Christmas!

We had an amazing Christmas! We cherish the time we were able to spend with family and the memories that were made this holiday season. We appreciate all of the gifts we received, from family and friends near and far. We wish we could have celebrated Christmas with everyone, but we just don't have the time available to do so. 

Joey was extremely blessed with gifts this year from family and friends! He has been nonstop playing with his new toys since he opened his Santa gifts on Christmas morning. He has especially enjoyed all of the time with family and attention he has received from everyone! He is such a little ham, he loves for all eyes (and cameras!) to be on him. 

Enjoy all the pictures! 

Our kitchen island was overloaded with Christmas cards, so I decided to make this card holder after seeing one on Pinterest. Super easy, just use wired ribbon and clothes pins! 

Joe helping me make the reindeer beer we gave to some of the men in our family! It was such a fun craft to do together, and the guys really loved receiving this gift. I'll try to find the tutorial I found on Pinterest and put the link on here.

He looks so grown up in this picture! My baby is becoming a very active little boy. 

 Empty boxes are always the most fun! 

Laying on his new sleeping bag with his Aunt Jordan  

 Say "Cheese"!

 Christmas morning

 Getting the first glimpse of what Santa brought him!

 One of my favorite pictures I took this Christmas.

 Taking a break for some milk.

 Lexi making sure it's safe enough for Joey to play with.

Funny Story... Joe had this jewelry box wrapped in heavy duty tape in a really good hiding spot so I wouldn't be able to peek. 

What was inside the ridiculously wrapped box :-) A couple of charms each of our babies, and one Eternal love charm for us! 

 Joe looking at the picture desk calendar I made for him on Shutterfly. Each month has pictures of things that happened in that month in our previous years of being together. I wish I made 2! He's taking his to work. 

Lexi checking out Joey's toys

Opening presents from MomMom and PawPaw!

Joey with Uncle Tommy

Aunt CiCi putting on Joey's adorable new boots they gave him! 

Looking at Papa Yates' Christmas tree

Yummy hashbrown casserole for Christmas morning breakfast. It was delicious and tasted just like Cracker Barrel's! 

Joe went above and beyond this Christmas. He gave me a beautiful bracelet and charms from Pandora (pictured above). Each individual charm carries so much meaning, I love wearing it and looking at it in admiration that he put so much thought into each charm he selected. He is truly an amazing husband and a wonderful father to his children. I couldn't ask for a better person to share the rest of my life with! 

Due to money being tight this year, we made a lot of the gifts that we gave out since we have so many people that we want to give presents to. I did feel guilty receiving so much from others and not being able to give back the same amount of gifts. I wish we were able to spend tons of money, but it's just not possible, especially with the arrival of baby Hayley in about 2 1/2 months! I hope everyone enjoys their gifts from us, and know that they were made with love. 

Now, time to get ready for the New Year! Not sure that we'll be able to stay up late enough to watch the ball drop on TV, but we'll certainly try! 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 
-Laura

29 Weeks

Busy with the holidays, I missed writing and posting for the 28th week. I'm lucky I remembered today to jump on here and blog! We'll have a busy weekend, we have family staying with us tonight through Sunday. I can hardly wait for them to get here! I baked pumpkin banana bread and muffins this morning. Yum! It is taking every ounce of self control in my body not to eat every bit of it!
We had a wonderful Christmas. We got to spend lots of time with family, and Joey of course was spoiled rotten with tons of gifts! We appreciate everything we received. Joey has been nonstop playing since Christmas morning when he opened Santa's gifts. I'll post more about it (with pictures) in a seperate post. 
Hayley has been a little mess. She definitely never lets me forget about her, she is constantly kicking and reminding me that she's there. Other than the back pain and pain down below (definitely not fun, might I add)  I really have not had any other "major" symptoms. Joe and I both think she'll come before her due date, but knowing my luck, I'll probably be 2 weeks overdue before she decides to make her appearance!

