End of 2010

I've missed keeping updates of my little ones on here, so I'm opening it back up and will try to do better about posting. (One of my many New Year's Resolutions!!!) :)

So here's a QUICK update on the O'Neal Clan:

We've moved into our new house. We're settled and starting to get things hung on the walls to make it feel more like home. It was nice to celebrate our first Christmas in our new house, especially since this was Nathan's first Christmas and our first WHITE Christmas since 1963!

Bailee is 3 1/2 going on 14....very independent and strong-willed! (We're working on this, but it's a daily struggle!) She's quite the girly-girl too, loving everything PINK, princesses, and Tinkerbell. She is doing well in school and is impressing us with her letter identification. It won't be long before she's reading, and even harder to believe, she'll be at Calhoun with me in just a year and a half! She's taking gymnastics this year at Electric City Gymnastics and doing a great job! In addition, she goes to Awanas at her best buddy, Eli's church (Concord Baptist) and amazes me at all the Bible verses she's memorized this year.

Nathan is crawling now and in to EVERYTHING! I can't turn my back on him for a second before he's into something he shouldn't be. He's been sick this year with RSV (a respiratory virus that's a cold in adults, but can be very serious in children so young) and so he has been put on a nebulizer. I'm afraid he's going to inherit my terrible allergies/ asthma. But he's so much fun! He loves and adores his big sister and just cackles at her!

As you can see, things are pretty crazy, but it's a fun crazy! We're always going...doing something or taking someone somewhere. I guess this is just the beginning of it, though!

Happy New Year!

From the mouths of babes!

Too funny not to share!

We are down in Edisto for the week....relaxing and well, relaxing. Everyone's inside the house napping, so I take my two youngsters out to sit on the dock by the creek. Here's how our conversation went:

Bailee: "Mommy, what are those balls floating in the water?"

Me: "Those are buoys, Bailee."

Bailee: "Mommy, Mommy. Gotta tell you something. These are boobies." (lifting her shirt and pointing to what will later develop.)

Me: "No, not booBies. Boo-ees."

Bailee: "Oh, buoys. Booties?" (pointing to her bottom)

Me: "No, Bailee. Not booTies. Boo-ees."

Bailee: "Mommy, I gotta go Stinky." (Thus ending our educational trip to the dock.)

Ain't life as a parent GRAND?!?! :)

Going, Going, GONE!

Bailee's hair, that is!

I got a wild hankering the other week, and after fighting with Bailee for the millionth time about pulling her hair back, I bribed her into letting me cut her hair. (Chocolate works wonders!)

It was only going to be a little trim, but it kept getting shorter and shorter. You see, cutting a three year old's hair requires a lot of skill and patience...from BOTH parties! What was going to be about 4 inches wound up being about 6 or 7!!!

Bailee's hair has always been a topic of discussion especially since she was a baby with all that hair, but I think this makes it look even prettier. It looks healthier and I think she looks prettier than ever before!

And I'm pretty impressed with my handiwork too!!!!

Progress

We continue to make progress on the new house! Things are really moving along, and while we were in Indiana, the walls were painted, counters and granite installed, and exterior rock stacked. Here are some pictures of the developments:

the front of the house (more rock is on its way!!)

the playroom downstairs

Bailee's PINK room!

the kitchen

master bedroom

It's pretty amazing how quickly they're getting this done! We have been given a projected completion date near the end of August, so now all we need is to get our current house sold! (Shameless plug, I know, but it's a great house...we just don't want to be stuck with TWO houses!!)

Journeys

Mom and I decided to take the kids for a little road trip to Indiana to visit her side of the family. It had been nearly 6 years since I was last there. Bailee and Nathan have two cousins, Lilly and Claire, that they have never met. And this was a great opportunity for us to visit with Aunt Lois, my mom's aunt and the closest thing I have to a living grandparent. So off we went, traveling 600 miles -across 5 states with a three-year old and a four month old. Were we CRAZY or what???

To keep us occupied while we drove, Bailee perfected her singing talent. Watch the video here:

The girls had a blast together! You would have thought they'd grown up with each other their entire lives. They played and played and played!

They'll hate me for this later, but aren't they cute?

