Summer Highs & Lows

Blogging hiatus?  Not on purpose.  Did we have a summer? Surely not.  Oh, wait... I have pictures that say otherwise.  All I can say is, thank goodness I took pictures :) I might not have been able to remember this incredible summer, it just went by in a whirlwind. Rather than try to re-cap it all, here's my "highs & lows" list!


1.) Tucker Kreg Kell, born June 27th, 7 lb 15 oz of perfect

2.) Our "babymoon"-- Kreg got to take the whole week off to spend with Westin, Tucker & I.  It was the BEST baby gift Kreg's bosses could have given us. ;)

3.) Company round 1-- Craig & Carol made it in on July 3rd to spend time with us.  We had a fabulous time with them, spending the 4th shopping, going to Chuck E Cheese, dinner with friends, and a Sky Sox baseball game & fireworks.

4.)Not sure exactly if this is a high or a low, but on July 5th, we had Tucker's circumcision done. Despite the tears on my part, it really was a great experience.  We had a Jewish mohel come to our home for the procedure.  I don't think I would want to do it any other way now!  It was so quick, bloodless, and gentle.  Kreg & I got to be right there with him & I got to nurse him within seconds of finishing.  Tucker did great & the mohel was fantastic.

5.) Company round 2-- the Hodges family made it in half an hour after the circumcision :) It was sooo good to spend time with them, and for Westin to get to play with his cousins!  We headed up to Estes Park for a day, and then back into town & conquered the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! 

6.) Company round 3: Kreg's Dad, his step-mom, step-brother, his aunt, uncle, and, two cousins came to visit the day that company round 2 left.  They got in and the next day we loaded up and went to the cabin for several days! It was wonderful to be able to spend time in the mountains and we also got to spend some time with my grandparents who are "summering" up there.  Highlights of this trip include Westin, Papaw, the chipmunks & the fig-newtons, and the tour of MacGregor Ranch-- a "must" while staying in Estes Park.

7.) The one for-sure LOW on my summer list: The letter in the mail we received from the IRS, who found an error on our 2009 tax return resulting in A BIG CHUNK of my money going back to them... not to mention a BIG CHUNK of my time figuring out and re-filing my taxes from two years ago. 
8.) We started potty training... it's been put on hold, however, as my son has an odd fascination with pooping anywhere but in the toilet.  We'll get there.
9.) We had some pool-time fun :)

10.) More Sky Sox baseball

11.) The train at Cripple Creek!  My dad treated us all to a train ride up in Cripple Creek.  Westin is crazy about Thomas the Tank Engine right now, in fact any train really, so we knew he'd love a train ride!  To make it all just perfect, the train we got was blue and red just like Thomas.  We had a picnic after the ride & then took the jeeps jeepin'... it was a great summer day with only one minor fender bender.  Thankfully our State Farm agent was in the jeep ahead of us & all we had to do was sing the State Farm jingle & he magically appeared :) (thanks, daddy!)

12.) My baby sister Kortney decided to transfer to Harding this semester.  I just cannot express how ELATED I was to hear her decision, and of course, it did not take long for me to ask my mom if I could tag along to move her in.  Kreg ended up getting to go as well, which was awesome!  We got to see some great friends & family & spend some time out at the farm with Mamaw (Tucker's first farm experience!) We were so thankful for this unexpected trip.

That pretty much sums up the major pieces of our summer! Being a mommy of two is even better than I could have imagined :) Westin & Tucker love each other already & I love spending my days being their mommy.  Westin amazes me every day with all the things his little brain soaks in.  A post coming up soon has to be current Westin-isms because I cannot go ten minutes without cracking up at his hilarious conversations with me! Also coming up: WE JUST GOT BACK FROM A FANTASTIC FAMILY VACATION.  It deserves more than a measly spot on the highs & lows list (As did most of the other events, but they are too far in the past now) and there are things about it I don't want to forget, so I will be posting memories soon. In the works this weekend: quick getaway trip to see the fall colors on the western slope of Colorado.  I can't wait!    

Tucker's Story

For those of you who regularly follow this blog, you know that I tend to be about a week behind in my updates... this post is no exception! Tucker is here :) He made it one week ago, June 27, 2011 at 10:19 pm.  He weighed 7 lb, 15 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long.  And he is perfect :)  If you're looking for "the story," read on! 

