25 Week Update...

Everything has been pretty smooth this week. I did manage to run into the stroller which thankfully hit higher on my belly than it would if I was a few inches shorter. I have a sore spot but ultimately things are good. How do you run into the stoller you may be asking??? With a 75 pound dog in one hand and the stroller in the other, that's how. Riggins decided he needed to plant his nose in the ground to smell something and when I stopped the stroller it turned into the grass edge on the sidewalk, which I didn't realize until I yanked Riggins to get him moving and ran right into the stoller because it didn't move. Ug!

Contractions have seemed to be better this week. There were some days that I didn't have any at all and the others on 2-3 throughout the day. From what I can tell they are worse when I am not drinking enough water or up on my feet for an extended amount of time. As always, I'll keep monitoring for changes.

Clothes that I wore 2 weeks ago aren't fitting. Oh the joys of pregnancy! However, ignoring the craziness of weight gain, I am truly blessed to have a precious baby girl bouncing around in my belly. My sweet baby girl is moving and shaking these days. I think she might come out dancing. So blessed to have had another awesome week. Our God has blessed us in so many ways.

Yesterday marked 25 weeks and tonight we enjoyed (not the end so much) the Aggie game with friends here at the house. The Aggies vs the OSU Cowboys ended with Cowboys up 3 points at the buzzer after a long field goal attempt. Hopefully we'll have a good showing against Arkansas next week. Once again I neglected to pick up my camera!!! So mad at myself. We enjoyed time with the Ewings, Conleys, McCoys, and Kims.

Oh how little girls learn

As I was reading through a couple of blogs this morning, I looked down and Makena was successfully taking off her PJs by herself. She is learning so much so quickly. She's going to be dressing herself before I know it. That is, if I can keep clothes on her. :)

Doggie door....I beg to differ.

Tonight marks the night Makena discovered she could escape through the doggie door. Maybe going through the "mouse holes" at Ikea was a bad idea. After she ate dinner, Makena wanted to go outside but I was trying to get the rest of dinner together for Don when he got home. She managed to hold off the urge until Daddy and I were eating. She snuck out the door and Riggins somehow missed her as he shot out the door behind her. When Don stood up and looked out the window, she was standing at the edge of the porch looking back with a big smile. Oh the fun!!

24 Weeks: Does she look like Makena?

I know there will be many differences between my little girls but I think the Baby Nugget looks a little like her sister right now (see below). I am now 24 weeks along and she is getting to big to fit in one screen. She is estimated to be 1 lb 10 ounces which is the 65th percentile for babies her age. She was also trying to get her little thumb in her mouth while we took a look at her. I can't help but think about what she will be like from the color of her eyes to the shape of her little toes. Dr. Ramos said things looked good with both of us. The subject of delivery continues to come up, but I did let Dr. Ramos know that over the last few weeks it has really be on my mind. At this point I (along with Don) have decided, we are going to let her come on her own time and if that means we have to do a C-section then that's what we'll do. So for now I have tried to put it out of my mind (let go and let God). I have been praying for clear direction as I feel like he has given that to me for now and I will continue to pray he will make our path clear to have a safe delivery for me and our baby girl. Doesn't she look a little like Makena??

I have felt a few contractions over the last week so that was a big part of the discussion with the doctor. They aren't frequent but Dr. R said to keep an eye on them and see try to determine if there is some situation when they occur (lack of water, on my feet, etc...). So we'll see how that goes. Hopefully just add some extra water and they will stop. My baby bump continues to grow and grow.

33 you say...

Happy Birthday to Mommy!! Well it was a great birthday. Makena and I spent the day together. We went to ladies bible class where she got to spend time with church friends and so did I. After the lesson, I ran a couple of errands while she stayed and napped for mother's day out. I also found the material and colors I would like to use in The Nugget's room. That evening Uncle Gary took us (Don, Makena and I) out for a birthday celebration at La Hacienda Ranch. Thanks Uncle Gary and thanks to all the friends and family for gifts and birthday wishes. It was a special day.

