Unexpected

So here we are, July 3rd 2014... I cannot believe that I am writing this post.  Last Saturday, June 28th, we lost our beautiful beagle Olive. She was sick for a very short time but it came on quickly and she rapidly got worse.  We took her to see several veterinarians but after a few days of no answers we got the horrible news that our baby girl was beginning to suffer and there wasn't anything that could be done. We had to let her go.  I am not going to go into details on here, because I don't want that to be what this post is about.

Olive was a fierce lover and the sweetest dog I have ever known. She was always in your face trying to get as much love and attention as possible. She absolutely loved her beagle brothers and could be found cuddled up next to one of them if there wasn't a human companion nearby (and even sometimes if there was). She was playful, fun, mischievous, a food lover, snuggler and our world has been so different since she left us. All of the beagles are fairly patient with Jack Jack but Olive was on another level.  She let him tackle, hug, kiss and wrestle her all day long and never complained or tried to get away.  I was so excited to see her with both of our boys and just knew that they would all be best friends.

Our house will never be the same without her loud beagle howl to great you at the door and excited jumps and licks to get your attention. I miss her at my feet while I cook and eat. I hate that she isn't waiting for me on our bed every time I get out of the shower. Sometimes she would even come into the bathroom and lay on the floor. She just wanted to always be close.  Our house is so quiet without her barking excitedly at all of the passers by in the neighborhood.  She loved to make her presence known to everyone :)  We are all missing her so much and the pain is much greater than I could have ever imagined.  I just wish I could hug and cuddle her one more time and that we could have had many more years with her like I had anticipated. She was 5 1/2 years old, still so young. 

Olive- mommy loves you so much and I wish more than anything that I could have made you better to give you more time on this earth with us.  We will miss you every single day and will cherish all of the memories we have of you.  Thank you for showing us true unconditional love for 5+ years. I hope you are feeling good and happy in doggy Heaven.  Until we meet again, sweet angel. Rest in Peace. <3

  

I could have cuddled her forever

 

Most nights you could catch us cuddled up on the couch, vegging out. We always loved our snuggles in the evenings before bed. Elmer usualy goes to bed before we do but Olive would wait until I got up and actually told her it was time for bed and she would follow me down the hall to sleep. She was a complete bed hog and I miss that about her (I miss everything about her).  She loved to sleep under the blankets with her head on the pillow, right between me and Jack. 

 

Olive was so loyal to Jack Jack. She always stuck close by his side from day 1.  They had a very special bond.

 

She sure did love her daddy

 

 

One of the last photos I have of Olive. When I took this picture I didn't realize how sick she was. 

I will miss these paws on my shoulder.

Sick baby girl but still as beautiful and sweet as ever. 

26 weeks pregnant with an 18 month old!

There has been a lot happening in our lives lately.  Our busy toddler has us running around like crazy and it is hard to believe that we are almost in the third trimester and only a few months away from meeting Hudson! 

Here is an update on Baby H as well as some news on Jack. He surprises us every day with new things that he is learning and is so much fun! 

How far along? 26 weeks
Baby is as big as a: Head of lettuce!  Approx 12-14 inches long and a little over 2 pounds! 
Maternity clothes? All maternity, all of the time.  This baby sure isn't taking it easy on me with growth. I am growing by the minute. 
Sleep: Sleep isn't great, which I remember from my pregnancy with Jack. 
Best moment this week:  We just got back from a week at the beach in North Carolina and it was such a great vacation!
Miss Anything? Drinking lots of coffee and sleeping on my back
Movement: He moves all of the time.  Had a few quiet days last week but from what I understand babies tend to move less during growth spurts so maybe he was just putting some weight on!  A few times on the way home from the beach I felt him way up in my rib and I had to push him down to get comfortable again. I thought it was a little early for those big movements but I guess I am wrong. 

Food cravings:  vinegar, sour things, spicy food.  So similar to my pregnancy with Jack.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, thankfully

Gender : Boy!!

Belly Button in or out? out. Jack Jack pokes it and says "nose"

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody :  Happy, but moody. Wish I had better control of that sometimes. Sorry, husband!

Looking forward to: SO much to do in the nursery. 

