Fishies, Easter & Teeth

Dear Kacie,

I'm feeling very sentimental these days!

Everything you do I think to myself "This could be the last time _____ alone with Kacie"

Like this one morning I went in to wake you up and got emotional over how cute it was that you were sleeping and how it was possibly the last time I would come in to wake you up with one baby!

Unfortunately, we went to the doctor hoping my blood pressure would be high and they would induce me. Instead they sent me home with instruction to collect my urine for 24 hours. So lame.

I was so sad! Your brother was just making me so uncomfortable and I just felt awful 24/7. I really felt like it was time.

Your daddy got into cleaning mode, so that when your brother did arrive, everything would be ready.

We went to the car wash and you were terrified! So we took you out of your car seat and let you ride up front with us. You still didn't really like it but you weren't crying at least!

Our car looked so good after it was washed and we even vacuumed out the inside and it is really nice having a shining sparkly car!

And then to keep my mind off of being pregnant, and also to try and force Kalvin out, we went to Thanksgiving Point Gardens to have a picnic and walk around.

You also wanted to show daddy the fishes!

We bought some of the fish food and you LOVED feeding them! You would drop one pellet in at a time and the fish would go crazy and you'd laugh… that sounds like you were torturing them!

Then, after we walked and walked and walked, we sat on the hill and had a picnic.

And then I continued to sit, while you and dad went and explored at the bottom of the hill.

You had a lot of fun jumping off and on the concrete stage. Or at least trying to copy dad doing that. You did not want to leave!

My sweet grandma sent us the carrier I've wanted since you were born! It's REALLY nice and I love it.

It is meant for Kalvin but you were also in the weight limit for it so dad decided to try it out with you since Kalvin wasn't available yet.

We thought you would hate being confined but you did not! You love your dad so much that you just cuddled right up to him.

Saturday morning, you woke up really congested. Luckily it was conference weekend so we didn't have any plans other than being at home. The only problem was that you wanted to go outside aaaallll weekend. You kept going to dad and making him stand up. then you'd point to the door and say 'outside. outside' over and over. So we opened the door for you but you had to wear your big coat cause it was cold and we didn't want you to get more sick.

Sunday was Easter and you were so sick that you didn't even care about your basket. You looked at the books and then just sat there while dad and I pulled out the other things.

When you were feeling a little better later that day, you played with your bead bottle. You love to dump out the beads and then put them back in.

This picture is not in order, but one night at Target you and dad found this dog on a platform. You looked like a perfect little mannequin!

It was a good weekend at home, except for that you were so sick and it was really sad because there wasn't anything we could do!

We had a lot of fun with you though, and dad is so good at taking care of you while I was pregnant and out of commission!

Love,

Dad and Mom

Birthday Week!

Dear Kacie,

I loved spending my birthday week with you. It made every day like a party!

Lately you've really been liking Ritz crackers with Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and pepperoni.

This particular day for lunch you ended up just scooping out the cream cheese, and then gave up on the crackers and just scooped the cream cheese out with your hand… Since we were celebrating my birthday though, I let you do it.

We went to dinner at IHOP for my free pancakes!

Grandma Tracey got me the coolest thing! I don't actually have it yet, it's waiting for me in Missouri, but I LOVE it and can't wait to get it put up and start using it.

Here you are watching TV with all your purses! 

Grandma Tracey sent you a little bunny purse for easter. You carry it like a stuffed animal more than a purse!

We went to Costco to stock up on some food before baby Kalvin's arrival. You sat in the cart and enjoyed it. You were so cute in there so I said "say cheese!" and this is the adorable face you made!

On my actual birthday Uncle Colin brought me some beautiful flowers! One of them bloomed all day and I loved seeing it.

For dinner we went to Texas Road House. I got a beautiful new shirt from you grandma Tracey and I had people stop and compliment me on it all day! That was a great birthday present as a 9 month pregnant lady because I wasn't feeling that beautiful as I waddled around!

You've really started to do toddler things. You like pushing your doll, Paris, around in her stroller. One night you made dad push while you walked next to him.

I had such a wonderful week celebrating 25 years of life!

I had hoped to end the week by celebrating a brand new life but unfortunately Kalvin wanted to bake a little bit longer.

Thanks for celebrating all week with me Kacie and for making every day like a party!

We love you!

Mom and Dad

Birthday Cake!

Well Kacie and Kalvin, I have officially made it through 25 years of life.

How crazy is that!?

To celebrate, I found some awesome party nail polish!

And I also decided that I wanted to decorate myself a birthday cake!

I love doing that kind of stuff and it turned out better than I thought it would.

We went to our friends house to hang out and I forced them into celebrating my birthday. Kacie and Haze put the candles on the cake

And Caitlin had something important to say!

We are all really intrigued by it though!

You took my hat from me and put it on you

And then we posed with the cake. Your face says "Ummm, that's not my dad"

The best part was the inside of the cake! Here it is before I cooked it….

