I heard this song on the radio this morning and listened very carefully to the words as they were ringing so true for me today - so much going on, but such wonderful things - all to be celebrated! Being so busy over the last few weeks, I need to stop and think about how wonderful our life is right now and that we are being showered with blessings and good things every day, even if it feels like chaos.
We moved into our beautiful, new house this weekend! Josh worked so hard to have it finished before the baby came, and with just over 2 weeks until due date, we moved in! (pictures to come). My hard-working husband rarely showed his stress, but I am sure having a 21/2 year old and a very pregnant wife wanting to nest, he was really feeling the pressure! He was miraculous, standing by me, my moods, pregnant freak-outs and all!
Like the timing was meant to be, we had our 38 week ultrasound yesterday to see if the baby was in fact still HUGE, and yes, he or she is still following in the footsteps of Daddy and is very big. The ultrasound technician is estimating that the baby is already over 9 lbs with 2 weeks to go until due date, so we have scheduled to induce on Tuesday, January 29, 2013. We are over the moon excited and I am working on settling into the idea of having a big baby!
As I am sure all mothers feel as they are expecting the arrival of their second child, I am very emotional about Libby and bringing a baby into her life. I am cherishing every second with her, wanting to hold her and snuggle with her at all times, and keep her as my baby as long as I can. I've had to stop carrying her as much as I want to, and putting her to bed is becoming quite difficult, but I do it anyway - I just can't stop! Libby does talk about the baby and what she is going to do to help with the baby, but I can only hope that she does as well as possible! She gives things to my belly for the baby, like passies and toys, so I hope that continues! Last night she lifted up my shirt and gave her sippy cup of milk to the baby because I told her babies only drink milk! Big Sister here we come!!!!
We look forward to sharing the news of our precious second child next week!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Libby is 2 1/2!
What a big girl - definitely nothing of a baby left in our sweet (& crazy) girl! I guess she does still sleep in her crib (and with passies) so that's a bit of baby left!! I keep trying to be ok with her having a bit more independence - bracing myself while she walks upstairs alone, leaving her downstairs by herself for a few minutes, or even taking a shower while she's sitting on the bed, but all these baby steps are hard for me - and nothing for her! I am sure they will exponentially grown once the baby arrives and I have to treat her like the big girl that she is.
At 2 1/2 Libby still has the same routine for her days and nights. She loves school and learns more and more each day. She has a huge bank of songs that she likes to sing and frequently combines several songs into one (recently we heard a combination of Twinkle Twinkle, Away in the Manger, and ABC.
She loves reading books at night and remembers the words to the ones we read most often. She actually picks up the books, turn the pages and recites them fairly well!
She knows all of her colors and shapes and is recognizing letters. She can tell me how to spell her name, although she doesn't know what all of the letters are. She does know that her "real name" is Elizabeth Nelson Jones :)
She has become obsessed with our IPhones (just like the rest of the world), and can quite easily navigate them. Mostly she likes to watch music videos on them and for some reason the songs she likes the most are all Party/Drinking Country Songs - oh dear, we have to start watching what we listen to around her! Her favorite by far is "Pontoon," but she also likes "Drink in My Hand."
She's really into having "picnics" which means piling all of her blankets and stuffed animals and dolls in a pile on the floor and playing with them. The picnics don't usually involve food, although I wish this was a way to entice her to eat more!
She also may have an imaginary friend, Coco. We aren't sure what Coco is, but its definitely her favorite word and she uses it for everything.. "What's your baby's name?" "Coco". "What do you want to wear to school?" "Coco," etc. Can't wait 'til we crack this code!
Libby loves playing anything outside and going swimming and on bike rides. She is full of energy and plays really hard! She's still a very slight eater and only likes a handful of things. Most of all she likes candy! This is our fault for using candy so generously while potty training her - its time to get her off the addiction!
Libby hates getting dressed in the morning and getting her PJs on at night - its a battle every day. Even more, she hates getting her hair brushed and put up - too bad with her long, beautiful hair! She's pretty stubborn and knows exactly what she wants most of the time, but is also incredibly sweet, snuggly and loving!
