Behind the Binky

Corah Beth's Birth Story (TMI alert)

2011-12-08T13:32:00.001-05:00

On Monday, November 21st, Adam and I got up at an the unholy time of 5:30am. We had a light breakfast and visited with Nana. Nana said a quick prayer and then we hopped in the car to head to Mission Hospital. The drive there was so much different than our drive to the hospital to have Kenly. For starters, we knew what we were about to face. It was pitch black dark and this delivery was planned, a dreaded induction. We felt confident because we knew that Dr. Simmons was on call and that she would be delivering this baby. If Corah had decided to take an eternity to arrive, I would have begged Dr. Simmons to stay.

When we go to the hospital and walked into the ER, the security guards said, "Coming to join the party? You are about the 10th pregnant woman to walk in this evening." I started to wonder if I was going to have to give birth in a hallway.

We rode the elevator to the fourth floor and got checked in. Even though they were busy, we were able to score a "water world" room. The massive tub in the room can be used to help with labor pains. There were none of those rooms available when we arrived to have Kenly. We met our nurse, Rachel. I loved her from the moment I met her. She started with us at 7AM, and she was there when Corah was born. Rachel let me know that her background was in midwifery, and that she would do everything in her power to try and help me have a natural delivery.

At 8:00 Rachel started my IV. I was given fluid and pitocin through the IV. It was fun to watch/hear the baby's heartbeat on the monitor. It was also fun to watch the strength of the contractions as they begin to intensify. Adam and I passed a bit of time by reading and playing on the internet. We watched an episode of 30 Rock, and then we decided to go walk a few laps. We did a few laps around Labor and Delivery, and then we headed back to the room to rest a bit.

At 10:00, Amy (the nurse practitioner for Asheville Women's) came in to break my water. The whole process was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. It felt like someone was trying to pop a water balloon inside my body. Slightly uncomfortable, but kinda neat at the same time. It took her about eight attempts, and then the flood gate opened. At this point I was only about 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I thought once your water broke, you were done leaking. I learned the hard way that this is not the case. Adam and I went walking again, and I leaked all over the hallway. Oops. They outfitted me with those amazing stretchy undies and a jumbo pad so that I would not soil the floor with more amniotic fluid.

After my water broke, the contractions started to get stronger. We walked. We used the birthing ball. I would rock while sitting on the ball and Adam would put pressure on my hips. By this point it was lunch time. I sent Adam to get something to eat while I breathed through some stronger contractions. I had a generic Sprite and a purple Popsicle. Adam returned from the cafeteria with a nasty looking hamburger and some yummy looking tater tots. I coveted those tater tots. We called Rachel to see if it would be okay for me to get in the tub for a bit. Apparently the hot water can slow labor, and we didn't want to slow anything down. Dr. Simmons came by at some point to check my progress and not much had changed, so we didn't want to halt progress all together. Rachel was at lunch when we called, so a different nurse came in to check on me. She took my vitals and then finally looked at me. She looked alarmed. She said, "Honey, please tell me you have been eating something purple. Your lips are blue. I don't need to start CPR, do I?" I laughed and explained that I had eaten a purple Popsicle about an hour earlier.

I was given the all clear to get in the tub. Adam set everything up, and then I got in the tub. By this point I was really uncomfortable. My pitocin had not been increased, but the contractions were super powerful and coming closer together. I hardly had time to catch my breath before another "big squeeze" was upon me. I soaked in the tub for about 40 minutes. I remember thinking the tub was not making things better. In fact, I felt worse while in the tub. I kept crying through contractions. Not because of the pain, but because I knew I was not going to be able to deliver naturally. The contractions and the bladder infection discomfort were proving to be too much. I felt wimpy. Weak. Adam kept assuring me that I was not less of a woman if I asked for an epidural. I was terrified of that process too. I had three failed epidurals with Kenly, so I was not super thrilled about trying again. Dr. Simmons came in as I was trying to make a decision. She checked me and I was 5cm and 80% effaced.

I asked for them to call the anesthesiologist. By this point it was roughly 3:00. I was proud that I managed to stay drug free for that amount of time. I got set up with the epidural, and I felt a great deal of relief. I was not pain free, but I could talk through contractions again. Adam and I watched a Modern Family and another 30 Rock and I started to panic. The pain was coming again. I was also feeling really nauseous. Rachel gave me a bucket that I heaved into several times of the course of the next three hours. Rachel was so gentle. Every time I threw up she brought me a cool cloth. She mopped vomit and tears off my face. They called the anesthesiologist back, but she was in a meeting. Rachel checked me again at about 4:00. I was 8cm dilated and 90% effaced. Apparently I had been in transition while in the tub. The anesthesiologist arrived and fixed my discomfort again. Dr. Simmons showed up and asked if I wanted to start pushing. I did. She got dressed in her delivery gear, and I tried to help myself dilated and efface a bit faster. I pushed for about 15 minutes and Dr. Simmons got paged away to catch a baby that was ready to be born. I was told to wait. We waited until just before 6:00PM when Dr. Simmons walked in and said, "Let's meet this baby."

Rachel found a mirror for me to watch the delivery. It was so helpful for me to see when I was pushing effectively. It was also cool to watch Corah arrive. Everyone kept saying, "Look at that head full of hair." I pushed for about 15 minutes, and at 6:15PM, Corah Beth Brand was placed on my chest. Adam announced that we had a girl, and he cut the cord. Rachel was such a huge support. Between every push, she rubbed my leg and encouraged me. Adam kept telling me what a good job I was doing.

Corah worked her way to my breast and settled in there, happily nursing, for an hour and a half. Kenly arrived to meet her sister at about 8:00 that night. She enjoyed opening a present from Corah--Hungry Hungry Hippo, Melissa and Doug stickers, and a princess toothbrush. I was able to hold both of my daughters in the labor and delivery room.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Corah's birthday.

The Wait is Over

2011-11-26T23:37:00.001-05:00

I'm now the proud Mama of two little girls. The wait is over, Corah Beth arrived at 6:15 PM on Monday, November 21, 2011. She weighed 8 lbs and 11ounces. She was 20 inches long, and her head circumference was 14 inches.

We are all thrilled that she is here safe and sound. We are settling into a new normal. I'm hoping to have her whole beautiful birth story written before too much longer.

Welcome to the world, Baby Girl.

At the Hospital

2011-11-21T07:24:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday (November 15th) I woke up from a nap feeling off. Contractions started coming pretty regularly, so I called Leanne to ask what contractions felt like. I know that sounds crazy, seeing as I've had a child before, but Kenly's delivery was all backwards. I started timing the contractions and when they started coming every 20 minutes apart, I called Nana and Papa to ask them to come in case the time had come. They hopped in the car and drove through the dark and rain so that Kenly would be well taken care of if I was indeed in labor. Mama and Daddy got here at a little after midnight and we all settle in for a fitful night. My contractions continued until about 4 am when the slowed and then stopped completely. I woke up very disappointed.

I had an appointment with Dr. Simmons at 10:00 on Wednesday. Mama drove me to the appointment. I think everyone was afraid my water would break halfway there. When Dr. Simmons did the exam, she said I was almost 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. She said the baby had dropped a station and was at -1. I was excited the baby dropped a bit, but I was really bummed that I had not dilated more considering I was so uncomfortable all night long. We discussed sweeping my membranes but decided to trust the baby's timing.

Life went back to normal. Nana cleaned my house like crazy and I was beyond thankful. She made sure the baby's bed was ready for use. We went to Kenly's Hip Hop open house at Releve and had a few fun outings. On Friday afternoon I started feeling off again. I had a lot of low pressure pain and back discomfort, but I just thought it was all labor related. I was hoping thing would pick up because Dr. Simmons was on call. By Friday evening I was very uncomfortable. In fact, I hurt throughout the night and woke up exhausted and miserable.

The pain in my back and abdomen kept me from walking upright by mid afternoon on Saturday. I took a nap and woke up feeling like my water had broken. I called the hospital, and Dr. Hawes said that I should still be leaking if my water had truly broken. I was also having some irregular contractions again. As the evening wore on, the contractions got stronger and I started feeling feverish. When I took my temp, it was only 98.7. We went to dinner at Cocula, and by the time we got home I called Dr. Hawes again to tell him I was convinced I was in labor. Adam and I packed and went to the hospital.

When we arrived we were sent straight to Labor and Delivery. A sweet nurse names Lynn started checking us in and taking care of us. She performed a speculum exam and then did a cervical check, and her findings took the wind out of my sails. She said I was barely 2cm dilated and that my contractions were irregular and weak. My water had not broken, and I was not in labor. I started crying immediately. I was thinking if this isn't labor, I'm a complete wuss and I will never be able to have a natural childbirth. Lynn asked me to catch a urine sample which I did with great difficulty. When she tested the urine, she said that she thought I had a bladder infection. We waited on Dr. Hawes for what seemed like an eternity because he was delivering a baby. When he finally came in, he asked me to describe my symptoms. He said my urine sample was dirty--white blood cells, blood, a bit of protein. He also said he wasn't convinced that I had an infection. He wanted me to be cathed in order to get a cleaner sample. Once the clean sample came back, it was determined that I had a bladder infection. I was given a prescription for Ambien and for an antibiotic. Then I was discharged. We stopped by a 24 hour Walgreens to get the good stuff. I had a snack when I got home and then a minor meltdown. Mom listened to me cry while Adam got some sleep. I got super "drunk" from the Ambien so Mama helped me to bed.

On Sunday I slept and ate. I did very little other than try to recover. I wanted Kenly to have a normal bedtime routine, but I kinda blew that. I took the Ambien early so it would be out of my system by morning. It gave me the spins and I threw up my dinner. So much for Kenly thinking everything was normal.

Now we are at the hospital hooked up to an IV that is feeding me steady drops of Oxytocin. Our nurse's name is Rachel. The cool thing is she has a background in midwifery and home birthing. I think she is going to be a big help. Now we wait. I'm having contractions regularly now, so that makes me very happy. Dr.Simmons is on call today, so we are waiting to hear from her. It won't be long until we meet Issac or Corah.

Blessings

2011-11-14T22:41:00.001-05:00

I had a miserable night's sleep last night. I don't think I'm exaggerating if I say that I got up about 13 times. Only one of those awake periods was because of Kenly. I was hot and miserable. Add to that combination a bladder than can't hold more than three drops of urine these days, and you have the recipe for a long, hard night. So, when Kenly woke me at 4:30 to take her to the bathroom, I opened the window and prayed that God would let her sleep until at least 7:30. When I heard her call, "Mommy, I need you." I opened my eyes to faint light and just knew it was 6:00 AM. After I discovered it was 7:45, I think I murmured, "Thank you, Jesus." Blessing number one.

Kenly and I followed our morning routine and then headed to the library for story time with Mrs. Cathy. A new mother walked in with two small little girls. (They were 13 months apart.) We all introduced ourselves, and after story time I found myself sitting at the craft table with Michelle, the new mom.

She was wearing her youngest daughter in a wrap, so I started picking her brain about which wrap is best. She told me her two favorite "baby wearing" devices are the Moby wrap and the Ergo carrier. We talked a bit more, and she asked me the famed questions every pregnant woman gets.

1. When are you due?
2. What are you having?

When I explained that my due date is tomorrow and that we don't have a clue what we are having, her face lit up. She explained that her trunk was full of winter boy clothing that a friend had given her when she was convinced she was having another boy. When the baby turned out to be a girl, she loaded the clothes up to donate them. She never made it to her favorite place to donate clothes, so she still had the tub and garbage bag full of clothes in the car. She asked it I would be interested in the clothes. I was shocked by her generosity. After all, we had only known each other for about 30 minutes. She assured me that I would be doing her a huge favor. She wanted the space in her trunk back. She just asked that I pass the clothes on to someone who would need them if I couldn't use them once Whatzit arrives. Now I have a trunk full of baby boy clothing. I'm trying not to interpret this unexpected gift as a sign. Could be be having an Isaac? Could God have used this woman to prepare us for a boy since we don't have any boy clothing? Blessing number two.

I got a slight nap this afternoon. The kind of nap where you don't know who you are are where you are when you wake up. Blessing number three.

