Keeping up with the Andrews

May 21st

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Today is bittersweet.

Today would have been my grandpa Marshall's 86th birthday.

Two months ago today my grandma went home to be with Jesus.

and something so very sweet...

A year ago today we found out that we were expecting our second baby.

And today that baby boy is 4 months old!!

So many emotions.

Happy. Sad. Happy. Sad. and thankful all the way around.

So thankful that the Lord gave my precious grandpa 85 great years on this earth.

So thankful that my grandma is no longer suffering even though we miss her greatly.

So thankful that a year ago was a day that changed our lives forever.

It is so clear that the Lord's hand has been on us and is involved in every detail.

Missing my grandparents more than words can say but how neat that we have our baby boy who looks so much like his big papa and came into existence on his birthday.

We have much to celebrate today, as bittersweet as it is.

A little getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Vacations aren't as relaxing as they used to be before babies but this one was much needed. We packed the family up and headed out to Palm Desert on Friday morning. My parents had spent the week out there and were leaving Friday so we used the condo for the weekend. I don't know what it is about the desert but there is a special peace that comes over me when I'm there.

We enjoyed lunch and drinks by the pool daily and went out for dinner.
Can you tell I loved my break away from the kitchen??

She's looking so grown up

Little man in his trunks

vacation is so exhausting..

we're working on ladylike manners :)

My man and his mini

A couple of goofs!

I swear I see a little bit of curl in that pony

Best friends

My boys

Can't wait to go back in a couple weeks!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:07:00 +0000

I'm laughing as I type this because the blog below is about me being a fatty Mcfat fat and here I am posting a cookie recipe and eating one while I work. Awesome. If you follow me on Instagram then you saw this picture, and let me tell you that they taste WAY better than they look!

I was at Trader Joes this morning and came across a bag of rolled oats.

I'm always looking for new breakfast ideas & loved this because they are gluten free, a great source of fiber and sodium free! As I was checking out the gal said, "Ohhh, are you making the cookies?" COOKIES?? I said. She raved about the recipe on the back & you know me & COOKIES!

I drove home and made a batch before I even made lunch.

Shame on that lady for telling me about the recipe. I'm addicted.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

1/4 c. butter

1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 c. sugar

3 cups of rolled oats

3/4 c. brown sugar

6 oz chocolate chips

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter and beat until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Place teaspoon full of dough on parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes. Just until they are lightly brown around the edges.

Side note: I threw all the ingredients in at once in my Kitchen Aid and they were just as awesome.

Yay for not feeling as guilty in indulging in chocolate chip cookies!

Fatty McFatso's

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I realize I just gave birth 13 weeks ago but not sure how long I can use that excuse. I'm ~~fat~~. Ok maybe fat isn't the right word. I'm chunky and this weight isn't all from my precious son. I happen to love food and seem to love it even more when I'm exhausted. I have never been such a fatso in my life. Back fat? Y'all, I have back fat. I'm mortified and even more so with swim suit season upon us. This is going to take some serious work and I don't even know where to start. My arms, my legs, my back, my stomach, my face...holy smokes even my calves! I lost 30 pounds when Kate was 7 months old and I have 20 pounds to go this time and LOTS of toning to do.
My handsome man is in this with me. He gained sympathy pregnancy weight so I wouldn't feel so bad. Isn't he sweet? We're going back to the basics. Cutting down on carbs, dairy and sugar and adding more protein, fruits and veggies. Cutting down on sugar will be the hardest for me since I have the biggest sweet tooth EVER! I'm determined and my goal is to be in my little teal bikini for Cabo which is in the beginning of August.
I took my "before" picture last week in that teal bikini and if I make my goal weight by the end of July I will post it here for y'all to see along with my "after". And just in case you're wondering how bad my before picture is, my mom was rolling on the floor when I showed it to her. Mainly because I had just taken it the day before but seriously, it's bad!

I'll check back in at the end of next month. Pray there is progress!

Beach Bums

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:37:00 +0000

My favorite time of year is here!

Sunshine, blue skies and spending our days with our toes in the sand..

Kate and Cam rowing the boat

My crabby boy :)

laying out and eating chips, what could be better?

eating and watching daddy build a castle.

snoozin' away in his sun tent

so happy to have a day with daddy

beach bum

So happy to be back in my beach chair and share our days with sweet friends on the island!

