Friday Five

It's finally Friday!

Linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

I'm so ready for the weekend. We are traveling to Nashville to help some family, but even in Nashville I don't have to wake up 5:30 everyday. Woohoo. 

1.  First, Hallie has been successfully sleeping in her crib for over one week now! Considering her big brother took one, ONE, nap in his crib, EVER, that is a pretty large accomplishment. She still cries a little in the middle of the night, but we just go in and pat her sweet little back and off to dream land she goes. Yay, Hallie!

2.   I finally posted Hallie's sweet birth story HERE. I was so nervous and determined to have a successful VBAC, and we did it! 

3.   I think we are getting at least one bunny! My good friend had some accidental bunny babies, and we want one! I used these pictures to convince my husband.

It worked like a charm. Who could resist this?

4. We have been given so many tomatoes, we can't eat them fast enough. I need a good salsa recipe, and I'm lost. I have tried so many, and none of them taste just right to me. I need chunky, heat with good flavor?

5.  We finally have a ponytail, and I can't handle the cute!

Happy Friday!

Amy

  

Miss Hallie Bell's Birth Story

I finally finished Hallie's birth story. It's detailed and long. I want to remember every minute of that experience. Well, MOST of it. 

Griffin was Frank Breech so I had a scheduled C-section, and I never went in to actual labor.  I was not sure what to expect this time around.  At least two weeks before Hallie was born, I started having braxton hicks contractions at night.  They would keep awake so bad that I would get around 3 hours of sleep some nights.  It may have been my brain keeping me up wondering if this was it rather than the actual contractions.

I had a Dr. appointment on April 6th.  I was 39 weeks exactly, and getting nervous that I wouldn't go into labor on my own.  I had planned for a VBAC the entire pregnancy so I was hoping for some good news since Dr's don't like to induce women who have previously had a C-Section.  I had been 1 cm dilated 2 weeks before and 2 cm dilated the week before.  This time, it was 3 cm.  I was a little disappointed, but at least there was progress.  I asked her to strip my membranes because my cousin had that done, and she went into labor that night.  She said she would hurt, and OUCH.  I had a few contractions throughout the morning that felt like Braxton Hicks with a little pain at the end.  After lunch, they started getting a little more painful and 20-15 minutes apart.  I tried not to get too excited thinking it was probably a false alarm.

By the time Stephen got home, the contractions were about 10 minutes apart but not that painful.  I remember both of my cousins telling me that I would know when it was the real thing, but I also remembered my mom telling me that I was born within two hours of her water breaking.  I prayed and prayed that my water would break so I would know for sure when to go to the hospital.  My Dr. said 5 minutes apart for one hour.  By 9 pm they were 5-10 minutes apart.  I told Stephen to make sure his clothes were packed and everything was ready.  They still were not close enough together to call the Dr. so we laid down in bed to relax about 10:30.  I had just laid down, and I felt a little trickle.  I went to the bathroom without saying anything to Stephen to make sure.  Yep, it was barely happening, but my water broke!  We called the hospital, my parents to come meet us there, and his parents to start the drive from Kentucky, and we were on our way.

We let Griffin ride with us to the hospital. He was so cute in his jammies walking around in the lobby. My parents met us there, and I went back to confirm my water had broken and I hadn't just unknowingly peed myself. It took two tests and over 30 minutes to confirm what I already knew. My water had broken, and we got to stay.

By this time, it was after midnight. We got settled into our room, and all hooked up. They checked me again, and I was around 4 cm. They kept asking if I wanted them to call my Dr. I didn't want to drag her to the hospital only to have to wait around all night so I said no. Then someone told me I couldn't get an epidural until I was checked by my Dr. I wasn't in unbearable pain yet, but they were getting stronger so I was nervous to wait.

 She arrived less than 30 minutes later. She decided to try and break my water the rest of the way. Oh the pain. She was unable to do it, but her attempt sent my contracts from a 4 on the pain scale to about a 127. I couldn't get the epidural fast enough. It took about an hour to get the epidural. By this time, I was in a lot of pain. I was numb from the waist down, but I still felt every contraction. The nurse checked me again, and I was progressing fast. Before I knew it, it was time to push.

