He is Risen! Happy Easter!

On Saturday morning we went up to Bluff Park for the 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year it was held at the playground next to the Shades Cliff pool. We all had a wonderful time visiting with friends! The egg hunt was a huge it with these sweet girls. In the picture next to BR is her little friend, Sawyer, from school. Chase went the high school with Sawyers daddy and her mommy and I are also friends. It was great to visit with them this morning! 

Happy Easter from our sweet little girls! 

On Sunday afternoon, we went out to my Aunt and Uncles house for lunch and to spend time with family. I took it as an opportunity to get a picture of the 4 of us hopefully just a few days before we become a family of 5. My belly look HUGE next to Savannah's head. haha 

Doodlebug was in a mood and didn't want to take this picture so this is as good as it got. It shows her personality pretty well I think.

All these sweet cousins had a great time playing together yesterday. We were so thankful to get to spend time with the Preston boys while they are down from PA for Spring Break. The kids always have such a wonderful time together!!

Our Savior has conquered death so that we may be forgiven and free! Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Happy Easter! 

Baby Bump @ 38 Weeks

How I'm feeling at 38 weeks: Thankfully, I'm feeling pretty good still. I am very ready to have baby Ryleigh in my arms but I'm not totally uncomfortable yet. I'm still sleeping pretty well and my hip pain is much better since I've been going to the chiropractor on a regular basis. I've started having some pain in the bottom of my right foot that I'm assuming is from wearing flip flops recently due to the warmer weather. The pain gets pretty bad at the end of the day but I'm trying to ice it and stretch the muscle as much as I can. I'd love to go on some good walks to help get labor going but I have to hobble and that just looks pitiful. haha!

Baby's Development at 38 weeks:

Pretty much all systems are a go at this point. Ryleigh's lungs are finishing up some development these last few days and then she should be ready to come on into this world. I'm hoping she'll be around 7 pounds when she's born. (Brantley was 7lb 10oz, Savannah was 6lb 10oz) She is growing still because this belly is amazingly large. It still amazes me how much my stomach can stretch to grow these sweet tiny humans!

Doctor's Appointment at 38 weeks: I had my 38 week visit on Wednesday morning. It went well. Ryleigh is still measuring right on track at 38cm and her heartrate was great. She is a total wiggle worm so Dr. S has a really hard time getting a good read on her heart rate. I have dilated just a touch more to 1 1/2cm and I'm still about 50 % effaced. Dr. S said not to worry about those numbers too much. Labor could kick in at any point no matter what I was on Wednesday. My doctor will be out of town for Spring Break next week so I'm going to skip my 39 week appointment in hopes that I'll have Ryleigh next week. But if not, I have an appointment to see her again on Monday, April 4th. I really hope I have Ryleigh by then and don't need to go to that appointment.

Labor Prediction: My guess is that I'll deliver her one day next week. That may be kinda inconvenient for Chase because of work conflicts but if Ryleigh decides she's done cooking around the same time her sisters were delivered, then it puts her at Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. I'd really LOVE to have her this weekend but I don't feel like it's coming in the next day or so. Making it past Easter would be nice but at the same time nothing could be sweeter than having our sweet baby in my arms. The only day I would prefer for her not to come is next Thursday, April Fools Day. Please no! I just don't think that sounds like a fun birth date.

Belly Picture for 38 weeks:

Savannah Claire @ 3 years 10 months

This little girl is a pistol ball! She is smart, sweet and a little bit sour at times. She can not wait to be a big sister and a big helper to mommy and Ryleigh!

Savannah is really enjoying her 3K preschool class right now. I'm so glad she's happy, having fun and learning lots of fun things. She will be attending the 4K program next year at the same school. Savannah has just started showing a lot of interest in writing her name and other names/words this past week and is doing VERY well. I'm super proud of her!

Savannah loves to play with baby dolls, watch Daniel Tiger, play ABCmouse, and cut and glue paper. She's also VERY GOOD at making big messes but not so good at cleaning them up yet. She all of a sudden is too tired or her back hurts. haha (I don't like cleaning up either sweet girl but you just gotta do it!) However, if you give her a bottle of Thieves cleaner and a rag she will gladly scrub the floor and the steps. Silly girl!