3 months young

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:24:00 +0000

Our William is possibly the happiest baby I've ever known. He is Mr. Mellow and holy cow has he captured my heart! I could not be more crazy over this boy! He is FILLED with smiles and is just starting to coo. We have some pretty awesome conversations. If someone overheard me talking to him they would probably think I'm crazy. This is one of my favorite ages, he's still tiny but is starting to interact and recognizes our faces and voices. SO much fun!

This boy has two favorite things. Sleeping & Eating. They happen to be my favorite things too! He's been sleeping through the night since 8 weeks and he finally willingly took a bottle for the first time last night. He knows what he likes and it will be a miracle if he takes formula one day! He's chunkin' out and one of these days I'm going to eat one of those delicious rolls! Will weighed in at 14 pounds this week! He's going to pass his big sister up in no time who is only 29 pounds at 2 and a half!

Our little man is starting to teethe and is chewing on anything he can get in his mouth! He is also quite the drooler which his big sister was not! He is a major snuggle bug and I find it hard to put him down during the day. Will gave us his first belly laugh over the weekend when his daddy was tickling his tummy. The laughs quickly turned into grunts, clearly he was not entertained. He gets that from his momma.

I am amazed daily at all the resemblances I see in his sweet face of ones I love. He has my grandpa Marshall's smile, looks like my uncle john did when he was a baby, and has Chris' eyes and eyebrows. One of these days I will post my baby picture and you'll see that he looks just like I did when I was a baby.

The Lord is so good and His timing could not have been more perfect in sending our Will to us. The joy that he has filled our hearts with along with his big sister is beyond what I deserve. I'm so thankful that I get to spend day in and day out with them. These days are passing by too fast and I am doing my very best to savor every moment with our two blessings.

Happy 3 Months, Son!

Love you to the moon and back x121322

Hippity Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:35:00 +0000

There was something so sweet and blessed about this Easter. We were all wondering how we would get through our first big holiday without grandma and grandpa there with us, but we did and it was beautiful. We were surrounded by 30+ very close friends and family at my parents house and enjoyed an incredible brunch.
Kate was on a sugar high the entire day while Will was grumpy and tired as you will see in the pictures below.

...and the meltdowns begin

Found her in the corner of her playhouse eating a cadbury egg.

She is so my kid!

Egg hunt time!

I stuffed 100 plastic eggs not realizing Kate was the only hunter this year!

Good thing I bought good candy :)

Finally snoozin'

The sweetest little man face I've ever seen

I love Easter. It's always the perfect way to kick off spring, spend time with loved ones and a humbling reminder what Jesus did for us over 2,000 years ago on the cross (Good Friday)...and 3 days later conquering death so that we can have everlasting life with Him! There is no greater love.

Oh, and I am the lamest Easter bunny EVER! I just realized as I'm typing that Kate's present from the Easter bunny is still in the back of my car! Whoops! :::runs to the car to surprise her:::

Hope y'all had a blessed Easter.
So much to be grateful for.

Smile!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:42:00 +0000

Thanks to the Android family finally getting up to date, I finally have Instagram.
Pretty sure all my pictures will be of my kids and food. Sorry in advance.
My username is Southernatheart
XO

2 months

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Precious boy is 2 months old!!

Will continues to amaze us with his super mellow disposition. I'm pretty sure he has put some sort of spell on me because my heart swoons every time I look at his sweet face. He has recently started smiling when he hears Chris and my voice and yes, I become a ball of mush. Our Prince loves to snuggle, he loves floor time on his super cool play mat and he adores his big sister! The boy also loves to eat, which happens about every 2 hours or so. He's becoming a little chunker which is absolutely delicious! If only I could get away with my rolls being cute. Our little man has been sleeping through the night for the past week! I'm totally knocking on wood but it has been so refreshing!

He loves going for car rides, going on walks and swinging in his cozy swing.

Things he's not so fond of: tummy time, bottles diaper changes.

Will is now wearing 0-3 months and some 3 month outfits. He is about to grow out of size 1 diapers and make his way into size 2s. This is going way too fast. As much as it makes me sad that the kids are growing up so fast, we are enjoying every stage so much. Kate cracks us up and Will is growing into his little personality.

Such precious blessings they are!!!

big sister loves to do floor time too!

bright blue eyes

snoozin' the afternoon away

he totally has Chris' eyebrows

they love each other..for now

Happy 2 months baby boy!