My midwife called me last Monday morning because I was quickly approaching the 42-week mark where she has to refer me to an OB.  I was praying hard that this would not happen because I had been so enjoying/looking forward to the non-hospital experience.  I was really hoping I would be the one to be calling her telling her I was in labor! Anyway, she called me and asked if I would come in and we would see what we could do to help "move things along."  So, we went in at noon on Monday and she asked if I would mind having my membranes stripped.  I told her I would much prefer it over pitocin & a hospital bed :) I was already "almost a 4" which made me feel better... at least my body had been doing SOMETHING! So, after having my membranes stripped and being sent home with a vial of black cohosh and a vial of blue cohosh (to take alternately every 30 minutes... WOW), we were hoping we would be meeting Tucker before Wednesday.  

Long story short, it worked!  By 6:30 that night I was pretty sure I was having pretty regular contractions every couple minutes, lasting a minute or so.  I wasn't positive because I was feeling everything in my back and my legs... I had back labor with Westin but also felt the contractions in the front and never in my legs.  We called our midwife around 7:00 to let her know we were pretty sure things were moving in the right direction and she said that was great & to let her know when things started "getting more intense."  I was over at my parents' house eating pizza and my mom suggested I might want to head home because in her opinion I was probably closer than I thought.  So, we did & I'm glad we did!  I had imagined myself taking a shower and doing my hair & makeup once I decided I was really in labor.  I did get in the shower which was nice... and I sort of did my hair & makeup but at that point I wasn't really interested in doing so.  Things definitely picked up & we called our midwife around 8:00 and she got to our house around 8:30.  I loved being able to just walk up and down my hallway, rock on my knees, sit in my nursery.  I stayed upright through the whole process except for about 40 minutes when I laid down to do my "Hypnobabies" track-- which I totally recommend!  If I had known how quickly things would go, I would have started earlier with it, but I was still very pleased with how well it helped me relax and stay comfortable.  I ended up using it the second time from 9:40 to 10:00.  When I finished it, I told Kreg that I needed to find a different position to try to stay comfortable.  My midwife suggested I try the tub & I'm SO glad I did!  He was born 19 minutes later after 4 more contractions.  It was AWESOME! I never felt out of control, or like I just couldn't do it.  We have pictures that prove I was still smiling even in that last 19 minutes :) 

I was SO thrilled to be able to just sit there in the tub & hold my baby as long as I wanted! He was instantly alert & calm & comfortable, which was such a great feeling for me! When I decided to get up & shower (also, very nice!) he went straight to Kreg (still attached to the placenta so he could get the very last of all the good stuff!).  He pooped twice during this time, yummy baby tar! Our midwife checked him out on our bed once I got dressed & into bed & he was just perfect! 7 lb 15 oz after pooping twice, which I think is great! We were in bed by midnight, which was my goal!

I just can't say enough how thankful I am that everything went so well! I told Kreg my ideal birth would be 4 hours long, I would wait to get in the water until about transition, and that I would keep my water until the very end-- and I got it all! Thank you, God! :) 

For the picture version of the story, check out my facebook album: Meeting Tucker

Ready? Um, Yes.

Wellllll I'm 41 1/2 weeks pregnant!  I really thought I'd be cuddling my new baby by now, but he is just not quite ready to leave his comfy little home :). I know a lot of you have been asking how I am and if we haven't gotten back to you all-- please forgive me!  We're all doing great.  Really :) 

My goal this entire pregnancy has been to have a completely different experience than we did with Westin.  We could not be more in love with our sweet 2-year-old, but it is probably no secret that I did not enjoy that pregnancy or delivery!  My pregnancy was a little on the stressful side-- Kreg & I had been married for 4 months when I took a positive pregnancy test... we were both in school full-time and working nearly full-time and had made plans for grad school and the like.  I was also a long way from my mama with NO idea what I was doing.  As excited as we were and as blessed as we felt, it was stressful!  I ended up with high blood pressure which I am convinced was a result of the fact that the last month of my pregnancy I was trying to take finals, graduate, and get ready to move to Colorado.  I was just slightly stressed :) We ended up being induced at 38 weeks which made for a difficult labor.  I was set on having a natural birth with no epidural-- which is difficult to do with drugs like pitocin and a body that is just not quite ready.  I'm very proud to say I did do all 22 hours with no epidural & pretty horrible back labor, but I wish the entire experience had been a little different! Let me just say again how in love I am with my son & how thankful I am that we all made it through safe & healthy.