What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Now weighs 2 1/2 pounds and measures about 15 inches from head to heel. 
• Lungs and muscles are maturing, getting ready for life on the outside! Her head is also growing to accommodate her growing brain. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Lots of lower back pain. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who gives me massages every night to help ease the pain. 
• I've had heartburn a couple of times in the past week, but nothing Zantac75 couldn't fix!

I posted a few weeks ago about seeing a doctor with the Perinatal Mood Disorder clinic. That didn't work out so well. My midwife informed me that they are increasingly busy during the holidays, so taking in new patients took more time than usual. How do you tell a hormonal pregnant woman with heightened anxiety that she has to WAIT even longer to have her issues addressed?! I told her the wait was adding to my anxiety, so we both decided that a low dose of Zoloft would be worth a shot. I haven't felt this good and "normal" since before I had Joey! Normally I would be completely against taking any medications, especially while pregnant. After doing some research and talking to other moms that I know that also take Zoloft, I decided to try it out. I am so glad that I did. I have been happy, more patient with Joey, thinking more positively, and it has even improved my relationship with Joe. I was always so miserable and my fuse was so short before Zoloft. 

We have been blessed with such amazing friends who have given us clothes and necessities for Hayley! We have received boxes and bags FULL of their girls outgrown clothes, mostly sizes newborn-6 months. I am so relieved that we don't have to worry about buying clothes for her first few months here. We are so thankful for everyone who has helped us out! 

Now that the holidays are behind us, we should be able to start working on the nursery more. We still have A LOT we have to do. Hopefully it will help the time pass quickly until she gets here. 

We got a minivan! Woohoo! I never thought in a million years that I would be a minivan mom. Growing up, my sister and I would always talk about how we would drive SUV's so we wouldn't have to drive a van. Well, I am in love with it. We bought an '06 Honda Odyssey that is in excellent condition and rides like a dream! Space is no longer an issue like it was with our little Kia Sportage. I will miss the backup camera and the heated leather seats, but not THAT much. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! 

-Laura

27 Weeks

So, I started on my 26 Weeks post last week, and forgot to finish. Oops!

Today is super special though, because I am officially in the third trimester! Woohoo!! 2/3 of the way to the finish line. I can't wait to meet her. I **think** I have settled on the name Haley Grace. I need to start calling her Haley, that will probably help me come around to actually call her by that name. 

What's up with Baby Pitt Haley:

• Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus at this stage shows different sleep cycles, including dreaming! What could she possibly dream about? 
• Baby now measures 16 inches from head to heels.
• Weighs about 2 1/2 pounds. 
• She can now blink her eyes, cough, more intense sucking, and better breathing. 
• I can't tell if she is mad at me for something I ate and is beating me for it, or if she is happily dancing away, especially on my bladder! I'll take the latter :-) She has been one active little babe. 

How I've been feeling:

• I haven't had much heartburn in the past couple of weeks. I am glad I have had a break in that department. There were times I felt like I could breathe fire! 
• My body is very sore. Anytime I move, even while sitting, my back cracks and seems very stiff. I've tried stretching more and even a little bit of yoga, but it doesn't seem to help all that much. 
• I have been feeling extremely fatigued and like I'm in a "fog". I can't think clearly, and my attention span is pretty much non-existent. 

What We Have Left to Buy:

• Clothes size 3-6 months and up
• Diapers size 3 and up
• Wipes
• Accessories for her room (baskets to store diaper changing essentials on her dresser, closet organizer, dirty clothes hamper, and decorations)
• A minivan. No, seriously. Our little Kia Sportage is not going to cut it with 2 babes in car seats. I could barely get the double stroller in it, let alone anything else that would need to go in the trunk. 

Our wonderful friend Elizabeth gave us a HUGE box full of clothes! We are now all stocked up on newborn-0-3 months!! 

These are all the clothes we got from Elizabeth!

I scored a great deal last week on a double stroller off of Craigslist for $80, orginally $275. It is pretty used, but it is still in good condition. I'll take a few scuff marks on it to save that much money! 

Joey loves the new stroller!

