Thankful Thursday

Those that are close to us know that our remodel has been going on for what seems like forever. It's been a very stressful situation and I have started to let this stress get the better of me. That being said I have decided change my mantra and say that "Today may be bad, but tomorrow is a new day!" I am going to post it onto my computer at my desk and put it on my phone and email, so I see it all the time.....It's something I really need to live by because honestly I think it's the ONLY thing that will get me through this mess.

We started our remodel back in October, had months and months of delays and no work done at a regular pace. But we always saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Since we got back from Breezy Point we have lost faith in our contractor (I won't name names until we are done) and with these hormones from the pregnancy I have probably over reacted some. But I have now become the squeaky wheel and will continue to be until we get this done.

It's been a long long long process and I need to start thinking better about it. So today I am thankful we have finished what we have finished.

I am thankful for my wonderful wonderful husband who is doing everything he can to take the stress off of me.

I am thankful for my baby girl who is no longer a baby anymore and is really a toddler and actually starting tomorrow is an Early Preschooler! EEK!!

I am thankful for a healthy/easy going pregnancy with only gestational diabetes to worry about.

I am thankful for the health of both my parents and that they are in my life.

I am thankful for my father - he is retiring and after his retirement party (just wait for a post on this), I found out how much he has affected the lives that he has worked with. I got my work ethic from him.

I am thankful for all my friends and family. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I love you all and I know I don't say it enough. There has been a lot of heartache for my family and friends recently and I am looking forward to happier times!

I am thankful for the cool weather - all you pregnant ladies out there, I know you are nodding your heads

I am thankful for my puppy mac! She keeps me company now that I work from home.

I am thankful for the fact that although my house is a mess and a little chaotic right now I have a roof over my head and a job to pay the bills.

Lastly I am thankful for my readers! I know there are a lot of lurkers out there, but I would like others to share what they are thankful for!

Birthday Girl!

Here are the fun pictures from Gabby's birthday party.  We had a great time, it was a great day and the birthday girl had a ton of fun with all her friends! I want to thank all that came. It was great to celebrate her birthday with you all.

Mama did forget candles! I won't forget next year, at least we sang Happy Birthday to her.

Birthday girl posing for the camera before daycare.

Posing for Grandpa

Being a cutie pie

Our annual picture with the cake

Mama forgot the candles, but she wasn't sure about eating it in front of everyone

Much better! using a big girl fork

Yum Cake

Cousins and 2nd Cousins. my Cousin Kim and her daughter Cali

Not at the party, but the night before - hanging with daddy on the lawn mower

Birthday day at the Zoo with Daddy

Ice Cream Treat with Daddy

Play-Doh! She was very excited about it.

Tea party

her new princess wagon

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25 Weeks

Well I am about 2 1/2 weeks late on this post. I blame on it just tiredness! That's all I can say...I was just tired. Plus I just haven't been blogging much lately.

I am doing really well. I have to say there isn't much new to report. While this pregnancy is different than Gabby's it's still pretty uneventful, which is awesome.

Gabby is sure loving her sister and excited to see her soon. She says good night to her every night before she goes to bed and talks to her randomly.

My diabetes is going well. I am meeting with my nutritionist every 2 weeks now because now is about the time when insulin production really needs to kick in for the baby. So we will see if it needs to double. My MW doesn't want me to up my meds at all because my numbers are doing so well and most of the time when I have higher numbers its because I ate too much or too high in sugar foods. So all things I can cut back on if it starts to get too out of control.

My back is hurting every once in awhile when I sit wrong in my chair for work or if I am on the floor too much with Gabby or the dog. I should probably start my stretches here soon and get working on the squats and stuff. I am not nearly walking as much, but it's cooler now so that will help. I am going to try to get walking over lunch during the work week.

The heartburn is kicking in and getting worse, and it will only get worse from there....too bad the old wives tale of the more heartburn you have the more hair you child has, but we will just have to wait and find out.

This kid is a dancer, rocker or mover, whatever you want to call her. She is waking me up the middle of the night, kicking me during the day if I sit too close to my desk or computer. She really tells me what she likes and doesn't like. She likes to move and that puts her to sleep, but hard to do that when I am sleeping at night myself. I even tried to employ the trick of having Mike touch my belly the other night when she was moving around for 45 minutes at 4am. She saw right through my plan and wanted nothing to do with it. Smart kid already!

Happy Birthday Gabriella!!

Dear Gabby.

Well little girl you are 2 and not so little anymore! You have been super excited about your birthday all week. We ask you when your birthday is and you say "Friday"!You are also so excited to be going to the Zoo with your dad. You were telling all your friends and teachers about it. You dad took off the day to take you there in the afternoon.

2 years ago your dad and I headed to the hospital, we were all nervous and excited in one. We really couldn't wait to meet you and I have to say I never imagined how fulfilled my life was going to be with you in it. You are our world and mean so much to us.

You are getting so big and talking up a storm. I feel like I say that every time someone asks about you, but your language is just exploding. You are starting to string together 4 word sentences and you pick up on SO much of your world around you.

