Almost 15 weeks!

       Kendall turns 15 weeks tomorrow. I seriously can't believe how fast time is flying by and the changes that seem to happen every day with her. Everyday she gets stronger, sweeter, and even louder. At her three month check up, Kendall was 13.10 lbs and still 24.5 inches long. The doctor said she is above average for her weight and average for her height, but she was very healthy. (Btw, we adore her chubby little cheeks!) I have a feeling she will weigh around 14.5-15 at her four month check up here in a couple weeks.

       Other changes that have been taking place would be that Kendall is chattering up a storm now! When she wakes in the middle of the night, she thinks that she should use her "outdoor" chatter voice, but she loves to talk back and forth with Joe and I during the day. So cute! I would love to know what she is saying...I can only imagine. :)
      Since my last post at 11 weeks, Kendall has started day care...well "day care." There is a lady at our church that keeps five kids (including Kendall) and she is very trustworthy, reliable and experienced. Robin is great with the kids and Kendall really adores her, which helps us! The first few days were pretty hard for us to leave her, but she is happy as she can be! She is really growing up fast-she is starting to grab at her toys as well as track them, she can put a good amount of weight on her legs, she smiles and giggles all the time, and she is getting closer to being able to turn herself over and sit up by herself! One of the best things that has happened in the past 3-4 weeks is we have gotten on somewhat of a schedule. Kendall sleeps from 8pm-7:30am and only wakes up one to two times a night to eat, which isn't too bad!

Being almost 4 months old, Kendall is also in the first stages of teething, so she constantly has her hands (or something) in her mouth and she drools all over everything. All in all, she really hasn't been all that cranky, however I'm sure her time will come!

Well, that's about it for now, but I will try and post some of her videos soon!  Here are more picture from the past few weeks!

A Week Full of Blessings

 We are so blessed with a healthy family, a roof over our head, food to eat, good friends and much more, however this week was full of extra unexpected blessings. The last one was a phone call. A few weeks earlier, I had interviewed for a church secretary position and I had gotten turned down. Last week, I got a phone call from the church asking if I was still interested! I am two days into my new job, and I love it!  On a sad note, Joe and I will be taking Kendall to "Day Care" starting on Monday. One of the ladies at our church keeps up to 5 kids during the day and she just happened to have an opening! We are going to have a hard time leaving Kendall each day, but it will help out a lot.

All about Kendall:

Our little girl is almost 11 weeks! Can you believe it?! It's hard to believe she will be 3 months here in a few weeks and she is melting our hearts left and right! Kendall is such a little sweetie and she is getting so big! She is 24.5 inches and weighs 12.7 pounds.

 She has been wearing 3 month clothing for a few weeks now and is almost growing out of some of them due to her length! I have a feeling we will be digging out the 3-6 month clothing very soon! She is also very strong and can already sit up (with some help) and loves to watch her bird mobiles and toys, although she's not quite ready to play with them yet. Kendall is also quickly learning that if she smiles at everyone, she gets all kinds of attention and smiles! She's still such a snuggle bug and loves to nap on Mom or Dad's shoulder although I can tell she is going to be a full blown Daddy's girl! We adore our baby girl, and we are trying to enjoy each moment because we know she won't be little long!!

Here are a few more pictures from the past few weeks! I will
have more updates soon! Until then, have a great week!

Kendall is 6 weeks already!

The time is flying by! We have had our hands full for the past few weeks, so Im sorry I haven't updated my blog or gotten around to sending out birth announcements. A lot has gone on since we had Kendall. Unfortunately, Joe got laid off from Red Ventures a week before Christmas. The company he worked for within Red Ventures was sold and moved to Miami, and although we were given the option to move South, we gracefully declined. We were able to have a wonderful Christmas and New Years with Baby Kendall, and spent our time off hanging out as a family. Right after Christmas, I found out about a job at a nearby church and interviewed for a chance to be their church secretary. It's not much, but if I get it, it's a step in the right direction. I should hear something soon!

About Kendall:
She is growing so fast! We haven't weighed her lately, but we are pretty sure she is around 11lbs, give or take a little bit and has grown to a whopping 24.5 inches in length! At 6 weeks, she has already out grown all of her newborn clothing and she is almost too long for her 3 month onesies, however the 3 month 2-piece outfits fit almost perfectly! She has also become so much more alert over the past few weeks, and she is incredibly strong! Here are some more pictures from the last few weeks (Not in any particular order), and there will be more to come!!

Kendall Braelyn Godfrey is Born!

