Special Girl

So for years and years, I've always wanted to name my first baby girl Katelyn. Kate has been my favorite girl's name for the longest time. When Nate and I were dating, we talked about that name, and it was pretty much set. The whole time I was pregnant with Cam, before we found out he was a boy, we were always like "Are you Kate or Cameron?". And same with this baby. The second we found out I was pregnant, it started again, "Do you think Katelyn's in there?" (Or Kater, as Nate called her....he likes to put an "er" on the end of everything.....this is why I call him Nater!)

But it's weird....right when we found out she was a girl, I just didn't feel as excited as I thought I'd be to name her Katelyn. I still love the name to peices, but I don't think this baby girl is our Kater! So we've decided on a different name (her middle name is still in discussion), and I am SOOOO excited! When I call her this name, I just feel very happy, and for whatever reason, it just fits! Chances are that if we have another girl, she'll be Kate, but this baby is just not!

Now I can't wait to meet her! She's going to be really cool, I think!! haha! I just really think she's going to be special. Last night I was watching the Relief Socity General Meeting (so good!) and I kept thinking that maybe she'll be General RS, YW or Primary President or something like that! I hope and pray that she (and Cam and our other children) will serve a mission. My mission was such an amazing experience, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love picturing what our children are destined for in this Church. So now Nate and I just have to do our absolute best to provide a home that is a "sacred and safe haven" in this scary world! I'm grateful that this baby girl will have Cameron for a big brother to help keep her safe. He is such a sweetheart, and his little spirit is already growing. He LOVES to pray (kido....one of the few Korean words we've taught him), and sometimes, he is the one to remind US to pray before dinner! He loves the temple, going to Church and pointing out every picture of Jesus and the prophets and apostles that he sees. I'm so grateful that he will be the oldest sibling to be such a great example for his little brothers/sisters just like my oldest brother was for me!

Baby Baths and Hospital Gowns

When Cam was a newborn, I was sooooo scared to give him a bath! I made Nate's mom bathe him for the first several weeks....how lame am I? So I still don't really know how to bathe a brand new newborn! Once he was a few months old, Cam loved his bathtime (he still does), so obviously it wasn't such a scary thing for me. We did have a little baby bath for him that we used for quite awhile. We have since gotten rid of it though, so I'm trying to decide if I should get another one or just use the bath/sink. Hopefully with this baby, I will be brave and just bathe her myself instead of making my poor mother-in-law do it!

Earlier this week, my sister-in-law, Andrea gave me some cute maternity clothes (and some of Ivy's smaller diapers, THANKS Andrea!!). She gave me some nursing nightgowns that she had worn in the hospital. I didn't even think to bring my own nightgowns to the hospital, but it would have been really nice! I hate how hospital gowns open in the back, so when you're trying to figure out how to nurse, or if you have to get up and walk around....you're NOT very covered!! I might take these with me this time and see if I like using them better.

Thinking Pink!

Today I organized the kids' closet and dresser. It's really exciting (and a little weird, still) to see dresses and pink onesies next to Cam's boy clothes! I got everything organized by size. Most of what Harmony gave me are 3-9 month sizes, so I will still need to get a few basics for the first few weeks.

Last night while we were singing songs before bed, I asked Cam if he wants to be a big brother. He looked right at me and said "No....No big brother!" It was funny.

Sometimes during the day, I turn on TLC and watch "Bringing Home Baby." It basically is a show documenting families during the first 36 hours of being home with their new baby. Sometimes I watch it and get excited, other days I watch it and remember how hard it was! My emotions about having this baby seem to change every other minute.

Today I was looking at the scrapbook I made for Cam during his first year of life. I can't stand scrapbooking, but I'm so grateful I took the time to make his. I'm going to force myself to make her one too. I wish I could keep going past the first year, but I just can't commit to that!! I love his book because each month, I wrote a journal entry from Cam's point of view. I wrote about what he liked to eat, his favorite toys, activities, and anything exciting we had done that month. I wrote his sleep habits and any little "Cameron-isms" he had. There are little things I NEVER would remember now. I also wrote a list when he was 11 months old of 50 random things I loved about him. SO much fun to read now!!

Oh the joys....

Okay, so even though I've had a GREAT morning (see my other blog), I am in SO MUCH PAIN! I haven't had this problem so far with this pregnancy, but I am having the worst sciatic nerve pain EVER! I seriously can't move! I had it with Cam pretty bad too, so fun for me!! Any ideas on how to help?

Nickname Fun

Nicknames we have for our little Cameron:
--Cam
--Cameroo
--Cam-Bop (this came from a fabulous Korean dish called Kimbop)
--Crammon (Merilee's little girl says his name like this, and it totally caught on)
--Cam-Bam
--Cammers
--Duder (this is sadly, probably the most common one we use....I totally blame Nater....!!!)
--Cram-Bop
--Baby Boy

What do you call your kids?

She's Growing!