My final blessing occurred when I was able to make Kenly's tap/ballet open house tonight at Releve. It was so much fun to watch her perform. She would run over and hug her Daddy or me, and we would have to send her back to the performance. She did a great deal of waving and showing off as well. It was too much fun. All I can say is that Ms. Merle has the patience of Job. Those girls were doing official tap and ballet moves. They might have been a bit behind or slightly distracted, but they knew what they were doing. If Whatzit waits, I can't wait to see her Hip Hop open house on Thursday. Blessing number four.

I woke up convinced that my day was going to be a huge struggle because I was so bone-tired, but God had other plans. He kept bolstering my energy and my mood with blessings.

Whatzit's Waiting

2011-11-09T23:28:00.003-05:00

I got a call yesterday from my OB/GYN's office. Apparently Mission Hospital only allows three inductions a day, and November 18th was already full. The scheduler gave me two options--November 10th or November 21st. I'm nearly fell out when the scheduler told me I could meet my baby tomorrow. Then the panic set in. I started to worry about the whole induction process and about forcing the baby to be born before my actual due date. I called Adam and had a good cry. Lord knows he's heard me whine about being pregnant a lot these days. He was amazingly supportive. He listened to my growing list of worries and interpreted my hormonal rambling for me. I'm not sure I'm capable of rational thought right now. The decision--we wait. We wait on Whatzit to come on his/her own or we wait until the 21st. I'll be 6 days past my due date by then and more willing to submit to medical intervention.

I went to see Dr. Simmons again today. She enthusiastically supported my decision. There is no need to rush things. I'm healthy and the baby appears to be healthy as well. No need to force the arrival when women have been waiting on the baby's timing for generations. Today's stats were slightly different. I was 2 cms and 60% effaced. The baby was still at a -2 station and head down. Dr. Simmons talked to my belly and told Whatzit to choose tomorrow because she is on call. I packed my bags just in case there is something to be said for all the full moon mayhem. And now we wait.

Kenly and I baked "belated" Halloween cupcakes yesterday. We had a blast baking and icing the cupcakes. When we were done, she asked to pack one for Dr. Simmons. She picked out a cupcake with white icing and purple tombstone sprinkles. Dr. Simmons was so grateful. She hugged Kenly and thanked her over and over again. She was truly touched. Kenly was beaming when we left. Nurse Brenda said, "We sure are going to miss that smiling face once you deliver."

Kenly and I waited in the lobby while the set up my induction for the 21st of November. Hopefully we won't need to be induced, but for now we are scheduled to show up at Mission at 6AM and "to get the show on the road" at 7AM.

My prayer is that the whole process goes naturally this time around. I want my blood pressure to stay within the normal range. I want to try and labor without an epidural. I want my body to contract on its own so that I can avoid pitocin. But when it is all said and done, I just want a healthy baby and a healthy mama. The rest is just details.

Learning to be Patient

2011-11-09T23:09:00.001-05:00

It's a lesson I don't know that I will every fully learn. Right now I'm struggling to be patient with my beautiful daughter and to be patient with the arrival of my next blessing. Kenly's three year old growing pains and nervousness about our upcoming family changes do not always mix well with my hormonal status and my growing fatigue. I'm fighting tooth and nail to be patient. To be slow to anger. To take deep breaths and enjoy these last few days without having to divide my time. I keep trying to do it on my own strength. I keep failing. So I need to pray this prayer right now...

Father,

Help me. I need your supernatural strength in the coming days to be the mama Kenly needs me to be. I want her memories of these last days to be filled with love and cuddles instead of my grouchy voice and eyes. Help me. Carry me. Allow me to trust wholly so that your strength can flow through me. You know I need it. Keep me from myself. I know that your timing is perfect, but as always, I'm struggling to fully believe and accept what I know. Teach my heart to trust in you. Teach my heart to place my family--both of my beautiful children--in your hands. Speak peace to me tonight. I need it desperately.

Amen

Night Terrors

2011-11-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Last night was interesting. We set the clocks back, watched another episode of Modern Family, and finally turned in for the night. As soon as Whatzit stopped abusing me and I fell asleep, I hear frantic crying through the monitor. Loud cries for Mommy. I hopped up quickly and went to check on Kenly. She was sound asleep, so I covered her up and gave her Benny Bunny and Binky. I settled back into bed and convinced Whatzit to stop kicking my ribs once again. About five minutes later, I hear even more frantic screaming though the monitor. I jumped up, grabbed my pillows, and headed to the spare bedroom. By the time I opened her bedroom door, Kenly had throw the covers off. She was flailing in bed and screaming.

"Mommy. Mommy. No. No. No."

I reached down to touch her leg because her eyes were wide open. She looked straight at me and screamed, "Get away from me. I'm afraid of you." It was at that point that I realized that she was sound asleep with her eyes open. She's had a few night terrors before and I never know what to do when they happen. All the websites say to just sit closely by and let her fight through it, but everything in my heart tells me to stop the terror. I don't like to see her panic.

So I grabbed her, held her close, and begged her to open her eyes. She fought a bit, but as we rocked in the chair she slowly relaxed and realized that Mama was holding her close. The crying stopped and she whimpered that she needed some water. We turned on a few lights and headed to the bathroom. We had some water and used the restroom. Finally she started making sense. I asked, "Do you know where you are now? She replied, "I'm at home with my Mama and my Daddy. I'm safe."

We rocked and said a nice long prayer asking God to protect her from another night terror. We snuggled close until she said she felt cold. I crawled into bed with her and we talked about all the beautiful things she could dream about--butterflies, red birds, blue birds, Halloween candy, rainbows, and waterfalls.

The rest of the night passed peacefully. It's my prayer that the stress of the baby's arrival will not bring on regular night terrors. When I discussed these terrors with with Dr. Dephouse, he said that they are perfectly normal and that they will pass with time. I hate them. They unnerve me in so many ways. Please pray that God will build a hedge around her, that she will be protected from these terrors in the night.

Waiting on Whatzit

2011-11-05T00:19:00.000-04:00

Kenly and I ventured out to the OB/GYN again this morning. Kenly kept her cool during this visit. The promise of fruit snacks helped kept her from crying while they weighed me, checked my blood pressure, and while I captured urine for the 100th time. Perhaps she's been a little too close to this whole experience. She loves picking out the cup for my urine sample. Oh well. Perhaps she won't remember all of this trauma. She helped Dr. Simmons find the baby's heartbeat again. She's no longer content holding the speaker. She wants to hold the "belly part." Dr. Simmons is amazingly patient and allows Kenly to do just that. She's pretty good at locating the critter too. But, by this point Whatzit doesn't have too many places to hide.

I showed no progress today. I'm still 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. The baby is still at -2 station. I was hoping that Dr. Simmons was going to say, "Woman, don't you know you are in labor? Get to the hospital." A pregnant woman can dream, right?

We scheduled an induction for November 18th (3 days after my due date) just in case. Dr. Simmons will be on call that day, so I know I will be in good hands. She's also on call tomorrow, so if the baby decided to come a bit early, I won't complain. It's hard not to think you're going early when so many people take one look at you and say, "There is no way you're going to your due date." Oh...the pain of due date drama.

This picture was taken on Tuesday at Adam's school. His department threw us a "sprinkle" and we had a lovely time. I was most taken by how they all catered to Kenly. She didn't feel a bit left out even though the baby was getting presents. I'm most nervous about how she will handle this transition. She's already slipping into a bit of baby talk and some clingy behavior. As our paper chain grows shorter, I can see visible signs of worry on her little face. She knows things are about to change.

God is in control. He know the best time for this baby's arrival. He also holds Kenly closer than I every could. I just have to trust and give up trying to control a situation that was never mine in the first place.

Whatzit, we are ready to meet you. We really want to know if you are a Korah or an Isaac. Will you come out and play?

For now, we wait.

Halloween 2011--Lucky Ladybug

2011-11-03T23:49:00.001-04:00

Kenly decided back in August that she wanted to be a ladybug for Halloween. So, when I went to the Wee Trade Sale and found this cute costume for $4.00, I was super excited. She was able to go trick-or-treating twice on Monday. She tried to change her mind about being a ladybug at the last minute. She's a bit gaga over the Disney princesses right now, so she wanted to wear her Snow White dress. The weather was really chilly, so I was able to deny her request. When she said she didn't want to wear the bug costume, I reminded her that only people in costumes get candy on Halloween. We had no issues after that.

She refused to wear the hood for most of the day. I was able to capture this cute picture with the hood up.

Her first trick-or-treating experience was at a local nursing home. We decided to join The Small Fry Playgroup for this outing. It was our first time meeting up with the playgroup, but we decided to go anyways. We had a blast. I was nervous about how Kenly would deal with some of the residents, but I should not have been concerned at all. She was a trooper. She blew kisses, collected candy, and said Happy Halloween to just about everyone. After walking around the home for about an hour she said, "Trick-or-treating is hard work." I don't have many pictures from the outing because we needed to respect the residents privacy.

Since I had such bad contractions on Saturday, we thought it best to avoid the mayhem in downtown Hendersonville and opt for something a bit more tame. We met up with the Young's for Kenly's first door-to-door trick-or-treating adventure. After a yummy dinner of chili and "mummy dogs," we hit the streets. Davis went as Batman. Beckham went as a fireman. Baby Drew went as Robin. So, three families ventured out into the night reminding kids to say thank you when they received candy.

Kenly loved getting candy in her bucket. After every house, she ran back to Adam to show him her loot.

Running to Daddy's open arms.

I was there...waddling slowly behind most of the crowd.

When she got home from collecting goodies, she dumped everything out and examined her candy.

We even had to count some of it. So far she's been good about sharing, but I don't dare sneak anything without asking. I swear she'll know.

This Halloween was full of plenty of treats.

Uncle T and Aunt C

2011-11-03T23:22:00.002-04:00

Uncle Travis and Aunt Carrie came up to visit us this past weekend. It was nice to have them with us just before Halloween again. Last year they were able to go trick-or-treating with us, but this year Halloween had to be difficult and fall on a Monday. While they were here, they spoiled us all rotten. They did some grocery shopping for us while Adam and I caught up on a few things around the house. Carrie and Travis helped me move a few things from the baby's closet to the the basement. There are still "miles to go before we sleep," but they helped put a dent in a very large job.

They lavished love and attention on Kenly and she relished every moment. They took her on a shopping spree to Target, and she scored these wall stickers and the cool blue dance leotard she's wearing in these picture.

We let Kenly have complete "creative license" when putting up her wall stickers. She is her Daddy's daughter. Everything needed to be clustered together and grouped. Carrie and I were mentally begging her to spread things out a bit more, but she loved her design. She kept saying, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Is she excited or what?

This is how Kenly decided her wall stickers should look. When I woke her up after nap, she had three of the flower stickers on her fingers. She said, "Mama, aren't they beautiful and don't they smell so sweet?"

Apparently going on a shopping spree with Uncle T and Aunt C is exhausting. In Target, Kenly said, "I'm wored out." Kenly also got to open a birthday present from her beloved aunt and uncle as well. She received a Melissa and Doug "Crab Ball" game and a Melissa and Doug sticker book that allows her to decorate faces. She also received a beautiful pink shirt with a glittery unicorn on the front.

On Sunday we carved pumpkins. Kenly decided to hide out in the kitchen while the pumpkins were being gutted. Apparently the smell of pumpkin guts is enough to trigger her gag reflex. She spent a good deal of time gagging. I wish I had the gagging on video, but I always seems to be a bit behind when it comes to remembering that I have a Flip Video camera.

She finally worked up the courage to touch the pumpkin innards.

See her covering her nose? She really struggled.

Still having a hard time stomaching the process.

When it was time to carve, she gave her Daddy instructions to make her a haunted house.

She told Aunt Carrie and Uncle Travis to make a bat.

I carved a few pieces, but I did a great deal of watching. I also fished the pumpkin seeds out of the muck to roast them. My friend Erica sent me her secret recipe. Clean the seeds with water. Put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 with plenty of salt until they are crisp. Easy and delicious. Kenly even tried them. She said they tasted like popcorn.

Here is the finished product. Adam's haunted house also included bats, a wolf, a ghost and a witch. This picture does not capture all his wonderful detail.

