My Plate Runneth Over

Have you ever been so busy that the wheels in your head never stop turning? Your plate is so full that you feel like at any moment you're going to drop the ball and totally lose your mind? 

Yep, that is my life lately, but for SUCH good reason!

After spending two lovely weeks visiting family and friends in Louisiana, I returned back to Charleston with only 3 weeks to pack up our 5 bedroom home and move 20 minutes down the road to a wonderful new house! We listed the house that has been Keith's home since 2008 and my home since 2010 (minus a year and a half for the time we lived in Atlanta and Charlotte) for sale at the end of December, and by the end of January it had sold. Up until last week we didn't know where we would be living, but thanks to an awesome friend/realtor of ours, we will be renting a lovely 4 bedroom home until we figure out where we'd like to plant some roots next.

Packing is obviously overwhelming, but packing while being a work-from-home mom to 3 kids under age 5 is challenging to say the least. I am finishing up my last editing project for a wedding that I was so honored to capture, and I'm doing my best to juggle an infant, threenager, and preschooler. (Right now the threenager is giving me a run for my money, but we won't let her know that, kay?)

And while that sweet husband of mine is being helpful, he has just started a new job (praise you, God!) and has been quite busy. So all that to say...while I want to allocate time each day to sit and write, because let me tell you there is so much I have to say, I just can't. Not right now. But I'm jotting down notes on my phone, and one day (soon, I hope) when we are settled into our new home, I will share my thoughts with all of you. Everything from the books I'm deeply enjoying to my trip to Louisiana, to traveling solo on a plane with 3 kiddos, placenta encapsulation, and flight school, those posts are coming. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this short update and that your Monday rocks!

Now it's back to packing! :) 

Dear Arabella

Oh, my sweet girl. Where do I even begin? 

Three years ago at 9:08AM, we officially met, and since the first moment I laid eyes on you my life has never been the same. Your sweet face and wild hair immediately melted my heart, and while you met many people, we mostly spent your first day on Earth just you and me. 

Over the years your personality has really developed, and you are a feisty, silly, and brave little thing. You love to play with your big brother (who you affectionately call Gav Gav) and you absolutely adore your Daddy. You give the most squishy hugs and kisses, and you can brighten anyone's day with that sweet smile of yours. I never dreamed that I'd have a daughter, and especially not one as special as you. You bring such immense joy to all of our lives, and we are abundantly blessed to have you in our family. 

Your brother completely changed my life by making me a mom, and the bond that we share is so special. However, having a daughter is a whole different ballgame. I  know that you won't understand this for quite a while, but in many ways you've saved me.

You were born the day before the world lost one of the sweetest women ever, my Me-Maw. Your birth allowed her death to hurt, but not shatter me. I hate that you never got to meet her...you would have adored Me-Maw. But she did get to see a video of you right before she passed away, and for that I am forever thankful. 

You make me want to be better woman, so that you have a great role model to look up to. 

You push me to follow my dreams and to never quit. 

You make me genuinely happy. 

You make me laugh each and every day. 

You inspire me to always work on my relationship with the Lord.

Today, you turn three and you're already embracing that "threenager" status. :) You have sass, you have spunk, and you are learning how to be more independent. While this can be frustrating for mommy and daddy, I hope that you always keep a little of these characteristics with you as you grow up.

Love this precious little face!

You are very dramatic and often act out your favorite TV shows, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if you become an actress one day. You love to run outside with Gavin, and you also love twirling and dancing. You love when daddy throws you in the air (and often say "Do again, do again!" over and over until he does) and you love when I hold you. You absolutely hate brushing your teeth and fixing your hair, and I have to wrestle you to do both. :) 

As food goes, you aren't too picky, and some of your favorites are beans (of any kind), cheese, hot dogs (no bun), cucumbers, fruit snacks, and pasta. You dislike strawberries and would rather drink water over juice. Your favorite thing to do at the playground is to swing, and you could literally swing all. day. long. You love going to the beach and prefer to stay in the water (as long as someone is holding you) rather than play in the sand.

