Thoughts on a Chilly Christmas Eve & Hoping for a White Christmas!

Merry Christmas from MG!

I do not like shopping but this is by far my favorite shopping day of the year. I'm not good at making final decisions because I'm always afraid I will get something that 'isn't good enough' or that a better deal is waiting just around the corner. By waiting until Christmas Eve to shop I know there will be good deals (there always are) and I know I have to get it done today (no messing around). This year we’ve definitely had to make some adjustments. Money has certainly been tight over the last months and I know other families have experienced the same. But that is perfectly fine because the Lord has always provides for us, and always will! Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” I believe that with 100% of my heart! Luckily, money is one thing that Tim and I have never argued about. We decided long before we were even married that too many couples fight over money and it’s really not worth it. So our basic plan when spending is this…if we don’t have the money, we don’t buy it, and we do not borrow money either. We do not have any credit cards; those were all paid off several years ago, cut up, and definitely not missed. If we feel God’s calling to provide for someone else then we do it and know that God will provide….and He always does. So I guess why this is on my mind is because it’s Christmas and Christmas time is celebrated by the loving exchange of presents. Don’t get me wrong I do like getting presents. It feels good to know that someone has thought of me. And I love giving gifts to my loved ones. It is so exciting to watch the excitement of someone opening a gift. I love making other people happy; it makes my day all the more better! And of course nothing beats watching the smile in your child’s eyes when they get that very special gift. I can’t wait to see MG open her presents tomorrow! Last year I think she liked the wrapping paper just as much as her gifts. This year I think she will actually enjoy playing with the toys more (we’ll see).

Unfortunately so many people have made this season about buying the biggest, best, and most expensive gifts. Some people I know were sitting around talking about how much they buy and how they "go all out". Why can't we sit around and talk about the BEST GIFT?! Jesus Christ. Well I don't think I can change anyone elses mind about Christmas but I can make sure that Tim & I raise our kids to know what is really important about this time of year (and all through the year for that matter). We will still exchange gifts, and we will still work our butts off to provide a fun time for our children during the holidays, but presents or 'lack of presents' will never determine our happiness! We are happy because Jesus is Here! How awesome is that! I already have more than I deserve so everything I have feels like a bonus. Anyhow, when I think back over my favorite memories growing up it wasn't about how many presents I got or how much they cost. My best memories are the smells of Mama's yummy treats, coffee, & hot chocolate; sitting by the fireplace, playing with my dog, singing Christmas songs, going caroling, Dad reading us the Christmas story from the Bible every Christmas Eve, driving around looking at Christmas lights together, going to Christmas Eve church service, putting up the tree and helping Mama put on all the ornaments, making ornaments, and the sounds of laughter that filled the room year after year. Now Tim and I have the pleasure and joy of creating new memories with our family. I pray that the things we remember most are the special times together and the love we have for Jesus and each other. I want to instill those values to Makayla and our son, and I pray that we will seek God for guidance all along the way.

Update: The Christmas Eve service at church tonight was fantastic. I didn’t want to leave so soon. It was very peaceful. I really hope we wake up to a white Christmas. 

Merry Christmas Eve!

~Shawna

Three More Weeks

We have only three weeks left before we meet baby boy Finstad! We are so excited! My 36 week appointment went really well and my c-section is scheduled for January 12^th. It seems like this pregnancy has went by pretty quickly. I guess that’s because taking care of a toddler has kept us super busy. Our little boy weighs in at 5 pounds 14 ounces. He is in the 35^th percentile for size right now, and we are happy about that. They told us that babies with a single umbilical artery are typically a little smaller than average. But hey, he still has 3 weeks to go so I’m guessing he will be an average size baby boy. His heart rate at this last visit was 136 and that’s about where it’s been from the start. As for me I’m feeling alright most of the time. I fell on the ice a few weeks ago and ever since my back has been in bad shape and I’ve had trouble sleeping. It makes it very difficult to pick up Makayla (she weighs about 27 pounds!). Actually, Tim has been the one chasing her around and picking her up over the last few weeks. I am moving much slower. The ultrasound tech told me I looked like a cripple…whatever!  I am so glad Tim has picked up the slack…uh my fault of course….but hey I am taking care of our other child too ;-)

Oh and I can’t forget to mention that we went looking at Christmas lights last weekend. It was a lot of fun! Makayla has matured so much over the past year and she really enjoyed looking at the lights this year. She smiles and points at every house that is lit up. Goodness I cannot believe how much she has grown. MG is a very smart girl! She makes the days brighter and the evenings more fun; what a blessing. It’s going to be awesome watching Makayla be a terrific big sister. (Of course I think there will be a transition period J )

 ~ Shawna

Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from the Finstad family!