Aggie Weekend

"Look Mom I'm in my new carseat!" I finally decided what carseat we would get for Miss Makena. She seemed to love it and it arrived just in time for our ride to College Station. She also enjoyed some Sesame Street on the DVD player she got last Christmas. She was a perfect passenger. She seemed a little annoyed with me when I would look back at her while she was watching her show. I was getting the "What do you want Mom? I am trying to watch this great show!"We spent the weekend at the Oaks. We ate breakfast at this awesome little breakfast place in Cameron, Sissy's Saddle Shop. Yummy yummy food. Then headed to the game that afternoon after an early lunch of yummy brisket made by Daddy and "Uncle" Brad.

She got a little sleepy and needed some entertaining by Daddy...oh how fun Daddy's hat can be!! We managed to pull off a win to Florida International but it was close. 27-20

Go AGGIES!

A Friendly Visit...

Makena had a friend, McKenna, over today for a few hours. They had a lot of fun. The outfit Makena has on was made by Granny B a couple months ago. It looks like Makena is kicking McKenna in the head but I promise her foot was behind her head. They are trying to take a nap because they refused to nap in their beds.

"Get up Makena, look under here!"

They are saying Bye-Bye! However, Makena would do anything to get the door open.A few more inches and she'll be gone.

Look at those teeth and those beautiful blue eyes (thanks Daddy!).

This isn't the best picture but it is definitely the best smile!!

Here is Miss Makena in her full outfit. The hat only lasted about 5 minutes.

Duck Pond Adventure

Makena and I went to the Duck Pond yesterday to feed the ducks. The ducks had already had there fill before we arrived so we fed the turtles instead.

Calling all turtles...here they come (notice all the little spots in the water).She loved the turtles coming up to see her.


What a happy girl!

Playing on the playground.

More pics and the Aggie Sauna

Makena getting on her tricycle by herself.

Don't you love this outfit! Might I mention she has another pair of pajama shorts under those pants. She still loves to dress up in her PJs. Also, notice that little toungue sticking out. I hear that is a Carroll trait...pure concentration.

Best Friends


We went to the September 11th Aggie game against Louisana Tech. It was HOT! Ok, really, really humid. Makena was still swetting after the game (9:30pm). Not sure if you can tell from these pics but she was dripping the entire game. Aggies won too!

Giving high fives to me...

and everyone else in the stand.

After a long night of hot temps, she spent some time curled up with daddy for some needed rest at The Oaks! (I have a pic from last year just like this...too funny!)

Pregnancy Update - Week 22

This week has been a good week. Last Thursday, I saw the baby move for the first time. I guess she is getting stronger and stronger. Sometimes she has to bench press Makena laying on top of her. Don actually just saw it for the first time tonight. It is still hard for me to believe we are going to have another baby. I keep wondering what she is going to be like. It is hard not to think she'll be another little Makena but I know she will be her own little person. I can't wait to meet her, but need her to keep cooking for a while longer before she decided to make her debut.

Cravings: I have had crazy sweet cravings this week. Even more so than normal. Cinnamon sugar donuts and chocolate pudding with whip cream of course. Oh and did I mention the craving for coffee. My appetite is definitely back. Crazy!

Potty Time...

Ok...I am a few posts behind with other things but I wanted to post a first for Makena. She turned 16 months old yesterday and today she pooped on the potty for the first time. I bought a little potty seat for the toilet and she didn't really like it at first. We would sit her on it before bath, but she usually won't go until she hits the bath water...which her Daddy loves. hehe. Today I thought she had a dirty diaper but when I changed her it was clear she wasn't finished so I sat her on the potty. After a little distraction and talking about the toilet paper, she went. We aren't really potty training but she has started telling us when her diaper is wet and if there is a time she seems to have held it for a while, I wanted to have the option to let her experience the potty. I honestly think there are a few more things she needs to master before potty training but we'll keep using our opportunities and see where it goes from here.

Yea Makena!! You are growing up so fast!

