One More Makes Four

I'm A Terrible Blogger.

2012-01-02T11:14:00.001-08:00

It's a fact. I am not a very good blogger :) But, I have been busy! Ollie and Eva had such a good Christmas, I barely had time to take pictures. But I did make homemade cinnamon rolls for the first time :) Yummmm.

I also closed my TinyToppers shop and started the NEW Project non-profit. This way I can still craft and have a shop, but I can also donate- which I have been wanting to do for a long time now. There is also a new blog to follow what is going on with the new shop! Check it out to read all about it.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thenewproject?ref=si_shop

http://thenewprojectknits.blogspot.com/

Also in other, much bigger news, Ben was offered an internship job at f5 Networks, an amazing company, and it could possibly mean a full time job once he graduates!! Yay! Such a relief for us all, but I am SO proud of my hubby to get into this awesome company. It makes all the tough times worth it.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe new year!!

Family Pictures

2011-10-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Family pictures with the always amazing Justine! Love them so much! There are so many more good ones too, I wish I could put them all on here.

Well.....

2011-09-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is tough. Like right now. Ben lost his job last week. Things are going to be a lot different around here for a while.

It's definitely tough, but we will just keep trying to figure this out as we go along. Hopefully this is a blessing in disguise that will get him to his dream job a little faster then expected, since he has time to go to school full time now. We have to wait 4 weeks to find out if we can get money from unemployment, and then we will know what to do about his next job.

The kids of course have no idea. They are amazing and keep us so happy. We are so blessed to have them. Talk about sunshine on a rainy day :)

Oliver had an appointment with a pediatric opthamologist yesterday. They were amazing and he was so brave. Their whole office is geared towards kids which makes the whole thing so much easier. They said that he has strabismus in his left eye because its so hard for him to focus, plus he is farsighted. The first plan of action is to try glasses, which should keep his eye from crossing when he is focusing on something, and give the muscle a chance to strengthen. We ordered two pairs at Costco yesterday after the appointment, and hopefully they will be in soon. And of course there will be pictures. Ollie in his glasses is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen.

And more pictures:

Eva wears a hat....

Ollie favorite spot- digging in the dirt with trucks and sticks and rocks...

Summertime fun....

Happenings

2011-08-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy so far this month, between play dates, house projects and me getting ready for the next Bumps and Babies Fair. I am almost ready, just need to do a few more bear hats and then put all the tags on, and I'll be set. In the mean time, we had time for a fun bath in the newly redecorated "kid" bathroom, plus I have Kathryn's really nice camera since I borrowed it to take pictures at a friend's wedding. Of course right when the sun came through the window at the perfect angle, and they were playing so well, the camera battery died. But I did manage to get a few cute ones.

I also used it to take a few pictures of O and E modelling my hats.

On a more serious note, Ollie is going to a specialist soon to have his eyes checked out. We are pretty certain that he has some form of strabismus (like lazy eye). When he looks at something within reading distance, one of his eyes drifts towards the inside and he looks sort of cross-eyed. We feel like he is starting to notice it too, because he will squint etc to see things. Its tough to even think about something being not right with your child, but hopefully we will have some kind of information soon. Just trying to not over- think it for now.

Summer!

2011-08-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

I think its finally summer! On Monday we played in the sunshine in Bellingham, with Auntie K.

Vacation

2011-07-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

We had SO much fun.

And relaxed.

And sat on the beach while Ollie and Eva played in the sand.

We ate out a lot. We had a campfire on the beach and introduced our kids to s'mores and roasting marshmallows.

We jumped on beds and played in waves, and found an awesome playground where we played on my birthday. It was an awesome birthday, by the way. For you locals, I was surprised by a stop at Boehm's on the drive down to Oregon where I picked out truffles and fudge.

I loved how happy my whole family was at the beach. Apparently we have a couple of ocean-loving babies.

I already can't wait to go back.

Oliver Turns Three

2011-07-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my sweet boy! You are so amazing and we are SO proud of you! It's amazing the things you can do at just three years old. Potty trained, reading, writing, counting, kind and caring and so funny!

We had a birthday lunch with his (and my) friends... pizza ans cupcakes. Then for dinner, Grandma and Tom came over and we kept on celebrating. It was so fun to have parties on his actual birthday! He loved every minute of it.

I'm baaack!

2011-07-11T15:32:00.001-07:00

Wowzers, its been a while.

And we have been busy.

Lots to talk about! I'll try not to make this a monster post, but we'll just have to see how that goes.

Eva is one! We had an awesome party with friends and family. Oliver is turning three in just two days. I cant believe it! Time is flying...

We have been spending every free weekend working on our house since the weather is nicer. I have been on a bathroom remodeling kick. Two of the three are *mostly* done- still need a new light for the quest bathroom and some towels for the kids'. Love how they are turning out though, and I am so proud to say that I have done almost all the work myself!

Also, the biggest news of all-- we finally closed on our house and are officially home owners! Yay!

We are busy busy with two little ones, but enjoying the summer so far (the little bit of warm weather here and there) and visits from family and friends.

(Meghan this one's for you! Remember this swim suit you brought Eva when she was itty-bitty?)

Birthday post for Ollie in just a few days! I promise to update a little more often.

Getting Crafty

2011-05-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Eva's birthday is fast approaching! Here's a little preview of her "Guess Whooo's Turning One?" party....

I've also been working on some new floral hair clips for my next summer show....

And the real reason I am blogging today.... ( :) )......

The sneak peak of Eva's one-year birthday pictures, by the talented J. Shelton Photography.

http://jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com/2011/05/eva-is-almost-one-lake-stevens.html

Enjoy!

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

I dont even have any pictures, because I pretty much did NOTHING all. day.