On Monday you are starting your transition to the Early Preschool room at daycare. You LOVE EPS1 and talk about it all the time. In fact last week when you weren't allowed to go there for the entire day you threw a fit. Hopefully you won't miss the Toddler room too much. Luckily you will still see your two favorite teachers. Mrs R & Ms S.

You are starting to potty train and I am not sure I am quite ready for you to be out of diapers, but it will be such an achievement for you! I know you are ready because you keep telling us that you are poopy before you are. So I know once you transition to your new room it won't be long before you will be fully potty trained.

We got you a big girl bed for your birthday! You were so excited to pick it out and you sure told us what you wanted. We gave you three choices and you said no very adamantly to other 2. So we ordered that one, luckily it was the one that mama liked too.

Another big milestone was you had your very first haircut! It was only you bangs, because I can't cut those beautiful curls of yours, so we cut your bangs. Mama didn't do a very good job at it and I cut them a little too short. Luckily they will grow out.

We are so glad you are in our life and can't wait to see what you grow into. Your personality is wonderful and I love seeing what you come up with throughout the day.

Love always and forever

Mama and Daddy!

Wordless Wednesday - Like Father Like Daughter

So all this time we always knew that Gabby looked more like Mike than myself. She definitely has the Epp features. However I never really realized HOW much she takes after Mike. I was talking about it with someone and that got me thinking....so I went and checked out the pictures of Mike when he was around 2.

Mike is on the left and well I will just let you be the judge ;)

Exhaustion

Sigh..What a weekend! It was an absolutely fun time. We are still in the process of finishing the addition/remodel on the house. If it gets done by the time the baby is here I will be happy. They told us on Friday that they are having issues with the front door and garage door so we are hoping that will get worked out really soon. HVAC, Electrical, plumbing and carpeting should all go in this week or early next week so that will be good.

Saturday we headed to Menards to get a few things for the house. Gabby had a great time. We made the mistake of letting her run loose in the nuts/bolts/screws aisle and she almost made a disaster out of it. I got her to go in the cart and that saved the day. Let me tell you a 2yr old in that aisle with all those pull drawers and loose parts is NEVER a good thing.

Gabby and I "helped" Mike put in her closet system and by helped I mean we sat on the floor and had a snack and colored on the paper from the boxes we had up there. We went out and did do some gardening. We are tearing down our front pine tree and so I had to move the hostas that were below it. They weren't doing well anyway, so I saved what I could. We replanted them next to the otherside of the house. In the process we found a painted turtles nest that was in the process of hatching. So we saved them since I dug them up and covered them up a little, so hopefully they can survive and make the long trek back to the pond behind our house.

I had the wonderful pleasure of going to my good friend Shelly's bridal shower/bachelorette party that afternoon. Being pregnant I knew I wouldn't make it long, but I ended up making it to almost 11. We had a wonderful time at a winery where we had the bridal party. Back to my friends house for dinner and drinks (mine was water) and then off to a country bar up my house. It was a fun time, we were all dressed in black with some pink accents which is really cute and she had a great time! Thanks Shelly for inviting me. I was pretty tired when I went home and I couldn't make it to the next two or three places. Good thing I wasn't on the party bus, otherwise I would have been sleeping in the back seat while they were at the bar.

The girls in our sundresses and hats - Kentucky Derby Style

Sunday was a much lazier day which was nice. We went to Home Depot - Yep apparently I am spending time at the hardware stores this weekend. We were shopping around for Cedar stain and for hooks/hardware for our new bathroom. Gabby again had a wonderful time looking at everything and touching everything.

We had a fun time going through the coupons in the paper, having a snack and sitting on our front stoop!

Our Gabby girl is getting so so big!!! We decided to do her first haircut today. She is almost 2 and has yet to need her hair cut. Her hair in the back is past her shoulders and I didn't touch that. However I did cut her bangs since they were starting to go in her eyes and she wouldn't let me always put it up. I admit my hair cutting skills need work. Mike was not happy with how short I cut them, but they will grow ;)

We made the big decision to buy Gabby a big girl bed! I can't believe I am even writing that....She wasn't climbing out of her crib so we thought we could leave her in there for a little while longer. But this last week she is starting to climb out when we go in to get her and since we have to take apart her crib anyway we decided to get her a new bed instead of another crib.

We only got the bed and the nightstand because she has so much storage in her closet that we didn't think we needed it. We are going to get a bookshelf though like the one she already has. But I am super excited about it. The bad part is it doesn't come in until November so we have to wait. If we find somethieng else we like in the meantime we will maybe get that. I think we are just going to convert her crib to a toddler bed, since the baby won't need the crib until Jan/Feb. I know though it will all work out. I just can't believe my baby girl is going to be in a full size bed!~! How did that happen.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Papa's birthday as well with Mike's family. It ended up just being the IL's and Mike, Gabby and I but we still had a great time.

We have another busy week ahead of us. Taking down our tree to get ready for the landscapers and getting the house ready for Gabby's 2nd birthday on Saturday!!