*Happy* Easter :)

Ahhh Easter Sunday 2011 ...a perfect example of how things don't always go according to plan and yet somehow they always turn out exactly how they are supposed to :)

So after being told at the Dr. office to behave myself all weekend I gave it a good try...I really, really did. But half way through the day Saturday Cassie took a really good tumble (still no idea how or what happened...) and split her cheek open. Daddy wasn't at home so Grandma and I took her to the Emergent Care place. Talk about the BP going up! I can deal with a scratch that is bleeding like crazy, but this cut was different. It wasn't really bleeding all that bad but every time Cassie moved the cut would split open so I could see inside...just ew...so I kinda freaked (just a little). We got to the place and were seen right away the doctor sealed the cut with some glue and a steri strip and we got sent home. She was really such a good girl during this whole thing, she only cried really when the Dr. was holding the cut closed to put the glue on... after the Dr. left the room she was right back to smiling and exploring.

(for future reference though we will skip over the Emergent/Urgent Care places and go right on to the ER for anything big or small. While we got right in and out they treated the cut like they would on an adult rather than a small child it didn't get cleaned out properly and it got very very infected...after a week on some pretty rockin antibiotics {and still a bit longer to go} it is looking much much better and we are pretty sure there wont be a scar)

Needless to say, nobody in the house got a wink of sleep Saturday night into Sunday... when Cassie finally got up for the day her cheek had swollen to the size of a golf ball and was all nice and red and shiny...ontop of that she was still sick with her nose leaking like a faucet, her fever was still nice and high and she was teething and drooling like crazy...I have never ever seen her drool as much as she did!

So lets just say we didn't really do much. We gave Cassie her Easter basket, we just put her eggs in there and skipped over the egg hunt even though it turned out to be a pretty beautiful day. She loved the M&Ms and Jelly beans, didn't really care too much for the peeps or chocolate bunny (though she has since changed her mind...). I also skipped over putting her in her "pretty" dress since she was drooling and bleeding and what not it just wouldn't have been a pretty sight.

We did the ham up in the crockpot (though it was slightly too big for the pot, Matt rigged it so that everything was covered up.) it ended up cooking pretty great, in fact we over cooked it a bit, but it was still awesome. We didn't end up doing the mashed potatoes and carrots we had planned, we did just the plain version of both, and yet? it all came out just perfect some how.

And to top it all off, my awesome Aunt Carol sent over some great deserts for us all to enjoy (we all enjoyed every bite of those puffs and cupcakes)

And the next day??? My water broke at 6:30 a.m. ... story to come soon!!

Earth Day Trees - 2011 Edition

Broke out of the house this morning (hey my mom drove the van so I was still resting right?) to go to Lowes since they were advertising free trees for Earth Day. Since Matt and I wanted to start a tradition of planting trees every year with the girls I thought it would be perfect...well turns out those trees that were free weren't actually anything like the picture lol, they were barely more than a branch that was smushed into a tiny paper bag...so I went ahead and picked up these two trees, they aren't exactly what I was looking for but they were only $6 and they will do! I think we will put Ali's out front where she can watch it grow from her window and Cassie's out back where she can watch it grow.

Next year though I want to get ones that will eventually produce pine cones so that they can go out and get pine cones from their very own trees for projects :)

Think we will wait until after Ali gets here to actually get them in the ground but at least we have these now :). It's going to be so much fun when the girlie girls are big enough to help out with the picking and planting!

Dear Cassie

I know there has been alot going on lately and there has been alot of focus being put on your sister, so I wanted to put a little focus back on you :)

You are getting so big so fast I can hardly believe what I am seeing...in just the last few days you have discovered how to climb up on each and every piece of furniture that we have...and while you love the new found freedom (hey you can follow the kitties where ever they go now!) it's terrifying to me :) and a whole new round of child proofing needs to be done to keep you safe and sound.

You now have a habit of putting things "away" what a great habit to get into! Not that you always put things where they belong, or put things away that need to be put away but the sentiment is still there and for that I applaud you :)

And you are finally showing some interest in your little sister...maybe because you are starting to sense that she is almost here, maybe it's just because Mommy's big ol'belly is moving on its own I'm not sure, but it certainly is cute :)

I can't wait for your sister to actually get here, no this post isn't going to end up being about her, but I know you are going to make an awesome big sister, I can't wait to see how you interact. And not only that but once she is out of my belly you and I can get back to doing our crafts and projects together and I can hold you and rock you back to sleep again. I feel like these past few weeks have been so unfair to you, you have missed Kindermusik not once but twice, grandma is going to have to take you to your first real doctor appointment with your new doctor next week (and to Kindermusik) and I just can't do all the activities with you that we usually do. We wanted to start an Earth Day tradition of picking out and planting a tree with you every year and it looks like that is going to be postponed, and Easter no idea what we are going to do about that...maybe put it off a week? We will see...I know you are to young for this to *really* have an impact on you but still...I can't wait for life to get back to normal so I can start making things up to you!