I will never forget the pushing portion of this experience. It was so different than what I imagined. The biggest lamp you have ever seen was pointing right at my personal business. I am as modest as they come, but the nurse, my sweet angel nurse Becky, insisted pushing would help ease the pain. At this moment, I was free as a bird. They informed me I would push 3 times during each contraction. 3 sets of 10 seconds. I pushed during 3 contractions, and they yelled to stop. I was terrified something was wrong, but they said we were about to have a baby without the Dr.

My Dr. came in very surprised and looking like she had been woken up from a long winter's nap. I said, "You were sleeping weren't you?" I wanted to say, "Can I get you some Red Bull because I need you awake for this!" She is amazing, though, and sat right down and got to work. We had a baby less than five minutes later.

Miss Hallie Bell King was born at 3:51 am. She was the most precious 7 lb 2 oz, beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. They showed her to me, and my first thought was, Those Cheeks! My Dr's first words were, "Wow. She's way bigger than I thought she was." Ha. They checked her out, and I finally got to hold my sweetest girl. She was a snuggler and a mommy's girl right away. Just the way I like them. Perfect in every way.

Love this one!

Big Brother Griffin came the next morning.

One of my favorite pictures, ever.

Going home!

I look back and remember these days so fondly. She continues to bless our family more than we could have ever imagined. We love you, Sweet Girl!

    

Oh Hey, Friday!

We've been gone a while.  We've been a busy bunch.  Getting older, traveling and such.

Today I'm linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

1. I turned 28!  I'm still 27 in my head.  I think I lied to a few people when they asked how old I was turning because this past year has gone by so quickly.  To be honest, I am too busy thinking about the fact that my baby is about to be three to care that im two years from 30.  :)

2.  We went to Highlands, North Carolina.  We got rained on, but had a blast.  

3.  We beat Georgia!  He literally paced the floor the whole 4th quarter.  

4.  We went to Disney World.  Best vacation ever!

5.  We celebrated Halloween!  My little Minnie Mouse and Miles from Tomorrowland got to dress up three times this year.  Griffin now thinks every other day is Halloween.  He loved Halloween so much this year.  It may end up being his favorite holiday.  I do love it, but I'm a Christmas girl through and through.  I'll be interested to see if he loves it as much.

Happy Friday!

Oh Hey, Friday!

I feel like I blinked and this week went by.  We have been busy, busy bees over here, and we aren't slowing down any time soon. This time of year is always a non-stop, super fun, mess -- and I LOVE it. 

I'm linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, The Good Life, and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

1. Please take a look at Christina's posts at Carolina Charm about her sweet baby Thomas, and say a prayer for their family as he has his first surgery today.  

2.  We went to the TN Valley Fair this Monday!  Stephen and I had been once before to see Boyz II Men a few years ago. (Yeah, it was awesome).  This time we had the kiddos so it was a little unnerving for an anxious lady such as myself, but we all had a blast.  Griffin had way too much fair food, and Hallie was entertained by all of the lights and noise.  We let him ride the monster trucks, and he pretended it was Blaze and the Monster Machines so he was a very happy camper.  The coolest thing was probably the petting zoo where we all saw a kangaroo jumping for the first time.

3.  Griffin stayed at school the whole three hours both days this week! Sure, we had to bribe him with a $15 truck from Target, but I say we worry about that later.  Small victories.  He even walked in instead of insisting we carry him!  Go Griffin, go

4.   We went to the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge last night.  Hallie was not the biggest fan, but Griffin LOVED it!  We got tickets last year for Christmas from my brother and his fiance.  I love gifts that we can all enjoy together and so cool that it was something none of us have ever done before and just a short drive away.  We will be taking him back in a few years for sure so maybe he can participate in the chicken races :)

5.  Monday is my 28th birthday, and we intend to celebrate all weekend long.  

Happy Friday!   

Our Weekend

This weekend was a good one (even with the tough loss). Friday night my best friend and her husband came over for pizza and an "ice ceam shamich," as Griffin says.  Griffin loves her so much and so do I. She is growing on little Miss Hallie Bell. She was showing her momma's girl side and stayed with me almost all night.

That Fall feeling stuck around through he weekend, and my parents were camping at Indian Boundary so we loaded up on Saturday and took a beautiful, hour and a half ride to visit them.

 We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and played at the campsite before heading out for a few adventures. 

We drove on a very curvy road to get a look at a beautiful waterfall called Bald River Falls. It was right on the road so I was nervous, and Griffin hated being held the whole time, but it was worth it. Little Sis was mesmerized! 

