Sunday, June 5, 2011

Just Aunt Nerned, Kyle, and Kianna

I spent time hanging out with Kyle and Kianna the other day. It was probably one of the last times it'll be just three of us for a while. We had a quiet afternoon... I was actually pretty proud of myself. Here's how it went...



1:15 - Kyle takes a nap while Kianna and I play

2:15 - Kianna and I rock, then she goes down for a nap

4:00 - Kyle wakes up - he and I play while Kianna still sleeps

5:00 - Kianna wakes up

I'll be you can't guess what Aunt Nerned did during the 2:15-4:00 time?! If you guessed that I took a nap, you would be right! What a great afternoon!

Here's a little collage I made from my play-time with Kianna. I have tons of pictures of play time with Kyle at this age, but sometimes I forget to pull out the camera with Lil' Kia!




A girl and her cell phone.
Fast forward about 13 years and I'm sure she'll be on hers 'Like, all the time!'


Friday, May 27, 2011

An eventful month

It's been about a month since I last blogged. So much has happened in that time, so I'll try to fill you in as best I can.

As for a baby update, I'm 38 weeks now and things are progressing just as they should. I've been going to weekly appointments since 36 weeks. The baby's heartrate has fluctuated between the 140s and 150s, but always super strong and steady. At our appointment on Tuesday, the doctor checked to see if I am dilating at all. She said I might be just a little bit... a very little bit. My cervix is thinning, although the baby's head is still high. She said that I've dropped about 3 cm, which is good, but the baby isn't "engaged" yet. Not to worry though, she assured me that you can be dilated for weeks or you can go from zero to fully in a matter of hours.

These last weeks haven't been too bad for me. I'll admit that I get uncomfortable with the swelling and my joints seem to fill with fluid, which makes me stiff, but other than that, it hasn't been too bad. I can't paint my toes anymore, which is why I'm going for a pedicure this afternoon. I took today off work because it's Field Day today... normally one of my favorite days of the year. But I figured it might kill me to be outside for an entire day on my feet. Either that or send me into labor. I wouldn't mind the labor option, so maybe I should have just done it!

I feel really ready to have this baby. I think I'm a little more gung-ho about it than Ryan, although I can tell that he's getting antsy, too. We're both excited to start the next phase of our lives and meet our son/daughter. The nine months has gone quickly, but I think we're as ready as we're going to be. Our bags are in the car and we've pre-registered at the hospital. The car seat is installed, baby swing is assembled and in place, cradle and crib are ready. The only thing we have left to buy is the boppy and a boy and girl outfit for hospital pictures. We're going to Babies R Us tonight to finish that up and then we're officially ready.

So for the events I didn't have time to blog about...

#1 Easter

Easter this year was super-fun! We had my family over for kabobs and an egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Kyle was just the perfect age for a fun egg hunt. The Easter Bunny hid eggs in our backyard and Kianna even got to find a few. Inside one egg, the Easter Bunny left a clue as to where he hid the kids' basket. One clue led to another and another and another, until finally Kyle was able to find their Easter basket in the dryer! After the egg hunt, we all watched Tangled, but all the ladies in the house fell asleep. Ryan, John, and Kyle thoroughly enjoyed the movie though!


My belly on Easter... somewhere around 33 weeks



#2 Weaver-Side Baby Shower

Brandi and Tena teamed up to throw me a Dr. Seuss baby shower with all the friends and family from Ryan's side. We had such a good time at the shower and the decor was super-cute! See for yourself below. The theme was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Brandi made the cake herself, which turned out perfectly adorable and YUMMY! So many friends and family showed up to spoil us. I don't get to see many of them very often, so getting time to catch up and visit was so nice.

It was quite funny because several of Ryan's lake friends didn't know we were expecting. This all happened in the 'off season' so they were all surprised! There a group of them that'll be down when Ryan and I make our first trip to the lake with the baby. I already warned them that they may get a late-night knock on the door from me!



Super-delish cake and table decorations (The diaper cake had about 5,000 diapers for us!)



More decorations!



We got several homemade blankets at the shower.
Tena even crocheted a shawl for the baby.


Again, I was just floored at everyone's generosity and kindess at our shower. Ryan and I are so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives!




#3 My 30th Birthday


On May 7th, we celebrated my 30th birthday! At this point the tired phase had set in and I wasn't feeling like partying too hard, but I still wanted to do something fun! Luckily the Royals had a home game that night, so my whole family headed out to the stadium. We had such a good time! It was a perfect night and the Royals won in the 9th inning. The other great thing about my 30th was that I got an iPhone! Those of you who know me well know that I never answer my cell phone and it takes about 3 days for me to reply to a text. But not anymore! The iPhone is super-cool and I use it for everything now! Grocery list, to do list, checking email, calendar, etc. I figure if we're spending $30 a month for me to have internet on my phone, I better use it A LOT! So I have been!