Friday, November 25, 2011 I woke up with extra energy and decided that I was tired of the leaves in the yard. Since Joe was at work, I decided to take it upon myself to rake/blow the leaves...keeping in mind that normally, I HATE doing leaves. Four hours later, I completed the front and back yard and proceeded to go inside and clean the entire house. At 8:15pm, I started to have moderate contractions and at 8:45pm the contractions began to get closer together and more painful so I called Joe at work to let him know "It's time". He was home in 10 minutes. ha ha. We checked into Matthew's Presbyterian at 10:35pm and almost 12 hours later at 8:41am, Joe and I became the very proud parents of Kendall Braelyn Godfrey. She weighed in at 7lbs, 11oz and she was 20 inches long. 

Our new Family.

After Kendall was cleaned up, checked over, and tested; Doctor's said she passed with flying colors and was very healthy.

Kendall in her car seat right before we left the hospital on Monday morning.

The first week home went by smoothly and so far, Kendall has been a great baby. Despite having to get up to feed her, I have still been able to get 5-7 hours of sleep a night...even since day one! 

Friday morning, Joe and I took Kendall to her first pediatric appointment to be weighed and checked out.    On Monday morning, She had dropped down to 7lb-3oz and by Friday weighed 7lb-15oz! So not only is she eating well, but sleeping well too! We are so blessed!

Here's a look at the past week and a half so far!

 Kendall in her bouncy seat. It looks so comfy, I wish they had it in my size! :)

 Our sleeping "monkey."

 Look at that cute face!!

Her first bath in her "whale-of-a-tub." She wasn't entirely excited about her first bath.

A Finished Nursery

We finally got our nursery completed and ready for Kendall so here it is!

 We love our new chair! It rocks and fully reclines!

 This shot looks a little cluttered, but the bouncy chair gets moved around as we need it.

 The afghan on the crib was made by my sister Kiersten, and its absolutely beautiful! It matched the nursery perfectly!

 The changing table/dresser. The gray elephants on the shelf were made by my Dad to match our elephant decor!

Scheduled Induction for Tuesday Nov. 29th

Joe started a new job with a great company called Red Ventures a few weeks ago and is still in the training process, so he works 12 pm to 9 pm for the next 2.5 months. I am trying not to go crazy since I am used to spending most of my time working. So I have been spending my days cleaning, cooking, baking, sleeping, and relaxing. I have even begun to put our Christmas decorations up a couple weeks early since I will most likely have my hands full very soon...it makes the hours and days go by a little bit faster.

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my 40 week check up, and despite my wishes and hopes, Kendall doesn't look like she will be on time or all that close to on-time. Her heartbeat is still very strong, and she seems to be healthy, I suppose she just needs more time to "bake." The only change was that she had dropped a little more since the week before. My doctor informed me that she won't let me go more than a week over, so she has scheduled an induction for Tuesday November 29th at 5 am. I am kind of discouraged that I may not be able to have a naturally induced labor, so I am praying that Kendall will show up on her own sometime this week, but we are continuing to trust God because he knows what is best for us and Baby. In the meantime, we will continue to pray for her health, a safe delivery and prepare diligently for her arrival.

40 Week EVICTION NOTICE

Eviction Notice

November 16, 2011

Dear Baby Kendall,

            You are hereby served the papers for eviction from your mother's womb. You have occupied said space for almost 40 weeks with no signs of change. In that time you have been a fairly easy-going and kind tenant: the noise and aggravation have consistently been at a minimum for a tenant of your size and stature. However, there are many perks that you have also enjoyed, including: free heating and water, endless meals and openness to park your feet and limbs wherever you wanted. The reasons for eviction, effective immediately, are as follows:

             1. Original End of Lease: Your lease will end on November 18, 2011. The landlord knows you may need some more time to muster the strength for your journey to the new home and anticipated your move-out date to be one of the following: November 17, 18, or 19. Definitely before Thanksgiving but hopefully between November 20 and 22. 

       

             2. Cramped Quarters: While the landlord, your mother, insists that you seem to have more space now than ever, it is understood that your living quarters are only becoming more cramped with each ounce you gain. It is understood that you continue to collect "necessary" household items, such as: more fat, more brain power and more strength for the move, so you are being given a few extra days, but after that time you will need to vacate.

              3. Breech of Contract: You are being evicted due to a breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions to the front of the house, within reasonable limits. were discussed and agreed upon with the landlords prior to occupation. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made without prior consent. Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. 

