Pregnancy the second time around.. and some pictures...

It's so odd to me how different this pregnancy is in comparison to my pregnancy with Chloie. In all aspects, my body is reacting different, I'm reacting different, Ben is reacting different, even my Dr is acting different...

When I found out I was pregnant with Chloie I was shocked (to say the least). I was not at all ready to be a mom and didn't think that it would ever happen on accident.
With Baby #2 I wasn't at all shocked to find out I was pregnant, although I was a little overwhelmed by the fact that it happened so quickly.

I was really sick through my pregnancy with Chloie and was on medication for it the entire time. But I haven't been sick at all this time.

I was exhausted with Chloie but I've felt normal (up til this past week) this time.

I didn't clean the house, I didn't want to do crafts, I wasn't super active, I was depressed and super emotional! This time I can't seem to stop cleaning and crafting, I feel awful if I don't work out, I'm actually pretty happy and my emotions aren't nearly as out of whack this time.

I did not have any problems gaining weight last time but I'm finding it difficult to gain this time. (which I'm ok with but my Dr... well he's not to happy about it...).

Ben was... I'm gonna go ahead and say "absent" for the majority of my pregnancy with Chloie ( I don't think either of us really knew how to react) and this time he wants to feel the baby move, asks me about my Dr appointments, talks about baby names, and is planning on taking a few days off work to be home with me and the girls (which shouldn't be to hard since she is due right before Christmas). Which he didn't do the last time, mainly because he was working and doing fire academy full time.

This time we are ready and the more I see Chloie interact with other babies (like our nieces, Hadlee and Rylee, and our new "nephew" Oliver) the more excited we are to have this new little girl here. Chloie is going to be the best big sister!

I pulled out all of Chloie's newborn and 0-3 month clothes last week just trying to get ready for the baby and trying to entertain myself. I can't believe my Chloie was EVER that tiny, We brought her home in a preemie out fit that looks to little for even her dolls! It is going to be so odd to hold and snuggle a new baby, I've gotten so used to holding and snuggling my Chloie! She is going to seem SO BIG!

I just wanted to share a couple of pictures of Chloie when she was first born and Chloie now... It is such a HUGE difference!

Chloie the day she was born!

Chloie and I our first day home.

Ben and 3 day old Chloie.

Chloie last week!

Chloie and I!

Chloie and Ben!

She doesn't even look like the same baby. Her hair color and eye color have changed and she has tripled in size! I seriously could not love her more and I can't wait to have her baby sister here!

Night terrors.

For those of you who have never experienced some one having a night terror, you are in for a treat!
I first heard about night terrors from my aunt Kerryne who's son has had night terrors since he was about Chloie's age. They are terrifying.
It's not your average night mare that's for sure! It's like a nightmare being acted out... If  you have seen an excorsist type movie that's about what it's like... It's SCARY!
Chloie started having these a few months ago, she will wake up in the middle of the night just screaming bloody murder and throwing herself around the worst part is she looks completely awake, just really dazed. If we touch her it makes it worse, if we try to calm her down with well... anything, it makes it worse. All we can do is talk to her calmly (try not to laugh, or in my case cry, at times) and make sure she doesn't hurt herself. There is no way to prevent them from happening, or stop them while they are happening. So we wait it out then when she finally snaps out of it its bubble baths and otter-pops that help her go back to sleep calmly.
So 2-4 times a week Ben and I (or sometimes just it's just me when Ben's working) are up for 2-3 hours just trying to help her through these then tack on another hour of calming her down afterwards. (So if I ever seem tiered or slightly more irritable, this is why)
Yesterday we got to experience one during nap time (which was a first) so I got some video of it for the first time.

So here is one of the clips I got of her (this one lasted about an hour and a half), mind you this is NOT a temper tantrum and she is NOT awake. This is NOT how my child acts normally.

Fun stuff, huh? Bet you are all jealous that your child doesn't do this! Ha!