All that being said, I was convinced this pregnancy would be different!  And it has! I'm so blessed to be a stay-at-home mommy this time around, to be settled in our home, our marriage, and our family, to have a little experience under my belt, and to have such great support from my husband, my mom, my fantastic midwife, and two very talented chiropractors.  I am content to wait for this little boy & my body to be ready to work together for an easier labor. I've said that all along and now I am just spending each day reminding myself of that fact :) I am content to wait.  My blood pressure has been perfect from day 1, even though I have carried this little boy over 3 weeks longer than Westin, I have gained 10 less pounds, which I think has contributed to my overall comfort, I have had very little, if any swelling, which I have been so thankful for!  

Everyone has been so great about keeping me busy over the past 9 days and helping me keep a positive focus.  I've really enjoyed the little treats Kreg brings home, the pedicures, shopping, and constant walking that my sisters put me through :), girls nights & movie nights and splurging on our eating out just so I don't have to cook in my hot kitchen.  I am so incredibly blessed and I have not forgotten that!  What is a couple extra weeks when I've been waiting so many months to meet our precious little Tucker Kreg?  

I have been delighted by this verse over the past few days: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9  I'm just thankful for the simple reminder that I am not in control, have never been in control, but I know who is and am 100% convinced that His timing is always more perfect than mine. 

All that being said, thank you all so much for your prayers, your thoughts, and your kindness!  I know we're getting closer every minute!  Specifically, please keep me in your prayers as I seem to be fighting a sinus infection... great timing, right? :) I'm taking all my vitamins and drinking my tea and hoping this will be the last day of feeling yucky!    

An Eventful May

As always, May has brought with it many reasons to celebrate!  I love how the vast majority of them serve as reminders to me of how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family.

We started with Mother's Day, of course, which was very nice!  It probably goes without saying that I just LOVE being a mommy.  Today started out with paying bills (ick!) and being thrown up on by my poor toddler who has a nasty cough... but I LOVE being a mommy!  Even when my day starts out like that, I really just cannot get enough of it.  Anyway, that's a side note.  I'm thankful that we set aside a day for mother's.  Not only does it give me a chance to be thankful for the wonderful mother I have, as well as my grandmothers and mother-in-law, but it reminds me how blessed I am!  I had no idea what I was in for when Westin came in to our lives :) 

A few days later, we celebrated Westin's 2nd birthday!  We had so much fun!  We had lots of our family over and Kreg made sub sandwiches and we had a "two-two train" party!  It was SO much fun to watch Westin this year.  He was able to get really excited for his party in the days leading up to it and we wrapped presents for him a couple days early and it was ALL he could do to wait... in fact, one of the presents mysteriously lost its ribbons and bow and the tape on top.  He reminds me so much of his daddy!  The morning of his party we all went to Wal-Mart to have his balloons blown up and he proudly carried them all the way out of the store :).  He was completely overwhelmed with gifts!  He got about halfway through and had to take a break and play with some before he could open any more.  We are so blessed and so very thankful for all our wonderful family who pitched in and spoiled our boy on his birthday! 

 As I mentioned earlier, the anticipation of the party was just nearly as much as Wes could handle... that goes for the cake as well.  I finished it the afternoon before his party and spent that evening and the next morning piecing it back together after he disassembled it :) Needless to say... it was not EXACTLY in as good of shape by the time the party came around, but my little boy loved it and that's what made me happy :)

After Westin's birthday, we celebrated my sister, Kortney's birthday and my mom's birthday, and my parents' anniversary.  Like I said... we pack a lot into May.  I am relieved that it is now June and Tucker will not be another May baby :) Although, after paying bills this morning, I'm still wondering what we were thinking when we decided that ANY TIME after May would be fine for our next baby... we should have given ourselves at least a couple of months of recovery :) Oh, well!  Obviously, I'm thankful that he will be here soon and that I don't have a couple more months to wait for him!

Kreg & I celebrated our 3rd anniversary yesterday! Most days it doesn't seem like we've already been married that long... but when I start thinking about all the major life changes that have occurred in our lives since then, it seems like SURELY it's been longer! We both feel so blessed in our life together and have had SO much fun with all of the things we've done in the past three years.  We can't wait to see what all our God has in store for our future!  We know it will NOT be dull.  Kreg & I went out over the weekend for lunch & a movie and left Westin with my sister.  It was a very nice time, just for us :)  Then, yesterday morning, we went to Chick-fil-A for breakfast because on the morning of our wedding Kreg surprised me with breakfast from Chick-fil-A so we thought it would be a good little tradition.  It may seem like a simple thing but it was special to us!  I really do believe that enjoying life is all about enjoying the simple things.  