Then we headed home, and everyone in the backseat napped the whole way. Hallelujah. We got home just in time to cheer on the Vols and get our hopes up, only to have them completely crushed in overtime. Well, there's always next week :)

Happy Monday!

Feels Like Fall...

It's really been feeling like fall in East Tennessee, and I'm LOVING it.  I'm pretty sure it's a dirty trick, but we will take what we can get. 

It was rainy on and off all day. I had to pick Griffin up from school early because he "missed Momma Daddy." Bless his heart. He reallyyyyyyyy wanted to go home, but I convinced him we had to stop and get Momma a Pumkin Spice Latte first. Then, we went straight home and put a huge roast in the crockpot. 

Yep, seems like fall to me 😍

Oh, and this:

Pinday Wednesday

There are tons of recipes for crockpot meals I am dying to try.  Mornings are Hallie's happiest time, and Griffin is usually content to play with his toys without constant Mommy entertainment before lunch so its the way to go if we want to have dinner on the table  before 7-8.  We tried a  crockpt lasagna recipe  last night, and it was pretty good!  

Find the recipe HERE.

I did tweek it a little bit. I skipped the mushrooms since I knew Griffin wouldn't  eat them and added a chopped onion and half of a red pepper when I browned the meat. We really liked it, but next time, we may not use all of the cheese. 

We cooked it for four hours and then enjoyed with some sauted broccoli and sliced bread with pesto. 

This one is a Pinterest win for sure! 

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day, Friends! 

Hope you are having as much fun as we are 😊.

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Oh Hey, Friday!

Bring on the three day weekend! We have had a crazy few weeks over here laying tile in the kitchen (finally) and out of town family here for a surprise 75th birthday extravaganza. We have zero plans this weekend other than watching college football, Go Vols!, and getting our big girl some new pjs.

I'm linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September Farm for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with Carolina Charm, A.Liz Adventures, and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

Here's my five:

1. We are on a preschool roller coaster over here. Last Thursday, we went to pick up Griffin from school only to find out he cried the entire three hours. Not only did he cry, he sat by the window the whole time we were gone. I can't handle that. That's too long. We went back and forth about sending him anyway since he is only two and a half, if he started next fall, he would still go two whole years before kindergarten. Tuesday, I got called to pick him up at 10:30, but he stayed the whole time Thursday, only crying on and off. Fingers crossed for a better week next week. 

2. Griffin started a little mommy/daddy and me soccer class on Tuesday, and he loved it! He could not stop smiling and giggling, and he tried so hard. Soccer was just what the Dr. Ordered after our traumatizing morning of preschool. He talked about Coach Derrick (pronounced coach Dewict) on the way home, and then my heart exploded.

3. I think my sweet girl is teething, and I'm nervous.  Griffin would cry the day of, pop through and tooth, and was happy again.  I have heard horror stories from mom friends.  We will see how this goes.

4. It's Football Time in Tennessee!! Well tomorrow! We both graduated from UT, and there is nothing like a Tennessee football game. The game this week is in Nashville, and most of our friends are going. We will make it to a few games this year, but babysitting a 4 month old who is exclusively breastfed and doesn't love a bottle is kind of a tall order for the grandparents at this point so we are choosing the games wisely. Nonetheless, we will be tailgating and watching at home in our best orange. 

5. With all that said, on Fridays, we wear Orange! 

Happy Friday! 

Ten Movies I Will Watch Over And Over

There is just something about a good movie on TV on a weekend afternoon that really makes me happy. I'm not a napper. Never have been, other than a brief time in college when my normal bedtime was 3 am. I'm just bad at it. It takes me forever to fall asleep, and if I do, I'm a total grump when I wake up. I can totally "rest" on the couch with a cold drink and a good movie. 

Growing up, every Sunday afternoon in my house was nap time. My parents lived for these naps, and still do, but now they have no kids at home and average 1-2 naps per day. This left my little brother and me to our own devices, and he was a much better napper. One can only jump on the trampoline and swing by yourself for so long. Some days it was all war movies, but other days it was like finding gold.

My list of go to movies has changed a little over the years. I have several that I watch over and over. They just don't get old.

10. Runaway Bride

 I saw this in the theater when it came out. It makes me want it to be Fall all the time. And also, move to Maine.