Love you to the moon and back x100000

A few things I've learned.

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:29:00 +0000

I have learned more valuable lessons these past 4 months than any class would ever be able to teach. Watching two people whom I adore die right before my eyes has taught me a lot and made me realize what's really important in life.

1. Invest your time in people, not things.
Relationships are far more valuable than any other tangible thing ever will be.

2. No matter what life throws your way, stand firm & trust that there is a reason & you ARE going to get through it.
"To everything there is a season.." Read Ecclesiastes 3

3. Spend time with those you love.
You never know when it will be your last together.

4. Things don't matter.
You could have all the money in the world, a beautiful home, a nice car. They don't matter. It really hit me last week as I watched my grandma and all that she left behind. None of it goes with you in the end. It's just stuff.

5. The far most important thing that I have been reminded of is how incredibly important a relationship with Jesus is. Think about your life and your heart, if you were to die tonight in a freak accident where would you be going? Heaven? Hell? There is no in between. Life can literally change in an instant an tomorrow isn't promised so PLEASE examine your heart and if you haven't yet, ask Jesus into your heart. Our time on earth is SO short compared to eternity. Can you imagine eternity in Hell? Gnashing of teeth, constant wailing, a hot fiery furnace...forever! Don't let that be your destination.

I could go on about things I've learned...

Enjoy the life that God has given you . Do what you love. Laugh often. Live a life with no regrets. Listen to your heart. Pray and continuously seek the Lord. Be a blessing to others. Take time for yourself. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, for He is good! Live a life that is honest and pure. Be a friend to the friendless. Love your neighbor. Take tons of pictures. Trust that the Lord has you right where He wants you at the very moment. Forgive. and Love deep.

You've only got one shot, so make yours count.

Lyrics to the song playing:
Heaven Song by Phil Wickham

You wrote a letter and You signed your name
I read every word of it page by page
You said that You'd be coming, coming for me soon
Oh my God I'll be ready for You

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song

I hear Your voice and I catch my breath
'Well done my child, enter in and rest'
Tears of joy roll down my cheek
It's beautiful beyond my wildest dreams

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing...

I want to run on greener pastures
I want to dance on higher hills
I want to drink from sweeter waters
In the misty morning chill
And my soul is getting restless
For the place where I belong
I can't wait to join the angels and sing
No, I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song

Our last moments

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:03:00 +0000

This week has been awful and heartbreaking but there have been some sweet blessings sprinkled in between. I thought Monday would be my last time seeing my grandma. I left knowing that she loves me and her knowing how much I love her. Last night things started to take a turn for the worse so we all went and gathered around her bed. Her son made it to her bed side at midnight after traveling all day from Costa Rica. When he walked in the room her eyes opened, she said hi to him and reached for his hand. This was all after the nurse said that her eyes were now unresponsive and that it looked like she would be passing anytime.
I knelt by her side when I had to say goodbye around 1am this morning and she gripped my hand so hard. My heart broke, it felt as if she didn't want me to leave her but I also felt that it was her way of telling me that she loves me. Again I left and prayed for the Lord's perfect timing to take her home amongst the hundreds of tears that fell from my tired eyes.
She has been stable today but hasn't said much. She no longer wants water or even to have her lips swabbed to keep them moist. I asked my mom to call me if she woke up so I could talk to her one last time. We didn't think that would happen since her body is becoming weaker and more tired by the minute BUT my mom told me to call and she would put the phone up to her ear.
I had no clue what to expect, I figured I would just do all the talking so she could hear me one last time. The Lord had something better in store. This is what happened:
me: Hi grandma! --pause-- grandma: Hiiii Nikki (said as if she was smiling) I burst into tears, she knew it was me and said hi! I told her some things and asked if she is excited to see grandpa to which she replied, "I can't wait". I told her how much I love her and then she told me the same. I had Kate get on the phone... Kate: Hi GG! Grandma: choo choo? Me: Grandma, it's Kate! Kate: I wub you GG! Grandma: I love you too. Kate: I love you, bye!
And then the tears flowed because little does my precious baby girl know that would be the last time she got to talk to her GG whom she adores. It was beyond precious and I can't tell you what a gift it was. The waiting is so hard. My heart is at peace because I am confident that she knows how much she is loved but it's broken into hundreds of pieces because a huge part of my life is gone. Watching someone you love with all of your heart die is gut wrenching. We love deep and that is why this journey is so incredibly hard. I've always said that I would rather love deep and have it hurt so bad at the end than to not have given all of my love. There is something so sweet and pure about the love that I shared with my grandparents and I am confident that I will carry their love with me for the rest of my life.
I am sick over the fact that I will never hear her sweet voice on the other end again but I anxiously await the day we are all reunited in Heaven with Jesus. I have said my alohas and am so thankful for that last conversation with grandma.
And now we continue to wait... wait for the exact time that the Lord has planned for her home going. That blessed moment that has been planned since the beginning of time. Please Lord let it be soon!

