Weed, age 3
Monday, November 30, 2009
family resemblance
So does she look like me, or what??? Our mouths are a little different, but if you cover that up, we could be twins.
Weed, age 3
Weed, age 3
Saturday, November 28, 2009
over the river and through the woods
We're home from our Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. Rachel had great fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa and her cousins. Every time her cousins would come over from their other grandma's house where they were staying, Rachel would smile a big smile and say, "Mommy, my cousins came back!"
Rachel and Alex, the two closest in age cousins, played together quite a bit. Here they are listening to Grandma's record player, and watching it go 'round and 'round. She has all of our old records from when we were little, including all kinds of Disney stories, on LP. Rachel loves listening to them, and Alex joined in on the fun, too.
She decided last night that she wanted to play football. So here is Princess Cinderella Rachel (what she calls herself when she's wearing the blue dress) playing football!
We didn't take any pictures, but my mom sent me a few.
A few people either didn't look at the camera or didn't realize they were in the picture, so these aren't the greatest pictures ever, but at least we can see who was there! In attendance besides our little family, is my parents, my brother, his wife and three kids (Rachel's beloved COUSINS!), both of my aunts and uncles (one set on my mom's side and one set on my dad's side), my grandpa, and my cousin.
Rachel and Alex, the two closest in age cousins, played together quite a bit. Here they are listening to Grandma's record player, and watching it go 'round and 'round. She has all of our old records from when we were little, including all kinds of Disney stories, on LP. Rachel loves listening to them, and Alex joined in on the fun, too.
Rachel is wearing one of my old dresses over her clothes--it's her dress up dress whenever she's at Grandma's house. I showed her a picture of me wearing the same dress when I was her age. I said, "Who is this?" She thought it was her! That's how much alike we look (I'll post a picture to show the resemblance in a few days).
She decided last night that she wanted to play football. So here is Princess Cinderella Rachel (what she calls herself when she's wearing the blue dress) playing football!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
flag holder
It's like pulling teeth getting Rachel to tell me what happened at school each day, but now and then, out of nowhere, she'll spout off about something random that happened at school. Today after her nap was one of these times. She was still sitting on the edge of her bed when she said, "I was fwag howlder today, Mommy!"
I said, "Oh, really? And what does everyone say when you hold the flag?" (I knew they had practiced the Pledge of Allegiance, but I hadn't ever heard her talk about it or recite it.)
And all of a sudden out of my three year old's mouth came, "I pwedge awegiance, to the fwag, of da 'nited States of 'mahwica." She stopped after that much, but as her daddy and I said a couple more words, she continued. She needed a few promptings, but she basically knew the whole thing by herself, including "wif wiberty and justice for awl!" We couldn't believe it.
We asked her what the flag looked like. "It's wed and white and bwue," she told us. She knew it had stripes on it and stars. Who knew she knew so much!?
Oh how I wish I could be a fly on the wall at school each day and find out what else she says and does that we don't know about!!
I said, "Oh, really? And what does everyone say when you hold the flag?" (I knew they had practiced the Pledge of Allegiance, but I hadn't ever heard her talk about it or recite it.)
And all of a sudden out of my three year old's mouth came, "I pwedge awegiance, to the fwag, of da 'nited States of 'mahwica." She stopped after that much, but as her daddy and I said a couple more words, she continued. She needed a few promptings, but she basically knew the whole thing by herself, including "wif wiberty and justice for awl!" We couldn't believe it.
We asked her what the flag looked like. "It's wed and white and bwue," she told us. She knew it had stripes on it and stars. Who knew she knew so much!?
Oh how I wish I could be a fly on the wall at school each day and find out what else she says and does that we don't know about!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
my silly girl
Just a couple of Rachel stories....
*Last week was school picture retake day. She was sick on picture day, so we only had this one chance to get a decent picture. I didn't have very high hopes, because I know the struggle we have with getting her to actually look AT the camera and smile a decent smile, but we took our chances and ordered some anyway. Her eyes are always looking off to the side and she does a cheesy grin until you get her to stop thinking about posing and laughing about something else. But it's definitely a struggle. So it was no surprise to me that when I picked her up from school her teacher immediately started laughing and telling me how hilarious it was to watch Rachel get her picture taken. Thank goodness for digital photography, because they never would've done this when I was a kid, but the photographers apparently took twenty-some shots of my silly girl, trying desperately to get her to sit up straight, look at the camera, and smile a decent smile. Her teacher said she was leaning all over the place, saying, "PUPPIES!!" (which they evidently told her to say instead of "cheese") and contorting her face into all sorts of strange, cheesy smiles. I'll be very interested to see what they finally ended up with--she said they finally had two decent ones, so we'll see!
