Tada!

Every time Cassidy does something new or something she should be proud of, we throw our hands up and shout, "Tada!" We also do it to distract her if she falls or does something that might scare her. She flashes her winning smile and tries to imitate us. "Taaaa!"

A couple of days ago our fearless little girl did a somersault off the changing table. Don't worry. Mommy
caught her. Whew! I sat her in her crib and told her if she really wanted to do a cool trick, she should pull up on the rail (She hasn't officially pulled up yet.).

She grabbed the rail, transferred her weight to one knee, and stuck the other leg out to the side. She looked up at me and said, "Taaaaa!"

I said, "Oh, no, Little Sister! You haven't quite pulled this one off yet."

Cassidy has us marveling at her awesome tricks and cracking up every single day. We think she is just absolutely the smartest little thing.

Cassidy Nicole, 7 1/2 months

Promised by God

When our pastor shared this bible verse with us a few Sundays ago, I gave my little girl a squeeze in my arms and thanked God for her (like I do everyday) and whispered in her ear a reminder of the kept promise that she is to me.

Psalm 138:2 (NLT)

² I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name.

 Cassidy Nicole

6 months 10 days

The little dress she's wearing in this picture is actually the first baby outfit I ever bought when I was pregnant with Gabriel (before I found out I was having a boy . . . among other things). When I found out I didn't need the dress anymore, I gave it to my niece, Sydney, to dress her babydoll. Her babydoll did indeed wear it many times and looked beautiful. Being the thoughtful little girl that she is, Sydney returned the dress to me when she found out I was having a girl (Her babydoll outgrew it, anyway). Two and a half years after I bought this "sweet" dress, my perfect, healthy little girl, promised by God, wears it. 

He loves me . . .

Sitting up

 

Being sweet

Doing a little dance

No way!

Standing up. This girl can do it all! She can do

everything because God made her completely perfect in

every way, just like Mommy asked Him to.

Psalm 113:9 (NLT)

He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. 

Praise the Lord!

A Doll House

That's what it feels like to me, my very own grown-up doll house, and it even comes with a real live baby!

Cassidy in front of her window seat toy box. 15 weeks 4 days

Cassidy's nursery is so pretty. It's pink, pink, pink, pink, and pink. Oh yeah, and green, with flowers, butterflies, and caterpillars.

 

 Mommy and Cassidy

Cassidy loves playing on her changing table. Yes, that's mousse beside the 

baby lotion. A diva has to have hair products.

So silly!

Cassidy loves to get her diaper changed. Actually, she just loves to have her diaper off!

Dressed up so pretty

We love to play dress up!

Playing with toys!

We love to read books.

Cassidy's crib is so pretty, but will she ever sleep in it?

Time for a baba

We make each other so happy.

Psalm 113:9 "He settles the barren woman in her home as the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord."

*Thank you to Daddy who took these great pictures of us.

**Thank you to Cassidy's Aunt Shana. She did all the decorating, sewed the curtains and comforter, and even painted the caterpillar picture.

Dare to Dream

and pray like I believe it can come true.

This morning our pastor stated that research shows that, of all the New Year's resolutions and goals that are made each year, 80% of them don't work out. Then he said that God wants and is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever dream of. I reread my New Year's 2011 blog, and I'll be darned if I didn't achieved 22% of the goals that I listed. Those two goals happened to be the only two goals on my list that were solely in God's hands. I think you know what they were:

2011 Goals:
1. Get Gabriel's book published (not achieved)
2. Read the entire Bible using The One Year Bible (not achieved)
3. Get something published besides my book, like a short story or article, in a magazine or journal (not achieved)
4. Write a novel (not achieved)
5. Attend a writer's conference (not achieved)
6. Give birth to a perfect, healthy baby and BRING IT HOME! (ACHIEVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

January 2011 Goals:
1. Get pregnant with the perfect, healthy baby referred to in #6 above (ACHIEVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
2. Pray more. Pray everyday. Pray for people other than myself. (not achieved)
2. Follow Weight Watchers points system unwaveringly throughout the month (not achieved)
3. Swim at least twice a week (not achieved)

Those two goals that I achieved were actually the only two that I ever really prayed about. I believed in God to give me a baby and prayed hard for it to happen because I was desperate for it and knew I really had very little control over any of it. Other than choosing to take the necessary actions to get pregnant, God is the creator of life. He is the only One who can make that happen.

Imagine how immeasurably greater my year could have been if I'd only dared to ask God for even more. He loves me, and He wants to give it to me. I believe He has shown me the next big thing for my life, but there is no way it can happen without prayer. I'm talking the kind of prayer it took to get Little Sis here.