Lilly had been chosen to represent Miss ISU in the Miss Indiana pageant as one of her princesses. So while she and Jim and Susie were in Zionsville, I took Claire and Bailee to the Terre Haute Children's Museum.

Two of the three girls wearing their matching outfits courtesy of Grandma-lita :)

And not to be outdone, Nathan decided to learn a new trick while we were gone! It's hard to believe he's almost 5 months old and how he's changing all the time now! I swear sometimes when he wakes up from naps he's grown in that short amount of time!

It was a great trip and it was so nice to spend time with my celebrity cousin Susie and her husband "Jimmy J." A special "thank you" to our wonderful hosts and family for making us feel so welcomed! We love you bunches and can't wait to spend more time with you!

Our NEW house!!!

The front of the house...the stacked rock will be going up on Monday!

the front door (to be stained later)

the living room

our bedroom...bow-chick-a-bow-wow! :)

the back of the house

It's Official...

I'm the WORST blogger on the planet! So I've made only one post since Nathan was born three months ago? It's not like I've been sitting on the couch eating bon-bons! We've been so busy that I barely have time to scratch my head, much less write about what we've been doing. But while Bailee spends the night with MiMi and Poppa, and Nathan and Daddy are sound asleep, I thought I'd take a minute to update the blog. So, for those of you who care, here's a brief run-down:

The house is really coming along. REALLY!!! They broke ground the day we came home from the hospital with Nathan (February 19th), and we are expected to be done some time in August! We've been picking out cabinets, paint colors, tile, bathroom fixtures, siding, etc. and it's hard to believe what was once a drawing on paper is actually going to be where we'll live!!! But at the same time, it's very exciting, and we can't wait to be in our new house! I've been taking pictures to chronicle the whole process, but there are so many that it would take forever to upload them all!

Most recent picture I have--taken 4/30/10

Nathan is now three months old and growing like a weed! At his two month checkup, he weighed 12lbs.3oz. (a four pound gain since birth!) putting him in the 70%ile! I fully expect him to surpass Miss Bailee in the chunks and rolls department! He definitely takes after my side of the family, which is nice to hear for a change! I think he looks like a spitting image of Reed when he was a baby, but it could just be that I love and miss my baby brother like crazy! He's definitely the cutest thing in the world!!! (On a side note, Bailee heard me call him "handsome" the other day. She quickly informed me that his name was not Handsome, it was Nathan, to which I replied, "Well, it should've been because he is.":))

See what I mean???

Bailee is a DIVA! She's definitely starting to demonstrate her high-maintenance personality. But we've made huge progress with the potty training-WHOO HOO!! And she's a sweet girl, for the most part...she just wants to run the show, but I know very few three year olds that don't! She's been taking dance and had her recital last Saturday, and without sounding biased, she was the cutest and best dancer on stage! She LOVES Nathan, and for that, we are so grateful! She is a big help (when she wants to be, of course) and just wants to love all over her baby brother!

Bailee got "stuck" on purpose!

Because the new house coming along so quickly, we are going to be putting our house on the market ver soon. We've been doing some fix-ups to make it a little more presentable...nothing major, but all together time-consuming. Hopefully it'll pay off in the end!!! We're sad to be leaving our neighbors, but know that they'll never be too far away!

I went back to work on April 12th, and it has been a whirlwind ever since! I had to resubmit my National Board application on April 15th, so I spent the majority of my maternity leave working on those two entries (planning, teaching, reflecting), so that left little time for anything else.

Now that I'm back at work, we're settling into a new groove. Literally. To see what I mean, check out my dance moves at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fhVrRZ4o-Q. We rewrote a popular song, "Turn my Swag On," to motivate the students before the PASS test and performed this for the students during a pep rally. Next Thursday is our fifth grade performance, and it is sure to be a hit! We are performing hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, and the teachers are probably having as much fun (if not more) than the kids reliving these decades!

We went for some Friday pedis after PASS...the guys were thriiled, as you can tell!

Okay, that took longer than "a minute...." Hope everyone is doing well!!!!

He's HEEEERE!!!

Well it was a long process, but we finally brought our Little Man into the world late Monday night at 11:05!