It was awesome. I have the best husband ever! He made fresh/ homemade strawberry pancakes and we all sat on our big bed and had a yummy breakfast. It felt like getting room service in a hotel room. I got to take a long shower, with no kids under my feet or screaming outside the door. Then had a lazy afternoon, trip to Target (alone!) and went to dinner with my mom at Blazing Onion which was SO GOOD. We had an amazing giant piece of chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream for dessert. The kids were well behaved the whole time.

It was just such a good day. I hope all the other mothers were spoiled and got a chance to relax! Love you all, and I am so grateful to know such amazing women!

Happy Mother's Day!

Oh Yeah.....

2011-05-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have a blog!

Wow, its been a while! And we have some news (which most of you already know...), we are buying a house!!

We have been working on it for a few weeks now, and last weekend we officially moved in! There was a lot to do as far as painting, cleaning etc, and some bigger projects like getting appliances for the kitchen and laundry room ( we have a laundry room!!!) and putting shelves in all the closets. There is still a lot of unpacking to do, so pardon the mess. Here are some pictures of a few of the rooms:

Bean helping me take pictures...

Master bedroom, aka the Princess Suite....

Oliver's room....
Kitchen with our new appliances....
Kid's playroom.....
Eva's room....
Eating area/ fireplace... this fireplace goes thru the wall so you can see it on both sides! The family room is on the other side (picture to come)....

Breakfast nook area, still needs a small table, so I put their play kitchen there instead (this is to the side of the kitchen next to the front door)....

More pictures to come once we get more rooms finished. We are loving it! Can't wait to have everyone over for Eva's first birthday!

Photo Booth

2011-02-25T19:54:00.001-08:00

Beanie and I had some girl time tonight. She wore her first real hair clippie, and we took pictures.

Cuz that's what girls do.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

Happy [late] Valentine's Day to everyone!

Ollie was sick and didnt want his picture taken. Grumpy boy. But he did take this one of Eva and I.

And my new banner came in the mail yesterday, and looks great thanks to my talented hubby! Yup, that's a baby fork and teething toy holding it down. They were the closest thing to grab. For all the locals, dont forget about the Bumps and Babies Fair, coming up soon: http://www.bumpsandbabiesfair.com/

Sunshine Day

2011-02-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Little Things....

2011-02-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

This little thing is a big deal to me. I have agreed to lease a spot in a little eco-friendly boutique in Michigan, who I have been selling wholesale to for a while now. The hats are flying off the shelf there (thats what they told me), at a price I would have never dared sell them at. I feel like right now, all my efforts to make this a real business are coming together. They will now have TinyToppers hats in stock at all times, and I will have a (small) monthly income! Woohoo! I am so proud of my little hats.

I will be doing strictly organic cotton for this boutique, which just happens to be my favorite. You can get an idea of the shop here: http://rootandsproutbaby.com/

So..... in honor of needing new tags for my hats with no website on them, I decided it was time for an update. Ben and I (well, mostly Ben of course) have been working on designing an updated look for my tags, etc. I also ordered a similar banner (the horizontal version, which will be the same as the item tags) for my table at the upcoming Bumps and Babies Fair (http://www.bumpsandbabiesfair.com/).

Without further ado, the new face of TinyToppers! Love it. Did I mention that my husband does amazing work? Well, he does.

Thanks, Love. You're awesome.

Play Day

2011-01-31T21:27:00.000-08:00

Its still really cold here, but at least it hasnt been raining. Ollie keeps asking to go out and play, so today that's what we did. Rocks, dirt, leaves- what else can a little boy ask for? Oh yes-- a shovel to dig them with! Eva ate her first leaf, and Ollie counted his rocks, telling me "Three rocks, not two!" and "Take a picture of this one, Mommy!" (that was the last picture). He's such a big boy.

Dear Eva,

2011-01-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow you will be 8 months old. These have been the fastest 8 months of my life. You are growing and learning so fast! You have two cute little bottom teeth, with two more coming thru on either side of them, and two more on the top. You wave and clap. You smile at everyone, especially your big brother, who you adore. And he every morning, and after every nap he says "Eva!" when he sees you, and runs to you to give kisses and hugs. He says, "Hi Eva, I'm Ollie."

You are crawling, sitting up on your own, eating solid foods. You love sweet potatoes and pears. You are very attached to Mama, and cry if you can't see me, even for a minute. Unless Daddy is home, then you are very content. This morning you learned to climb the stairs! You pull up on everything and love to stand up and hold on to things.

You love to look (and chew on) books, legos, and small pieces of paper that somehow you keep finding, and then I have to take away. You sleep in your own bed now, but I had to take out your beautiful bumpers because you sleep with your face in them. Maybe when you get bigger I will put them back.

You are are so smart and happy. We love you so so much, but please, stop growing so fast!

Playtime!

2011-01-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Eva has been hitting milestones one after the other. She sits up on her own, and got her first tooth. She has started pureed baby foods, but unfortunately is not a fan. She loves to play with Legos and cars.

Ollie got a painting shadowbox project from his Grandpa for Christmas and we had so much fun putting it together! He loves to paint. Its a paint by number, so after I tried to explain that to him, he just painted on the numbers (a little too literal) and then painted over the whole thing :) Its pretty cute. Unless you cant tell, its supposed to be a plane, boat and car and truck.

Christmas Day

2010-12-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful day that I forgot to take many pictures. But here's what I did get:

Merry Christmas, All.

2010-12-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

EEEEEEE!!!!

I cant wait! I can't wait to spend Christmas Eve with Auntie K, making sugar cookies and watching the dogs play. I can't wait to put out all the gifts once the babies are in bed, and feel the anticipation of their (well, Ollie's) happiness and surprise in the morning! Its gonna be a good one.

Tomorrow we are going to have a "Christmas lunch" with at the Davis', and then on Christmas Day all my side of the family is coming to our house for the gift opening extravaganza. I am mostly excited to see the reactions because I did a lot of handmade gifts, and put a lot of thought into this year.

Last month we had our family pictures by the always lovely Justine of J. Shelton Photography. There are some gorgeous ones and I cant wait to get them up on the walls!

