Katie Jo's two year visit

Katie Jo had her two year old well check up last Wednesday, May 16th. She now weighs 25 lbs and 10 oz. She measured 32 and 3/4 inches in height. I was happy to report to them that she is thriving and growing like a normal two year old. This can be interpreted to mean she runs a lot, doesn't like to listen to often, and has a pretty good idea of how she likes things to go. The doc asked nine thousand questions about everything to do with health, eating, drinking, sight, hearing, and a bunch of other stuff that I simply answered no to. We talked about potty training and I expressed my desire to wait as long as possible seeing as how we will have another bottom to take care of soon and I don't think I'll have the will to worry about one needing to be "taken" and one to be "changin." I think I'll just wait until the golden day when I find Katie Jo on the pot doing as she supposed to and flushing behind herself. Washing her hands afterwards would be nice too but we don't want to set our expectations too high! Just kidding. She also had to get one shot and a finger prick and just like her mother the finger prick was more terrifying to her than the shot. If I had to see her mess with that finger one more time I thought I was going to pass out. We have learned that she does not like wearing band aids. I don't know if it's the association that they follow a shot or if it really bothers her to actually have one against her skin. Besides all that she is just doing great and we are enjoying every moment of her.

Here's a little pic or two from this past week when we went to the sprinklers at a local park with some friends.

Pregnancy Update 32 weeks

Well last Thursday, May 17th, I had another doc appointment. I gained a couple of more pounds and was up to 122. My blood pressure was 100 over 60 and as far as I know that sounds fine by me. I am not showing any signs of swelling yet which is nice considering by this point with Katie Jo I believed I'd had to quit wearing my rings. Hopefully that will hold out a few more weeks. I'm feeling good but a little slower. The baby's heart rate was a steady 158. We had our 30 week ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and everything checked out as normal. It was still a girl as far as they could tell and now I feel confident in putting in the new bedding for the crib.
My neighbor and I still are continuing our daily walks and I figure if I can still carry on a conversation by the end then I'm doing OK. I have stepped up the water intake since we're nearing the end of this pregnancy and it is getting hotter outside. Starting next week our neighborhood pool officially opens during the week and I am really looking forward to enjoying that each day. Besides that there isn't much else to report. I'll have to say I've felt blessed, as of late, to of had such a great pregnancy thus far. I can't believe it's only 5-7 weeks away. We still have a few loose ends to tie up but I'm sure it'll all get done.

Here I am at 33 weeks!

Preggars Update 30 weeks

Today I had another OB appointment and everything checked out perfect, as usual. I weighed in at 120 which was a 6 lb gain and I was very pleased with that. The baby's heart rate was 153 which was healthy. Besides that there were no other big happenings. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes which was nice. The picture above is me at 28 weeks. I'm probably not a lot bigger now but will be soon enough. I'm still feeling great and continuing to walk everyday with my neighbor Emily and her son. I think that has helped a lot this pregnancy. The baby has still been moving around a great deal and is starting to run out of room. We have our 30 week ultrasound tomorrow so it'll be nice to see the baby one last time before her arrival in July.

A Cut named Bob

It was finally time to get Miss Jo in for a proper haircut at a real salon with a paid professional. So we did and she is now on the cutting edge.

Crocs Rock

In true fashion of being a girl Katie Jo has found the pleasure of owning a new pair of shoes! The Crocs are a new trend that till now has evaded us due to the fact that her foot is so small and their starting size too big. But low and behold Momma found some that actually fit! Katie Jo loved them so much she wanted them back on her feet first thing the next morning. As the below pictures show, footed jammers are only stylish with actual shoes attached.

Pregnancy Update 27 weeks

Here I am at 24 weeks.

On the pregnancy front everything is going very well and I am now 27 weeks putting me only one week away from the last trimester. I had a couple of weeks where I was super tired but thankfully that has passed. I chalk it up to the culmination of all the work we've been doing around the house and probably wearing myself out. Lately I've been walking a lot in the afternoon and that has given me a new boost of energy.



I had a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago and had gained another 7 lbs putting me up to 114. I feel good about gaining the weight so far and will probably reach a goal of 30 lbs or more by the end. I managed to catch up last time after being so sick and hope to do the same this time. Baby's heartbeat was 154. Everything else was in tip top shape and it was a quick visit again.



