MONTH 4

Pregnancy #2
MONTH 4- 16 wks

Pregnancy #1

MONTH 4- 16 wks

So far this pregnancy has been as good as my first pregnancy.  I crave Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickle Spears, the only pickles I have ever and will ever eat.  (No, not mixed with ice-cream or anything weird like that.)  I still sleep good.  I'm not quite big enough to totally switch to maternity clothes, but I definitely can't button my jeans anymore!  I feel like this baby is a boy.  I feel him/her moving stronger than the little flutters I felt earlier this month, but not strong enough for anyone else to feel yet.  I LOVE feeling the baby move!  So cool!  The dreaded growing/stretching pains, that I forgot about, are now making a daily/nightly appearance.  I can't wait for another ultra sound just so I can have another look at my little 4 1/2" Lovey.  I can't wait to meet this sweet baby and to see Ayven as a big brother!

It's almost time.

In less than a month my baby is going to be ONE YEAR OLD.  I know I should probably save this post for his birthday, but my heart is overflowing with thankfulness for him and all of the goodness he has brought into my life in the last year.  I couldn't have hand picked, designed, or asked for a better baby.  He is SO EASY.  From the moment he was born he was an easy baby.  He was never fussy, never had tummy problems, never had sleep problems, or anything. He has been such a good boy and an absolute joy.  When he cries it is easy to figure out why- sleepy, hungry, sick, or hurt.  Those last two are pretty easy to solve by holding him close and loving on him.  He is so loving.  He climbs all over me all day long and gives me "kisses" and lays his head on my shoulder and says Mama and he loves to sit in my lap while I read him stories and he gets so excited when he sees his stroller because he knows we're going on our daily walk together and he thinks I'm funny and he listens to me whenever I sing and he is so funny and full of joy and...I could go on and on.  I LOVE MY SON.  He weaned himself off of the pacifier.  Around 8 months he decided that he didn't want to have anything to do with it.  No thumb sucking either.  He only wants to drink water from his sippy cup- he refuses juice.  Fine by me!  Less sugar the better.  One of his favorite things to do is read books.  He walks over to his shelf or wherever they may be and he says over and over, "Ook! Ook!"  I may be bias, but the boy is smart.  He says and does things that truly impress me.  There have been days that I've been so exhausted that I couldn't blink for fear of falling asleep.  Nights where I wanted him to sleep through the night sooo badly that I cried.  Kevin and I decided  that letting him "cry it out" simply wasn't an option for us.  He has been sleeping through the night for a week now.  When he does wake up we make him a bottle, give it to him in bed, and he falls right back to sleep until morning.  I love rocking him to sleep and realizing how much he is growing by the way his feet squish against the arm of the glider chair.  I can tell that he will be a good listener because he already listens well for an 11 month old whenever I tell him not to do something.  He puts his head down and cries whenever he gets in trouble.  That being said, he is sensitive.  He is especially sensitive whenever he's tired.  When he's tired everything gets a little more dramatic. lol.  He has always been a great napper and a fantastic eater.  From day one he has put himself on a schedule, making it so easy for me to know what he needs.  He pretty much went straight from breastmilk to "big people" food.  He will not eat baby food and has never really cared for it either.  He has a mouth FULL of teeth and he eats pretty much everything that I give him.  I'm thankful for that.  He gets so much joy and excitement out of animals, whether he sees them in a book, in person, or on T.V.  He loves his "puppy puppy puppy" Chloe and Eli.  They are amazing with him.  He laughs and chases them everywhere, pulling their fur, and they have never hurt him or even tried to hurt him.  They stay away from him most of the time.  That is, until he is in his high chair.  He has figured out that when he drops food they eat it, which I think has become a game to him.  It's funny to watch.  They certainly don't mind. lol. He loves other babies, music, and looking up at the sky for birds or "bu" as he calls them.  He likes bubbles, waving at people, and pointing at everything.  His newest fascination and new word is "ball".
I'll definitely post more about my precious boy and what he has meant to my life a little later this month, but those are just a few of my heart thoughts right now that I had to write out.  I constantly thank God for giving me Ayven.  He is a gift.

My Life Lately

My 10 month old, Ayven, being tickled by mama! 

I have to say that my life today is 100% different than what it was the last time I blogged.

For one, I now live in Charlotte, North Carolina!  Kevin and I moved here about 2 weeks ago after feeling the call for 2 years to come be a part of Elevation Church.  It is an absolute HONOR to be at this church.  What an incredible place of ministry.  God is moving in big powerful ways through this church body.  Pastor Steven Furtick...well...you just need to go hear him and then you'll understand!  www.elevationchurch.org 

The worship ministry here is one of the best you'll hear.  We came here on total faith.  We left a church and job we loved, a lovely house with friends nearby, good pay and benefits that we were comfortable living with... we left it all.  We didn't come here because of a job offer or a job opening.  We came here on total faith that God called us here and therefore would provide for our family, He would be faithful, and He would unfold His perfect plan.  And we are seeing Him do all of that before our very eyes!  These are the most exciting times in the life of our family!

Everybody here has been extremely friendly and helpful.  Kevin and I were so blessed to get into a nice rental house with a great backyard in the kind of neighborhood you see in movies where everybody knows everybody.  I LOVE this neighborhood!  It's full of trees and hills and very sweet people.  Our landlord is the best you could ask for.  We will call this house our home for the next 2 years.  We are so thankful!!