Hope you all have a very merry Christmas, and I'll be back with PHOTOS! after the holiday. Love to all!

And Emily- if you are reading this- I still havent mailed your gifts but I love you guys and hope you have a wonderful Christmas. I MISS YOU!!!

Home Life

2010-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Now that stores are mobbed and crazy, we have been staying home a lot. One day I built Ollie a fort with couch cushions and a blanket, and he added his tunnel. We took pictures and he wanted one with Mama and his truck, so we all posed for the camera, including the truck.

Last night I made a batch of dough to make doughnuts, and finished them up this morning. Soooo good. Here's the recipe if you would like to make some of your own.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/homemade-glazed-doughnuts/

I am loving this time of year when I can enjoy my littles and work on holiday projects. Today is also Ben's last day of class for this quarter, and I can barely contain my excitement! Its been a long couple months with him gone from 7:30am to 8:30 pm four days a week. Can't wait for his beak to start and get back to a better schedule.

Crafty!!

2010-12-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

Now that my hat shop is slowing down, I've had some time to make some things for my own family!

I got some of my own Christmas decor, and we are getting our tree tomorrow. I also made Ollie and Eva's stockings and got them all hung up on the stairs.

Last night I was looking at wreaths online and decided they are way too expensive, and I was going to make my own. So, we took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Michael's and I made a wreath for our door, and a yarn wreath for Kathryn (even though she doesn't know about it yet, hehe. I think they turned out great, and I am pretty proud of them. Nothing like instant gratification!

Ollie-isms

2010-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Oliver says and does the funniest things lately, so I am jotting down a few so I don't forget them.

Today he pretended to shave his face with my deodorant, sound effects and all.

He gave me a kiss at nap time and says "Just for you!"

He likes to watch football on tv and says "Run, run, run...fall down!!!"

He has started calling Eva "little bean" like Ben and I do.

When he thinks something is silly he says, "Oh man, no way!"

When you ask him his name he says Ol-ver Scott Davis. When you ask he Eva's name he says Eva Scott Davis.

Eva's Five Month Pictures

2010-11-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

My friend and awesome photographer came to our house and took some pictures of our little ones. We've been trying to do this shoot since Eva was three months old, and we finally got a time that would work for us both :) I am so in love with these!

Holiday Eva

2010-11-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Who the heck needs turkey?? I'm ready for Christmastime!

Something about having babies has made me a Christmas fanatic. I just cant wait to share it with them! Also, in preparation for the holidays in the Etsy world (which is now, by the way) I am making holiday style hats as fast as I can.

Sabrina and I are also doing a holiday bazaar at a HUGE church (that Ben and I used to attend before it was so huge), so if you dont hear or see me til after the 20th, that's because I'm making tons and tons of hats.

Halloween

2010-11-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to the zoo for some Halloween fun, with Ollie's girlfriend (and her parents). Then we went around to a few houses for some trick or treating, and Ollie did really well! We let him have a sucker when we got home and he was bouncing off the walls. Luckily the sugar crash was soon to follow :)

5 months

2010-10-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Baby Bean is 5 months old today! She is growing so big- wearing 6-9 month clothes, rolling both ways, learning to sit and babbling to anyone who will listen. She is such a smiley girl. She also still has her blue eyes and patches of blonde hair. Ollie is learning to be gentle with her, and loves to share his cars with her, and lay with her while she does tummy-time. Daddy makes her laugh the most, and she smiles as soon as she hears his voice when he gets home at night.

Music

2010-10-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

While reading another mom's blog tonight, I realized I used to really be into music. I loved it, I had a song for every occasion and feeling. I want my babies to know the joy of music, so hopefully by writing this out for all the interwebz to read, I will remember music during my day. Off to fish out my old CDs. Oh how I've missed you, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Pink Floyd, and Jett- which makes me dance around in a crazy way singing to a remote control microphone. Sigh. And of course there is the beloved Beethoven and Vaughan Williams.

Today's cuteness; the bean is growing up before our eyes. Oh how we love you, Eva Kate.

Hats, Babies and Wedding Dresses

2010-09-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am doing another consignment sale which starts this Thursday night. Only, this time its twice as big, so I have been knitting in every spare moment I have. I am also working on pictures of what I have made so I can add all the winter inventory to my shop once the sale is over.

Eva the supermodel:

The babies' heights and weights were checked today. Ollie is 31.8lbs and 35" tall. Eva is 13.14lbs and 24 inches long. They are growing kiddos! Eva is trying really hard to roll from back to tummy. Ollie is saying new words every day, and with minimal help can count to 30. Yup, 30. He also knows his letters and colors.

Ben is going back to school starting on Thursday. This quarter he will be at school four days a week, so I am trying to mentally prepare for next couple months, doing 12-13 hour days on my own.

In other random news, I participated in another Trash the Dress session. The photographers were fellow mamas who have their own photography businesses. We had SO much fun. We ran around downtown Seattle and even got in the fountain in our dresses.

Phew. So things have been busy. More to come soon :)

Picture Update

2010-09-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy the last couple weeks preparing for a consignment sale event that I was able to have a booth at, which was last weekend. It went really well, and was soooo nice to have a bit of extra money. So of course I had to search out another one since it went so well, and this one is three days instead of just one. So, I am already starting my fall/ winter line. I tried to get Ollie to model for me and this is the result: He wasnt pleased.

Eva, on the other hand, is the smiliest, most content little Bean. She has so much personality in her little self, and gets compliments wherever we go!
This was so funny, I just had to share. I think this is from him seeing the midwife use the doppler on my belly when I was pregnant! At least they are playing together, right?

Eva Has A Photo Shoot

2010-08-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

Two Year Appointment

2010-08-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Oliver had his two year check-up, and he did so well! The doctor says he's perfect :) He is 30.5 lbs, and almost 34" tall. He got one shot and was so brave! They put a band-aid on it which I think worries him more than the shot did.