At 2 1/2 Libby still has the same routine for her days and nights. She loves school and learns more and more each day. She has a huge bank of songs that she likes to sing and frequently combines several songs into one (recently we heard a combination of Twinkle Twinkle, Away in the Manger, and ABC.
She loves reading books at night and remembers the words to the ones we read most often. She actually picks up the books, turn the pages and recites them fairly well!
She knows all of her colors and shapes and is recognizing letters. She can tell me how to spell her name, although she doesn't know what all of the letters are. She does know that her "real name" is Elizabeth Nelson Jones :)
She has become obsessed with our IPhones (just like the rest of the world), and can quite easily navigate them. Mostly she likes to watch music videos on them and for some reason the songs she likes the most are all Party/Drinking Country Songs - oh dear, we have to start watching what we listen to around her! Her favorite by far is "Pontoon," but she also likes "Drink in My Hand."
She's really into having "picnics" which means piling all of her blankets and stuffed animals and dolls in a pile on the floor and playing with them. The picnics don't usually involve food, although I wish this was a way to entice her to eat more!
She also may have an imaginary friend, Coco. We aren't sure what Coco is, but its definitely her favorite word and she uses it for everything.. "What's your baby's name?" "Coco". "What do you want to wear to school?" "Coco," etc. Can't wait 'til we crack this code!
Libby loves playing anything outside and going swimming and on bike rides. She is full of energy and plays really hard! She's still a very slight eater and only likes a handful of things. Most of all she likes candy! This is our fault for using candy so generously while potty training her - its time to get her off the addiction!
Libby hates getting dressed in the morning and getting her PJs on at night - its a battle every day. Even more, she hates getting her hair brushed and put up - too bad with her long, beautiful hair! She's pretty stubborn and knows exactly what she wants most of the time, but is also incredibly sweet, snuggly and loving!
Getting ready for her first ballet class - she could not have been more excited! We did get ballet shoes later, the whole thing is too cute!
Libby and Daddy heading to the Y to go swimming!
Libby's record-setting ponytail! I just love her beautiful, long hair!
Happy girl!
One of Libby's favorite activities is "cleaning the dishes" which really just involves playing with water and soap and making a mess, but she loves it!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Merry Merry Joy Joy!
We had a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season! Libby had a ball with every part of it! Too many great stories and moments to recount, so here are just a few pictures of her enjoying the festivities!!!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Tis the Season!
Since we're living in a smaller space this year, we decided to keep all of our holiday decorations and things in storage this year - it made practical sense, but was not as exciting to have a house with no signs of the holidays! So, a few weeks ago, Libby and I got a small, pre-lit tree at Target, which now sits on our kitchen table and is ornamented with the holiday cards we've gotten - simple, but it works! We also planned on having a special night of Hanukkah, but Libby was sick, and that didn't work out, either!
With these hurdles in mind, we have still had a wonderful Holiday season so far! We've baked together, sang songs, talk about Santa and enjoy our time together. Libby and I spent last Friday together and went downtown Charlotte to see the "singing teddy bears" and visit some of the other downtown decorations - she loved it! We are yet to see Santa, as Libby tells us how afraid of him she is (just like she is of the Chik-fil-A cow), but we'll see if we can bribe her this week.
So, we joined the Joneses to decorate their tree, which Libby loved. She and Callie ended up doing most of the work!
This past weekend, Libby, Josh and Scott ran in the Reindeer Romp 5K - it was cold, but we bundled her up and she was excited to be part of the event - and to get a medal at the end!
We also finally checked out McAddenville - Christmas Town - which was quite the experience. We knew it would be crowded and take a while to get through as its such an attraction, but we never would have guessed it would be as crowded as it was. We left our house at 5:15 and pulled out of the town around 9! We had to wait for 2 hours on the side of I-85 just to get to the entrance of the town. It was wonderful, but not worth that wait! Libby did great considering she hadn't eaten dinner and was stuck in her car seat - thank goodness for snacks and the Ipad!
With these hurdles in mind, we have still had a wonderful Holiday season so far! We've baked together, sang songs, talk about Santa and enjoy our time together. Libby and I spent last Friday together and went downtown Charlotte to see the "singing teddy bears" and visit some of the other downtown decorations - she loved it! We are yet to see Santa, as Libby tells us how afraid of him she is (just like she is of the Chik-fil-A cow), but we'll see if we can bribe her this week.