 

Cassidy's 1st New Year, 12 weeks 4 days

 Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV): "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

Not Such a Fantasy . . . of Lights

But we loved it anyway.

Yesterday was our 10 year engagement anniversary. We got engaged at Ritzy's Fantasy of Lights at Garvin Park in Evansville, IN on December 30, 2001. Each December 30th, we return to Garvin Park to look at the lights and remember that special night. Every year that we've been there, we drive through the beautiful light display, reminisce about our previous visits, and dream about the year we might bring our little child with us. Two years ago, Gabriel was in my belly. Last year, we wished Tater Tot was, but were looking forward to the hope of the new year. This year, we finally had our sweet baby, AND SHE CRIED THE WHOLE TIME! She cried from the moment we drove into the lights to the moment we left, inconsolable crying. She never does that. If she cries, there's a reason, and she is easy to soothe. We pulled the car over twice trying to help our sweet baby girl. We barely noticed the lights that we pay our annual visit to. Still, at the end of the night, we both agreed, coming to the Fantasy of Lights with our screaming baby girl was way better than any other time before.

 Mommy, Daddy, and Cassidy

Ritzy's Fantasy of Lights 2011

 Mommy and Cassidy are soooooooo happy to be here!!!

Daddy tries to help Cassidy feel better. Maybe next year. And the year after that. And the year after that.

It's not just a fantasy anymore. Thank you, Jesus!

Glue

I tell her a million times a day that she is beautiful. I think you'll agree; the Lord really out did Himself on this girl. He wanted her to be worth the wait. She was totally worth every bit of it.

Cassidy Nicole, 4 Weeks

We like to have little talks when I'm rocking her and she wills those gorgeous eyes to stay open and look at Mommy.

I like this story, Mom.

I tell her how Mommy and Daddy prayed and prayed and prayed and hoped and hoped and hoped for the longest time to have a little child to love. I tell her how, one day, we got a little child. And we loved him. But he had important stuff to do, so he had to fly away to Heaven. Then I tell her how Mommy and Daddy prayed and prayed and prayed and hope and hoped and hoped some more. Then, we were blessed with another little child--a selfless one who had another big job to do. So, she flew away, too. Then, I tell her how our hearts were so sad, and we cried sad tears. But, we didn't give up and we prayed and prayed and prayed and hoped and hoped and hope even more. And God said, "Yes. Yes, you can have a perfect, healthy, beautiful child." That's when He gave us our very own Cassidy Nicole. She glued our broken hearts back together. Now, Mommy and Daddy aren't sad anymore. We are so very happy.

We still cry, though. Happy tears.

33 Weeks 5 Days: So, Here's How It Is For Me Now

• Five weeks and two days left before Little Sister makes her long awaited arrival.
• I have to pee at least every hour while I'm at work, sometime every 30 minutes.
• I get up to pee at least once every night, sometimes twice.
• Sometimes I can go back to sleep after getting up to pee. Sometimes I lay there for a few hours, and, of course, manage to fall asleep right before the alarm clock goes off.
• We go through a ton of toilet paper at our house because I can't stop peeing.
• Sometimes I can't stop peeing even when I'm not in the bathroom.
• Heartburn (aka liquid hot magma) is an everyday part of my life now. I chew anywhere from four to 10 Tums a day. Unlike my heartburn with Gabriel, this heartburn took longer to show up, but seems to be unrelated to what I eat, just that I have eaten or drank. I instantly feel the burn if I make the unwise decision to bend over to, I don't know, tie my shoes or pick something up off the floor.
• Getting up off the floor is a challenge, but I can still manage it.
• Rolling over in bed . . . it's not easy.
• Managing to get out of bed in the morning . . . it's not pretty.
• I have round ligament pain quite often, mostly in my lower left side.
• I can't walk without waddling. I've tried. I really just can't.
• My belly is bruised, bumpy, and soar from the 400 or so injections I've given myself.
• My health is excellent. My blood pressure is consistently 120/70, and I never got gestational diabetes.
• I have varicose veins on my left leg in one spot just under my knee. They started developing when I was pregnant with Gabriel. It's the same spot where I had a hard knot that sent me to the hospital right after his birth. This pregnancy is making them much more noticeable.
• Baby Girl's heart rate was 156 bpm at our last exam.
• My weight . . . well, I'm not proud of it, but I haven't gained an unheard of amount or anything. Still, I've quit letting them weigh me at the doctor's office. It has nothing to do with my health or the baby's.
• I feel her kicking and wiggling all the time. I can feel a hard spot on my left side where her cute little butt is stuck up in the air. She loves to shake it!
• Nesting . . . I'm trying, but it isn't instinctive for me. I'm doing a little at a time, but let's face it; It's not like our pets are going to quit shedding just because I clean the house for the baby.
• The nursery is painted, but that's as far as it's gotten. Stay tuned for updates on that next week.
• I find that I can't walk without resting my hand on my belly. I remember the few weeks after Gabriel's birth when I would catch myself walking around like that. I'd have to remind myself that there was no one there to hold onto. It is so good to have someone to cherish again.
• She doesn't like spaghetti sauce near as much as she used to. It's the liquid hot magma. Most of the time we are happy just eating a bowl of cereal for supper.