"Do you think Mommy should have a baby sometime?"
"No," Rachel declared, quite emphatically.
Daddy answered, "You don't think it would be fun to be a big sister sometime and have a little brother or sister to play with?"
"No, I play with my friends," she decided.
A week or two later, I was relaying this story to a friend of mine and Rachel overheard. She turned to me and said,
"Yes, I do want a baby. Can I have a baby, Mommy?"
I answered, "We'll see," (we hadn't told her our news yet, and still haven't--probably not until Christmas).
She excitedly replied, "I can't wait to have a baby in my tummy!"
Well, it's not quite what I had in mind, but at least she's a little more into the idea.....
*Last week was school picture retake day. She was sick on picture day, so we only had this one chance to get a decent picture. I didn't have very high hopes, because I know the struggle we have with getting her to actually look AT the camera and smile a decent smile, but we took our chances and ordered some anyway. Her eyes are always looking off to the side and she does a cheesy grin until you get her to stop thinking about posing and laughing about something else. But it's definitely a struggle. So it was no surprise to me that when I picked her up from school her teacher immediately started laughing and telling me how hilarious it was to watch Rachel get her picture taken. Thank goodness for digital photography, because they never would've done this when I was a kid, but the photographers apparently took twenty-some shots of my silly girl, trying desperately to get her to sit up straight, look at the camera, and smile a decent smile. Her teacher said she was leaning all over the place, saying, "PUPPIES!!" (which they evidently told her to say instead of "cheese") and contorting her face into all sorts of strange, cheesy smiles. I'll be very interested to see what they finally ended up with--she said they finally had two decent ones, so we'll see!
"Do you think Mommy should have a baby sometime?"
"No," Rachel declared, quite emphatically.
Daddy answered, "You don't think it would be fun to be a big sister sometime and have a little brother or sister to play with?"
"No, I play with my friends," she decided.
A week or two later, I was relaying this story to a friend of mine and Rachel overheard. She turned to me and said,
"Yes, I do want a baby. Can I have a baby, Mommy?"
I answered, "We'll see," (we hadn't told her our news yet, and still haven't--probably not until Christmas).
She excitedly replied, "I can't wait to have a baby in my tummy!"
Well, it's not quite what I had in mind, but at least she's a little more into the idea.....
Monday, November 09, 2009
the backstory
Things I haven't been able to write about for the last few months....
*In June we found out we were expecting again (just a month after the miscarriage). I was thriled and so convinced that this time everything would be okay. But in July we lost that pregnancy, too. It was a very, very hard time, but I didn't feel up to writing about it.
*In September we got another positive pregnancy test. We couldn't believe it, but were very, very cautious. I hardly told anybody. I couldn't get excited about it. I just couldn't bring myself to get my hopes up again like I did the last time. It's been a rough couple of months; very down because I couldn't be excited about possibly having another baby, and also feeling sicker than I've ever felt for a very extended period of time. I've had morning sickness almost 24/7 since the end of September. October was a very, VERY long month. I couldn't cook (smells and food have been completely unbearable, so my poor husband has been fending for himself for a long time, and Rachel's been eating lots of PB&J, mac and cheese, and turkey, cheese, and crackers!), couldn't sleep, couldn't do much of anything but think and worry.
*November 5th couldn't have come soon enough. In April we went in for the ultrasound thinking everything was okay, but were completely surprised to learn that there was no baby in the sac. I was so afraid that the same thing would happen this time. When we got to the doctor's office last Thursday morning we found out that the doctor had just been called to do a c-section, so we had to wait about an hour! Here I had waited all of this time, and I had wait another whole hour! It was the longest hour ever. My doctor's office is attached to the hospital, so we left the office and took a walk around the hospital grounds and through the halls--it brought back so many memories of the night Rachel was born and we had to walk the halls for two hours, waiting for my labor to progress!
So finally we went back to the office and the doctor had just returned. They took me right back and when the doctor came in she said, "I'm sure you must be on pins and needles and thought this day would never come, so let's take a look." I was so thankful that she understood and got right down to business! As soon as the picture showed up on the screen we saw the most beautiful sight in the world.....our little baby moving ALL over the place! It was so wiggly and active and wonderful! I started crying immediately, SOOOOOO thankful and relieved to finally, after all of those unsuccessful ultrasounds since April, see an active, healthy baby on the screen! I don't think I've ever been so thankful, so relieved, and so excited (well, except for April 9, 2006 when Rachel was placed in my arms for the first time....but this was pretty close!).