We've been spending a lot of time outside in this warm, warm weather. Eva loves to hang out in a shady spot, while Ollie goes in the water and splashes and laughs.

Busy busy.

2010-08-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

Such is the life of a mama of a toddler. Go, go, go. Ollie seems to have endless energy, and he is really starting to play on his own- getting out his coloring books and crayons, taking things from the "big kitchen" and taking them to his own play kitchen to cook. He builds with legos and drives race cars. And then we eat, then we nap. Then after naptime, Daddy gets home and he runs to the door to meet him, asking me "Daddy home? Daddy home?" This is our day-to-day life, and I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it with two little ones, to the point that we can change it up, and go have outings and playdates again.

But in all my spare time I am knitting! Why? Because my shop is starting to pick up again now that people are starting to think about fall. But more importantly (for now), I am selling in a BIG fair that is part consignment sale and part boutique sale. Anything and everything for babies and mamas will be there, and I am so excited to have a booth. I feel like I have really found something I love to make in the longies. These are knit pants for babies who wear cloth diapers, or ones that just love some cute pants! They are so much fun, and I can't wait to participate in a sale that is geared towards my exact target audience! For all you mamas and mamas-to-be who are local, it is called the Bumps and Babies Fair, hosted by the owner of the Roosevelt Alehouse in Seattle, and will take place at the restaurant on Sunday August 29th. Here's the Facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/BumpsAndBabiesFair?ref=ts

Anyway, that is what is currently consuming my life, other than my children :) In baby news, Eva had her two month check up and got her first shots. She hasnt grown much in the last month, but is up to 11 lbs 6 oz. She is still about the same height as last month, and her head is just a little bit bigger. Everything is perfectly healthy. She loves to have tummy time and has great strength. Even her pediatrician was impressed! She also loves to try and roll over, but once she gets over, she gets upset and wants to go back to her tummy. Ollie loves to lay on the floor with her, and they have started having little conversations.

Here are the latest documentations of our daily adventures:

Sigh.

2010-07-20T23:17:00.001-07:00

Today has been a day of days. I keep thinking about all that has happened, so I am writing it here to make sense of it all.

Ollie is going thru a major jealousy phase, and I am reaching for patience I never knew I had. I think I told him "no" today more than anything else, and that makes me sad. Its so hard to give 100% to two different children, and I hope they are not suffering because of it. At least at the end of the day, all is forgiven and he goes to bed happy.

We had our very last appointment at the Birth Center today. Ever. I have been really emotional about it all day, because the women there are so amazing, and have given me the chance to have the births I wanted and needed. There was no way I could have had such an experience in a hospital, not to mention the connection our little family has with them now. Thank you midwives, for all the love and care you have given us the past three years, bringing our two babies into the world!

We have also decided that we are officially done having kids. Yikes, that's a scary thing to put out there, but its what we both want. I am a little sad to know that the excitement of pregnancy and births are done, but also SO relieved. No one tells you about the hard parts, and there are so so many, if I am going to be honest here. I am excited to have my self back, and really start being a mom!

And the most exciting thing...Ben was offered an awesome new job today, which he accepted! For him its a great change of pace in a company that is big enough that he can move up in. The benefits and salary arent bad either ;) We have always struggled with money, but this will be just enough to give us some relief, and another step towards owning a home someday, and getting something into our savings account- hopefully. I am so proud and happy for him! He does so much to take care of us, and I am very grateful! I love you, my love!

I will leave you with the cuteness that is our little bean, 7 weeks old, and 10lbs 10oz! She is getting so big!

Happy Birthday, Oliver!

2010-07-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we welcomed our little (well...big) boy into the world, two years ago! It has been a wonderful two years! He has grown so much, and learned so much, and even got a baby sister! We had a birthday party on Sunday and had so much fun. It was great to have everyone together to celebrate!

And Thank You Aunt Cris for the wipes!!!! :)

4th of July

2010-07-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th at my mom and Tom's house. It was so nice- lots of arms wanting to hold Eva, and Ollie got to spend lots of time with his beloved Grandma :) We had awesome food, took a short trip out on the lake with Ollie, and watched a fancy fireworks show from the living room- out the giant windows overlooking the lake.

The next (tired) day, we took Eva to her first appt with the pediatrician. The doctor says she is perfect, which of course we already knew. At 5 weeks old, she is up to 9lbs, 10oz and almost 23: long. She is 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height.

Here are some pictures from the 4th. The first one is of Eva wearing a dress that her Great Grandma Hackney made for her!

Newborn Pictures

2010-07-02T12:02:00.001-07:00

Now that Eva is 5 weeks old, here are some newborn pictures :)

Quick Eva Update

2010-06-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

We have had a few appts since she was born. She is still perfect and wonderful :)

At birth she was 7lbs 8oz.

One week old: 7lbs 15oz

3 weeks old: 8lbs 12oz.

She is growing so fast! She is waking up less and less at night, which is so nice for Mommy! Ollie is a very helpful big brother. He LOVES his coloring books from the Blanchards and Nana. Also, ha can almost count to 1o all on his own! In just a few weeks, we will be celebrating his second birthday. I cant believe he's so big already.

In other news, I had my first outing all on my own, with both kids. We went to Target, of course :) And it wasnt a total disaster! I think I am getting the hang of this.

Eva's Birth in Pictures

2010-06-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our Girl!

2010-06-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

On Sat, May 29th, we welcomed Evangeline Kate into the world. She was born at 5:01pm, at the Puget Sound Birth Center, weighing 7 lbs, 8oz, 20 in long! And I got to have the water birth I wanted so much. She was born at 38 weeks, 6 days.

