It's funny how quickly this pregnancy has come and gone, yet how these past couple weeks have felt like an eternity! We are settling into our days nicely with Dad away at work, and have found our routine again. It has been nice to have a bit of predictability, but we sure do miss Dad being around all day. He is loving his job, and is off to a great start surprising his boss daily with the things he has found and accomplished. It is so great to see him so happy and excited in what he is doing. The France paternity leave is wonderful, so we are looking forward to some good time with him again whenever baby brother decides to join us! Daddy's boss is very kind, and has made it clear that family comes first and whatever we need is far more important than being at the office. We are all so thankful for his willingness and flexibility through this transition time. God truly knew what he was doing opening up this door for Dad and being so gracious to us.
As for me, I am feeling good and beyond ready to meet this little man. I had my last appointment last week and things are looking great. I'm walking, stretching, nesting, preparing mentally every day, and am beginning to grow impatient with the waiting game. I'm not sure if it is the unknown for how he will make his grand entrance, what life will be like with two darling babies, the foreign language obstacle, or just my pregnancy hormones, but I am beside myself with this overwhelming feeling of emotions and stress and I can't pinpoint what the source is; therefore, I can't fix it! Dad has been my rock, and has truly lifted me up and carried me through some days that just weren't fun for me, bringing light to each dark moment I have felt. One thing I keep reminding myself, and holding tightly to, is the fact the the Lord has me and this little boy in His hands and has the perfect plan for this birth and our lives together. I remember your birth day like it was yesterday, and now you are going to be a big sister!! Time goes so fast, and I want to hold on to these precious moments of just me and you for a few more days/weeks while feeling your little brother stretch and move around letting me know he is strong and well.
You, my sweet girl, have been wonderful always reminding me how blessed I am to have you. You make my heart soar, and for that I am so extremely thankful. My belly is your favorite thing right now, and every time you catch a glimpse of it you run to me saying, "awwww" with a sweet tilted head reaching out your hand and touching your brother. It makes me so proud to see you so loving for him already. You have even started trying to feed my belly bites of your snacks while saying, "mmm, baby!" I really hope this is a glimpse of what life will be like with him here on the outside, because it is something to be treasured. I do fear for the first meeting, as you are not a fan of seeing mommy in the doctor's office. You get very worried for me at the slightest thought of me being in pain, and want to be touching me at all times. I plan to have some special things for you, and to have some moments of just you and me before we bring baby brother to meet you. I love you sweet girl, and am so grateful for your tender heart!
Eighteen more days until my French due date, and I will take any day before that gladly :)
It has been a year and a half since we first met you, and our lives changed for the better in that moment. Each day with you is a blessing, and seems to only get sweeter as the time passes on. As we anticipate the birth of your brother, Dad and I have been looking through your old photos and videos and can hardly believe that you are not our little baby anymore. The joy we feel with you in our lives is something far greater than we could have ever imagined. You are hilarious, spunky, dramatic, easily frustrated but even more easily distracted from said frustration, sweet, tenderhearted, wild, active, loving, spoiled, friendly, inquisitive, goofy, particular, compassionate, mischievous, and ours. We are so thankful that God chose US to be your parents. To love you. Teach you. Encourage you. Comfort you. Support you. Lift you up. Laugh with you. Cry with you. Direct you. We love you with our whole hearts, and couldn't imagine our lives without you sweet girl. Our prayer is that as you begin to watch us more carefully, mimicking every move we make, that we may guide you and teach you how to be a young lady with a heart that seeks after what is good and true. That you may see in us the love of our Heavenly Father, and yearn to shine bright for Him. You my Zaylee girl, are our greatest joy and sweetest blessing. I pray you always squeeze us as tightly as you do now and never grow tired of running into our arms that are open wide ready to embrace you. We love you and hope you always know that full well.
You love brushing your teeth and still find a good seat any where you are :)
Stats:
Weight - 9.3 kg / 20.4 lbs Height - 81 cm / 31.8 in. Word Count - around 50 words!! 5 of which are French. You are a sponge these days and learning new things daily! Potty Time - you are letting us know more frequently when you poop and even sit on your potty sometimes! You like to be clean :) Eating - with ease all on your lonesome. You refuse to take help, but have perfected the spoon and are pretty close to perfecting the fork! You don't like a mess, and I love that little fact. You love fruits, veggies, meat of all kinds even fish (I don't like that little fact!). Sleep - 12+ hours at night. 2 hour nap in the afternoon. We still have our routine, and we both still love it!
The Sept Lieu is the little white blob right in the middle of the picture between the green "hill" and the pinkish mountain top! I call it the "holy city" as it shines so bright when the sun hits it just right!