We had a wonderful visit with Uncle T and Aunt C. Saturday we also had some friends over for a cook out. I had a blast, but I was being plagued by strong Braxton Hicks contractions. I really thought for about an hour that we were going to have an October baby. Thankfully Whatzit decided to cook. I really wanted him/her to stay put until November.

Stingy Jack's Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-03T22:46:00.003-04:00

Awhile back, I bought a Groupon for half-off admission to Stingy Jack's Pumpkin Patch. I was shocked to hear that the event had been going on for a few years because I've never heard of it, and it was practically in our back yard. With a quick drive to Pisgah Forest, we found ourselves in a Halloween wonderland.

We hopped a trolley from the parking area to the actual event site. Kenly enjoyed the trolley ride mostly because she didn't have to be in her "space chair."

Stingy Jack's Pumpkin Patch had all sorts of wonderful things to do. There was a corn maze that we didn't even attempt because Kenly and Big Mama got tired. We did, however, take part in the child's hay maze and the hayride. We listened to a ton of good music and met Stingy Jack. Once it got dark, we ventured to see all the carved craft pumpkins. It was amazing fun. Kenly wanted to go back the next weekend, but we didn't make it back. I'm sure this will be an annual tradition for the Brand family.

We ate yummy food from some of the vendors at Stingy Jack's. After Kenly finished off her hot dog, she was able to have some kettle corn.

I love this child. I wish I could get her to wear a hat more often because home girl can pull it off.

Kenly really loved dancing on the dance floor with Stingy Jack. He told Adam that Kenly was the best dancer he had seen so far. He was quite taken with her and all her groovy moves. I guess dance lessons are paying off. I swear I saw her attempt the "Tootsie Roll."

Stingy Jack told all the kids a Halloween legend and challenged them to a race. Then they all met back at the stage for a bit of dancing fun.

Adam took this artsy photo of Kenly dancing. I love all the swirling colors.

When she started to get tired and clumsy, Adam put her in the pack and they continued dancing.

I love my husband for tons of reason, but I was particularly taken with him when he thought nothing of being the only adult on the dance floor. He was completely lost in the moment with his little girl.

The carved and lighted pumpkins were great fun to look at. These photos don't do the display justice.

The sunflower below is carved in four craft pumpkins. I think they plan on adding to the display every year. Kenly loved the experience, and so did we.

Farmers Market in the Fall

2011-11-02T16:58:00.001-04:00

I love the Farmers Market in the Fall. I love the Farmers Market any time of year, but I really love looking at all the wonderful produce in the fall. Before Kenly was born, we put together a fall display at the end of the driveway. I loved it. October through November I was greeted by a hay bale and a splash of fall color every time I pulled in the driveway. So, I decided that we were going to do it again.

Asheville is blessed with one of the biggest and baddest Farmers Markets. In the fall the place to shop is in the sheds. Pumpkins and gourds as far as the eye can see. Kenly wanted to grab the first pumpkin she saw and head for home. We convinced her to window shop a bit.

Aren't these fun? If I had all the money in the world, I'd have one of every kind of gourd/pumpkin sold for my display. Alas I do not. So, I set a budget.

Kenly charmed one of the vendors and was able to pick out a pie pumpkin to take home. There is a roving fall display inside too. Three stuffed pumpkins and two pie pumpkins make appearances in just about every room of the house.

I love the girl's shirt--Daddy's under my Spell. Indeed he is.

I broke down and bought one of these bad boys for $3.00. I don't know what to do with it other than to decorate, but I loved its funky shape and coloration.

Adam and Kenly found some Halloween decorations. They are hugging Frankenstein's foot in this picture.

Kenly is loving on a ghost in this one.

Here is our humble display. Kenly loved setting everything up. We later added a scarecrow from the Dollar Tree and a foam glitter banner that said Happy Halloween. I'll be taking the banner down in a few days. The rest can stay until Thanksgiving.

The big pumpkins are no longer a part of the display. We carved them on Halloween weekend.

These are just a few shots from our yard in the fall.

Can't see my toes unless I'm sitting down these days.

I love this girl. She's looking too grow up these days. Not to mention completely stunning.

A "Soggy" Parkway Picnic

2011-10-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

Every year we take a picnic up the Parkway so that we can catch a sunset and see some beautiful fall foliage. Our drive up to our favorite picnic spot was beautiful. We saw all sorts of beautiful leaves, and as we approached our spot the fog rolled in. Kenly calls fog by a different name--sog.

We took homemade Vegetable Beef Soup and sandwiches for dinner.

This was our view before every things was obscured by "sog,"

Once the "sog" rolled in, it got cold and uncomfortable. We couldn't see the colors of fall, but the "sog" made everything feel all mysterious and fun.

Adam took a few pictures of his girls. This picture isn't out of focus....it's just that "soggy."

The bump is getting big.

Although our evening wasn't what we planned, it wasn't a complete bust either. We had a fun time together and we still managed to see some beauty.

A Sickly October/Passing the Time with Crafts

2011-10-30T17:51:00.002-04:00

Kenly has been sickly in October. Adam and I are both hoping that she's getting it all out of the way before the baby arrives. We've spent a bunch of time trapped in the house fighting colds and ear infections. Since I can only watch so many episode of Sid the Science Kid or Dora, we had to keep busy in some other way.

When we reached my 36th week of pregnancy, I wanted to give Kenly a tangible way to judge the time until the baby arrives. So, we made a paper chain to count the days. We decided to make the links pink and blue since Baby Whatzit's gender is a mystery. We've marked other exciting events on the chain with stars. Kenly rips off a link every day after she finished breakfast. Now the chain is only about as tall as Kenly. Exciting and Scary.

During Kenly's cold, we made these adorable black cat hand print cards. I found the idea on The Crafty Crow blog. We used black acrylic paint for the hand print. We also used orange acrylic paint for the thumbprint pumpkins. The face was simply cut out of black construction paper. Kenly used googlie eyes and craft foam for the nose. I drew whiskers with a silver colored pencil. We later added a Happy Halloween banner and then sent them off to our friends and family to celebrate the upcoming holiday. I plan on framing the one we kept to use as a Halloween decoration for years to come.

When she started to feel some better, we iced the cookies she baked with Mops. There's nothing like orange icing and sprinkles to make your disposition better. We also baked some yummy apple muffins, but I'm feeling far to lazy today to attach the recipe.

I started running out of ideas on our fourth day trapped in the house, so we broke out the finger paints. We also spent a great deal of time using stickers and coloring Halloween themed pictures.

Then creative genius hit again when we were unpacking our Halloween decorations. I rediscovered some candle holders I made at a MOPS meeting when Kenly was about a year old. Kenly and I found two very expired jars of baby food in the pantry and then created these lovely Halloween candle holders. I think we are going to make these for every holiday. Kenly had the idea to make the candy corn. She also wanted to make a monster.

These are so easy to make. We used Elmer's glue, construction paper, tissue paper, and a fan to help with the drying process. First, we thinned the glue with a bit of water. We painted the whole baby food jar and then placed strips of tissue paper on the glue. We covered the tissue paper with another layer of glue and then applied another layer of tissue. Keep repeating this step until you like the color. Coat the final layer of tissue with more thinned glue. Let it dry completely. Then ask your toddler what type of face the "critters" should have. Glue on the accents and then coat the whole thing with another thick layer of thinned glue. Let it dry completely again. Add a tea light candle and enjoy your handiwork.

Happy Halloween!

A Quick Visit with Mops and Pops

2011-10-30T17:18:00.000-04:00

We wanted to go visit Mops and Pops at the cabin in October, but Dr. Simmons said it probably wasn't wish to travel more than 1.5 hours away. So, Mops and Pops were awesome and they came to us. On Friday, Mops and Pops watched Kenly while Adam and I ate at Chai Pani in Asheville. After dinner, we took a infant/child CPR class. All the classes were full when I was pregnant with Kenly, so we never took the class. We decided to make sure we knew how to handle such emergencies before number two arrived. Thankfully we never had to resort to CPR or the Heimlich maneuver with Kenly. We hope we won't need this knowledge with Whatzit either.

On Saturday we decided to have a bit of fun since the weather was delightful. We drove down to the Mills River to throw rocks and soak up some sunshine.

Kenly filled up buckets with rocks and water. She tried to fall in a few times as well, but she managed to stay mostly dry.

Pops enjoyed the cool mountain air.

On Sunday morning, Kenly and Mops baked some chocolate pumpkin cookies. Kenly had a blast trying to roll out the dough.

Playing with flour, dough, and cookie cutters is fun.

I love the flour on Kenly's face. Baking is not fun unless you get covered in flour.

Kenly helped Mops clean the extra dough off her fingers.

When the pumpkins were ready to bake, I asked Kenly to pose with Mops for a picture. These days she is opposed to having her picture taken. If looks could kill....

At least Mops looks lovely in these photos.

After baking cookies, Kenly and I took Mops and Pops to Skytop Orchard for a bit of apple picking. When we got there, Pops bought Kenly an apple cider slushy and a cute little pumpkin. Then he was off to stand in line to get some of their "world famous" apple donuts.

Lamby had to come with us to the orchard. Mops is taking care of Lamby and the pumpkin while Kenly slurps down a slushy.

Most of the trees had already been picked over, so we had to hike quite a ways in order to find some Arkansas Blacks and some Fuji apples. The Arkansas Blacks are much prettier than the Fujis.

Kenly is an expert apple picker now. She helped us pick 1/2 bushel of apples. This lovely is a Fuji.

Mops lifted Kenly to let her pick a few apples off of the high branches.

Mops was a trooper. She carried this heavy basket of apples back to the apple house. I'd like to say the terrain was flat, but we had hills to conquer as well.

After paying for the apples and scoring some donuts, Kenly was able to play for awhile.

We had a lovely weekend with Mops and Pops. We can't wait to visit with them again.

She Thinks We're Just Fishing

2011-10-30T16:38:00.000-04:00

My husband loves to fly fish. Teaching a three year old to fly fish is a bit unreasonable, so for now, Kenly throws rocks and watches Daddy catch a few. But don't think that Adam isn't teaching her to fish right now. About a year ago, Nana and Papa bought Kenly a Barbie fishing rod that came with a butterfly bobber and a pink tackle box. Her first time fishing was at the cabin. She caught a few bream, and from that moment on, she was hooked.

When Mops and Pops were up visiting the second weekend in November, we spend the morning playing at the Mills River. Adam caught a trout.

He caught my favorite type of trout--a brook.

Then he spent a bit of time clowning around pretending to "hook" himself. Isn't his goofiness endearing?

Kenly started asking to fish, so Adam took her upstream with her Barbie rod. Looking at this picture make me think of Trace Adkin's song, She Thinks We're Just Fishing. The restrictions on the Mills River are really tough right now, so Kenly and Adam simply tossed an empty hook and bobber out into the river. Kenly had a time reeling in the line. Kenly was sure she was going to catch the big one at any moment.

I know the two of them will fish for years to come, and Kenly will have no idea how special the time fishing with her Daddy is until she is much older. I know I didn't appreciated fishing with my Daddy until many years later. What special quality time.

Kenly did have quite a few colorful catches--fall foliage that was floating lazily by.

Adam is training her well. He's teaching her to love the great outdoors. He's teaching her to love fishing. She even has to kiss the fish before she throws them back. He's also teaching her to love football. He better watch out. He's teaching her to become every man's dream girl. Before he knows it, he'll be beating them off with a stick.

If you don't know the song, here are the lyrics.

Trace Adkins – Just Fishin’

I’m lost in her there holding that pink rod and reel.
She’s doing almost everything but sitting still.
Talking about her ballet shoes and training wheels, and her kittens.
And she thinks we’re just fishin’.

I say daddy loves you baby one more time,
She says I know, I think I got a bite.
And all this laughing, crying, smiling, dying here inside
Is what I call living

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the river side,
Throwing back what we could fry,
Drowning worms an killing time,
Nothing too ambitious
She ain’t even thinking about what’s really going on right now
But I guarantee this memories a big one
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She’s already pretty, like her momma is
Gonna drive the boy’s all crazy
Giver her daddy fits
And I better do this every chance I get
’cause time is ticking

She ain’t even thinking about what’s really going on right now
But I guarantee this memories a big one
And she thinks we’re just fishin’
Yeah, she thinks we’re just fishin’
We ain’t only fishin’
This ain’t about fishin’

Cascade Lake--Getting our Camping On

2011-10-29T16:36:00.001-04:00

We went camping the first weekend in October at Cascade Lake. The weekend was quite chilly,but we wanted to get a camping trip in before the baby came. We planned on tent camping, but at the last minute we decided to take the pop-up. It was a really good decision. Adam kept us all warm by building amazing fires and running a small heater for us at night.

