24 Week Dr. Update

     Today we headed to the Dr. to check on Miss Payton. She is doing well. She was active for the appointment, so it took us a minute to get her heart rate, but when we did, it was 150 beats per minute. Everything seems to be going great. I have gained 6 more lbs since my last appointment, putting me at a total of +9 lbs for this pregnancy. Not too bad. Ryan has been working a lot lately, but he had already taken today off because we were visiting with my parents yesterday and he wouldn't have had a chance to sleep (he works third shift), so we took advantage of my appointment today to go on a lunch date and do a little shopping. I love spending time with him!

    Rylee has been getting more and more excited about her baby sister. She plays with her dolls nonstop and they are all now named "Payton Joy Massengill." Everyday she asks, "Is baby sister coming out of your belly today?" It makes me happy that she is looking forward to her sister's arrival. I know it will be a major adjustment for our family at first, but I really think they are going to get along just fine! :)

School's Out!/Memorial Day Weekend

 
 

      School's out! I made it through my first year of teaching, and I am so excited about spending all summer with my sweet girl! I have learned so much in this year, much more than my students, I am sure, but nonetheless, it was the hardest year of my life, but also the most rewarding. I am so thankful for my job, and very glad to be returning next August.

     But in the meantime, there is summer fun to be had! Last week, Mel and Austin came down for a visit, and it was a blast. It was the first time that Austin and Rylee really played together, and they had a ball! Friday night, we had a cookout at Granny and Pawpaw's, and for the first time in a long time, I think since Thanksgiving, the whole family was together. It was so much fun. The 3 kids had so much fun playing together. I can't believe how fast they've grown!

    Today is Memorial Day, so we had a cookout over at Liz and Brandon's and let our 3 kiddos play. These 3 are definitely best friends. They ran and laughed and played the entire evening. They didn't slow down for a second except to eat and then they were right back at it. I love these 3 kiddos so much, and I enjoy watching their special bond grow each and every day.

     This weekend is only just the beginning of a summer full of fun times, but the best thing is I get to spend every single day with my sweet girl! I love these little breaks when I get to be a stay-at-home-mom!! I am going to make the most of every minute because before long I will have 2 very special girls to give all my love and attention to. :)

Our 4th Anniversary

      Thursday was our 4th wedding anniversary. It feels like time has flown by, but it also feels like we have been together our whole lives. I guess because the most important things in our live have all happened in these last 4 years! :)

    We didn't do much Thursday to celebrate because we both had to work and were tired, so we decided it'd be best to go out to celebrate on Friday night instead. Thursday, we just ordered a pizza and enjoyed some family time.

     I did, however, surprise Ryan with a new drill set on Thursday. He had been wanting a drill for a while now. On our date Friday night, he bought me 3 new pairs of shoes. I must say his gift was better than mine. I'd take shoes over tools any day! Haha! Gifts are all well and good, but the most important thing is 4 years later, we are still very much in love. We still enjoy being around each other, and we're still genuinely happy together. I love our little family and I can't believe on our 5th anniversary we will be a family of 4! I can't wait! :) 4 years down, forever to go!

Mother's Day 2013

     Today is my 3rd Mother's Day being Rylee's mommy. I feel so blessed that God chose me to mother her. I am looking forward to next year which will be my first mother's day as Payton's mommy. I can't wait to meet her!

         Today was a great day. Yesterday, I got my gifts. Rylee made me a jar with her hand print on it at school. It is so adorable! "Rylee" (Ryan) got me flowers and donuts yesterday, too. I love all my gifts! :) Rylee also made me a card today at church. We heard a great sermon, then we took Ryan's mom out to lunch for mother's day. It was fun.

       This whole weekend has been absolutely perfect. Friday, we got to see Miss Payton at the baby doctor, and yesterday we took a trip to the zoo with Liz, Brandon, Kade, Mary, and Bailey. It was a lot of fun. I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day weekend!

    I think the most important thing about being a mother is that it is a learning process. This year I have learned how important acceptance is when it comes to parenting, and how detrimental comparison can be. All children are not the same, not even close. Accepting your child for who they are, how God created them to be, and realizing that a difference in personality traits is not a flaw make parenting a lot smoother. Rylee has quirks like every child. She is not bad, but she can't be expected to be perfect. I love her for who she is every minute of every day. I love her quirks. I love her personality. And I love her more than words can express. She can be one of the most loving, compassionate children on the planet, if she's given a chance to warm up. And anyone who isn't willing to give her that chance is really missing out. She has so much wisdom for someone so small. She teaches me something everyday, and I am forever grateful that she is mine. I thank God for guiding me as I raise her, and I pray that with each mistake I make, the lesson learned helps me and her to grow as human beings and as children of Christ.

It's A...