This is the link to a sneak peak of her newborn photos!

http://jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/eva-beautiful-everett-area-newborn.html

We also had her birth photographed, since this talented photographer is also a friend of mine :) Here are some of the amazing photos she took:

http://jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/birth-of-eva-birth-photographer.html

Here is her birth story. Warning- it has ALL the details :)

Evangeline Kate, May 29^th, 2010, 7 lbs 8oz, 20 in

I got out of bed about 8:00 am on the 29^th(38 weeks, 6 days), went to the bathroom and had lots of bloody show. I had been having contractions on and off for weeks since we left the hospital (pre-term labor). I knew something was up, but waited to see what happened. By 10am, I had been having more intense contractions, enough that I had to really concentrate thru them, so Ben called the Birth Center. Nicole, our midwife, called back and we decided to labor at home for a little while longer, and then see where things were going. About 10 mins later, she called again. She said she had found out that at my appt last tues, I was 4.5 cm dilated, so she wanted me to come in right away instead! So, we slowly cleaned up, got things together, and my mom came to stay with Oliver. As soon as she arrived, we were out the door. It was a long car ride. I sat in the back so I could move around during contractions.

When we got to the Birth Center, Nicole was there with one of the student midwives, Jaqueline, who we had met a few times before at appts. They had the candle lit that shows there is a birth going on J I labored at the birth center for about an hour before I got in the tub, which really took the edge off the contractions, and pretty soon they were really spaced out, and things were slowing down. I got out of the tub, tried walking the halls, going up and down the stairs, sitting in the shower with the birthing ball. The contractions were still intense, but still spaced out. So, we decided to break my water and really get things going. At this point I was at 5cm. It was really emotional for them to break my water, just like I felt with Ollie. I kept thinking “she’s coming for sure now,” and was nervous for the pain. I immediately felt nauseous and thought I was going to throw up, but just dry-heaved a couple times. The next two contractions were SO intense. I wanted to go in the tub, but they wanted me to wait 20 mins, so she could get lower, but after I went thru the two contractions, Nicole suggested I just go straight to the tub. I felt like I had no idea how else to cope with the pain, so I was pretty happy that I could use the water. I had about 3 more contractions in the tub, and my body started pushing. Ben immediately recognized the noise, and Nicole came in and said she did too. I think we were all pretty surprised it was so soon. She told me to let her know if I felt any burning (head crowning). The contractions were so intense and long at this point. Only a few contractions later, I felt the burning and remember saying “She’s coming!” At this point I was screaming/ yelling thru them to be able to push effectively. I remember reminding myself that I needed to really push to get her out. I pushed thru about 3 more contractions, and her head was out! There was immediate relief. Ben was able to help the rest of her body out in the next push, when her shoulders came out, and then the rest of her body. It was all so fast and intense! Ben picked her out of the water and gave her to me. I kept saying “I did it!” I was so happy and relieved it was over!

When I looked down, I noticed that she was really purple, and Nicole was saying “talk to her, try to get her to breathe.” All the sudden things got serious. They were telling Ben he had to cut the cord (they usually wait a while) and as soon as he did they had her on the floor with a little tiny oxygen mask, pushing air into her lungs, which made her take her first breath. All the sudden she was pink and crying. It felt like forever, even though it was only a minute or two. It was like she hadn’t realized she was out and needed to breathe on her own, because the delivery was so fast.

She is a very calm and alert baby. She took to nursing instantly. We are so in love with her, and its so cute to see Ollie give her kisses and talk to her.

37 week Belly Pic

2010-05-17T12:21:00.001-07:00

36 weeks 5 days. I made it!

2010-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a pre-term labor scare, and I was sent to the hospital after having strong contractions all morning, expecting to have a baby. I was 4cm dilated when we got to the hospital, got to 5, then had to lay in bed for 4 hours to get a dose of penicillin as a precaution. That's when everything slowed down and stopped. After an emotional roller coaster of a night, we went home the next morning, and everything had gone back to normal.

Then the next day I was told I should be on bedrest for a week, and if I could make it to 36 weeks 5 days, then it wouldnt matter when she decided to come out, I could have the Birth Center birth we had planned on all along. And I made it!! I dont know how anyone does bedrest for a long period of time. That was tough! But we made it through, and last night I timed contractions for 2.5 hours (til I got tired of it) and was on average 7 mins apart. We shall see how things go.

Belly pic coming soon :)

34 week update

2010-04-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to Golden Gardens park in Seattle to do maternity pictures with my friend and amazing photographer, Justine. So far I have only seen the teasers on her blog, but I love them SO MUCH! She is also going to be taking pictures at Eva's birth. We had such a great time, and the weather was perfect. They even got me into the ocean in my swimsuit! It was also Ollie's first time to an actual beach, with sand that wasnt in a sandbox. He loved it! Cant wait to go back!

I also had an appointment with our midwife Andrea, last week. Everything still looks good, and baby is REALLY low. They always feel my belly to see what position she is in, and I was informed that the part that I thought was her head, is actually her shoulders! Yikes, she is ready to come out! I am hoping this means a fast labor is coming... :)

Also, Ollie is learning his letters, and I hope to have a video posted of that soon. Its so cute! And he is such a smartie (like his daddy, of course!).

Here are a few of the pictures from Sunday, and the link to the blog if you want to see more!

Its the second post, so you have to scroll down a little.

http://www.jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com/

32 Weeks

2010-04-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Almost there!

I got my glucose test results at my last appt, and everything looks good! Big relief. I also met a new student midwife who I really liked. She was cracking up at how much Eva moves. People are always asking me if I can feel her moving, but it was fun to have the midwives see just how much :) She is a strong girl! I also talked more with them about trying again for a water birth, and they think I have a really good chance this time, because second labors are so much faster.

We had a busy weekend, visiting with Kathryn and "Ga-Ga" (that's what Ollie calls Mom). The first thing I heard on the monitor this morning when he woke up was "Ga-Ga? Ga-Ga?" So cute! Ollie also got another haircut, and he looks so grown up now. He is learning a new word literally every day. Its crazy! We are, of course, very proud of him :) Here are my belly pics and Ollie eating his breakfast with the plastic spatula from his play kitchen.