There is nothing better than sitting by a fire on a chilly fall morning.

Kenly loved helping Daddy set up the hammock. Our child loves to swing in the hammock.

Adam is training her early. One day she'll be able to set up camp while we sit in camp chairs around a fire.

When we camp in the pop-up, we can have many of the conveniences of home. The toaster oven makes it easy to make Kenly's favorite breakfast--waffles with peanut butter. We also had hot chocolate to fight off the chill.

Kenly found the hot chocolate lip-licking good.

This is what I get when I ask her to smile for the camera these days. She is less than cooperative.

Thankfully her Daddy will still give me a winning smile. I love my man. I love that he is happiest when he is outside. I love that he is teaching that to my daughter. I also love that he does most of the cooking and cleaning while we are camping.

Having more hot chocolate by the fire in her princess chair.

I love that all we really need to entertain Kenly while camping is a ball and some buckets and shovels.

My two loves were looking for the ball in this picture. I don't know if you can tell, but the ball is tucked into Adam's fleece. He's super sneaky like that.

Chance enjoys camping as long as he doesn't have to act like a dog. He needs all the comforts of home.

Kenly finally discovered where Daddy hid the ball. :)

The view from my camp chair.

Camping keeps her all smiles. She's been asking to camp again ever since we left site # 7.

Our campsite overlooked the swimming lake. Since it was far too cold to swim, we decided to explore the dock and throw some rocks.

Then it was time for a little bit of soccer on the beach. Daddy was in goal, and Kenly kept him busy defending.

We had a yummy dinner of silver turtles--ground beef, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms. Yummy!

Here are some views of our campsite, lucky number 7.

Kenly gives camping two thumbs up.

I just want to kiss the chocolate off those lips.

She started entertaining herself by swinging for the hammock. Dragging her feet through the dirt was tons of fun.

Chance decided that he needed to get down an dirty too. He attacked some ferocious leaves since we wouldn't let him chase an squirrels.

Camping with kids is challenging, but Adam and I will always be up for the challenge. The benefits far outweigh the challenges.

Greek Festival

2011-10-29T12:42:00.001-04:00

We took Kenly to the Asheville Greek Festival on September 25th. The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church sponsors a weekend of cultural education every year. Adam went by himself last year, and now we have decided to make it an annual tradition. Greek food is so yummy, and there is always something to see or do. We attempted to go to a cooking class, but Kenly got restless about 15 minutes in, so we had to leave for some other more engaging activities.

We started the morning by having some Greek coffee and a large order of Loukomade. Kenly enjoyed trying these Greek donuts--honey puffs that have been dipped in warm honey and sprinkled with chopped walnuts and cinnamon.

The festival had a kids play area with inflatables and carnival games to keep the kids entertained. We bought Kenly a wrist band so she could play for the day. She stated by making a sand art necklace.

Those necklaces became weapons. We had to watch where we were walking because it seemed like every kid there was swinging one around.

Kenly had some fun on the big slide.

She tried a few more of the inflatables, and thanks to the help of some other "bigger" kids, she was able to do most everything there.

She decided to take a bath in a kiddie pool full of balls.

She tried her hand at a few of the carnival games as well.

After we worked up an appetite again, we headed back to the big tent with food. We were lucky to be able to watch some Greek dancing. Kenly loved it.

We convinced Kenly to try some Greek food by calling it "Greek mac and cheese." She was really eating Pastichio. Adam and I had healthy portions of Pastichio, Spanakopita, Dolmades, Moussaka, and of course a Greek salad. I could eat my weight in Dolmades. I'm going to have to learn how to make some of these Greek dishes. Eating them once a year is not going to cut it.

One of Kenly's favorite parts of the whole experience was having her Daddy push her "higher" on the big girl swing. I love these pictures. To me, they capture the essence of childhood.

After eating, Kenly was able to go back to the children's area to play for a few more minutes.

I love that Kenly can have some fun while learning (albeit slowly) about other cultures. We need to attend more of these. Asheville has so much to offer when it comes to these sorts of cultural experiences. We even need to start taking her to some of our favorite ethnic restaurants as well. I'd like to say she's an adventurous eater, but she's not. Maybe with slow exposure, she'll gradually branch out.

Duck Chasing--Part Deux

2011-10-27T23:17:00.001-04:00

When Nana and Papa were here last, Kenly and I took them to Patton Park so that they could experience the thrill of duck chasing first hand. Video footage is one thing, but seeing the action live can't be topped.

Kenly is all smiles when it come to duck chasing.

Here I am on 9/22/11. Looks like I've swallowed a basketball. You can imagine how big I am now since almost a month has passed.

Papa let Kenly pick a few "cherries" out of the tree.

And of course there was duck chasing. I helped chase for awhile, but my belly tends to hinder serious speed, so Papa took over.

They managed to chase all the ducks into a small creek nearby.

After they has successfully scared all the feathered friends into the creek, they took a break to survey their handiwork.

I think they are both proud.

Fair Food

2011-10-27T23:05:00.003-04:00

For some reason, these photos did not load when I was adding themto the first fair post. And since fair food is one of the main attractions at the WNC Fair, I couldn't possibly leave them out.

Corn dogs.

Deep fried Milky Ways.

Ribbon Fries.

DELICIOUS.

WNC Mountain Fair

2011-10-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

Adam and I are huge fans of the WNC Mountain Fair. So, it should come as no surprise that Kenly is a huge fan as well. She rose the carousel when she was a month old. I won her her first stuffed animal from the fair on that same trip. It is a bit of a tradition around the Brand household. Every year when they start setting up the big tents and the rides, we squeal with excitement every time we drive by. When we finally visit, we're all so excited that we could be described as "disgustingly cute." This year Mops and Pops joined on for our annual visit to the fair. The first thing that Kenly wanted to do when she arrived was ride the carousel. So, all the ladies paid for a ride and off we went. Since I'm pregnant, I didn't attempt to mount a horse. I might not have been able to dismount. (None of these pictures have been edited. I just wanted to get them on the blog before Whatzit arrives and I lose about two months of memories because I'm too spent to put them on the blog.)

I love that Kenly is wearing Benny Bunny like a scarf in this picture. He goes everywhere...even the fair.

We didn't want to keep up with a stroller, so we used the most original form of transportation--Daddy's shoulders.

Adam really wanted to catch a pig race. We've always wanted to go, but somehow we always just miss race time. Adam and I put on pig hats. Kenly would have none of that nonsense.

We watched a few pig races, a goat race, and a duck race. I think the "Indian Runner" duck race was my absolute favorite.

Aren't these ducks amazing?

I was selected from the crowd to compete to be WNC's Hog Queen. I take jobs like these very seriously. I have no issue making an utter fool out of myself. So, I cheered like mad for my pig---#5 Ruddy Martin.

And of course he was a front runner. At one point he even stopped to give the other pigs a sporting chance. We had the "pot bellied pig' connection, so he won. After all, he was racing for cheese curls.

I'm getting my prize.

I was supposed to be able to kiss a pig as my reward. He wouldn't let me actually do it though. :(

After the races, Kenly wanted to ride a few more rides. I think she rode the "Nemo" ride about 8 times. Thank goodness we bought our ride tickets in advance so that they were half off.

She loved on the Chick-fil-A cow. She even scored a free kids meal.

I can't do rides that spin because I have awful motion sickness issues. Mops gladly took my place. It's a good thing because Kenly is really good at spinning that wheel.

She rode the train as well. She was really bummed because she wanted to drive the engine but she got stuck in the caboose instead.

So, she took matter into her own hands. When the ride ended, she hopped out of the caboose and made a bee line for the engine. Forget getting back in line. The girl knows what she wants. Thankfully there was not a long line, and the ticket taker let it slide once we paid for a second ride.

Kenly has always wanted to ride the sky buckets. This year we felt confident that she could handle the ride. She loved looking down on the midway at all the rides. I think she would have taken the sky buckets five times if we would have let her.

We took a few minutes to check out some of the animals. The Brahman cows are my absolute favorite.

Then we headed over to the big top to catch a family circus. It was the first time that Kenly has seen any type of circus act. She loved it until the tent became really hot. Then she was ready to leave. We managed to finish the show

After the circus, Pops sponsored a carnival game. Kenly had to catch three fish to win a prize.

She's an expert angler, so she had no trouble completing the task.

She even got to throw her fish back.

There was one small problem. Forget picking out a prize. The girl wanted to keep fishing. It's hard to walk away when the fish are biting.

She finally settled on a penguin for a prize. Daddy bought some water to cool his girl off, so her disposition improved quickly.

Meet Penguin Dozie. That's this fine fellow's name.

We rode the sky buckets again. Adam managed to capture a few family pictures that I adore. He also got a few of Mops and Pops in the sky bucket behind us.

I love the fair at night, but there is still something magical about the midway, even in the bright sunlight.

We thought Kenly would freak out when she rode the caterpillar roller coaster, but she shocked us all. She never stopped smiling.

Then Kenly got a chance to ride the carousel again. Have I told you how much I love these two?

Thumbs up fun.

Back to the Nemo ride, AGAIN!

Kenly was able to ride the kiddie version of the teacups all by herself.

She was spinning that wheel like crazy. We were luck to be able to catch her face in a photo since she was spinning so fast.

Two thumbs up. She is driving a boat like Papa.

She spent her last tickets riding this ride. We convinced her to put her hands in the air so that she could enjoy the thrill of the ride.

I think she's starting to understand why the fair is so much fun. I think we've created a fair junkie.

That's not a problem. We're already addicted to the fair, and I'm afraid there is no cure for the desire to have some good fun.

No Worries

2011-10-26T22:26:00.001-04:00

I called a few doctors and found out that I received the updated DTaP vaccine back in January 2011 when we were trying to get pregnant. Dr. D wanted me to have it as a precaution against whooping cough, so I'm good for 10 years. The fish hook will cause me no harm.

Today I'm feeling very pregnant. Swollen feet, moody, tired, achy back, and crampy (probably mild Braxton Hicks contractions). I've been a whiny mess to those who can tolerate such behavior. But, I'm counting my blessings. I have two friends struggling with infertility and another who should be delivering right along side of me, but she won't because she miscarried. So, I'm blessed to be retaining water and feeling the growing pains that come with being 9 months pregnant. I'm hoping I can remember that on a daily basis for the next 20 days or so.

I'm also praying that I can be patient with my beautiful 3 year old. She needs so much from me and right now I don't have much to give. Lord, give me the strength to mother well in the next few months. Help me to understand there is forgiveness and grace when I fail. Help me to remember the words in 1 John 3:19-20.

"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." (NIV)

"My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves." (The Message)

What a blessing to know that the guilt and condemnation I carry around most of the time comes from my own heart. Thank goodness that he is greater than my heart and that He loves and accepts me even though he knows everything about me. I needed that reminder this week. Funny how God provides even in the small moments. Moments like this week where I feel weak and emotionally unstable.

37 Weeks/21 Days

2011-10-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

Not that I'm counting. I had a doctor's appointment today. I've gained one pound. My blood pressure was 110/77. I'm measuring well, and the baby's heartbeat is as strong as ever. Kenly was able to find the heartbeat today all by herself. She asked Dr. Simmons if she could do the "stomach part" instead of just holding the speaker. My strep B came back negative, so I won't have to take any antibiotics. Yeah! So, since only four days had passed since my last appointment, not much had changed. I'm 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. The baby is at a -2 station which means he/she is still safely tucked inside. I won't go back to the doctor until next Friday, November 4th, so maybe something will have changed by then. I'm 37 weeks today which means we have 21 short days until the November 15th due date. I'm not having any regular contractions, so I think we are good for another week or two.