I found myself looking through pictures of Thanksgiving Day 2009. It has been such an amazing year, and I cannot believe just how fast time seems to fly by. Last year at this time Makayla wasn’t even crawling yet, and now she’s constantly running around, climbing on everything, and sleeping in her new toddler bed! Wow, kids do grow and change so quickly. Now I love living in the moment, I mean that’s all you can do right. But I love reminiscing of holidays past and imagining holidays to come. Being at my parent’s house reminds me of everything good. I very much enjoy the smell of turkey, the many homemade casseroles, sweet pecan pie, and irresistible pumpkin pie. The voices, the laughter, the loudness (at times), football in the background, the crispness of the air outdoors, the Christmas tree and decorations, and the sweet embraces of loving family members. I imagine how it will be next year with two little ones to love on and dress up in cute little outfits. I imagine Makayla being a sweet big sister to her little brother, and me once again thinking about all the blessings in my life.

I am thankful for….

~ God’s love, grace, and mercy.

~ My loving husband. Tim is my best friend and treats me with love & compassion. I have to be honest and say I pray that other married couples have the same type of loving relationship that we have. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He is my better half.

~ My sweet (and sometimes sassy) daughter, Makayla Grace, who keeps me on my toes   and makes me see the wonder in things I missed before.

~ My son- Every time I feel him move around in my tummy I’m reminded of just how awesome our God is. Babies are a miracle and gift. I can’t wait to meet him!

~ My parents. They did a great job raising us kids, and taught me that family is most important. Thanks for helping Tim & I so much over the years, and being such a big part of Makayla’s life. It means the world.

~ My sisters whom I love dearly. Thanks Summer & April for always being two ladies I can count on. Sisters are the kind of friends that will always share a love tied with heartstrings.

~ My brother, Sean and his 3 children. I am thankful for all of you and wish we lived closer so we could spend more time together.

~ Thanks Granny for calling just to see how things are going.

~ Larry & Kris…for giving me a great husband. 

~ My pets. Somehow they know if I’ve had a rough day, and always try their best to make me feel better. Sometimes the kisses are a little too much, but I love them anyways!

~ Our Pastor, Sam Polson, whom God used to lead Tim & I back to church.

~ Our church family

~ and I’m thankful for so many other things I haven’t listed here….as I would be writing for days.

In the midst of the happiness, there is still a sad craziness. The craziness of Black Friday sales, the traffic, the commercialized Christmas, people asking for money here & there, the Scrooges, and the people who are so often forgotten. I pray that the goodness of the holidays will be forefront for our family and yours. I pray that we will always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and every blessing we’re thankful for is from our Heavenly Father.

The most beautiful gift we’ve ever received was the gift of eternal life through God’s son, Jesus Christ. 

Psalm 9

I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
         I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
         I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Happy Holidays & God Bless,

Shawna

Praise & Prayer

It was about a month ago when I forced Tim to go to our pcp for his stomach problems. If you know Tim you would know that he doesn’t go to the doctor and I had to beg him to go. I just had that ‘wife’s intuition’ and it was eating me up. He said he would go only because I didn’t need to be stressed out, being pregnant and all. Our pcp referred him to a gastroenterologist and he ended up getting a colonoscopy. After the procedure, the doctor told us that the visit that day saved his life, and if he hadn’t of had it done soon he would be dying of colon cancer. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. I was so very thankful in a million different ways for God taking care of this problem. Tim ended up having a very large polyp removed that ended up being precancerous. It is actually very rare for someone Tim’s age (just 27) to have polyps at all. He will need to be re-screened once a year to check for growths. My praise is that the polyp was removed before it became cancer! I know that God was completely in control each step of the way. My prayer (and prayer request) is that everything will look good when he goes back for a follow-up sigmoidoscopy this Friday, Nov. 19^th. My husband is the most amazing man and would never want to burden anyone else with his problems; that is why he didn’t even want me to share this initially. However, we also know that prayer is so incredibly powerful, and we should lift up prayers together & for each other.  Please pray for Tim this week, specifically Friday, that he would find comfort in knowing God is always in control.

