Naming our Baby Boy

We've known the name for months now, but I hesitated posting it all over the internet. We've shared it with family, friends, and in our Christmas card. I've decided to blog about it to commemorate picking his name, and the meaning behind it.

Augustus Galen. We are calling him August. "Augustus" means "great" and "Galen" means "calm". We thought "great calm" was a perfect name for our second child. We love the history behind the name "Augustus," and I think it is aptly paired with his "Galen". We found his middle name by looking for "G" names online, so that baby August and his sister Adara could have the same initials.

"Great Calm" is also how I feel about this pregnancy. It hasn't always been this way, and I'm sure there will be bouts of anxiety and over-excitement in the future, but right now I feel perfectly at peace. I know he will come when he is ready, I feel adequately prepared for his arrival. I know that I am surrounded by people who love and support us, and I know that Adara is over-the-moon excited to meet "baby August".

God has prepared us for this second bundle of joy. He continually shows us how he provides for us abundantly more than we deserve. This season of Advent-waiting-has never seemed more true for me this year.

Thanksgiving parts one and two

Such a fun, family-filled day:) I'm snuggling with Adara, so this post is mostly photos:

Part one at my house

Part two at my grandparents' house

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving eve: Moving up and out

Well, nesting has started for sure! I've wanted to move the changing table out of Adara's room so we can use it in our room for our newborn (Adara isn't potty trained yet, but she's easy to change without a table). I finally cleaned up and organized her room and took out a set of plastic drawers and the changing table. Her room looks so much bigger!

We have a really big master bedroom, so finding a place to put the changing table was no problem. I also am using some of Adara's drawers for baby boy stuff. Adara doesn't need it right now, and I don't have to buy new drawers. I'm sure our infant won't care that his boy clothes are in pink drawers.

I also adjusted Adara's carseat. Thanks to my infant CPR and carseat safety class, I now know that a forward facing carseat needs straps at or above the toddler's shoulders. Doing so meant taking out the booster's insert-another reminder of how fast Adara is growing! ps-I adjusted the headrest back after taking this photo. Adara's quote: "I'm SO safe!" She will be now that I know her carseat is fit for her.


I'm so thankful I was able to get some baby-related tasks accomplished! I can now focus on other things-like making sure I'm prepared for Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Countdown to thanksgiving:day 25-in case of emergency

I packed a "just in case" bag for the hospital today! I wasn't planning on it; I was looking for something to wear on Thanksgiving and instead found clothes that I know I'll need at the hospital. I'm thankful to have it somewhat ready!

Here's what I put in my bag:

-Warm button up pajama top and pants

-another pair of loose pajama pants

-a few shirts that are soft and stretchy so I can nurse in them

-a pair of leggings in case I get tired of pajama pants

-three pairs of socks

-three sleep/stretchy nursing bras and undies

-one zip up hoodie

For the baby:

-two sleepers

-a onesie and socks

-birth plan

For Alex:

-one complete outfit. If he needs more he can go home since we live really close to the hospital 

I'm sure I'll think of other things along the way, but the hospital provides a lot so if I needed to go at anytime, I think I'll be fine with what I've packed. 

Feel free to leave suggestions. I'll be prepping over the next six weeks!

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 24-my home

Today I am especially thankful for my home:a place that is the perfect size for our family, and a relatively relaxed environment. I try to make it a safe and enjoyable place to be, and it usually is. I'm thankful  we live in a good, safe neighborhood.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 23-Pinterest food

Pinterest usually causes me to feel inadequate and starving, so I have to choose when I use the site. However, I love how easy it to save ideas and reference them later. Today I made a modified version of sweet potato pie that I pinned to try at some point. It looks pretty AND it was yummy! I made two of them with only one package of frozen peas and one lb of ground beef! And we have plenty of leftovers!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 22-infant CPR class

Today I went to a free infant CPR class at Maury Regional. I WISH I had gone when I was pregnant with Adara! I'm not sure why I didn't. Not only did they give us an infant model on which to practice and bring home, but we also received some really good car seat safety information. I'm so thankful that the hospital offers this class! I feel much more prepared in case of an emergency. 

