Monday...

Well, another week has begun. I'm a bit bleary -eyed. Sweet little Ariana is still uncomfortable, and only giving me 3 hour stretches at night...and this from a baby who was going 6, 7 & twice, 8 hours at night already. What has happened! I got a call back today from the pediatrician's office, and they've referred us to a GI specialist, and we'll see him on Tuesday this week. Hopefully he can give us some insight and help her get a little more comfortable. Little Elise has been a gem...she plays so well & has given me the grace to take care of Ariana throughout the day. She did want to do a craft today, so I dug into my bag of goodies from the dollar store & we crafted a bug family! She did great. I keep picking tomatoes and cucumbers from my little garden - so Charlotte friends, if you need a tomato or two - let me know. We have been enjoying them, but I can only enjoy so many, you know!

A sample of the produce from our garden

 We worked on the bug family during the day, but John was able to help out with the legs when he got home...here's the little bugs. They are supposed to be lady-bugs, but the legs remind me of spiders.Ha!

Bug family

Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!

Yes, It's been HOT here in Charlotte. Our daily temps have been in the upper 90's and with the heat index, it feels like 100+. Add to that some humidity & you just have to find ways to stay cool - or just stay indoors. This past weekend we took some time to just try to stay cool - in our own backyard!

Watering the plants & having fun!

Ariana's first dip in a pool - 10 weeks old

2 Months old

Our little Rosebud is 2 months already! At her check up she was 11 lbs. 15 oz & 23.25 inches long - the 75th percentile. We are still working to get her a little more comfortable. She has good days where she sleeps well, and others where she wakes up crying & is just uncomfortable all-day.
She continues to coo, and loves to "bat" at her toys & look at books, and loves to have a clean, dry diaper. She enjoys her bath time and kicks and splashes in the water.

I just took her in to the pediatrician again this morning to have them look at her. The previous 24+ hours, she wouldn't sleep, was arching her back & grunting. Since it wasn't a routine well-visit, I saw another Doctor at the practice, and she said that she'd like to try her on another reflux medicine - prilosec - to see if this makes her more comfortable. And she agrees that it seems strange that for a nursing baby, she isn't pooping more. So - our game plan is to pump milk for the next 24 hours to get a real count on how many ounces of milk she's drinking in a 24 hr. period; then, if she's eating well, but still uncomfortable, try the acid reflux meds; then, if she is taking in normal amounts of milk, but not pooping regularly, to see a GI specialist to see if there is another factor to consider.

Weekend trip to Asheville

We took a long weekend trip to Asheville, NC. John had to do a photo shoot for work on Saturday at The Cove (Billy Graham's Training Center), and so we decided to join him & take a little break from the heat in the Piedmont. The mountains were beautiful and cooler which was nice to take Ariana out a bit more and not worry that she was melting in her carseat. We drove up on Friday night, and my mom came along to help me with the girls on Saturday while John was working..and to enjoy a little get-away, too. My dad was on-call this past weekend, or he would have joined us as well.

Grandma in the middle!

We walked around the cute little mountain town of Black Mountain during the day on Saturday and found a few treasures there.

Exploring Black Mountain, NC

Elise's beagle came with us everywhere...

Clean baby 9 weeks old

I don't know that I would say it's especially relaxing to go away with a newborn, but she did pretty well on her first weekend getaway.

Relaxing & watching a little TV

Our hotel did have a nice little pool to enjoy & Elise was a little fish! She loved to swim around in her vest. John helped me with Ariana & I was able to enjoy the pool, too.

Poolside - John & Ariana

Our little swimmer

John and I celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, July 17th. It's hard to believe it has been that many years, but I also feel as though I can hardly remember what life was like before we were together. Love you, babe. Thanks for the weekend away. We are in the busy, busy life-stage with small children & this anniversary trip looked much different than previous years of romantic dinners and relaxing poolside with a great book soaking in the sun, but those get-aways will return.

It takes a lot of stuff...even for a few nights away

On our way home we took a gorgeous drive on the parkway & it must have been just too much for Elise. There were so many twists and turns on our way down the mountain, I felt sick. It might have also been my turning around to have Ariana drink a bottle to keep her comfortable with all the pressure changes, too...All in all, it was nice to have a little change of scenery & do something out of our normal routine.

Tuckered out...

Growing up so fast!

Here we are in July already! I took Ariana to the pediatrician last week to see if he could give her something to make her more comfortable, since she has been going several days without pooping. Poor girl. He gave me some medicine that is basically a sugar to help her go. We've been giving her doses every day and I wouldn't say that she is necessarily going more frequently, but she seems much calmer and more comfortable. Perhaps it's helping to move the gas through her system much easier....who knows? With babies its always a guessing game, and as I mom, I'm just happy that she seems more comfortable and is sleeping well again! We see him again on Friday and I'll check to see where we go from here.

Driving to Minnesota! HA!

8 weeks old

It's so fun to "chat" with Ariana. She loves to coo and smile for us. Also, this past week, Elise graduated to a booster seat. She is very excited to use the adult strap to buckle herself in the car & we're happy to have a bit more space in the back seat. She is so imaginative and loves to play with her animals and babies. Here, her Uni is strapped into her old car seat & she's looking through a picture album. Thankfully, she can entertain herself quite well & this makes it easier for me with a newborn, too.

Booster time

Movies of Ariana...weeks 7-8

Ariana is becoming more and more aware of the world around her. She likes to bat at little toys we put near her, and she loves listening to music or having us sing to her. She is enamored with her big sister, Elise and will smile and coo when grandpa Ron talks to her. We are enjoying her. Life is still busy & I'm still adjusting to having 2 to care for and tote with me everywhere I go, but I am definitely much more comfortable with a newborn with my second than the first time with Elise. God's mercies are new every morning - Great is His faithfulness!

Happy 4th

We had a pretty low-key 4th of July weekend. We grilled some pork chops on the barby and hung out for an afternoon with Curt & Rob; enjoyed mom and dad's blow-up pool in the backyard & just tried to stay cool. We didn't attempt to go out to see fireworks, but there were several neighbors shooting them off, so we were able to watch from the comfort of our backyard. I didn't even take many pictures, but here are a few of Ariana smiling and cooing in her red, white & blue outfit, and thought you'd enjoy some face time with our little one...enjoy.

Schroeder's Visit to Charlotte

I grew up in Mt. Lake, MN & one of our closest neighbors was the Schroeder family. Allen & Jan had a conference in Virginia at the end of June, and made the drive to Charlotte for a visit. We had such a fun time hanging out together, and it was great to show them our life here. We went to the Billy Graham Library for lunch and a tour, then met John at the headquarters building where he works later in the day.
I think Mom and Dad had fun showing them around as well.

Lunch in one of the dairy stalls at the Billy Graham Library

Rocking chairs

Touring Billy Graham headquarters building

We enjoyed dinner out at Firebirds steakhouse, then walked over to the fountain at Stonecrest. It was one of those beautiful summer nights. So fun to have you visit! Come again.

A night out by the fountains at Stonecrest