Deucie Update...due, but still not here.

Well the news is...there is no news. Very little change. Hardly any progress, Not really surprising at this point. We've reached the "will be pregnant forever" stage. The doctor assures us that the baby will eventually come out. I apparently create such a warm and safe environment within the womb that baby girls just don't ever want to leave. Yea Me.

We will schedule an induction for 42 weeks (that's March people!) if the fluid levels and everything continue to show okay on the sonogram and there isn't any other progress. We return to the doctor on Tuesday...

Lord, thank you for baby Deucies' strong heartbeat. Thank you for keeping all of us safe and cozy thus far. Please help us to be patient (to wait without complaining) for your perfect timing in this birth.

To My Valentines

How Do I Love You?

by Marion Dane Bauer

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

I love you as the sun loves the bright blue days.

I love you as the bee loves a fragrant flower.

I love you as the thirsty duck loves a sudden shower.

I love you as the bird loves a song to sing.

I love you as the waking bear loves the smell of spring.

I love you as the cat loves a sunny sill.

And as the dancing snowflakes love the winter’s chill.

How do I love you? Let me tell you how.

I love you as the nest loves a sturdy bough.

I love you as the sea loves the sandy shore.

And as the ancient world loved the dinosaur.

I love you as the wind loves it’s own sweet sound.

And as God’s friendly Earth loves to spin around.

I love you as the moon loves each shining star.

I love all that you will be and everything you are.

DFW-1, Global Warming-0

We are affectionately calling it the Blizzard of 2010. While it surely doesn't reach blizzard status, we did receive record snowfall for the 24 hour period of February 11, 2010...around 8 inches I believe (though I couldn't find a source to confirm after midnight.)

Bryan went to work for most of the day yesterday and Hayden and I spent some time at the grocery store. It snowed gently all day and outside looked like a winter wonderland. We didn't have any issues with ice while we were out, but the temperature was supposed to drop last night. Bryan came home early and we bundled Hayden up so they could go outside and play.

Not having a snowsuit, Hayden wore multiple layers and looked like she might have some trouble walking. They spent about 20 minutes making a snowman before Hayden's nose turned berry red and her lips a little blue. Time to come in and defrost.

All ready to go...

H. kept wanting to "sit". She had a very chilly, red bottom when she came in.

My little snowman makers

Admiring their handy work

Uh Dad, I'm getting a little cold...

It apparently snowed most of the night. Before we went to bed last night we heard a very loud thud and looked out back. We lost a large part of one of our oak trees, but are very grateful that it missed both the roof and the fence. Apparently this is the hazard of having 6 large trees surround your house. Hopefully things will melt off before we lose any other large limbs...our neighbors and their car weren't so blessed.

Our backyard (since this picture was taken we've had another large limb fall. Though again missing both fence and roof.)

Our front yard...the snowman's existence remains in peril.

neighbor's front yard

Thank you Lord for the beautiful snow! Thank you for keeping us safe from ice and falling limbs. Thank you for the reminder of your grace and forgiveness...

Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7b

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

...or rather robbing the Nursery to decorate the Big Girl Room. We had pretty much stripped the nursery walls of artwork and frames. The monogram wouldn't work for Deucie (hint about what the kid's name isn't--same as the first) and the framed stuff was mostly chosen specifically for H. So, new artwork was needed.

I was totally inspired by Lindsi's owl canvas in H's room. I tackled nothing so complex, but did enjoy slapping some acrylic paints from JoAnn's on this canvas...which looked rather large until I hung it on the wall...now it looks a little lonely.

The scripture and sheep inspiration was found on a calendar and has been waiting patiently to be used. Once we get the nursery all put back together I'm sure you'll see a photo with it on the wall...hopefully with better lighting :)

"Big Girl Room" Tour

Welcome to the "Big Girl Room," Come on in!

The Goal: Crisp and clean with fun "pops" of color and some functional storage.

Free crib from our neighbors! (will eventually be a daybed, but we haven't bought it or come to grips with having Hayden sleep "unjailed".) Painted it white and whipped up some pillows from the fabric my mom purchased (on sale!) at Hobby Lobby. The quilt was made for Hayden by my Aunt Barbara...it is as if two years ago when she was making it, she was channeling the "big girl room". It goes perfectly!!! The monogram was moved from her nursery...it is just holding this space until something else wonderful comes along.

The picture ledge shelves (my favorite!) These are from Ikea and allow Hayden to see her books. She can access the bottom two shelves and I use the top two as display...and to hide the books we are tired of reading.