Ok, so that may be a bit on the dramatic side, but truly it was! Last week you were struggling with some teeth that are making their way out to freedom, and took only a 40 minute nap when a 3 hour nap was well needed for all three of us! When this happens, I often get overly frustrated/stressed/whiny/out of sorts, and it only leads to a frustrated dad trying to make us all happy and an even more crabby you. No fun for any of us. When this happens, dad is extremely good about getting us out and taking our minds off all the whining and have some fun together. On this particular day, it happened to be Sunday, and Sunday in France means nothing is open. Nothing! So what is one to do when there is no where for solace? Up the mountain of course! We hopped in the car with a few snacks, and drove up to Sept Lieux, a ski village on the other side of the valley in the Belledonne mountains. It was obviously pretty deserted seeing that there is no snow yet, and it is still September, but we walked and explored and took in the beauty that surrounded us. It is always fresh and crisp up the mountain, and there is a scent in the air that is just perfect. Dad daydreamed about this winter and how much he is looking forward to snowboarding and skiing, and has high hopes of getting you up on skis too. He YouTubes about little girls and boys your age skiing and it gets him all excited. I'm not so sure how you will feel about it, but I told him he can at least try once! You do have amazing balance and have always been good on your feet, so we shall see what comes of it. I, on the other hand, will be waiting in the lodge with your brother drinking hot chocolate :)
Anyway, back to the reason for this post...
As we were walking up the mountain there were four or five big white
cows grazing on what will become the bottom of one of the slopes. We
laid in the grass, and watched you roam around mooing loudly at the
cows. Dad taught you how to roll down the hill, and you two laughed so
hard while I watched in awe that you are both mine! My family. My
life. It is the greatest. After a while, we saw a few others walking
in the fenced area with no reaction from the cows, and thought we would
get a bit closer so you could see them. You LOVE animals and get overly
excited so we thought it would be fun! Dad was holding you and talking
to the cows while I stood back a ways and attempted to take some
pictures. You two got pretty close to a couple and they didn't seem to
mind at all, so dad started walking towards another one that was grazing
all by his lonesome. You were mooing and reaching out in excitement
when all of the sudden Dad locked eyes with the big, white, hungry cow.
Big mistake. The cow got angry and starting huffing and began to
CHARGE so fast towards you and dad only a couple feet away. Dad felt
the vibration in the earth below his feet, and nearly threw you to me in
hopes to save at least your life. The bull was bucking his head
towards dad's back brushing against his shirt until finally retreating
and going back by his buddies. I have never been so scared, nor seen
your father run so fast. When we realized we weren't going to die, we
couldn't stop laughing as our hearts raced so fast in our chests. You
kept shaking your hand at them saying no, and thankfully weren't too
traumatized as you still point at the cows every time we pass them on
the road with excitement in your eyes.
The nice ones..
Heading toward the mean one...
It was quite the adrenaline rush, but such a fun memory and a great day out of the house enjoying the beauty that we get to call home for now. On the way back down the mountain dad grabbed my hand and said, "We are blessed. Living the life of millionaires!" We laughed because this is what Grandpa D always said to us growing up on Lake Geneva. Both are true and beautiful in different ways. Life is good my dear Zaylee, and we truly are blessed!
This past month or so has been full, but at the same time peaceful and a time of family bonding. We have tried to fill up our days as we may never get this "vacation lifestyle" back again until your father retires. It has been such a blessing to have him with us all day, everyday, and we have cherished each moment to the fullest. He has been so wonderful to me during his time off always jumping to do for you as much as he can in hopes that I can rest and feel comfortable in my ever growing body. He gets up with you EVERY morning, serves you your beloved bowl of oatmeal while I lay in bed just a bit longer listening to the two of you have your sweet morning chat over breakfast. It is such a sweet gesture that I never would have asked of him, but am so thankful for the extra time to stretch and wake up without having to jump out of bed before I am ready. It's been a great "vacation" for me as well having all the extra help, and honestly don't know what we will do with ourselves once he begins work again. We will have to have some major bonding time with one another to get our groove back and a routine in our days again. The routine is something I am looking forward, even if it will all get thrown for a loop in another month or so when your brother joins us!