*The baby measured bigger than my original due date indicated it should have, so she moved my due date up by 8 days. I had been due June 7th, but now I'm due May 30th. In just a moment's time she skipped a week of my pregnancy, and I'm now one week closer to being out of this horrible first trimester! I'm 11 weeks today. And hopefully my morning sickness (which actually isn't too bad in the morning, but is worst in the afternoon and early evening) will go away soon.
*I've been on cloud 9 pretty much ever since Thursday. I feel like a 100 ton weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I know the journey isn't over, and there are plenty of other concerns between now and the day I get to hold this baby in my arms for the first time (and then a whole new list of concerns take over), but I feel like we've made it over the biggest, hardest hurdle, and I can relax and breathe a little now.
So when I said that a picture is worth 1000 words in the last post, I meant it....1000 words of thanksgiving and relief are all wrapped up in that one little picture. I think it's now my favorite picture ever...well, until the next one in January (when we can hopefully find out if it's a boy or a girl!).
*In June we found out we were expecting again (just a month after the miscarriage). I was thriled and so convinced that this time everything would be okay. But in July we lost that pregnancy, too. It was a very, very hard time, but I didn't feel up to writing about it.
*In September we got another positive pregnancy test. We couldn't believe it, but were very, very cautious. I hardly told anybody. I couldn't get excited about it. I just couldn't bring myself to get my hopes up again like I did the last time. It's been a rough couple of months; very down because I couldn't be excited about possibly having another baby, and also feeling sicker than I've ever felt for a very extended period of time. I've had morning sickness almost 24/7 since the end of September. October was a very, VERY long month. I couldn't cook (smells and food have been completely unbearable, so my poor husband has been fending for himself for a long time, and Rachel's been eating lots of PB&J, mac and cheese, and turkey, cheese, and crackers!), couldn't sleep, couldn't do much of anything but think and worry.
*November 5th couldn't have come soon enough. In April we went in for the ultrasound thinking everything was okay, but were completely surprised to learn that there was no baby in the sac. I was so afraid that the same thing would happen this time. When we got to the doctor's office last Thursday morning we found out that the doctor had just been called to do a c-section, so we had to wait about an hour! Here I had waited all of this time, and I had wait another whole hour! It was the longest hour ever. My doctor's office is attached to the hospital, so we left the office and took a walk around the hospital grounds and through the halls--it brought back so many memories of the night Rachel was born and we had to walk the halls for two hours, waiting for my labor to progress!
So finally we went back to the office and the doctor had just returned. They took me right back and when the doctor came in she said, "I'm sure you must be on pins and needles and thought this day would never come, so let's take a look." I was so thankful that she understood and got right down to business! As soon as the picture showed up on the screen we saw the most beautiful sight in the world.....our little baby moving ALL over the place! It was so wiggly and active and wonderful! I started crying immediately, SOOOOOO thankful and relieved to finally, after all of those unsuccessful ultrasounds since April, see an active, healthy baby on the screen! I don't think I've ever been so thankful, so relieved, and so excited (well, except for April 9, 2006 when Rachel was placed in my arms for the first time....but this was pretty close!).
*The baby measured bigger than my original due date indicated it should have, so she moved my due date up by 8 days. I had been due June 7th, but now I'm due May 30th. In just a moment's time she skipped a week of my pregnancy, and I'm now one week closer to being out of this horrible first trimester! I'm 11 weeks today. And hopefully my morning sickness (which actually isn't too bad in the morning, but is worst in the afternoon and early evening) will go away soon.
*I've been on cloud 9 pretty much ever since Thursday. I feel like a 100 ton weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I know the journey isn't over, and there are plenty of other concerns between now and the day I get to hold this baby in my arms for the first time (and then a whole new list of concerns take over), but I feel like we've made it over the biggest, hardest hurdle, and I can relax and breathe a little now.
So when I said that a picture is worth 1000 words in the last post, I meant it....1000 words of thanksgiving and relief are all wrapped up in that one little picture. I think it's now my favorite picture ever...well, until the next one in January (when we can hopefully find out if it's a boy or a girl!).
Thursday, November 05, 2009
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