Car Accident:(

Today started off good, until some moron decided to run his red light and plow into the rear passenger's side of my car- right where Makenzie was sitting!!! I tried to move, but couldn't, otherwise I would have hit a car head on.

Makenzie was fine, she yelled "what the". The guy got out right away and went to her window asking her how she was doing. I got out and started crying like a baby:( My little girl could have gotten really hurt! He asked how we were and freaked out when he saw my belly... he kept saying sit down and relax- yeah, okay?!?! Thankfully, it happened a block south of William's Dunkin Donuts. I called him right away, and he came running down the street. This guy's jeep was barely scratched! My car has a nice dent and white scrape marks on the side. William was pretty calm- I thought he was going to deck the guy. He was like, "Don't worry about insurance, here's my info and all, I'll pay out of pocket for anything you need."

We called my mom right away and dropped Makenzie off at her place while William took me to my doctor... I had my 28 week check up scheduled anyways:) They hooked me up to the stress-test monitor to make sure baby Dannen was okay. His heart beat stayed around 150, and he kept moving a lot:) While laying there pushing the button every time I felt him wiggle, I enjoyed my glucose drink- yuck! At least I could relax listening to my baby boy:) As long as I have no cramping or blood spots, there's no concern about the accident affecting either of us... yay!

I had really high blood pressure, obviously due to freaking out. So far, I've gained 18 pounds and am still on track for my February 20th due date. The next visit is December 17th- I'll be 31 weeks!?!?!

So, what a day to have an appointment!!! I'm so grateful my little girl and growing baby boy are okay. I hate our car, so that added to the fury over it LOL William stayed with me all morning and afternoon, having to work tonight... it was nice to have him there to hold me:)

What is going on with you during week 28?

You may have gained about 17-24 pounds (7.7-10.8 kg). Your uterus will feel hard and you may even experience Braxton hicks (simulated contractions). Along with discomforts of the 1st and 2nd trimester, you are likely to experience heartburn and indigestion more frequently because of your digestive organs having to share room with your growing uterus and baby.

Date Night with Daddy

With William working so much lately, both he and Kaylie needed special time together... "Daddy's Date Night". They got dressed up all fancy: Kaylie in her favorite dress, Mommy's make-up, and fancy shoes, Daddy in his outfit picked out by Kaylie.

First, they headed off to Meg O'Malleys, a great Irish Pub & Restaurant in Downtown Melbourne. Bring on the chicken fingers:)

From there, they enjoyed the street party festivities... Kaylie's favorite- FACE PAINTING!!!

To wrap up the night, a visit to "Get Fired Up!" was in store. Kaylie chose from over 300+ ceramic items to paint. She selected a cute mermaid statue and had Daddy help pick out their color pallet. After three coats of each color, it was time to call it a night. Two more visits are in store for the statue to be finished. Then, it's off to be "fired up" and called a masterpiece!

I'm not sure who had more fun... Kaylie with dressing up and painting with her Daddy, or William, getting to spend much desired time with his growing little girl:)

Kaylie sporting her face painting and statue choice

Let's Paint!
Meg O'Malley's menu

Hi, Daddy!

Daddy's Little Girl...

Turkey Project

Kaylie's Turkey project for school...

Great helper!
The project is displayed all week in the media center for all the kiddos to enjoy:)

Last week of 2nd Trimester:)

This is me, 6 months pregnant with baby Dannen:)

Wow... These past weeks have certainly flown by, for the most part! It's really getting nerve-racking thinking of how little time is left until we meet our baby boy. Lots to do and lots to buy... guess I should have kept all of our things for the "just in case" factor- oops!

My Baby
Your frisky fetus is on another growth spurt, shooting up half an inch this week to measure about 14 inches from head to toe. He weighs roughly 2 1/2 pounds, and will gain approximately half a pound each week for the next 10 weeks. The average full-term baby weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and measures from 18 to 20 1/2 inches, but many normal, healthy babies fall outside this range.
Inspirational Thoughts:
A flower has to go through a lot of dirt before it can bloom. ~Unknown

Kaylie Updates

Well, our little girl had her first of 13 school year photos taken. She's growing up so fast!!! We're happy that she smiled and didn't get nervous:)

I had a HUGE scare today when picking Kaylie up from school... her teacher informed me one of her very close friends has lice!?!? She showed me where on her head to look for them or little eggs (base of the hair line at the neck) and what to watch for. Thankfully, as of right now she's okay- whew!!! On the down side, her teacher also informed me the school changed their policy this year. The "keep your kid home until fully cured" policy is out- they can stay in school even while infected!?!? This means, not only could her little friend infect her classmates/teachers, but also risk infecting their families. Total panic set in! I don't want to tell Kaylie to stay away, because let's face it, could you imagine how sad and terrified they would be to hear such news and not be able to play with one another? Tomorrow holds a meeting with the school and my doctor to make sure what is and isn't going to happen if Kaylie gets infected. There has to be something to make sure her friend is taken care of and that everyone here at home will be safe... FINGERS CROSSED!!!