              4. Building maintenance: If you do not leave now, the landlord will need to make excessive concessions for building maintenance to keep the dwelling sound. Some of these punch list items are uncomfortable for both landlord and tenant. The mother is doing everything to coax you out before sending her doctor to come get you on Tuesday the 29th of November. Since said building will be occupied by another tenant somewhere in the future, the landlord is eager to begin maintenance, upkeep and significant renovations to the exterior.

              The parents would like to note, once again, that you have been a model tenant up until now. You have followed all of the house rules (within reason), minimally disturbed your landlady and have kept your mark to the interior and exterior of the building to a minimum. The landlords would like you to vacate the property within the day, but most certainly within the week. Due notice has been given and all leases have now ended.

               

               While the move will not be easy for tenant or for landlord, the Parents promise even better accommodations than before, with square footage beyond comprehension, warm meals every day and a warm and cozy environment. The Parents have also lowered your rent to smiles, chubby baby cheeks, and your status as "Child of Joe and Brittany Godfrey." The terms of your new lease: to be upheld by the parents, include but are not limited to: unconditional love, a healthy home, kisses and hugs and a family who will support you forever. 

Love, Your Landlords (Mom & Dad)

        

Kendall's Nursery (Almost complete)

Here are the most recent pictures of Kendall's nursery. She should be here any day now! I am due this Friday, but only God knows when and at what time she will arrive. As each day goes by, Joe and I get more excited and more anxious, although I think those feelings are normal especially for first time parents. I will go to the doctor again tomorrow, so I will be sure to update everyone on any changes!

Kendall's crib and changing table/dresser

 Her Toy/Bookshelf

 Kendalls changing table/dresser

 Owl Canvas #3 (Acrylic on canvas)

 My most recent nursery project. Material collage on canvas. (I have had a lot of spare time on my hands since I haven't been working as much.)

Just a close-up of the collage

Two Weeks To Go, Maybe Less?

Two weeks to go...maybe less! Either way, my bags are packed and I am ready to go!! Although I have enjoyed this last stretch of my pregnancy, I am ready to be done being pregnant. My bag and Kendall's diaper bag are packed for the hospital, and we are installing the car seat this week. My belly button has popped out and I feel like Kendall should be done "cooking" soon. The nursery is ready for the most part, with the exception of the bedding, a new chair and a few other decorative aspects. We have our brand new pack and play set up in our bedroom complete with extra diapers, sheets and changing table pads for any late night changes. All of her clothing, blankets, toys, sheets etc have been washed/cleaned and are awaiting her arrival, so I am definitely ready. Of course, I'm not looking forward to the pain that comes with labor, but We can't wait to meet Kendall and experience the miracle of her birth!!

We go to the Doctor every week now, so Doctor Sal can keep an eye on my blood pressure, Baby's heartbeat, and any changes in my cervix. I am two weeks out and I am dilated a little over a centimeter, 75% effaced and Kendall is in the -2 position (Whatever that means). Needless to say, my body is preparing for labor, and because I have started to efface, our Doctor says we could have Kendall any day and that dialation can happen fast, so we will see what happens.                                

Today, I am feeling good. I have the day off and I have been in the mood to bake, so I am currently making oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips. For those who haven't had them, they are absolutely amazing! I'm sure it's not the healthiest thing I could make, but I don't bake very often, so I figured I would splurge a little bit. In between batches, I am working on my last canvas. I said I would post pictures of my elephant canvases when they were done, so here they are. (Don't laugh)

I decided to hang them above the crib, although I am considering hanging them with ribbon or gluing ribbon in between the brown border and circle background and maybe adding a little bow to make them more feminine. I haven't decided yet, so for now they will just hang on the wall as in.

 As I mentioned earlier, we don't have the bedding yet, but I pulled the elephants seen on the canvases from the bedding, so it will look more complete here in a bit. The picture below is our book/toy shelf. We plan to add some canvas bins to the bottom two shelves for added toy storage as Kendall gets older. More pictures to come, and I will continue to keep everyone updated on the labor status!!

Kendall is almost full-term!

I have finished my 36th week and began my 37th week. By this coming Friday, (October 28th) Kendall will be considered a full-term baby! That means it would be 100% safe for her to make an appearance at any time. I have been having pretty bad Braxton Hicks contractions during the days and nights for about two weeks, so I guess my body is preparing for labor. Joe and I went to the doctor last Wednesday and found out that I am a little over one centimeter dilated and around 50% effaced, so Doctor Sal thinks that there is a good chance Kendall may be here early! (I could only hope!) Then again, it could mean nothing too! She will come when she is ready, and in the mean time, I have been trying not to be overly anxious about her arrival and when that might be.

