Makenlee and Daddy

Family Picture

We went to World's Fair park for a walk. It was so pretty outside.

First two days....

We are home now. We got home yesterday. Being in my own bed to sleep rocks.

Makenlee looks just like Easton did as a baby. He is so in love w/ her. I am wondering how long that will last. Maybe until he realizes she will be living with us...Ha. And not living at the hospital. He wants to hold her, kiss her and cries when we put her in crib or bassinet. He loves to talk to her then and is happy....It is so funny!! I am hoping that we don't have major jealousy issues with them. But I can't live in lala land either.

It feels so different w/ the second. I am not so up tight. I already feel like I am going into this more relaxed. But I am only 48 hours into it....

Birth Story

The REAL contractions started at 1am and I woke Jon up at 2:15am to say it is time. Then we got to the hospital at 2:30ish. I was a 5cm a half an hour later I was 8cm and told that they did not think I could get an epidural b/c I was dilated so much and I would have to sit up and all that pressure may make the baby come out. I was like I am not doing it w/o one. HELL NO. The anesthesiologist came in and got me an epidural in record speed that was like around 4am and I pushed for maybe a half hour and she was here. It was so stinking quick....3 1/2 hours total. Crazy.

Makenlee has arrived

Makenlee Avery made her debut today, 4/21 at 4:36am. She was 7lbs. and 3 oz., 20 inches long. She is a cutie. Big brother Easton is already in love w/ her.

Easton's tattoo

Jon drew a tattoo on Easton tonight as they were coloring in Easton's coloring books. What was funny was after Easton got a bath and it had washed off he got a hold of the markers and drew all over his arms. Jon was like "Oh, man." I said, "Look what you started, he thinks it is ok to draw on himself." Great example Jon.

8 1/2 Months Preggo....

Makenlee's crib bedding

Here are some pictures of Makenlee's bedding. My friend Katie made it for her. It is so soft and beautiful. I love it.

Easter Egg Hunt

We had an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids with my mom's group today. It was fun to watch Easton really get into it. He got the concept of finding the eggs and then putting them in his basket. I helped him at first and then once he figured it out. He was like on a egg finding rampage. It was cute.

3 weeks or sooner

We only have three more weeks till we meet little Makenlee. The Dr. thinks sooner because I am dilated so much at this point. I am dilated to a 3cm which is what I was when my water broke and I went into labor with Easton at 39 weeks. I am a 3cm at 36 weeks now. So who knows when she'll make her apperance. But she may not need the evication notice after all....I better get my bag packed up just in case.

Family Time out in Gatlinburg

We took Easton out to Gatlinburg for some family time. We went to the aquarium which Easton loved. He was so excited to see all the fish. It was funny. Watching him point and try to catch them through the glass.

Just watching a movie

There are days when I look at Easton and I realize my baby is growing up. This is him the other day watching Veggie Tales with his legs crossed and I thought what a big boy....

Markers and Easton....What a great match

Jon was hanging with Easton and Easton's little friend Trevor on Saturday while Trev's Mom, Jeanne, and I went to a consignment sale. Well, Jon let them color with markers. Which by the way Jon always yells at me for letting Easton use them because they always end up all over his hands and arms. I don't think it is a big deal because they are washable markers. Well, look what happen on Daddy's watch.

Grammie and Easton

Easton has a new girlfriend!!!

Easton has a new girlfriend named Sammie. Her Mom and Dad and Jon and I take eachother's kid once a month so we can each get a date night. Easton was over at their house and Stacey caught the two kiddies in Sammie's bed reading books. Don't they look like an old married couple....

Easton is already learning to shave

Sometimes when Jon is shaving, Easton will come in and want to shave like Daddy. Jon will just put the cover on and help Easton "fake" shave. Well, yesterday Easton came into the bathroom when I was getting ready and grabbed Jon's razor and started to shave. It was not on. But it was cute because he made the buzzing noise.

Only 6 more weeks...at the latest

6 more weeks to go. The OB wants to keep me on my heart meds for the rest of the pregnancy. Thus meaning I will not be put on bed rest in 3 weeks. Yeah!! That thought was giving me great stress. Bed rest with a 2 year old just did not seem appealing. I believe Makenlee has turned so she is no longer breech. Let's hope she keeps her little head down and does not decide to do acrobatics again. We are in the home stretch. We are getting stuff together and pulling baby stuff out of storage and getting ready for Miss Makenlee's arrival. Jon is little overwhemlemed with the wardrobe this girl has already. She puts Easton to shame.

