We're having a........

BOY!!!

OMG- Today was the best ever doctor's visit:) We've been very nervous to find out who will be joining our family in February. With two beautiful daughters, our hopes were pretty high for a boy. Years ago, we thought when all of our pets were boys, the jinx had been placed upon the LaVella household- only "girl" children. Well, not any more!

With Kaylie in school (tough choice to make, but school's very important!), Makenzie joined William and I at the Medical Associates office for our much anticipated look inside my belly. I had to go to the bathroom so bad! I love having to drink 32+ ounces of water?! Anyways, after what seemed like so many great pictures of our little soon-to-be-boy's features, the all important one came along. She began typing, "I'm A... Boy!" I swear I sucked the air out of the room just as William screamed for joy, like a girl I might add:) Awesome! Makenzie looked at us like we were nuts LOL A few more looks later, and it was definitely a baby boy to be seen. The technician pointed out the "turtle" in the picture... then of course, Makenzie kept saying, over and over, "I see a turtle!!!" TOO FUNNY!

So, our wishes for a boy have come true. William has done his job by helping the blue dust along! A few weeks ago, the four of us were eating lunch together, discussing possible names. I'm not quite sure of how the name came up, but Makenzie blurted out, "I like Dannen!" Now, William has been very non-talkative about names, thus worrying about jinxing us. So, when he got excited right away, we knew Dannen Michael was going to be the name. (*Kaylie picked out Makenzie's name, after a much heated baby name poll frenzy. So, it seemed fitting that Makenzie picked out her brother's!*)

A few more months to go, and we'll get to meet our little baby boy. Wow- that's so weird to say:) All four of us are very blessed and happy!!!

Newest Pictures!

Hello baby boy! (*Notice the little "turtle" next to the arrows*)

Little Feet<3

Dannen's profile... I love these!

Already sucking his thumb!

Great Weekend:)

WHEW! What an awesome weekend for the LaVella Family:) Not only did we see family members from out of state, but we also celebrated Makenzie's 3rd birthday:)

Puzzle time with my second cousins' Al and Peggy Wondrash from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Thanks for the surprise visit and goodies for the girls!!!

We enjoyed dinner at William's Pizza Hut- yum!

Grandma Carol came to visit all the way from TEXAS!!! The girls received their first Hanna Montana t-shirts:)
How sweet... Grandma helped Kaylie with her homework

Kaylie, Zamma, Makenzie and Grandma shared special time together "painting faces" and giving/getting lots of hugs:)

Morning of Makenzie's birthday... the girls had a blast playing with all the little chairs and stuffed animals. Kept themselves busy while Daddy slept and Mommy started decorating.

Ready, set, shop! Preparing for the morning's shopping adventure with Grandma:)

Kaylie was VERY anxious to try out her water balloon!

Look at them go! William's friend Travis, from his past AMC days in Merrit Island, entertained the girls with balloon fun:)

My mother and William's mother were such great helpers!!!

How honored was I to use the tea set my Dad purchased for my Grandmother years ago... I sure wish they would have been here to see this day:)
Tea Pot project: The girls helped decorate tea pots to hang for the celebration

My attempt at a mini-cupcake Tea Pot birthday cake:)

The goodies... PB&J sandwiches, chicken roll ups, carrots with ranch dip, grapes with cool whip dip, mini Nilla wafers, a devil's food cake, cheese cubes, Raspberry Ice Lemonade, Coffee, Makenzie's special cake, and the "Cup"-cake:)

Birthday Girl!

"I'm a Little Tea Pot" musical chairs


William "pouring" Makenzie while singing the tea pot song:)

Makenzie and Alivia enjoying the tea party favors

~*~Happy Birthday Makenzie~*~

A realistic baby doll!

Elianet, Kaylie's friend Kevin's mom, made beautiful personalized towels for Makenzie and Kaylie

Present time! All 14 adults and 13 children gathered to see the great presents

BARBIES- Makenzie's favorite:)

William and I bought her the Barbie Diamond Castle lap top game- her most watched movie!

WE LOVE GRANDMA CAROL!!!

Daddy's girls...

I LOVE YOU... silly faces and all:)

One tired birthday girl... what a great day!

