Happy Easter!

We hope that you all had a great Easter weekend! Ours was filled with family, friends and firsts, but no new baby! Oh well...Isabel will enjoy Easter more next year anyway! On Friday night, Jacklynn proved to us that her ears were feeling so much better by sleeping in 3 different places while we, or shall I say Nic, helped his uncle move...without fussing or seeming to care! It is so nice to have our flexible and content child back! Then she spent the evening with OWO and Gam on Saturday night so mommy and daddy could have a much needed night out with friends! Sunday morning started out with a bang when Jac and I came down to eat breakfast and realized the Easter bunny (Gam AKA Nic's Mom) had left her a HUGE basket of goodies! She thoroughly enjoyed taking each item out and requesting it be opened immediately!
We headed to church and then to the Barn for lunch...with all of Nic's mom's side of the family...and then some! Of course, we had to do a small photo shoot with Jacklynn looking so precious (more pics to come from my good camera!)...


It was a little chilly outside, but she kept wanting to get down and walk around...thank the Lord she loves the outdoors!
These are all the great grandkids (outside of the womb...two more girls on the way!) on this side of the family. Aren't they precious little girls?! Jacklynn(14 mos).Jillian(18 mos).Lauren(18 mos).Sophia(26 mos.).
After lunch, it was time for the Easter egg hunt. This was a big first for Jac. It took her a minute to catch on...at first all she wanted to do was take her eggs back out of the basket to either shake or chew on them, but then she figured out that she should let them be and go find more! She actually caught on really well and definitely enjoyed it!
GGPa helping her out...
Opening all the eggs...
It was a really fun day...even with no nap! Jac eventually crashed around 4:30 pm and slept on the couch for awhile. I definitely miss being with my side of the family on holidays like this, but am so thankful for Nic's family...where would I be without them?!

Matilda Jane

Nic's cousin Lisa had a home party a few weeks ago for the most amazing little girl's and mommy's clothes line ever! It is called Matilda Jane Clothing. Anyways, I ordered matching dresses for Jac and Izy (pics coming soon!) and these pants for Jacklynn. They are supposed to be capris, but I figured we would get more use out of them buying them a little big! I am obsessed with how cute they are and thought I would share a quick picture from yesterday...

36 Weeks

I am 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant today! These past 2 days have been rather eventful around here though. On Sunday, we celebrated Nic's grandma's birthday (which was actually Monday, St. Patrick's Day) at the barn. Sophie and Jacklynn had fun playing together...Sophie loved the rocking chair and Jacklynn loved to rock with her, but Sophie only liked the rocking chair alone, so it was very entertaining watching them follow each other up and down onto the rocking chairs!Early Monday morning (2:30 AM to be exact!) I started having random contractions...that lasted until 8:30 AM! Needless to say I did not get much sleep since I had anywhere from 1 to 8 contractions every hour! Nothing ever came of it and they eventually subsided. Jacklynn and I spent the day with Nic's mom, aunt Tut, grandma, and grandpa...grandma apparently has always wanted to go to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on her birthday, so we all headed downtown for the parade and lunch. Jacklynn loved the bands and the horses...even though it was a little chilly!

Last night we went out with some of our favs...Nic's parents, the Woodburns, and the Humphress (not sure how to write that plural!).

In between all the festivities yesterday I had my weekly OB check up. I am already dilated 2 cm. and Isabel is head down. Everything else is looking good as well! Here are a few shots of my massive belly!

OK, I apologize for this next one, but this is how I feel about having another baby...and Lisa made me do it!
Finally, we appreciate all your prayers for Jacklynn this morning. Her tubes surgery went well. We were in and out within a hour. The doctor said that there was a lot of really thick fluid in her ears that she suctioned out and that the surgery will definitely make her feel better! Thank you Jesus!

The Return of the 50s and 60s!