We checked into the hospital at 7:00 Monday morning. The nurses took all my vitals, info, etc. and got me hooked up to the "Pit" (Pitocin) drip. Things slowly got started, but we weren't going anywhere quickly. As things progressed, it looked like we were having a day much like the day Bailee was born, so we thought we'd have him here by dinner time. Unfortunately, he didn't have the same plan. By 9:30, the nurse finally told me I could start pushing, but after an hour of that, I was just not getting anywhere. Dr. Duniho (the most wonderful OB in the world) made the decision at 10:40 to proceed with a C-Section. They got me prepped and Nathan Timothy was born within 25 minutes.

There was a reason he wasn't going to be coming on his own...he was a CHUNK! He weighed 8lbs. 3oz. (almost a full pound bigger than Bailee) and was 21 1/8 inches long (almost a full inch longer). Other than that (and a little appendage between his legs), he is a spitting image of his big sister. He has a bunch of black hair and dark eyes, although we can't tell for sure how brown they'll be. And he has the longest fingers and toes I've ever seen, so we're pretty sure he'll be a basketball all star!

Click here for pictures of our newest addition!

We are at home now, and settling into our new routine. The first night with both kids was a rough one, but last night was much better. We brought FiFi in as a reinforcement, but didn't need her because he slept for a 4 1/2 hour stretch (albeit in the swing, but it was sleep nonetheless!). We took him to see Dr. Hart today for a weight check, and he has regained most of the weight he lost before leaving the hospital, something most babies do within the first 2 weeks, not the first 5 days!!!

And Bailee is handling the transition from Only Child to Big Sister wonderfully! Mrs. Nicole (her teacher's name and alter ego) taught all of us the books of the Old Testament in her school last night and then changed Daddy's poopy diaper too (a priceless moment that I couldn't capture on camera because I was doubled over in pain from laughing so hard)! When Nathan, who is still sometimes referred to as "Peanut," cries she'll sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" or "Tomorrow" (from the movie, Annie) to calm him down. She is great at bringing me stuff and trying to be a mommy to her baby dolls...such a great little helper!

Patrick and I want to thank everyone for their love and support! We have repeatedly commented on how fortunate we are to have each other, two healthy children, and such wonderful friends and family over the last week! A special thanks to Patrick's parents and Aunt Allison & Uncle Bran Bran for keeping Bailee while we were in the hospital, my mom for being our extra pair of hands both at the hospital and here at home, my brother Reed and his wife Kathryn for making the 2,000 mile trip to sit in the hospital waiting room, and my friend and co-worker Robin for taking Bailee to the circus today to give us a little quiet time. We appreciate everyone who came to visit us or brought us dinner in the hospital and at home. There aren't enough words to express how thankful we are to have all of you in our lives!

Stay tuned! As the title of this blog suggests, the rest of our story is still unwritten... Perhaps I should change the title to "Better with time!" God has truly blessed us and we couldn't be happier!

The Countdown is ON!

I figure that I should go ahead and post now because in just a couple of days, life is going to get pretty cRaZy!!!!

On Wednesday, I got quite a surprise! I was actually meeting with the lady that is going to be my long-term substitute, and in walks my mom. She loves to come and visit my classroom, so this didn't really shock me, but because we hadn't planned anything or spoken of her coming, I was a little suspicious. I asked her what she was doing there, and she responded, "I had a hankering to see you." She walked over to my desk and placed a bag of candies on it, and said she wanted to bring me a little something. When I looked at it closely, the bag contained caramels made in Montana. Made in Montana?!?! As soon as I saw that, I asked jokingly "What else did you bring me from Montana??" at which point, she walks out into the hallway and in walks my brother Reed and his wife Kathryn. Okay, I probably don't need to tell you that the tears were flowing!!! The funniest thing about it all was that I was dressed in rags for our Great Depression day, and I looked HORRIBLE!!!! We got quite a kick out of the entire situation! So Reed and Kay-Kay (as Bailee lovingly calls her) are here until next Tuesday!!! YAY for a wonderful surprise!!!!