Ollie's Haircut Video

2010-04-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

2010-04-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

31 Weeks and Easter Weekend!

2010-04-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

We had a really busy weekend with family and friends, celebrating Easter! Ollie did so well going to all the different places, but today he is a total grump :) Oh well.

Sunday was also the beginning of the 8th month of pregnancy for me! Yahoo! Almost there!

Oliver's First Balloon

2010-03-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

We went to Red Robin last week for dinner and Ben got Ollie his very first balloon. He was in love!

30 Weeks!

2010-03-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have officially started third trimester now that I am 30 weeks. Something about seeing that "3" really makes it feel real. Only two more months. Holy cow.

Last week I did the glucose test, and I am still waiting for the results. Since I havent heard back from them, I am assuming that everything is fine. I'm still getting lots of Braxton Hicks contractions all day, and they are getting stronger. As frustrating as they can be, its nice to know that my body is already working , and hopefully making labor that much shorter :)

As for my other baby, yesterday we went to the Tulip Festival with a bunch of other moms and babies his age, and had such a great time seeing the flowers, and stomping in mud puddles. I am SO glad I brought a change of clothes for him- he was totally soaked by the time we left. I did bring my camera, but the batteries died before I could take one picture. Bummer. Ollie has also become a talking machine, trying to repeat what we say, and trying tons of new words and sounds! He's our little genius ;)

And without further ado, here is the 30 week belly:

28 Weeks

2010-03-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I have officially started the 3rd trimester of pregnancy! Hopefully time will keep flying by, because I cannot wait for her to come out! She moves around about 80% of the day, which is pretty tiring, but at least I know she is okay in there. I am still hungry every hour, but I think I have only gained 12 lbs so far- we will see at the next appt on the 23rd.

We are also counting down the days til the end of this school quarter for Ben. I cant wait for it to be over, and I know he feels the same way. Its been tough since he isnt home til 10:30 on the days he has school, and then has to get up early for school. He is doing really well tho, and never complains. He's my hero :)

Ollie is doing good as well, and is learning a bunch of new words. He says done, gone, no, lots of animal sounds and names. There are a lot more, but those are the newest additions. We are just going day by day, looking forward to June when little Eva joins our family, and also Oliver's 2nd birthday in July!

Bellingham

2010-03-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Mom and I and Oliver went up to Bellingham to visit Kathryn on her day off, and I did a little yarn shopping at the awesome yarn store they have up there. We got to see where she works, had lunch and got lost driving around :) We had a great time and took Ollie to the park by K's house. Here are some photos from our park adventure!

Eva's Nursery in Progress

2010-02-24T13:52:00.001-08:00

Eva's nursery is almost finished! We just need to put up some pictures on the walls, but I am waiting until I get my maternity photos done, and use those. I am so excited about how its turning out! This room gets so much sun, which makes it feel so peaceful with the neutral colors, and bit of yellow. I cant wait for her to use it!

25 Week Belly

2010-02-21T20:43:00.001-08:00

A Daddy And His Son

2010-02-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

We have been having really nice, sunny weather for almost a week now! On Saturday we decided to get out and go play at the park! Ollie had such a great time with his daddy!

Oliver and Grandma!

2010-02-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ollie in his tunnel that he got for Christmas from Nana! And his Elmo slipper that he carries all over the house.

Ollie is SO in love with his grandma, I had to share these cute pictures.

Not to mention my lovely mother still looks like she is 35. :)

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a great day with their loved ones today! Our day has been just like any other Sunday, except Ollie is super grumpy, so we went to Costco for something to do! I love that place. Since food is my whole life right now, I am so happy that we have a bunch of it in bulk now :) I have been hating going to the store at least once a week because I am eating so much.

In other baby news- today makes 24 weeks pregnant! Yay! This is an important day to me because my baby book says that if something were to happen and baby had to be born early, she could survive at this point. Just a big sigh of relief for me.

Ollie has had his second hair cut, courtesy of Ben! He did a great job, even tho he was using my sewing scissors. Ollie is also having a huge jump in how many words he can say, and tries to say. He is really into animals right now, and we are teaching him the sounds. Its really cute, and of course we think he is the smartest baby ever :)

22 week belly

2010-02-03T15:36:00.001-08:00

Quick Update

2010-01-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

We went to an appointment with a new midwife today, and of course she was awesome! I am pretty excited to be working with her! Everything looks great with Baby, and I have gained 4 lbs since my last appt! Yay! I'm glad to not be losing weight anymore! I am planning to start taking a Vit B pill at night, and see if that helps my morning sickness at all. I am ready for that to be done already!

Oliver is doing really well, still growing fast and learning new things every day! He loves to talk to Grandma, Daddy and his aunties on the speaker-phone, and is really into coloring right now. He tries to do everything that Daddy does, it is so cute!

We have slowly been working on the baby room, and its all painted, now we just have to put it back together and get going on all the random projects. The bumper pad and pillows are finished, and I just have a blanket left to make! I've been busy with my Etsy shop, but I am hoping that business will still pick up even more, so we can get some extra money for all these projects! Its almost "baby shower season," so I know the orders are coming! Looking forward to seeing my mumsy some time this week!

20 Weeks and Nursery Obsession

2010-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

I thought this was pretty cool; the picture on the top is Baby Girl and the picture on the bottom is Oliver. They are going to look very similar, I think!

And 20 week belly pictures! She is VERY busy in there!

Wow, pregnancy has really kicked into gear. We have movement and nausea and cravings and aches/pains! Every cliche' pregnancy thing you can think of, just short of pickles and ice cream. Oh wait, the ice cream part is true. Hehehe. I blame Ben for that, he keeps bringing it home, and then I HAVE to eat it, of course.

