The Day Before Love

Today we celebrated (fake) Valentine's Day!  We had a great time, but I have to say that it felt surreal to me.  This was our last day as a family of four....crazy!  Here's what we were up to:

Goodies!!

It's funny how much my girls love dollar store items!  

Morning Fun!

Some of Daddy's Favorites

Kerri Grace was invited to a fun little Valentine Party.

Too cute!

32 Degrees with Daddy!

Creative Wrapping, Handsome Valentine

My Stella and Dot charms were discontinued, but Matt searched far and wide to find an "O" for Oliver.
He's too good to me!

Tomorrow morning is "go time," and while I am so excited, there are definite nerves mixed in.  I have had an "almost cold" with a little bit of congestion and a scratchy throat.  I'm sure it is nothing, but it makes me on edge.  Please pray with me that the Lord protects Oliver from getting sick.  Thanks!  Also, pray for a safe and smooth delivery at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.  I appreciate your prayers so much, friends.  I can't wait to post pictures of my little guy!!  

Happy Love Day to All!  

Busy Waiting

The essentials are done....

Nursery ready - check!

Car Seat clean, installed, and checked out with Safe Kids - check!

Oliver's bag packed - check!

Mommy's bag packed - almost

There's still plenty to do this week, but it still seems like it is dragging by.  With my personality, the more time I have, the more I think of to do.  And, usually sometimes when I am not careful, the more I think of to worry about.

So....this is what I praying about and trying to choose to do.  I choose to praise God in advance for a healthy baby boy being born on Thursday.  I choose to put my energy towards Maggie's school projects, and both of the girls' Valentines.  I choose to plan an early family Valentine's Day outing on Wednesday.  I choose to get a pedicure today or tomorrow (only to help ease the worry, of course. =)).  I choose to take Kerri Grace to a special time with friends on Wednesday morning.  I choose to stay positive and be productive instead of paralyzed.  

  I can't wait to meet my sweet boy!

In my opinion, the pictures don't do it justice, but here are a few shots of my little man's room:

Donuts with Dad!

Our girls both had "Donuts for Dad" last week.  Matt was super dad, and he took the girls individually to their special "Donuts for Dad" morning.  I love him every day, all the time, but there are those times when it is just a tiny bit extra.  This past week was one of those times! I know that it's unusual to have a husband and daddy who is hand-on and involved with his family.  Matt is most definitely that for us!

Here are pictures of the girls heading off to enjoy some quality time with Daddy:

Tick Tock, Tick Tock...

Our time as a family of four is running out!  The last couple of weeks, I have had zero energy, but I have made myself push through it....partly because there are a few things that I still have to do to prepare for Oliver's arrival and partly because I want to soak up every minute as a mom of just girls.  (Plus, I know that we will be "out of commission" for a while after sweet little man gets here.)  

It's funny, but I think Maggie can feel the sense of urgency, too.  That, and she is just as much of a social butterfly as her Mommy.  So, Maggie and I have been busy planning play date after play date.  So fun!  Here are some pictures of our frenzy to hurry up and have fun:

We had the Fowlers over for dinner.  Maggie was so cute.  She helped Mommy and Daddy clean and she made several cute Valentine's decorations.  I love that she is so festive!

Mommy and Kerri Grace went to "table time" with the Osborn girls.  It took Kerri Grace a little while to warm up to the idea of having fun without Maggie, but she got the hang of it.  Plus, who can't have fun in the company of Miss Elizabeth, Belle, Lucy, and Sylvie?!

We went on a play date with one of Maggie's friends from school.  She has been working hard to arrange this play date, and she has another play date with a friend from school in the works, too.  She is so silly!  (This year, I have had to adjust to planning play dates with the friends she chooses some.... instead of just always playing with the kids of my friends.  It has been so fun seeing her blossom in that way, though, and I have loved making new mommy friends.)  

Boy have we had fun!  Now, it is time for Mommy to go take a nap. Ha!  

Happy Monday, Ya'll!

Ramblings of a Very Pregnant Mom

Two weeks from today (on Valentine's Day), we will be welcoming our sweetheart baby into this World!

His bag is almost packed!

Look at that sweet face!

