Whatever it takes...

So on Sunday, we made the long trip out to Babies R Us to buy a bed guard for Prissy's convertible crib, we needed to start transitioning her out of the crib so that when Brae is ready to go there she can. We decided that Brae was just too big for her bassinet but that since she isn't sleeping through the night yet we didn't really want her to be in a room with Pressley and wake her up all night...

So what we've decided to do is to, bring the old pack'n'play back into our bedroom for Brae to sleep in, and take the front of Prissy's crib off and replace it with a bed guard... here's how the weeks gone so far.

Sunday night:
- Braelyn slept all night!
- Pressley didn't know what to do w/ herself... she was up and down all night

Monday night:
-Braelyn got up at 4:00
- Pressley finally went to sleep in her crib after climbing into bed with Daddy... up again a few times.

Tuesday night:
-Braelyn got up at 1:00
-Pressley repeated the same schedule as the previous night.

Wednesday night:
-Braelyn got up at 4:00
-Pressley fell asleep face down on the floor at 8:30... and so Dustin put her in her bed and she slept ALL NIGHT!!! yah!


I'll post pics soon...

p.s. I can't get anyone to help me find the pics from the March of Dimes walk!!!

I went to the Dr.. yesterday and that appt. was great.  He basically ruled out graves disease (which I didn't even know was a possibility) Got some blood work done, again, and so he should know exactly what the problem is ... He thinks is postpartum hyperthyroidism which can he fixed with meds and will more than likely go away on its own.

5 Things that melt my heart about Brae...

1. Her cute belly... She has the cutest belly in the world. She looks like a little birdie... skinny little legs but a huge stomach!

2. Her sweet smile. I love talking baby talk to her... I always get this HUGE smile back, she is beeming... then comes that little tounge. With every smile she sticks out her tounge! Not quite sure why but it is precious!

3. Her manouvering to get her hands out of anything we put them in... ever since she was born, in every swaddle she was able to get her hands free... I could put little mittens on her, or even socks on her hands to keep them warm but by the end of the night she has removed them!

4. Her slate blue eyes... Dustin and I are still unsure as to what her true color will be or if they will even change but she has the prettiest color eyes...Depending on the light you can almost always see a green or brown hugh hiding behind the blue.

5. The way she loves to snuggle. She is so "needy" in that she wants to be held or talked to or cuddled with at all times.

Here's how last night went... I finally fall asleep around 9:30ish... at 12:00 am, the stupid beagle's are back barking up a storm... finally fall back asleep 45 minutes later... from 3:00 - 5:00 I had contractions every 12-15 minutes apart... I finally get up, and they stop. ugh. I am over this pregnancy... It dawned on me on my way to work, the first trimester of this pregnancy was such a nightmare compared to my Pregnancy with Pressley, so why wouldn't the 3rd Trimester be any different?  My luck, I'll be having these contractions for another 4 weeks... Oh and who ever posted on my poll that I will make it to 40 weeks... you're dead meat! :)

Well, I am 3 cm dialated! WOO HOO!!! YAY!  YIPPEE!! and she has dropped just a tiny bit... nothing to write home about... still 50% effaced... The contractions are more sharp but are still irregular... :-/  

During my pregnancy with Pressley, God brought someone very special into my life by way of my job.  A very nice couple was almost done with their home being built, but I got to get to know them through the last phases of construction.  While carrying Pressley, this lady's daughter in law was expecting their first also;  a girl, named Avery. So naturally, we always had a lot to talk about, me being pregnant with a little girl, and her, expecting her first grandchild!  We struck up a friendship before meeting each other, so by the time we got to meet each other for the first time, it felt like we'd known each other for ages!  To make a long story short, she made Pressley a beautiful blanket that she totes around the house... she just LOVES it! Well, today, she brought in one for Braelyn... Here is what it looks like... so snuggly and girly!  I know Braelyn will love it as much as Pressley loves hers...

  

So today, I will hopefully come home to a "care package" sitting on my front porch from my mother.  I don't know everything that is in this little package but I do know that each thing that is in it was thought out by someone very special to me... Is it the fact that I am getting a box filled with neat little things just for me that makes me so excited, or the fact that my mother loves me enough to think of me to put together a box full of things that she knows I will enjoy... it probably is a little of both... but I am so thankful to have a mother so wonderful!  I am quite lucky!  