I'd like to thank Merilee for the cute blog backgrounds....I'd never heard of this site before! Thanks Erm!
So it seems like my tummy has grown....I feel like it looks bigger today than it has been, and Nate thinks so too. Hi Baby!!
So you know what I realized yesterday? If I had this baby when my mom had me, this baby would be born on Halloween! I was born at 28 weeks, crazy, huh! I can't even imagine....I would only have 6 weeks left!

I Love My Girl

This baby girl is SUCH an active baby! I'm starting to learn her wake/sleep routine, and so far, it's the exact same as Cam's. A few brief kicks during the day, but once we hit about 8:30 pm....BAM, it's a party in my uterus!! Cameron goes to bed at 7, and Nate is usually busy with homework or watching something lame on TV, so I love to just relax and enjoy "bonding" with Baby. I could sit and watch my tummy bounce around for HOURS. I always make Nate sit there and feel her too, but after about 15 kicks every night, I think he gets bored with it.... Can't really blame him, cuz it's SUCH a different feeling when you can feel it inside AND outside. I love how she's already alive with personality, and she's already my 2nd child. I don't feel like I have to wait until she arrives in person to start a relationship with her. I can be in a bad mood or just plain exhausted and ready to cry....but the moment I feel her, I am immediately happy, I can't help it!
Sometimes I already feel like I am hanging out with both of my kids. Yesterday I took Cameron to the toy store again to play with the trains (he once again played nonstop for an hour....we got him a great train set just like it for CHEAP on Ebay....should be coming any day!!). Anyway, I sat there watching Cam have the time of his life, and Baby started having her own party, and I just smiled knowing that both my kids were safe and happy and content.....(that is until I had to drag Cameron screaming out of the store....then I only had 1 happy baby for a few minutes! haha!)
I am learning that you don't have to divide your love amongst your children, and your love doesn't stretch thinner with the more children you have.....I have realized that you just are capable of suddenly developing MORE love. I don't have to divide my love between Cameron and this baby....I will keep loving Cameron as much as I do right now....AND I will have more than enough love to give to her! That's SOOOO awesome!! How much love must our Heavenly Father have in Him at all times?? Wow!!
Well, I'm off to bed. I've been going to bed early lately and soaking up every luxurious hour of sleep I can get between now and January!!

Baby, Are you there?

I've been starting to worry a little because I don't feel like I'm growing at all. I can still wear most of my normal shirts, and I can still sleep on my stomach. There's a tiny bump, but I swear I was bigger than this when my pregnancy was halfway with Cam. I guess I shouldn't worry since we just saw her healthy and moving like crazy on the ultrasound last week.....but it's my personality to worry!! NOBODY believes me when I say I'm 21 weeks, and I just hope that she's growing okay. I feel her daily, but I just have NO idea where on earth she is!!!!!
She was a busy beaver tonight, and Nate and I got to watch my belly bouncing all over the place. We were testing out baby names on her, seeing if she moved more in response to certain names (obviously we were just joking). Nate kept trying all these AWFUL names on her, it was hilarious.
I'm watching Supernanny while Nate is at basketball. Can I just say how brilliant she is? I try to watch it weekly because Cam is REALLY starting to respond to her methods, and I love it. If he is breaking a rule, I can say, "Cameron do you want to go to Time-Out?" and he will say No. So then I will say, "If you keep ........, then you will go to Time-Out." More often than not, he stops! It's amazing! His Time-Out time is 2 minutes right now (since he's 2!) and that's a LONG time for him to sit on his stool, and I think he's really learning that its easier to just behave than it is to sit there! Yay Supernanny!!

21 Weeks & Feeling Great!

I have been feeling really great these past several weeks. I'm so grateful! I felt so good after my first trimester with Cam, so when I didn't start feeling better by then with this pregnancy, I was a little worried. But I'd say around 18 or 19 weeks, I got that little burst of energy. The nausea has pretty much ended, and I haven't been feeling all of those stretching/pulling pains that can be really annoying! Baby is really active, she puts on a show for us nearly every evening! Hopefully she won't be too fussy in the evenings when she gets here!
My friend Jenn brought me her bassinet today that we will use for Baby. Thanks Jenn! Our main office told me today that a 3-bedroom will mostly likely open up for us in mid-January....great timing, huh! So I'm really not doing much as far as decorating until we move, sad!! The move will be pretty easy though, probably just across the lawn! Since Cam is still in the crib, we aren't going to buy any crib bedding right now for her. She'll probably use the Papasan and the bassinet for the first few months, and then we'll get Cam switched over. They won't be sharing a room now (atleast not for the first year), so I'm trying to think of fun color schemes for her room. Any ideas? Anything but baby pink!
So for those of you who took birthing classes, did you find them useful? I didn't take one, but during labor and delivery, I remember thinking that it wasn't a huge deal, and I wondered what people learned that was so valuable. Not to mention, I didn't think ANY sort of special breathing would have made some of those contractions any better!! Let me know!!

Just for Fun....