In other news, Kenly is starting to freak out when she goes to the doctor with me. She doesn't want them to weigh me or take my blood pressure. She's insanely protective of me. The only person she lets touch me without a fuss is Dr. Simmons. I'm even having to take her to the bathroom with me to catch a urine sample. Fun times. So hopefully she can stay with a friend next Friday when I go. She is excited to be a big sister. Every morning she rips off another link on the paper chain that is counting down to the due date. She's having violent mood swings, and I don't know if that is nervousness or her new three year old temperament. She cracks me up talking about the babies in her belly. Today she had a total of five babies in her belly. While we were driving to the doctor, I noticed that she was holding Benny Bunny to her chest. When I asked what she was doing, she replied, "I'm feeding Benny Bunny from my boobies." So....I guess the talk about breastfeeding is sinking in. We got out some of the unisex clothing from when Kenly was born yesterday. It got me excited. Kenly got excited too but for a different reason. She thinks all the cool clothes are for Camry, her Cabbage Patch doll. Oh reality is going to hit her hard.

Today was interesting as well. I was hurrying Kenly to the bathroom at the park when I tripped on fishing line that sent a fish hook jabbing into my ankle. The OB/GYN nurse thought everything should be fine. I'm looking into when my last tetanus shot was. If it was in the past 10 years, I'm golden. Waiting on Dr. D's office to call me back with that information. I think it got updated back in January when I had a DTap. Who knows? Then when we got home, I found out that one of the support wires and springs that supports the garage door snapped while we were gone. Thank you Jesus! I'm so happy that is didn't happen while Kenly was "feeling the outside air." She always stands right under the door to feel the temperature before we get into the car. So, now all that jazz has to be taken care of soon. I'm hoping that is won't be a huge issue to replace it all. The opener itself has been on the fritz for about 7 years, so now we have to tackle it all. ASAP!

So, that is where we are right now. In a holding pattern with a list of things to accomplish that is about 2 miles long. Good thing we have family that is willing to help with any task, no matter how big or small. We are truly blessed.

Counting Down

2011-10-21T00:45:00.004-04:00

I went to the doctor today. I've made it to the once a week appointments and all the fun they entail. So, today I found out that my blood pressure was 110/70. I'm measuring perfectly. My weight is holding steady. I had the Step B culture done today, and I will find out the results soon. If I hear nothing, I'm in the clear. If I get a call, I'll be on a round of antibiotics to make sure everything is good by D-day.

During my first vaginal exam, I found out that I'm 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I'm trying to not get excited. I know these numbers can hold steady for weeks, but I'm ready to meet Whatzit. I think I was 1 cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital with Kenly. So, I'm hoping for progression, but we also have a lot do. I need to wash and store baby clothes. The closet in the nursery has to be gutted and readied. And lets face it....I haven't bought any of the essentials yet. There are only a few newborn diapers left over from Kenly's early days. So, we have to stock up the the coming attraction.

Forgotten Summer Treasures

2011-10-15T23:10:00.000-04:00

I was looking back through some pictures from this summer when I realized I left out these gems. While in Augusta, Kenly and I went to Uncle Travis and Aunt Carrie's land. They were in the process of building a house then, but now they are officially moved in.

We went down to the pond to find a few baby turtles. Aunt Carrie was really good and catching them so we could get an extra close look.

To cool off, we had a bit of a water fight.

Kenly experienced one of life's small pleasures--drinking from a hose.

Uncle Travis played dirty, but Aunt Carrie and Kenly retaliated and shot water into his boots.

Kenly and Papa spent some quality time coloring on the living room floor. They worked diligently on coloring all the strawberries on this page. I've never seen Kenly try so hard to stay in the lines. Apparently metallic Crayola crayons make her want to be a perfectionist.

We spent a bit of time at the Splash Pad.

Kenly got her first serious haircut. She's not sad about the process; she's absorbed in a thrilling episode of Word World on TV.

Kenly's been asking to play with Papa's antique firetruck for about a year now. We always run out of time, but we actually made it happen on this trip. My Daddy and his brother played with a toy just like this one when they were small. So, we did our part in making sure that Kenly turns out to be a pyromaniac like the rest of us.

The truck actually squirts water. It's beyond cool.

Papa played the "Fire Cheap." They made a mock 911 call, and Kenly was off to save the day. She kept saying, "Fire Cheap, do you have any more instructions?"

Looks like the fire is almost out.

Look out "Fire Cheap"...Kenly's aim with the hose is not the best.

She thanked the "Fire Cheap" by giving him a kiss and asking to do it again.

Her request was granted. Never fear. I don't let my child play with or near fire without close supervision and plenty of distance between her and the flames. I think she will beg Papa to play with the firetruck on every visit now.

Feed or Chase? That's the Question.

2011-09-29T14:49:00.000-04:00

We started feeding ducks at Lake Julian, but I always felt like I was putting Kenly in danger. The ducks and geese there are horribly aggressive. At times, I've had to border on duck abuse to keep Kenly out of harms way. Feeding ducks in the face of constant danger is not fun, so we decided to find a new feeding ground. Patton Park in Hendersonville is the perfect place to feed ducks. If we go on a weekday, they are happy to see us and our bags of stale bread. I can confidently and comfortably let Kenly feed the ducks all by herself without fearing for her safety.

They surround her, and I don't even break out in a sweat.

See. This is me without a bit of worry.

But when she's done feeding the ducks, she loves to chase them. Am I horrible? I let her. They quack and she squeals. No feathered friends are harmed. In fact, they get a workout waddling away on those little webbed feet. If she can every make one fly, she laughs with wild abandon.

She wears herself out, and I'm entertained. We all have a perfectly symbiotic relationship. The ducks get fed. Kenly gets exercise and joy. Mama gets to watch and take pictures. Peaceful, right?

Figuring It Out?

2011-09-29T14:32:00.000-04:00

I love the look on her face when she figures out what is going on. I think she's thrilled. Do you?

Sesame Street Live

2011-09-29T14:09:00.001-04:00

Back in June, Adam discovered that Sesame Street Live was coming to the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC. Since Kenly loves the Sesame Street characters, we thought it would be a good idea to take her. We didn't tell her anything about it. On Saturday, September 10th, we woke her up and told her that we were going on a surprise adventure. It took us about an hour to get to the arena, and she made guesses the whole way. A headband store. The Hands On Museum. The Park. The Play Lodge. We never gave in. When we walked into the Bi-Lo Center, she noticed a merchandise stand selling all sorts of Sesame Street stuff. The guesses continued. A movie. A game. We bought a flag/banner, some cotton candy, and a snow cone. Then we headed to our seats.

While we waited on the show to start, Kenly got her first taste of cotton candy.

She's still clueless, but she and Camry are ready for anything.

We had great seats. Not floor level, but I could have hit the stage by throwing a rock, and I don't have a strong throwing arm.

When the show started, she was all smiles. My favorite quote of the day was, "I wish I could go up there and hug them."

Kenly loved the snow cone. I bought it for me, but I don't think I got very much of that yummy cherry flavored ice. It was her first time having a snow cone too. Needless to say, she had quite the sugar rush after the show was over.

Adam and I missed most of the show for watching Kenly. She danced. She sang. She snuggled.

The show ended with "paper fireworks." Kenly wanted to run out and catch the falling streamers and confetti.

Her favorite musical number was "Rocking Robin." In fact, she wanted them to perform it over and over. During intermission, she refused to come to the bathroom with me because she was afraid she would miss something. Disney on Ice is coming to the Asheville Civic Center shortly after Whatzit is born. I can see a special date for Kenly in the near future.

Playing with Paint

2011-09-29T13:49:00.001-04:00

When all the "Back to School" sales were taking the world by storm, Kenly and I found a deal that was too good to be true. Michael's ran a deal on canvases that made my head spin. If I were more crafty, I might have gone a bit crazy. Instead, we bought one small canvas for $5.99 and got the other canvas for 1 penny. One of my friends had her boys do abstract art on huge canvases for the living room. They turned out beautifully. Instead of letting Kenly go totally wild, I picked out a few acrylic colors that matched her big girl room. I let her work with one color at a time to avoid two canvases covered in brown.

We started by putting hand prints on each canvas. She got to pick which colors she wanted to use. We did a right and a left hand on each canvas.

We let the canvas dry while watching an episode of Word World. I put both canvases in front of a fan to speed up the drying process. Kenly can't stand for a crafting project to be in limbo, so we needed to complete the project in an hour or so. Then I let Kenly add her creative touch using bushes.

Yes, I'm well aware that the right hand in green has 7 fingers. Kenly has not mutated. We tried to double stamp for a darker hand print and we failed to line things up exactly. We like when a project has character in this house.

She decided that adding dots to the canvas was by far her favorite thing to do.

I got brave toward the end of the painting and let her have more than one color on the pallet. She used one brush for each color. I was amazed.

Showing off her finished product.

I think they are beautiful. I'm ashamed to admit that none of her wall art is hung. I must put the finishing touches on her room before the baby arrives. I can do it! Yes, I can!

Apple Festival 2011

2011-09-27T16:43:00.000-04:00

We've been taking Kenly to the Hendersonville Apple Festival since 2009. Each year she finds something new to love. This year we experimented and went to the festival on Friday night to hopefully avoid huge crowds of people and excessive heat. Success. I think we will always go to the festival on Friday night now. Not only was it cooler, but we could pull Kenly's wagon with ease.

Part of the appeal of the Apple Festival is the food. Adam had a gyro and a yummy Greek salad that he shared with me. Yum. Kenly and I had hot dogs/corn dogs and some yummy fries.

After eating, we bought enough tickets for Kenly to ride five rides. The spinning strawberries were her favorite. She and Adam rode this ride three times. She doesn't just want to sit either. She spins that strawberry with all her might.

Every time they got off the ride, they would give me two thumbs up. I got jealous of all the fun they were having. My motion sickness won't let me ride anything that spins, so I had to watch from the sidelines. I did want to try to ride, but I'm afraid the consequences would have been disastrous.

Look at her spinning that strawberry. The teenagers she rode with didn't have to take it easy at all.

Kenly spent her remaining tickets playing in the "fun house." Instead of riding the pirate ship, she went through the maddening maze twice. I love that Adam is coaching her through the bean bags.

I thought she would panic when she had to climb the rope, but she proved me wrong. I think I have an adrenaline junkie on my hands.

The "fun house" ended with a trip down a twisty tube slide.

She's lining up to go again. Tickets in her hot little hands.

After spending all her tickets, she found and rode the winged tractor contraption from the WNC Air Museum. Last year they had to stop this ride and let Kenly off. She screamed bloody murder.

She was completely in love with the experience this year.

We bought a 1/2 peck of our favorite Honey Crisp apples, some sliced apples with warm caramel, and an apple cider slushy and then spent the rest of the evening dancing to a local band.

I love the air guitar playing, especially when she sticks out her tongue.

Big Mama danced a bit too.

Kenly even broke out some ballerina moves.

She ended the evening by slow dancing with her main man. And life was good...

What Previa?

2011-09-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

God is good. All the time. I went to the doctor last Tuesday for yet another ultrasound to check my marginal placenta previa. When I saw Dr. Simmons, she said, "You don't do anything half-way,do you?" I needed the placenta to move about .5 cm in order to attempt a vaginal delivery. Well, apparently Whatzit has been stretching my uterus with great gusto. In four short weeks, the placenta moved almost a full 3 cms. Yeah!

Weight gain up to this point is 10 pounds, but I feel like I'm putting on a pound a day.

When Dr. Simmons went to listen to the baby's heartbeat, Whatzit kicked the doppler. Dr. Simmons said, "You were not kidding about this kid being a violent kicker and mover." This baby moves so much that I sometimes fear my motion sickness is going to kick in. I can watch my stomach "jump." Kenly finally felt the baby move for the first time. Most of the time she's too impatient to sit and wait for a good kick. I know she felt it because her eyes got huge. Whatzit regularly kicks Adam when gives me a hug when he arrives home for work.

I'm starting to really wonder about this kiddos gender. I'm tired of using it or baby to describe the life within. Only 7 short weeks until we find out. Any guesses? Want to make a wager?

Books We Love Right Now

2011-09-26T19:32:00.000-04:00

One (Kathryn Otoshi)
Anything by Karma Wilson, but specifically Sakes Alive A Cattle Drive and The Cow Loves Cookies.
Press Here (Herve Tullet)

Check them out from the library if you get a chance.