Philippians 4:6 ^“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…”

Sincerely,

Shawna

Our 1st Family Trip to Florida

1st family picture on the beach!

I felt like it was so important that we get away for a few days as a family and visit some family down in Florida. We were actually supposed to go during the summer but didn’t get to. I am happy to report that the ocean water in Destin is absolutely beautiful. We were able to spend about 2 hours at the beach each day. Although we were only there 2 days it was awesome. October is the perfect time to visit the area. One thing that really stood out were the swarms of monarch butterflies in the area. I have never before seen that many butterflies together; it was an awesome sight to see.

It was so amazing to watch Makayla play in the water and sand for the first time. I knew she would either love it or hate it, and luckily she loved it. I am a Florida born girl who loves the beach so I was hoping she would too. We got to spend some time with Granny, Aunt Joy, Aunt Jan, and Christopher on one day. I really wish we were able to spend more time with them; I just love the moments we have together and thank God for family. Our former Sunday school teachers, Bruce & Sherry Shields happen to be in Destin as well and graciously took us out to eat. I ate a huge (I mean huge) plate of delicious seafood. Oh just writing about it makes me crave more. There is just something absolutely fantastic about eating fresh seafood on the beach and watching the sunset. Amazing! We also got to visit with my brother and his girls for a little bit. I can’t believe how big Kaitlyn and Skylar are getting. It seems like just yesterday that they were here spending the summer with us, but that was actually several years ago.

The trip to Florida makes me excited to go back again, and next time we will go as a family of four which is an exciting thought.

A Night at the Hospital

As we sit here in bumper to bumper traffic right outside of Chattanooga I can’t help but think of the crazy events of this past week. Tuesday started out as a normal day, but ended with me in an ambulance headed to the hospital. It was around 6:30 when I started feeling really weird; sort of spaced out. This feeling quickly led to me feeling disoriented, unable to feel my right arm or the right side of my face, blurred vision, seeing zigzags, and unable to answer questions. It was a very scary experience. Needless to say Tim called my doctor, who then told us to call for an ambulance. Once at the hospital and after getting about 30 minutes of oxygen I started feeling better. I had to see a neurologist, get an MRI, and take a stroll over to my high risk OB to check on our little guy. So here’s the deal, I had an atypical migraine (aka: silent migraine).The type of migraine presents itself like a stroke, but is not a stroke. It was more than likely triggered by stress. The good news is that me and our little guy are okay and that’s all that matters. I was finally discharged Wednesday evening with the doctors ‘okay’ that we could still go on our trip to Florida. I just pray that the last 12 weeks of this pregnancy go smoothly. We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends that are praying for us! God has truly blessed us. It feels like a lot has been going on lately and the Lord has been so lovingly carrying us through.

Makayla’s 15th Month Checkup

Makayla’s 15^th month checkup went very well. Nana got to take her to the appointment since Tim and I had to work. Nana said she was never doing that again! Apparently MG screamed and screamed from the shots she received. My mom (Nana) just couldn’t stand seeing little Makayla cry like that….I bet she cried too. Other than the crying, the appointment went really well.

Weight: 25 pounds 12 ounces (75 percentile)

Height:  32 inches (90 percentile...she is tall for her age)

Favorite Foods: Gerber pick-ups, peaches, and cheese

Teeth: She has 9 teeth and 2 more molars coming in right now.

New words: JazzyRose, coco, beach, cat, Lexi, baby (She mimics words all the time)

Favorite TV show: She’s on strike! Haha. She hasn’t shown much interest in television lately which is fine with us.