*Thanks so much to our family and friends who came to celebrate Makenzie's birthday... we ALL had a wonderful weekend!!!*

Happy Birthday Makenzie=)

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~*~Happy Birthday Makenzie!~*~ Three years of fun and love bundled up in such a joyful little girl:) We love you so very much!!!

Makenzie's 3 year check-up on Friday was great! She's in the 97% for height and 90% for weight- nice proportions. She's just shy of 41inches tall and 37 pounds. Her two biggest accomplishments of the doctor visit was going potty in the "big girl" cup (LOL) and passing the vision test with flying colors! The nurse congratulated her, saying "What a smart four year old!".... Ummm- she's just now turning three! Needless to say she was the talk of the office- GREAT JOB Makenzie:)

We're so excited to see what's in store for our little girl this year...

Baby Updates

Wahoo... I'm halfway there!!! Baby LaVella is doing great:) I had my 19 week check-up today. Makenzie was my little helper throughout the entire office visit. My blood pressure looks great and unfortunately, I gained a few pounds. Not like I was expecting to gain zero, but I was doing so good with actually losing a pound since getting pregnant! As long as me and the baby are okay and the doctor is happy, I'm happy:) Right away the doctor found lil' peanut's heartbeat... it was strong and steady. Things are "in the right place" and the pregnancy is moving along nicely. I tried to get a peek from an ultrasound, but having to wait until Monday is what's in store! Tick-toc-tick-toc LOL My next visit is in three weeks, October 17th!

My Baby at 19 weeks:
Chances are you'll have a mid-pregnancy ultrasound (also called a sonogram) between weeks 18 and 22 to monitor fetal development. Be sure to bring your partner along--you'll both be amazed as your little one kicks, boxes, and even somersaults for the camera. Based on the baby's size, your doctor or midwife will be able to confirm or adjust your due date. Plus, you'll get photographic printouts to take home for friends and family. Save a couple for the baby book--these fuzzy, black-and-white snapshots are your child's very first baby pictures!

"I'm a big girl now..."

Well, I knew the day was coming... but I can honestly say I didn't think it would be this soon. After walking Kaylie through the school to get to her classroom yesterday (horrible rain storm), she informed me that she no longer wants me and Makenzie to walk her to class every morning. "I'm a big girl now, Mommy. I remember which way to go!" ..........

At first I was so crushed. It's become a nice ritual to get everyone ready to go, arrive early to take that special walk, and give hugs/kisses at her classroom door. Then, I realized this is a good thing:) She's learning it's okay to have the comfort of Mommy there when she needs me. She knows how to listen to instructions and follow the rules well enough to do things on her own.

So, today Makenzie and I waved goodbye from the car, after BIG hugs and kisses. She was SO excited!!! Even better, just after exiting the car, her really good friend walked up and they continued on to her classroom holding hands:) I pulled all the way up through the loop, rolled the window down and sat there waiting to wave. She looked over, gave me the "I love you" sign language motion and continued on to begin her day. Instant tears... My baby is growing up so fast:)

Can you say SiLLy?

Kaylie and Makenzie absolutely LOVE bath time. It's great to see them play so nicely, even while in a tight space! Their favorite thing to do now...

...float underwater together!

*Magic Kingdom*

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What an awesome weekend!!! With the help from a wonderful man, Kaylie's God-Father Josh, we were asked to help celebrate Makenzie's upcoming 3rd Birthday at the Magic Kingdom. My mother and sister asked to take the girls for a nice celebration... and thankfully we were invited as well:)

Let me say, it was the longest week leading up to Saturday! (Kinda like the night before Christmas!) Once Saturday came, we were all excited to start the day. We met everyone just after 11am, ready to see what was in store. Josh presented Makenzie with her special Birthday pin... how cool!!!

Our first stop was at the castle watching the I Believe In Dreams Performance. It was great since the girls were able to see their favorite princesses perform! The dancers outfits were beautiful.