Dancing Diva

2011-09-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

Kenly is taking two dance classes at Releve Performing Arts Center in Hendersonville. Her first night of dance class was on Monday, August 29th. She is taking both Tap/Ballet and Hip Hop. Her tap/ballet class is with Ms. Merle on Monday nights and her hip hop class is with Ms. Jamie on Thursday nights. The hip hop class is a bit more relaxed. She can wear shorts and tennis shoes. Tap/ballet required a leotard, tights, and shoes. Her is my little prima ballerina (even though she is wearing her tap shoes) on her first night of class.

She selected these poses all by herself.

This is my favorite.

She is showing me how to tap dance in this picture.

She might be raising the roof in this one. I can't be sure.

These are some of the other kiddos in her class. I was worried that she wouldn't do well on the first night, but she lead the charge into the studio after roll call was completed.

I think I got one little wave goodbye. I had mixed emotions. I was proud that she confidently walked into class without a second glance, but I was a bit devastated that I wasn't "needed." She even left Benny Bunny in the lobby with me. My girl doesn't go anywhere without Benny.

I think she likes Ms. Merle. She is sticking close after class. It might might also be that Ms. Merle had a bag of suckers.

Enjoying her reward after a grueling 45 minute dance class. She wouldn't let me take any after photos.

We didn't get much information out of her after the first class. All I was able to extract from her was that they made a big and a little circle. She's been to 2 tap/ballet classes now and 2 hip hop. As of this moment hip hop is her favorite. She shows us all kinds of crazy moves--the sprinkler, the lawn mower, the cabbage patch, and the grocery cart. When Kenly got out of the car last week, she said, "I love Releve. Everyone here is so nice to me." Since we can't watch class, they have an open house night the week of November 15th so that we can observe a lesson. This just happens to be the week I'm due. Ms. Jamie said I could come to an earlier class, and I'm very grateful. I can't wait to be a fly on the wall.

Frolicking Fairy

2011-09-15T10:46:00.001-04:00

We frequently spend an hour or so exploring the art walk near our house on Saturday mornings. On this particular morning, Kenly played princess and danced after breakfast. When we told her that we were going to hike at the art walk, she begged to wear her princess dress and fairy wings. I was so enamored with my frolicking woodland sprite that I nearly walked into trees watching her play.

She's watching butterflies play here.

When we hike, Kenly is always on the lookout for mushrooms. Adam spied this beauty, and we all had to stop and take a closer look.

My favorite part of the the art walk is a lovely area filled with fern sculptures and real ferns. Kenly always plays among the art and shows us her favorite fern.

She almost always picks the pint sized fern tendril.

Adam captured these photos, and they make my heart melt.

This piece of art is actually an active bell. We always have to stop and ring it.

When the fairy tuckered out, Daddy put her in the princess chariot for a rest. On the way back to the car, she loved to spy the trail blazes (or yellow circles). She tried to touch them as Adam walks past. Simple pleasures on a Saturday morning are among the highlights of week.

Cupcakes and Princesses

2011-09-15T10:20:00.001-04:00

Once Adam went back to school, we started having more regular playdates with Ava. I know Kenly was thrilled to see her friend again. We had them over for a cupcake baking day. Every year Kenly and I try to make cupcakes for Adam's department to celebrate the start of a new school year. Baked goods tend to ease the pain of early mornings and days standing on your feet after a summer off.

The girls played dress up for a bit.

They did a bit of dancing with Meghan.

And then it was time to get all serious and bake.

Look at my daughter sneaking batter that she knows is contraband because of the raw egg.

She iced her own cupcake and then she wanted to eat it. I iced the rest. I think she had her priorities in order for right now.

Meghan and Ava did a bit of icing together, and then it was time for the girls to go play.

I love the icing hanging off her face in this picture.

My friend Jaci came over to help out a bit too. It was nice to have my friends around me again. During the summer, it is so easy to lose touch.

Ava and Kenly both loved adding sprinkles to make the cupcakes look beautiful.

Apple Picking is Fun

2011-09-15T10:06:00.000-04:00

Adam and I have lived in Henderson County for eight years. In the fall, we always visit the apple houses, but we've never taken the time to pick our own apples. In fact, I'm 35 years old and I've never gone apple picking until this year. I really want Kenly to grow up knowing where food comes from. In the next few years, I want to visit active farms and have her pick all kinds of goodies. She loved picking the apples from the trees, and she was amazingly efficient. I think we filled a peck bag in about 15-20 minutes. I think she only let me pick about four apples.

She was very determined to pick the apples all by herself. I love the determination on her face.

See. I told you. I did get to pick a few.

Kenly pulled one off with a stem and a leaf. Adam and I loved it. She paused long enough for a few pictures and then promptly snatched both off. She didn't love it like we did.

I've decided that we will pick apples every year from now on. Maybe we won't always pick at Granddad's, but we will pick every year. We love Honey Crisp apples, and there is just something wonderful about picking them fresh from the tree. They last longer. The sweet/tangy crunch is more powerful. I hope to take Kenly to a different orchard a bit later in the season to pick Pink Ladies....our second favorite local apple. I hope my pregnant brain can retain the plan. Perhaps I should write it down.

We finished the experience by sharing an Apple Cider Slushy while rocking on the porch of the apple house.

Kenly loved the slushy. We had to pry it away from her hand in order to get our share.

Good to the last drop.

We went to feed the scary llama and goats. This year we could not feed them by hand. We had to send the food down a chute. It wasn't quite as much fun, so we spent some time playing with all the fun photo props.

After our apple picking experience, we went to Never Blue in downtown Hendersonville for some lunch. We entertained Kenly by coloring on the paper table cloth. I made some letters and had her connect the dots. She did a wonderful job following instructions. I love her first attempts at letters.

Flower Power--August 13th

2011-09-14T15:21:00.001-04:00

I asked Kenly for months what type of party she wanted when she turned three. Her answer was always the same. Always without delay. I want a flower party. I was actually thrilled that she choose such a broad theme because it gave me plenty of wiggle room in the planning process. We invited our family and closest friends, and the rest was history.

Since the beginning, Adam has made Kenly's cake. I help wherever I'm needed, but for the most part I stay out of the way. This year Kenly decided that she wanted a round cake with pink icing. She also wanted flowers on her cake, specifically hydrangeas. She even pulled out a book with pictures so that Daddy would have something to work with.

She was the first to taste test the cream cheese icing.

I think the icing passed the test.

She was right under Adam the entire time he was working on the cake. Once she got a taste of icing, she wasn't going to roam far from his side. I think she was waiting on him to drop some.

Pink, round cake done.

Mops, Adam, and Kenly all took a little rest in the princess castle that Mops brought up for Kenly to have in her room.

After reviving, Adam started decorating again. She added a bit of green to the cake for leaves, vines, and stems.

He added two really impressive hydrangeas.

Then he decided that the cake needed a few red flowers.

So he added a rose and a tulip.

Kenly was really impressed with her Daddy's hard work. She wanted to eat it right away. We managed to convince her to save it for her flower party.

She opened a few gifts from Pops before her party. She received "monies" to start a savings account. We've already done that. She started counting her "monies" when she opened the card. Pops gave her $30 one dollar bills, and I think she counted them all. She also opened a gift card to Chick-fil-A and The Cracker Barrell. I think Pops knows what his little girl likes.

The finished cake.

Saturday finally arrived. We set up a few sprinklers and a slip and slide. We hung a few streamers, and then all our friends and family arrived. Davis, Jennifer, and Grandma came.

Adam decided that he'd show the kids how a slip and slide worked, complete with tearless bubble bath to make it go faster.

Kenly still wasn't taking any chances, so she rode on the slide with her Daddy.

The rest of the adults watched. I think Adam had more fun. If I didn't have a baby bump, I would have joined right in myself.

Kenly started doing the slide by herself if Daddy would push her.

Adam helped Davis and Ava too.

Then Daddy upped the ante and started taking Kenly down on his back.

She loved it.

Then she started sliding on her back

It was all fun until she flipped over in the splash landing and got water up her nose. Then she had to take a time out and let Daddy make it all better.

A little less excited, and a little more worried while watching her friends play on the slip and slide.

The pizzas from Papa Johns arrive, and we brought the kids in to get dried off. While I arranged lunch, the kids make a mirror craft. Twenty-five cent mirrors from Michaels, markers, and plenty of stickers made it an easy, cheap party activity.

After everyone finished pizza, it was time for Kenly to blow out her candles. Since I can't video and take pictures at the same time, I only have a few still frames from right before and right after. We handed out flower leis to all the party guests. Adam lit the candles and she blew them out before we could ever sing. We sang and let her have a second go at the candles.

We always take a family picture with her and her cake on her birthday.

This is my favorite photo from the day.

The cake gets two thumbs up from Kenly.

Grandma, Nana, and Papa all came to the party.

Thanking Daddy for her wonderful cake.

Opening presents from all her friends and family.

A Snow White dress and accessories from the Yoders.

Thanking Davis for her new Veggie Tales video. She loves The Princess and The Pop Star.

She got another princess dress from Nana and Papa. We had to take it back and get a small size in a different style.

Pops didn't want Chance to get jealous, she he got a few presents of his own.

She received a Radio Flyer wagon from Nana and Papa. She loves the wagon. We already took her to the Apple Festival in it. It's a two seater, so it will come in handy for awhile.

My little princess, and a Mama with a baby bump.

Opening and thanking Pops for a CD player of her very own. She can wake up to music now.

Mops and Pops hung out with us for a few days after the party. I love this shot of them with my beautiful Mother's Day flowers that Adam got me.

A Quick Whatzit Update

2011-09-13T19:56:00.001-04:00

I passed my 3 hour glucose test with flying colors. I'm so relieved to not have to worry about gestational diabetes now. When I went to the doctor last Friday, the baby's heart rate was between 140-150 beat per minute. Since the cut off for "gender prediction" is at 140, I've decided that this child can't be any more vague about his/her gender. As of today, we have 9 weeks left to go. I'm excited about not carrying around this belly any more, but I'm not prepared for bringing another little one home yet.

Dr. Simmons says I've gained at total of 9 pounds, and she is okay with that. I'm measuring well, so she's not concerned with such little weight gain. I'm shocked I haven't gained more. My sweet tooth is back, and I'm not being too deliberate about watching what I eat. I have a funny feeling that I'll gain 20 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I have another appointment/ultrasound next Tuesday to check on the placenta previa. We'll see if anything has changed then.

August 9, 2011--Happy Birthday, Baby!

2011-09-13T19:50:00.001-04:00

Kenly turned three on August 9th. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has gone. Since her party wasn't until the 13th, we decided to give her a special family day on the 9th.

When she woke up, we made big breakfast together. The birthday girl asked for chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, so that's what we made. She was eager to help, so we got started.

I think the smell of chocolate was exciting her here.

Adam and Kenly did a bit of dancing to one of their favorite Pandora stations. (Please ignore the huge pile of laundry in the background.)

In celebratory fashion, we ate breakfast on the porch.

Kenly received several birthday calls while we were getting ready for our adventure. I think she likes being the center of attention.

We took her to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday adventure. She had the run of the place since it was a weekday, and she made good use of her time and tokens. She loved all the rides, and she played the water gun game at least 10 times. She also enjoyed the "bubble game" as well. We danced on stage and had a blast.

After dinner that night, she had a bit of a Twix Ice Cream bar so that she could blow out a candle on her actual birthday.

I love this picture of Adam and Kenly.

She was able to open one present from us that night.

She got an Elmo Wii game. Kenly seems to like it, but Adam and I are less than impressed. I think I'll do a bit more research before I buy another kids game. The day was a huge success. She was counting the days until her "Flower Party."

A Lesson in Phonics

2011-09-08T14:13:00.002-04:00

Let's start this story by reminding everyone that I'm rather round and ponderous at this point in my pregnancy. I don't bend well, and getting up off the floor is a chore. So, this morning when I asked Kenly to sit on the futon so I could help her with her shoes and she balked at the idea, I was none too pleased.

I calmly explained that Mommy can't get on the floor right now. I asked her to please come to the futon so that I could help her.

