WOW...so it's been awhile

The other day I came into the kitchen and noticed that Shawn was looking at my blog. It hit me then that I haven't updated this thing in a LOOOOONG time! I'll do my best to condense the past few months into a couple of paragraphs.

First...Sophie was born on July 7. She turned 6 months old yesterday. She is an absolute dream baby. She is happy and cuddly and sweet...and has completely stolen all of our hearts. Her big sisters adore her and the feeling is completely mutual. Keira and Reagan can make her laugh these great big belly laughs that are just the most amazing sounds in the world.


Reagan turned three on November 10. How can I describe her personality...? I think Kelly says it best when she calls her quirky. She's definitely a "middle child". She's mischievous and can be sneaky...but she also gives the best hugs ever! She is struggling to find her place, and I think, at times, that I need to be a bit more understanding of her struggle. She's so smart and constantly surprises me with the things she says and does.



Keira will turn five on March 11. She's in the 4-year old class in preschool. She's also a smarty. On her first quarter report card, she had mastered almost all of the skills that she needs now (and will need by the end of the first quarter of kindergarten). We're still working on writing her letters, but that will come. She is our sensitive and dramatic girl. She gets her feelings hurt very easily and is always concerned with how others are feeling. She is very sweet and is growing up FAR too quickly! As a matter of fact, while I was writing this, she insisted on changing Sophie's (wet) diaper for me. *sigh*

Getting Ready for Sophie!

Has it really been 16 weeks since I've updated my blog? Let's see...where to start?
Well, first of all, the girls and I are at home for summer vacation. Yay! This school year was a bit trying at times, and I'm sure quite a bit of it had to do with pregnancy hormones. So, needless to say I am thankful to be home and enjoying time with the girls before their new baby sister comes along.In preparation for Sophie's arrival, we've moved the girls into the bigger of the bedrooms. It was quite an undertaking, but we managed to get it cleared out and painted (with the help of Kelly and Holly). The girls LOVE their new, pink, "big girl" room. We still need to get their beds, but they're enjoying it all the same.We also got Sophie's nursery all set up. Again, my girls (and wonderful husband) came through for me and painted the walls. Sophie's room is a lovely shade of purple, which goes well with the glider and ottoman that my mom recovered for me. I'm so excited that my girls have such pretty rooms to call their own.
Right after we discovered that we were adding onto our family, we made the realization that we'd need a bigger vehicle. So, we recently traded Shawn's Honda Accord in for a Honda Odyssey minivan. I LOVE IT! I always said that I didn't want to be a "Minivan Mom"...but I've quickly changed my mind. It's so roomy and drives like a car. :) LOVE IT!
I'll be 36w pregnant tomorrow...and officially starting my 9th month. My EDD is July 14, but Sophie is scheduled to arrive via c-section on Tuesday, July 7....just three weeks from tomorrow. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to meet our newest family member! I'll keep you all updated when she arrives.

The Results Are In!

We went to the doctor last Wednesday for our ultrasound and 20 week appointment. Holly met us at the doctor's office and was such a huge help. She kept the girls in the waiting room for the first part of the u/s while the technician took the necessary measurements of the baby. First and foremost, my prayers for a healthy baby were answered. I was 20w1d pregnant and the baby was measuring 20w2d and weighing in at a whopping 13oz. :) The tech asked if we were finding out the gender. I said that we were hoping to find out if the baby was cooperative. Then she asked if we were hoping for a boy. I said that I'd be lying if I said a small part of me wasn't hoping for a boy...just because it would be such a different experience for us. So, after some searching, the tech was able to locate the parts (or lack thereof) that showed us that we were having a baby GIRL! I got all teary when she told us...thinking of getting out all of the girls' baby clothes again. I was so excited.
So, then the tech said that we could bring Holly and the girls in from the waiting room for the rest of the u/s. Shawn went to get them and when he came in I asked if he had told them what we were having. He said he hadn't and Keira asked if we knew. I told them, "You're having a baby....SISTER!" Keira was so excited. She climbed up on the chair next to the table where I was lying and said, "Oh! Yay! I love you so much Mommy" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Reagan couldn't have cared less, of course. She wandered around the room checking out all of the equipment while Keira watched the rest of the u/s. Baby girl wasn't so cooperative at first, but we eventually got her to roll over so we could get a look at her face. At one point, she put her hand up next to her face as if she were waving. Keira said, "MOMMY! Look! She's waving at me!" and started waving back at her. It was the sweetest thing.

