hello third trimester

oh this belly. i really have to say there were times i felt so beautiful when i was pregnant with ava. cant say the same this time round. its different and more of a blob but 27 weeks here it is. I know he will be here before long and some days i am so ready and some days its going too fast and i need it to slow down. either way ..... he will be here when he is here and the belly will continue to grow. hopefully not at the rate it did this past month tho.

RUFUS

So yesterday afternoon I had a big swim team league meeting for all teams in the league in dallas. It was a crazy day already and so when Lacy the babysitter arrived I said poor Rufus has not had a walk, if you go outside let him go with you so that he can pee and sniff. He does this all the time with us... often outside playing with Ava and other kids. Sometimes he decides to go explore for max 5 mins and is waiting on doorstep without fail. The dog rarely leaves my side. Well last night was fail. I get a panicked text in my meeting from Lacy that they were all playing and it thundered and Rufus bolted to the Field behind our house. I was not really worried, I said keep checking doors he is prolly waiting out front. Well after 20 mins Keegan came home and searched but could not find him. Then Keegans sister Caitlin came to relieve Lacy (it was a mama long meeting) and she and Ava set out. By this point I think the whole neighborhood was looking for Rufus. I mean they all love him and know how important he is to our family. I got home around 11 and the neighbors needed to go to bed... but Keegan's dad and brother were still searching and ava and I set out on our quest... hoping that maybe he would come for me. No such luck. Finally I realized after crying so much and being so worried and listening to ava call "doodoo" and ask where he was and say that she wanted him that she had to go to bed... it was going on midnight. So i put her in bed only to hear her continue to call him. so sad. I was devastated and could not really sleep. Keegan got home at 230 and I was praying Rufus would be home with him but no. We sat up fearing the worst and making a game plan of animal shelter at 8:56am as they open at 9 and posters and continuing the search. I woke up every hour sick to my stomach thinking about his sweet soft ears and what a wonderful family member he was. I would get up and check both doors each time keeping fingers crossed. Finally at 555am the sun was up and I got up to check one more time..... not at back door. But... I opened the front door and in walks a very tired and scared rufus. At the time I could not tell how badly he was limping but walking funny. Ava woke up immediately despite being so dog tired and shouted doodoo..... and so he was home. We made him breakfast and snuggled him and then saw he was limping, I got a better look and he had worn off the pads on the bottom of his paws and had barely any toenails. His nails were bleeding. I put my favorite socks on him and waited for vet to open. Ava and I got him in the car and made it to the vet.... having barely gotten dressed and managing teeth brushing. But the vet thoroughly checked him over and said no broken bones or anything.... but the dog had run all night trying to find home...... so what started as thunder sent a disoriented rufus a couple towns over in fear and then confusion. After 12 hours of running he found his way home. Thank you God. He is sleeping now and has pain medicine and we are all so so so so thankful that he is home safely with us. could not have imagine loosing him and will nurse him back to his spunky athletic self.

baby boy update and daily stuff

Well today we had a regular OB check and everything looks good. The baby felt big to the midwife but in a good way she said. Next week we enter the third trimester so its the home stretch. My belly grew six inches from last time which of course freaked me out and I gained five pounds which scared me even more. That is the most I have gained between appointments ever but since I had not gained the last two times she said it was important. Still totally had me in tears. But many things do these days.
Swim Team has started and the team is huge. We have added about 20 kids this season so I for sure have my hands full. Practice began last week on dry land (lots of running and jumping jacks) and yesterday they hit the water. I am very excited for the season and a bit nervous as to what an undertaking head coaching is, especially with a two year old not to mention that I am going on seven months pregnant. But it will keep my days full. As soon as school is out practice will be from 830 to 1030 in the morning. Lacy, our new babysitter will come in the morning at 8 and stay with Ava through practice and then I will hit the gym for an hour and be home by lunch time. My sweet angel (most of the time) and I will snack and snuggle and then she will hopefully nap and I will work on swim team stuff. You cant begin to imagine how much paper work and computer time is involved with running a team and preparing for meets and championships. Then when Ava wakes up from nap we will get our time and play or run errands and enjoy our last few months just us. Then after bath when it is a bit cooler we will take Rufus for a walk at night. I am worried he will be the one to suffer the most from swim team because it is so hot to walk him except in early mornings or late evening but I will do my best to not miss too many daily walks. And well some where in there Keegan and I will knock off things on the to do list before baby comes and get all the things we will need. and hopefully sneak away for a night just the two of us so Ava's first night away from me is not when we are in the hospital having her brother.

avas birthday .... yes more ... from grannies camera

she loved loved loved the pinata from celia
daddy and happy pinata whacker
planting
on new wheels
painting
painting flower pots
with gannie
daddy and birthday girl
mommy and birthday girl


I cant really explain quite how much fun ava had on her birthday. I thought she might get a bit overwhelmed but no... she had the time of her life. Friends, family, gannie, painting flower pots, and then hot dog and chicken and corn, followed by cupcake and then planting flowers and playing. To be finished off with breaking her curious george pinata. Pictures are prolly out of order but you get the idea.

Ava turns two

what she woke up to
playing in presents birthday morning
upon waking up from nap she found balloons for party and would not let go
ava even showered with balloons
yes he stuffed his pants for his daughters second birthday
cupcakes
first cupcake ever... she never wanted it before
ava meeting man in yellow hat for first time
table
desert
eating dinner with her friends
So our dear sweet baby girl turned two on Saturday. The time goes so fast and in other ways i don't really remember being me without her. We love you so much sweet angel. Here are some pics from the big day from my camera although, Gannie (my mum) has much better ones that i will post when she sends them to me.

lately

rufus has settled in well as you can see. We celebrated adoption day (1 year he has been a family memeber with us) on Mothersday
avas new wheels from doodad
ava and daddy playing there tag game
crazy pregnant nesting/ cleaning/ labeling frenzie in the freezer

Ava and Elise screaming for fun

doodad

I cant believe I have no pictures to show from the trip :( but my dad (doodad) cam last Thursday and left Monday. We had a fabulous long weekend. Keegan has been working extra much training an assistant but managed to break away Thursday and Friday. Ava was at school and I went to Dallas to get my dad from the airport. K picked her up and when we got home Ava who has been clingy and often a mommy's girl went straight to my dad. It was so sweet. Then we hung out here and played as a family. Friday we went to Allen to a park with a real train and a bunch of little houses. Ava was in heaven, then we headed to Toys R Us for my dad to get Ava her bday present and lunch. We all went out to dinner that night and Ava was awesome and so into my dad. I would look over at her and she would just be staring at my dad. They were both smitten. Saturday morning she got her present from dad... fully charged and put together, a mini four wheeler to ride all in the house. She saw it and clapped and jumped and said "woohoo" true story and still she drives it with a big smile, crashes into the wall (does not have steering down) and then often stops and gets off and walks around it.. like this is mine... really mine? Keegan worked a lot all weekend so it was the three of us but Ava would not leave my dads side. My dad also built shelves in both closets for the kids which was a lot of work and huge. We will begin the bedroom switch in the next month perhaps but now Ava will have a closet and baskets for her clothes once the changing table goes in little brothers room. Sunday was more building and errand running and Monday we took my dad to the airport. :( When we got back home Ava ran in the guest room and burst into tears.... she got it... he was gone for now. However, we will see him next month in NC. The three of us plus fetus are heading to the NC beach for 6 days. This is huge, K has not been on a vacation since our honeymoon. And ava will have her doodad back. Up next week: Grannie and bday party so she will be distracted and then the following week she gets to meet her new cousin Amelia.

pigtails and the kitchen sink

"take a picture... cheese"