"A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born." Ecclesiastes 7:1

Thank you Jesus for the hope that we have in you for everlasting life!

Getting ready to say goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:11:00 +0000

I am pretty sure I was just sitting here writing about telling my grandpa goodbye. It hasn't even been 4 months and this morning I walked into my grandma's place and had to do it all over again. This came totally unexpected and I don't think any of us were ready for this. My precious grandma took a really bad fall in her room at 4:30am on Saturday morning. She cut her head open and received 14 staples along with 3 deep stitches, the CT scan also shows that her brain is bleeding. Her body is frozen from Parkinsons and now she has stopped eating. Let me just say that when I walked in and saw her this morning, my heart broke all over again. I sat by her side all day, holding her hand and telling her stories. She would smile every now and then and gripped my hand. I knew that she was hearing me. I sat there and prayed quietly for the Lord to give her some strength to talk to me. 5 hours later she opened her eyes, saw me and smiled. In her sweet voice she said "Hi honey!" She kissed my hand over and over again and told me that she loved me. I assured her that we are all going to be ok and told her that grandpa is up in Heaven just waiting for her. She smiled and I told her over and over again how much I love her and said, "grandma when you get to Heaven will you send me a sign" Her response was precious, "I will if I can honey." My grandpa sent many and I can't tell you the peace it brought us even though we already knew where he was. All of her girls have released her and told her that it's ok to go, she's just waiting on her son who will be there tomorrow. She is ready to go, she is so ready to be set free and be back with grandpa and all her loved ones who have gone before us.
Pulling myself away from her bedside was so incredibly hard. I wanted to curl up next to her and be there with her, to love on her, take care of her and make a few more memories before she leaves this earth.
I am once again reminded how precious life is and how short our time is here on earth. She is about to enter eternity into Heaven and I couldn't be more thrilled for her.

Our hearts are in a bunch of pieces and we are going to miss her more than words can say BUT we will rest and rejoice in knowing that she will be with Jesus in Heaven with her Maker. I know that this pain we are feeling will only be temporary because we will all be reunited again before we know it. We have experienced so much loss as a family in such a short time. It's still hard to believe that we lost grandpa and I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that we are about to lose grandma.
My prayer is for peace to flood our hearts like a roaring river. We need it so bad. I know that we're all going to be ok. This is all part of the Lord's plan and He is going to give us exactly what we need but my goodness this is hard!
I left her room knowing that it was probably the last time I would see her and talk to her on earth and tears streamed down my face as I closed the door behind me.
I am not good at good byes so instead I'll say.
Aloha, until I see you again in Paradise my precious grandma.

jogging down memory lane

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:43:00 +0000

I've been thinking about time a lot recently...

How much time I spend not sleeping due to caring for my babies, how much time it takes to get the house going and everyone ready for the day and how much time it takes to wind the house down at night only to get in bed and do it all over again the next day.

Then there's that realization of, oh my gosh I can't believe our first born is already two and a half years old and our baby boy is almost 6 weeks old. There are those days that are so sweet where I wish I could freeze time and then those days I wish I could speed up time and get past certain phases.

Finally there are those days that I look back on and can't believe they are gone forever. F O R E V E R.

I think we all have those moments where we smell something that takes us back to an old memory or a song that will take you right back to that special place or certain person. I've been having a lot of those moments recently.

I've spent so much time thinking back on my childhood these past couple of months and it all seems so surreal. In a way I feel like those days were just yesterday.