Yesterday, I got some terrific news in finding out I passed my glucose test and that my iron levels were good. Last pregnancy I had to go back for the dreaded three hour test and had to take the iron pills so I feel lucky to have gotten out of all that this time. I guess all that's left is getting bigger, swelling up, and giving birth. No problem!



Katie Jo still loves to find "Mommy's baby" and give it a pat. I started referring to her as Georgia and now Katie Jo will point to my belly when we ask her "where's Georgia?" She can say the name too with an emphasis on the "ja" sound.

Like a Duck to Water

Well, it's been sooo long since I've posted I figured I'd start with the most recent and work my way back.

Last week we reached a big milestone in moving Katie Jo to her new room with her "big girl bed." We've been slowly transitioning her so she wouldn't feel thrown in there overnight. First, Jay and my Dad painted it. Then we picked bedding and ordered it. Next, we started spending a little bit of time in there every day to get her used to it. Finally, last week I started moving some of her toys over and by Wednesday we were ready. So far it has been going swimmingly. The first nap was the worst. Not because she got upset but because she kept getting out of the bed and I'd have to check on her every ten minutes. By Wednesday nite she understood it a little better and it only took about 45 minutes to get her settled in. After that she has stayed in her bed without us having to go in more than once. She loves her new room! She loves her bed with all the animals and her new hamper where she herself puts the dirty clothes away. She loves getting her diapers out and ready and she loves her toys that are on a new bookshelf. We didn't put a lot of toys in there which seems to help so she isn't overwhelmed with choices. A couple of days ago we started saying "Goodnight" to each of her animals and kissing them. We finish with her and she just thinks that's the best thing ever. I'm so happy for her to feel "big."

As for the old room we'll probably start putting it together for Georgia after my next ultrasound. I would like to make sure it's a Georgia and not a George before we go to too much trouble.

This picture is from the very first nap.

This picture was of her after the nap when she wanted to show off her new room!

March 11th

Here I am with Daddy doing one of my favorite activities: swinging. Lately, I really like it when they wind the rope up and let me spin around!

Funny Girl

This was just a cute video of us messing around a couple of weeks ago.

Wondrous Music

Only from the mouth's of Southerners would you hear such a lovely tune. What a neat site to see three generations singing together. Grandmoney, you are a joy to watch play. With no sheet music I might add!

Can someone please just say "Cheese"

There is nothing funnier than multiple people trying to take a picture of the same scene. Add in four children under the age of 5 and 2 great-grandparents trying to wrangle them and you've got yourself an "America's Funniest Home Video" contender.

Rain Dance

I'm not sure if she was trying to bring on the rain with these moves but it got us laughing nonetheless. And yes, I too think I resemble Michael Jackson with the white socks and black shoes. Editing will only let you do so much though.

Feb. 26th and beyond

The last three weeks have been bananas so we don't have a lot of pictures but a lot of stories. After getting back from our familypalooza (more about that in another post) we got back to our regular schedule. Katie Jo had been attending the Mother Goose group at the library on Wednesday. And on Friday's we have had Tumblebugs at the YMCA. She loves both and we're continuing the Tumblebugs class for now. Saturday, the 24th, I had my first Bossy Bows (read about in next post) event and that afternoon we went to buy a new kitchen table and chairs. The next week we spent getting ready for our MASSIVE yard sale that we had on Saturday the 3rd. It was amazing what treasures I found in cleaning out every room, closet, corner, cabinet, and cranny. I found my favorite maternity top from last pregnancy hidden away in a corner and so many items I'd never even opened. Our yard sale started at 7 am and at 6:15 we had someone blocking our driveway to get first dibs. By 6:40 we had a crowd of 10 or so and Jay told them to just come on. By 7:15 the first rush of people had left and we felt like a tornado had come through. It was the most exhausting event ever and I won't do it again for 10 years! It was so worth it though. Our house is so much cleaner and clutter free. We sold 85% of what we put out and took the rest to Goodwill. Yipee!! This past Monday I took Katie Jo in to the doctor with a fever and came out with a positive test for the flu and a double ear infection. This past week we've been stuck in the house for the most part and I'm looking forward to a better week next week. Hopefully more pics too!