And here is the final result!

I was very impressed with myself and the cake was delicious and it was huge, so I got to eat cake all week! Even though it gave me heartburn!

It was a fun night that we got to spend celebrating with friends, even though the night was really just to spend time with friends and I forced my birthday on them. I got a wonderfully scented candle and Kalvin got an adorable outfit!

Happy Birthday week to me!!

Adventures with Gus!

Dear Kacie,

For Christmas you got bath markers and you love them still. One night, you decorated yourself!

When I was a little girl we used to go to this place called The Bean Museum…technically, there are some other words in the real title of the museum but that's just what we call it.

It is a museum full of preserved dead animals… it sounds so weird when you say it that way but it is really cool!

We went with Dez and Gus and you two loved! We had you hold hands too and it was so cute!

You're both getting so old and Dez and I are having to find new ways to entertain you. We've spent a lot of time with Dez and Gus lately.

One day you got your snacks and sat in this little corner behind the couch.

We got some ice cream from JCW's and you didn't eat much of it but you did really good at feeding it to yourself, even though a lot of it ended up on your face! Everything you do is just cute.

Daddy was moving around some furniture one day and he sent me this picture and said that you were scrubbing this wall with a wipe saying over and over "what it doin? what it doin? what it doin?"

My most recent pregnant craving has been Ruffles with ranch dip… and you also love it! The only problem is that you will scoop a ton of the dip on your chip and then lick the dip off, without eating the chip. It's adorable. Maybe a little unhealthy but it makes you happy and I'm too tired to care much right now!

We went to the store one night and you decided to try out some chairs. We couldn't get you off! We said "bye, see ya" and you just laid here like this as we walked away!

Daddy picked out your outfit for church one day and it was so cute and made you look old! You even put your boots on and left them on!

Then you got to watch The Little Mermaid! You were glued to the screen for about 15 minutes of it and then you got bored and left the room but then when we stopped it you came back and made us turn it on. So apparently you like it, but your books are cooler. And I'm just fine with that!

Guess what?

We had another play date with Gus and Dez! We went to Thanksgiving Point and walked through The Gardens. We first stopped at the koi pond and you were enthralled by the fish! Unfortunately, you somehow kicked your shoe off and it fell into the pond! Luckily, it drifted to the edge and Dez got it.

About 5 minutes later, Gus's shoe was kicked off and fell into the pond! Unfortunately, it was on the opposite side of the dock and we thought we wouldn't be able to get it back. Luckily, there was a sweet man that found a stick and helped us get it back. It was crazy that both of you lost your shoe. Luckily, we had strollers and grass is just perfect for bare feet! You loved running down the hill, even though you kept falling!

We had so much fun and you were asleep within 3 minutes of driving away!

It's been great for you to have a buddy that gives me a little break from chasing you. I just can't wait until Kalvin is here and I can walk, not waddle, again!

We love that you have so much energy though. It's cute and entertaining!

Love,

Dad and Mom

Emotions!

Well kiddo,

I had a somewhat exciting appointment on Tuesday.

If you remember they told me I must be 1 centimeter dilated and 70% effaced to be induced. I was 2 centimeters and 80%. But the exciting part was that my blood pressure was high! Now, with your sister, I was only admitted because I had high blood pressure, otherwise they would have sent me home!

Anyway, so I was in the normal range, but close to when they want to induce. So they set up an appointment for a few days away to check it again. If it is still high at my appointment this morning then you will be on your way!!

It kind of seems crazy because the official due date is April 17th which is still 2 weeks away. But if you remember how many times I have told you that the doctor was wrong and the due date was always April 8th, then you're pretty much right on schedule!

So here is your hopefully last 'in my belly' picture at 38 weeks!

Last weekend, my sweet cousin threw me a baby shower! Good thing it was last weekend!

Lots of people came and brought you adorable clothes that you really needed! I only got a few pictures because I forgot, but it was a lovely time with delicious food and wonderful people.

Your grandma and Grandpa Gonthier sent you this wonderful swing! Kacie didn't use hers much but now that I have two babies to take care of, you're going to have to like to be in your swing!

My Aunt Susan and Aunt Diane

My cousins, Melissa, Danielle, Desiree and Deborah!

While you and I were at the shower, your dad and Kacie were at the ward Easter Party. Which basically meant that Kacie got to play at the park and dad loved it!

She did so good riding the swing

And going down the slide

And just hanging out with daddy!

I'm really very emotional about leaving your sister for so long. We haven't been apart for like more than 5 hours (other than sleeping) and it's just really hard to think about not being there when she is sad or there to tuck her in for a few days. I know she will be fine and I am beyond excited to welcome you into my life, but it is still a little weird and hard for me to do!

Anyway, I still don't even know if you're coming today or not...

Well, I"m off to the appointment where I hope they tell me you're on your way!

We are so excited, and totally prepared, to meet you and have you home!

Love,

Dad and Mom