My birthday weekend was made even more special because my first Mother's Day was the following day. Although there is some controversy as to whether I should have the privelege of being called a "Mother" yet... I made the decision that I have earned the title this year. Ryan spoiled me by getting me a manicure and pedicure. Always a good choice!




#4 Ryan's Grandpa


The biggest downer of the past month was the passing of Ryan's Grandpa. This was Ryan's last living grandfather and they were really close. Ryan grew up spending Saturday nights at their house so his parents could be in a bowling league. Over the years he has maintained a close relationship with both grandparents, so losing Grandpa was really rough for Ryan.


We were fortunate enough to visit with his Grandpa on May 7th for quite a while. He passed away almost a week later on Friday, May 13th. We were thankful that he went quickly and didn't have to suffer down the road that many of his illnesses would have taken him.


Spending a week with family was good for Ryan and helped to make everyone feel better. Many stories of Grandpa were told, which always make us laugh! He was always a quiet observer, very patient and easy-going, but his family knew how to push his buttons. And trust me, Ryan's family is all about getting-a-rise out of people! We will miss his Grandpa and trust that God will help the family to make it through this tough time.




#5 Ryan's Fainting Spell


Wednesday morning, Ryan was up and beginning to get ready for the day. I was still in bed watching the news when he called out from the bathroom, "I don't think I'm okay. I think I'm going to..." and then all of the sudden he fell out of the bathroom. Literally, he FELL OUT of the bathroom headfirst. He had passed out cold.


Me and my pregnant belly jump out of bed (as quickly as you can at 38 weeks) and I rushed to his side. He was breathing, but completely out of it. When he came to, he was talking and whining, but not making much sense. As I was trying to figure out what happened, I noticed he was sweating profusely and had no color in his face. Then all of sudden, he started convulsing on the floor. All his muscles were shaking and Ryan was literally flopping on the bathroom floor.


By this point I was completely scared, but keeping my whits about me. I grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911. Just before I could press 'Send', Ryan came to and said, "I'm okay, I'm okay." I decided not to call 911, but rolled him onto his back and put cold washcloths on his head and neck. I took his blood pressure, which was 96/46... very, very low. I also had him drink a big glass of orange juice.


About 5 minutes after the episode, his color was coming back and he was able to sit up. I wanted to take him to the ER, but of course, Ryan Kanan would have no part of that. We ended up at the doctor a few hours later and they determined that he probably passed out because of low blood sugar, coupled with his phobia of medical procedures.


You see, Ryan had been researching hernias (because we thought he might have one) when the fainting feeling set in. But he said he couldn't shake it and just passed out. The doctor said the low blood sugar probably made it worse. We had eaten an early dinner the night before and Ryan hadn't eaten anything for over 12 hours. I guess the shaking is fairly common, it's your brain's way of re-setting itself. I have no idea, but it was super-scary to me. Turns out, he doesn't have a hernia, just swollen lymph nodes in his abdomen. The doctor is going to take blood (hopefully doesn't cause Ryan to pass out again) and do an full physical in a few weeks. He said this whole episode is nothing to worry about, unless it happens often. And let's just pray that it doesn't!


Here is the battle wound left by the bathroom floor!
Looks like I beat him up, huh?!





So I think that's the end of the updates for the month of May. It was a crazy-busy month, which made it fly by. We're looking forward to next month. Several great things are happening for us. We're getting new windows, going to a good friend's wedding, and most importantly - we're finally going to meet our Little Weaver.


We'll keep you posted!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A Rare Performance

Kyle is a little singer... but he doesn't always want people to know it! He has a great voice and when the time is right, he'll sweetly serenade you. Sometimes he prefers not to perform, but a few nights ago when it was just Kyle, Mommy, and Kianna, he showed his stuff!


So sweet...


Saturday, April 23, 2011

Kyle's Soccer Practice

My little nephew isn't so little anymore. He's now a big-shot soccer player! It's his first team sport experience and according to both he and his mommy, his first week didn't start off too well. Running off the field every time the coach would talk to him wasn't exactly what his mommy and daddy had in mind when he started. When I asked Kyle how soccer went, he explained that it didn't go so well. "I cried," he said.


Luckily for him, mommy pulled out a promise of ice cream after practice if he cooperated and things turned around quickly. Bribery usually works with Mr. Kyle - he must love ice cream as much as his Auntie!


Grandma has been to a few practices already and Uncle Ry-Ry and I wanted a chance to see him in action. I'm only a little biased, but I think he's really good! He has tons of fun when he's out there now... no more crying! His coaches have taught him how to dribble and use only your feet - 'no hands' they say. Last week when we watched, the kids were learning how to kick the ball hard. Kyle seemed to enjoy dribbling from the week before, but after a little help from Daddy, he learned how to kick the ball where he wanted it to go. In some of the pictures, the object was to knock down cones. Kyle was good at that! He was so proud of himself and his family was, too!