Joe picked up a dresser/changing table off of Craigslist today for $30! I am so excited to be able to cross that off the list of things to have buy before she gets here. I can't wait to put all the little clothes in there that we have so far for her (mostly thanks to Elizabeth!). Now we just have to pick out a paint color for the crib we're sanding that matches the dresser since it's already white. Oh and a paint color for the walls... 

Not a great picture, sorry! 

Despite Joe and I having a head cold this weekend, we've managed to get a lot done! I made 4 Christmas gifts that turned out great. I don't want to post pictures yet, but I will after Christmas. Don't want to ruin the surprise! 

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! 
-Laura 

Fingerpainting Fun!

Joey had such a fun time fingerpainting! He eventually wanted me to clean his hands off, I guess he doesn't like to have dirty hands!

25 Weeks

What's up with Baby Pitt:

• 2/3 of the way through this pregnancy! Time is flying by. Hopefully we'll have everything ready for her arrival!
• Baby now measures 13 1/2 inches from head to heels.
• Weighs about 1 1/2 pounds. 
• Baby is growing more hair; maybe why I have had terrible heartburn?!
• Her eyes are starting to open now that the retina is developed. Not too much to see in there though! 
• She has been kicking up a storm. Especially when I lay down to go to sleep or when I eat something sweet :-) 

How I've been feeling:

• Heartburn! I hate it! When I was pregnant with Joey I had it, but I don't remember it starting this early. 
• My body is SO sore. My lower back feels like it it stretching so much it's going to pull apart.
• Sciatica has subsided for now. Yippee! i know it'll be back with a vengeance soon...
• Some days I forget I'm even pregnant. That won't be the case too much longer! 

Yesterday, Joe started sanding the crib we picked up on Craigslist for FREE! It is in good used condition, but it is dark brown and we want white furniture for our little girls room. He also started going through the closets in the nursery that we have been using for storage. I am so relieved to feel like we are making progress! We still have a loooong way to go and lots more to buy before she gets here, but I am oh so thankful to have a supportive husband to help me along the way.

I hope I'll be able to make the bumper for the crib this week. Maybe even the crib skirt if I have the energy! I can't wait to see the finished product. It has been such a fun and rewarding project to make her bedding myself. 

What we have left to buy:

• Clothes in all sizes up to 2T. I bought ahead for Joey and it has helped so much. 
• Diapers size 2 and up.
• Double stroller.
• Changing table/dresser combo.
• Convertible car seat.

I am sure there is probably 25 things I need to add to that super short list. But those are the big things that we need to focus on. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

-Laura

Thankful

I love this time of year. Pumpkin pie, spending time with loved ones, and being thankful for each and every special person in your life and just how much they mean to you. Oh, and did I say pumpkin pie? :-)

We're having our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, and while I have been mostly frantic trying to get the house cleaned and making sure I have all of the ingredients I need for cooking, I took a few minutes today to sit and really think about my life and where I am now. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me and I don't give myself enough opportunities to have these refreshing moments to myself to just think. 

Two of my favorite people in this whole wide world.

The person I am most thankful for is my husband. Even when I get frantic and somewhat out of control, he always helps me find my feet and gain control. I am sure he thinks that I am mostly ridiculous, but I know he loves my ridiculous self. 

I am thankful for God blessing me with our wonderful son. He can be a bucket of chaos sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He brings so much excitement, love, and happiness into my heart. Just when I feel that I am at my wit's end with him being a rascal, he turns on his sweet face and gives me a kiss and maybe even a quick cuddle. And instantly everything is okay in the world. 

I hope everyone has some time to themselves to really think about everything they have been blessed with and enjoy it all this holiday season. Of course there are many more things I am thankful for, but what I wrote above brought enough tears to my eyes! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Laura

One Of THOSE Days.

Ugh. Talk about an overwhelming week. I feel like any other "normal" person would be able to easily handle what I have gone through this week, but since my anxiety seems to be at an all time high, I feel like I'm on the verge of a major meltdown. 

So what's happened? 