16 Happy Months

What a sweet 16 months it has been! I have to say Makena has definitely made some big changes over the last month. Although it is a little bittersweet for Mommy, Makena is turning into a toddler. She has been walking good for just over a month and now her personality is really taking shape along with her words.

Playtime:

- She loves to play in Mommy's bathroon cabinet. It is a nice past time while I take a shower.

- She still loves her time with the "Riggins" dog.

- Kitchen cabinet time, diaper cabinet and pajama drawer...loves to empty things.

- Coloring and sticker time.

- Necklaces and lipstick...she's a girl!

- Tricycle - She can now get on it by herself.

Personality:

- Clothes - yes she has an opinion of what clothes she will put on for the day, including her shoes.

- 'Is your diaper wet?" - Makena will pat on her diaper. Sometimes she will even go get her diaper. However, sometimes she can just see a new diaper and think it is time to change.

- Kisses - She has the cutest little pucker face. It's an exaggerated face of what I used to call her "Monkey face". She loves to give kisses. Even Riggins get his share.

- High Five - She is loving to give high fives these days. It is so cute and girly!

- More opinions - She is pretty good about telling me what she does and doesn't want from food to taking directions.

- Cleaning - She is my little cleaner. I need to find her a broom so she can help me keep the dog hair off the floor. :)

Learning:

- I can tell we now have a little sponge. She is starting to repeat words more and more. She also is recognizing pictures in her books when you ask her where the dog, raspberries, frog and tomato.

- She now knows where her ears, hair, and elbows are.

- During bath time, she will wash whatever I have washed and sometimes wash what I tell her to wash.

- Loves for Mommy to sing "if you're happy and you know it"

- Clasps her hands together when she is ready to pray. Through prayer and the previous song, she is learning to say "Amen"

Church:

- She graduated to the "Walkers" class (I may have updated this last month.)

- She continues to attend service with us and is pretty well behaved. Hopefully this continues.

Food and teeth:

- Eating more and more table food but still loves her fruit. Grapes are now #1!

- Started cutting left top molar on August 15th and right top molar the beginning of September.

- Current count 2 front bottom teeth. Top front 4 are about half way in. Two molars are just starting. I think that is 8...kinda.

Size:

- Weight - 22.5 lbs

- Length - ?? (haven't measured)

Mentioned she liked my bathroom cabinet and she likes stickers so combine those two things and this is what you get.

Fun times with Riggins. He wants her to throw or kick the ball. She wants to take it to him. This results in frustration for both parties, but fun times too.

First 2010 Aggie Game! Still warming up to her new environment.

Now she's warmed up...she entertained everyone.

Love to my baby girl! We have had a great 16 months and looking forward to many, many, many more.

Granny and Grammie time...

While Don and I were in Maui, Miss Makena got to spend time with some pretty special people. Grammie has been staying with us while she is working in McKinney so Makena had been getting to see her during the week Sunday night thru Wednesday night. Granny B came on Wednesday night (reminder after the throw-up episode that day). Grammie took Don and I to the airport before Miss Makena woke up on Thursday morning.

Granny B spent Thursday and Friday with a sick little girl. Evidently, she got a stomach bug. She woke up Thursday night covered in throw up along with her bed. After a bath, stripping the bed and curling up in Mommy and Daddy's bed, Granny B and Miss M got some sleep. She also has some diarrhea, mainly while in her high chair which also required a few washings. (Poor Granny B!) Papa and Uncle Tyler came on Friday to join in the fun. I think they had a good time going to Cabella's and Bass Pro. She also managed to give her sickness to Papa, whcih I am sure came through many kisses. Makena also tinkled on potty while Granny had her. Granny and Makena also took many walks, played in the water, played with bubbles that Grammie brought, and went to the park. She had her first experience feeding the ducks at the park. I am sure that's just the tip of the iceberg. Makena had a great time and we can't thank everyone enough for giving Don and I time to enjoy each other.

Thanks again everyone!