I close my eyes and I'm back on my grandma and grandpa Parker's "farm". I'm tending to all the animals, shopping with my grandma, cutting and coloring my grandpas hair, eating my heart out and being spoiled rotten. I smell a certain fireplace smell and I'm right back in a little cabin in Big Bear with my family and picture myself building snowmen with my Pops. Big bags of peanuts remind me of him feeding all the squirrels in the mountains. Unconditional love is a word that comes to mind when I think of them. I can count the number of times they got mad at me on one hand. That says a lot because I was stubborn child. They might not have had much but I will never forget how they loved me.

More recently songs and smells have taken me back to time with my grandpa Marshall and grandma Earla. Days that really were just yesterday. I close my eyes and can hear my grandpa talking to me, always encouraging me and teaching me something new. I remember all of the stories he would tell, so many of them with laughter and others with tears as he would tell me about the war and how blessed we are to live in this great country. I think back to all of the sleep overs I had at their house on Ogle Street and how special they made me feel each time I came over. Grandpa would make his blueberry pancakes while wearing his famous apron and grandma would always make me my favorite dinners. Their house always seemed so magical. Now that they are no longer there and their house is almost empty.. the magic is gone. I never imagined I would see my favorite house empty. I'm just going to close my eyes and remember the way it was.

To this day the smell of fresh cut grass takes me back to our old house on Mayfair Ave, I'm a little girl who spent every minute while the sun was up outside. I'm riding my bike around the neighborhood, building forts on the side of the house and my dad is working in the garden.

I never thought those days would be gone. It's been four years today since that chapter in my life started to close. Four year ago I lost my Pops, one year ago we lost grandma Parker, three months ago we lost grandpa Marshall and now we're clinging onto the short time that we have left with grandma Earla. I look at my sweet grandma and so badly want to rewind time and have her back to the way she used to be before parkinsons took over her body. But instead I will cherish the time that I have left with her and shower her with all my love.

Time, it goes so fast.

So thankful for my past and all of the sweet memories that I carry with me. Now it's time I cling tight to the memories that are being made at this very minute with my precious babies and our parents for one day all too soon they too will just be memories.

I think I'll just close my eyes and turn on "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift because then I am back on a beautiful road in Nashville with all the ones I love in the place I love most.

...and this song that's playing, it's what I heard as I pulled out of my grandparents house yesterday after cleaning it out. I totally felt like it was a sign that my grandpa was there with us. I'm so thankful for such sweet tearful reminders.

one month

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:11:00 +0000

Happy 1 month to our sweet son!

I cannot believe that we have known you for a whole month. Our first month with you has flown by yet we feel like we've known you forever. Our hearts are filled with so much love for you, we are head over heels for you baby boy! I am experiencing a whole new kind of love with you in our life. Your snuggles are my favorite pastime, your grunts crack us up, your smile melts my heart and the love you have filled us with has made me a better person.

Will continues to amaze us daily. He loves to eat, pass gas, snuggle and ..sleep! We finally busted out the swaddle me and are getting 4 and 5 hour stretches of sleep during the night. Thank you Jesus!

One of my favorite things about Will is his sweet smile. He has my grandpa Marshall's mouth and seeing him smile brings so much comfort and joy to my heart. I absolutely love how the Lord works. He created our precious son so perfectly and for Him to add such sweet resemblances is such a gift.

We are so in love with you, Will!

Happy Love

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:32:00 +0000

I love Valentines Day. Chocolate. Flowers...and more chocolate!
But most of all, I love that it's all about L O V E.

My heart is filled with lots of that stuff these days.

I packed the babies up and we went to lunch with the best husband and daddy ever!

We then headed to my jeweler to get my ring cleaned and pick up a diamond necklace that I won! So fun!

The rest of the day was just me and these cute faces.

Big Sister is a ham

I enjoyed a romantic dinner for one by myself on the couch last night while my man was in class. When he got home he surprised his girls with valentines and flowers.

Kate loves her flowers, can't wait to plant them once the rain passes.

opening her Valentines from mommy!

I am so incredibly thankful for my valentine, my precious husband who works so hard for his family and never complains. He is more than I could have ever asked for and I can't imagine living a day without him by my side.

Our little valentines are amazing and the love that they have filled our hearts with it beyond what I ever knew was possible.

Hope y'all had a great day celebrating love..whatever that looks like to you.

Hi.

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:42:00 +0000

I'm two weeks in on this mom of two gig and I think I'm getting the hang of it! Most of our days have been spent at home but I have conquered 3 outings out on my own! I have yet to take Will out in a "public" place since he's still so tiny...we've only been to friends houses but it's a great start and I'm feeling more confident. If only I had realized how easy 1 kid was! Big sister is doing a lot better and I think the worst is over with the crazy tantrums *knock on wood*. She loves her baby brother and has never wavered on her love for him.