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 21-coffee

Today I ventured to Walmart to get some necessities-like coffee, of course. We ordered the "Friend's" Central Perk coffee online, and then I decided to try some different flavors this week. Flavored coffee is very hit or miss, but at least this brand is fairly inexpensive. I try to stick to only one cup of coffee a day, but sometimes a second one (with lots of milk) sneaks its way in. I'm thankful for various flavors of coffee, and getting to enjoy a cup in the morning.

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 20-Youversion app

Every night I read my "verse of the day", and sometimes the chapter around it. It's nice to have the YouVersion app available. I'm thankful for this as I wind down tonight and get ready to sleep. Here's tonight's verse:  Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20 ESV)

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 19-Unexpected nourishment

Two things today that I'm especially thankful for, but didn't expect:

Garden of Life Raw Prenatal Vitamins: Even thought I've not been super careful about how I eat, my nightly leg cramps have been virtually non-existent! I'm generally feeling better, and I really think these vitamins are a contributing factor. I'm also thankful that they are available on Amazon for half the price of Whole Foods! Thanks to everyone who recommended them to me! 

I am glad I made the trip to Whole Foods for the vitamins, because that's where I discovered this delicious milk:

We've been buying whole milk for Adara (she loves it and it was an easy way to wean her), and we put it in our coffee. I'm sure it's this good because it's local, fresh, and is super-creamy. I used to consider myself very lactose-intolerant, but this milk doesn't make me feel sick! A friend of mine then told me it's available at the Puckett's Downtown, so now it's convenient for me to buy! We were buying Horizon Organic milk at Kroger, but it isn't as tasty. Now if I feel hungry in between meals and don't feel like fixing anything, a small glass of Hatcher's Whole Milk will do the trick.

Countdown to Thanksgiving:day 18-Bible study/small group

Today was the last official meeting for the Bible study I've been a part of for the past few months. We've been going through the "Gospel Growth" series, and it's been so good to have a safe place to learn, reflect, and share with other ladies. I m so thankful for their open hearts and non-judgment attitude. Even when I've shared some deep, disturbing struggles, they are there encouraging me, and never come across as pious or having all the answers. I look forward to our time together every week, and this last meeting had a good sense of closure. I hope to be able to participate again next spring!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 17-a healthy 2 year old

Adara had her 2 year checkup today, and everything looks great! The office measured her at 34.5 inches and 26 lbs. she doesn't need to take Floradix anymore because her iron levels look great! we sang "time for your checkup" throughout the visit, and Adara cooperated beautifully. I also briefly talked to the pediatrician about being our doctor for both our kiddos, and I think that's going to be the easiest solution. 

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 16- the generosity of others

My baby turned two today, so that alone made today exciting! However, I was especially touched by how God works through people's generosity. 

Adara got to open MORE birthday presents today!

Then, when I was just thinking about how Adara and I could use some new clothes, my mom brings us bags and bags from some family friends!

God blesses us even when I forget to pray! I feel so trendy with all these super cute clothes, and Adara has more cute clothes that will fit her!

I also went to a baby shower for our baby boy. Again, people showered us with gifts and I really enjoyed the time spent with everyone.

God used His people's generosity today to remind me to trust Him and not worry! I'm so very thankful for days like today.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 15-Focus on the Family radio

Today I'm thankful for an online radio with encouraging, informative, Bible-based talks to listen to while I'm working. I do some work at home stuff, and today's work is super boring. I'm fine with doing boring work, but it's nice to have something to listen to while I'm getting stuff done.
Click here to listen to today's podcast. It's called " Practical Advice for Expectant Parents." I imagine it will have good advice, even though we've gone through this baby thing once already.

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 14-God's grace in spite of my ungrateful attitude

Today I've struggled with feeling grateful for anything. I'm thankful God still gives me grace and that He still loves me when I'm having a bad attitude.