So, we joined the Joneses to decorate their tree, which Libby loved. She and Callie ended up doing most of the work!
This past weekend, Libby, Josh and Scott ran in the Reindeer Romp 5K - it was cold, but we bundled her up and she was excited to be part of the event - and to get a medal at the end!
We also finally checked out McAddenville - Christmas Town - which was quite the experience. We knew it would be crowded and take a while to get through as its such an attraction, but we never would have guessed it would be as crowded as it was. We left our house at 5:15 and pulled out of the town around 9! We had to wait for 2 hours on the side of I-85 just to get to the entrance of the town. It was wonderful, but not worth that wait! Libby did great considering she hadn't eaten dinner and was stuck in her car seat - thank goodness for snacks and the Ipad!
Libby was very into Uncle Clay!
Cici got Libby a stocking for her house!
Putting the Angel on top!
Libby and Callie did most of the decorating!
Showing off her gymnastics and stretching skills...
The finished tree!
Sweet Buffett!
Loving jumping off the ottoman - she made the whole family count to 3 for her each time!
The Singing Teddy Bears!
Getting ready for the race!
Almost to the finish line...
Very proud of her medal!
Flexing her muscles to show us how strong she is...
There was even a bubble machine!
Tour through McAddenville - Libby got out of her car seat and waved to everyone who walked past the car - she did such a great job!
The lights were beautiful!!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Life Lately...
As we are quickly approaching the arrival of baby Jones #2, I thought I would capture a bit about what our life has been like lately. At this point, I would describe it as CHAOS, but I am sure it is nothing compared to life with 2 little ones.
Backing up a bit to explain the chaos - we put our house on the market in May and sold it within 48 hours. Within the week (memorial day weekend), we had an offer accepted on another house, I got a job offer, and shortly after we found out I was pregnant - all good things but alot! We certainly should have bought a lottery ticket that week :)
We moved out in July (actually July 9, Libby's 2nd birthday) and moved in to a townhouse nearby while our new house was being renovated/demolished/re-built. Most of our things are in storage and we brought only what we thought we had to have! The townhouse was originally 1600 SF, but over the last 6 months, is now described as our 800 SF townhouse, or more commonly in our conversation as "the angry townhouse." I guess the combination of a pregnant lady, a 2-year-old and not enough space can really dampen a family's general mood. Mostly, I am having a hard time not being able to dive into my desire to nest and prepare for the baby - I don't even know where we'll be living when the baby arrives - I guess this is a test of my patience and ability to go-with-the-flow (or as Josh intimately knows, my lack of ability to go-with-the-flow)! But we'll be out and in our new place soon!
So our house is under construction and Josh is working as quickly as he can to get us in before the baby arrives! Currently looking like mid-January - giving us 3 weeks before due date.
In addition to these exciting events, I started a new job in July - I'm loving it, but a new job is certainly another layer to add onto an already exciting list of big life changes.
I am feeling really good at this point (32 weeks) and excited about what is to come in 2013 for our family. Libby is so much fun right now and I am trying to soak up every minute (mostly the adorable moments, not the tantrums). I can't imagine how we're going to do all that we do with 2 little ones, but I know we'll figure it out and we will never be able to imagine how our life was as a family of 3! Here is how our days go at this point....
5:00 - Josh gets up and goes to Y or running
6:00 - I get up and try to shower and dress before Libby wakes up. I pack my lunch, make coffee and dry my hair downstairs so that I don't wake her up in our close quarters!
6:30-7 - Libby wakes up (sometimes earlier). We try to leave her in her bed until 7 so we can get dressed
7:00 - Libby up, breakfast, dressed for school (battle every day)
7:45 - Josh takes Libby to school and I leave for work
8-5 - work, work, work
5:30 - I pick up Libby at school, hope she had a good nap and ate more than "some" of at least something during the day
6:00 - get home, re-arrange cars to get mine into our 1-car garage so I don't get a parking violation. Start pulling something together for dinner.