9. A Cinderalla Story

I saw this in theaters as well. (Total Lizzie Maguire girl right here.) 

Fun Fact: I fell in love with the scene where they go out and dance alone at the empty wedding. When I saw it, I said I would walk down the aisle to that music. Sure enough, my husband and I hired a guitarist and violinist to play the acoustic version of "I'll Be." Loved it! 

8. Sex and the City

This one is long, but sucks me in everytime. (The finale of the actual show does also). This movie is best watched when husband is not home. 

7. Bride Wars

This movie is why I picked my bridal bouquet. 

6. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Classic for all girls my age. 

5. What to Expect  when You're Expecting 

The adoption is my absolute favorite. I cry everytime. 

4. Pitch Perfect

Hilarious 

3. Hocus Pocus 

Maybe I making up for lost time because I was a little scared of this one for a while when I was little, but I wised up quickly. 

2. Sweet Home Alabama 

This movie also gets me wishing for fall and reminds me of home. 

1. Christmas Vacation 

This is my number one favorite movie of all time. NEVER.GETS.OLD. My husband feels the same. Some members of my family do not, ahem that little brother i mentioned earlier. He's a party pooper. Hopefully our kids are as cool as we are, and when it's age appropriate of course, they will know it all by heart as well. 

Oh Hey, Friday!

Oh what a crazy week it has been. We went from a slow, relaxing summer to madness overnight. Both kids are rebelling. Our sweet little girl prefers our quiet house (with the exception of her brother) to birthday parties, church, the store. She calms down the second we get home or the second company leaves. I've never seen anything like it. I can't say I blame her. I've been known to be a bit of a homebody myself.

Linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

And with A. Liz Adventures and Hello! Happiness for Five on Friday.

1. We were supposed to have family pictures taken this week. It's a longggg story, but I didn't end up with many newborn photos of Hallie. The few I have are great, but our whole family isn't really in them, and it makes me sad. We have a gift certificate for a family session that has been burning a hole in my pocket since 2013. Meant to be used in 2014, but it never worked out. We've been waiting to use it. My sweet husband, BLESS HIS HEART, tried to set something up. He got the date and time so we bought coordinating outfits and waited for her to answer him about the place we picked. Monday came and still nothing. I finally tracked down her phone number and sent her a text. Turns out, she asked him if Monday was fine, and he never answered her. For one month we were planning on these pictures, and she gave the spot to someone else after not hearing back from him for 7 days. Poor guy. In his mind, he said "yeah, sounds great." Maybe he forgot to hit send. We shall never know. This friends, is how we do it over here haha. Never a dull moment. Reschedule you say? Oh, no. Did I mention the photographer is nine months pregnant and being induced in a few days? I knew this could go one of two ways. I could allow steam to come out of my ears and my head spin off like I felt like doing, or I could try my best to remain calm. I'm so glad I wasn't mean to him because He knew it was a big uh oh, and had already left a message for a different photographer for an appointment next week before he even got home. I would have felt terrible. We may be a disorganized mess, but I sure do love that husband of mine.

2. I started teaching my first Sunday school class this week! I have the sweetest little group of kindergartners and the best helper. I have waves of guilt occasionally for not using my teaching degree. Every year about this time, I see and hear about all of the beginning of the new year excitement from teacher friends. Only an ex teacher would day dream of organizing papers, making charts, and using a staple gun to decorate bulletin board after bulletin board. I have always prayed I would be able to stay home with my babies one day, and I know in this stage of life, it's right where I belong. I am beyond blessed to have this little dream of mine come true. I think an hour each week talking about Jesus with a few kindergartners is just what I need! 

3. While I was teaching for the first time, Hallie had her first day in the nursery! I was a little nervous, but she did great. I taught my class, went down to nurse her, and then I made it just in time to hear the sermon. Then, We packed up and went home to enjoy the rest of the day all together. I tried to get some pictures, but she was pretty over the big pink dress by the time I got to it.

Trust me, she looked super sweet in that dress. 

4. Then the big day came, and Griffin went to school for the first time. I posted about that HERE. So far only a few tears, and a whole lotta cute! 

5. All I have to say is thank goodness for good friends with kids who understand little babies who only want Mama and toddlers who lose their minds at Chikfila. I don't know if I could do life without them. Three cheers for iced coffee, chicken minis, and an escape proof play area! 

Happy Friday!