You travel pretty well and thus far your furthest road trip was last summer when we went to Louisiana (13 hours). Your favorite TV shows include Peppa Pig, VeggieTales (especially Larry Boy), Sofia the First, Little Einsteins, and a new favorite is Daniel Tiger. You are incredibly friendly, which freaks me out sometimes, but thankfully you're obsessed with the Safe Side Super-Chick DVD and she's teaching you in very silly ways how to be careful. 

Today, we celebrate your third year of life by exploring a little of Charleston, and on Saturday we will celebrate with your friends and family. I love you with all of my heart Arabella Therese Christmas, and I thank God daily for picking me to be your mommy.

11 Months and 2 Years 4 Months

It's been quite a while since I've written one of these updates, but it's never to late to jump back on the blog to document my sweet babies' lives.

Arabella Therese 

Sleeping and Eating: In the beginning, it appeared that A was going to be just as easy as Gavin was. Well, I was wrong. She will be one year old on the 28th, and she is still waking up a few times a night. (Translation: Momma hasn't had a consistent night of sleep in a long time.) Keith and I are co-sleepers, and we've loved every minute of it. However, because I'm still nursing, I think Arabella wakes up a lot due to habit. She goes to sleep every night around 8:30pm and typically wakes up at 7:00am. She also takes a morning nap around 10:00am, and sometimes takes an afternoon nap. She's a light sleeper. 

As I said, Bella is still nursing. There were a few times early on where I wanted to quit, but it just became easier to nurse, and I'm proud that we've made it this long. :) She eats on demand, but can typically go 3 hours in between feedings. My girl has been timid when it comes to eating food, and still doesn't really care for it. Around 6 months she tried baby food, and I was constantly having to force feed her. I think it was a texture issue, as she does much better with table food. She likes bananas, apples, cucumbers, mac and cheese, and strawberries. I'd say her favorite is mac and cheese. She's never taken a bottle well, so we'll be going from breast to sippy cup. Even though she's not eating a lot of food, she's a healthy 20 lbs. and is definitely getting enough calories from my breast milk. :)

Likes and Dislikes: My sweet Belle Belle is the silliest, smiliest, happiest little girl. She is very affectionate and loves to interact with people. She has been crawling since 8 months and currently loves climbing up the stairs at our house, walking with her orange Vtech walker, and spinning in circles. She loves to play outside and go on wagon rides with Gavin. She also loves the water, and likes taking baths and going in the baby pool in our backyard. We are planning a beach trip next week, and I'm sure she is going to love it. :) She doesn't have a favorite song yet, but she loves Mickey Mouse and Sofia the First. Her favorite toys are her banana toothbrush teether, the Mickey Mouse Toy Laptop, playing cars with Gavin, the activity table, and the jumperoo. As for dislikes, she hates to have her diaper changed and hates it when I change her clothes. It's the craziest thing. I mostly have to pin her down and quickly change her. She is getting better on road trips, but still doesn't like to be in her car seat for long periods of time. She's a pretty easygoing, social gal, and I'm able to run errands for hours without much difficulty. 

Milestones: 

October 27, 2013 -- First move, Charleston, SC to Mooresville, NC 

November 25, 2013 -- First time trying food (Mangoes) 

January 28, 2014 -- First snow day 

February 27, 2014 -- First time crawling

March 4, 2014 -- First vacation, Orlando, FL and First time at Disney World 

March 7, 2014 -- First baseball game, New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, Tampa, FL

Gavin Josiah

Sleeping and Eating: My handsome, crazy toddler has decided to take naps here and there. On those glorious nap days, he sleeps for about two hours in the afternoon. He typically goes to sleep around 9:00pm and sleeps until 7:00am. Although, some days he likes to stay awake until 10pm...11pm...12am!!!!! 

Gav finally kicked that darn bottle once he turned two, and started drinking whole milk a month later. For whatever reason, he never liked it. He has a healthy appetite, but his favorite foods are strawberries, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, cheese pizza, ice pops, and greek yogurt. He's still not a fan of meat, but he sometimes eats chicken nuggets and ham sandwiches. 