Another huge blessing was the very day we were on our way to Charlotte, we got 2 year tenants for our house in Texas!  That was the best news to hear!  We knew we couldn't carry rent in Charlotte and our mortgage in Texas.  We didn't know what was going to happen, but we moved forward anyway.  God is so faithful when we obediently step out and follow Him, trusting that He is able!

Another huge change for us is that I AM PREGNANT!!  And, yes, we planned this pregnancy to be this close to Ayven.  This baby is due around April 9th and, once again, we will not be finding out the gender of the baby until it is born!  In our opinion, t is the greatest surprise one could experience.  It was such a powerful moment to find out that Ayven was a boy the moment he was born that I can't wait to experience that again with this baby.  I am praying for an uneventful, healthy pregnancy and delivery.  My C-section with Ayven was a total nightmare.  So much infact that my doctor said it was the worst she's had to be a part of in 12 years.  Needless to say I am praying that this time around is much more pleasant.  A repeat C-section is what I'm most nervous about!  

Ayven is now 10 months old and he is the greatest joy in mine and Kevin's life!  I have been planning his 1st birthday for the last few days.  I'm going with this really cute puppy theme that I found:

http://www.1stwishes.com/I-Love-Puppies-1st-Party-Supplies/43960/PartyKitDetail.aspx  

Ayven loooves puppies so this theme seemed very appropriate.  I can't believe my baby will be 12 months old in less than 2 months.  It has been sooo fun having him around!  He has the sweetest disposition.  I will say that I wish he'd start sleeping through the night though.  Since getting pregnant I am soooo exhausted!  Getting up with him up to two and three times a night is really hard.  Thankfully Kevin has been Super Dad and gets up at night most of the time.  THANK YOU, KEVIN!!! 

At this stage in his life, he claps, touches his head, touches his toes, waves, points, and dances when you ask him to.  He points at everything and everyone, which is super cute.  We like to make a game of it and tell him what he's pointing at.  Today he has been saying, "Oh" alot.  He finally says, "DaDa".  He has said "Mama" for a long time so we were anxious to hear him say, "Dada" to Kevin.  He loves to play his instruments and hits everything with his drumsticks.  I found him hitting Eli with a spoon the other day and then today he wacked Chloe with his drumstick.  Sad for the puppies, but Ayven was cracking up.  I had to laugh. He loves his puppies but he's so rough with them right now.  He pulls their fur and hits them with stuff..he thinks it's funny!  lol.  I think they tolerate him because they know they get food from his highchair!  He is very cuddly, which I love.  He loves to just sit in your lap while you read him a book or lay his head on your shoulder.  He smiles whenever I sing this song to him to the melody of "Barbara  Manatee" from Veggie Tales, "Ayven Joshua, you are the one I love! Sent from up above! My Ayven Joshua!"  Kevin and I catch him "singing" all the time in a little high voice.  It will melt your heart! 

Here are some pics of Ayven's first trip to Charlotte, NC earlier last month.  We took him to the beach for the first time and we all had a blast!  He seemed to really like watching the waves.  Now that we live on the East Coast I sense many more beach trips for our family are in the future!

6 MONTHS- HALF A YEAR!!!

Here's a little bit about my big 6 month old boy!

He has two pearly whites that he loves to show off with those big, beautiful smiles! 

He has a new found passion for his feet.  If he isn't staring intently at his toes as if to say, "What are these things?" then he is chewing on them. 

MORE PEAS, PLEASE! 

Ayven has officially started eating food.  We decided to skip Rice Cereal and move on straight to the good stuff!  I've exclusively breastfed him since he was born, so this is a big step for me.  I'm excited about introducing him to the world of food though, but only to the best ofcourse.  He was  introduced to organic peas a few days ago.  He seems to like them.  I think he's still figuring out the new texture and taste.  We'll give these a few more days before we add another veggie to the menu. 

I've noticed that when Ayven hears or sees other kids he gets very focused on them.  Personally I think it's because he's ready for a brother or a sister. :)  My hope is to get pregnant before his first birthday.  I wait for that day with great delight!  We enjoy play days with our best friends, Gina aka Nah-Ni, and little Addy.  It will be fun when they can really interact with each other.

We are publicly dedicating Ayven to the Lord on Saturday night at our 6pm service at Woodlands Church.   It's going to be a very special Mother's Day weekend!



God's perfect gift to me...

http://www.freespiritfoto.com/

Thank you, Sherina, for these beautiful photos of my precious baby boy!

Ayven was sick this day and he had just woke up from a nap and he was ready to eat.  So we didn't get any smiles this day, but these are still so beautiful.  I love my son.  Oh my goodness I love him so much and when I look at him I just see God's perfection at work.  I still can't believe this beautiful person is mine.  Thank You, God, for this incredible, fun, joyful, sweet, loving, and gorgeous little boy!!

 

ducks & musical fountains

Funday Monday!!

We had a family picnic at the park where we introduced Ayven to ducks for the first time. It was nice and cool in the shade and so peaceful.  It was relaxing looking up at the blue sky, hearing the birds and ducks and the occasional splash of the lake.  Ayven seemed to enjoy observing his surroundings.  Everything in the world is new and exciting when you see it for the first time through his eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 That night we took Ayven to see all of the lights and to hear the music at the fountain in the Waterway.  Even though it was his bed time, he was very alert and observant.  That's my sweet boy- content, peaceful, observant.