Today I've worried about food and if I'm making good choices, about money (and how we spend it so easily), about things that I need to get ready for upcoming appointments, hospital delivery, and managing everything once the new baby comes. I worry about Adara's lack of cooperation. I stress about getting Christmas presents ready ahead of time. I worry about how expensive my new prenatals are....and on and on. I know in my head that Jesus says not to worry, but sometimes I really have to pray. Thankfully His providence isn't dependent on me!

Thankfully my precious child still loves to cuddle even when I am impatient with her.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 13-close in-laws

Of course I forgot to take any photos today, but I'm very thankful for close in-laws in every sense of the word. I'm thankful that Adara loves going to play with her aunts and uncles, and that I got to finally confirm that my mother-in-law is going to watch Adara when I go to the hospital to give birth. (I just assumed that she would, and I'm very relieved that she can!) I'm thankful that they are only a 20 minute drive down the road, and that they enjoy spending time with us. I'm thankful that tonight I got to relax on the couch, socialize, and watch Adara have fun playing with family.

Here's and older photo of Adara having fun with some of the in-laws:

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 12-my little helper

I'm thankful for my little helper and how much she loves to do things with me. I'm not sure anyone gets as excited as Adara about washing the dishes. 

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 11-healthy baby boy

Basically I waited a long time, got an ultrasound, waited for my next appointment to start so the doctor could look at the ultrasound, and found out everything is great. Alex kept Adara at home until he had to go to work, and then Adara kept me company in the back room. I talked to the doctor for all of five minutes for her to tell me the baby is definitely not small- even measuring a little ahead(this doesn't change my due date, it just means I have a healthy sized baby). I am very thankful everything looks great. My next appointments aren't as regular because of holiday schedules, and I'm actually relieved. I'd be ok if I didn't see another doctor until I'm at the hospital giving birth...

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 10-sleep

It's fitting that I fell asleep last night and forgot to post about being thankful for sleep. Alex is strongly encouraging me to make sleep a priority in an attempt to abate these reoccurring Braxton Hicks. I've also been careful to avoid foods that seem to bring on leg cramps (maybe because when I don't eat those foods, I eat foods with more nutrients), to improve sleep quality.

I went to bed early Sunday night AND took a nap Monday afternoon while Adara napped. I think I'm going to make afternoon naps a habit while I can! I had no bh yesterday, and my sleep has significantly improved the past couple nights. I'm so thankful for the extra zzzzz's, and I'm hoping I can stock up on  sleep for when our new baby gets here!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 9-Church

A couple things come to mind when I think about how thankful I am for church. One, that Adara is already learning wonderful songs during the first part of the service. She loves to sing along, even when there is only music and no one else is singing. Today at nap time she asked to sing "Amazing Grace" because we sang it at church today.

I'm also thankful that the people in our church are willing and eager to support even their new members (namely, us). They are throwing us a baby shower next week, and I feel so blessed that they have taken the time to put this together for us.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 8-extra help

Today we threw a birthday party for Adara, and it wouldn't have been possible without the help from family. So many people donated decorations, helped clean up before and after, and got food and decorations out and up in record time. Adara had a wonderful time, and I'm so thankful for the people that made her party special.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 7-party food

Today I'm thankful for a full fridge and pantry. Because Adara is allergic to eggs and soy, we're having lots of fruits and veggies at the party. I also made almond flour muffins instead of cake. We haven't had this much food in the house in a while! So excited to celebrate with people tomorrow and not have to worry about allergies.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 6-Funny videos

Y'all I'm bummed every day at how the sun sets so early! Adara takes a late afternoon nap and used to play outside after her nap for a while. Now she gets a very small window of time to play outside in the evenings, and we definitely don't have time to go to the park like we used to.
Even though I'm feeling ungrateful for the time change, I'm thankful people can make light of the situation by making hilarious videos about it. I watched it twice and think it's hilarious.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: day 5-baby bonding

We've been talking to Adara a lot  about having a little brother. Today she pulled up my shirt and started talking to him! It was super cute, and I'm so thankful for her excitement to meet him.