Other New Stuff:

~ MG is learning colors right now at Nana’s house. She has worked on yellow, blue, red, orange, and brown.

~ She absolutely loves painting, coloring, and sticker art.

~ She climbs on everything.

~ She can throw a fit when she really wants something.

~ She knows that baby brother is in Mommy’s tummy.

~ She makes gestures with her hands all the time. She will hold out her hands when she wants a hug.

~ Uses a fork to eat (She has gotten really good too)

~ She is even more affectionate now; gives tons of hugs and kisses. MG is just such a sweetheart and we love her so much.

Grandparents Day & Our Little Guy

Grandparents Day Fun!

Happy Grandparents Day Nana & Granddad!

 Makayla had fun today hanging out with Nana and Granddad! They came over to eat lunch and play with MG for Grandparents Day. One day Makayla will realize how blessed she is to have grandparents that love her so much and want to spend so much time with her. It makes my heart very happy! Here are some pictures from the day.

Granddad sneaking MG some icecream....caught on camera!

MG telling Nana that she know the word cat!

Never a dull moment!

Our Little Guy...our precious blessing!

Now for an update on our precious baby boy! I have a single umbilical artery with this pregnancy so our baby boy will be monitored more closely to make sure he is growing well. All other worries were removed last week when we got the news that everything else looks great! Praise God for that! We surely do serve a God who is much bigger than our biggest burden and I know God would have been our comfort and strength had the news been different. As of my 20 week sonogram he was measuring 2 days ahead and 12 ounces; the size of a can of coke! We are still trying to decide on a name for this little guy. Boy, are boy names hard to choose…lol. Hopefully we will decide soon…but…we want to keep the name a surprise. Don’t you just love the suspense?

Here are some pictures of our little guy. Yes, I know he is so darn adorable!

Amazing!

Taken at 21 weeks...he is so cute!

 And here are some picture of me....my how I've grown!

Come on Fall

Well, the weather is finally cooling off a bit. It is supposed to be in the 80’s all week long! I am looking forward to more days at the zoo and fun at the park with Tim and Makayla. I love the fall weather and can't wait for it to get here. Tim has been putting some new flooring in at home this past week. It has been very hectic and extremely messy to say the least, but he has done a wonderful job so far. I can’t wait until the job gets finished! I will have to post some before and after pictures when everything is finished.

God Bless,
Shawna

Back to Work

Well I’ve been back to work for three weeks now, and I think I’m getting a little use to getting up so early in the morning. I definitely miss spending the entire day with Makayla. She has grown so much over the summer, and I am so proud of all the things she is learning. She just learned to say “juice” and is trying to say “baby” too. I am so thankful to God for blessing me with such an awesome daughter. I love every part of being a wife and a mom and wish I could be a sahm all year long. Luckily, I am teacher so I get to look forward to being a sahm every summer; now that is a true blessing!

I will be honest and say there have been a few times when I wondered if what I do every day as a teacher truly makes a difference. Sometimes I feel like my daily tasks at work are so monotonous.  I certainly know other people may feel the same way. My days and weeks feel so busy since I’ve been back to work. I just really want to make sure I am giving the same energy to my family as I’m giving to my students. I work my butt off trying to be a good teacher, a good role model, and a good employee. And I strive so much to be a good wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend. How can I do all of this? Only with God’s help of course! I find myself thinking of Mary, mother of Jesus. Can you imagine what Mary must have gone through? She was about to get married to Joseph and an angel appears to her and tells her she will be with child and will give birth to a son. She must have felt such a huge responsibility. She must have wondered if she was doing things good enough, and if she could be the person God wanted her to be. But Mary trusted God through it all, and her story teaches us that in order to be willing to accept God's plan for our lives, we must know Him, believe in Him, seek Him and trust in Him. It’s a journey of being obedient to God through everything, including the small things.