A little ranting and raving with a smile! :)

WARNING!!! : This post contains negative feelings. Proceed with caution. Note that there is some underlying sarcasm in the majority of this. :)

And mostly I am hoping to get out my (possibly hormone rage induced) feelings while making someone some where laugh. So keep that in mind as you read....

Ha...

Do you ever feel like you get an abundance of unwanted advice from just about everyone you run into?
I do.
Especially lately, I don't know what it is about being pregnant with an almost two year old that screams "some one please tell me everything I'm doing wrong and what I should be doing to be as amazing as you". also tell me all your horror stories about labor and delivery because, ya know, I haven't been through it before or anything. AND PRETTY PLEASE point out constantly how young I am to be a mom, much less married. I am aware of my age (contrary to popular belief I am NOT an idiot) (bet your shocked). I just figured out what I wanted for my life, and found a man who wants the same for his life, a little earlier on in life  then some other people have (and to be honest earlier then I thought I would personally). Sorry if that bothers you. :)
I just don't understand people. I'm usually one to keep my opinions to myself, unless provoked (I may be feeling a little provoked at the moment, by the way). So I don't get why some people feel like everyone needs to hear their opinions all of the time? Usually when people give me their unsolicited advice and opinions I'm generally nodding (to be polite) and thinking "If I wanted to hear any of this I would have asked, and the fact that your forcing this lecture on me makes me;  for 1: very uncomfortable and for 2: not want to be around you for even short periods of time ever again."
But I will smile and nod and say things like "Oh I never would have thought of that" when I have ( or I've researched and asked my Dr. about and decided against it), or things like "Oh thank you so much for all of your advice!" when I really couldn't care less, but if your that into it I will listen to be nice. :)

Then I find my self complaining about all of this to my husband (who not only finds them annoying as well but tends to find me annoying for being annoyed. fun.) or my best friend, Kenzie. Who generally agree's with me (which is possibly just because she knows that if she doesn't I will continue to talk about it until she does) and waits 'til I'm done ranting and raving about stupid people then offers me Cheesecake or candy to make me feel better. LOVE HER! haha.

I would just like to say that I know I am not a perfect mother, wife, sister, daughter, niece, cousin,  friend, sister-in-law, or daughter-in-law.  BUT I am doing the best I can. I cannot please everyone all of the time. I am nothing more then an average person, I do not preform magic tricks, I don't know everything, and I (surprisingly) am not perfect.
I am okay with being less then perfect. I am okay with being just a good mom, not a super mom. I'm okay with being a good wife, not a perfect wife. And I will give to everyone else (sisters, brothers, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends)  everything that I can. And that will just have to be enough.
Until I'm struck be lighting or I touch some magic moon rock that gives me super powers. :) (it will totally happen one day I'm sure)

Now that I've gotten that off my chest I feel much better and am fully prepared to pretend to care when I get more advice. (and since we are going to the grocery store I'm guessing it will be happening soon, gotta love random strangers at walmart!)


Thanks for reading I hope that some one got a good laugh! If you didn't, you obviously did not read this correctly in my sarcastic tone. Try again. :)

Fun and Cute Crafts!

I've been wanting to do a couple cute things for the girls' room for a while now and today I finally did it! :) 

I'm adding yellow to the girls' room and my amazing mother in law has made a quilt for Chloie's new big girl bed and a matching one for the baby's crib with yellow, pink, and brown fabrics. So I needed to add just a little to the decorations in the room to tie it all in. (I don't have the quilts yet, or Chloie's new bed But as soon as I get their room COMPLETELY put together I'll post pictures of the whole thing!!)

So I got these letters at hobby lobby to spray paint with a pastel yellow.

 ^this is the color I used.

 I did 3 coats (I wanted them to look a little more vintage so I misted them lightly 3 times instead of doing solid coats)

I saw someone else do this a while back and for the life of me I cannot remember who did it.... but Thank you for the cute idea who ever you are! :) This is just a Styrofoam ball that I pinned the cute colored tissue paper to to make it all poofy and fun!  

