Hollyhand House

Thursday, May 5, 2011

We are having a...

GIRL!!!!
 
IT'S A GIRL!!
 

SISTERS:
We went to the doctor today and we found out Anna Riley will have a little sister!  It is so exciting to think how close they will be and hopefully best friends!  My doctor said he has 2 girls with the same age difference and now they are 16 and 17 and they are so close.  I can't wait to dress two little girls up!!! 

ULTRASOUND:
Everything looked great with the baby's anatomy and she is growing right on track!  My due date is still set for October 13 and he is thinking the C-section date will most likely be Oct. 6.  I was hoping for the 4th so it would be on Mom's birthday but he doesn't want to deliver any earlier than 39 weeks if possible so that is great with me.  I don't care about the date, just as long as she is here and healthy!  Her heart rate was 155. 

NAME:
We have a name that we both like but we just want to talk about it a little more and make sure that is the one we will go with.  So more on that later!


My growing tummy!

 
17 weeks
Symptoms:
I am feeling SO much better!!! I am still having a lot of headaches but I haven't been sick lately.  I had a scary moment a couple of weeks ago.  I was at a wedding and blacked out a little and almost passed out (right as they were saying I DO! how embarrassing would that have been had I hit the floor!) I haven't did it since so I think it was from having to stand, being hot and hungry!   

Weight gain:
4 pounds
It was almost 7 after Easter but I'm back down to 4!! 
I guess I don't have to tell you I enjoyed Easter meals and candy!

Maternity clothes:
Just jeans because they are much more comfortable. 

Cravings:
Mexican (good thing its Cinco De Mayo!)

Sleep:
Sleep has been great the past couple of weeks.  I just have to make myself get up to to to the restroom because I know how bad it is to hold it. 

Gender:
GIRL!!!

Movement:
I have felt a few flutters here and there but nothing consistent.









Wednesday, May 4, 2011

15 months

Anna Riley is 15 months old!  Here are some new things she is doing this month:

* We have an appointment next week so I will find out her "stats" then.
*We also have our final appointment with the optometrist for one more look at her tear duct...keep your fingers crossed!
*She still has her pacy.  To be honest, I didn't even try to take it away this month with her molars coming in.  It will happen soon, but I'm not too worried about it right now.
*I have taken her morning nap away most days now... mainly because it was causing her to not take a good afternoon nap. But there are some days when I can just tell she needs it...so we pretty much just play it by ear. 
*She LOVES to be outside!  She recently got a little pool and she loves getting in and out of it!  She also loves picking grass and putting in there...makes for really clean water!
*She is still fascinated by animals, especially dogs!  I know there will be a dog in our future...but just not now!
*She is getting so tall!  She can now reach the edge of the counter enough to grab things off...I have to constantly remind myself of this when putting anything on the kitchen counters! 

* She loves shutting doors.  Now that she can reach the doorknob, she has locked herself in the playroom a couple of times (even though she can reach it, she can't turn it to open it).
*She gets in trouble for turning the dishwasher on constantly!!  We keep it locked so she doesn't get in it, but when its locked she can turn it on.  But neither work now, because she has figured out how to unlock it!
* She is such a plunder box!  She loves to go through any drawer or cabinet  to see what she can find.  Most of the kitchen cabinets have the child lock on them, but she has managed to still open them a few times.
*She is even more obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (if that was even possible).  We don't let her watch a lot of it, but I have to say on days that I am not feeling well...there is definitely some MMC on!  She sits so still and quiet when watching it and don't dare turn it off before the episode is over!!  She usually gets upset now during the Hotdog dance because she knows it is going off!  WOW!
*She will bring me the remote so that I will turn MMC on!

* She now has 3 of her molars in and I am pretty sure she is cutting the other one.  She has been very whiny and needy for most of this month and I am sure most of it is from teething! 
*Speaking of whiny and needy...she has been a huge Mama's girl this month.  Like most other children, when she doesn't feel well, she tends to want her Mama!  But it has been hard, especially when we have to leave her because she wants only me to put her to bed!  I hope this is just a phase!
*If she wants to be held and I won't pick her up, she stomps her foot!! 

*She is still a hearty eater!  Her favorites are most any fruit but especially strawberries, macaroni, mashed potatoes and avocados.
*She has been sitting in a booster seat most of the time at home now and she does great with it. 
*She is finally eating on a plate without dumping her food (on most days anyway).
*She still isn't great with utensils but she is getting it.  She ate a whole serving of mashed potatoes with the wrong end of the spoon! 

*I love watching how "motherly" she is to her baby dolls.  She loves on them, kisses them, feeds them a bottle ( normally in the eye rather than the mouth but oh well!), burps them.  I hope this means she will be really good with her new sibling!! 
*We have caught her standing up in her chairs in the playroom.  Before long, she will be on top of the table!
*She HATES the vacuum cleaner!!  It is such an ordeal to vacuum because she freaks out from the moment I get it out. 

