Friday, August 24, 2012

Severely behind...

So this is a bit of a catch-all post.  A picture dump.  Here's what's been happening at the Martin home for the past few...

 The boys participated in their first lemonade stand.  We had lots of customers. 

 Dallas turned 32!  I failed to find the candles for the cake, but made up for it by getting him Apple TV for his special day:). 

 Cousins!  My sister and her three wee ones stopped by for a quick visit 2 times, both on their way to and from my dad's house.  It was so great to see them and the boys loved it!  Jude is especially smitten with Ellie, the oldest.  Luke looks like he could just join right into our little family here with that white head.  

 33 weeks I have been cooking this sweet baby girl.  It's getting close and I'm starting to feel the weeks adding up.  I'm feeling puffy all over and ready to meet her.  Doc still thinks she is small, but says my due date will remain the same, she'll just be a small baby.  She was 3 lbs 12 oz at my 32 week appointment and ultrasound.  

My sweet boy started KINDERGARTEN!  I was so emotional the night before, but managed to hold it together when we took him and dropped him off into someone else's care for 6-1/2 hours.  I've been a wreck ever since:).  



He didn't get the teacher he had hoped for, but I was super happy for the one he got.  I've heard great things.  He thought she had "witch hair" but seemed to get over that pretty quickly.  


He did such a great job and was such a big boy.  His teacher had all good things to say about him.  Rhett and I visited him at lunchtime and he was so happy to see us.  He did cry a little, but was super brave when it came time to get back to class.  I'm so proud of him.  Today was his second day and he came home with a dollar.  We asked him where he got it and he said his new best friend gave it to him. I asked what his name was and he said, "I don't know, some black kid".  We'll have to work on names.  


Meanwhile, Rhett and I have been adjusting to being alone together all the live-long day.  It's nice to have this time with him, but he misses brother.  Sometimes he'll just get extremely whiny and can't tell me what's wrong.  Yesterday he cried and said, "I just want to eat some crackers with Jude."  He starts a Mother's Day Out program next week, and I think he will welcome the distraction a few days a week.  About 6 times a day he lifts up my shirt, puts his hand on my tummy and says, "I want to talk to baby Ha-ee." He also pats my belly, and if I say she's moving he will run over to me an put his dimply little toddler hand on the side of my tummy and look at it until he feels something or gets bored, whichever comes first.  I'm so thankful for this special time with him.  He's really never had it as the second child.


Jude had is very first flag football game today.  It was pouring down rain and that made for double the fun.  The kids had a blast and his team won!  

We finally have an office! 


We brought this trestle table back from IL strapped to the top of our car..classy, I know.  It was in 7 pieces, but Dallas got it put back together in no time.  I was impressed with his wood working skills!  This table has been in my family since I was born.  A neighbor made it for us as a dining table for a project in his woodworking class at Miami of Ohio.  It is made from solid cherry.  My dad later used it as a desk for years, and no longer needed it after his move to the lake.  It's been broken, sitting in my sister's garage for a year, so I jumped on the opportunity to have it in my home.  This is a much improved office from the tiny built-in off of our kitchen.  That will now be a homework space for Jude.  I still need to get some wall calendars and bulletin boards hung, but besides that, not much else will go in this room.  There is a leather chair and ottoman in one corner, and I'm on the hunt for a cowhide rug.  I'm super excited to have a dedicated office space..I've never had that before!  


So, now I feel a little more caught up:).  Hope everyone is doing well and having a great back to school season.  Can't wait for fall weather!


Hattie's room

My goal with Hattie's room was to create a space she can grow into.  A room where in two years we can remove her crib, replace it with a big girl bed and call it good!  I tried to use a lot of what I already had, make things, find items second hand and repurpose anything I could.  I think the rug is the only brand new item purchased for her room.  






The ruffled curtains really helped "girly" up the space. 









Measuring stick looks really dark in the bright sunshine.  


Love this little pouf!  


Getting all of the necessary essentials washed and ready!  

There you have it.  Now all we need is a sweet faced little baby to put in it:).  

Friday, August 3, 2012

In the 30's, little swimmers and summer's end

Week 30


First I want to start off by saying that I really could care less if I get stretch marks.  After I posted about it last time I felt incredibly selfish.  Of all of the things that could go wrong, stretch marks are seriously no big thing to me.

Holy braxton hicks batman.  I feel like I felt the day before I went into labor with Rhett..already.  My doctor said it is normal for these to intensify the more kids you have.  He's not surprised that I'm experiencing a ton of pressure and hardening in my tummy with number 3.  I on the other hand don't care to feel like labor is starting every other night.

Somehow Hattie is measuring small at 30 weeks.  You wouldn't know it from the pic above, but she is barely measuring at 29 weeks.  He said we would keep an eye on it to make sure she continues to grow, but she has been measuring right on target up until this visit.  This of course is all determined very scientifically (by using a soft measuring tape and measuring from my pelvic bone to the top of my baby bump while I lay on my back.).  I'm not too concerned:).

At my 32 week visit we will do another in-depth ultrasound (just like the one I did at 22 weeks).  I haven't seen her in nearly 10 weeks!  She is supposed to be around 15" long and 3 pounds right now.

I was super irritated to find out that a new couple at church was having her baby any day and also naming her Hattie.  Obviously I don't own the name, but I just didn't care for her to have another Hattie in her very first class ever and already have to be called "Hattie M".  Well, they had the baby this week and they named her Haddy, which is totally a different name, right?! :).  Either way, we are sticking with Hattie..it's her name.

Little swimmer




Three weeks ago Rhett took a plunge into the pool and just took off swimming..under water and all on his own.  It was amazing.  I had sort of given up hopes for him to swim this summer, but he surprised us and is a little fish now.  He jumps in the deep end and will swim half way across the pool.  The only problem is that he doesn't come up for breaths, so I have to make sure to pull him up to breath from time to time.  It will come to him.  We are getting ready to spend a week at my mom's where we will swim every day all day, so I expect him to be swimming freestyle by the time we leave.  Not too shabby for a 2 year old!  This kid is always surprising us being bigger than he has to be.

Rhett had his 6 month echo follow-up last week, and the cardiologist said that his valve looks nearly normal!  She still categorized as trivial and said that he needs to come back in one year from now.  At that appointment they will determine if he ever has to be seen for this issue again..ever!  Such a miracle. Praise God!  

Summer's End...

We are wrapping up our summer with a nice long trip to IL to see my mom.  We are so excited to have a week with her and to get out of the crazy 115 degree temps in OK.  The forecast for IL is in the high 80's next week.  I should probably take a sweater:).

Jude went to a cute little music camp a few weeks ago and had a blast.  We will definitely sign up again next year.  He learned all about Faith and it was great!  He's still singing all of the little songs.


This kid will be in kindergarten in just a few short weeks.  We are excited to go school supply shopping and get all the goodies.  I love school supplies!  He is excited to find out who his teacher is and I think he is excited to get back to school.  He likes to learn and be challenged.  We worked on letters yesterday and he could have done it all day.  He just soaks it all in.  I will miss him all day long.  I sort of wish kinder was half days still.  He's begging to ride the bus, but Dallas and I both agree that he's just too small and neither of us are ready for that.  I will take and pick him up as long as I possibly can.  I will walk him into his classroom as long as he will let me as well...at least until Jr. High:).  

Happy August!  Try to stay cool as summer winds down with it's hottest month.