Our precious Will is doing amazingly well! He is eating like a champ! He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz yesterday at the doctor! Up a full pound and 2 ounces since we left the hospital. He is the definition of dream baby. His days and nights are still mixed up which has been really fun. ~~hahaha~~ Even though he's up a good portion of the night and I'm exhausted it's not bad because he doesn't cry. He just wants to be held and look around and let's be honest here, I'm soaking in all the snuggles. There is nothing like newborn snuggles!

It's funny as I think back to how I was so worried about having two and wondering how I was going to love Will as much as I love Kate. Our sweet boy has absolutely captivated my heart and now it's hard to imagine what life was like without him. I can't fathom living without these two treasures. My heart continues to grow and overflow with crazy love for our blessings.

It may be a little crazy over here these days but I wouldn't trade this time for the world.

Stinky diapers, tantrums, no sleep, piles of laundry & a house that needs a good cleaning.

All of it will be gone too soon and someone recently shared this with me,

"the days may seem long, but the time is so short"

So excuse my messy house, my overflowing laundry basket and toys that are sprawled throughout the house...I'm busy soaking in every second and loving on my babies.

Oh Happy Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Will and I are almost exactly 26 years apart, off by a week! I just had my "happy day" as Kate calls birthdays and enjoyed a quiet day at home with my man and kids. I was greeted with breakfast in bed and enjoyed my chocolate chip pancakes while snuggling my baby boy, we spent the morning in the backyard sipping on a carmel frap with extra carmel while playing bubbles and soaking up the sunshine, I snuck out to Target for a bit in the afternoon and did some grocery shopping and had an awesome evening with our parents up for an incredible dinner put on by my husband. He planned the whole thing and made me feel so special.
Each year keeps on getting better, my heart continues to grow and overflow with joy and so much love.
Oh yes, it's going to be a great year!

the best present ever

my joys

Life is good!

Announcing the arrival of our son

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:19:00 +0000

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our son, William Allan Marshall Andrews!

His arrival:
We got to the hospital around 7am on Saturday, January 21st. It was so crazy driving to the hospital knowing that when we returned home there would be two little ones in the back seat and we would be a family of four. I held my belly all the way with tears in my eyes as I felt Will's last kicks inside my belly. It was such a surreal moment. Once we got checked in and admitted they checked me and I was at a 3 and 80% effaced. A couple hours into labor my doctor came in and broke my water to speed things up. That has got to be one of the oddest feelings ever and I'm so thankful it happened in the hospital and no where else! The contractions really started to get intense so I ordered the epidural about 40 minutes after my water breaking. I had a much better experience this time around! One try and it was done! My doctor checked me around noon and I was still at a 3 and 80% effaced and feeling discouraged that I hadn't made any progress in the 4 hours. Once the epidural kicked in I was able to relax and rest. It was around 1:30pm that I started to feel an insane amount of pressure on my right side. I thought that was odd because my right side was more numb than my left but I was definitely feeling intense pressure. My mom ran and got my nurse to have her come check me and all she said was "close your legs, you're at a 9.5 and 0 station...his head is right there and Dr. has 2 others ready to push". Talk about intense! It took all I had within me to not push and to wait 30 more minutes for him to walk in the door and deliver our boy. I kept having my mom check to make sure he wasn't coming out since I was still a but numb from the epidural. My DR. arrived around 2:15pm, I pushed for a few minutes and our precious William was in my arms at 2:33pm! I can't even explain the feeling of your child being placed on your chest and hearing their first cries. It is beyond overwhelming and precious. They got him clean and placed him on the scale, he weighed in at 6lbs 14oz and 20 inches long. The same exact measurements I was when I was born! Chris and I spent the first two hours of his life doing skin to skin snuggle time, such sweet time getting acquainted with one another.