Here's a picture of Katie Jo sitting in the kitchen. It's empty because Jay was sanding, staining, and painting our new table in the garage. She's shirtless because I was getting ready to take her temperature. She's such a little girl these days. We bought her a doll to practice being big sister to when we found out it was a girl. We named the doll Clara and put her in a doll bed I'd gotten as a gift when pregnant with KJ. She loves giving her a bottle. When she thinks no one is looking she'll pat the doll's tummy like we do for her when it's sleep time! She's been talking more in her own language. She sings now and I can't make out the words to figure out what song it is but she repeats the same lyrics over and over. Her favorite thing to do lately is hold our hands on a walk or going down the stairs. She still loves to jump and a trampoline for her birthday seems more and more logical!

Bossy Bows is open for business

My friend Kayci and I decided to start a bow business a couple of months ago and it turned into Bossy Bows. We have been out to a couple of soccer games to sell our product and have samples in a couple of stores. We also are signed up for a booth at an elementary school's Spring Fling so we'll see where it takes us after that. I don't think we'll be trying out for "Apprentice" or making the Forbes list anytime soon, but it's been a fun, easy way to make an extra buck. So if you need a bow, bow holder, headband with bow, or flip flops with bows just let us know! Yes, these are all handmade by us which blows my mind considering I'm not the frilliest person in the world.

Familypalooza Feb. 16-18

During this weekend we traveled to Lyman to see a whole lotta family. Jay's dad and Sarah came by Wednesday and stayed the nite along with his parents and we all were able to visit together before they headed on to the upstate. On Thursday we had our ultrasound and found out the baby was healthy and was a girl! That was great timing for sharing it with everyone important to us. On Friday we headed upstate. It was a fun weekend filled with visiting. On Friday I was able to take KJ over to my grandparents and have lunch together and let her show out for them. Friday nite Katie Jo got to see her Gran and Pop and Uncle Brian. Saturday morning we went by to visit with Papa and then we spent the day at Jay's Grandmother's house. We were able to visit with all the out of town family that had come in for the day. Saturday evening we went to Grandmoney's for Jay's sister, Jessica's, birthday party. On Sunday we visited with Grandmother and Grandaddy again along with Jessica's family and after that it becomes a blur. Oh, my cousin, Sara, came over from Greenville and cousin Fred and his wife Paula came from North Carolina for the nite. We all had dinner at my parent's house and were able to catch up. Monday we left for home and were pooped from all the excitement. It was nice for Katie Jo to see so many people she rarely get to visit with. Hopefully it won't be too long before we can all get together again.

Grandaddy and Grandmother with Katie Jo, Caleb, Brandon and Ruby.Jim and Joni Jim and Jay

Jim, Katie Jo, Jay and Grandaddy

Amber, Jay, Lee, Jennifer, Scott and Robin
Jay and John Paul

Katie Jo and Aidan
Joni and Katie Jo



Sarah and John Paul

Karen, Grandmother, Mickey, Jim, Jay and Grandmoney
Katie Jo, John Paul and Aidan

Amy and Katie Jo
Jessica and Katie Jo
Katie Jo on the tractor at Grandmother's

Ultrasound Results

On Feb 15th I had my first ultrasound. We were able to see the baby for the first time on live tv and watch it kick around and move. The technician did all her measurements and checked for all that she had on her list. Then we got to have some fun. She showed us all the parts and said we had a mover since the baby had flipped completely in the time she had been working. We told her if she was able to tell that we'd like to know the gender. She had a little trouble at first but then the baby moved and she could clearly see it was a girl. We were very excited to find out she was healthy and that this meant we could reuse everything! I'm most glad now not to have to change the room since we've got so much else going on between now and the birth. When she got ready to take some photos to print out the baby had flipped again and had her back to the camera. The technician tried unsuccessfully to get a profile shot. We did get a good photo of the head and spine and a couple others that were so unclear I'd never show they to the general public! :) It was an exciting visit!