6:30 - dinner/play with Libby
7:30 - watch a movie in bed (this is new and we're loving it), read books and bedtime by 8.
Soon after - exhausted, pregnant, high-heel-wearing, working mom, hits the hay :)
Good thing Josh is so wonderful, we get to squeeze baby time in here soon!!!
Backing up a bit to explain the chaos - we put our house on the market in May and sold it within 48 hours. Within the week (memorial day weekend), we had an offer accepted on another house, I got a job offer, and shortly after we found out I was pregnant - all good things but alot! We certainly should have bought a lottery ticket that week :)
We moved out in July (actually July 9, Libby's 2nd birthday) and moved in to a townhouse nearby while our new house was being renovated/demolished/re-built. Most of our things are in storage and we brought only what we thought we had to have! The townhouse was originally 1600 SF, but over the last 6 months, is now described as our 800 SF townhouse, or more commonly in our conversation as "the angry townhouse." I guess the combination of a pregnant lady, a 2-year-old and not enough space can really dampen a family's general mood. Mostly, I am having a hard time not being able to dive into my desire to nest and prepare for the baby - I don't even know where we'll be living when the baby arrives - I guess this is a test of my patience and ability to go-with-the-flow (or as Josh intimately knows, my lack of ability to go-with-the-flow)! But we'll be out and in our new place soon!
So our house is under construction and Josh is working as quickly as he can to get us in before the baby arrives! Currently looking like mid-January - giving us 3 weeks before due date.
In addition to these exciting events, I started a new job in July - I'm loving it, but a new job is certainly another layer to add onto an already exciting list of big life changes.
I am feeling really good at this point (32 weeks) and excited about what is to come in 2013 for our family. Libby is so much fun right now and I am trying to soak up every minute (mostly the adorable moments, not the tantrums). I can't imagine how we're going to do all that we do with 2 little ones, but I know we'll figure it out and we will never be able to imagine how our life was as a family of 3! Here is how our days go at this point....
5:00 - Josh gets up and goes to Y or running
6:00 - I get up and try to shower and dress before Libby wakes up. I pack my lunch, make coffee and dry my hair downstairs so that I don't wake her up in our close quarters!
6:30-7 - Libby wakes up (sometimes earlier). We try to leave her in her bed until 7 so we can get dressed
7:00 - Libby up, breakfast, dressed for school (battle every day)
7:45 - Josh takes Libby to school and I leave for work
8-5 - work, work, work
5:30 - I pick up Libby at school, hope she had a good nap and ate more than "some" of at least something during the day
6:00 - get home, re-arrange cars to get mine into our 1-car garage so I don't get a parking violation. Start pulling something together for dinner.
6:30 - dinner/play with Libby
7:30 - watch a movie in bed (this is new and we're loving it), read books and bedtime by 8.
Soon after - exhausted, pregnant, high-heel-wearing, working mom, hits the hay :)
Good thing Josh is so wonderful, we get to squeeze baby time in here soon!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
30 Weeks Pregnant!
I am Thankful For...
So many things this holiday season, and I love having a day (long weekend) devoted to counting the things we are thankful for in our lives. Of course, I am most thankful for a healthy family - a little girl who brings joy to our lives every day and is healthy and happy, adventurous, playful, smart, and growing and changing every day. A husband who gives us everything he can each day, who gets up early to run, so that he can be back to have family time before work, who is excited with each birthday because he celebrates what he has at that point in his life and is genuinely excited for what is to come, and who waits on me as I battle the symptoms of pregnancy. Friends and family to support us and love us through each challenge and each celebration in our lives. This year, I cannot help but be thankful for baby #2 and a healthy pregnancy, as we anxiously await for baby Jones to arrive healthy and happy!
We had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving weekend away in Blacksburg with my family. We were able to truly relax, take naps, and enjoy our time together. Libby loved having more space to run around than she does at home, and she especially loved having so many family members to love on her! She also loved feeding the ducks at the Virginia Tech duck pond!!
We had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving weekend away in Blacksburg with my family. We were able to truly relax, take naps, and enjoy our time together. Libby loved having more space to run around than she does at home, and she especially loved having so many family members to love on her! She also loved feeding the ducks at the Virginia Tech duck pond!!
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