In typical three-year-old fashion, she pointed her finger at me and growled a nasty "AAAGGH!" I promptly picked her revolting rear up and took her to a time out in her bedroom. She started wailing and moaning. I gave myself a minute to cool off and then I went to address the disrespect. Here is our conversation.

K: I don't like to be in time out.
Me: I don't like to put you in time out. I like it when you listen to Mommy. Kenly, why are you in time out?
K: I'm in time out because I said "AAGH" at you.
Me: That is right. I'm glad you know why you're in time out.
K: But, Mommy. "AAAGH" is just the sound that the letter A makes.

I had to fight to keep a straight face. I had to remind her that while some sounds and faces can be innocent, their meanings can change when a person is using them in anger or frustration. What am I going to do when she's smarter than me?

Two tidbits

2011-09-08T14:04:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share two Kenly stories before they faded into oblivion. The first story is far from funny or enjoyable. One random evening in July we decided to have a campfire in our fire pit. We roasted hotdogs and filled our bellies with mac and cheese. Kenly was off exploring when she started screaming. She ran to me in obvious pain. I picked her up, but I couldn't see anything wrong. About that time, Chance started freaking out. I looked at the ground and saw about twenty yellow jackets swarming. Kenly had stepped on a yellow jacket nest. We quickly moved away from all the chaos. By the time we got inside, I could count at least eight stings. I really felt quite panicked, but I held myself together and stayed calm for the kiddo. I called the doctor and a very calm nurse told me to use either meat tenderizer or baking soda to create a paste for the stings. Kenly hated the paste, so we watched a little Sesame Street.com to keep her occupied while it needed to stay on her arms. The nurse also said to give her Benadryl and Motrin to help with the itching and pain. I didn't sleep much that night. My brother was highly allergic to all stinging things when he was young, so I kept waiting for a reaction. The nurse says that most children don't react the first time they are stung. It's often the second sting that brings on a reaction. For about two weeks, Kenly would freak out if she heard the slightest buzzing. Now she seems to understand that not everything that buzzes is out to hurt her. We had to explain that yellow jackets aren't mean. They were simply defending their home in the only way they knew how. We're just glad that Kenly and Chance were both okay. Daddy took revenge on the buzzing bullies, and we all felt much better.

On a lighter note, Kenly, Adam, and I all went to Brixx pizza for dinner one night in July. Kenly finished eating early and asked to go play in a grassy courtyard with some other children. Adam allowed her to leave the table, and he promised to keep an eye on her since my back was to the courtyard. This courtyard is surrounded by two restaurants, and many kids use it to pass the time while waiting on their food or while waiting on their slow parents to finish eating. All was well for about five minutes. Adam suddenly jumped up while frantically waving his arms and started screaming, "No. No! Kenly, No!" I had no idea what was going on since my back was to the action. When I turned around, I couldn't find Kenly. Adam had taken off running to the courtyard by this point. At this point, I hear the patrons around us giggling and saying things like, "Oh. That is so cute." I then discover that my child has pulled up her dress and has dropped her undies in order to poop on the lawn. Thankfully Adam got to her before any damage was done. As he picked her up, she said, "Hurry Daddy! I have to go really bad." The most comical aspect of the whole story was that she decided to squat in front of a sign that read..........(wait for it)........

NO DOGS ON GRASS!

Forget about dogs and worry about my jungle squatting daughter.

July 2011--Part Three (Babymoon)

2011-09-06T15:08:00.010-04:00

After our 4th of July adventure, Adam and I left Kenly with Nana and Papa for a few nights so we could have a weekend away. We headed to Tybee Island and Savannah, GA to remember "us." What a glorious getaway. I love lighthouses, so Adam made sure to get me to the Tybee Lighthouse.
The view from the top.
I climbed all 100+ stairs because I can't miss that kind of lighthouse experience.
I love this shot that Adam took.

Can you see the beach reflected in the lens?

What's bigger--my belly or the lighthouse?
After exploring Tybee for a bit, we headed into Savannah to experience River Street.
We mainly ate our way through our babymoon, but that's what good Brands do. We decided to appetizer hop since there were too many good options. We started at Dockside.
We split a pound of steamed shrimp, some corn, and some coleslaw.
We walked around and relished uninterrupted conversation. We also enjoyed not worrying about keeping our princess on her schedule.

We checked out echo circle. It's crazy. When you talk while standing in the center of the circle, you can hear your voice echo all around you.
We headed into Wet Willies to get Adam a drink. I'm frowning because I can't have one with him. It's a small sacrifice.
Adam was told to order a Call-A-Cab. So, he's pretending to need a cab.
I think he enjoyed the Call-A-Cab.
We had two appetizer samplers at Tubby's. The first one was so good that we had to order another. Did I mention that we ate a lot?
The view from our hotel room.

We walked out on the pier and watched people fish.
We walked hand-in-hand along the beach.

Our hotel...
On day two we ate breakfast, explored the beach, and then started our restaurant crawl again. We had more steamed shrimp at AJ's Dockside Restaurant.
A bit later we headed to The Crab Shack for a bit more grub. I think we ate so much that I doubled my pregnancy weight gain.
At The Crab Shack, we had oysters and snow crab legs. Yum! This picture makes me salivate.
I wrestled a gator or two.

Adam took on a giant crab...
...and lost.
After eating our way through our day, we headed back to River Street.
We caught a ghost tour, and it was campy but fun.
The next morning Adam took me to eat breakfast by the lighthouse. We actually swam in the ocean for about 15 minutes.

After we checked out of the hotel, we headed back to River Street for a river cruise. It was cool to hear some information about Savannah's history and port activity.

Then we ended our babymoon by eating at a rooftop restaurant.

Then we hurried back to Augusta to love on our little girl. We love time alone, but everything reminded us of our little girl. We know how important it is to nourish "us," and we plan on doing it as often as we can.

July 2011--Part Two ( 4th of July @Clarks Hill)

2011-09-06T13:58:00.011-04:00

What happens when 7 adults, 3 large dogs, and a two year old spend a week in a single wide trailer with one bathroom? Everyone has a rip-roaring good time. We went back to Augusta just before the fourth of July to celebrate with the Burketts. My parents have a trailer on Lake Thurmond(otherwise know by its proper name, Clarks Hill). We arrived on the third in time for a huge club wide picnic. We ate amazing food and then settled in for a bit of a rest. Kenly has never been to fourth of July festivities because she goes to bed before they begin and she's terrified of loud noises that catch her off guard. After nap, we went down to the lake to cool off for a bit. Kenly modeled her flag for the camera.

As the sun set, we watched a parade of American flag waving passengers on wave runners and the American flag reflected in the water. We ate popcorn and boiled peanuts. We drank our fill of Coke products. Kenly made two sand art bottles, and then the real fun began.

Daddy brought out the sparklers. Grandma really enjoyed the sparklers.
As did Kenly...
Kenly did amazingly well with the flaming sticks of fun. We only had one close call, and Daddy knocked the sparkler from her hand before any harm was done. He's our hero.
The smiles you see through the smoke say it all.

As it got closer to time for the fireworks, Kenly started weeping. She begged to go back to the trailer. After all, it was way past her bedtime. It was dark, and everyone kept preparing her for loud noises. I convinced her to hold Benny Bunny tight and stick it out. When the first fireworks exploded, she jumped. After about three minutes, she settled in and started "oohing" and "aahing" like the rest of us. She moved from my lap into her Daddy's. What do you think? I kinds think she's a fan of fireworks now.
We spent a great deal of time on Papa's "big ole boat" during the week.
Adam did some tubing. I was insanely jealous because I love to tube and ski, but being pregnant, I decided to play it safe.
Aunt Carrie and Uncle Travis were able to spend a few days with us. We were thrilled to have them both with us.
Kenly loved watching her Daddy tube. I don't know who smiled more--Adam or Kenly.
Grandma was there with us as well. She enjoyed watching us goof off in the water. She spent most of her time fishing.

Chance enjoyed the boat was well. I think he feels like the king here.
Papa and Kenly made a few great sandcastles.

Kenly gave sunbathing a try. She decided that sitting still only leads to naps, so she quickly told the raft goodbye.
My talented brother brought his guitar and his ukulele, and we had a time listening to impromptu concerts.

Daddy grilled some great ribs.
We did a bit more boat riding.
We spent the morning at Mistletoe State Park. Back before Kenly, Adam and I played on this very playground. Kenly and Grandma hiked to the playground.

My 88 year old Grandma even gave the slide a go. She's fearless.

And then the unthinkable happened. Kenly said, "I want to ski behind the big ole boat with Mommy." So, what did this pregnant mama do. I hopped in the tube and prayed the ride would be smooth. We went slow and steady, and when I could take no more, we called it quits.
Until Kenly roped her Daddy into getting in the tube with her. Look at the dare devil....she's got both hands in the air. We could barely get her off the tube. She bragged to the world that she "skied behind the boat." I was so proud of her.
She sat in Papa's lap and got a lesson on all the boat's gauges while enjoying a juice box.
And then...she took the wheel and drove us all over the lake. I think Papa's heart was bursting. He's been wanting her to drive since the first time we set foot on the boat. Apparently "skiing" behind the boat gave her the courage to try anything.
We had a wonderful time celebrating this great country with the people we love.

July 2011--Part One

2011-09-05T20:11:00.006-04:00

In July we took at least two trips, but we did spend a bit of time at home. I wish I could say that I took tons of pictures, but below is a smattering of our fun at home. When Daddy came home from West Virginia, Kenly came down with the funk. She suffered for days with a high fever and no other symptoms other than a small rash on her face. The nurse seemed to think that she had hand, foot, and mouth disease, a really nasty virus. If so, she had a super mild case, and I'm happy she didn't erupt in "boils" like some of the internet pictures. About four days after she got better, Adam caught some "awful nasty" too. He finally went to the doctor, and got an antibiotic. It seems that what he had worked its way into a sinus infection. In the midst of it all, we had some fun.

I love to watch our critters snuggle Daddy. They were talking to Mops on the phone when I took this picture.
Kenly loves getting her toenails painted now. She loves to pick out the "ponelish." She's adorable as she bends to "blow dry" her freshly painted nails. She's even mastered the heel walk so that she can get from place to place without smudging her toes.
Twice in one week Kenly decided to color her face. Thankfully the markers she selected were washable, so it wasn't the end of the world. The first time I caught her, I laughed. If you look closely at her face, it looks like she tried to put on eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick. I love that her marker choice matched her pajamas. We had a long talk about how markers are used. When she colored her face pink a few days later, she lost her marker privilege. She's finally earned easy access to the markers back.

Kenly always wants to play in the rain with her princess umbrella and rain boots. However, most of our rains are accompanied by lightening, so I'm not going to let her out to stomp with a lightening rod in her hands. We finally got a gentle summer rain, and we let her go crazy. These are a few of my favorites from her "Singing in the Rain" moment.

Kenly loves this bubble mower. Sadly, it has never blown a bubble. We tried, but it need flat ground. Since we have a shortage of flat ground in the mountains, Kenly uses her imagination. I love that she's helping Daddy mow looking all feminine.

At the end of July, we all came home from adventuring, and Kenly started running high fever again. She had a slight cough, but nothing that I was too worried about. We used the humidifier and treated her fever. After days of watching her flop, I took her to the pediatrician only to find out that she had a mild case of the croup. A few days of steroids, and she was good as new. I'm beginning to think we played too hard.

The Power of Prayer

2011-08-31T18:35:00.003-04:00

The other day Kenly was playing with a set of Melissa and Doug horses that Pops got her for Christmas. She named one of the horses Molly. She was playing in bed while I was sitting in the recliner. This is how the scene unfolds.

K: Mommy, Molly's foot is hurting. That's why she is holding it up.
Me: I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope Molly's foot feels better.
K: I think I should pray for her foot.
Me: I think that would be a really good idea.
K: (Kenly closes her eyes, folds her hands and begins to mumble under her breath.) Dear God, Please help Molly's foot to feel better. Amen.
Me: Kenly, that was really sweet of you to pray for Molly. God likes to hear our prayers.
K: (filled with great enthusiasm) Mommy, Molly's foot feels so much better.
Me: That is great. Prayer really does work.
K: (raising one hand toward heaven) PRAISE THE LORD!