Our second stop was Toon Town. The girls loved being able to touch and see up close where the famous Minnie and Mickey live. When it came time to take pictures, both were somewhat shy:)

Time for some fun... after a really nice lunch, the four of us quickly ran to see Monsters Inc.'s Laugh Floor. What a funny show! Kaylie was even featured on the big monitor:) We had front row seating for the afternoon parade. HUGE thanks go out to Josh for the excellent viewing area. A lot of the performers waved, blew kisses and wished Makenzie a happy birthday. Kaylie's favorite part of the parade was collecting magic dust from the Fairy God-Mother:)

The most-anticipated part of the day came when both girls got to ride the roller coaster! Kaylie was so impressed, she rode twice. William taught the girls no fear when it comes to rides. We could have stayed there all day.

Josh was a part of the Flag lowering Ceremony on Main Street. What a wonderful time spent remembering those who have and are currently serving for our country!

We headed over to Small World and Snow White- two very relaxing and eye-opening places. I don't think I've ever seen the girls so quiet from having so much to look at! They loved Small World:) Even though Snow White is Makenzie's favorite, it didn't go over as nicely as the other rides... Kaylie said it "creeped" her out... from the pictures, I TOTALLY believe her LOL

We had GREAT seats for the nighttime SpectroMagic parade. Since getting there early was a must, Kaylie helped Josh set up the viewing areas and played bouncy ball in the street with the other little kids. Makenzie helped my mother get our yummy Mickey Mouse ice cream. What a treat! The parade was awesome... so much to look at and so up close:) If you ask the girls about the parade, you'll get the most talked about moment when, "The BIG BAD wolf stomped on the ground and scared us!!!" I must say, it took a lot to not have an accident:) He was right next to the girls and I, leaned over, then went to walk away, but not before stomping his very loud plastic foot on the ground. You could hear William laugh really loud!

Our girls were so tired, so we ended the night on a perfect note... lots of fun with great company. I know Makenzie enjoyed spending her birthday celebrations at such a magical place:)

~For more photos, check out my mother's blog: www.sue-asirecall.blogspot.com~

Family News

I can't believe it's already nearing the end of September!?! Where has the time gone?

William had his one year evaluation yesterday. He did great and is where he should be as far as on schedule for management capabilities. Over the next three months, he will be traveling to Orlando twice a month for training seminars. This is really good news- one more step towards getting certified as a General Manager. (He's an Assistant General Manager now.) The store he's at has a somewhat "slower" style than what William expects of a restaurant, so he pushes himself even harder to try and surpass the standards which will better him for advancement.

Kaylie is doing such a great job in Kindergarten this year!!! She has already learned so much:) With her Open House last week, I found out a little more about her daily schedule and what is expected of each child throughout the school year. She is already reading and in the top reading group. Every week, they rotate different activities: PE, Art, Music, and Key Lab... they're learning how to play the piano. We're all very excited! Kaylie earned the class award for the Food For Thought food drive. She brought in the most items to donate. Each day, she gets a "Weather Gram": Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, and Stormy... with the exception of three cloudy days (she loves to talk to her best friend from preschool), she has earned all Sunny's! We're so glad she's enjoying school!

Makenzie is quite the little sponge lately! She can talk any one's ear off:) I love having special time with her throughout the day. She says things so clearly and in very long sentences... sometimes William and I sit back and try to take a breath for her! Makenzie loves to color. Staying in the lines and using the correct colors are very important to her. With the many great shows on PBS, Makenzie has done a great job learning her numbers and letters. I find it interesting keeping her challenged enough. Having a big sister has definitely sped up her learning capabilities. Of course, I can't forget, she's a big time singer and dancer... always has a smile on her face:)

I'm doing great! I love being a stay at home mommy. Not only do I enjoy time with my girls, but also time to keep things organized with William working so much. Our daily schedules keep me up and going:) Now that I feel the baby moving, usually more at night, it's starting to really sink in about having another baby. I am excited to pick names, think of baby item ideas to put on our list of wants and needs, and of course keep the girls involved each week with both me and the baby growing more. I still have a bunch of other mommy friends that get together once in a while to chat and enjoy watching our kids play. It's nice to have support of friends:) I'm so grateful for William's hard work ethics, which allow me to be with our girls every day.

Next week holds a lot in store for us... Wednesday is Kaylie's book drive at school. Friday is Makenzie's 3 year check-up and my 19 week check-up. Saturday is Makenzie's 3RD BIRTHDAY:) The following Monday is our ultrasound. Hopefully we'll find out who's growing inside my belly! (Makenzie already picked a boy's name, but we're not 100% on a girls name yet.)