Pregnancy Update - Week 21 (Maui Style)

The last week has been absolutely amazing. On Thursday, Don and I left for Maui and spent 6 days in God's beauty. It is amazing to see the power of God in the wind and the waves, not to mention the beauty of the sunsets and diverse fish.
Thursday was mainly a very long travel day. I woke up at at 3:30am and thought I was getting sick and could never go back to sleep. I was able to get a script called into Maui if things got worse. God thankfully cured me without having to take it. Praise God! After arriving we had a great dinner at Pita Paradise, mahi mahi for me and chicken fettachini for Don.

Friday morning we went to Kihei Cafe, a little dive I found online, for breakfast. I had the best French Toast I have ever had. It was covered with macadamia nuts and fresh bananas. I was also introduced to coconut syrup, which was amazing. I think I am going to try and find a recipe. Yum! Don had coconut pineapple french toast. Although he was on sugar overload after the fresh squeezed orange juice, he thought it was very yummy. We spent the remaining part of the day shopping or browsing around the market and mall. Just so happens that Brittany Spears and her boyfriend were in the mall just a few hours before we were. Then walked around the grounds of the resort that evening. Lunch was at Burgers in Paradise and dinner at Big Wave Cafe.

(morning view)

(the best breakfast ever...)

Saturday, we went back to Kihei Cafe for breakfast...it was that good! I had cinnamon roll french toast and Don had eggs. After breakfast, we headed out for some sun at the pool. While we were there, Brittany Spears, her boyfriend and a couple of bodyguards came to hang out. No one got close, the bodyguards made a nice barrier. However, someone was leaking pics. There were a number from each day of her vacation online. We heard that Michael Phelps and Eddie Murphy were also in the hotel but we never saw them. The weather was great while we were there. The trade winds blew in the afternoon bringing some storm clouds with them but it never rained. We had dinner at Matteo's Pizzaria. Yummy pizza. We drove down to Makena beach to take some pictures. Sunset was gorgeous.

Sunday, we set off for Turtle Town (Makena beach) to do some snorkeling. Neither of us had snorkled from the shore before so we weren't really sure how it would work. Our first experience was from a boat in 60 feet of water. I had a little trouble with my mask staying sealed and I had come in but Don actually saw a turtle. We didn't get there as early as we had liked and the water got rough due to the tradewinds. The spot was great. The coral was gorgeous and we saw some great fish.(water fountains headed down to the pools)

Monday, we set off for Turtle Town a little earlier and got in an hour or so before I saw the first white cap. I knew when I saw that it was only a matter of time before the waves were going to cause issues. (Note: Getting caught in the trough makes you very close to the coral.) Although we didn't get as much snorkel time as we planned, it was a lot of fun. After getting sand blasted, we headed back to the pool. We also had a fabulous dinner at Humuhumunukunukuapua'a...yes that is the name of the restaurant. It is the name of a fish. Actually, we saw some of them while we were snorkeling. The restaurant is surrounded by the ocean on all sides and is the sight of a beautiful sunset.

Tuesday, we snorkeled just off the shore of Wailea which also ended up being a great location to snorkel. We got in about an hour and a half before the wind started to pick up and we had to head back to the hotel to clean up and check out. After lunch, we spent the afternoon taking pics at the hotel, shopping, and driving back down to Makena beach. Then it was time to head back to the airport for our 10:30pm (Hawaii time) flight out. After a short layover in Pheonix, we made it home around 1pm Dallas time. We actually slept a lot during the flight so the trip seemed a lot shorter than I expected. I was so ready to see Makena by Tuesday when we left. When I saw her come out the door with Grannie, it seemed like she had grow so much since we had been gone. And oh by the way she didn't want to come to me at all, but she snuggled up with Daddy pretty quick. She is a Daddy's girl right now. I love it though. It is awesome to see Don interact with her and he loves all the hugs and kisses.

I felt great throughout the trip. The nugget was a trooper and loved all the great food, sun, and water activity. I didn't feel her move as much but I think that is because we were pretty busy the whole time. It was a great little "babymoon". I am so thankful to have a wonderful husband, beautiful baby girl and another precious baby girl on the way.

(21 Weeks 3 Days)

(21 Weeks 5 Days...I think I grew in two days! Yikes!!)