Easton is already practing being a Big brother

I got Easton a doll for Christmas (Jon was not thrilled). I got it so he would get used to holding it and being nice to it. He does not really play with it he just looks at it and says baby or he will carry it over the something and drop it. The other day he put the doll in his little spiderman chair and got his silky blankets and wrapped and covered the doll up. It was cute. Well, today he went and got one of his diapers and tried to put a diaper on it and then wanted me to open the wipe container so he could wipe her bottom, which he did. Well, then he went and got the spoon that we use to give him a correction (spanking) and he spanked the doll. Then to top it all off he put the doll in his room for a time out. We laughed after the baby got a time out. He is practicing for his big brother role...and he passes in my book minus the spanking and time out.

8 more weeks

We went to the OB today and found out we will be having the baby by 4/27. YEAH!!! That is one less week of being pregnant. We will know more in the next few weeks as delivery comes close. But with the issues that I have been having with my heart the OB wants to maybe induce so my labor is in a controlled setting. But I had Easton at 39 weeks and he just came at that time. So maybe that will be the case with the little misses. She is breech now so that also adds to this crazy pregnancy too.

Baby Shower time

I had a baby shower thrown by my friends from my Mom's group last Tuesday night. I had a great time. It was so fun opening girly gifts. The baby got a couple pairs of cute shoes, some outifts and other things that will come in handy come May. Here are some pictures from the night.

20 weeks down 10 to go...

I have hit the 30 week mark. Our little girl will be here in 10 weeks. It is crazy. The pregnancy has flown by. There are days when we can't wait to be a family of four and then there are days when we are pulling our hair out with one. Ha. But nonetheless I can't wait to see Easton as a big brother. I can't wait to see how their relationship will be. I think he will make a good big brother.

Minnesota Hockey

Grandma and Grandpa sent me this shirt....

Did someone tell Easton it was raining?

Easton is ready for the rain!!

At the mall

There is this cool indoor play area at the mall. We go there at least once a week. It is somewhat enclosed. Easton loves to play and run around. They even have an area where there are all these books and he'll go sit and read. It is super cool!!!

Looking at the Best Buy ad

We caught Easton looking through the paper Sunday. He was pointing at all the things he wanted I guess.

Jon has officially brainwashed our son

Jon has offically braniwashed our son into being a Packer Fan. He taught Easton "Go Packers" and so now everytime Easton sees the logo. He yells, "Go Packers." Daddy is proud as he could be. It is quite cute, though, I have to admit.

What is new with us?

We had an ultrasound to see our baby girl today. She is growing and all is well with her. The tech kept saying this girls has got some long legs and big feet. We just laughed. We have less then 3 months before she is born so it is getting close. We are getting excited. We are cherishing the times we have with the 3 of us now. As our world will be changing come May with the little misses arrival.

What a Day!!!

This was after he was sugared out and opened his presents. He was done for the day and Mommy was making him wear his b-day hat....What a mean Mommy, I am.

Easton is 2

Easton turned 2 on 1/27. We had a party for him and 10 of his little friends and their parents. He had a blast.

Easton and Eli

Here is a picture of Eli Chandler (Erik and Kim's son) and Easton. They had some fun playing together while Jon and I went out on a date a couple weeks ago. Aren't they cute in their jammies!!!!!

Our 5th Anniversary

We celebrated our 5th anniversary yesterday. We got to go out and celebrate two nights in a row. Which was great. We really enjoyed going out to dinner and having an adult conversation. No asking for highchairs, cutting up Easton's food, or hoping he sits still for the duration of the meal. It was fantastic. Here is a picture of us on our wedding day and then after five years of marriage. Don't we look so happy. My have we changed.

Heart Issues

After much prayer, counsel, talking to a few Dr.'s and tons of research. I am taking the beta-blocker. My OB will be monitoring me extra closely with ultrasound and fetal monitoring. We are just trusting that God will keep me and our baby girl healthy through all this and I will go full-term.

New Years Eve

The reality of parenthood hit me this New Year's. We got home from a New Year's Eve party at 1am and Easton woke up and was rearing to go at 7:30am. No more sleeping in on New Years. Easton came in and dumped all his matchbox cars on me. Fun Fun!!!!!

Update on Melissa's heart issues

I went to the cardiologist this morning to discuss what is going on with my heart. All they really could say was they think I have an electrical issue, like a misfire that causes it to beat fast all of a sudden. The Dr.'s really do not know what is causing it though. The whole structure of my heart is fine though. I guess that is a good thing for a 27 year old. They want to put me on a beta-blocker medication. But I am so conflicted about taking it. I really do not have a peace. If that makes any sense. I really am praying for ultimate healing and that all these issues will not bother me anymore. I am taking the next two days to really pray and seek God's will in what I am supposed to do.

Christmas Pictures

Our Crazy Kid

Do you think Easton is too big for this? He climbed into this at our friend's house on Christmas. What a crazy kid. He played in it for over a half hour.