We can't wait for the cooler weather to show up! Nice breeze, windows open, crisper mornings, ahhhhh:)

Kaylie's 1st Dentist Apt.

It's been a long time coming... Kaylie's first dentist appointment! When I picked Kaylie up from school yesterday, I said, "Guess what? You get to meet Dr. Ali today! He's going to clean your teeth!" At first, she looked at me with complete terror. Then, she said, "Yes! I get a new toothbrush!!!" Silly girl...

She was great the whole time in the office. Never once did she cry or wiggle around. I was waiting for a look like- HELP ME NOW!?! Thankfully, the staff allowed me to go back with her. Very proud Mommy moment:)

From start to finish, we were there only 20 minutes. Just enough time to get a beautiful smile even whiter and make a little girl happy!

Before shot... yes that's gum...

sMiLe=)

***Tah-dah***

Visit to the beach

Even though the sun was hiding, Kaylie & Makenzie sure had a lot of fun=) It's really nice to just hop in the car for a 15 minute ride to the beach!

What a "moving" weekend:)

You know how every once in a while, it's nice to stop and relax... take in all that's around you and appreciate what you have? This past weekend was amazing!

Friday night was "girls" night. William worked his normal 4pm-2am shift, while the girls and I hung out watching movies and relaxing. I started to pick up the cold from Makenzie, so laying around was the perfect thing for Mommy! Once the girls were in bed, which was their on time 7:30pm routine, I was relaxing in the tub, enjoying the candles and soft music. William and I pride our scheduling skills when it comes to the girls. They know we eat dinner around 5:30pm, take baths/do hair & teeth/and get jammies on by 6:45pm, and finally sit down time with a book at 7:00pm. Kaylie goes straight to bed at 7:30pm and falls asleep within 10 minutes. Makenzie goes to bed shortly thereafter, always asleep by 7:45pm.

Saturday started off kind of rough. I felt horrible! Bad sinus pressure, big headache (these are a normal with this pregnancy!), stuffy nose, burning ears and throat- blah! William got the girls breakfast and ready to go for fun at the mall. I was following along, ready to enjoy the day with my family. My good family friend sent a Motherhood Maternity and JCPenney gift card, so I was anxious to buy some much needed clothes... it's been a long time since I went shopping:) At the mall, William was so great! He sat with the girls at the playground, while I looked around, not having to chase anyone. JCPenney had a wonderful sale: I got four nice tops, two that are a little big on me know and two that are more for the later months of my pregnancy, all for only $3 each!!! We sat together for a bit, enjoying company from other Moms and kiddos. I even met a lady who does maternity photography. After the mall, we headed out to Viera to shop at Motherhood Maternity. Since Makenzie decided to nap, Kaylie joined me for what turned out to be a VERY eventful half hour. From the moment we walked in the door, she was off and running. I swear the energy came from no where! She helped me pick out two pairs of shorts and a nice top. It's great knowing I can wear comfy clothes now and not feel like the baby is getting squished:) We headed home for some relaxation time. William cooked a yummy dinner while I laid on the couch full of medicine again. I love benedryl:) Our night ended with calm little girls who were very happy from the family day!