On Saturday, our good friends, Maggie & Chris threw us a baby shower!  We sat on the front lawn  enjoying a perfect fall day, the weather was just perfect! Maggie served up some wonderful food, and some delicious apple cider!  We were surrounded by several of our close friends & family from the area, which made a perfect day even better!  

okay, so I am 37 weeks now... I went to the Dr. on Wednesday and no progressions have been made... I am still having lots of painful Braxton Hicks contractions and having to breath through them. Dustin likes to call them "practice contractions"... I'm over them and ready for the real thing!  I have got 60% of my "nesting" done so far... but we've got a few more things left to do at home before I will feel great about leaving for the hospital.  I finished Braelyn's name and hung it with pretty lavender ribbon above her bassinet.  It is just beautiful... her bassinet is something beautiful too!  Mom and Dad bought it for us, it fit for a princess, very frilly, and I also added a run of lavender ribbon with a beautiful bow at the front to make it just perfect... I'll put pics up so that you're able to see what I'm talking about.  I have Prissy's bags packed for her short stay with Ms Jane... cabinets are packed of things that she will need while we're at the hospital... I've even made a little booklet of everything Mom and Dad will need to know while watching her!  I am short a few things in our hospital bag, but for the most part I've got that all done and packed... 

Its getting cold here... it would be wonderful to fit into one of my nice cozy winter coats... but that is just unrealistic right now. A friend of mine told me to just wear one of Dustin's coats... so finally, after freezing in the snow & wind yesterday, I gave in... I would take a nice little photo of my get up but... you might crack a rib laughing at me... so I won't do that! :)

But yes, it did snow here yesterday!

SEE!



Isn't that just so fun! It didn't stick at all, and by mid afternoon there were no signs of winter... just cold wind!

On another note, We've got our registry online... somewhat... We are registered at Babies R Us... but there was quite a few other things that I wanted to register for that weren't available at "BRUS" so I found this cool web site and begun our online registry!

Check it out here

Today I had my 35 weeks and 5 days appt... :) Technically, 36 weeks... I don't remember how much I weighed... :-/ but I will tell you that I am progressing quicker than with Prissy...

During this week, LAST PREGNANCY, I showed no dilation and 10% effaced. This week, THIS PREGNANCY (obviously) I am 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced. :) WOO HOO! Dr. Pestoff did say that Braelyn is still way up there and has really yet to drop... and that alot of 2nd time mothers drop later than they do with the first child... her exact words... she may just slip right on out... I thought, great! with a 55 minute drive to the hospital... she better not be just slipping right out! HA!

Here is how big I am....




Here is a pic of how big I was this time with Miss Priss...




:) Fun stuff!

Today I finally made it to my appointment, with the gas shortages, Dustin and I decided that we should just hold off until Henderson County had replenished the fuel situation! :-/ So Braelyn is growing perfectly, she is head down already... which is good... : ) I'd say only about 6 or so more weeks to go!

Here are a few cute pictures I took over the last week... enjoy!

well, here it is the first day of fall! What more beautiful weather than this! I think it dropped into the 40's last night, and was crisp and cool this morning. I just love it. I'm trying to make our house smell like you're stepping into Martha Stewart's house... or at least how I think hers would smell... pumpkin-y or maybe apples and spices? either way, both of those smells are just scrumptious! I bought some potpourri this weekend and dumped it in a nice jar... but its not potent enough... should I buy more??? Idk! I just want that wonderful fall smell in our house! :)

If I can find the time, I'd like to get some pictures done of Prissy... I will probably do them myself, in the front pasture... it is so pretty and green right now... I bet I could get some good shots... I'll keep you filled in on that and hopefully I'll have a few priceless shots to show ya!

Pressley learned how to blow kisses this weekend! She is just a pure doll when she does it! Her little kiss sound is adorable too!
She also learned how to play peek-a-boo; but hasn't gotten that one down pat yet... She covers one eye up and 1 cheek up... its too cute!