So far March has proved to be a great month! We have actually had multiple days where the temperature was in the 50s and 60s...which brought a smile to almost everyone's face...esp. mine! I have been able to take Jacklynn to the park several times where it has been like experiencing a whole new world for her! (She obviously doesn't remember much of last summer!) Her walking has definitely improved, but she is still unsure on surfaces such as grass and mulch. Hence the picture below where she is squatting and crying...it is a fake cry that stopped immediately after I held her hand and helped her walk across the yard! I love to be outside and I hope to instill this love into my children as well...whether they like it or not!

This past week we went over to Grandma Anna's for lunch. She made lunch for all but one of her 7 great grandchildren. It is so fun to see them all together...this is Ashlyn, Emma, Lisa, Mason, Max, Kayla, Jacklynn, and Grandma.

Also, today we hit up the Zoo for the first time this year! Jac may be afraid of mulch and grass, but she has no fear of water and animals! This is her reaching out to pet the sharks...and she actually did!
We went with one of my good friends Ashley and her daughter Julia (5 1/2 mos.).
Whoa thats a big polar bear!
The lion was enjoying the rainy weather too! He kept pacing back and forth along the fence while Jacklynn waved and grunted at him! I'd say it was a successful and enjoyable trip to the zoo!
Keep us in your prayers...we went to the ENT yesterday and Jacklynn was a delagate for tubes in her ears. This is a small surgery that they are going to do on Tuesday morning. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited that she will not have to endure any more ear infections and should help with so many other frustrations in her little body! I can't believe they can do a surgery on someone so little, but we are trusting God will take care of her and use it to heal her body!

Overalls

After my last post earlier today (see below for a great story and even better pics), I did some research into finding pictures of Nic and I at the age of 1...and of course, we are wearing overalls too! So, who does Jacklynn look like?

"Check, PLEASE!!"

I was inspired to write this blog after reading about Shannon's mommy trying trip to the grocery store...check it out all you mothers! Anyways, Jacklynn has still not gotten back to her normal sleeping habits and woke up rather early yesterday morning. So we decided to try out 1st service at church and then head to lunch. Well, about the time we arrived at the restaurant her tiredness caught up to her along with her hunger and frustration that she is unable to communicate with us the way she would like. From the time we sat down to eat until the bill was paid Nic and I maybe said one or two words to each other...the only thing we could get in between Jacklynn screaming at the top of her lungs, grunting, throwing food on the floor, choking on the food she was quickly shoving into her mouth, and then laying her head in the food on the table. At one point, I honestly considered asking for my food to go, so we could just leave. Instead Nic and I ate our food and paid the bill within a matter of maybe 7 minutes. As we drove home (and she feel asleep before we were out of the parking lot!), I thought of this song that has been causing me in my nesting, emotional state to cry EVERYTIME I hear it. It is by Trace Adkins and my favorite part is this...

Five years later there's a plummer workin' on the water heater,
Dogs barkin' phones ringin' one kid's cryin' one kid's screamin',
And she keeps apologizing, he says they don't bother me I got 2 babies of my own
one's 36 one's 23 it's hard to believe

But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times so take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this
You're gonna miss this
Yeah, you're gonna miss this

I don't know if I would ever like to re-live our lunch yesterday, but I do know one day I will miss this age of drastic emotions....so excited and unsure about things in the world, but frustrated that she can't have and do everything she wants! On a brighter note, We have since returned back into public places and are doing a lot better today!

I also wanted to share with a few of Jacklynn's 1-yr old pictures...can you believe it? They were taken last Monday by Carpenter Photography. There are more pics of Jac on their website as well!

Winter Blues

I don't know about ya'll, but I am ready for SUMMER! We are currently treating Jacklynn's 5th ear infection (2 of those where double ear!) in 4 months...so as you can imagine we aren't getting much sleep around here or spending a lot of non-cranky time out of the house! Oh well...we can make it! In the meantime, we have checked out a few re-newed hang out spots like Chuch E. Cheese...
Jacklynn loved all the little rides!
We also decided to hit up the condo pool...since it is indoors! We brought a few friends too...Noah, Kayla, and Emma. All the girls had so much fun putting on their suits and playing in the water!
Jacklynn loves to stand on the edge and jump in!
We hope you are all surviving the winter in your own ways as well! Can't wait to get back outside, but until then...