I promise.....

...To do a real blog post soon...! But until then, please join me in welcoming Finley James Owens to our family!!


Finn was born on July 27th at 11:27 am! He weighed in at 7lbs8oz and 19" long. Both mama and baby are doing great, just busy with becoming a family of FOUR! I promise to post good pics soon, but until then please visit our baby on hospital website.

Check out our beautiful baby!

Showered with Diapers!

This past Sunday our church Sunday School class blessed us with a diaper shower! We were caught off guard when initially asked about it because it was something we just weren't expecting, from them or anyone! After all, we just had a baby two years ago! ;) When we joined the church we knew we would form relationships, but we have made great friends and we are so very thankful for them. Check out this amazing cake that Kelley, our teacher's wife, made for us! She makes the best cake ever! (she made Keagan's yummy cupcakes for his birthday party, too!)

 

Thank you all so much for the generous shower, the outpouring of love, support and prayer as we welcome Finley to the world! We are so thankful to have you ALL in our lives!!!

38 Weeks, baby!

WOW! What a milestone! :) I am happy to be here...and really hopeful that I make it to 39 weeks...then baby Finn can come anytime! I was not dilated or anything at my last appointment (37.5 weeks) and this was really, really disappointing to me. I mean, really disappointing. I need to dilate on my own to be allowed to try having this baby naturally. But after a couple days of depression over no progress (thank you, pregnancy roller coaster hormones) I finally listened to myself and allowed myself relief since my doctor is actually out of the country for a week as of today! And I don't want to have this baby while he's gone (in case you didn't know this!). So, I am happy to be at 38 weeks, and am looking forward to 39 weeks...where I will break out the "big guns" to spur on labor! (Read: prenatal trigger point massage scheduled, famous-for-inducing-labor eggplant parmesan recipe, full moon on Aug 1st, spicy food, hills hills hills on my walks...etc...I might even start jogging again. This is serious business. Prayer is also good.)

This weekend is likely (hopefully!) one of our last weekends together as a family of three. Josh has to work next weekend and then the next weekend we hope to be home with Finn! (OK, wishful thinking, but you never know!) We decided to make a spontaneous trip to Missouri to go to Lambert's. It is a touristy restaurant that is famous for their roll throwing. And I do mean throwing--not tossing--like, across the restaurant! It was a fun day trip and Keagan thoroughly enjoyed himself with the roll throwing, the choo-choo train that was near the ceiling, and the fun atmosphere. I ate waaaaaaaaay more than any person ever should, but I think this is the point of this place. To be honest (and totally rude...sorry), this place is like heaven for fat people. They throw (giant, delicious) rolls at you throughout your dinner, bring you all-you-can-eat sides constantly, and the entree portion sizes are more than any person should be allowed to look at, let alone try and eat! Our drinks came in biggie-sized MUGS! And the prices are good! I mean, seriously...it is just wrong. It was a lot of fun though and I loved spending quality family time together, and then laughing together (all 3 of us!! Keagan has grown up so much...he participates in conversation now) the whole 1.5-hour ride home.

Keagan wanted to catch a roll so badly! It was funny. I would have let him try if the rolls weren't (a) 10lbs each, (b) piping hot, and (c) being hurled from 20 feet away.  

Finally, and so very unrelated, I wanted to update you on what Keagan's Big Boy room looks like now. More specifically, his new rocking chair! I had been looking for a rocking chair to go in Keagan's room for months because I was going to move my glider/ottoman into Finley's nursery. (and we still rock Keagan and read/sing to him before bed...I will do this until he is 30 if he lets me!)Problem was I didn't want to spend an arm-and-a-leg and I am really not the yard-sale person. I initially found this one on craigslist and told Josh about it. He didn't seem interested. But I also told some of my work friends about it (they humor me and listen!) and here's what happened next. I had a patient who was going to sell me her old rocking chair for $20...so when Josh didn't act interested in going to check out the Craigslist rocker, I decided I would buy the one from my patient. I lined up a pick-up day/time and drove my SUV that day (I always drive my little car for work...it doesn't chug gas), and asked Josh for $20 cash. Well, I was literally an hour or so from picking up the chair and Josh calls me and tells me not to go get the chair. No explanation whatsoever. No "better offer" type conversation. Just don't go pick up the chair. Needless to say, this really irked me because I had been searching for a cheap chair for months now. So, I call one of my work buddies, and begin my complaining about the situation and how I am not gonna have a chair now. (I am keeping this light...but I was pretty irritated) Little did I know she was texting our other work friend about the situation while on the phone with me... So, long story short, these two girls had bought me the Craigslist rocker as a baby gift!!! And they were trying to surprise me! But I threw a slight kink in their plans when I mentioned getting the rocker from my patient in an earlier conversation...they panicked and called Josh (at work!) and told him he couldn't let me buy it. :) So when the rocker showed up at my house, it was absolutely perfect! I am so thankful for all their efforts to get me this rocking chair, and love the story behind it! (I think the old man who was selling it was even in on the whole thing...was going to "pretend" it was sold if I ever called!)