Likes and Dislikes: Gavin LOVES music. This little kid has a playlist on my phone and the iPad and he jams to songs from movies like Turbo, Frozen, Rio, Hotel Transylvania, and also music from MacKenzie Bourg. It's pretty funny, because his favorite song is called "Let the Bass Go" from the movie Turbo...and it's sung by Snoop Dog. That's right, my two year old Snoop D-o-g. Gav also has an obsession with car and trucks. Every morning, he wakes up and his first word is "race car". He has even gone as far and watched old NASCAR races on Youtube. I should be worried (because what mom wants her son driving that fast), but I think it's precious. His favorite TV shows are Sofia the First, Bubble Guppies, and Little Einstein. He is such an affectionate boy, and loves to hold hands and sit with his parents for snuggles. 

As for his speech, once he turned two, it was like the flood gate opened! He speaks very well, and is quite a character. He calls Arabella by name, and calls my sister Lauren, Arden. A few months ago he was walking around saying "Are you kidding me?" and lately when I start singing he says "Shhh. No...quiet mommy." Lol he is a little clown, and loves to sing also. I'd have to say that the best part of him talking has been when he says "Mommy, I wuv you." <3 nbsp="" p="">

Milestones: 

January 28, 2014 -- First snow day 

March 4, 2014 -- First vacation, Orlando, FL and First time at Disney World 

March 7, 2014 -- First baseball game, New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, Tampa, FL

Two Under Two: 4 Months and 20 Months

It's been far too long since I've written a monthly update from my kiddos, so I figured I would do that today! In fact I don't think I've ever written one for Arabella. :( I'll start with her first:

Arabella Therese

Sleeping and eating: From day one Arabella has been quite an easy baby. When it comes to sleeping, she is now sleeps through the night. There are still those nights that she'll wake up once for a feeding, but at this point she sleeps great. In the beginning she was waking up two or three times a night, but during her first week she slept through the night as well! So I don't know! 

My sweet babies always sleep alike!

She is four-months-old now and goes to sleep for the night between 7:30PM and 9PM. Her naps vary throughout the day but she typically takes a good two hour nap with her brother (Thank you God for this!). 

As for eating, she's exclusively breastfed. Around month two I was getting ready to give up on breastfeeding, and she did have a few bottles of formula at that time. It was to the point where she was puking 4 to 5 times per day, and it was extremely frustrating. However, once I figured out that it was the cheese I was eating that was hurting her tummy, things got easier. Also, it was pretty difficult to get a good burp out of her. But that got easier as well. Now that she's four-months-old, I can pretty much eat whatever I want without her tummy getting upset. It's amazing to me that the milk my body produces feeds my daughter. She was 7 lbs. 4 oz. when she was born and now she's almost 14 pounds! 

Likes and dislikes: Arabella is such a smiley baby. She loves to interact with people, and likes to laugh and talk all of the time (I think she gets that from her Daddy ;). Her favorite things are swinging in the baby swing, sitting in her bouncy chair and kicking her feet, and talking to her daddy. She loves to be held, and seems to really like when Gavin talks to her. She also likes when we eat her toes, tickle her belly with our noses, and lay our heads on her belly. Unlike her brother, Arabella does not travel too well. Unless she is sleeping, she does not like to be awake in her car seat. But she does love the Ergo carrier and we've been using that a lot lately. She also just started sitting in the Jumperoo, but I think she's just a tad too small. No teeth yet, but baby girl loves to chew on fingers. :)

Milestones: 

October 5, 2013 -- Rolled over! And I missed it! I'm with her 24/7 and of course the first time she rolls over I was in the shower. But Keith got to see it and I'm so happy that he did. He didn't take a picture after, but I took one of them during a nap that same day. 

September 4, 2013 -- First time sick. My poor poor girl was sick only two months in. Gavin picked up a nasty viral infection and ended up giving it to Bella. I'm just so thankful that I was able to breastfeed her because she wasn't sick for long.