       Girl! We are officially expecting little Miss Payton Joy Massengill. We couldn't be more thrilled!

      Payton is developing right on schedule. She weighed in at a whopping 13 oz today, I have finally started putting on weight. I am at a total of +3 lbs from my initial, pre-pregnancy weight. I know it's natural, but seeing the number on the scale go up still sucks! Her heart rate was 151 beats per minute. And she was showing out her little spunky personality during the ultrasound. Every time Rylee would scream, she would put both of her hands up and cover her ears. Later when the tech was trying to get a picture of her profile, she kept turning around right when she tried to take the snapshots. It was so cute and funny. I already love her so!

      Rylee came along with us today because we wanted to involve her in the process and help feel more connected with her sister. Well, it didn't exactly go as planned because she began to freak out once we got to the Dr.'s office because she thought we were tricking her into going to the Dr. She had a meltdown when they cut the lights off to do the ultrasound and didn't watch it one bit, but as soon as it was over, she was excited as can be about her baby sister. We had a lot of fun shopping and getting ideas for things for Payton. On the way home, Ryles passed out from all of the excitement. Things don't always go as planned, but it was still a perfect day!

This Adventure We Call Life...

     This week at school has been one of the most tiring weeks so far. 2 field trips and 18 kids with a severe case of spring fever has made for one exhausted teacher! So we decided to make this weekend a fun one and take the three kiddos to ChuckECheese in Jackson.
     I kept Bailey yesterday morning while Mary worked until noon, and the girls had a great time. After their nap, we got ready to go and the kids were thrilled. On the way to Jackson, Rylee spit up a little bit. The car was stuffy, so we assumed it was just a little carsickness and went on.

      Unfortunately it turned out to be a stomach virus of some sort, and she ended up getting sick again about an hour later at Chuckecheese. We got out of there as quickly as we could and headed home. Rylee was getting sick in a bag in the backseat while Mary and I tried to help keep her clean. Ryan was hurrying home because she was sick. We had both got puked on so he had his shirt and my shirt in the trunk. I was wearing his undershirt and he was shirtless. And we got pulled over for speeding. It was a bit surreal, a child was literally green in the back seat, we had a bag of vomit, Ryan was shirtless, and this guy writes him a ticket anyways. Oh well, such is life.
     Once we got home, Rylee continued getting sick until about 11:30 PM, then she finally fell asleep. She got up around 6:30 AM and drank some watered down juice and has seemed fine ever since, just very weak and tired. This is her 4th stomach virus since December. Lets hope she can stay well for a while, now....

My "First" Field Trip

      Today we took my first full field trip as a teacher, and it was crazy! We went on a field trip while I was a student teacher, and that was a lot of work, but it wasn't nearly as much work as today was. Let's just say, these sweet babies wore me out! I am so thankful for my 3 parent volunteers, or I would have really been out by now! It is 4:30 in the afternoon, and I could so get into bed!

     We travelled to Donnell Century Farms in Jackson. We had a lot of fun. It was a little bit hectic because it doesn't seem like there was any schedule or anything, but the kids got to do a lot of fund things. There was a play rotation of 3 stations and an educational rotation of 3 stations. The play rotation consisted of a playground made from hay and farm equipment, including a tire pit (but my kids didn't get a chance to play on the tire part), a hayride that included a story trail, and a giant "pumpkin pillow", basically a bouncy house without the house. The kids had a lot of fun. After the play rotation, we had a picnic lunch, then we quickly headed to the educational rotation.

     During the educational rotation the kids went through a series of buildings that taught them about different aspects of the farm like where produce comes from, where we get beef, and where we get milk. Then there was a soybean station here the kids got to plant soybean in a water gel so hopefully they will sprout and they can have a plant at home, then there was an animal feeding station. We were very rushed through the educational station, and still ended up back on the bus 15 minutes late! It was very, very, very hectic, but the kids all seemed to enjoy it, and that's all that matters. I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks with these babies. They are my first group of "my kids." I am going to miss them, but I have to say I am looking forward to summer vacation. This teacher is tired!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

     Since last Saturday, I feel like we have been running full throttle, and I am a bit worn out today! Saturday, we went to go get a lawnmower and weed eater because Spring is here in full force and this is our first Spring/Summer having a yard to take care of. The whole process took a lot longer than expected, so we ended up going all day to get it and by the time we got home, it was time for dinner, then Rylee's bath time and bedtime.

     Last Sunday, we made the 3.5-4 hour drive up to my parents' house to visit with them and my grandmother and half-sister. It was good to have family time, but because Ryan works third shift now, he wasn't able to come and I missed him. Plus Rylee was a bit of a handful the whole time because she doesn't do well in unfamiliar situations, so it wore me out a bit more having to deal with her on my own. We didn't make it home until nearly 9, then it was bedtime to prepare for the long week ahead of us.