I am very excited, anxious, ready, overwhelmed, uncomfortable, blissful, and the list could go on and on.  Mostly, I am thankful.  I am so thankful for this little life!  I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be pregnant for 37 weeks with a healthy baby.  I am thrilled with every kick and roll, and every sweet sweet sound of a steady heartbeat on the monitor.  I do not deserve this blessing (just as I didn't deserve my first two), but I am too grateful to even put it into words!

Today was crazy.  Kerri Grace decided to spike a fever last night after several days of coughing and a runny nose.  So, I squeezed in a doctor's appointment for her right before rushing over to my OB check-up.  (I am fairly certain that this is just the beginning of hectic mornings for us. Ha!)  Turns out, she has strep.  Yuck!  But, according to my doctor, strep is a good illness because it is not contagious after a day on antibiotics, and she should be feeling better in no time.  Whew....  She was pretty cuddly today (which I loved).  She snuggled up with me and my ginormous belly, and she told Oliver over and over how much she loved him.  Precious!  That is one of those moments in time that I wish I could just bottle up and hold onto forever.  I pray that my sweet Kerri Grace enjoys being a big and little sister, and she always feels loved and appreciated (never like the overlooked middle child).

We picked up Maggie from school, and discovered that Mrs. Renee had pulled her second loose tooth.  What in the World?!!  How could she have lost her second baby tooth already?!!

Showing off her tooth.

I pray that my conscientious firstborn loves being the oldest, and although I know she will enjoy being my helper, I want to make sure that I don't ever give her too much responsibility.  She is only little once, and as I am seeing more and more recently, her childhood is flying by!  

After Daddy got home, we had dinner and bathed the girls.  They both agreed where they wanted Daddy to read to them tonight....Oliver's nursery.  

What a sweet sight!

I apologize for the ADD stream of thoughts, but bottom line is this....I can not wait to add my sweet little man into our little world of girls!  

Here are a few prayer requests, if you think about it....

• Pray for a healthy baby boy to be delivered at 8:00 am on Valentine's Day.
• Pray for me to not be too anxious or worried about Oliver's health and the delivery.
• Pray for our girls to adjust to our family of five.
• Pray for me to be a patient, loving, and organized mom of three.

Happy Two Weeks Until Heart Day, Everyone!!

Firsts

Recently, we have experienced a lot of firsts, and we have had a lot of fun in the process!

Here's a rundown of what I'm talking about...

We have a baby boy on the way which means that we have had a lot of blue entering our house!

(My sweet playgroup friends and sister-in-law gave me a super fun shower.  Yay!)

Love his sweet monogram!  Thanks, Angie!

Blue, blue, and more blue!  Love it!

Candid shot of my sweet (and expressive) friends!

Another candid shot of some special gals.

Mimi came to celebrate, too.

Maggie went bowling for the first time, and she loved it!  

Ready to have some fun!

Maggie is an Upward Cheerleader, and a really cute one at that!

The tunnel for the basketball players to run through.

These little girls can make a really big sound.

"Go, Upward Go!"

Maggie went roller skating for the first time.  She really enjoyed it, and as you will see by the pictures, so did Daddy!

Some of Maggie's cute little school friends.

This guy!

Sweet

Kerri Grace enjoyed watching  and walking around the skating rink.

13 and Up Race...so funny!

Going Home

My sweet grandma passed away two days after Christmas.  Even though she was 94, it was so sad to say goodbye.  And although her family and friends weren't ready for her to leave us, she sure was ready to be with her Savior.  I am so thankful!

 

I can only imagine what she is experiencing now!  Here are some of the things I will miss until I see her again...

 

Her patting and rubbing my hand and calling me, "sweetest one."

The cute little jokes she would tell.

Her reminding me (every single time I saw her) that I was so blessed to have Matt. 

Her going on and on about how cute and sweet Maggie and Kerri Grace were.

The way she took sin very seriously.

The knowledge that she was deligently praying for me.

Her.....just her.

  

I pray that when I look back on my life as a very old woman, I can see a life lived for the Lord.  I sure do see that when I look at my grandma's life.  We love you, Grandma!

 

 

 

 

 



 

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  -Revelation 5:9-13