You, my dear girl, are growing up so fast these days and have proved to be very smart for your short 18 months of life thus far. You seem to understand everything we ask you, and are becoming a bit of a stinker when it comes to pretending you don't hear us when we tell you to look us in the eyes while you look every BUT our eyes! The past few weeks have been a big turn around in the obedience aspect of things, and we are learning what seems to work with you as opposed to what does not. The dreaded screaming phase has set in, but we are quickly learning and training you against it as it is something we absolutely will not tolerate. A little flick to the mouth is all it takes, with a few added tears, and you quickly quiet down and let us talk things out with you. It breaks my heart a little, but I am so thankful you take so well to the small form of discipline and hope that things continue that way when bigger issues arise. A bit of the issue I fear is the amount of attention you get on a daily basis. You absolutely adore your aunts and uncles and follow them every where. They love having you around and are always sneaking you treats and riling you up with their fun little games and tricks. We love that you love them so, and are so thankful for this time with them all and for that we let far too much slide in terms of your attitude at times. Dad and I have talked it over and are starting to limit your sugary treats intake, and they have all respected that and always make sure its ok to give you whatever it is you are most likely begging for! :) It is so fun to watch you with them, and the love that pours out between each of them and you, all in it's on special way. Mamie and Anna are your best friends, and you love "helping" them do whatever it is they are doing around the house. If Anna leaves the room, or your general vicinity for that matter, you quickly yell at the top of your lungs, "ANNA!!" It's hilarious, and we love it! You think you are much older than you are, and although most of the time it is adorable, sometimes your little independent-I-can-do-it-myself attitude is too much to handle! Discipline will be an ever changing cycle, and something I dread but firmly believe it is the best form of love for you I can give to raise you up into a kind, gentle, loving little lady.
A glimpse of your "ooo" face while freaking out about all the turtles!
Apart from learning the discipline game, we have just been having fun. With all your aunts and uncles looking for work, we get to spend lots of time with them as of lately. Uncle Lukey came home from Australia a few weeks ago, and the two of you hit it off immediately. He does the best raptor impression I've ever seen, and it gets you all anxious with fearful excitement. Aunt Anna is your go to girl, and your relationship with her reminds me of mine with your dear cousin Kendrick. You love hanging out in her room, and rarely ever give her a moment to herself. She always assures us she loves having you with her, and for that you are very thankful! Uncle Marky always knows how to make you smile and laugh uncontrollably, and the two of you have had a great bond since the beginning, as he was the first to connect with you upon our arrival here in France. Uncle Joe is a hit or miss with you. Some days you sneak into the TV room and hang out with him while he plays video games, and the next you complain each time he smothers you with kisses. Even when you act annoyed, we all know you love him dearly! We have had trips to the zoo, downtown, walks to the horses, reading books galore, exploring, dancing around the living room, visits to the park, many meals around the table as a family, and back in August we even got to be a part of the yearly CMML conference where we were in charge of the teens for the week. It's been such a blessed time getting to know your daddy's family over the past few months, and I am eager to see what this year brings our way. We have been living with no real agenda, making plans as the days come, and just enjoying each moment. We have so much to be thankful for and are feeling an overwhelming sense of awareness of all the Lords blessings in our lives. All in all, life as of lately is wonderfully beautiful and so full!!
A few fun facts about you lately:
You LOVE motorcycles. Like really love them, and every time we pass one you let out a very exclamatory "OOOOHH!!" and point with the cutest little face I ever did see.
When you get bored in the car your go to for attention is pulling up your pant leg and pointing to your knee with a very concerned look on your face saying, "Owwa" when in fact there is no scrape there. We turn around and look at you and slowly a little mischievous grin creeps across your face and we all laugh!
You love drinking out of your big girl cups and eating with your fork. You are very patient when it comes to getting each piece on the fork, and really dislike when anyone tries to help you. You are a great eater, and hate to be messy! My kind of girl :)
Mamie's spice cabinet is your favorite place to play, and it drives me crazy! Mamie says Aunt Anna was the same way, and loves watching you sitting on the kitchen floor making small messes. I guess if she is ok with it, I better be too.
You love chewing gum, and more times than not hand it to us when you are done with it. There are times when you swallow it, but I don't buy into the old saying that it stays in your system for 7 years...some may judge, but you are adorable when you see a piece and every so excitedly rub your chest while saying "Pease Pease!!" How can we say no??
When we pass by a dog, or any animal that is, you grab a big handful of grass and try to feed them because that is what you do with the horses and it is the cutest thing.
When you see a bug, point to the toilet, or see something that we have deemed "caca" you get this hilarious look on your face with your tongue rolled and make a grunting sound while pointing ever so vigorously at the object in question. Makes me laugh every time.