From Nesting to Nursery

I am officially full term! 37 weeks = Let's Have a Baby! Well, not exactly, but if I have Finn now he will not be a preemie! :) This is a huge accomplishment, and I am so proud to have made it this far. But now here is my "thing": I have three weeks to go. I either need to have this baby THIS WEEK. Or I need to have him the last week. Why? Because my doctor is going to be in Russia next week. And I am not about having someone else deliver Finley. High maintenance? Most definitely. But this doctor "got me pregnant" two times in a row, was there throughout our ordeal with Keagan, and has taken all precautions this pregnancy to ensure we are both healthy. He knows me, he knows my husband, and he treats us more like friends than patients. He did my surgery with the first, is supporting my VBAC with this one, and is basically all I know (and all I want to know). So, yes. I am a high maintenance patient. And I am OK with this. So long as this baby stays put next week, I am also OK with having a 39-40 weeker! At my 36ish week appointment, I was not dilated or effaced at all. (bummer) But the baby's head was right there according to my doctor, who said he could feel the baby's head and that this was a good sign in the VBAC world! YAY! So all measures to make "progress" are being taken...

In other news, something has occurred that I NEVER had with Keagan: N.E.S.T.I.N.G. I thought this phenomenon was a joke. But now I know it is something that seriously overcomes hugely pregnant women and compels them to do things that they otherwise wouldn't do. I am going to tell you what I have done in the last week so you will get that I am in full-on nesting mode. I am not telling you this to make you jealous, to inspire you, to impress you, or anything else like that. I am putting this into print so when I go back someday and read about this I will laugh. And maybe you can get a laugh out of it. It is quite absurd.

I have:

• Cleaned out and organized the laundry room, cabinets, drawers..
• Cleaned out and organized the linen closet.
• Scrubbed our front porch steps with bleach water.
• Dusted the front porch furniture.
• Pulled weeds, trimmed bushes.
• Re-organized and cleaned out the drawers in our kitchen.
• Crafted until I was blue in the face...
• Laundry, laundry, laundry.
• Finished the nursery.

The drive to "nest" has been all-consuming at times; causing me to awaken at 5 in the morning to get started on my to-do list. Today is the first day in a while that I have actually "rested" and sat down for long periods of time. And I feel sooooo lazy sitting on the couch! Especially with all the things I could be doing...

But now that I have finished the nursery, packed my hospital bag, packed Keagan's bag, and basically gotten the car seat assembled and ready, I have loads of time to continue my nesting. Who knows what will get done next... (and, no, I won't come to your house)

Speaking of the nursery...I took some pictures of it. As soon as I grabbed the camera, my silly 2-year old was saying "cheese" and striking poses. So, of course, I obliged...he is so darn cute! ;)

And, Ta-Daaaa! Finn's Nursery. I am so proud of it. It evokes the same giddy feelings that Keagan's nursery did after it was complete. I look forward to sitting in here and snuggling my second little boy.

Some of the little touches that I love:
These car pictures were initially found by a friend in an antique store here in Benton. I got them for really cheap, found some cheap-o frames and repurposed the pictures. As I was doing this I realized that they are from an old Sears and Roebuck catalogue, I think circa 1940s. The price tag on the frame said $1.47. So neat!

A mobile that I found on pinterest and decided to make. Took forever, I ruined my fingernails, but love love love the finished product! (the empty red frames are for Finley's 3,6,9,12 month pics..)

Saw this on Etsy...didn't want to pay for it so I did my own. Love the saying.

Another pinterest/Etsy find...a combination of painting and Bible verse that I loved. I painted something for Keagan's room when I was pregnant with him and thought it only "fair" (and fun!) to do one for Finley. I love how it turned out...

While we are still in denial that this baby IS COMING, I think we are ready. I don't know if I am mentally/emotionally prepared...but honestly I don't know if I will ever be. I wasn't for Keagan, and adding a second baby has just as many unknowns as adding your first (different unknowns, but there are still lots there!). But we are excited and looking forward to meeting him! :) 

Passed the Point

I have actually surpassed my pregnancy with Keagan. It's kinda weird because around this point in my pregnancy I expected another week before my scheduled C-section...but then, SURPRISE!, at my final appointment I learned I wouldn't be going to work and I wouldn't be going home. I would be having a baby. This time around, I have no clue what is going to happen! I have many questions swirling around in my head: Will I get to 40 weeks? (hope not!) Will I have this baby via another c-section or naturally? (hoping naturally...well, with epidural) Will I know what's happening if I actually go into labor? Will my water break? ... ... ...

Despite all of these questions, I really feel more peaceful than I ever imagined I could during pregnancy. My last pregnancy was smooth sailing and I felt good until that point when I learned of all the issues both Keagan and I had (28-30 weeks was rough on me). I would never have imagined that all that worry would be replaced by peace. I feel like we can handle anything, and I thank God for this peace. I won't lie, though, I am hoping this all happens sooner rather than later. Once I reach 37 weeks (considered term) I will begin doing baby-dances to hopefully "speed" things along! Might even take up jogging again (JUST KIDDING).

So, because it has been a month, here are "official" 36 weeks pictures. And a comparison picture of me the day before Keagan was born.

