(making one "A" and a "B"), he was also working 60 hours a week, taking care of me, and always made time for Lillian. I do not know how he does it all, but I am extremely grateful for him. Shaun is a wonderful provider, father, husband and my very best friend. And I cannot wait to welcome our son into the world with him! 

Best Buds!

Lillian's First Day At All Saints' Preschool

This morning with Lillian cuddling us in bed, Shaun said a prayer for her and her first day at Parent's Day Out. And God was definitely listening- as he always is- because Lillian had a GREAT day. And the only tears that were shed came from her extremely hormonal/emotional Mommy. During the hours of 9:00-12:30 (I picked her up early) I ran a few much need errands and was amazed at how quickly I could get in and out of a store without Lillian. However, every time I got in the car I got a little panicked when I would catch a glance of her empty car seat, and then thought, "Oh wait, she is at school". After two years and some odd months of spending every waking second with my sweet girl, it was and odd feeling to know that she was with someone else. That some other person was taking care of my little girl, making all the little decisions that I usually make for her. Letting go of silly things like choosing whether she eats grapes or strawberries for snack is hard for me for whatever reason. But I am learning, and her going to Parent's Day Out is a huge step for both of us.

Her teachers said that she did "great" and could not have had a better first day. When I asked her if she wanted to come back and play with her new friends in a couple of days she said, "see friends again". She also told me about how she played ont the playground and "catch bubbles with her nose"! It made me feel good just hearing her talk about her day, and how much fun she had.

getting ready to leave for her first day! It drove me crazy, but she insisted on wearing her Auburn hat instead of her bow. Her teachers said that she kept it on all day!

she was so proud of her backpack

Lillian Love's Her Backpack!

Lillian loves here her new backpack. We picked it up earlier today and she has worn it ever sense. I had to bribe her with a sucker so that I could take it off of her to get her in the car seat. We have been talking a lot about "going to school", and have pretty much read her every book I could check out at the library about various baby animals going to preschool for the first time. Her favorite is Llama Llama Misses Mama. And now whenever I start talking about going to school next week she always says, "go school, like Llama Llama...play?". She seems very excited about it now, but we will see how she does next Tuesday when I drop her off. I am sure that the part of the book where Llama Llama misses his mama will start running through her mind as I am walking away from her classroom.  

I thought that the monogram turned out really cute, and honestly I was worried it wouldn't look that good. I am still getting use to not putting her name on things and just using initials instead.