***Author's note: I'm so sorry it has been almost three weeks since my last blog post! That is the longest I've ever been. I've just been very busy with work, extra things I always seem to be doing, painting the nursery, nesting, and, oh yeah, just being too tired to mess with it. Plus, she's just so perfect that there isn't much to tell . . . other than she is amazing and we love her so much. 

31 Weeks 1 Day: Being a Good Girl

She has her head down! Her head is down and facing my right, facing the placenta actually. Her feet are up on my right side, and her little butt is over on my left. That's what I keep seeing stick up in a hard ball sometimes. I guess she likes to shake her booty!

Her weight is 3 lbs 13 oz. which is 46th percentile, completely average. The sonographer said she expects her to be about 6 lbs when I go back in four weeks, but of course she can't be sure. The baby's main job from now on is to pack on the weight. I guess it's my job to help her do that any way I can. Ha!

Baby Girl kept doing the most adorable thing all through the ultrasound. She was opening her mouth really wide and taking big gulps of amniotic fluid. Then, she would lick her lips and stick her tongue out like she thought is was so good. We could see her practicing her sucking with her sweet little lips. It looks like she is going to be a good eater!

The doctor checked my cervix  yesterday even though she felt it was unnecessary. Maybe it was, but I am now six days past when I had Gabriel, and I know how fast that thing can open up. Too fast. She said it was completely closed, and she could feel the baby's head resting on it.

I really hoped to get a good picture of the baby's face. However, she is hiding her face in the placenta and would only show us half of it. It looks like she has chubby cheeks, and I'm wondering if she has a dimple in her chin. Can you see dimples on ultrasounds? I don't know. Also, we still couldn't get any clear profile or face shots because her face is right underneath of a big knot I have on my belly caused by the heparin shots. The bruising interferes with the image. I guess we'll just have to wait until the birth to see her just like the pioneer women had to do. :) 



My cute baby foot

My pretty profile

My face cuddled up to the placenta

I have chubby cheeks. Mom wonders if I have a dimple in my chin.

It looks like the placenta is in my eye! I'm just all cuddled up with it.

I have a perfect spine. You know it makes my mom so proud.

23 Weeks 2 Days: Sugar Rush!

I wish I would have taken a picture of this cupcake, but my focus was only on eating it. So, here's the closest thing I found online:

It was a Triple Chocolate Cupcake from The Fresh Market in Evansville, IN. My sister got it for the baby (wink, wink) as a "Phew! We're done registering for baby gifts. Now, let's go collapse on the couch with some well-deserved chocolate!" treat. It was a humongous chocolate cupcake with chocolate filling and a very thick layer of rich chocolate frosting sprinkled with chocolate chips. Oh. My. Goodness. Did Baby Girl get a sugar rush! She was up all evening moving and kicking and just couldn't stop!

The registering. Oh, the registering. How fun! How exciting! How exhausting! My sister, my nine year old niece, and I spent the perfect day registering and having the fun we've been waiting so long to have. We went to JoAnn Fabrics and chose fabric and ribbons to decorate the nursery. My sister is making the bedding and curtains. We went to Lowe's and selected coordinating paint colors. We visited Michael's and got nursery accessories and baby shower decorations. Finally, we registered for all the baby essentials (and some wants) at Wal-Mart and Babies-R-Us.

A few of our selections for our pink and green "Garden Party" nursery:

Baskets for nursery necessities like diapers, wipes, ointment, and HAIR BOWS.

 Baby shower accessories--flower cupcake papers, butterfly sprinkles, and IT'S A GIRL confetti and candy.

Nursery embellishments

Butterfly nursery craft projects

Garden stakes that we'll take apart and make wall hangings

Nursery fabric, sewing pattern, ribbons, and paint samples. Oh yeah! We're going PINK!

My 9 year old niece Sydney testing out Baby Girl's new bouncer with her babydoll

Sydney giving Aunt Bonnie a much-needed lesson in diapering and dressing the baby