October 2, 2013 -- First official laugh. My girl has the best laugh!

Gavin Josiah 

Sleeping and eating: Our big boy is now twenty-months-old, and is a bit of a crazy toddler. When it comes to sleeping, Gavin takes a two hour nap in the middle of the day, usually between 12 PM and 3 PM. To go to sleep for the night he is usually in bed no later than 8:30PM. Although, we do have crazy days where he is up way past his bedtime and tries to skip his nap altogether.

He is eating mostly everything, and his favorite foods are strawberries, grapes, cheese, almonds, and potatoes. He's not a big meat eater, but he does like a good ham sandwich. Some of his other favorites include Greek yogurt, raisins, popcorn, hummus, fruit snacks, and cucumbers. He is able to eat with a spoon and fork and I am so proud of him. He also drinks lots of water and a little juice each day. Gavin dislikes whole milk (cold, warm, or mixed with formula, with chocolate syrup...he just doesn't like it!), and has been drinking formula to get nutrients. At this point I'm not sure what to do.

Likes and dislikes: Gav is quite the handful! (Hello, toddler life!) He loves to dance, watch Sophia the First, play with chase our cats (Torre and Abigail), and "read" his books. More than anything, he loves vacuum cleaners, brooms, pots and pans, and utensils. He will seriously choose the vacuum cleaner over any other toy to play with. Gav also loves to play outside, and since moving to North Carolina he loves to play on the balcony at our apartment. Music is also something that he enjoys, and some of his favorite songs are "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore, "Blue Ribbon Bunny" from Sofia, anything by Justin Timberlake, and Choo Choo Soul. Being the mischievous boy that he is, he is constantly getting into things and testing his limits and my patience. ;) He is a great big brother and so far, has been super sweet to Arabella, or "bay" as he likes to call her. He also likes to play with my hair, and usually falls asleep doing so. :)

Overall, life is more chaotic than I could have ever imagined, but also way sweeter than I could have ever dreamed. And I am just really thankful for these two. :)

Playing Catch Up

It's been two months since I've last written and so much has changed. For starters, I am happy to report that things are much better since my last post, where it seemed like my family and I were under attack. Here's what we've been up to:

* We moved again! For the fourth time in three years, my family and I have relocated. We are now living in North Carolina, in the lovely town of Mooresville (just 30 minutes north of Charlotte). This move was very sudden, but it is a great one for my family. Keith works mostly in NC, and now we will be seeing a lot more of him. :) So far we are loving Mooresville and cannot wait to start this new chapter with our kiddos.

* I started graduate school in August! I am currently taking my second class and enjoying the material. I'm in the online criminal justice graduate program at the University of Cincinnati, and currently contemplating transferring to a different school to enroll in an MBA program with an emphasis on criminal justice. Regardless, I am happy with this decision to further my education. :)

* Arabella is now four-months-old and Gavin is now 20-months-old! These two sweet (and sometimes crazy) kiddos keep me very busy, but I absolutely adore it. Being a mom is my greatest joy and I love that I get to spend my days at home with them. 

* We are selling our house in Charleston, South Carolina! Obviously we've moved to North Carolina, and we have decided to sell! The last time we moved we rented our house, but that experience was awful. So we're going to try and sell our house. This is such a huge decision for us. My husband bought this house back in 2008 when he was only 23-years-old. It was his first major purchase and means a lot to him. The fact that he is willing to sell this house means the world to me. Once it is listed, I'll post information for anyone who is looking to buy in the Charleston area.

*Halloween came and went, and while we don't really celebrate it I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up my kiddos. My little Eric and Ariel. :) 

That's all I've got for today. I'm off to unpack our new home and to spend time with my babies! I'm really hoping to write more. I feel like writing helps to not only document this beautiful life, but to also give me a second to reflect on everything, and have some "me time", too. :) 

I hope you guys have a lovely Monday!