If you follow the blog at all, you know that Peanut had moved into a breech position. This was a little discouraging but we were prepared to do whatever was necessary to bring our little man into the world! Well, good news!!! The day after my big surprise, we had a doctor's appointment and found out that Peanut has done a somersault and is now head-down and ready to make his debut! With that being said, we decided that rather than schedule a C-Section (necessary only if he hadn't flipped), we'd go ahead and schedule my induction. And because Reed and Kathryn are only here until Tuesday, we wanted to make sure they'd get to be a part of it, so, we are heading into the hospital on Monday morning at 7:00 and hope to have a Family of Four by that afternoon!

Weeks like this serve as a wonderful reminder of how great God truly is! I am constantly reminded of how fortunate we are! We have a wonderful family, a beautiful daughter, and pretty soon, we'll have an amazing SON! We are so fortunate to have great friends who are just as eagerly awaiting Peanut's arrival as we are! And as soon as he's here, we'll let you all know! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and the next time I post, we hope to have some pictures of our baby boy!

Peanut Update!

Well, we have had an eventful week so far, but still no baby. I did want to give you an update about what’s been going on with us and with Peanut....

Sunday night I was making spaghetti and, as I was draining the water out of the pot into the colander in the sink, some of the scalding hot water splashed up and burned my stomach. I have a second/ third degree burn on my stomach that is about 3 inches wide leading from my belly button out toward my left side. Through my shirt, it immediately started blistering. We began putting cold compresses on it and although I was in a good bit of pain, I did not go to the doctor because the thought of what I could pick up at the ER kept us from going there. We do realize it could have been a lot worse—because I was slightly hunched over to pour the water, we think that prevented the water from splashing all over my entire stomach! We knew Peanut was okay because as I applied the cold compress, he was cutting flips and moving all around. Which leads me to our next bit of news....

On Monday afternoon, I had a previously scheduled appointment with my doctor. He checked me to see if I was making any more progress, and in the process, he did not feel his head where he thought it had been. He wheeled the ultrasound machine into the room to confirm that Peanut is in a breech position. He could have flipped in all of our excitement on Sunday night, or could have been in this position all along. Dr. Duniho says there’s still time for him to flip, but if you ask me, there’s not a whole lot of room. He said he would perform another ultrasound next week to check his positioning then, and if he hasn’t righted himself, we’d discuss our options: manually flip him, deliver him breech, or have a C-section. We’ve (Patrick and I) have discussed this, and if he hasn’t moved, we’re planning on scheduling a C-Section to make it easier on both me and the baby. I certainly don’t want to get started one way and have to end up going the other way!

With all that being said, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are certainly anxious for our Little Man to arrive, but we want him here healthy and safe! As things get started or are scheduled, we will let you know either by email or text message. (And maybe by then, we’ll have a name for him....yeah, right!)

We love you all!

It's ALMOST time!

My official due date is February 16th, and as you can see, Peanut's getting very big and about ready to make his grand entrance! Our bags are packed, the nursery's complete, and now we're just waiting on our Little Man to make his appearance...

38 weeks

Patrick and his Baby Bump! I think he's got me beat!!!
We haven't decided on his name yet, but we're getting closer. We've just decided to wait until we see him to name him!

Stay tuned....more to come soon!

Peanut's Baby Shower

Jennifer, Niki, Chandra, and Alisha hosted a baby shower for Peanut, originally scheduled for January 30th. I don't know why it concerned me, because as we know, I don't have babies early, but I was worried that he might decide to come before then, so we rescheduled it for a couple of weeks earlier. This wasn't going to be a problem until Chandra had an eventful Friday night and we had to change the location on Saturday afternoon...we're all just thankful she's okay! (To read more of her story, click here.) On a side note, it turned out to be a good idea to move it up anyway because we got the "blizzard" of 2010 on Friday night and roads were a little impassable. But I digress....

We had a great time getting together with all of our friends and family one more time before Little Man arrives! They showered us with lots of cute clothes, so he will definitely be a very well-dressed boy! We also received many name suggestions as well, but nothing has been decided for sure at this point!

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it, especially on such short notice and with the change of location! We are so lucky to have great friends and family that are so supportive!

Me and my "Baby Daddy"

Peanut's cake


Me and Lacey

Carrie and Brooke

Me and my bestie, Bonnie

Opening Presents

Me and my first baby

Family

The O'Neals and Potters

The Girls