36 Weeks with Finley

36 Weeks with Keagan

A couple of weeks back my amazing co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower at one of our case conference meetings! I had no idea this was coming and I was tickled to be "showered" with love from them. Baby Finley may be getting mostly hand-me-down items from his big brother, but he also got lots of fun new things! I am so appreciative of their support in this pregnancy, especially since we really only see each other once a week! (This is how home health works...) I am lucky to have co-workers that are also good friends! They went above and beyond with the food and gifts!!

Great friends and co-workers (Marhsall County extension of Murray Hospital)!

L to R: Misty (also expecting!!), Jeni, Susie, Angela, Anita, and Beth 

So, some thoughts at 36 weeks:

• I have some pubic symphysis pain, mostly in the evenings after I have been busy and walked and taken care of the house and Keagan.
• Finley moves NON-STOP and has hiccups ALL THE TIME.
• I think it is funny how much "advice" I get from (random!) people and how many (random!) people have opinions on whether I have dropped, when I am going to have this baby, whether I am dilated or not, and also how big the baby is going to be. People know everything. ;)
• I have to do a heave-ho maneuver at night to roll from one side to the other.
• My weight gain has stabilized over the last month...I haven't gained and even lost a pound at the last Dr visit. This will more than likely change, but as of now I have gained 29-30lbs.
• I don't sleep well at all. At all.
• I think I have a stretch mark on my left side, but it could be a broken blood vessel...
• I have lots of varicose veins on the backs of my thighs. I mistook them for bruises at first but then noticed on closer inspection that they are, indeed, varicose veins. And they are raised. (I may have mostly escaped the stretch marks...but the vein issue is not the least bit attractive)
• I still have a weird taste in my mouth that occasionally makes me nauseous. I had this with Keagan, too. I am looking forward to getting my normal taste-buds back.
• I am looking forward to seeing my feet again, to moving normally, to bending over again....
• I really shouldn't complain..I actually don't feel bad. Tight, sometimes tired, but that's about it. All in all for being this close, I feel pretty darn good. And I am thankful.
• I am in denial that this is happening really, really soon.
• I have begun nesting. I cleaned out the laundry room and the linen closet yesterday. Weird.
• I am not ready to have this baby. But I am ready to have this baby...get it??

Home Improvement...ongoing

If you are thinking that maybe this has anything to do with Finley's nursery, I apologize but it totally does not! We are getting closer, but let's just be honest: we aren't ready yet! It is highly possible that this baby will come and not have a room ready. Other than not having my ducks in a row, I don't really care that much...he will sleep in our room for several months anyways. This is what I am telling my anal-retentive self to make it all better!

[Speaking of Finley, here's an update: I had a doctor's appointment today. I am having ultrasounds weekly, and have been for quite some time. Finley is measuring at 5lbs9oz currently and is right on schedule to be around a 7lb-ish baby! My amniotic fluid was a little lower than they'd like to see, not enough to be scary (yet) but enough that warranted a discussion about potential earlier-than-40-weeks delivery and increased fluid monitoring. He is still head down and I am still hoping to have a VBAC. I have been having some contractions, but nothing regular yet. Weight gain has slowed considerably (still holding strong at 30# gained) and I am a-okay with this! While I am definitely reaching the hot-uncomfortable stages, and occasionally have a waddle in my gait, I am holding strong and not ready for this baby to be born just yet!! I will hit the 36 week mark this weekend...will have some pics for ya and will also be praising God to be at that point. Once I pass this weekend, I will have been pregnant longer than I was with Keagan. WHOO HOO!!]

If you will remember, I started some home improvement projects back in November. I alluded to my starting to decorate the half-bathroom, but asked that you not hold your breath that I would finish it anytime soon. Glad you didn't hold your breath! I just got it to a point that I can safely move on with my decorating life. The main things changed are the light fixture and paint. Otherwise it was just a matter of decorating...something I just don't spend a lot of time on. Here are the before and after pictures:

Before:

After:

My favorite project, but most time consuming, has been the playroom. It is still not 100% complete (we want to get a TV and I need to add a few playful decorations...) but this is going to be a work-in-progress as my children contribute artwork and fun to the room. I started out trying to make a fun playroom with adult color on the wall. Thought about doing khaki or adult-green or something "grown up" to make it flow with the rest of the house. But the more I looked at pinterest for playroom ideas, the more an "adult-colored" playroom bored me! So I threw that idea out the window and went with fun, bright colors that made me happy. See below for the results!

Before...

 After! When Keagan first came into his new playroom, he went crazy! He couldn't get over all the fun stuff set up all over...he ran from box to box and from toy to toy! It was exactly the feeling I had hoped to inspire and I am pleased to say that he LOVES his new playroom. I love it too!!

Keagan helped with the artwork seen above the futon. We had a really good time "crafting" and I love that he had a hand in creating the decor for his playroom. I got some fun pictures of him during our craft-days.

So whatdoya think? I am so thrilled to have both these rooms "done" and checked off my list. Now we just need to get Finley's room completed. Hopefully within the next couple blog posts I will have something for you. Hopefully!