Savannah Claire is beautiful, full of personality and we love her so much! I look forward to seeing her become a BIG SISTER soon and see how she transitions into that roll. I truly think she will be a wonderful help.

We love you SO SO much Doodlebug!!

Brantley Rae @ 6 years old

 This beautiful girl of ours turned 6 years old back in January. That is still hard for me to fathom. How has it been 6 years since we brought her into our family?! Whether I can believe it or not, she is 6!

Brantley is in Kindergarten at Green Valley Elementary school and she is loving it. We had started the school year by homeschooling, which we truly did enjoy, but with me being pregnant and have a busy 3 year old at home, it was just a bit too much for me to handle at the moment. Brantley started at GV in January and has been so very happy. Her teacher is one of our friends so I know she's in good hands. Thank you, Mary!!

Brantley is becoming a good reader when she will actually try. She doesn't have much interest in reading on her own yet although she is almost reading on a first grade level at this point. I'm hoping she'll develop a love for reading over the summer.

Brantley still loves to draw, color and write. She is super creative and loves to make pictures for people. She will sometimes make Thank you cards for restaurant workers on the way there to give them. It's so cute! Yesterday she made one on the way to Firehouse Subs and the worker hung it up on their board while we were still eating. Brantley was so happy!! 

Our precious girl keeps getting smarter and more beautiful every day! I'm so proud of her and thankful that the Lord chose us to be her parents. Sometimes the days are hard but the reward is seeing her succeed, learn and grow.

Big Sisters

Brantley and Savannah as so very excited about baby Ryleigh! They look forward to having a new baby sister and talk about her all the time. We pray for her every night at bedtime which I think is just the sweetest thing in the world.
Last weekend it was warm enough for the girls to wear pretty dresses so we took them to the Botanical Gardens to snap some pictures of them at this age before life gets a bit more hectic with little bit in arms. So here they are....

This is such a sweet (and rare) picture of these two together. I pray that they will grow closer in relationship with one another each and every day. They can be and are so sweet to others but to each other they struggle a good bit. Lord, please grow their hearts together so that this is the love between them that is seen most often. Please!

Baby Bump @ 36 weeks

How I'm Feeling at 36 weeks: My hip/back pain has gotten much better since I started going to a new chiropractor a few weeks ago. It's amazing how much easier it is to walk and move around now that my hips are in line. Ryleigh has begun to drop down into my pelvis now that it is aligned so that is a major plus. Until now she has been tilted to the side (transverse).
-I've started doing more and more exercises to get my body ready for delivery and they feel really good. I've gotten them from my chiropractor and The Bradley Method book that I've started reading.
-I've started having more BH contractions. I'll have a few each day but as soon as I sit down, drink some water and rest, they stop.
Baby's Development at 36 weeks:

Ryleigh is the size of a Honeydew melon or a Spaghetti Squash!!

• Baby's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on his or her own.
• Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft and the gums are rigid.
• Baby's liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go too.

(WhattoExpect.com says that Ryleigh is about 6 lbs and 20inches long. She's getting close to birth size!)

Doctor's Appointment at 36 weeks: Yesterday's appointment went well. Ryleigh is measuring right at 36cm/36 weeks. She was moving so much that Dr. S couldn't get a heartbeat on her but we obviously know she's doing well in there. ha! This was the first week that my cervix was checked for progress. I am 1cm dilated and 50% effaced or thinned out. That's right in the middle of where I have been with the big girls at 36 weeks. I'm hoping I'll be a bit more effaced at least by next weeks appointment. Effacement usually happens ahead of dilation. I also had some blood work done that showed I'm slightly anemic, so I've begun taking an iron supplement to prepare me for delivery.

Labor & Delivery: I've chosen to try a natural, unmedicated delivery with Ryleigh. My doctor thinks I'm a great candidate since I've had fairly easy deliveries before and this is my third baby. I've been reading The Bradley Method book to prepare myself. Chase and I will be attending the unmedicated birthing class at Brookwood on March 16th. Hopefully, we both feel much more confident after that.
-My doctor thinks I'll probably deliver a week or so early with Ryleigh like I've done with the girls, so we're preparing for Miss Ryleigh to join our family one day during spring break. I hope!!

Belly Picture for 36 weeks:

Bump Pictures @ 32, 33 and 35 weeks