How we spent christmas Morning

We spent the morning at the ER. Just what you want to do on Christmas. My heart was acting up again so we had to go...At least this time they got it on the heart monitor and EKJ except this time they had to give me something to slow it down. My heart at one point was at 300 beats per min. WAY TOO HIGH!!! I am on first name basis with the nurses now. We then went home to open presents and hurried off to spend the day at our friends house. I go to the cardiologist tomorrow to discuss what he wants to do in regard to what is going on.

Christmas Eve

We had a very relaxing Christmas Eve. We went to church, took naps, went to the mall, which was not very busy and found a restaurant that was actually open to eat dinner at. A lot of places were closed even at 6pm when we were hungry. We came home and Easton got to open one present and then we read the Christmas story together as a family.

Easton got a Big BOY Bed

Easton got a big boy bed for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa. He got to open it early. He climbs up all by himself and practically jumps off. He is such a monkey. He flips off the bed rail and then climbs back up and does it again and laughs. He is ALL BOY!!!! Our little guy is growing up. It was weird taking down his crib and rearranging his room for all the new toys he will be getting for Christmas. We have noticed as he gets older his toys just get bigger and bigger it seems. Which is always fun trying to find space for them. Here is the monkey on his new bed. The bedding is from Grammie and Grandpa. It is a surfer theme with a monkey. Which when I saw it I said that is so Easton. He has to keep his CA roots with a surfer theme and he is a monkey so it fits him perfect. Easton says thanks to the grandparents for the new bed and cozy bedding. He loves it.

Another ER visit

Well, I was back to the ER again with a fast heartrate. This one was for an hour and a half. Today Jon, Easton, Jon's mom and I were out shopping at the factory outlets about an hour away and we then went to have lunch. As I was finishing my lunch my heart began to race. I grabbed my handy dandy heart monitor to record it. Well, guess what it did not work. It was DEAD!!!! Great timing, right. We frantically look for batteries. Jon ran over to a hotel next door to get some. Those did not work either. Then we could not find a landline that allowed me to call out. I finally got to use the phone in the back office and found some batteries there. After a long ordeal with calling the cardiologist and the heart monitor company trying to get the silly thing to work. Arguing with the nurse b/c she thinks the monitor takes AA and I am like I pulled AAA batteries out and that is what the monitor says. The nurse says, "You must have bad wires. I am going to send you a new monitor, wires and batteries tomorrow via Fed Ex. You'll be home, right." I am like are you serious that is all you have to say while my heart is about to beat out of my chest. She said, "Well, if you think you are having a meical emergency please go to the nearest ER." I am like ok, thanks for the help. Oh, and this is the real funny part. The nurse said since you had problems with the monitor today I am going to extend your testing peorid a week or so for the inconvenience this caused you today. I was like thanks. We drove 45 min back to Knoxville. I am stubborn and wanted to go to the ER that I went to 3 weeks ago and plus God forbid something happened to the baby. I wanted my OB close by. So we got to the hospital and the second Iwalked into triage it was back to normal. So we don't know the cause is AGAIN!!!!! But the baby's heartrate was good and she has been moving and kicking me ever since. I have never been happier to be kicked. So that is a good sign. Please pray for my heart, for our baby girl through this and that if it does happen again my silly monitor will work and be able to record it.

Ultrasound pictures of our little lady

Here are some ultrasound pictures of our little girl. She has got some long legs on her.

Update on Melissa's Heart problems

I went to the cardiologist Tuesday. They have no idea why my heartrate was so high last week. Thankfully it has not happened since. I have a heart monitor that I have to wear for a month just in case it happens again they can get a reading on it. I had a echocardiogram Friday which showed a healthy heart. Which I guess is good for a 27 year old, at least that is what the tech said. He said the Dr. will review and let me know if he sees anything wrong but the tech said my heart was fine. The thing the Dr. is concerned about is being that I am pregnant he does like to see an elevated heartrate, but thinks my heart may have been aggravated with the increased blood volume since I am pregnant.

Christmas at Chilhowee Park

We went to this Christmas event tonight with some friends. It was fun. They had a tree lighting ceremony, free food, a tour of the grounds which was all decorated with 125 lighted trees and 25 floating trees on the lake. We decorated cookies, heard Christmas carols, roasted marshmallows on the fire, drank egg nog and hot chocolate. It was frigid cold, but we had a good time and the kids braved the cold. It was so cold Easton hardly moved out of his stroller.

It's a GIRL!!!!

We found out today we are going to have a baby girl come the end of April, beginning of May. We will try and post the ultrasound picture if I can find someone with a scanner. We had a 3D ultrasound and got a cute picture of her little face. She looks like Easton did when he was a newborn. It is crazy. They have the same nose and mouth.