ETA: Some things that occurred to me when you woke up this morning :)

Your hair is coming in like crazy now, it seems to be a lightish blond color so far, but it can't make up its mind if it wants to be curly or straight yet :) I love trying to put bows and head bands in, but you want nothing to do with either though. However you do LOVE "bracelets" or anything that is round and small enough to keep on your little wrist...such as shower curtain rings...its just adorable.

Your new favorite fruit/finger food is Blue Berries...you just love them and will eat them by the handful. Your Great Grandpa thinks this is just awesome...second in awesomeness only to the way you eat your Mac & Cheese wagon wheels :) (which happens to be you putting your finger through the pasta and wearing it as a ring before you put it in your mouth...)

Your new favorite toy is a birthday gift from Marci and Zoe...it's a neat little fridge magnet toy that teaches you the alphabet...and of course it has Scout on it which still happens to be your favorite stuffed animal.

You have been sick with a cold this week and you are teething like crazy on top of that which means you haven't been eating much or sleeping through the night at ALL. You seem to *like* being awake between the hours of 11:30 and 4 hopefully you change your mind soon little girlie, mommy and daddy and grandma need SLEEP! But during the day you are still just your awesome little self. Keep up the good work the teeth will all be in soon (I hope...) and your cold will be all heeled up so you can get back to breathing and eating (and sleeping? please?) like a normal little girl.

I love you baby girl :)

36+ Weeks

36 Week up date .... and go ... Monday we had our NST, passed with no problem at all this time! Yay Ali for cooperating finally! Doc checked me again and I was still only dilated to 1 so she stripped my membranes again and sent me home with the hopes that I would go on my own before Thursday (yesterday) well it seems that Ali is making her self nice and comfy in there because nothing happened.

Yesterday we had an Ultrasound appointment and BP check (this will be the way of things until she pops out...NST on Mondays US on Wednesday or Thursday...). Got a surprise walking into the US room when I found out it would be one of the new Techs that had been in training that would be doing my US ... By. Her. Self. ahhh I was a bit nervous at first I wont lie but turned out to be all fine she whipped right through the biophysical and Ali passed right away with an 8/8! Yay good girl, thanks again for deciding to cooperate! She is weighing in roughly at around 7 pounds 3 ounces (so it seems neither one of us have gained any weight in the last week and a half).

Next came the BP check...again I met with R, as she was the only one in the office to see anyone...my BP turned out to be right on the borderline at 140/90 so she let us go home rather than the hospital. YAY! I did tell her though that there was no way I was going to the hospital again unless I was guaranteed to come home with a baby...my arms are entirely too bruised still to endure more poking and prodding lol.

So I was sent home on strict bed rest...not couch rest...and told I had better behave myself because the doctor was off through the weekend since the office was closed today for the holiday weekend. I so do NOT want to have the on call doctor or the hospital doctor to be the one to deliver so I am really going to try. Its going to be a bit hard with Easter and with the fact that Cassie is still sick/teething/not sleeping at. all. through the night. But it will all work out :)

Wordless Wednesday - Sick Girlie

Disclaimer *There will probably be lots of cell phone/iPod pics till Ali comes along so I don't leave my camera at home rather than bring it to the hospital again :)*

My Day on {complete} Bed Rest...in pictures!

Went to the hospital last night because I was having constant and regular contractions and got to go home since I wasn't progressing at all . So I was determined to rest today since my doctor wasn't on call and I really didn't want anything to happen without her being the one that was there, so with Daddy's help I spent the entire day in bed.

This is what my day consisted of...lots of water, TV, Facebook and Reading and taking random pics with my cell phone...

and looking at the beautiful tulips my mom got me to plant outside that are currently brightening up my room :)

Plus Daddy made me breakfast in bed :)

mmmmm homemade Banana Cinnamon Rolls (recipe review soon to come on my kitchen blog!)

It was such a beautiful day out side :) I got to enjoy it through an open window, good thing we have a nice view from the bed!

And then on top of all else Daddy also went out and got Matt Dogs for us to have at home so we didn't miss our weekly tradition!

Another doctor appointment coming up tomorrow, Daddy is actually coming with me to this one so we shall see how it turns out!

Fun Friday - Belly Art!