So, there you have it. We will be adding another baby girl to our family in July. The next step is deciding on a name...

Our Growing Family

I should change the title of our blog as our family isn't so little anymore. We're expecting another addition in July. In all likelihood this will be our last baby. I was a bit sad after having Reagan when I thought that she'd be our last baby...but this time I'm not all that sad. I have always wanted 3 kids, so this number seems right on for me:) Anyway, the pregnancy is going well. I'm 14 weeks along, so we've made it out of the first trimester and I'm not so worried. My doctor is monitoring things pretty closely, so that's a relief! I'm looking forward to finding out the gender in about a month and a half. Keira is hoping for another sister, but I just want a healthy baby. I know that may sound cliche, but it is the absolute truth! I'll keep you posted;)

Happy Halloween!

Here are a couple of photos I took of the girls this morning in their Halloween shirts. They're looking forward to getting all dressed up in their costumes tonight and trick-or-treating. I'll have to post some more photos tomorrow:)

A Day off Work!

It was THE longest "short" week at work! I had parent teacher conferences after school Tuesday from 5-8 pm. On Wednesday we had our Halloween party. Yesterday was a half day with the students, but more conferences from 1-4. I am SO happy to have today off. The girls and I are just hanging out right now. It's so nice! We're all still in our pajamas. So nice:)

Father's Day Photos

What a busy weekend this has been! On Friday, Mom and I took the girls to the STL Zoo. It rained on us a bit, but all in all it was a nice day. On Saturday, Mom and Dad, Rob and Tim and George all came over to help us put up a fence in the back yard so the girls have a safe place to play.

We spent Father's Day in IL this year with Shawn's dad and Roxana. Dwayne, Becky, Aidan, Holly, Jeff, Tyler and Grandma H were all able to be there, so it was a nice visit. The kids had fun playing in the wading pool and in the bounce house. Here are some pictures of the kids having fun in the sun!

Keira in the pool

Reagan in the pool

Tyler in the bounce house
Aidan in the sprinkler
Shawn and Diana
Dwayne and Becky
Jeff and Holly

Still More Photos!!

Here are a bunch of new pictures that I haven't posted yet...


Reagan smooching Daddy (@ Gramma and Pop's house)

Keira showing off her muscles...

Rea

They were playing "Ring Around the Rosey" and had just fallen down.

"Wink!"

Reagan drinking Sprite

New Pics of the Girls

I was reminded recently that it had been too long since I had updated my blog. It's been even longer since posting updated pictures of the girls! Here are a few of my favorite recent pictures. They're growing so much!
We were on our way to the store this morning and I glanced back at the girls sitting in the back seat. It suddenly hit me how BIG Keira looks! There is no longer anything "baby" about her. Her chubby baby fat is completely gone. She's getting so tall.
Reagan is growing pretty quickly too. She's in the same size clothes (tops and shorts) as big sis. Their body styles are completely different, though. Keira is tall and slim (like Daddy) and Reagan is short and plump (like Momma).

Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics;)

Chatterbox!

Well, Reagan went from only saying a few coherent words here and there to chattering constantly! Some of the things she says: Mommy and Daddy, Sister, Pop, Mamma, Nana, Papa, Sara, (ba)nana, pizza, vitamin, Play-Doh, baby, puppy dog, Uncle Rob, Uncle Tim, Holly, Ali, balloon, potty, color, yellow, blue, book, Elmo, I don't know, night-night, all done, all better, hi, hello, bye-bye, I love you, eat, Pop Tart, diaper, shower, flower, applejuice, I want applejuice, I want a hug, light....The other day, I swear she said "WalMart"! Geez, it seems like she just started talking all of the sudden. I remember being in such a hurry for Keira to start talking. With Reagan, I was content to have her stay "little" and not say much. Now that she is talking so well, she seems like such a big girl!

The funniest thing ever is listening to her and Keira talk together. Keira has become such a little "momma". Just this morning, she was telling Reagan, "Here you go. You can play with my gold medal. Just be careful with it, Sweetheart". *sigh* Where did my babies go??? :D

MAP Testing...EEEK!

MAP testing begins for us this week. EEEEEEEEEEK! Actually, the only thing I'm dreading about the week is the lack of prep time that I'll be receiving. Our special area teachers are being used as proctors, so all special area classes before noon are being canceled. That means that the 3rd and 5th grades will get their special areas, but 4th won't....typical (we always get the short end of the stick). I'm still planning to teach MO History, science and reading this week, but I'm going to try to fit in some down time, too. Standardized testing is stressful on these poor kiddos.