 

 

Updates on Jack at 18 months

• Jack is becoming such a little parrot.  He has a ton of new words and is starting to repeat us more and more.  Some of my favorites that he says are "pineapple", "Paci", "night night", "go", "fish", "cookie", "whoa" and "wow".  He says them all in the most adorable way. 
• "All Done" seems to be one of his favorite phrases. He yelled it the entire way home from swim lessons the other day because I guess he was done being in the car!
• Daddy was working on writing a list a few weeks ago and Jack pulled the paper out of his hand and said "all done"... he wanted to play :)
• Jack is starting to follow directions really well.  He stands at the bathroom door in the evenings when I tell him it is bath time.  Brings me diapers, shoes and other items that I ask him to bring to me and answers a lot of our questions with "yes" or "no".  It is amazing what they learn so quickly.
• Bed time has been earlier the past month or so and it has been great. Little man goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 and I literally have to wake him up in the mornings for school. He LOVES to sleep.
• speaking of sleeping, nap time has been great.  He naps on a cot at school and loves it.  The teacher said he has even rolled off of it a few times because he is sleeping so hard (it is very close to the ground).  He doesn't react when it happens, just climbs back on and goes right back to sleep!
• Jack is saying "thank you" and at the right times! It is so sweet.
• "No" is his absolute favorite word and he says it at the most perfect times.  If he hears me turn on his sound machine for bed he will say "no" and run in the other direction even though he never puts up a fight when we actually put him down for bed.
• Constantly signing "please" when he needs help with something.  Does it completely unprompted and it makes me proud.
• Swim lessons are going great and Jack loves spending the time in the pool each week with his daddy.  It is so fun to watch them together.  Jack is a total water baby.
• Jack pretends to sleep now and it is so cute. He will say "night night" and roll to his side or onto his belly and close his eyes. he thinks it is hilarious!

 playtime at the park

Playing in his new sandbox is one of his favorite things!

swim lessons with dad

Mama at 16 weeks with Hudson 

 

 

 We love our afternoon walks together

Jack loves this chair. I love that my parents had it recovered from when i was little. 

 

26 weeks with my favorite little photo bomber in the corner

 

Jack's Dedication

On Mother's Day we celebrated by having Jack dedicated at church. It was a beautiful service and we are so glad we did it.  Jack wanted to grab the mic and got a little antsy during the prayer but it went well and we are so excited to raise him in the church surrounded by such a great church family.

We had to select a verse from the bible to read for Jack and we chose one from Proverbs (below). There are a few photos from the day as well. 

We spent the rest of the day relaxing. We even did some shopping for our upcoming beach trip and bought a crib mattress for baby #2!  I am finally getting started on the nursery for Hudson Stuart and we are so excited!  21 weeks along and time is moving quickly.

 

Proverbs 3:1-6

My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
² for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

 

 

 



It's been a while...

I cannot believe it has been almost 3 months since I last posted here. We have been busy busy busy!  Here is a run down of what we have been up to and an overload of pictures. 

Jack is almost 15 months old and into everything! He is starting to say more words and seems to learn something new every day. His little personality is so funny and he loves to be the center of attention. I wish I had done a better job of documenting the last few months because I know I am going to forget so many things but here are some things he has been up to lately.

• Running everywhere and climbing on everything
• We have had several days of snow lately so Jack has enjoyed playing in it and exploring outside when everything is covered and white.  When it snows he just sits at the front door and stares outside saying "oooohhhhh" and pointing everywhere.
• When we tell him to say "bye bye" he automatically starts blowing kisses and it just melts my heart.
• He likes to "talk" on the phone and holds it up to his ear. He also know what button to press to turn the iphone on and can swipe to different screens. It is insane.
• Jack loves to be tickled and tries to tickle us back.  He laughs any time I hug or tickle his daddy too.  Makes for great entertainment while he is eating in his high chair.
• Some of his most used words:  Olive, Jack Jack, Hi, Bye, All Done, ball, up, mama, dada, pop, wow, dog, car
• Jack is really understanding us these days and it is so fun to watch him react to us.  If I ask him if he is ready to eat he runs and stands by his high chair, He also runs to the bathroom when I say it is time for a bath.  He loves to bring me things that I ask for and has started trying to put on his own shoes. It is pretty darn cute. 
• Jack makes elephant and snake sounds on command. When he does the elephant he raises his hand in the air like a trunk. If he sees an elephant toy or one of tv he automatically starts acting like an elephant.  The snake is newer and he is so proud of himself making the "s" sound.
• Jack loves to show people his belly and toes when we ask where they are.  He lifts his shirt as high as he can pull it to show his round little belly :)
• Books are his favorite! He loves to bring books over to us and then turns around and backs into our laps to read.
• "The wheels on the bus" and "if your happy and you know it" are currently the most popular songs.
• Jack LOVES dancing, especially to the hot dog dance on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but he will dance to anything.

Jack's 1st Birthday Party!

Christmas Morning

First time actually playing in the snow.