God is always so faithful, and knows exactly what our needs are. Early last week we had Parent Orientation at school. Once it was over a mom of one of my former students came up to me. She reminded me of how irritated she felt when her son got me as a teacher 3 years ago. She said she just knew the entire year could be thrown in the trash since I was a “new teacher”. She really didn’t have to remind me of this however, because I remember the night clearly. I was a brand new teacher at my school, completely blinded by excitement that I failed to prepare myself for parents that didn’t want their child to have a “new teacher”. Anyhow, last week she told me something that I really needed to hear at that time. She said, “We really thought that year was going to be awful, but it turned out to be the best year, and Johnny (made-up name) still misses you. He has that country project ya’ll did still sitting in the garage and won’t get rid of it! We really hoped our daughter would get you as a teacher this year.” Wow! Now that made me feel like maybe I made a difference in someone’s life. I hope and pray that God allows me to do that as often as possible.

So no matter what I am feeling inside or what I'm going though, I know there is a Maker, my Maker, who is greater than anything! And you know what? In all the busyness of life God never leaves me or forsakes me; He is for me.

“So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all you do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you

I know that you are for me
I know that you are for me
I know that you will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are”

God Bless,

Shawna

 

Digital Scrapbooking

I have enjoyed traditional scrapbooking for several years now, and have almost finished Makayla’s first year scrapbook. It is going to be such a great little memory book for her to look back at one day. She will always know how much we love I her! I have been trying to get a picture of MG praying. Every night at dinner we put our hands together and say a prayer. She caught on really quickly and puts her hands together and squints her eyes. She only does it for about 3 seconds, but that is pretty awesome for a 13 month old. Anyhow, I would love to put a picture of that in her scrapbook; it is so precious!

So this summer I started learning a little more about digital scrapbooking. I have dabbled in it before while creating websites and such, but never had the time to learn more. This summer I learned a little about it and started doing some pages. There is still so much to learn, but I don’t have the time. I hope to put these pages into the Shutterfly albums I make at the end of the year. Here are the ones I did for the ‘back to school/work’ slideshow that will be shown next week at a staff meeting.

August Already

I can’t believe my summer vacation is coming to an end. It feels like it’s only been a few weeks, but in reality it’s been a few months. Makayla and I have had a wonderful time spending our entire days together. It has really been the perfect time. She has grown so much over the last year, and I’m so glad that as a working mom I was able to see those 1st big milestones with my own eyes. In fact, she started crawling and took her first steps on weekends when Tim and I were both home. We couldn’t have asked for anything better!!! Now that she has been walking for 2 months she has become a little pro and looks absolutely adorable! So I thought I would give a few update on Miss Makayla…

New word she learned: waffle (it sounds like bopple, and it is sooo cute!)
Favorite place to eat: Cracker Barrel
Clothes: Wears 12 mo (has for several months now) She can wear some 18 month clothes.
Teeth: 2 up top, 3 on bottom…plus 1 more coming in on the bottom and 2 more coming in on the top! She has done very well with teething. Yay!
Favorite TV Shows: Super Readers, Dinosaur Train, and Sesame Street (I definitely limit the time and days I have the tv on cartoons because I don’t want MG to ever be a television junky! The shows are good though.)

And not that anyone else cares what kind of schedule MG is on, but I wanted to put this on my blog so I can look back at it one day. Everyone knows that I am “Miss Sentimental”!

Schedule (which is about to change next week when I go back to work)
8:30            Wake up, get ready for the day (We love sleeping in!)
9:00            Typical Breakfast: waffle, milk, fruit
9:30- 11:00 Play time with Mommy, go strolling, watch Elmo’s World
11:00          Typical Lunch: meat, vegetable, fruit, milk or juice
12:00-2:30  Nap
2:30            Wake up, snuggle time, read a book
3:00            Snack Time: cheese, fruit, yogurt, or whatever I find
3:15-6:00    Playtime, and anything else we plan for the afternoon
6:00            Typical Dinner: meat, vegetable, fruit, milk or juice (basically whatever mommy & daddy eat for dinner.) Sometimes she doesn't get a meat and eats cheese pizza or cheese bread.
6:30            Playtime
7:00            Bath time, get ready for bed
7:30            Milk bottle (This is the only bottle she really gets now. Hopefully no more bottles soon!)  Playtime, family stroll, read a book, play with Jazz & Rose, then settle down.
9:00            Bedtime

MG started going to the church nursery almost 2 months ago, and needless to say it’s not going so well. As soon as we get into the hallway where her room is she starts crying. I hope it gets better very quickly! She has really become attached to her mommy and daddy. She is a lot like me when I was little; sensitive and very sweet. I am just happy that she loves her Nana and Grandad because I can leave her with them and she is perfectly content. Last weekend she went over there to play with Amelia and Anna Catherine. It was a hoot! Makayla acted like a little hotshot; running around, grinning, not wanting to leave, and basically thinking she was as old as the other girls. It was so cute and funny to watch. Here are a few pictures.