On the bright side, MAP testing means that the end of the school year is in sight. May 28 canNOT come fast enough to suit me! This has been a good school year overall....sweet, hardworking kids...but I'm so ready to spend some quality time at home with my girls. They're growing so quickly and I feel like I'm missing so much every day that I spend away from them.

Anyway, that's all from me for now. I'll try to update more frequently and post some pics of my darling girls.
G'night:)

A New Year

Wow, I can't believe another entire year has gone by. Life in our home is great. We had a nice Christmas, a relaxing New Year's Day and are enjoying some quiet time at home before I have to go back to work.

The girls are growing and changing every day. For Christmas, Keira received some "big girl panties", so we are potty training now in earnest. She wore panties from 10-5 on Monday (with the exception of naptime) and didn't have a single accident. Yay for Keira! I'm bribing her with Tootsie Rolls right now...but whatever works! She so badly wants to be a big girl. I told her that I'm not buying any more Pull-Ups after we run out of the ones we have now. She can either go in the potty like a big girl, or she can wear diapers like her baby sister. So far, so good :)

Speaking of baby sister, Reagan is great! I took her for her 12 month appointment (late, bad Mommy!) and she weighed 24lbs. and is 29" long. She's walking all over the place and has developed quite a personality. She loves to torment Keira by pulling her hair or taking toys away, but I think it's "survival of the fittest" around here to a point.

All in all, we're loving life!

Has it really been a year?!

I can't believe that we celebrated our baby's first birthday on Saturday. Can it be possible that it's really been a year since she entered our world? Amazing....
She has grown so much and is becoming so independent. When did that happen? It seems like yesterday Shawn and I were talking about trying to have a second baby....like only yesterday when we saw those 2 little lines for the first time. You know, we found out I was pregnant with Reagan six days after Keira's 1st birthday. I can't imagine 4 days from now finding out that I was pregnant. I think our family feels complete now, with our 2 precious daughters. God has truly blessed us.

I think back to last year...the panic when Reagan failed her NST...the fear I felt as I lie on the hospital table while the doctor did yet another ultrasound...the anxiety as I waited for my doctor to decide what to do...the way the pain medicine hit me and how nauseous I felt...the ride back to the operating room...the look on Shawn's face when Reagan was born. The absolute best part about that day was when I heard my sweet baby cry and they placed her in my arms for the first time. I knew then that it would all be ok.

Since then, I've toyed with the idea of what it would be like to have a 3rd baby. I think about what a rollercoaster ride the births of our daughters were. I know with absolute certainty that God had His hand on our babies and on me during my pregnancies...and it terrifies me to think about how things *might've* been if not for His grace. I almost think it would be too risky to try it again....that we should be grateful for the amazing gifts we have been given. And I am eternally grateful! What a wonderful family I have!

Long Time

Wow, sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog! Things around here have been hectic since returning to work in August. Overall, life is good:)
Work is fine. I have a balanced class this year in terms of gender (12 boys and 11 girls) as compared to the craziness that was last year (16 boys and 6 girls). They seem to be a good group of kids...a bit immature, but I have to remember that they're still basically 3rd graders. They'll shape up soon, I'm sure.
On the homefront, things are great! Reagan will be 10 months old on Monday. She's crawling everywhere (including to the top of our steps..eeek!) and pulling up to a standing position on anything that stays still. I think she'll be walking in no time....if she would have enough confidence to just let go. She still only has two teeth (on the bottom), but that hasn't stopped her from eating "real" food. She especially loves mashed potatoes and Ramen noodles.
Keira will be 2 1/2 on Tuesday. We recently took the drop down side off of her crib and made it into a toddler bed. She feels like such a big girl sleeping in it. She's having fun at "school" and the progress with potty training is coming along (slowly but steadily).
Shawn just started his 3rd year with the Vision Center. I'm pretty sure he's still liking his job. They keep him pretty busy.
Well, I guess that's a good enough update. I'll post a few recent pics of the girls and us for your viewing pleasure (haha). Until next time.....................

Summer Vacation

It's been a while since I've updated my page, hasn't it? Sorry for being such a slacker. Things here are going pretty well. I've been at home with the girls since May and couldn't be happier. I'm not sure if I'm going to want to go back to work in August! We haven't really done much but it's been fun just hanging out.
Keira is too smart for her own good. She's so hilarious lately with the things she says. We're working on potty training, but it's pretty slow-going right now.
Reagan is growing like a weed! She has gotten her first tooth and is starting to become pretty mobile. She army crawls all over the house. She's also wearing the clothes that Keira wore last summer (at 15 months old).
Here are a couple of recent pictures of them. Enjoy!