January 28-Feb. 4

What a sweetie! She loves the little animal that she sleeps with. Jay has nicknamed them Ted, Turt, and Cammy. Then there's Daisy, her faithful sleep mate, of course!
The weekend of February 2-4 Mia and Aunt Joni came for a visit. Mia bought a birthday cake for Daddy and we all enjoyed eating it, but KJ enjoyed it the most. Joni helped us with our extreme home makeover moving while Mia kept KJ entertained. God Bless Mia who taped off half our bedroom so we could start painting. Pictures will follow of all our new projects once they are finished.

Preggers update 21 weeks

Well today I had another doctor appointment and all is still going swimmingly. I had gained 7 lbs putting me up to 107. This was very good. My blood pressure was 110 over 62 and the baby's heartbeat was 157. The doctor said everything seemed to be going perfectly. I had had some blood work done and all that came back normal so that is another item checked off the list.

Lately, she has been kicking more vigorously and sometimes I can see the little bumps outside my belly. She moves the most when I wake up in the morning, at church, and after I eat. So that tells me she'll be a morning person, love going to church, and have a hearty appetite. Or so we'll see.

Katie Jo still doesn't have a lot of awareness of what's happening but she loves to pull up my shirt to check out by belly. Last week she laid her head down on my stomach for a few moments so maybe in her own way she knows.

Here is a picture of me at 20 weeks.

Preggo Update 17 weeks

I had another doctor appointment today and all was well. I weighed in at 100.5 which was a four pound gain. I now feel I am well on my way to gaining and showing it. The doc listened to the heartbeat which was in the 150's. The baby has apparently stepped off the treadmill and is now walking around at a slow pace! Everything else was as usual and I go again in four weeks. Seventeen weeks down and twenty three to go!

Video of KJ playing from Jan. 25

January 25, 2007

Here are just a few shots from yesterday afternoon. It has been so cold and rainy for the last few days and we weren't able to get outside at all. So, once we saw the sun shining we just had to step outside to play for a little bit. It is still so cold but at least we can get from the door to the car without turning into a wet freezing mess.




This was a "just have to" shot. Last night when I looked in on her before going to bed she was on her back but then she took a big breath and rolled over. It was such a precious site with her little pink outfit all cozied around her and the animals she sleeps with laying next to her I just had to run get the camera and take a picture. I thought to myself one day I'd be sorry to not have any pictures of her asleep in her crib so that I can remember what she looked like that way.

In other news KJ can now point out her chin, knees, elbows, and sometimes her shoulders. She has gotten very good a walking up and down the stairs so we'll probably take the gate off at the bottom of the back stairs. The only hesitation is that's it's nice to keep the dogs pinned down stairs when we're awake and she's not, so we'll see about that one. KJ also has been coming to tell me when she has a dirty diaper. She'll do the same thing sometimes when it's wet. Who knows if this is a sign to start potty training yet. I still think we'll wait awhile on that one. We started a Mother Goose Group at the library this past week. It's a group of mom's and toddlers that listen to books being read, sing songs, and say rhymes. It's free which is the best part and Katie Jo loved the singing. Next Friday we begin Tumblebugs at the YMCA. It's like a gymnastics class for toddlers with their mom's. I can imagine she's going to love whatever we do in there since she always enjoys the gymnastics day we have with our MOMS group. That's all for now!

Jumping round the room

A couple cool shots

1/17/07 This was just too cute of an outfit not to get a picture of. She was eating an Oreo cookie at the time which accounts for the serene look on her face.

1/22/07: Nothing like up close and personal. After looking at this I think it might be time for another hair cut. Maybe something including the bangs. Don't worry Gran we'll take her to a professional this time since I don't have a good track record with bang cutting.

1/23/07: It's getting harder to take a picture since she always wants to see it in the view finder. A lot of recent shots have been up close and in action.

Preggers update 15 weeks

Well I'm now 15 weeks along and everything is going just swell. Last week I detected a few fluttering movements and everyday since about Thursday I have felt distinct baby movements. It usually comes at night when I'm cozied up on the couch.

I still have several things I'm having to stay away from: coffee, orange juice, steak, and seafood. That's a little different than last time with Katie Jo. It'll be interesting to see if it last the whole time or tapers off in the next few weeks.

No belly shots yet but I can definitely see a difference. I'm starting to wear some of my maternity clothes since regular ones just don't feel good. Sometimes I look like a hobo in these big ole' clothes but I'd rather be comfortable.