June is here, and we are 38 weeks along!  We are ALMOST ready for Tucker to join our family!  I know the next few weeks will be very exciting as we anticipate his birthday and I attempt to get all of my last-minute things done.  Keep us in your prayers as we wait and anticipate! 

Dear Westin

To my sweet Westin,

Happy second birthday!  As I sit down and reflect on the past year, it went even faster than your first :)  I’m afraid that I will be saying that every year!  I just cannot think of any bigger blessing than the blessing of being your mommy.

You have transformed this year from my sweet baby to my darling little boy!  It has been such a joy to be a part of your world as you have learned to walk and talk and run and play. You are 100% boy-- as if we had any doubt from the beginning!  You are enamored with anything that makes noise and moves and you cannot get enough of being outside and playing with all your balls and cars and trucks and power tools.  

You melt my heart when you smile at me and say, “I love you!” If you only knew how much I love you!  You are more precious to me than I ever could have imagined and I had pretty high expectations :).  You keep me in stitches daily with your sense of humor and mischievousness. I just love the way your precious little mind works and am constantly entertained by your expressions.  You’re a bright little boy and constantly learning-- I just love to “learn” with you!

Thank you for continually teaching me new things!  This year has been full of new lessons again, as I’m sure each year will be as we experience new things together. You and I don’t have many things in common (so far) but I could not love you more.  I know God had a plan in making me your mommy and you my son.  I’m thankful for the ways I have seen him stretch and mold me as he’s stretching and molding you.  I have a feeling that there will be lots more of this in our future! Some days I feel like I’ve been pushed to my limit... and then I realize I can push myself further!  I’ve learned that sometimes what is best for you is NOT something that is easy for ME... but because I love you, I will find a way to do or be what you need-- and that has been a huge blessing for me.

I’m so thankful for the way you love me and the relationship that we have built over the past two years.  I pray that it continues to grow and deepen and that I will be able to cultivate the wonderful qualities I see growing in you-- you are so determined and passionate and I am excited to see where those qualities will take you in life.  You are also very compassionate and loving and I am excited to watch as your love for people drives you to be who our God has designed you to be.

I’m thankful to take this day to celebrate you!  You have been nothing but a blessing and enrichment to all of our lives and we love you more than you can possibly know right now.  

I’m so glad you’re mine, sweet boy!  Happy birthday!

Love,

Mommy 

Easter 2011

Easter was so much fun with Westin this year!  I just loved watching his excitement and enthusiasm.  

We dyed eggs with my siblings and parents at my mom's house this year.  I wasn't sure how Wes would do, but as soon as my sister showed him how to dip the eggs in the dye, he didn't stop "decorating" his 6 eggs until I finally decided we'd made a big enough mess!  We all just watched him for a good 30 minutes before anyone else decided to join him-- it was very entertaining! I would say at least half of his eggs got "squished" in the process, but that didn't bother him at all.

Easter morning I got us all up early and was ready for Westin to "open" his Easter basket when I realized that my camera bag with all three of my cameras was at my mom's house :(  I was so disappointed!  Kreg got a few shots and a video on his blackberry, which really takes pretty decent pictures and I was very thankful we at least had that.  Westin LOVED hunting for his Easter eggs (Easter in Colorado is generally cold so we do our hunt indoors... this year, even being in late April, we had snow on the ground!).  He lined them all up in a nice row on the couch to observe his loot when he had finished.  

After we all got ready, we went to my mom & dad's for breakfast!  My mom outdid herself like usual, we had a wonderful sausage souffle and sweet potato biscuits and then did another egg hunt at their house. By this point, Westin was a pro at hunting for eggs!  And, as usual, the Easter bunny brought lots of fun goodies for us all.  Westin got lots of new activity books for church which was perfect!  It helped tame him despite the sugar rush I know he was experiencing by the time we got there!  Kreg & I got some great spring planting goodies and two one-hour massages... I.CAN.NOT.WAIT. to use mine! 