Your facial expressions have become very very expressive, and I wish I could snap a picture of each and every one, but you have entered the "I know what that thing is and I refuse to pose for the camera" phase! :)
You love putting on everyone's shoes and throwing a bag over your shoulder while saying, "Bye" as you wave to us. When we ask you if you are going to work or the store you say, "yeah". The sweetest part of this scenario is the fact that you will never "leave" without giving me a kiss. I love your sweet kisses!!
If we say someone is sleeping, or read a book with someone sleeping in it you automatically squish your finger against your lips and nose and whisper, "shhhh!"
When we whisper in your ear, you calm down immediately. You love being told stories in your ear and whisper back to us. It is one of my favorite things.
Lately you have been much more in to hugging and I love it! You are still free spirited and independent, but you definitely love a good snuggle and for that I am so thankful!
You say please and thank you without us prompting you, and I am so proud of you for that!
I could go on and on, but those are the fun things I want to hold on that came to mind at this moment! Love you Zaylee Jean, and am so proud to be your Mama!
I'm 34 weeks and a few days into carrying your ever growing, very active baby brother, and I am constantly in a pendulum swing of anxious thoughts of excitement and longing to anxious thoughts of fear and overwhelming stress of what is to come with two babies to love and care for. Dad and I spend a lot of our time watching and feeling your brother move beneath my skin, and it amazes us over and over again just how great our God is and what a blessing this little miracle is in our lives. You, my dear girl, love touching my belly and kissing your "brutta" as you like to call him. It is the sweetest thing, and I truly pray that when he comes into our lives you are filled with joy and love for him! It is something I am constantly thinking about as the days draw near for his arrival, along with so many other thoughts and wonders. Do I have what it takes to care for TWO little beings? Will my patient be strong enough? Will you feel neglected? How will you react? Am I ready for the drastic change that will take place with two babies opposed to the ease of just you, my love? My mind has been on over drive, and all I can do is pray and trust.
I have official entered the nesting, I'm not ready, oh-my-word I'm having a baby stage of pregnancy and feel a bit overwhelmed. When it comes to labor, birth, exercise, eating well, and vaccination thoughts I am extremely more prepared this time around. I felt I was well informed with you, but I think having gone through it all once already has prepared my mind in different ways giving me the tools and knowledge I need to know what exactly to look into a bit further and learn a bit more about this time around. Living in a new country has added different forms of stress, but I am very anxious to see how it all goes and can't wait to experience things here in your Daddy's home town. The biggest source of my overwhelmed thoughts is the fact that I have yet to see a real doctor here in France, and have no idea what the actual birthing rooms look like or what they offer a laboring mother. We have finally got all the ducks in a row, and have scheduled a final ultrasound, final appointment, and a tour of the mom and baby wing at the hospital. Prenatal care is done a whole lot differently here, and most of it I like, but towards the end it feels like you are in a world of wonder and there is no knowing what to expect. The entire pregnancy you only have 7 doctors appointments which include three ultrasounds during each trimester. They don't stress too much on the Glucose Test unless you have a family history or have gained weight too quickly, each month you have a blood test to check for toxemia (from all the cheeses!), and after your last appointment you don't see anyone until you go into labor or reach your due date. My last ultrasound is September 30th to confirm baby brothers position and my last appointment is October 10th with an official doctor. At that point, I will be 37 weeks and 4 days with a due date of November 5th. That is a whole lot of time to be wondering if anything is progressing or changing, and it is already driving me batty!
The wonderful, exciting, hopeful part of this all is that the medical professionals I have been in contact with have been nothing but encouraging and supportive of a VBAC birth for my little boy. I am hopeful, but am holding tightly to the fact that ultimately the Lord knows best and is in control of the health and well being of both my own life and the life of my little one. At the end of the day, I just pray for safety and health no matter what that means in the way of how your little brother, my first born son, enters the world! After all, your birth went nothing like the way I had planned or envisioned, but it didn't take away from the fact that it was the most rewarding, honoring, beautiful day of my life when I finally saw your sweet face and held you in my arms. The Lord knows, and that's all I need to know! Until then, I will continue to prepare my body to do what it is made to do by exercising, stretching, walking, and praying over your little brother every day.
I can't wait to meet him, and can hardly contain myself when I think about how much longer I have to wait!! He is so different from you on the inside, and I can't wait to see what he is like on the outside. I have a feeling he will be bigger than you, although I haven't gained as much weight with him as I did with you, but he sure is a killer on my body! He kicks my ribs while stretching and presses so hard against my side that it makes me verbalize the discomfort as I feel his pointy little foot just sticking out the side of my abdomen. It's incredible really, and we are constantly brought to prayers of thanksgiving every time he pushes and squirms. Your aunts and uncles love pushing on my belly and watching him react to their touch, and have been shocked by how crazy he can get and how distorted he makes my belly look at times. It is a fun experience being surrounded by so much doting family members to share in this excitement with us! We are thrilled to be having a boy, and experience all the fun baby things with a different twist. Also, I love that you will still be our favorite girl for a while longer and he our favorite boy! :) However, I do have dreams he comes out a girl, and if that is the case we will be just as happy and excited!
