Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with Chris' family this year.  Since we live out of town now, we stayed the night.  It was so much fun spending the day with them.  I got to help prepare dinner for that night, although my Mother-in-law did most of it.  I helped where I could ;)  We also had a visit from Santa!  The kids had a blast!  Here are a few photos from that night.  I'll post Christmas day later.

Christmas Eve breakfast

Mark with Santa Claus

the kids telling Santa bye

opening presents

Tag Junior from Big Daddy and Mimzy!  He loves this gift.

He was excited about his pillow pet too!

Our family on Christmas Eve :)

36 weeks

I had my 36 week check-up today, and got some fun news :)  I am dilated to 2 cm already, and I'm 70% effaced!  I have also gained 3 more lbs since my last visit; total of 28 lbs gained.  My blood pressure was great and so were my measurements.  She is also head down!  I am so ready to meet my little girl.  I want to put a face to this little wiggle worm in my belly!

I'll post some recent belly pics soon and post about Christmas.  I have a few days off work for the New Year, so hopefully I can get around to updating the blog.

Hope everyone is having a good week :)

35 weeks

I can hardly believe that I'm 35 weeks pregnant.  I feel like it was yesterday that I found out we were having another little one.  I'll never forget that day...shocked doesn't begin to describe how I felt!  Now in just a short few weeks I'll be holding and loving on my precious new daughter.  I can't wait!  I can't wait to see how gorgeous she will be and if she will look more like me or her Daddy.  I know she will be a wonderful addition to our little family :)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours and many blessings for a wonderful New Year!

Christmas at Maw-Maw's

We had Barnes' family Christmas last night at my Maw-Maw's house.  We had so much fun visiting with each other and laughing.  I enjoyed watching the kids play with each other and watch Mark interact with his girl cousins.  I know it will be even more precious to watch him with his little sister.  He's so loving and caring when it comes to babies!  I sure wish Paw-Paw was still with us to see all the little ones in our family now.  I miss him so much, but I know he was there with us last night.

34 weeks...

and feeling HUGE!  I had another check-up today and have now gained 24 lbs.  I gained 2 lbs since my last visit.  My blood pressure was a little higher than usual, but nothing too alarming for the nurse or doctor.  It was still close to textbook, so I guess that's good.  I'm still working and feeling pretty good.  My back has started to hurt more quickly since my belly is now huge, but I'm hanging in there.
I haven't taken a belly shot this week yet, but I'll post it later this weekend.

In other news, Mark is headed into the terrible 3's.  Did anyone else ever hear of that??  I know terrible 2's, but 3's?!  Geez...He's being more and more stubborn and opinionated.  He's a sweet boy, but sometimes he is so foul.  It's similar to being bi-polar in a way.  You never know which one you are going to get and it can change at anytime!  I'm hoping this stage passes quickly.  I keep telling myself it's just a stage, and he's trying to figure out how to further express himself about his feelings.  I also know he learns a lot of this behavior from the kids in his class.  I hope I can quickly change his behavior....Please someone tell me the 4's are much easier.  I need something to look forward to ;)

33 weeks!

I can't believe that I'm already 33 weeks!  Time is flying by and I can barely keep up.  Work has been insane on top of trying to keep up with an energetic, wild little boy ;)  Auburn's success=huge business for us and right now people are loving some Auburn!  Who can blame them, right?!  Anyway I have been feeling drained by the end of the day, but really great considering how much I'm on my feet all day.  I have great luck, and I'm so grateful my body really was made to have babies!

My check-up this week was right on target.  My blood pressure was great, and I gained 4 lbs since my last visit. I have now gained a total of 22 lbs.  I gained 30 with Mark and will probably gain about the same or more with this pregnancy.  Alyssah's heartbeat was 127.  I go back to the doc on the 16th and then I start every week check-ups.

I am getting ready to meet my sweet baby girl!  Here is my belly shot for the week. I'm a few behind...

Thanksgiving 2010

Our little family

My big boy!

sweet cousins

Iron Bowl 2010

Our family went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Iron Bowl this year, and we had a blast!  Here are a few pictures.  War Eagle!!!  It was a great day on the Plains...28-27!  How sweet it is :)

31 week check-up!

Well I continue to have excellent check-ups, and this week was right on track :)  I have gained 2 more lbs., a total of 18 lbs gained now!  I'm getting on out there, and gravity is not my friend most days, but I'm feeling pretty good overall.  Alyssah's heartbeat was 142, and belly is measuring perfectly.  I have been busy lately getting most of her clothes washed and ready for her.  I have already set aside most of the things I will be taking to the hospital for her too.  I know I'm early, but what's the point of putting them away when I'll be pulling them out in a few weeks anyway ;)  I'm getting very excited for my daughter's arrival.  It's so weird to say that still...  I still have some things to get for her, but it's coming together.  My friend and I still have to sew her bumper for her crib, but hopefully we can get that done before Christmas.  Life is starting to get a little chaotic with the holidays approaching!  I love it :)  Happy Thanksgiving!

Shutterfly's photo card promotion!

This year Shutterfly is doing a blog promotion for their photo cards.  All you have to do is blog about the promotion, talk about your favorite cards and you get 50 free!!  It's an awesome deal, plus they have some great designs.  I have been looking at several other sites, but Shutterfly has such a huge selection that I have found so many I like!  It's going to be so hard to choose. Click here to get started.