There needed to be some flat surfaces to house all the electronics: monitor, lamp, sound machine, radio/clock etc. We love the blue table from Ikea along with the lamp (that has a dimmer for bed time story reading). Underneath are H's night time books...to be kept separate for just nighttime or we would be reading "Goodnight Gorilla" 86, 362 times a day. The photo above the table (very hard to see, sorry) is of Hayden in her "Team Chamness" onesie from the hospital...that onesie is already packed to be used by the next member of Team Chamness.

Since H has independent playtime in her room once a day we needed some toy storage. There are clear bins under the crib and these cubbies were bought on sale at Target. The photo collage above is of family members...Hayden likes to point and for us to name them.

The wicker chair is from my own room growing up. Perfect for stories and pre-bedtime snuggles! The owl painting was a gift for Hayden's first birthday from her talented Aunt Lindsi. The autographed matte/picture above was also from her first birthday party. You can just get a glimpse of our inspiration fabric/curtains. Mom whipped them up while she was here on a visit.

A few more "must-sees." The ABC, number and birth stat prints were all done on Publisher and printed at Kinkos (or whatever it is called now.)

Big Thanks go out to Eric M. for patching the very large door knob hole in the wall; to Jason F. for helping install the fan, curtain rod, and book shelves; and to Grammy (Karen B.) for purchasing the fabric and the sewing help!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Coworing (a.k.a. coloring)

Hey, Hey, Hey...

When Hayden wore her hat like this for at least 5 minutes while she played in her room this morning, all I could think of was this guy from Fat Albert...

(his unfortunate moniker is "Dumb Donald")

Quickie

A quick update and a tease...

At 37 weeks I'm hangin' out at one centimeter dilated and slightly effaced. That all sounds exciting and alot like progress, but I was the same with Hayden...and I'm pretty sure she would still be in the womb if given her preference (what a horrible mental image.) Other accomplishments...get suitcase out of closet and locate packing checklist for the hospital (check), pre register at Baylor hospital (check),and prepare draft email for Bryan to send out following Deucies birth (check). Still to do...wash newborn clothes, purchase some diapers for new baby, clean house (yuck), reinstall infant car seat, move Hayden to new room, etc., etc., etc. I'm sure the list should be getting shorter, but it seems to just grow.

As for the tease... The Big Girl Room is almost ready to document with photos and a blog entry. My mom came in last weekend and along with Bryan we were able to get almost everything done. Mom bought material and sewed up some curtains. I whipped up some pillows (don't look real close), Bryan finished all the painting, hung a new ceiling fan/light, and put up some fabulous book ledges (my favorite). Just waiting on some storage baskets and some art work.

Stay tuned...

Sisters

Oh my soul! How cute is this...?

Mom came in for the weekend and as per her norm just happened to bring something in her suitcase for Hayden...and her little sister. Can hardly wait to share "outside the womb" time with my two girls (In reality, there is still much to be done, so I'm really fine with waiting but in my daydreams we are all dressed in breezy white, reclining together in an allergy-less field somewhere, weaving daisy chains while being bathed in soft natural light and listening to a gentle performance of something classical. Is that not how it will be?)

20 Months Of Hayden

It is so crazy to remember the little screaming bundle of cute we brought home back in May of 2008 and then to see her running around here as a toddler.

I think your kid's independence kind of sneaks up on you. You are excited for all the new milestones, but then miss the stage they just moved from. The BIG things going on around here right now are the chattering and the constant acquiring of new skills! (so quick that they are hard to track and remember!)

Hayden probably says between 30 and 40 words and tries to add a few more each day. A few of her latest accomplishments are animal sounds (baa, moo, neigh, etc.), please, eat, stick (sticker), tee tee, poo poo, and repeating A, B, C, D, E after you. She will often run willy nilly around the house shaking her finger and giving an invisible someone what for in her own mumbo jumbo...way cute.

She is getting better and better at wielding the spoon and fork. I still insist on doing the way messy stuff, but I think soon she will have that down too. She can take off her own shoes and socks when she wants, though rarely upon request. There are several puzzles she has mastered and can match lots of shapes and colors. We of course find her to be brilliant.

Recently she has taken to saying who she wants to pray for in the middle of prayer...this almost always includes Mimi (the dog next door), Me (she points to herself), Mama, Daddy, Baby, and often the food or Curious George if near by. She continues to love books and has been enjoying playing with her baby dolls from Christmas.

Her big girl room is almost ready for her to move into. Most of the painting is complete and now we just need to finish things up. (pictures to come, I'm sure.) The timing doesn't leave but a few weeks for adjustment, but we are hopeful it will be enough to make her comfortable in the new space.

We sure are enjoying all the new fun things Hayden is doing. Bryan and I often find ourselves smiling at her and each other at the most random times. I guess cute, brilliant, mostly well behaved though very strong willed toddlers will make you do that.

Thank you Lord for our sweet girl, Hayden. She sure is a bundle of joy from You.