(When we ask you "who's mommy's/daddy's girl?" you point to yourself and shout Zaylee, but of course you didn't want to do so for the camera with the same enthusiasm!)
I keep opening the drawer that holds all the newborn boy items, and I can't wait to see him wrapped up in his blankets, wearing his little pajamas, and smelling him close to me. I pray daily for you and this transition time sweet girl. I want you to be part of it all (not the birth of course!), and feel the excitement and love of a new baby in the house. You showed some severe jealousy the other day when I was helping your little cousin walk while holding her hand, and I saw a glimpse of what may be to come. My hope is that you will understand he is part of us, and makes our family all the more full. You will be an amazing big sister with your tender heart and caring spirit, I just know it! We will, however, have to work on the whole pulling hair and poking eyes out thing though :) I love you sweet Zaylee Jean and can't wait to meet your little brother in just a little over a month. God has been so good to us. We are blessed.
When we came to France just over two months ago, we had no set plan for the future. Our only plan was that we would for sure stay until February, but that all depended on a job for Dad and how things were going here. We arrived in France on a Monday morning, and on Wednesday we headed up the mountains to Camp de Cimes to visit Mamie, Papi, and Uncle Joe. While we were there, dad was talking with a friend of Aunt Anna's named Caleb and half jokingly said, "Come on man, don't you know a hook up for a job for me!?" And Caleb thought for a second before responded, "Actually I do! I know a guy who owns a couple business both here in France and in Germany, that is looking to open an office in Chicago in the near future. You should give him a call!" The following day Dad took the man's number out, dialed it up, and began a conversation that would seem almost too surreal to fathom. The guy was interested from that first, nervous conversation, and a week later planned a meeting to interview your dad. The following Monday evening, dad got dressed in his best and headed out the door for an interview. THREE HOURS LATER!!! he called me to tell me things went great and he was on his way home. The two of them hit it off immediately, and talked for three hours with no real mention of past work experience or any of the normal, to-be-expected interview type questions. At the end of their time together he looked across the desk at your father and said, "I like what I see. I will shoot you an email in the next two weeks with a tentative contract." WE HAD A JOB! Well, not quite yet, but it seemed more than promising.
The company was closed for "holiday" the entire month of August, but dad was in contact and was told he would most likely start September 1st. We liked that thought, as that gave us a whole extra month together before reality set in and we were back to the real world. When the boss man returned from holiday, he called dad and set up a meeting to discuss the contract and all the details that went along for the job. Dad will be in charge of implementing a plan for the Chicago branch, contacting costumers and interested buyers, helping find an office and legal team for the company, and being a part of the already existing sales department here in France starting October 1st. OCTOBER :) You know what that means? We get yet another whole month together and I couldn't be happier!!
People thought we were a bit crazy for packing up and moving across the ocean with you sweet girl, and your brother on the way! We felt at peace and full of excitement. Dad knew in his heart of hearts, that the Lord would guide us and show us where it is we were supposed to be. At this point in our lives, being here in France where dad grew up seemed to be the best place for our little growing family. When all of this talk about the job, the Chicago factor, the comfort and kindness that came in talking with his boss, Hubert, we had no doubt that this was all in God's plan and constant provision for our lives. How could it not be with the way it all worked out? Dad will be making just about the same as he was at Porsche, receiving the French benefits which are worth so much more, five weeks vacation (5 WEEKS!), and 2 weeks paternity leave just a month after starting to be home with you, me, and your baby brother when he decides to join us! We are beyond blessed. Our God is so good and has given us far more than we deserve.
I have always said your Dad is a man of wisdom and a faith much greater than I have ever known. He is a man that exudes peace into every circumstance, and prays without ceasing. Every day I learn something from him when it comes to prayer, faith, and just simply trusting that the Lord will provide. I pray you will find a man with a love for our Lord, as I have found in your Father. It is the best and most important trait to look for in your future spouse, I can promise you that!
Today I am thankful, sweet girl, for you, your healthy baby brother growing daily in my belly, and your father and his love and affection he has for each of us!! We are so proud of him and all the hard work he does for our family. I couldn't be more blessed with the life I have been given. Now, let's soak up these next few weeks before your dad becomes a working man again, and it's back to just the two of us baby girl!!