I saw a post on one of the parenting sites I'm on (can't remember which one...) where they posted pictures of "Belly Art" my favorite one was one where the mom to be let her soon to be oldest child "draw" on her belly. It looked like so much fun I decided to give it a try.

Daddy showed Cassie what to do (and helped a bit along the way :) ) then gave her the markers and let her have free range...

(can you tell this is her first trial with markers?? I will say she did MUCH better than I thought!)

35+ Weeks...

Okie Dokie...Here we go with the update :)

Monday I went in for another NST and BP check...Ali passed her NST she got more of a B grade than an A+ but she still passed. My blood pressure was up there enough that they sent me to the hospital where I spent the first hour of my BP monitoring with the BP cuff hooked to the bed rather than my arm...

After that I spent another 3 hours there. Apparently everything went back down enough for me to get sent home on "bed rest" ahhhh yes that is soooooooo possible with a 15 month at home :) at least it was made a bit easier since Daddy set up the air mattress in the living room which is very comfy and Cassie loves to bounce on it so it keeps her semi occupied while mommy gets to rest.

Today I really haven't been feeling all that great all day, I have been feeling more like I was 10 weeks preggo rather than 35 weeks with cramps, nausea, exhaustion, the whole shebang so I kinda knew I wouldn't get a free pass for another week between dr. appointments, hopefully this feeling means it's almost over :)

Today's appointment was for an ultrasound. For the first time in 35 weeks Ali didn't have her hand up so we got to see her entire face this time! Loving those incredibly chubby cheeks already! Can't wait to see them in person, there is only so much the Ultrasound machine can show lol.

So during the ultrasound she gave the tech quite a scare since she wasn't doing any moving and grooving at all in there even being poked and prodded and shifted around from outside the belly she just wouldn't wake up (hopefully this means she will be a sound sleeper once she comes out?? very much unlike her sister...) finally after having me get up and shift around and what not three times she finally wiggled around just enough to make the tech happy. She is now weighing in at about 7 pounds 6 ozs so she is an excellent size if she were to be born any time in the near future (fingers crossed!).

I then got to go get my BP checked out and (surprise, surprise) it was borderline again...it was pretty high when they took it in the ultrasound room (150/100) but I blame that on being worried about a baby not passing her tests...then it was 140/94 and 140/98 when they took it in the regular exam room. The NP I saw (R who isn't really my favorite person in the office for some reason I really can't put my finger on...) debated sending me to the hospital for a while again but in the end decided to send me back home instead (YAY!) on as much bed rest as possible and she wanted to see me again in the morning tomorrow...sooo we shall see what happens tomorrow...

When I got home I did as I was told and went right to bed...where I was promptly joined by Sirius...

Then Prissy...

Then Frank...

Then Sirius again...

I was surrounded by one animal or another (even all of them a few times) since I laid down...wonder if they know something is up...

Wordless Wednesday - Big Girl!

DIY Easter Wreath

Now that we have the house I have been wanting to get more and more into decorating for all the holidays but so far I have missed all of them for one reason or another so I am pretty proud of my self for not completely skipping past Easter :)

It may just be a wreath, but its decoration and its up on our front door right now...it cost less than $5 to make, and even the Little Miss got to help out and paint the egg decorations for me!

I have been looking around at directions on different inexpensive DIY wreaths and I was pretty intrigued by the coffee filter/cupcake liner ones, but they are pretty water soluble and wouldn't last very long hanging on our front door.

Then I remembered a wreath I made many moons ago in Girl Scouts consisting of two supplies...

A wire hanger and a box of sandwich baggies.

Now I didn't take pictures of the during process since I did this part while Cassie was sleeping and it was quite dark out...but essentially what you do is bend the hanger out so it resembles a circle (don't worry if its not perfect, as you can see the baggies fill it in...) then you fold the baggies in half and knot them around the hanger. Pack them in as closely as you can, the more bags you get on there the better/fuller it will look.

And when you are done it will look something like this... (sorry for the rotten picture quality! I can't do much in the way of editing on the computer I'm on at the moment...)

Next it's time to make the decorations...to do this I put an "egg" in a bag with some paint...

Then gave the bag to the Little Miss to play with and smoosh around for a while...

And when you put it all together you get something resembling this...

Yay! At least one decoration up for easter! Going to have to be sure to at least color some (real) eggs this year too!

Swing Set Sunday

The weather this past weekend was so incredibly awesome we couldn't help but get outside and enjoy it!

Everything was finally dried out on Cassie's swing set so we took her out back and let her explore and have some fun.

She LOVED her Swing!

She gave the rock wall a try

Explored the clubhouse

And slid down the slide :)

A pretty awesome morning if I do say so...