26 Weeks and counting

I haven't talked much about my pregnancy much on the blog or at least lately anyways. It hasn't been on purpose at all, it's just life gets crazy I suppose. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by so far. It seems to crazy and weird that I will be having my sweet little one in about 3 months time. I'm so not ready yet. There is much to do still. I'm such a preparer! I've actually started to panic a little. Just ask my poor husband. The to-do list is pretty big or at least it feels like it to me.

Here is the list of to do's:

1. Make the girls bed - still (hubby is going to make it)

He is always so busy and every weekend it seems like someone else needs his help lately, but I am trying to be patient. :)

2. Start the nursery. I already have a crib obviously. But I need to find and wash the bumper, sheets and quilt. It's somewhere in storage from the move. Bring the bassinet up and wash it's bedding as well.

3. Paint bedrooms both girls bedroom and nursery.

4. Refinish and paint a night stand to match decor and finish accessorizing both bedrooms.

5. Shop and buy washcloths, socks and little odds and ends we may need. But having two other girls we have most everything we will need except diapers of coarse!

Today I bought some letters that I want to add in Cambree and Sienna's room. They will need to be painted and I think I may hang them with some ribbon. And I did finally found some bedding that I love. I can't wait too see how the room comes together soon. :)

Oh and I forgot to mention we will need to buy another mattress as well! And I'm also forgetting to mention that we will need different car seats for the older girls so that all three of my precious girls will all somehow fit in the backseat of my car! :) Wow - I would of never thought I would be a mom of three girls 4 years ago! It's crazy. But I am so dang excited!!! I can't wait.

I've already washed all the babies clothes that I have found so far. But I am thinking there are more clothes in storage still. One of these days I'm going to have to go down and sort through it. So at least I have started one of my tasks. :)

We still need to agree on a name. Just another little detail to add. :) I think we may have one though. Dad just may call her by her middle name instead. It may just work for me! :) Because I have loved this name for a long time and it just feels right (to me anyways) :). So I guess we will see.

I won't continue to bore you with the other to-do's we have to do around here, but there is still more. Mostly stuff to help organize the garage and our itty bitty kitchen. It's been different trying to adjust to a way smaller place than we have ever been used too. But it's good and someday soon after some more cabinets are made it will be a little more accommodating.

About baby she is getting more and more active day by day. Although I believe she seems to be pretty mild in the womb. Hopefully that will result in a calm and mello baby?! I don't know. She seems to be most active after I eat or lay down. I absolutely love feeling her move around. And as far as gestational diabetes...I don't have it yay! So everything seems to be going good. The only thing I wish is that I didn't get so worn out so fast. I defiantly have my days where I want to do nothing and that just isn't possible!

And as far as the lack of pregnancy photos. I guess it just hasn't been my thing and well I haven't been able to get my husband to myself for a while to go take some. But I assure you that I'm not one to wear a shirt that says, "I love my bump!" I have never felt like a 'cute' pregnant girl ever! So that's just that. So to all you pregnant girls that gain hardly nothing - you suck!!! No I'm only kidding. All I can say is it's a good thing it is all worth it in the end!!! :) :) :)

Goodnight all!

xoxo,

Shannon

wordle. and American Idol stuff.

Just discovered wordle today, and wasted away much of my afternoon fiddling around on it.

Ever heard of it?

It's pretty cool.

Basically you can create your own subway art with your own collection of words.

And then you can randomize/customize fonts and color palettes to go with your decor.

In short - the possibilities are endless.

I wasn't feeling very creative today...but can definitely see it's potential for creating cute stuff in the future. Here's one (using words from a Tangled song) that may be printed for the girl's bedroom makeover.

So that's wordle.

Pretty cool huh?

P.S. I'm so excited for the finale of American Idol tonight.

Yeah, did you remember they switched nights this week?

I did.

I'm seriously twitching out of excitement.

I admit, I adore Scotty McCreery.

I just wanna hug him.

and I love that deep country soul in his voice.

And I admit, I almost didn't want him to get this far because I didn't want Hollywood to corrupt the innocent cuteness right outta him.

But now that he's here, I think he should win.

(Although I did predict Lauren Alana to win it from early on.)

I just don't know anymore.

They both are good, of coarse.

It would make my year if Scotty sang with Tim McGraw or Garth at the Finale tonight.

Because heaven knows I love me some sexy Tim McGraw.

And even though Scotty is only 16 - give him 10 years - I think he's got Tim potential written all over him.