This week, I have began the "nesting" process. I started by washing all of the blankets, sheets, towels and clothes and spent the rest of the week organizing, cleaning, and boiling all of the plastic parts and pieces to things. I finally finished my baby closet dividers, and although they aren't perfect, they definitely helped to separate all of Baby's clothing.

I also finished the closet, although there's a good chance things will be moved around as I find what works best for Joe and I and Kendall.

This coming week will be a busy one between work, teaching, packing for the hospital, painting, our Maternity tour on Tuesday night and another Doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so I will keep everyone updated as I know more! In the meantime, I am going to try and relax as much as possible as I prepare for the big day! :)

5.5 Weeks To Go!!

I cannot believe that 34 weeks have already flown by. Where did this year go? It seems like it was just yesterday when I found out I was pregnant, and now, I have a measly 5-1/2 weeks to go...give or take a few weeks. I am feeling really good these days...a little tired, but I definitely have more energy then I have had for most of my pregnancy. Thankfully the dizzy spells and queasiness has subsided and now I can focus on preparing and getting ready for Kendall to come. 

We haven't gotten the nursery finished yet, but last week, we were able to get the travel system and the crib mattress...both extremely important things to have, so needless to say, we can relax a little bit. I am still working on the canvases for the nursery and I have also started painting some baby closet dividers that will help me keep all of Kendall's clothing a little more organized. They are a work in progress, so I will post pictures when I finish them...along with everything else. lol. 

This coming Thursday, we will go back to the Doctor for a check-up, however instead of seeing Dr. Sal, we will be meeting some of the other doctor's at the practice. Dr. Sal is also pregnant, and only a week behind me, so she may or may not be able to deliver Kendall. My weekly visits will start the following week, where we’ll find out how things are (or aren’t) progressing. Hopefully, the doctor will have an idea if Kendall will be a 38 – 39 week baby or more like a 39 – 40 week baby. Can I vote for the first option? Of course I know that nothing is certain, so I’ll try not to go in with any expectations. I’m aware that she could very well be late too, so we will wait and see what happens. 

Even though things are getting more uncomfortable by the day, at least the weather has started to drift into fall. The cooler temperatures are helping a lot, especially mentally. I’ve been longing for autumn all year, knowing that’s when Kendall will arrive. Now, it’s here. And soon she will be too.

The Nursery in the Making

We have started on the nursery but it has definitely been a slow process and we aren't close to being finished, so keep that in mind when you see the pictures. This room, before it became a nursery was our office/junk room. The walls were white and it was pretty much a "catch all" room for everything in the house that didn't have a home. Although I didn't get a picture of the room in that state, this is our before picture.

 The brown chair on the right side of this picture will be leaving shortly, and will be replaced with a glider or rocker of some sort. It is hard to tell in these pictures, but the walls are now a very light green. Joe and I love how the color turned out!!

BEFORE pictures

Joe and I had planned on having the crib put together before Mom got her last week, but when we got the crib out of the box, we realized that we had no hardware to put the crib together. It took TWO weeks for us to finally get the pieces we needed, but they arrived and we assembled the crib yesterday. The furniture is big for this small room, but it is absolutely beautiful and we love it!!

The piece of furniture on the left side of this picture will be a dresser/changer combo. We opted for this instead of a dresser and a changing table, because of space and the fact that this will grow with a child of any age, whereas after you are done with a changing table it really has no use.

After getting the crib together and moving it around the room 50 times to get it in the perfect space, this is what we have come up with right now. Keep in mind again, that a lot of the smaller things in the room will be moved and changed around. So, these are our DURING photos.

We will have some wasted space in the corners, but we decided to put the diaper genie in one corner close to the changing table, so it is out of sight, but functional.

I couldn't resist! :) Eli keeps us company while we set up the nursery!

Lastly is the closet. The closet has been the most difficult process for, and I'm sure I will change it 100 more times before committing it to it's final state, but this is the BEFORE picture.

Boring and simple. It was originally used to house Joe and I's work clothes.

This is the DURING photo of the closet. It won't be this jumbled when I am done. :)

At least now, it is a little more functional. The drawers in the middle of the closet house caps, socks, shoes, and misc. accessories. The baskets below it contains wash clothes, burp clothes, towels, and bibs.

More photos to come!