(Halloween pictures were taken by the same lovely photographer who took my maternity and Arabella's birth and newborn pics. Tamara at Bump Meet Baby Studio. :)

Arabella's Birth Story

On the night of my due date (June 27th), I was getting ready for bed when I started noticing that my Braxton Hicks contractions were actually becoming a bit consistent. Throughout this pregnancy I have had many BH contractions, but none that were consistent. So this definitely caught my attention! They began at around 11:00pm, but I tried to go to sleep anyway. Around 12:30am I was wide awake thanks to the contractions. I got out of bed and decided to go downstairs and really time these bad boys. :) They were coming every 7 minutes, like clockwork, but I didn't want to call my doctor or wake Keith yet. I continued timing them until 3:00am, and they had gone from every 7 minutes to every 5 minutes. 

Now things were getting serious! 

I called my doctor and he instructed me to make my way to the hospital. I woke Keith up and told him that it was go-time! He showered, and I did my best to fix my hair and put some make-up on. As painful as the contractions were, I wanted to look nice. I was going to be meeting my daughter soon! I'd say that's reason enough to look nice. :) My in-laws arrived a little before 4:00am to stay with Gavin, and Keith and I were on our way.

At the hospital...while things were still semi-calm

When we arrived at the hospital I was sent straight to the Labor and Delivery floor. By this time it was a little after 4:00am (we live right by the hospital) and the contractions were getting much more intense. I was informed that I had dilated to 4cm and that was very exciting, as I was only 3cm at my last appointment a few days prior. After monitoring Bella's heart rate and the contractions for an hour, Keith and I took a walk around the L&D floor. This only lasted for about 20 minutes before I decided it was time to get back to our room. 

Walking the halls

At 6:30am, my amazing photographer, Tamara, arrived, and by 8:00am my doctor was there to check my progress. I was hoping for a few more centimeters, and boy did I luck out! I was 7cm!!! My water still had not broken, and I declined the offer from my doc for him to break it. Instead, I spent the next 20 minutes in a hot, whirlpool bathtub. This definitely felt amazing, but my contractions were coming quicker and were getting more and more painful. I decided to get out of the tub and get back into bed. I had a feeling that Arabella was going to be born soon, and I didn't want to be in the tub.

At 9:00am I made a comment to Keith and Tamara that Gavin was born at 9:16am and maybe Bella would arrive at the same time. Keith didn't think things would happen that quickly, and said "Well, maybe by 9:30?" 

And do you know what time my daughter arrived? 

9:08am!!!!

Only 8 minutes after that conversation, and an hour and 8 minutes after being 7cm, my daughter was born.

I was checked 5 minutes before her arrival and was told that I was 9.5cm. The nurse left the room to grab a delivery table, so it was just me, Keith, and Tamara. The next thing I knew, my water burst! I let out an atrocious yell, and Tamara ran to get help! It was just me and Keith in our room, and I told him that I needed to push. At this point we really thought he was going to have to deliver our baby! I asked him to look and let me know if he could see her, and sure enough she was there! And boy did she have a lot of dark hair! :D 

The nurses came running in, and a doctor I had never met before said "Hi, I'm doctor so-and-so" and then caught my daughter! Everything happened SO fast! The doctor didn't even have time to put gloves on! A few minutes later my doctor ran in the room and could not believe that he missed it. I told him that unless he was still on the L&D floor there's no way he could have run fast enough. Baby girl was ready to make her big debut, with or without my doc. :)

I got to hold Arabella immediately for a few minutes for skin to skin, Keith cut her umbilical cord, and then the clean-up process began. Due to the fact that Arabella came so quickly, I had a pretty significant second degree tear. But, I have never felt more amazing or more alive than I did after that delivery. (Well, other than after Gav's natural birth.) In fact, as I was getting taken care of, I was eating animal crackers and drinking water. Oh, the joys of a natural birth!

Tamara filmed a short clip of Arabella crying and we put it on Instagram with the hopes that my Me-Maw would see her. And you know what? She did. :') It was one of the last times that my Me-Maw was conscious. Arabella was born at 9:08am on June 28th, and my Me-Maw passed away at 6:21pm on June 29th. But she got to see my baby girl. And while my heart hurts deeply, I am thankful that she saw her 4th great-grandchild.