Countdown to thanksgiving: day 4-voting

Today I am thankful to be able to vote. I wish I'd spent more time researching the issues and people more thoroughly. Amendment 1 was the only issue which I'd researched. I know we don't live in an ideal world where scared young women are always loved (and funded) through their choices and options, but that doesn't make abortion right. I believe this would be a step in the right direction.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 3-Dollar Tree

Today I'm thankful for the Dollar Tree. I got some paper plates, cups, napkins, and a few other things for Adara's birthday part on Saturday. It was definitely the cheapest option! It's so fun getting things together for my toddler's party, especially when I can get a good deal!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 2-Friends and Family

Today we celebrated Alex's birthday with family and friends! I'm super bummed that I forgot to snap some photos while we were at Alex's parents house because there were so many loved ones all in one place! I am very thankful for all of them, and they will probably be included in future posts.

Later our friends came over for food and fellowship. The guys played video games and the ladies watched the kiddos. Adara loves playing with her friend Emma, and they had a blast together. I'm very thankful for these friendships!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Day 1-my husband

I'm starting a Countdown to Thanksgiving by saying one thing I'm thankful for every day leading up to Thanksgiving. I'm also going to take at least one photo, so I can have something to blog about consistently.

Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. I'm so very thankful for him! He loves us very much and Adara clearly loves when they play together. We got to spend his birthday at home together, with nothing planned. It has been a very nice and relaxing day!

Trying New Treats

Today we attempted TWO treats in ONE day! Since we have food allergies in the house (eggs and soy), AND we eat a paleo/primal based diet, treats require some creativity.

Treat #1:

Paelo AND vegan pancakes! Sounds perfect, right? I decided I would start with the waffle iron, because obviously waffles FTW. Since most waffle recipes require more oil, I did add extra coconut oil. Other than that, I just doubled this recipe from The Veggie Nook.

All the ingredients minus the coconut milk

My 21 month old LOVES to sit on the counter and help. She's a great little mommy's helper: pouring, stirring, mashing bananas with a fork, sampling the food. Even though it's a bummer she's allergic to eggs, I  have no qualms about her sampling the mix.

"Helping Mommy"

Major Bummer: the mix stuck to the waffle iron! I DID coat it in butter ahead of time, but I've used spray in the past and I've heard that can mess with the non-stick quality of the waffle iron. I scraped off as much as I could and Adara and I ate our precious ingredients.

Bummer

So I did what any rational, pregnant woman who had been craving waffles for weeks would do: I threw away our waffle iron! I'm pretty sure it was not worth saving (having been scraped and with the non-stick not working), and I didn't want to deal with the heartache of another ruined waffle.

I then used the rest of the batter to make pancakes. They look very pretty in my pan:

Better with Blueberries

But this is what they look like when they are finished:

Not so pretty

I was disappointed that they didn't look like the pretty picture in the blog. I think people who make paleo pancakes for a blog must photoshop like crazy, because I've never made a pretty paleo pancake. I'm not sure it's even possible. 

However, it WAS very yummy! Adara and I ate as many as we could, and then saved a couple for Daddy. I thought the PERFECT topping would be whipped cream (we still eat dairy).

Adara didn't like it

As soon as I snapped this photo Adara said, "Take it off." So she didn't approve of the whipped cream, but I thought it was delicious.

Treat #2:

Home made fro-yo. Ours is better, of course, because it's full-fat instead of non-fat. Just a banana, Greek yogurt, and whole milk as the base. We did one batch with strawberries and froze it in ice cubes for "Popsicles." The next batch was with cocoa and we put in our ice cream maker. I ended up putting some of it in the freezer since I made too much for just  Adara and me.

Note: It's always a great idea to eat frozen treats outside. It's also a great idea to carry said treat outside for your toddler. Otherwise you might end up with this:

"I dropped it on the floor"

And all over the cabinet

My sweet daughter did try very hard to clean it up, and then was so happy when I gave her another bowl to replace the fallen one. We then enjoyed the rest of our fro-yo on our back deck where it doesn't matter if some falls on the floor.