Our family is in the process of changing, and I wanted to document that this Christmas season.  Next Christmas we will have a little girl to add to our family photos.  One of our friends recently took pictures of us as a family and of just me and Mark.  This one is my favorite.  I wanted to select a card that I could use for several pictures.  This is the one I will most likely use, although there are others that I love.  Click here!



I also like this one. Click here to see!  This is an option if I only use 2 pictures.



And if I decide to just use one picture, I like this one.  I love how elegant this one is!  Click here!



And just because this one is fun... Click here!



Now that I have told you about this awesome opportunity, if you are interested here's the link :)
I hope all you bloggers out there take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.  It will help you out, and you will be getting a fabulous product.  I ordered a photo book from Shutterfly last year, and it turned out great.  Go here to see what they have and how to get started!
I'm getting very excited about Christmas, and I can't wait to order my cards!

30 weeks and growing!

I had my check-up last week (29 1/2 weeks), and everything is still going great for me and baby Alyssah.  I gained another 2lbs, now a total of 16 lbs gained.  My belly is right on target and blood pressure was good.  Her heartbeat was 136.  I am now starting to feel very pregnant, but it's almost over.  I know once the holidays roll around, it will be no time.  By the way, I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week!  I guess I need to start Christmas shopping...

Here are the latest pics :)

29 weeks at my baby shower...pics coming soon!

30 weeks...today actually :)

October 30, 2010

On October 30, our friend Kristy took some family pictures of us as well as a few maternity shots of me and Mark!  I wanted to include him as much as possible so he wouldn't feel left out.  I never took any cute shots when I was pregnant with him, plus he such a proud big brother already.  Here are a few...there were way too many to include them all in this post.  Some I have saved for later postings.  Just to keep you guessing ;)

 This one turned out to be my favorite :)

and just for fun...Isn't my belly button hilarious?!  It looks like a perfect nose!  HA!

Wordless Wednesday!

 

:)  My heart smiles!

28 week pic!

my pumpkin at 28 weeks!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween festivities!  I'm ready for Thanksgiving now :)

Halloween 2010

This Halloween weekend was almost as busy as last year's!  Our niece's birthday party was Saturday, we took family/maternity pics, then we had trunk or treating.  I'll post about the party and pics later.  For now I wanted to share a few pictures from Halloween night. . .

Our family!

Trunk or Treating

This is the aftermath of trunk or treating...he was worn out!

Leah Grace is here!

Leah Grace Barnes

My niece, Leah Grace was born on Wednesday, October 27th at 5:04 EST at the Columbus Medical Center.  She weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz. and was 19 inches long.  She is beautiful and perfect.  She was sleeping so sweetly the whole time I was there for a visit.  Mark didn't know what to think about her.  He stared at her the whole time, and wanted to know where she was at all times.  I CANNOT wait to see him with his sister!

It just made things so much more real.  I am about to have two children, two little sweet lives!  My heart is so full of so many things right now.  As I am heading into my 3rd trimester (yes, it flew by!), I am anxious, excited, a little nervous, happy, tired...I could go on and on.  I am beyond joyful to be having another child, especially a little girl, but I am a little nervous.  I have been content up until now, but it's getting so close now I'm beginning to have overwhelming thoughts about delivery.  I know that I will be taken care of.  I know that God is here and has been.  I know that trusting in him will put my fears at bay.  I just have to keep telling myself that.  I know I've been through labor, but they are all different so I guess that's what makes it scary.  I'm also going to be at a different hospital.  I loved the Medical Center in Columbus and always thought that's where I would have all of my babies, but I know East Alabama is a wonderful hospital too.  I also love my doctor, so that helps a lot :)  I'm just feeling so many things, and it's exhausting.  I wish I could just turn my brain off!  ha!  Pregnancy is a wacky journey, but at least I'm lucky enough to be on this crazy ride :)  I wouldn't have it any other way!

27 1/2 weeks and growing!

I had my 27 week appointment this morning, and everything went great!  I had my glucose test, which is not my favorite but I passed with flying colors :)  I wasn't worried, but it's good to know that all is as it should be with my health and my little girl's.  Her heartbeat was 144, and I'm now on an every 2 week check-up schedule.  I weigh 128 lbs now, so that puts me at a total of 14 lbs. gained and 7 lbs since my last visit.  She is really starting to grow and last week my stomach hurt so bad from stretching.  My body is adjusting now though.  I'm feeling normal, just really big and pregnant.  Some days I can't wait to have my body back, but I'm trying to enjoy these last weeks of feeling life inside me.  It truly is the most amazing feeling in the world!  I am so lucky as a woman to experience pregnancy and birth.  So the days I don't feel comfortable or long to have a little belly again, I make myself think about how awesome this experience is and soak it up!

Here are a few pics since my last belly post:

24 1/2 weeks

26 1/2 weeks

26 weeks, 6 days

 My niece will be here tonight, so I'll be blogging about her in the next few days.  Her arrival is making me anxious for my little girl's, but I know she's not ready yet ;)  Happy Wednesday!  Can't wait for Halloween festivities this weekend!

pumpkin patch 2010

I love having family traditions, and one that I started every fall was going to the pumpkin patch.  Last year I took Mark with friends.  This year we went as a family and had fun, even though it was way too hot to be October!  We went to the pumpkin patch in LaFayette, AL, and it was really cute.  We rode the hayride and it takes you to an actual patch where you pick out your pumpkin.  Here are the pictures from our family trip.  I took Mark to another patch in Columbus, same as last year, with friends this past weekend.  I'll post pictures from that trip later.