I just decided to make a quick update post this morning to let you know what's going on with our little family. Shawn, the girls and I are great.
Keira has (finally, hopefully) kicked the ear infections that have plagued her since around October. She went to the pediatrician on Wednesday for her 2 year check up. She weighs 25lbs and is about 37" tall. She's still quite petite! She seems to really enjoy her days at "school". She's learning a lot and it constantly amazes me how much kids soak up at this age...like little sponges. She knows several songs (Baa-Baa Black Sheep is her favorite to sing), can say her ABC's, and can count to 20 in English and 10 in Spanish. She's also become somewhat of a little "boss". She frequently tells us to do something "right now" and sometimes puts us in time out because we're "naughty". She can be a bit challenging sometimes, but overall, I'm really enjoying this stage.
Reagan will be SIX MONTHS OLD in 12 days. How on Earth did that happen? It seems like yesterday I was sitting at the Perinatal Center at SJMMC, all hooked up to non-stress test machines and waiting on her to get here. Now, she's almost half a year old. She's developing such a fun personality. She's very smiley and rarely cries, except when she's hungry or sleepy. Honestly, she's been a dream baby so far. She's been spending some time on her tummy and is getting pretty strong. She's rolling over more and more now, and the other day, she even managed to scoot a few inches. It won't be long (I think) until she's crawling. I'm in NO hurry!
Shawn has been working pretty hard. Both offices keep him pretty busy, but I think he's enjoying it. We just bought a new computer, so that makes him pretty happy, too.
I'm pretty excited because the end of the school year is quickly approaching. Our last day is May 23 (early dismissal @ 11:15) and I can hardly wait! It's been a challenging year, and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time at home with my girls.

Easter

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We had a great Easter this year! We spent Saturday at Shawn's parents' house. The girls had fun visiting with everyone! It was fun to see all of the kiddos together. They're so close in age...Keira is 2, Tyler is 18 months, Aidan is 9 months and Reagan is 5 months (today). They were all so adorable with their Easter baskets from Nana and Papa.
On Sunday we went to church with Gramma and Pop. Keira got to play in the nursery with Sara during the service. They have so much fun together! After church, we went to my folks' house for lunch. Uncle Tim and Aunt Christina even came over and blew bubbles with Keira. I'm attaching a few pics...I LOVE frilly, girlie-girl dresses!

Oh, before I forget...you can check out my MySpace page @ www.myspace.com/dihafe

Enjoying Spring

Last Sunday was so nice! Shawn and I decided to take the girls to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. Keira loved the slide and the swing. Reagan just hung out in the stroller. It won't be long before she's on the swings, too.

Just Because

My mom pointed out the other day that I hadn't updated my blog in awhile...so, I thought I'd make a quick post.
The girls are pretty good. Keira is recovering from yet another ear infection, but aside from that she's ok. She's getting better about going to the potty...so that's cool.
Reagan is growing like a weed! She's rolled over a few times, and we've been feeding her rice cereal in the evenings. I can't believe my baby is almost 5 months old!
Anyway, here are some recent pictures...Enjoy!

Milestones

Life is changing fast for our little family! Reagan is four months old today and tomorrow Keira turns two. Someone please tell me where the time goes.

Reagan is growing so quickly. She's been trying to roll over and sit up by herself. She can lift herself about an inch or so off of the mattress if she's lying flat. If she's propped on a pillow and I give her my fingers to hold onto, she can pull herself into a complete upright position. She's also been sleeping through the night. While I am very proud of her accomplishments, it's also somewhat bittersweet. She's (most likely) our last baby and I'm not in so much of a hurry for her to grow so quickly!

Keira amazes me everyday. I'm probably very biased, but she seems so smart to me. She can sing her ABCs, count to 20 (with the exception of the number 14), sing several other songs and carry on a conversation with me in which I actually (almost) always know what she's talking about. The most recent development is that we're working on potty training. She's been going on the potty pretty frequently lately. Just today she started telling us when she needs to go potty...however we don't always make it in time. At any rate, it's a start!

Well, I guess I've bragged enough about my gifted girls (who in reality are actually probably pretty average). Thanks for reading and I'll catch you later!