Keith left the hospital and went pick-up Gavin so that he could meet his baby sister. And I have to be honest...this did not go as I had planned. I had this Kodak moment in my mind, and it was just a mess. Gavin had been awake since 4am (when Keith and I left for the hospital) and was extremely fussy. He cried the whole time and wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. Needless to say, Keith didn't stay long and brought Gavin home for a nap.

They returned later that day and things went much better, but that initial meeting was a complete failure. My amazing photographer stayed with me to capture some pretty precious moments, but she also took great care of me. Tamara, you are exquisite and I don't know what we would have done without you! :)

Once she left, it was just me and Arabella in our recovery room. I became so overwhelmed by the events of the morning. I kept thanking God and praising Him. He orchestrated this amazing natural birth and I felt His presence through every contraction, every bit of pain. During each contraction, I would remember the scripture that I memorized the weeks prior. I knew what God's word said, and I kept meditating on those promises. I am 100% certain that without my faith, I would have never been able to achieve a second natural birth. It was ALL Him, because I am completely incapable of accomplishing something like that on my own, especially in a hospital environment.

I would like to say that there is a huge misconception about natural birth, especially a natural birth in a hospital. My natural birth was not filled with screaming or cussing or stress. It was not a hostile environment. In fact, the only time I yelled out was when my water broke. Instead, it was full of love and anticipation and beauty. I was completely blessed by the nurses and hospital staff who took care of me. They were simply amazing. I delivered at Trident Medical Center in North Charleston and cannot speak highly enough about my experience. I was a bit worried about delivering at this hospital because Trident has a somewhat bad reputation in Charleston. Why? I have no idea. I had an incredible experience and am very thankful for Trident. 

The video below was put together by my photographer and shows just how beautiful this experience was. The song used is Keith's ringtone, and once my photographer heard it she knew that was the perfect song to use. The video has been known to cause waterworks, so watch with caution. :)  

The Birth of Arabella from Tamara Hart on Vimeo.

I still cannot believe that I have a daughter. It's still hard for me to understand how I am worthy enough to have these two little, incredible blessings. I am a Mom. A mom to two precious souls, and I am thankful beyond words to have been chosen.

**These beautiful pictures were taken by the talented Bump Meet Baby Studio. I cannot recommend Tamara enough...she is simply divine, and I am in love with these photographs.**

My Girl

Arabella Therese Christmas

Born June 28, 2013 at 9:08am

7lbs 4oz, 20" long 

My heart is so full that it could burst. :D 

Happy Due Date Day!

Well, today is Arabella's due date...and I am still pregnant. :) I have to say, I did not think that she would still be in my womb on this day, but that's fine by me. I keep reminding myself that a due date is only an estimate of her arrival, and if she's not ready yet, then I certainly do not mind housing her. :) 

 Taken yesterday - 39 weeks, 6 days

I will admit that I am not proud of my lack of patience. I've been quite annoying lately with my constant whining. Any woman nearing her due date can probably relate, and I'm sure it's totally normal to be in this impatient state of mind. But it makes me feel completely insane sometimes. I should probably explain a little more of my situation though. 

About a month ago, my grandmother (Me-Maw) had her gull bladder removed due to some pain she was experiencing. After the surgery, we discovered that she actually has cancer of the liver and has been on a steady decline in health since. The doctors have told us that they think she only has a few days left to live, and it is completely breaking my heart. This all happened so quickly!

 Me-Maw and me on my wedding day

She is only 71 years old and has always been in great health. My Me-Maw is such a wonderful woman and I hate that she is going through this. More than anything, I'm praying that Arabella arrives before Me-Maw passes away. It would mean the world to me for her to see my daughter. And it's just backwards. Me-Maw is supposed to be here for this. Right?!? I did speak to her recently on FaceTime and she told me congratulations and that Bella looks just like me...I'm not sure if she's seen her or if she's just confused, but hearing her say that made my heart happy. 