(and did that just sound gross coming from a thirty-something year old mom?)

And now I will go make some dinner and treats and stuff.

Because that's what I should have been doing an hour ago.

xoxo

Miscellany MONDAY

Miscellany Monday :)

one.

Last night Cambree said the entire family prayer all by herself! Well, except for one small question at the very beginning! It was darling. She pointed out to bless the baby in mommy's belly and prayed that everyone will go to heavenly father after they die (???). I was a little taking by this - but it made me teary! She used to be shy about saying prayers and always wanted someone else to say them. She did a wonderful job and I believe that her prayer came straight from her heart! So sweet.

two.

This weekend was super fun and Daddy didn't work at all! :) The girls got to help build a sandbox for the backyard. Cambree kept saying that she had helping hands the entire time. Something she probably has heard from t.v. I'm guessing. Sienna was scared of the noisy sander but she loved to help stain/paint it. They are now enjoying there sandbox - well when it hasn't been raining, of coarse.

three.

Attended the Thanksgiving Point car show this weekend. My dad had his cars showing and he was able to show his Mustang he just finished. We even enjoyed some SUNSHINE this weekend! ****Finally!!!!*** I even have burnt shoulders to prove it! :) The girls enjoyed themselves with friends, cousins and snow cones! My dad had a collection of cars that he has done over the years for clients there. Pretty sweet. He has amazing talent and cars has always been his passion his entire life.

four.

As far as my pregnancy goes...everything is going good! It's crazy how fast it is all going by so far. Let's see...how many weeks am I? 26 weeks.......I think. I'm already preparing myself for a looooooong last 3 months. It may be a little painful - I am already huge! I just love how I am going to be the biggest right in the middle of August! :) Oh well. It's still exciting and we still have a lot to do before she comes. But I am so happy in the thought of holding my little baby girl in about 3 months***squeal!!!***

five.

We are starting the girls bed soon. Michael is going to make it...yippee! We shopped around and I found a bunk I liked. He insisted he could build one better and cheaper.... I'm looking forward to getting it all going. I already bought the girls their new bedding! It's fun. I loved it and most importantly Cambree agreed on it. I'm excited to pull it all together soon! :) Still not sure what to do in the nursery though. I really wanted new bedding for it, but I will have to see. I may just use what I have and maybe just get some curtains and a few other new things. ***blah blah blah*** I'm sure I will post pictures when finished! :)

six.

Wrapped up the weekend with some Thai food, trip to target, a new blanket for baby and a itty bitty newborn outfit! And well that's about it.

***Happy Monday***

xoxo,
Shannon

Photography Challenge : Sleep

Glad that my little 4 year old remembers how to take a nap!

Just doesn't happen everyday!

Xo, Shannon

Black & White Wordless Wednesday

It's been a laid back day for us. I've spent most of the day editing this cute doll babies face! I just love her expression in this one!

My beautiful niece Lily...

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo,

Shannon

Touch up Tuesday

I took some pictures of my niece a few days ago. I just adore my sweet niece Lily and so do my girls. They beg to play with Lily almost every single day. I am so thankful for close cousins and family that are in my life. It's been so much fun watching them grow up. Soon enough Lily will be a big Sister. I can't wait for it. She is going to be a great big Sister.

This is just a photo in between our little photo shoot. She was looking up and me and the black part - yes is my enormous 6 month pregnant belly! I'm huge! ;(

SOOC:

My Edit:
Adjusted a few adjustments in Camera Raw: fill light, black and contrast

In CS5: I adjusted the levels slightly for a little more contrast

Sharpened image

Used TRA - Straight Edge @ 30% opacity

Used TRA - Pro Retouch to slightly smooth skin

Slightly popped the eyes

Then Applied a Florabella Action - Gypsy @ 40% opacity that's it!

My Edit in B/W

Applied Florabella Action - Rich Vintage @ 40% opacity

Xo,

Shannon

Who is this girl?

It's been a week ago today since Sienna had surgery. Last week was a challenging week for me. The first day of coarse she slept a lot. The doctor informed me she would be more sore in the days that followed and she was! She complained a lot about her mouth and her tongue. While he was working on her he slipped and nicked her tongue pretty good. I'm glad he told me though. So he had to cauterize it because of all the bleeding. So needless to say, that has also bothered her a lot. Poor girl!