Life with Kate and Will:
Labor and delivery was a completely different experience this time around than it was with Kate. The pain was so minimal and the recovery has been amazing. I have no pain and am able for the most part to keep up with all the demands of being a mom of two young ones. The hardest part thus far has been dealing with our sweet girl and her temper tantrums. They aren't just any tantrums, they have been out of control but I think we have finally turned a corner. I am doing my best with trying to manage my time and still make Kate feel extra special and not neglected while keeping up with having a newborn and meeting all of his needs. Will is an amazing baby, he eats (all day long), sleeps for hours, poops and burps. He's your typical guy! :) The only time he cries is when he's ready to eat, bath time and diaper changes. I am the one waking him up every 3 hours during the night to eat, he's just so content!
We are feeling beyond blessed and my heart has been completely melted by this little boy. I have turned to butter and cannot get enough of him and all his snuggles. Those fears of wondering how I was going to love him just as much as I love and adore Kate all went out the window on that rainy January afternoon when we met for the first time. It's incredible having two little ones and the love that we have for them is unlike anything else we have ever known. Kate loves her baby brother, she loves to help burp him and hold him. She's a little rough but we're working on that. I thank the Lord all day long for these two and can't wait to watch them grow up together and become the best of friends.
Thank you all for your kind messages, wishes and prayers for our family. We have been overwhelmed by all the love and support we have been shown. To all of our dear friends who have been bringing meals and are bringing them in the coming days, we can't thank you enough. It is such a lift, especially with Chris being gone 3 nights a week at grad school. I truly feel the arms of Christ wrapped around my little family.

Here are a few snapshots from Will's Happy Day!

just got admitted and settled into the delivery room

meeting my boy for the first time

skin to skin time...just minutes old

the most incredible team

they also delivered Kate together!

My boys

Proud daddy holding his son for the first time

Big sister meeting Will for the first time

This is how we slept our first two nights together in the hospital

15 hours old

Get ready for this blog to be flooded with pictures of my precious treasures!

Belly Pic Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

I think I'm about to POP

belly comparisons

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

38 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:24:00 +0000

Weeks: 38

Cravings: Red Lobster. I have to go before I pop this kid out.

Food Aversions: none.

Heartbeat: high 140's

Gender: precious baby BOY!

Extras: I've been slacking updating the blog and what's going on with baby boy! Hard to believe that he can come at any time. I've had a couple of false alarms this past week. I'm not the pregnant lady who calls the doctor every time I think I'm going into labor, thank God for google and friends who have experience with going into labor on their own to help get me through this waiting time. We are finally totally ready for our little man! Our bags are packed, the car seats are installed, everything has been bought, cleaned and is prepared to welcome Will into the world. Y'all will be happy to hear that my hair and nails have been done, I was even able to sneek in a little extra massage! He needs to come so I can stop shopping and cleaning! It's seriously out of control! I have two meals planned to make for the week and Chris and I have a date night planned and that's all I'm doing.. I'm totally pulling the pregnancy card and am surrendering my house-wife duties. I've reached a new low and burned myself while making macaroni and cheese. Who does that?! For those of you who like to be in the know and up to date with our exciting life (Ha) and who care to follow baby watch you can follow me on twitter {MrsNikkiAndrews} I will be updating it as much as I can and will have someone keeping my facebook up to date while I'm in labor. For those of you who think it's crazy to update while in labor and such...don't follow! I happen to love it when my friends keep all of us posted on the arrival on a new life. We are excited, anxious and so ready to meet our precious Will. I'm sure you can imagine the emotions that we are feeling knowing that his birthday could be any day now! My heart is at peace and just so excited to see his face and kiss his little nose for the first time. I wonder if he will have a head of dark hair like his big sister? What if he comes out bald? Ha, like that will ever happen! Such exciting days ahead. Please be praying for us this next week as we await the arrival of our precious son.

How big is Will?: He is about 6.8 pounds (which is what Kate weighed at birth) and is around 19.5 inches long! I pretty much have a watermelon in my tummy!