Nate and I have 2 girl names that we're pretty set on, although we're not sure which one we'll be using yet (you might hear me randomly call her one or the other just to feel them out). But I still want to hear some suggestions! What Girl Names do you like??

A Hot Topic....

This morning I was watching Good Morning America, and they were talking about working moms vs stay-at-home moms. So I'm just wondering what your opinions are on this topic??
Here are my thoughts, and you are welcome to agree or disagree with me!!

In general, I think that children should be raised by their OWN parents. I feel that if parents make the decision to have a baby, then it is their responsibility to raise it, not somebody else's. Children DESERVE to be raised in a loving environment where they can feel safe and valuable.

However, I understand that it's not always possible for a mom (or a dad) to stay at home with the kids. But this is also where it gets blurry.....because it becomes an issue of whether both parents are working because they HAVE to or because they enjoy a lifestyle that can accompany duel incomes. It's a tricky issue. In most cases when the couple is young and trying to get on their feet, it becomes necessary for the wife to work while her husband is in school. In fact, I think that is a great idea for wives to help hold the family above water while the husband is getting an education (or vice versa if the mom is in school....I know a LOT of women who are in school while their husbands are home, especially around here). I don't think that moms who work are "bad moms" or are selfish. Most of the time, they don't even want to be working, but they are doing what their family needs at that time. I have been babysitting for about a year now, and I've made a point to only babysit children who's moms work only part-time, or they or their husbands are in school. I also don't see a problem in mothers working (perhaps part-time) once all of their kids are in school for the day.

But it breaks my heart when I see overly career-driven women who drive VERY fancy SUVs and shop at expensive stores and have large, luxuriously-furnished homes....but they never see their children. I've seen children call their nannies "mom". That's when it becomes an issue of selfishness vs necessity. I just think that some people aren't willing to give up the "luxuries of life" to stay at home. You might not have the biggest house on the block, have the designer clothes or drive a BMW, but I think true happiness comes from making sacrifices for your family and spending time with them. I have a friend who's mother-in-law makes her feel like a failure for being a stay at home mom. She thinks that "successful women" should go earn degrees and have driven careers while a nanny raises the kids. So sad, I think.

Now, that being said, I will admit that staying home all day every day is NOT easy. When Cam was 3 months old, I went back to work 2 days a week until he was a year old. The extra cash was nice, but we didn't NEED it to survive. Looking back, I think I did it mostly to "get out of the house" and feel "useful". I decided to quit when Cam was a year old, and it was a real struggle for me. I loved the idea of being a stay-at-home mom, but at the same time, I struggle with it. I don't enjoy being home all day. There are days I want to go back to work. But I know that Cam (and now Baby) need to be raised by their mom and need to feel that security. Nate and I made the decision to get married and have children, and in my opinion, I am obligated to raise my children. It's a real sacrifice for me some days. I get tired of playing with cars and Legoes and watching Signing Time day after day after day after day.....and wiping bums and noses and doing laundry and dishes. I pray daily to find JOY in that....but I know it's what the Lord wants me to be doing. He has provided a way for me to stay home, and I am grateful.

I would LOVE to go back to school someday. I have always planned on returning to school when the kids are grown, or perhaps do some online classes when they are in school or something. I don't think that moms should stop learning EVER.

And my final note is that I think the word "mom" in this post can be swapped with "dad" in any case. I know a few stay-at-home dads who raise the kids while Mom goes to work. As long as they feel that is best for their family, I think that is excellent.

Cute Outfits

I just bought these....only $4/each! They are size 6-12 mo, so I can just put a white onesie under them (my daughter won't wear tanks alone, Nate and I have agreed on that). CUTE, huh!! I will probably hit Target on Saturday and then I have to STOP!!!!

LOVE these!

I'm taking Bethany's great advice and just going to splurge on an outfit. I thought I'd have to spend some cash, but look what I found at Target, I LOVE THESE, and I am going to go get them soon!!
So the question is, what size? Should I get them in newborn or in an older size that she might wear for longer???

Resisting

I am having a hard time resisting the urge to go out and spend every penny in our bank account on Baby Girl clothes! I'm going to the outlet mall in Park City on Monday to do a quick errand, and I have a feeling that I might have to stick around and browse a bit....maybe I should leave my wallet at home?? So many people have offered to let us use their baby girl stuff, plus with her being due right after Christmas, I expect that we will have PLENTY for her, atleast for the first few sizes. It's just hard to resist....
Although today I went through all of Cam's baby clothes and organized them all to either give away or sell, and it was a little bit hard to be getting rid of his stuff. I think little boy clothes are SO CUTE. But we just don't see the point in keeping it boxed up for another 4 years or so....and our 3rd could be another girl anyway. So we might as well free up the space, and let some other little boys wear it all.

She's a Girl!

I wanted to blog the details of today on our family blog, so I will do that tomorrow, but obviously I had to mention on this blog too!
We all guessed right....good job! We've decided that for our 3rd and 4th, we aren't going to find out...fun!