The nursery room got emptied out yesterday, and I found some paint in the garage that will be great (same tan/beige as the downstairs). I have so many plans, but am waiting for more hats to sell before I can put any of them into action! I did order some fabric last week, tho. I am just not into all the super girly/ flowery/ pink and brown that's out there for girls, so I am making my own design! I got a bumper from Value Village ($2!) that I am going to cover with this fabric, and also recover some pillows that go on the brown couch that is going in the room too. I have sheer white curtains to use, and am going to re-use Ollie's changing table, just paint it white. There is a matching crib that I keep seeing on Craigslist for great prices, so once I get some money, I will get the matching crib. I cant wait! Can you picture it?

Here is the fabric sample:

It's a.....

2010-01-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today was the big ultrasound day!

We are SO excited that we are having a little GIRL!!!!!

She looks totally healthy and happy in there! Ben and I couldnt be happier! She was very busy during the scan, and it took the poor lady a while to see everything, but she looks very healthy. The profile pictures they took of her look just like Oliver's! She is very low, so that explains why I have only been feeling movement around the same area. The ultrasound tech kept saying "She's giving me a run for my money!" because every time we thought we could see something, she would move away. I am so excited to start planning her nursery, and thinking about Ollie having a little sister! So happy today :)

Waiting Impatiently....

2010-01-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning! Our big (and only) ultrasound is tomorrow morning! Eeek! I can't believe tomorrow we get to see our little bean, and find out if it is a girl bean or a boy bean!

Pregnancy update:

Morning sickness (of course, on the top of the list) is getting better slowly. Still dealing with feeling sick in the morning but if I can think of enough to eat during the day, I feel a lot better.

Right now I really love orange juice and cereal. But not together. This has been going on for a while now, and I am SO glad that I can finally drink juice without being sick!

The baby is very active, and Ben could feel the movement from the outside as soon as I was feeling it from the inside. It always feels VERY low, and I wonder if that has anything to do with the placenta being in front this time?

Last night I got out my bag of maternity clothes, and realized that I only have 4 shirts. Time to go shopping, probably to Old Navy. I love the clearance section there :)

Ollie update:

He is obsessed with counting right now. We have a few books and a song that he loves, and randomly counts things during the day. He can count to three (for the most part) but then the numbers are jumbled after that. Although, we have heard up to four a few times.

He is learning to use "big boy" cups and plates and silverware (plastic-ware), thanks to Auntie Sabrina, he has all his own stuff from Christmas! He does really well with a cup and fork! He thinks it hilarious to throw food on the floor to the dog though, which gets frustrating. Dog is spending more and more time outside during meals.

He also really likes to color, and has already broken all the crayons from Christmas. Oh well. He is so busy and talks to me all day. He loves to wave and talk to people when we go out, and sits in the stroller or shopping cart since I can barely carry him these days.

I will update more tomorrow after the appointment!

Belly Pics

2010-01-08T14:09:00.001-08:00

18 weeks! I will be 19 weeks tomorrow. At the last appt with Heike I gained 2 pounds! Almost half-way there!

Christmas

2010-01-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, here are some REALLY late Christmas pictures :) Things have been sooo busy around here. I got my hair cut yesterday, and then we got some new couches and an ottoman today from Craigslist. Thanks Dad :)

Ben is starting school again tomorrow, and its going to be a tough quarter for us all. He has class three days a week until 10pm. I am trying to mentally prepare, especially since Ollie has been really clingy to him the last couple days. But we will make it thru, we always do.

Anyway, here are a few of the many Christmas pictures (sorry, they are in reverse order)! We had a wonderful day and it was so nice to have everyone come to our place.

Ultrasound Scheduled!

2009-12-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

The date is Jan 14th at 9.45am! The countdown begins! It works out pretty good since the next day my sister-in-law and I are planning a major shopping day :) Better start saving up.

Midwife Appt.

2009-12-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

We had an appointment with Heike today, one of our midwives. It was the first time we had seen her since Ollie was born. Everything is looking good, I have really high levels of iron, so I can go a little longer before starting the prenatal vitamins, since they make me nauseous. I am finally starting to feel a bit better- I am on day 2 of not throwing up, so hopefully it keeps getting better.

I also got my referral for an ultrasound today, so I can make the appointment for that tomorrow! Yay! I was a little concerned because I havent felt the baby move at all yet, and she said that its probably because the placenta is in the front this time, so it acts as pillow when baby moves. Hopefully I will be feeling something soon! That's one of my favorite parts!

I have tons of Christmas pictures to put up, so those will be coming as soon as I can get a minute (or during naptime :))

Yay for a healthy baby!

Ok, Is this a belly?

2009-12-22T15:33:00.001-08:00

I think its a belly this time! What do you think? 16 weeks. Also, here are some pictures of Oliver by our Christmas tree, with his new reindeer he lovingly calls "Doggy."

15 Week Belly Pictures

2009-12-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Second Trimester!

2009-12-11T12:01:00.001-08:00

I have officially made it through the torture of the first trimester! Never again! Here is what's going on in the land of pregnancy:

I am starting to actually feel pregnant now, and not just barfy all the time. I still throw up every morning, but as long as I keep eating all. day. long. the nausea is manageable.

I am addicted to milk. I cant get enough. We go through almost a gallon a day. :)

Also, I crave orange juice all the time! But I dont drink it because it doesnt go well with all the milk I drink. I have heard from a lot of other moms of girls that this was a craving they had too.....hmm.

Sciatic nerve pain has started, but not too bad. At least this time I know what to do to help it!

Ollie is getting so big that it is hard to carry him with the growing belly- he puts too much pressure on it. We are using the stroller and shopping carts more than ever! He says "mama" all the time now, and likes to poke my belly button, which is already sticking out a little. When Ben is at work he says "Dada car?" and points out the window. Sometimes when I tell him Daddy is at work, he waves at the window. He is also completely in LOVE with his grandma and gets so excited when she comes over. He cuddles her and gives lots and lots of kisses! It is so sweet!