Since then she has started lashing out...temper tantrums, screaming, crying and just showing behavior that just isn't my little girl. It's had me worried. Is this normal after what she went through? She will suddenly scream and cry over something and I have no idea why?! I just figured she was still in pain, but now that it has been close to a week that she should be feeling better. I don't know what to think anymore. It's about once a day she will do this. I'm clueless.

I had to go in last week for my monthly check up and took Sienna with me. She totally freaked out!!! She screamed and cried facing the wall and kept saying, "I want to go home Mommy!" Nothing calmed her down. She is totally terrified of doctors now! I'm sure what she went through is typical for her age and I shouldn't think it could be any different or could it?! I don't know. I guess all kids are different. I hope that sooner or later she will forget and I'm hoping for this week we can get through the day without a huge fit or temper tantrum. I just want my little happy girl back!

I do think each day she will keep getting better and maybe this little stinker is taking advantage of me with all the attention she has gotten lately. I swear - little toddlers are smarter then we all think they are!!!

She enjoyed her some Strawberries yesterday @ Grandma and Papa's house. They must of been a bit sour! :)

So here it to a smoother and not so sour week!!!

love,

Shannon

Project Life: Week 19 - May 7th-13th

I know it's been forever since I have posted my Project Life photos! I'm SO bad...i know! Well I am back! :) I haven't stopped taking photos I just haven't been organized enough to post and link up each week! I'm jealous of all of you that are so dedicated to it and on the ball! I got a little discouraged as I would forget a day or two here and there and I sort of just gave up. Gave up posting anyways - I still have been taking photos though. Seriously -this pregnancy has drained me. I don't remember feeling this tired the first two times. Huh - Well I guess having two other children to take care of does makes a difference. Or maybe I'm just getting old?! Who knows. :) How do you woman do it with 4, 5 or 6 children???!

Anyways so back to Project Life...

So I stopped worrying about not getting a photo in for each day if I forget or for whatever reason. You would think it would be easy, but its not always! So I decided that I take enough photos in a weeks time that I can make up a day if I need too. So that's what I do and it works for me!

So here is a look at Week 19:

Here's a little recap:

Lily so happy and excited to be able to finally play with her cousin Sienna.

Enjoying the beautiful WARM sunny afternoon at home.

Playing with a little ball at Papa's house.

Cambree terrorizing her sister from outside the bathroom door.

My handsome man who turned another year older this week. Lets see that makes him the big 34- Wow!

Some of the girl cousins in front of Papas 1967 Mustang that he just finished.

And my nephew Trayce

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your week! :)

Xoxo,

Shannon

Black & White Wordless Wednesday

Over Mother's Day weekend - I was able to take some pictures for my best friend Aly and some of her family. It was a lot of fun and afterwards we were invited to their Cinco de mayo party! I seriously just enjoyed hanging out with my friend - catching up and Thanks so much Aly for inviting us!!! I have more photos to share from that day, but I am having to run out the door...so here is just one I will share of her little Maddison from that day.

She is doing her best, to make this world a cuter place to live in...

<>

Photo Challenge - "Laughter"

Golly she is cute. Thankfully, because it makes the whole disobedient stubborn two-year old a whole heck-of-a lot easier to handle.

This day Sienna wanted to go outside and play - I grabbed my camera, ensured that she would pose for some pictures for me...have I ever mentioned that I love this phase?

I immediately thought of this photo of Sienna when I saw Faith's photo challenge this week was "laughter"! It's one of my favorites. :)

Mother's Day

I hope everyone enjoyed Mother's day this past weekend. I couldn't complain of anything myself. I woke up to my favorite breakfast - french toast, bacon and fruit all prepared by my hubby. My girls brought me those cards that I love so much with a bouquet of beautiful flowers! The morning was just perfect as I soaked in the moment of celebrating Mom's day.

When I think about all the reasons why I love motherhood so much it brings tears to my eyes! I love my girls so much! They are everything to me as my husband is. They continually inspire me to become a better person everyday. Although being a mom isn't always easy and I make a ton of mistakes all of the time - I couldn't possibly have it any other way. I have so many weak moments, tired moments, stressed moments and totally out of control temper tantrum moments - but when it comes down to it, I love all the bad that comes with the good. I think its these kinds of moments that makes us all stronger and better individuals in the end.

And I am very lucky to be able to spend some time with my own Mom on Mother's day. I couldn't possibly imagine what my life would be like without her. She has always been a best friend to me and has always helped me with my struggles and has always seemed to lift me up! I am so very grateful for her example in my life!