After church we went back to my mom & dad's for ham.  Mmmmmmmm.  One of my favorites that we just don't do very often! I made a strawberry pie for dessert.  I'm pretty sure this one day contributed to half my weight gain for the past couple of weeks :)  

I can't believe it's nearly May.  I know once May hits I'm going to turn around and Tucker will be here.  May is the busiest month of the year for our family... just to name a few "events," we have Mother's Day, Westin's 2nd birthday, my mom's birthday, my sister's birthday, my parents' anniversary, and our anniversary.  Many of our extended family members also have birthdays in May.  Thankfully, this year we do not have a graduation in our immediate family to add to the  May festivities :) for the past several years, we have! I'm excited for everything in store for us and very much looking forward to welcoming this sweet little boy into our family!  Have I mentioned lately the fact that I am blessed beyond measure? 

alive & well

Yep, we're all alive & well! As always, staying very, very busy!  I should have posted about ten different times between the last post and this one about all the fun, exciting things we've been up to, as well as all the day-to-day Westinisms that keep us in stitches.  But, alas, here I am and there is no way I will remember it all or have enough time to record all the details!  

March & April are teasers in Colorado!  We have a little of everything-- sunshine & 75, snow & 25 and everything in between... sometimes all in the same day! Kreg & Westin have been out fishing a couple of times already and are really excited about being able to do more of that in the coming months in warmer temperatures. 

 Westin & Daddy reeling one in

 my outside boy

 Wes & his buddy Van

 the crew at Palmer Lake

We were able to make a trip to East Texas the last weekend in March to visit Kreg's sister Kim & her family, including the newest addition, 4-week-old baby Kate! It was a very nice, much-needed weekend with family.  We were also able to see a little bit of Kreg's mom, Carol and her husband Craig, and Kreg's Dad, Steve & his wife Maria.  I was a little swollen and achey after the 14 hour trip, but it was worth it :) I especially enjoyed watching Westin play with his cousins!  They were all so good with him and he obviously thought they were AWESOME. :) I was thankful to get to spend some good Aunt Keleigh & Kate time!  She is sweet as can be and I loved every minute of getting to know her.  

 Pops, Nana & 5 grandkids!

 Wes & Cousin Johnathan

 Darling baby Kate & I

Westin & baby Kate

 Jonas & Westin's duet

 All the cousins in the bluebonnets!

Westin is at such an entertaining stage!  I could literally just sit and watch him all day and be so entertained.  I love that he is talking so much and our conversations are way too much fun.  I've spent the past 22 months wondering what he's thinking and now that I'm getting a glimpse into his little mind, I feel like I know him that much better!  He is very detail-oriented-- He easily notices something out-of-place and likes to correct it.  He can spot a ball or a plane way before I can.  I'm constantly impressed at his memory, especially with people's names (and the Sesame Street characters' names, and the Thomas & Friends' names).  He can recite pieces of his favorite books which also amazes me.  He's becoming very, very social.  I have to watch him very carefully wherever we go because he enjoys finding new people to talk to!  He's always very concerned about little people, especially if they are crying. I'm hopeful that he will be really good with his little brother.  The first baby he's ever really been around is Kate Hodges and he immediately took to her.  He asked right away to "hold this" and LOVED holding her.  He was very gentle and wanted to kiss the top of her head :) 

Tucker is doing great!  At our 26-week appointment, I asked our midwife to do one more ultrasound and print me out some boy parts :) just so I could be SURE.  She was very obliging, of course, and thankfully so was Tucker.  He's definitely a boy and I am getting so excited to meet him and see my boys together!  At our last appointment (29 weeks), my midwife said he's really a very good size... I'm still carrying him practically on my back and thanks to my nice, long torso, I still don't look that big.  I enjoy all of his sweet little kicks and hiccups and thank God daily that it's been such an easy, healthy pregnancy.  I'm hoping to have him in my arms safe and sound in about 2 1/2 months!  It's gone SO fast...

My mom and Westin & I went out to the mining museum down the road and took a few maternity shots!  It was a fun little shoot and we got some great shots :)  I will do another one with Kreg & Westin in a month or so but I'm really glad to have these... while I'm still "comfortable!"

We're planning on getting up to the cabin this weekend and have several home-improvement projects on our list to get done in the next couple of weeks.  I've been making good progress... stay tuned for pictures of Westin's big-boy room, the nursery, the new paint upstairs, and the updated master bathroom!