Sunday was the best day of the weekend! We all had breakfast together, which is becoming a ritual lately. It's the one day of the week we spend mornings with one another. Once he was off to work at 9:00am, the girls and I set out for some fun. They knew I was still feeling a little run down, so they helped me by cleaning the apartment- on their own!!! I see them going from room to room, giggling and holding hands. Thirty minutes later it's, "Mommy look!" Sure enough, they picked up the play room, their room, made their beds, our bed, took dirty laundry to the laundry room, and even attempted to fold some towels. I love them so much!!! With it being Grandparents Day, Kaylie and Makenzie were able to spend a few hours with their Zamma. They enjoyed the normal bunch of Oreo cookies and watching cartoons at their place. While gone, I was able to catch a small nap and then thoroughly cleaned all three bathrooms. I love the smell of a clean place:) Once the girls got home, it was relax time. Kaylie played on the computer for a while, her favorite site is http://www.pbskids.org/. Makenzie kept asking to sit with me on the couch, so after about 5 minutes of her not wiggling, I look over and see she fell asleep. I pulled her closer, and she napped sprawled out across my belly. Kaylie came in the living room and was so sweet. She decided to play quietly at the coffee table. A tea party was in store for all of her buddies. She even took a slew of photos with my phone of each one enjoying their tea. So, the afternoon was spent with my girls, watching football- what else on a Sunday afternoon! William kept texting me talking about the KC Chiefs game... and yes, they did lose... grrr! William came home right around 6:30pm, just as the girls were finishing baths and their nightly routine. They LOVE when Daddy comes home! Both were out cold by 7:45pm. William and I were glad to have the night together, ready to watch more FOOTBALL!!! We kept flipping between the games and the new show on Fox, Hole in the Wall- SO FUNNY:) We couldn't stop laughing at how dumb this show was to watch. While watching a great play in the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears game, I felt a little movement in my tummy. Thinking I was going nuts, I sat still, and as soon as William cheered, it happened again:) Our lil' peanut was enjoying the game!!! OMG- I started tearing up and was smiling from ear to ear. For a good five minutes, I kept feeling slight movement in my lower belly. William was so excited to know we have another football lover ready to join the family! Even though we're not sure if it's a cheer leading or game playing football lover, it's just so neat to know I felt some awesome little movements for such a good amount of time.

So, the weekend ended with laughter and lots of love. Our girls had a fun weekend, William enjoyed family time and of course watching football, and I got to see the four and feel the 1/3 of us make a great weekend together. I know, especially now, how important it is to take a step back and just soak up the fun and memorable times together. I have such love for my family... what a great weekend:)

Special Times with Daddy!

With William working so much lately, the girls absolutely love spending as much time with him as possible. They do fun things from play time at the mall, baking, tackling, and of course the all time favorite- naps! Just wanted to share...

Daddy & Kaylie baking muffins:) *Before the short hair!*

Daddy & Makenzie down for nap time:)

Baby Updates

I got a little anxious the other day, and enlisted William's help to set up part of the extra room for the baby. We won't find out if lil' peanut is a boy or girl until September 29th. So, until then the decor will be- nada... no purchasing anything until we're sure:)

My friend offered a very nice bassinet we're planning on using the first 3 months or so in our room. Yes, it's blue (wishful thinking? coincidence?). We're set on boy with the colors, but if we're rooting for team pink again, then lots of pink sheets and blankets will make this perfect:)

Both Kaylie and Makenzie used the same crib lil' peanut will be using... it's been through a lot, and still has loads of life left! The rocker/glider and dresser match perfectly, so all is good. We'll use the dresser top as the changing table, even while he/she is in with us. William's Grandma Gavel so nicely hand sewed some blankets and a pillow when I was pregnant with the girls. These will definitely come in handy again:) The girls helped decorate with them for the time being. We're keeping our eyes on the look-out for what the theme will eventually be. William's in charge of picking out lil' peanut's room. I promised, that since I chose the girls, he gets the only say this time around. Thankfully, he has great taste, so I know whatever it may be, it'll be perfect!!!

Bassinet from my friend (Kaylie & Makenzie are enjoying using it for their stuffed animals and baby dolls right now LOL)

The set-up... so far:)***

My Baby at 16 weeks:
Your little one has hiccups! An involuntary movement of the diaphragm causes these painless contractions. In adults, this movement is followed by closure of the vocal cords (making the familiar "hic" noise); because the baby's trachea is filled with fluid rather than air, fetal hiccups don't generate sound. The frequency of hiccups varies widely, with some babies experiencing several bouts a day and others never seeming to get them at all. By the sixth month, you'll be able to "see" fetal hiccups as they occur--they'll make your belly jump.

Makenzie's 1st Hair Cut

With Makenzie's premature hair cut by big sister Kaylie, ahem... I finally gave in and attempted to fix the damage. When she would have two pony tails, one side would be fuller and longer than the other. So, now every thing's even and I can actually do her hair in cute little styles again:)

Before the "fix"

She cried a little, thinking I was going to do another "Kaylie job"
Bye-bye hair!

=)