And now…here are some updates on our bun in the oven. I had my 16 week appointment last Tuesday and everything is going well. The baby’s heartbeat was 158! I think I felt the baby move once at 12 weeks and once at 14 weeks. Over the past week I have been able to feel the little one move more, especially at night when I’m lying in bed. It is so neat, and I know I will get to feel the movement more and better in the next few weeks. We will find out if our baby is a boy or girl at the end of this month!

Have a Blessed Week,
Shawna

Married for 4 Awesome Years!

Today and forever you are my dear husband, my best friend, the one God made for me, and my one and only love. I love you Tim!

Four years ago today I married the man of my dreams. I searched and searched for the perfect anniversary card, but year after year I can never find the perfect one. Of course I ended up buying one, but it just doesn’t say everything I feel in my heart. I started this blog as a way to preserve memories and precious thoughts. I will eventually print all the entries and make them into a little book my family can look back at. So while I’m not going to include the letter I wrote for Tim, I am going to include the words to a song that really became ‘our song’.

When God Made You

Its always been a mystery to me,

How two hearts can come together,

And love can last forever.

But now that I have found you I believe,

That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.

So gone are all my questions about why,

And I've never been so sure of anything in my life 

Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.

I wonder if He knew everything I would need,

Because he made all my dreams come true.

When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

Ooo ooo,I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,

With all my heart I'll be there too.

And from this moment on I want you to know,

I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.

So gone are all my questions about why…about why

Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you,

I wonder if He knew everything I would need,

Because He made all my dreams come true.

When God made you He must've been thinking about me.

He made the sun He made the moon,

To harmonize a perfect tune,

One can't do without the other they just have to be together.

And that is how I know its true,

Your for me and I'm for you and my world

Just cant be right without you in my life 

He must have heard every prayer I've been praying

I've been praying He must've knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must've been thinking about me.

Almost 15 Weeks Pregnant!

I am so glad to finally be in my 2nd trimester! The first trimester was exhausting and everything was so unappetizing. I lost 5 pounds but have now gained 2 of those back. Over the last week I’ve noticed my pants have become tighter, so I got out the maternity clothes today. I know everyone shows differently, but I’m hoping & praying that my hips don’t spread like peanut butter on sliced bread. I can’t wait until I feel the baby move; that is by far the best part of being pregnant!

Shawna

Our Summer Staycation

So we had our summer vacation planned for quite some time. We were going down to Pensacola to visit family and then heading over to Destin and my hometown Fort Walton Beach. But as the oil spill crept closed we got worried about our long needed and wanted beach vacation. It was not recommended for pregnant women and little children to be in the areas where the oil had reached, and since our family fit both those categories we felt it was better not to go down there right now. The whole oil spill thing makes me sick to my stomach! It is so sad to see the families and animals it has affected. So we didn’t go there, but we stayed here! I planned out the entire week but things changed as we went along. You know it hasn’t rained much at all until this week it decided to become a flippin monsoon. So there went our pool days. Oh well.

On Monday we planned to go to Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlingburg. We have been there numerous times and were so excited to take Makayla for the first time. It took us 2 hours to get there just to find the Aquarium was packed! The entrance to start the exhibits was at a stand still, and we couldn’t even stand near each other. Boo-hoo! Tim got us a refund and we went home. On the way home we talked about how it wasn’t such a bad day because we were together as a family. So true…family time is the best time! And at least we had some yummy pancakes and the Pancake Pantry.  

Here is Makayla..she is glad to be out of the car!

Here is Tim in line to get our $ back!