Last Nighttime Shuttle Launch

Well, Makenzie and I got to enjoy what could very well be THE LAST nighttime shuttle launch. With the space program ending in 2010 on the space coast, everyone down here has been anxious to keep tabs on what's going to happen. 2009 holds only daytime scheduled launches. If for some reason they are pushed back due to weather concerns or flight delays, there's a small possibility for a nighttime launch. This was the first time Makenzie was able to enjoy a real launch experience... usually we'd run outside and see the trail leading up to outer space. It was absolutely wonderful!!!

Makenzie and Mommy ready to share the special moment together!

Moon over the ocean
My camera did something weird while I took a picture of the moon... wonder what it could be?!?!

Tiny speck on the upper left is the shuttle... bigger spot on the right is the moon:)

*Awesome... push the play button*

Christmas tree is up!

So, what does a pregnant mama do when she shouldn't rearrange or move heavy things? Why, put up the Christmas tree!!! I asked William to make sure I had all the totes and things within my reach this past weekend. He had to open at Pizza Hut Saturday and Sunday, so that meant the girls and I were all alone to entertain one another. They did a GREAT job helping me put the tree parts together (each layer is alphabetically labeled, so we had fun playing with our letters), strand the bright red lights, place the garland, and of course load it with ornaments! This weekend is our trip to the Hallmark store for our yearly ornaments:)

Hmmm... where to put the first ornaments?
Makenzie had to make herself more comfy...

Kaylie almost ended up IN the tree with this maneuver...

The finished tree... oh- Daddy gets to do the angel!

Baby Updates

WOW- less than 15 weeks to go! Today marks the 25 week mark for my third pregnancy:) How exciting! Time has both flown by and crawled at turtle speed.

My doctors appointment yesterday went very well. Since I had a history of high blood pressure with Kaylie's birth, they've been keeping a close eye on me. It registered 124/59. So far, I've gained 12 pounds... feels like more, but is actually a good number:) At this point in my pregnancy with both girls, I had gained 33 pounds with Kaylie and 21 with Makenzie!!! No more complaining this time around... Baby Dannen has a strong heart beat and is measuring right on target. He's definitely an active little guy already!

My next appointment is the day before Thanksgiving... gotta be careful of what I eat so I can enjoy the holiday food coming up. LOL That appointment will mark the last "every three weeks" visits and turn into every two weeks- yay! Plus, it's an important time- the "oh-so-NOT-yummy" glucose test:( I couldn't even look at orange soda for a few months after the last test. So, bring on the fun of the nearing third trimester...

Fetal Development:
The structures of the spine - 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments - begin to form. The blood vessels of the lungs are developing and the nostrils begin to open. Busy week!
Maternal Changes:
You may be feeling like a "Soccer Mom" now that your uterus is the size of a soccer ball. Your growing uterus places pressure on your back and pelvis and may cause periodic shooting pains in your lower back and legs. When you experience this, rest, change your position, take a warm bath or apply ice to the sore area.
Inspirational Thoughts:
When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. ~Louis Pasteur

Emotional moment..

Okay, so chalk this one up to a mixture of pregnancy hormones, the fact that history was made last night with the election of an African American President, and the sensitivity to those with disabilities...

Every morning, while returning home from dropping Kaylie off at school, I pass by a young woman who travels via electronic wheelchair. She always has a smile on her face and waves to those that pass her by. Today, as I neared the intersection next to where she usually sits to greet people, my eyes welled up immediately... I'm not sure if she happened to fall out of her wheelchair, or thankfully just dropped her items, but she was obviously distressed. There were three middle-aged African American residents helping this young woman collect her items, securing them to her safely and tending to her worries. I could tell she was embarrassed and shaken up. But, as always, her smile was shining through. These wonderful people stopped to help someone, whom I'm sure would have been overlooked on any normal day. (Unfortunately, it's the surrounding areas we live in that make my statement true.)

Instantly and uncontrollably, I began crying. How great to see people helping those in need. Makenzie saw the young woman through her window and said to me, "Mommy, I hope she's okay!" For my three year old to even notice, means there's hope out there for everyone, no matter who you are...