Joey has had diarrhea the past 3 days. No fever, no other symptoms, just the nasty squirts. I feel terrible that he is sick! I also feel terrible that I feel like there is nothing I can do. I called his pediatrician's nurse advice line, and I keep missing their phone calls. So I had to call back and leave another message and just hope that I don't miss their call again. I'm still waiting. We've been giving him Pedialyte to make sure he's still getting the nutrients he needs. I've also only been feeding him yogurt, rice, toast, and a few bites of my mac n' cheese. He wanted it so bad I couldn't say no to him. 

Lexi, our dog is a stage 5 clinger! Every time I sit down, she has to be in my lap immediately. I remove her from my lap and 2 seconds later she's back again. I enjoyed this at first. Now, not so much. There are some moments that I feel like I need my own personal bubble to not be violated, and she's constantly in my bubble. Other than that, she's been a great dog. It's definitely something I'm going to have to get use to! 

I offered to host Thanksgiving dinner here at our house for my Dad and his family and my Mother-in-Law and her husband. I love them all dearly and I am so excited to spend time with them. I just let myself get too worked up about what I have to cook, clean, and do before their arrival that I'm already stressed to the max and it's not even Turkey Day yet. I need an "off" switch attached to my brain. I want to be able to enjoy everything about Thanksgiving and not let the small stuff overwhelm me. 

I finally made the call the the perinatal mood disorder practitioner this morning and left her a message. After I hung up, I put down the phone and sobbed. Is it because I finally took that step to get help for suffering through SOMETHING that I'm not sure exactly what it is yet? Is it because I am so damn hard headed that I feel like my pride has been tarnished? Is it because I have come to the realization that I am not supermom and can't work through my feelings no matter how hard I try? All of the above apply. I know I need help. And I promised myself and Joe that I would do everything I could to not suffer through postpartum depression (PPD) after this baby is born like I did with Joey which I never got help for. 

.Sigh. 

These are only the "big" things that have triggered my anxiety this week. Every little thing that happens (Lexi's spilled water bowl because of Joey, Joey has now figured out how to open the baby gate by shaking it ferociously, etc.) I almost have a complete meltdown over. 

Now I am going to go curl up in a ball until Joey wakes up from his nap and hope that I'll be in a better mood this afternoon. By the way, I have demolished a huge container of leftover macaroni and cheese already today and a nice big slice of pumpkin banana bread. Drowning my sorrows with food. 

-Laura 

Lexi, Our New Fur Baby

Joe and I have been talking about getting a dog. We both grew up with them, and loved having them around as kids. We wanted to be able to give our children that same experience. 

We have been searching Craigslist for the past few weeks. We did not want to buy from a breeder. We wanted to help someone out who could no longer care for their dog, or adopt from a rescue or shelter. We came across Lexi's post and fell in love. We adopted her from Mitchell Mill Animal Hospital Rescue in Raleigh. A friend of an employee there was vacationing in the mountains when they came across someone desperately trying to get rid of her. They told them if they did not take Lexi, she would be shot and killed that night. Without asking any questions, they brought Lexi home with them and to the animal hospital to get checked out. She has previously had a litter of puppies. I would have LOVED to have seen them! I'm sure they were tiny and adorable. They spayed her while she was there, and got her all caught up on her shots. She weighs 12 pounds, and the vet guessed that she is about a year old. 

She seems pretty happy and comfortable here with us. She fits right in and does wonderful with Joey. Our main priority in searching for the right dog for us was to find one that did well with kids. Joey can be rough and wild around the house, and she doesn't pay him any mind. She even lets him pull her ears and poke her eyes without even flinching! We of course don't let him hurt her though. 

Please excuse our messy house in the pictures! Tornado Joey comes through everyday and I don't even try to clean up until nap time. 

I am thrilled that she is potty trained! I was worried about having to work with her on it and having to get up at night with her. The first full day she did have 2 accidents in the house, but I wasn't upset over it because I knew she was adjusting to our home and being in a new place. She scratches the door when she has to go out. No guessing games with her! She sleeps next to our bed on the floor on a pillow underneath a blanket. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend!
-Laura