I think I may have felt little baby flutters, but I am not getting too excited until I know for sure. Our next midwife appt is on the 29th, and I get the paperwork to make my ultrasound appt! It will be sometime in January!

I am also SO excited for Christmas this year. Ollie loves all the Christmas decorations when we go out, and points out all the Santas ( and says "doggy" which he says for almost everything :) ) Hopefully everyone will be coming to our house again on Christmas morning. Yippee!

Ollie

2009-11-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

He is clapping in this one- its kinda hard to tell :)

And here are some pictures of Oliver playing outside in front of our house! He loved the leaves, and even found a big stick to wave around.

Fall and Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Tom and Mom's house this year. Kathryn and I went early to help and Ben came later with Ollie, since he needed a nap first. I ended up feeling pretty sick all morning, so mostly I "supervised." We had a delicious dinner and apple pie for dessert!

And the picture...

2009-11-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

Oops, forgot to include the latest in belly pictures... 10 weeks! (I am 12 weeks now, I need to catch up a bit) I have actually lost a few pounds, so I am not quite this size anymore, except at night. Oh well, Thanksgiving will fix that!

Midwife Appt

2009-11-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

I went to see our midwife today with Ollie and my mom. It was so nice to have her there and finally be able to spend some time at the Birth Center when it wasnt all chaotic. I got my blood drawn, which I was very brave about, and we finally got to hear the little bean's heartbeat! It was so awesome, very strong and fast in the 160s. Maybe we will have another boy after all...Everything seems healthy, I just have to work thru this morning sickness and get to the good part of being pregnant!

Last week was very hectic. Ben got really sick, and turns out he got the dreaded Swine Flu. So we raced around and got vaccinations for Ollie and I, and luckily we are fine, and Ben is back at work feeling much better. I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving, and getting in a HUGE meal. And then pie after that! Yes!

15 Month Appointment

2009-11-05T20:13:00.001-08:00

Ollie had his 15 month appt, a bit late, but we finally got in to see the doctor. He is 27 lbs and 32" tall! He is in about the 70th percentile all around. He got a few shots, and has been kind of grumpy and clingy since then, but I think today he was starting to feel better. He is actually starting to notice when they do them, which makes it a bit harder :( But he was a trooper! Tonight we shared a meatball sub for dinner while Daddy was at school, and he ate more than I did! He is such a big boy!

Little Lion

2009-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween everyone! We dressed up Ollie but didn't go trick-or-treating this year, since he can't eat the candy yet :) He was the cutest lion, and LOVED his costume. He even got upset when we had to take it off! I hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

Pumpkin and Apple Picking

2009-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Jones Creek Farm in Sedro Woolley, with Kathryn and Jesse. We picked apples and pumpkins for K Fest (Kathryn's birthday) and then went to K's new place after and carved, and made a fresh apple cobbler. Here are some pictures of the fun, plus my 6 weeks belly picture. I am almost 9 weeks (tomorrow) so I will take an updated one soon!

First Appointment

2009-10-23T10:24:00.001-07:00

We met with Andrea, one of my three midwives today for the first appointment. I am officially due June 6th. We talked about morning sickness, and I got a few pointers, so now I have a few new things to try out. It was fun to bring Oliver and have everyone see him so grown up! My favorite midwife, who was a student when I was pregnant with Ollie, is a licensed midwife at the Birth Center now, and our next appointment is with her. I am already really excited, especially since she delivered Ollie! Andrea said it was too early to hear the heartbeat, so we will do that at the next appointment, as well as a blood draw....:( I have to start preparing now, so that I dont freak out! But besides that news, it was a great appointment, and hopefully I can start doing belly pictures soon, once I find the other batteries that go in my camera. My life is totally consumed with food at the moment, since I am getting sick if I dont eat every 30 mins or so, and just feel queasy the rest of the time. Sigh. It's exhausting, but I just remind myself of the beautiful baby in the making.

Random cuteness :)

2009-10-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Feeling nostalgic today. Here are some new and old pictures of Ollie.

Morning Sickness

2009-10-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

I dont really have anything to write about except morning sickness. It kicked in a few days ago, and I have pretty much been on the couch ever since. Cereal is my new best friend. I've also been working on my hats, which I am very behind on. We are just getting thru each day, Ben is busy doing school work each night, and getting good grades!

Ollie turned 15 months on the 13th, he is getting so big! He will be having a doctor appt. soon so I will have something interesting to write then :) His new favorite thing is giving high-5's, especially to Daddy. Next week is our first appt with the midwives to hear Baby #2's heartbeat! Can't wait! Hope everyone is well and enjoying the fall colors!

Family Photos

2009-10-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

We had family pictures taken by a friend of mine who happens to be a very talented photographer, starting her own business. We got some awesome pictures from her! Her blog is: http://www.jsheltonphotography.blogspot.com/.

First Appt Scheduled!

2009-10-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our first appt with the midwives will be on the 22nd of Oct. I can't wait! My favorite midwife, who was a student when Ollie was born, is still working there and I am SO excited to see her again. She was also at Ollie's birth.

And here are some pictures from Ollie's haircut. What a big boy!

The Big News

2009-09-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is the second blog I have tried to do, so hopefully I can keep this going so that everyone can be updated with all our goings-on.

And now for the big news.... drum roll.... We are expecting baby number two!!

I think I am about 4 weeks and 5 days pregnant, but once we have our first appointment with the midwives I will have a better idea. I am tentatively due June 5th. So far, I havent had any sickness, just very tired and already have a little bloat bump.

Ollie had his first haircut about a week ago! He looks like such a big boy now. Definitely not a baby anymore :(

I've been really busy trying to keep up with my Etsy shop, and finishing my first wholesale order which is going to a baby boutique in Michigan. Busy busy!

And....Ben has started back at school! He is finishing his AA at Bellevue College, then transferring to UW and the College of Engineering. Its crazy at the moment, but I will keep the updates coming!