So, while I don't have any control over the timing of arrivals and departures, I am trusting that the Lord knows exactly what He's doing. Because He does.

Another thing that is adding to the anticipation of Arabella's arrival is the fact that I'm going to attempt to have another natural birth. I was successful with delivering Gavin naturally and everything went as well as it possibly could have. And that makes me nervous. How will Bella's labor/delivery go? Will it be harder? Is it possible for it to be easier? Physically, I think the odds are in my favor. I know what I'm getting myself into this time and am in much better shape for this pregnancy. Mentally, I am my biggest obstacle. So, in trying to prepare I've been soaking in the following verses with the hopes that I will remember them during labor.

Cast all of your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you. 

1 Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

God is our refuge and strength; an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Psalm 46:1

It is only a matter of time before my daughter arrives and my whole world changes again. Life is stressful, but I'm trying my best to just breathe and trust in Him. Until her arrival, I'm going to try and relax and just enjoy these crazy last few days of pregnancy. 

The Waiting Game

As you can probably imagine, I am one anxious momma. Arabella is approaching her due date (June 27th), and I am still pregnant. Which isn't all that fascinating...but I actually expected her to arrive at least a week early. I absolutely lucked out, and Gavin was born 7 days early, but it seems that Little Miss is going to take her time making her big debut. 

So, until then I am loving on my precious son and spending some great one-on-one time with him. Additionally, I'm finding things to organize around our house and have begun looking at birth announcements to send out for when Bella arrives. Due to the crazy Atlanta to Charleston move a month after Gavin was born, I never sent announcements out for baby boy. :( This time, I am making sure to do so.

 Here are a few of my favorites from the always amazing Tiny Prints. 

I absolutely love each announcement and am having quite a hard time choosing one for Arabella. Which one do you guys like the best? I am so excited to meet my daughter and cannot wait to introduce her to family and friends with one of these adorable cards!

**All pictures were taken from http://www.tinyprints.com/baby-photo-birth-announcements.htm **

Dear Arabella

Hi, precious girl. This is your momma, but you know that, don't you? Today makes exactly two weeks until your due date, and I am one anxious woman. I absolutely cannot wait to see your beautiful face. To see what color hair you have, what color eyes, if you look like your Daddy or like me. You have been one active little girl in my tummy, and I absolutely adore feeling you move inside my womb. This pregnancy has gone by very quickly and I am shocked at how soon you will be in this world. :D

I want you to know how much your Daddy, brother, and I love you. 

Every night, when Daddy is home and not traveling for work, he rubs lotion on my belly. Mostly because Mommy is trying to avoid getting stretch marks, but also because it helps my growing belly not to itch. I secretly think Daddy does it without complaining because of you. :) He also talks to you a lot. When he found out that you were a girl, he was very quiet and overcome with emotion. Daddy is very protective of you and will always make sure that you are safe. He is so excited to welcome you into this world and is very proud of you already.

As for your brother, he is only 15 months old, but is constantly touching my belly. He adores you so and I think the two you of you are going to be best buds. :) Gavin is a very happy, affectionate boy and I just know that you will love him, too. 

And then there's me. I cannot accurately describe my love for you. When your brother was born, I finally understood how much a person could love another. More so, I understood God's love for us because of how much I love your brother. And that's exactly how much I love you. It's an incredible thing, really. There's so much I want to teach you and tell you and show you. I know that the mother-daughter relationship can be a complicated one, but I promise to be as caring, compassionate, and understanding as possible. I promise to be a good listener and to always provide a safe place for your heart.

One day you'll stumble upon this website, or maybe even a book that I'll have printed for you and your brother. I know that I haven't written a lot during my pregnancy with you, but please do not over analyze. It's only because your brother has kept me quite busy. ;)

I adore you, precious girl. You are going to do amazing things in this world and I am proud to be your mommy.

**These beautiful pictures were taken by the talented Bump Meet Baby Studio. I cannot recommend Tamara enough...she is simply divine, and I am in love with these photographs.**