   Because we had such a busy weekend, I tried to spend family time and relax a bit after work each day this week, but it was a tough week. We have our big SAT 10 test coming up this week, so last week we were reviewing and practicing, and it was just tiring. My kiddos were worn out, and I was definitely worn out. 

     Yesterday was a bit busy as well, I got up with Rylee at 7 and I instantly started to clean the house because it hadn't been cleaned in over 2 weeks due to us going-going-going. It needed it badly! Then I played with Rylee for a little bit, and spent about an hour of quality time with Ryan and Ryles. After that, I got ready to go to a dear friend's bridal shower. I enjoyed the shower, and it was fun to watch her get so many nice things to start her new life as a wife. After the shower, I headed home for a bit, then Rylee and I headed to Katie's 8th birthday party, we picked up Mary and Bailey along the way, and off the luau we went. We had a lot of fun at the party, but we didn't get home until almost 9, and by then, Rylee and I were both tired.

      This morning, we slept in until 8:30 (woo!), then we got up and got ready to go to church. We had an amazing service. I really love our new pastor, Brother Josh. He is so passionate about everything he preaches. His messages always have a way of hitting home and making you want to act on what you've heard. After church, Bailey and Rylee "found" a kitty in the parking lot (it was the pastor's kitty from next door). They had a blast chasing it and trying to catch it. Ryan picked it up for them to let them pet it, but they had more fun when it was down so they could chase it. Poor thing! Then we headed to lunch with Nonna, Granddaddy, Mary, and Bailey at Pizza Hut.

    Since we got home, we have been relaxing. Rylee and Ryan both laid down for naps. Ryan has to start his work week at 10 tonight, but he still has a few more hours of weekend left. While they napped, I laid out in the sun and listened to music. It was great to just be still for an hour. Since Rylee has been up, she has been playing and playing outside. She loves being outdoors, and I love seeing how happy she is out there. Our plans for the rest of today include grilling out dinner, and just enjoying each other's company. It sounds absolutely perfect to me! :)

16 Week Baby Update

     Yesterday, we went to the doctor for Baby Massengill's 16 week check-up. He/she is doing great! Heart rate was 140 beats per minute, and all the screening results for chromosomal birth defects came back normal. So far, so good! We scheduled our gender ultrasound for May 10. I cannot wait to find out what gender our precious little baby is. I've been hoping for another little girl from the start. I love being the mommy of a little princess, so having another would be twice the fun. Plus, I don't think there is any greater blessing in life than a sister. My sisters are my best friends, and I would love for Rylee to have that experience. But of course, we would love a little brother just the same. Ryan and his family are all hoping for boy. I guess it's an ego thing for men to want a little legacy. Either way, I feel that this little addition will complete our family. If we are not completely done growing our family, we are at least done for a while.

     This little sweetie is going to be an amazing big sister. I can't wait to see her in action. I have no illusions that she won't be jealous at first, but she is such an independent little girl, that even if she becomes more needy, I feel like it won't be a problem to give her some extra attention and take care of the new baby, too. Luckily, the due date is during the school year, so she will be going to preschool during the day, so I have bonding time  (and nap time!) with the new baby, but when she gets home, we will have lots of family time, too. I couldn't be more excited, and I can't wait to meet our newest love, but for now, I'm focusing on Rylee and making sure she is as prepared as possible for the changes to come.

Sesame Street Live

     Yesterday, we took the kids to Memphis to see Sesame Street Live at the Fed Ex Forum. At first, I think the Moms were more excited than the kids, but as we told them about it over this week, they got more and more and excited. By the time yesterday rolled around, Rylee was so excited she could barely sleep; I had to bribe her to get her to get a nap in before the 5:30 show. 

    First we headed to the gift shop. Kade and Bailey both opted for Sesame Street binoculars, but Rylee wanted a plush Zoe doll. She is a stuffed animal type of girl. She has tons, but she could never have enough in her mind. She has carried that doll around since the moment she got it. When we got in our seats, the kids all waited anxiously for the characters to come out.

     From the minute the curtain went up, Rylee was in awe of the show. She sang along, laughed, danced, clapped, and just watched in wonder. She loved it all, except when the characters came into the crowd. She said, "I want to see them. I don't want them to get me." I love her little mind. When we got home, her only complaint was that she wasn't able to go on the stage and "play in Elmo's World." I'm assuming she only wanted to play in it after the characters were gone.

     This week has been busy trying to get back into the routine of going to work and Rylee going to school. She cried Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week she was happy to go, and today she even asked if she could go to school. I'm glad she likes where she goes. I hope she always loves school, it sure makes it a lot easier to send her there, when I know she's happy. :)