Chloie really wanted to help me it was cute! 

This is the size of it after I finished the first one (on the right is how big it was to begin with)  

The hot pink one I did with bigger squares just to make it look different.

Chloie was exhausted from all the crafts I guess :)

Here are the finished projects, I'm pretty happy with them!  

 The "C" for above Chloie's bed (I made the matching pink flowers with my sister in law Whitney, they are made from T-shirts and are super easy to make!)

The "E" for above the baby's crib (don't bother asking what her name is all we know is that the only 3 names we both like all start with E so it will start with an E for sure.)  :)

And the cute little pom-poms! 

P.s. All of this cost me about 12bucks to do, thanks to Hobby Lobby! Seriously my favorite store ever! 

Yet another update from the Andrus Family.

So, honestly, not a lot has been happenin' in this house hold of the past month but it's the little things that matter most right??? :)

Chloie is growing up SOOO fast, I can't even stand it some times. She is such a little person lately, instead of the baby I brought home almost 2 years ago. 

She has the funniest little personality, she is pretty much a perfect mix between her daddy and I. I was A LOT more verbal at her age and quite a bit more girly and princessy... and emotional. Haha, her daddy on the other hand (from what I understand) was quiet, pretty much let his older sister Jen do all the talking (which still happens on occasion, kinda hilarious.) He was a tough kid too, fall down hop right back up and keep on going... I would cry for hours if Jordan even looked at me. 

I guess you could say we are opposites. Completely. :)

Chloie got her daddy's ability to just keep on going after, lets say..falling down the stairs. She hops right up and says "OW" then just keeps on going. She is talkative but she only uses actual words if she has to. The majority of what she says is gibberish or sign language (which I will get into a little more here in a minute). Which is fine, She kinda has the same mentality with talking that her daddy did, except is usually cousin Paisley who does the talking. :) It is so fun to watch her grow.

Moving on...

We had the opportunity to go to my cousin Sharise's wedding in St George last week and it was beautiful.

I will admit that driving to St George at 5am after only a few hours of sleep, then spending the day running around non-stop, on top of being sick and pregnant DEFINITELY took it's toll on me. I'm sorry for anyone who had to witness my little emotional break down... I'm still not even sure if there was any logic to it at all. Just sick, exhausted, and pregnant. sorry... ha.

But it was worth it to see my cousin Sharise in the sealing room surrounded by friends and family, looking RADIANT, with the love of her life. Being sealed for time and all eternity. I'm so happy for them! :)

Thanks for letting me be a part of it! 

Moving on again...

Ben is still working... constantly. We got to spend all day sunday with him last week (which was a blessing for me since I've been sick) he got to play with Chloie all day. She LOVED it! We get him for an entire Saturday this week, I'm so excited. :) 

Baby girl #2 is still unnamed... only 9 weeks to go and I haven't got the foggiest idea what we will name her... She is healthy though and seems pretty content just crammed into my back and hips (not so much fun for me but she seems to enjoy it.) 

Allie (our dog) thinks she is a cat, which is coming in handy lately. There was a MOUSE in my house and she killed it...  They really need to do something with the field behind our house I really HATE mice... 

Me... still pregnant... still a mom... still a wife... really tiered...

So back to the Sign Language thing, I started Chloie with Signing time when she was about 6 months old. It is probably the best thing I have decided to do so far. It REALLY helps with the temper tantrums and it helped her to communicate before she could verbalize what she needed. I first heard about signing time when my brother, Jayce, was little. I remember watching it with him and he actually used it quite a bit. He even used it with a little girl he met in kindergarten who could only sign. Which was pretty cool. So I HIGHLY recommend Signing Time to everyone, it's never too late to introduce sign language and it's fun to learn something new along with your child.

Here are some fun pics from the past few weeks.

 Chloie loves to play in her infant bath tub...

 otter pop and sunglasses along with a little bit of attitude.. :)

 messy hair. Love it!

 horsey back rides with daddy. :)