Bringing Uncle Ry-Ry to the soccer fields was probably a mistake. I asked him later if he had fun watching the practice, he sadly said, "Yeah, but I wanna play..." I think Papa Weaver is looking forward to having a Little Weaver of his own to coach someday. But don't feel too bad for Papa Weaver, he jumped in and played with the 3 year olds a little bit at practice. He felt like Kyle's team was getting the short end of the stick at one point, so he jumped in to even things out. A little competitive, I'd say!



Gettin' lined up for a big kick...




Big-shot soccer player in action




Lil' Sister watching her Big Brother




Running to the sidelines
Happy to see his Aunt Nerned and Uncle Ry-Ry




A much needed drink for the thirsty boy

33 Weeks

Our 33 week appointment was last week... not much to report, from our short doctor's visit. The baby's heartrate was 148 and he/she is still head down. I'm measuring just a little bit small, but nothing to get concerned about. I'm definitely not concerned because I can feel by the movements in my belly that Little Weaver is still growing! My weight gain is still on the rise... a total of 31 pounds so far. While pregnancy has been great so far, I must admit that I'm getting excited to lose some weight after the baby is born. It's not the big belly that bothers me - it's the cottage cheese legs, chubby face, and flabby arms.


I don't have a great 33 week picture to share, but here's one that gives you an idea of how big I'm getting!


Small soccer ball, but still a little scary!


Monday, April 11, 2011

Baby Shower

This Saturday was my first baby shower! Of course it was the best baby shower I've ever been to! I had such a great time! My sister worked with my cousin Laurie and good friends Meghan and Sarah to pull the whole thing off. Just like the nursery, the shower had a Dr. Seuss theme, which turned out way cute! I am so thankful to the girls for their hard work and all the money they spent to make this party a success! I have the best family and friends, for sure!

Sevedge Girls (Kianna, Kristy, Stephanie, Becky)


The mantle was decorated with a variety of essentials


The entry felt very Seussy. Laurie painted the frame and Sarah's friend made the sucker-pops! Guests made gender/birth date predictions on the red & white hats. (I'm happy to report that most predicted I'd go early - hopefully! Also... the large majority are expecting Lil' Weaver to be a boy!)


My mom found this cute idea for the cake! It was almost too cute to cut into... almost, I said! It was delish!


I was overwhelmed with gratitude because everyone totally spoiled us! This little froggie from Aunt Sue made me laugh! I don't know why he's so hilarious to me?!


Someone (Laurie, I think) thought of this creative idea to have a photobooth where guests could get their picture taken. There were tons of props that made each shot look like it was taken in Who-ville! This is Sarah and I being silly!


Kim, Aunt Sue, and Laurie I think the photobooth pics were too cute!



When all was said and done, I was totally wiped out, but even more excited about everything we have to look forward to. Ryan was out of town on a boy's weekend, so when he got home, it was fun to show him everything we were showered with. He too was overwhelmed with gratitude!


The room is beginning to feel more like a nursery now that there's baby gear to fill it up. I'll have to say that it was totally fun doing an entire load of baby laundry. Then folding and putting away hooded towels, socks, blankets, diapers, and shampoo was so fun! Almost like playing house! I'm sure in a few months I'll look back on the "happy laundry" moments and think I was crazy!


The night before the shower was a cousin's night. Laurie, Kim, Steph, and Kianna all spent the night at my house. We worked to get the house decorated and the food cooked. Kim and I tried our hand at giving Kianna a bath while the other two shopped. I'd say we were very successful because Kianna was the wettest person at the end of the bath (although not much wetter than me). After bath I fed and rocked Kianna until she was asleep. Then I she got to 'break in' the crib for Little Weaver. She slept like a baby until her next feeding. As I was taking care of Kianna, it started to hit me just how much Ryan's and my lives will be changing in 8 weeks (hopefully more like 6 or 7). I know we can handle all the changes and I know we will love our new roles as mommy and daddy. It's just so fun being Aunt Nerned and Uncle Ry-Ry... only doing the daily routine stuff every once in a while... it only makes me a little apprehensive to think about doing it full time.


This weekend was a fabulous weekend! I fell asleep on Saturday night thinking about how blessed I am right now. Sometimes life moves so quickly that I forget to thank God for everything he has provided me with... things I sometimes take for granted. Days like Saturday remind me that I have been given so much more than I deserve.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Dr. Seussville

The nursery has been Dr. Seussified thanks to the amazing creativity of a good friend's dad. I'm so grateful to Mr. Kennedy for turning my vision into a reality in the nursery. He did a fantastic job, see for yourself!