*She is still jabbering A LOT and learning new words everyday!  She says Mama (more like Mum-a) and Dada all the time and actually in reference to us.  Some of the new words since last month are rooster (not very clear), she also tries to say fish, chicken and peek a boo. 
*She walks around saying "shhh" a lot. 
*Says the duck sound and kitty cat sound...still working on the others.
*She is obsessed with playing Peek-A-Boo barn on my phone (Thanks Lauren!)...she knows exactly how to do it and it has really helped her with her animals and sounds! 
*She points at everything!


* I think she is going to love music like her Daddy!  If you know Riley, you know how much he loves  music and we usually have some playing when he is here...yes those are his huge headphones in the picture above. 
*We were at a restaurant a few weeks ago and there was a man playing and singing.  After every song, whether anyone else did or not, Anna Riley was the first one to clap!  It was so cute...I think she really liked his music!
*She also will stop what she is doing to dance for a minute and then she goes back to what she is doing.

*She has recently been so interested in looking at our wedding book.  We look at it over and over and talk about all the people in it. 
*She loves to do whatever I am doing!  If I am dusting, she has to have a cloth to dust also!  Same with anything else.  I definitely have a little shadow that follows me around!
*She likes likes to put her hands over her eyes and play peek-a-boo
*She is SO ticklish!! I just love hearing her laugh so hard!

Friday, April 29, 2011

My heart is heavy



My heart has just been aching because of what not only happened to the city I live in but the town I grew up in and all the surrounding areas! I am SO beyond blessed to be here, to have all my friends and family accounted for, to have a home to go to! With the tornado hitting less than a mile from my house, it really is too close for comfort.
Riley and I had made the decision to go to his Dad's house in Northport and get in the basement so Anna Riley would still be able to play.We were watching the huge tornado as it was coming toward our city and that has to be one of the scariest thing.  To see something like so close to you!  I had been so worried because getting in touch with my parents was not easy.  I was sad to find out that my Aunt and Uncle had lost everything but also thankful that everyone in my family was safe!  Some were not as fortunate!

I have yet to go toward the scene.  I don't think I can handle it and I am trying to stay away since I can't physically do labor work to help.  Riley has been helping a few in Alberta and in Forest Lake and he said the pictures and video on tv just do not even come close to the devestation there is!

Everytime I hear a new death toll number, it has went up.  Everytime I am able to get in touch with my parents, she tells me of more that were found dead in her area.  My heart truely aches for those that have lost loved ones!  It is very hard to see all the houses, business lost...but those can be rebuilt over time...losing a loved one can't!

It is amazing to me that everyone has really come together to clean up and eventually rebuild our city.  Yesterday, they had to turn away volunteers for the time being because they had too many!  There has been enormous amounts of supplies have been and are still being donated.  

Please consider donating to http://www.redcross.org/ ! 
There are also drop off areas where you can take things.  I am still trying to figure out what is needed.  Some shelters are at max for certain things while others still need and are accepting certain items.
But for the most part, Tuscaloosa and the rest of Alabama just needs lots of PRAYERS!!!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Good Friday

Attempting to dye Easter eggs...we stopped when her mouth and tongue was completely blue!

Lounging around with her baby

Playing outside

Riley and I before Chad and Mandy's wedding. Thanks to Mom for keeping AR for us.

Easter lunch and egg hunt at Granny Earnest's

Sunday, we went to my Grandmother's house for lunch and an egg hunt.  Granny 7 out of 9 of the grandkids there and I don't even know how many great grands!  We had so many kids!  This was Anna Riley's first time to hunt real eggs so she was quite amazed and there were quite a few eggs that just didnt make it! This was her 3rd time hunting eggs so she was finally getting the hang of what to do!  I think they hid like 13 dozen eggs.  As always, the kids would beg to do it all over a again so we ended up hiding them a few times!  I have the best memories of hunting eggs at Granny's house so I am glad Anna Riley gets to do this with all of her cousins!
PawPaw, Granna and Anna Riley

Giving Paw Paw kisses

So sweet! She was definitely a Granna's girl Sunday!


This poor egg was dropped so many times!






Easter morning

AR's Easter goodies...she mainly got several little things: books, minnie pjs, bath/pool toys, bubbles, etc.






A little dramatic! It's hard to get pictures with her now because she can't be still!



Easter with the Hollyhands




Saturday evening we went to Papa Dougs to eat dinner and hunt eggs.  Anna Riley had the best time playing with her cousins, Brilyn and Ainslee.  She was full of energy and trying to keep up with the older two.