 

Tuesday, we went up to the school to work in my classroom and then went to visit my parents.

Thursday was awesome! We went to the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga! It is a place not to be missed! ! I will never forget the excitement and wonder in Makayla’s eyes as she saw all kinds of animals for the very first time. It brought tears to my eyes. My very favorite place at the aquarium was the butterfly exhibit. The penguins were pretty neat too! We will definitely go again and next time we will probably stay a few days. There are so many things to do in downtown Chattanooga. Knoxville definitely needs to take some notes.

And finally, Friday we went to the pool. Makayla loves the water, but likes to be held close when she’s not in her float. I was so busy slathering sunscreen on my baby girl that I totally forgot to put any on me! And of course Tim would’ve refused it anyway. I got home later and thought to myself, “Good no sunburn here!” only later to see this dark pink sunburn show up on my back and shoulders…arg! My skin is so mad at me right now. Tim and I dropped MG off at Nana and Granddad’s and then went to see a late showing of ‘Inception’. By late I mean 8:30 P.M.…lol. It was a good movie, but they could have left out the cussing.

So that’s about it! Nothing elaborate about our staycation but we had a nice, relaxing time together. We captured many memories on camera and in our heart that we will always hold dear.

God Bless,

Shawna 

Picture at the TN Aquarium

Soon to be a Mother of Two

 All my babies in one photo! Love it! What a blessing from the Lord! 

Wow, just saying ‘mother of 2’ makes me excited and nervous at the same time! I am so happy Tim and I have finally told everyone that baby # 2 will be here in January. It is difficult to keep such exciting news from people, but at the same time it’s kind of special for Tim and I to share that by ourselves for awhile. We waited till the 2nd trimester with Makayla too and it was very nice. We had that time to talk about it, dream about her, and make our own decisions without input from others. Once the “cat is out of the bag” is when you get all the advice from everyone including strangers…lol. But so far I haven’t had much advice, just congratulations. I guess when people see that your first child is doing okay they realize you might know how to do it after all. But honestly, I have received some tremendous advice from friends and family that has proved to be very helpful; especially from my Mom. Thanks Mom! Now I find myself giving advice to first time moms…ironic isn’t it….because I’m certainly not an expert at this mom thing! I'm sure I'll be the one asking for advice soon enough...haha!

Anyhow, I am so excited for Makayla to be a big sister! I just know that she will adore this new little baby (okay I hope). I heard that MG will be too young to be jealous…but I guess we will eventually find that out. Tim and I always wanted our children to be close in age, so this has turned out to be great for us. Makayla and her little brother or sister will be just under 18 months apart. Uh…my thoughts just turned to diapers…and diapers…and diapers. Nah, maybe MG will be potty trained early!

Well, that’s all I have time to write right now. I will leave you with some cute new pictures.

Until next time,
Shawna

 8 Week Ultrasound

I love this picture!! This is when we told Makayla she was going to be a big sister! Honestly, she seemed to know what we were saying...lol.

12 Week Ultrasound

It's amazing how fast the baby has grown!

Makayla Stats at 1 Year Old

Weight            24 lbs 12.5 ounces       93% Wow!

Height             30.1 inches                  80% Wow again!

Favorite new word: Milk (sometimes it sounds more like Mi)

Favorite song: Sesame Street theme song

Favorite doll: Elmo (our dog got a hold of Giraffe! Boo!)

Favorite person: Mommy and Daddy of course

Favorite place to visit: Nana and Granddad’s house

Favorite Foods: Grilled chicken, sweet potato, cheese, waffles, watermelon, and guacamole. Oh yeah, she likes ketchup too.

Makayla has an awesome sense of humor and loves to make us laugh. She does really well with our daily schedule, although I know it’s going to be messed up when I go back to work in August. She rarely ever crawls anymore; she walks! Makayla took her first steps right at 11 months and has progressed since then. She still takes her milk in a bottle, but we are working on that. She will drink water and juice from her sippy cup, but she just throws the cup when I put milk in it. Haha!

I will go ahead and include a few pictures from our 4^th of July celebrations too! Enjoy!

 Happy 4th of July!