I hope all the mothers, the amazing woman who want children, hope for children, teach children, help raise children, nurture children...which is pretty much every woman had a Wonderful Mother's day!

xoxo,

Shannon

Post surgery update.

We didn't get much sleep the night before surgery. My mind wouldn't rest, but the good thing is Sienna slept really well. She feel asleep really early and woke up at 5 am. and immediately wanted a drink. So I decided to put her in the tub to distract her and soon enough she forgot all about wanting a drink. We had to watch her closely so she didn't drink any water so dad got in with her and played with her for a while. I finished getting ready and soon enough we all were ready to go out the door.

We arrived and checked in. Sienna was acting happy and we explained to her that she was going to get her teeth fixed. She took it all in as a two year old does. Not sure how much she understood, but she went through all the prep surgery steps really well. She wore a smile on her face as she played a little Nintendo ds and played with sister.

When it was time to take her back all I could think about was how she was going to react as they took her away from us. I was already mentally prepared for the worst. Luckily the anesthesiologist mentioned a balloon for her to see and surprisingly she reached her arms and went with him. I'm sure at this point, she thought we were right behind her.

That's when we waited. It only took about 45 minutes to fix her teeth, but they had a hard time getting her to wake up afterwards. She didn't wake up irritable at all! She just wanted to sleep. She would open her eyes for a minute and then she would close them. She looked super tired and was really puffy and swollen. The doctor said she did really well. So hopefully she didn't put to much of fight at the beginning. She even waved goodbye to the doctor and anesthesiologist before leaving! She was a little trooper. We all are very proud of her!

She slept most of the day. Finally ate some soup for lunch and started drinking really well. I didn't want her to become dehydrated. I made her favorite meal for dinner - chicken alfredo and she loved it! She is still complaining her mouth hurts and still appears a little swollen. So Motrin is her best friend right now.

Thanks for everyone for your support. I am happy that she did well and thanks for the phone calls and messages checking up on us and our little one! I'm glad it went a lot better than I thought it would.

Xo,

Shannon

Today I got confirmation what time Sienna's surgery will be Monday morning! I know it may be a little early to start thinking about it as we have a few days before the beginning of the week, but I am overly anxious about it all!

Sienna will be going to be put under anesthesia for some dental work that morning! ;( I know - believe me I am so sad about it all! I just wish my little baby didn't have to go through this. I am mostly worried about how they are going to handle the anesthesia part of it the most. I already know that she will be upset to be taking away from me. It's nerve racking and heartbreaking for me to think about. As I am pretty sure that I won't be able to comfort my baby at this time. I just know she will be frightened to be taken away from me by a complete stranger and I hate to think of her being scared of whats happening to her!

I know that they do this all of the time and they probably know what works best! She will be in good hands! It's just hard. It's my baby and well I am probably way over protective of her (as most moms are about their children). I know that she is strong and she has always shown us this - but I also know she will fight and it will be a struggle.

How could I not get a knot in my stomach thinking about this?

So instructions are that she may eat and drink up until midnight prior surgery day. She absolutely cannot have anything but sugar water or water between midnight to 3 am. She still goes to bed with a sippy cup. She actually drinks a lot of milk before bedtime so I am hoping that it will be enough for her until prep surgery time. She usually wakes up about 4 am. for a drink and than goes back to bed so I am a little worried about that. It's super hard to have to think about denying your 2 year old child a drink when they cry for it or breakfast in the morning if she is hungry. She just wouldn't understand! I am happy that they have put Sienna the very first appt. that morning! So we are lucky!!! She goes in at 6:30 am. So hopefully she won't feel deprived too much of not getting her morning chocolate milk or bowl of her favorite sugar smacks! :)

I'm sure she will go through this with flying colors!!! I just can't wait for her to be done and back in my arms! And I am already warned that she will not be in normal character as she is coming out of the anesthesia. I think I can deal with that! Please add Sienna to your prayers - if you will! We will need it!

(if you have any experiences to share like this... I would love to hear! :) I am trying to be as prepared as I can for this!)

Thanks,

from a overly sensitive, hormonal, pregnant, anxious heart Momma :)

xoxo

i{heart]faces - Soft and Sweet

This may not scream soft and sweet to everyone, but to me she is the sweetest mush around!

:)

To view more photos visit i{heart}faces this week!

My girls and ONE sunny day...And more awaits :) Here comes the sun...Happy Monday!


xoxo,

Shannon