Dennis turns 40, we celebrate 13 years (2018)

Dennis’ big 4.0 happened September 14, 2018. I planned a surprise birthday dinner for him, invited some of our favorite people, and we enjoyed an evening celebrating him. 

My mom so graciously stayed back and watched the kids, but looking back, I wished she would have been there instead. 

At around 14 weeks pregnant here, I knew that we had one more opportunity to go away for a weekend before I wouldn’t be able to again for at least a year once the baby was here. And, so, we rented a house on AirB&B and spent the weekend in Union, WV. We made a couple of stops along the way. 

We had a wonderful time, and was happy to come home to Daniel and Sara. It was very relaxing. 

Finding out about David

A friend suggested I take a pregnancy test, and completely unaware, I took Daniel and Sara to eat Chinese, stopped by the dollar tree, grabbed a test, and took it. I got the SHOCK of my lifetime. And so, we decided to invite our parents to dinner and share this crazy unexpected news!!!! 

At around 6 or 7 weeks we got our first look, and was overjoyed with a healthy positive report! 

We went to the beach and celebrated Sara’s 1st birthday while there. I was about 8 weeks here and struggling with morning sickness pretty bad. In fact, it lasted until around 20/25 weeks. 

Whoa! What happened?!

So so so so so much has happened since my last blog post. 

We had another baby!!!! 🥴🤣😂 

And for the first time in our lives we didn’t mean to do that, but we’re so glad we did!!!! 

5 months old- Sara Jaymes

On February 6, 2018 Sara hit her 5th month, and it's been a month of adjusting for sure. This month has brought a lot of routine, but it has also been a routine that I have needed to be flexible with because she is changing. 

BIG adjustment #1: SLEEP

She moved recently from being swaddled and sleeping exclusively in our room at night in her Rock'n Play to being moved to her bed fully swaddled, which provided a little solitude until the middle of the night. She is till waking up, which meant that I was getting back up in the middle of the night SEVERAL times to soothe and/or nurse her back to sleep. 

She started trying to roll over in her bed, so that meant that she needed to transition from being fully swaddled to either partially swaddled, or just wrapped around the torso. The one arm out transition seemed to go pretty smoothly, but she was still waking up. At this point she is fully hands free, but we still wrap around the torso as we are transitioning her out of it completely. 

She is struggling with this quite a bit as she is taking her paci out, unable to find it, unable to reapply it, and coupled with rolling over and getting herself stuck around the edges of the crib, nap times are especially difficult and night times aren't feeling much more restful than those early newborn days. I know that this is just a phase, and I know that in the big scheme of things it is very short, but it still has me anxiously awaiting when she has learned to sleep without a ton of help from me. I know she's still so little, but I believe she can do it. In due time. :) 

Here are a few pictures of our progress. 

Transition #2: EATING 

She is still breastfeeding without any supplementation from formula, but I have added a little oatmeal mixed with banana at night right before bed or some smashed sweet potato mixed with expressed mommy's milk to help with practice and also for help staying asleep. I am not sure it's helping, but she's enjoying it and I am comfortable with the amount of food she is eating. 

This girl has lately been VERY CRANKY. And this photo is evidence of an evening last week when I had company coming over, a dinner to cook, no extra hands. Solly Baby Wrap TO THE RESCUE! 

These photos below are a few that I took to mark her 5th "birthday" and I think she just looks so sweet. 

Milestones: 

She is rolling both ways without any trouble, she is sitting up with support pretty awesomely. She is able to grab a toy with either both hands, or just one hand. She can get anything in her mouth it seems. She is giggling more and more now. 

Naps: 

3: morning, afternoon, and sometimes a short one in the evening. 

Diapers: Size 2 

Clothes: 6-9 months 

Sara Jaymes is our sweet gift and we love her so. 

Sara's 4th Leap. (Rolling, Holding a Bottle, Giggling, and Eating Toes!)

Sara has been doing some awesome things for the first time this week! She started out by rolling over!!! Woohoo! She has not done it again, but I was so happy to see her do it! 

That same day, I handed her a pumped bottle to drink thinking she would drop it, but SHE HELD IT! And she fed herself the entire thing. In a lot of ways, I am so glad that she doesn't eat primarily from a bottle because I could see myself getting so busy that I would never hold her. So, I am glad that this isn't a habit for us, but I do love that she can do it. It makes her look so grown up. 

Then, she GIGGLED. She hasn't yet made it something that she has done even again, but I was happy to get some sweet short giggles from her. 

 And then, what could possibly be my absolute favorite, EATING THE TOES!!!!! It is just so cute, and it keeps her happier and occupied longer than any toy ever could.

Celebrating Daniels 7th Birthday!

Daniel turned 7 years old this past week! I had a hard time with him turning 5 years old because to me it meant that we went from "toddlerhood" to "boyhood" and 7 definitely represents a true BOY. We are a tween yet, and I am so thankful. 

We celebrated three separate days! :) 

I love his smile in this video! 

I made him a birthday cake! 

We are an essential oils family. . .

 When I became pregnant with Sara at the end of last year, I quickly realized I would need to take medicine for heartburn, aches and pains, colds/respiratory help and knew that I didn't want to take a lot of over the counter products, and a lot of them I couldn't take even if I wanted to. (Like ibuprofen) So, I started really researching essential oils even though I had the interest before, but now it was time.

In April I bought my Young Living Essential Oils Kit, did a LOT of research on oils and what they are good for, and started using them, diffusing them, mixing rollers, and making DIY things at home like hand soap, face wash, belly butter, etc. I LOVE them, and I believe that we've all remained overall healthier for them.