Brae is kicking up a storm these days... Sleeping is still hard... my hips have begun to fall asleep w/i a hour or 2 of falling asleep... what joy! We are 30 weeks now, wow... where did the time go! If I go into labor the same time I did with Pressley-- then I've got about 8 more weeks... shew! We can't wait to see her!

Another exciting thing about fall-- ALL THE TV SHOWS COME BACK ON!

here's how my evenings will go:
Sunday- Desperate Housewives
Monday - Samantha Who
Wednesday- LOST & Private Practice
Thursday - Greys Anatomy

WOOO HOO! I CANT WAIT! :)

I had my follow up appointment yesterday for my Gluecose tolerance test- all was great!

Pressley's little birthday outfit came in yesterday! IT IS SO CUTE! I can't wait for her to put it on so I can get some pictures!
I'm still needing to find a couple more things to make the whole outfit complete:
1. A hot pink undershirt
2. Hot pink bloomers
3. Shoes

I think I've decided to get her 1 year professional pictures done in this outfit, it is just too stinkin cute not to document!

:)

Today was the always enjoyable Gluecose tolerance test... :/

Last year, during my pregnancy with Pressley I took the test and chose the "orange" drink to try... This year, I chose the "Fruit Punch" one. They were both nasty! I will go back tomorrow to get those test results and get my RhoGAM shot.

Braeyln's bassinet came in today! We will have to put it all together now, get her name painted and hung, move furniture out of the house and into the storage building and get the house ready for baby girl #2! Dustin and I talked and talked about middle names... if you've been reading, we were trying to decide between Braelyn NOEL Chapman and Braelyn CHASTAIN Chapman. I LOVED NOEL & didn't care for Chastain too much... but we've come up with another name. This WILL BE our "sweet baby brae's" middle name. MAE. Braelyn Mae Chapman. Both of our Paternal Grandmothers middle names are/were May (Mae)... and I love that name... as does Dustin! SO WE MADE A DECISION! WOOHOOO!

Hope all of you are doing well out there in cyber world! Thanks for reading our blog and caring about our little family!

FYI- We're at 25 weeks, so only 11 more weeks till I'm full term! Wow this has flown by! I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans, but today when I put them on I did have a little trouble buttoning them up. :-/

My belly finally popped out this week, here's a quick pic!



Dustin and I decided that this baby name game is gonna have to be on hold till we see Braelyn, so we will decide when we see her what her middle name will be, Noel or Chastain... just a couple more months.

Preface: When deciding on baby names Dustin has always loved the name Chastain. Me-- ehhh-- well, its not my top pick. So I've always said no.

SO- NEW NEWS! Dustin & I are changing Braelyn's middle name. This whole family tree thing has been effecting us since we started & not in a bad way... but really just making an impact on us. Back in the Chapman History--- his GGGGrandfather married a Jane Chastain Adams. So Braelyns name will be changed to Braelyn Chastain Chapman.

BTW- She is a lot more active than Prissy ever thought about being! :) I love feeling her move, Dustin finally felt her move so we are both enjoying her now!

Right now, we are almost 24 weeks pregnant. wow- only 4 more weeks till our 3rd trimester. WOW. :)

hmmm. when should a babies Incisor's start coming in? Our poor baby, She has 3 teeth on bottom and 2.5 teeth on top. Her two bottom teeth came in first... those weren't so bad as far as crankiness goes... then her top left came in.... she became a little more of a hand full... and then her top right has begun to poke through and then all of the sudden her top & bottom incisors came through on the same day! Ouch! I couldn't imagine! I'm glad they have tylenol for infants... and oral gel... because she is in some serious pain!

Pressley stood by herself for about 10 seconds last night. She was holding onto my knees and I moved and left her standing there clapping. It was quite exciting... especially for Daddy--- snoorttt snooorrrt! :) haha!

Braelyn has been so active. I honestly don't remember if Pressley was this active at this point in my pregnancy with her. I know she was our tiny dancer during my 3rd trimester but for some reason I don't think I could feel her this much around 22 weeks... I just can't honestly say. Either way- Brae is a big mover!