June 2011 in a Nutshell

2011-08-28T21:13:00.011-04:00

Since I'm so behind on blogging, I'm going to try and cover a month at a time. I'll hit the highlights, and then maybe I can keep up better once I catch up. June was pretty low key for us. The month started off with plenty of playdates with friends. Most of the playdates involved trying to stay cool.

Ava came over to play in the sprinkler with us. (Side note: Kenly finally let me put her hair in braids for the first time in June.)
These girls spend most of the time trying to drink the water instead of splashing around.

Can you see the pattern? Different sprinkler....same pose.
The girls also spent some time watering the trees and grass to make sure they would grow.
Meghan took some pictures too, and occasionally they would wander over to admire their beauty.
A bit later in June, we took a day trip to hang out with Jared and Katie Brush at Lake Bowen in South Carolina. We enjoyed good food, good friend, and some good times on the lake (swimming an boating). Kenly met a new friend names Liam, and they got along well.
Meghan and Ava invited us to the pool as well. I had Kenly model her ladybug dress that Papa picked out before we got changed.

We spent most of the morning splashing around in the kiddie pool.

When Ava and Kenly discovered the box of water toys, we had to keep them from filling the pool with treasure.
Believe it or not, these two are learning to share and play with each other. Meghan and I never thought this day would come.
We also went to the pool with Jennifer, Davis, and Drew.

After a hard morning of swimming, we dried off and had a picnic at the pool.

Once Daddy got out of school, we started taking a few day trips. We ventured over to the Davidson River to cool off and swim and play with rocks.
Adam and Kenly built this cool castle out of river rocks. I think it is lovely.
And we can never go play at the Davidson River without stopping for some Dolly's ice cream.
About a week after school let out, Adam took off to West Virginia to hang out with Uncle Jason for awhile. Kenly and I took off to Augusta, GA. It was blazing hot when we arrived. Kenly got out of the car and said, "Why is it so hot in Georgia?" Good question, baby girl. I don't have many pictures from this trip, but these are a few of my favorites.

Kenly spent some time playing with Papa in the garage. She helped search through his treasure to find all kinds of goodies. We have similar pictures of me in the garage with Daddy when I'm out Kenly's age. The only difference is I'm covered in dirt from head to toe.

I love this picture of Kenly removing some dirt from Papa's face.

I love the creativity of a two year old. Who else would think to blow pretend bubbles using a lug nut and a toilet screw as a prop. Oh the wonders that Papa's garage holds.
When pretend bubbles lost their appeal, Nana came to the rescue and came out with some real bubbles.

I love this picture of my Mama. Child-like wonder is an amazing trait at any age. I think I've still got most of mine. Nana still does too.

Catch those bubbles...
When we got back home, we took off adventuring with Daddy again. We took a day trip to Graveyard Fields to see the wild blueberries and the waterfall. Kenly and Adam enjoyed taking a dip in the cold mountain stream. Pregnant Mama kept her feet on a non-slippery surface.

Adam took Kenly out to the base of the lower falls. She thought it was so cool to touch the waterfall. She was not a big fan of the kids splashing all around her. The pictures make it look like we had the place to ourselves, but we were surrounded my a slew of kids on a camp outing.

June went by in the blink of an eye. We had fun easing our way into summer.

Whatzit, What's Up?

2011-08-26T13:41:00.004-04:00

Here's the belly at 27/28 week mark. Getting bigger by the day.

I went to the OB/GYN for the mac daddy of all appointments yesterday. I had an ultrasound, my glucose tolerance test, and an appointment all in a two hour window. Adam and Kenly were there with me.

I was clueless that the ultrasound would be vaginal, so I was very thankful Adam was there to shield Kenly from a graphic anatomy lesson. I was disappointed that I only got to see the birth canal, my cervix, and the placenta. I wanted to see Whatzit playing, but it wasn't to be. We did see the baby's head. At one point we were able to see the hemispheres of the brain. After seeing the brain, Kenly started asking lots of questions about brains. She's so curious. In fact, we had to check out a book on earthquakes today because she overheard talk of Virgina's quake and wanted to know why. Before I get into all the "serious" new, I'll share a funny. Last night as I was tucking Kenly into bed we had a small conversation that went something like this....

K: Mommy, does the baby have a brain?
Me: Yes, remember you saw the baby's brain on the TV today?
K: Well, if the baby has a brain, I think it will be a girl.
Me: Maybe. We will have to wait and see.

I nearly laughed my tush off. The conversation went on much longer, but the funny part is recorded forever.

The ultrasound technician discovered that my placenta previa is about .5cm away from the opening of the cervix. It's too close for a natural delivery at this point. The placenta has to be at least 1 cm way from the opening of the cervix, but they'd like for it to be 2cms away. So, I've got some shifting to do. I'll have yet another ultrasound on September 20th to see if any shift has occurred. I'll be 32 weeks pregnant then.

While at the doctor's office, I also found out that I failed my glucose tolerance test. The magic cutoff number was 135, and I was a 140. So, I'm now waiting on a call to schedule a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I'm not thrilled about this at all, but it's deemed medically necessary.

I was able to ask Dr. Simmons about some aches and pains. I got permission to use a heating pad whenever I need it. We also discussed the possibility of physical therapy if my RA symptoms intensify.

I have been having nose bleeds for about 5 weeks now. She looked at the blood work and didn't seem concerned since my platelet count was within a normal range. My iron level was also good, so that was a positive as well.

It was not the new I wanted to hear yesterday, but I have so much to be thankful for. I'm 28 weeks pregnant with a baby that appears to be right on schedule. I'm measuring well, the heartbeat is good, and if kicks indicate well being, this baby is going to be healthy and happy. God is in control. I'll just have to trust. Trying to take Pastor Dave's words from last week to heart....I don't want worry to be my master. I want to trust fully in the One who "knit me together in my mother's womb." He knows what is best.

Happy Third Birthday!

2011-08-09T14:04:00.005-04:00

Dear Kenly,

Three years ago today, you changed my life forever. I never knew that being a Mama would split my heart wide open. I've never loved this deeply before. I've watched you grow from an infant into the beautiful girl that you are today. You amaze me in every way. You are beautiful inside and out. So many people talk about how pretty you are, but they have no idea how deep your beauty goes. Your intelligence blows me away every day. You're not just smart; you have an amazing drive to learn and to master every new skill. Just recently I watched as you practiced tracing your letters for nearly an hour. You're starting to sound out words. I love to watch the glint in your eye when you discover, on your own, that the word balloon starts with a B. Your brain in never off; those wheels are always turning. In addition to being brilliant, you are sensitive and kind. I often have to console you if you see another boy or girl crying. You don't like to see pain. When I had a nose bleed the other day, you cried until I held you an assured you that I was just fine. You notice those around you. I pray that you will always be sensitive to others. Life isn't always easy, and we need to help each other on this life journey. One of my favorite things to watch develop is the intense love you have for your daddy. He is your protector and your playmate. If you're going to try something new, Daddy has to be at your side. When Daddy started back to school this year, your heart broke. We had to visit him at school twice in order to ease you back into being with just Mommy during the day. Child, you are imaginative. You named my old Cabbage Patch doll without any help. Camry is always by your side. I love to hear your dialogue as you play with your critters. You've created a game called "Bump Bump" that you play every morning. Your stuffed caterpillar takes everyone on rides. During tea parties, you make the best cup of "tea adventure" that I've ever had, especially when you add sugar and lemon. You are strong willed and hard headed, and before you think those are bad traits, know that I'm glad that one day you will think for yourself. You want to dress yourself now. Most days I let you, even if you are a bit flashy and clashy. You are enamored with dresses that twirl. You have fierce opinions about your hair. Forget ponytails. You only want to wear headbands, and depending on the day, you want to poof like Nana. You don't think twice about shooting daggers at me or telling me, "if you don't listen to me, I'm going to put you in time out," when you don't get your way. You're learning to be patient and polite. More and more, you're stepping out and becoming independent. I love that confidence, but I'm still so glad that you need me close by. I love that I'm your comfort...your safe zone. Baby girl, you are my heart. I'm thrilled that you're getting a brother or sister, but I'm also a little heart sick that our days of just "me and you" are numbered. You will always be special. You made me a mother. I'm so thankful that God gave you to me and Daddy. You walk around with my heart, and you always will. I love you more than all the leaves that have ever fallen from the trees.

Love,
Mama

Favorites:

Benny Bunny
Camry the Cabbage Patch
Word World, Barney, and Veggie Tales
Putting stickers on your "new foods" chart (You don't like trying, but you love the reward.)
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
Playing the "I love you more" game
Wrestling/Tackling Daddy
Spooning/Snuggling (but only when you want it)
Reading books of any type
Dancing, Dancing, Dancing
Music--All types
Candyland
Chutes and Ladders
Puzzles
Go Fish
Saying "You know what?" Chicken Butt (Your Daddy taught you this one.)

Kenly's Three Year Stats

Weight--27.2 pounds (25th percentile)
Height--36.5 inches (50th percentile)
Her overall BMI falls in the 10th percentile.

She impressed everyone at her doctor's appointment. She disliked having her blood pressure taken, but she never even whimpered. She had to take a vision test. She completed it and blew the nurse away. The nurse said that most 3 year olds can't complete the test. They don't have the knowledge or patience. Her vision is 20/30 in both eyes right now. Apparently this is perfectly normal.

Memorial Day--Ellijay with Mops and Pops

2011-07-30T23:36:00.004-04:00

If I wasn't so far behind, I'm sure these last posts would be full of funny "kenlyisms" that I've long forgotten. So for now, I'm catching up. We went to Ellijay, Ga for Memorial Day weekend to spend some time with Mops and Pops. Kenly was over the moon when we arrived because Mops bought her a princess castle. We put the princess castle in our room, and she slept in it every night on a egg crate mattress covered in blankets. I think she'd trade in her big girl bed if she could sleep in the castle every night. She loves the cabin. While we were there, she spent most of her time fishing, creek hopping, and swimming in the pool. She also enjoyed an ice cream from Dairy Queen.

Kenly loves to fish. She kisses every fish before she throws it back.
She doesn't mind playing with the bait either. That gooey mess in her hands is a pile of night crawlers.
Adam hooks the fish for her, and then she reels them in all by herself.
Our pup is still handsome after all these years.
I could just kiss her face off in this picture. She's too adorable for words.
When she got tired of fishing, she retired to Pop's lap. During the trip she started calling Mops and Pops by new names. She calls them Mopsie and Popsie. She's also started calling my Daddy by Papa-man instead of just Papa.
Gearing up to give the fish a kiss.

Adam and I got married along Turnip Town Creek just below the cabin. Now we are bringing another generation of Brands to enjoy the creek too.

Kenly loved climbing the spiral staircase with close supervision.
Success. I can just hear her screaming, "Look at me. Look at me, Mops and Pops. I'm up here."

Bad Habits

2011-07-30T23:32:00.003-04:00

Now that she's almost three, Kenly is picking up some bad habits. In addition to putting everything in her mouth still, she's "picked" up this gem of a habit.

Any tips on breaking the nose picking habit?

"The Big Ole Boat"

2011-07-30T23:00:00.005-04:00

In May Kenly and I went to Augusta for a short visit. We had a great time as always. Summer hits Augusta hard, and it starts in April. We started the trip off my watering some flowers with Nana and Grandma.

When the temperature soared, Kenly cooled off by playing in the sprinkler in the backyard.

We spent a day at Lake Thurmond (or Clarks Hill if you're a local). Kenly got a chance to ride on Papa's "big ole boat." The boat's name is Papa's Folly and it is fantastic fun. Grandma came with us to the lake. I don't know who had more fun--Grandma or Kenly.
Papa was in the running for best time too.

Both Grandma and Kenly had "permagrins" while we were on the boat.

We had a picnic on a beach and then spent some time cooling off in the water.

Papa and Kenly did a bit of crafting while we were there too. Papa broke out the watercolors, and the creativity flowed.
Kenly got a bit distracted and started painting Papa's nails.
He let her paint all of his nails red. Look at him letting those nails dry. It's like he's been getting manicures his whole life.
Then he painted Kenly's nails the color of her choosing. She picked brown.