A peek inside my soul

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

So, here we are. Two weeks away from Will's due date and I will bet money that he will be here before then. So many things going through my mind like wondering if the contractions that I get almost daily are going to turn into the real thing or if my water is just going to randomly break and give me a heart attack. I selfishly have a list of things that I want to do/get done before he arrives and find myself quickly checking them off. The house is set, everything has been cleaned, polished, washed and cleaned again. We have everything in place for Will and have Kate set for her time away from us while we're in the hospital.
I've felt like I've had a cloud hanging over my head these past few months as we anticipate his arrival. A cloud of fear and anxiety. Fear that I am not going to handle the great task of being a mom of two young ones well, fear that Kate is going to feel pushed aside for all the demands that a newborn brings, fear of labor and delivery and the pain that goes with it. Anxiety with Chris starting school the week that Will is due and having him gone a big chunk of the time between work and school, anxiety of not having all my things done before he arrives and the list goes on with stupid things that have done nothing but rob my joy and and cause unnecessary junk to take over my mind.
I have finally been able to let it go. All of the things I mentioned above are lies from the enemy and how stupid I was to buy into them. I am most definitely going to have my hands full with being home and taking care of two little ones but what a joy and a honor it will be! I am soaking up every last second with Kate and enjoying our one on one time before her time with me is split. Sure there are going to be days where she doesn't get the attention she wants but isn't that just how life goes? Might as well learn it young! The Lord has been so faithful and has made this pregnancy easy and painless and I know that He is going to get me through labor and delivery just like he did the first time!
I've always said that God's timing is perfect and I believe it with all of my heart. I find His timing sometimes funny and not what we had in mind like with Chris finally starting grad school after he has talked about it for the past 8 years. Of course he would be going back to school the week our baby is due which also happens to be when busy season starts at the firm. You seriously just have to laugh. This is going to be a very busy season in our life and we are so thankful that we are surrounded by family and dears friends to push us through with their love, support and encouragement. I think about the military wives and them doing this all on their own and it shuts me up real quick.
This pregnancy has been a joy, I was hardly sick and it hasn't gotten in the way of me being hands on with Kate and doing the fun things that go along with having a two year old. I have so many emotions as I lay here and type this at almost 38 weeks pregnant with my baby boy squirming around in my belly. Not sure if this is the last time I will get to experience pregnancy and anticipating the arrival of our child, not sure if these kicks that I'm feeling from the inside and cherish are the last ones I will ever experience. I'm trying to soak in every last bit...the good and the hard things that come with it. There is a good chance that we will feel our family is complete once our son arrives although I know my husband is praying for one more. It will be exciting to see where God takes us on this new journey that we are about to embark on as a family of four. We are ready... even though my hair and nails still aren't done yet :)

Baby watch is on!

To Do List- December

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

I've been busy...

House & more...
~~Have rugs cleaned~~
~~Clean living room window coverings~~
~~Clean kitchen window coverings~~
~~Scrub baseboards/touch up with fresh paint~~
~~Clean out "baby" cabinet in kitchen~~
~~Scrub kitchen cabinets~~
~~Buy new drapes for kitchen slider~~
~~Clean ceiling fans/chandelier~~
~~Clean up/organize laundry room~~
~~Steam clean wood floors~~
~~Deep clean bathrooms~~
~~Buy new towels for both bathrooms~~
~~Wash windows/screens~~
~~Remodel master closet~~
~~Clean out toy chest in living room~~
~~Organize baby toys/toddler toys~~
Set up & wash new moses basket in our room
Stock bathrooms/storage cabinet for the winter
~~Replant garden for the winter~~
~~Get XTerra detailed~~
Get Jeep detailed
Install newborn car seat in both cars
~~Pack hospital bags~~
Pack Kate's overnight bag
~~Pack diaper bag~~

Will's Room
~~Paint walls soft grey~~
~~Touch up moldings~~
Hang letters above crib
Install new bedding
Add new accessories for baby boy
Fill his closet up
Wash baby clothes, blankets, burpies etc.
Scrub floors
Wash/set up baby swing

Kate's Room
~~Install crown molding~~
~~Paint moldings~~
~~Paint walls soft green~~
~~Buy big girl bed~~
~~Buy bedding~~
~~Buy a rug~~
~~Install bed rail~~
~~New window coverings~~
Add new accessories
Move her closet over
~~Scrub floors~~

Take one bag to the Goodwill each month to reduce clutter and clothes/items we no longer use..
~~August~~
~~September~~
~~October~~
November
December

January
Get hair done
Pedicure
~~Massage~~

I've been on nesting overload. Once Christmas was over and the tree was put away I went full speed ahead to get this place in shape. I spent the last 3 days at Bed Bath and Beyond buying new organizational things and replacing all the towels and drapes in the house. A quick trip to Home Depot and a couple hours outside and our gardens have all new soil and flowers for the winter! This 80 degree weather has been inspiring and also helped washing all the windows and screens not seem so bad. All we have left to do is have the rugs cleaned, steam clean the wood floors, pack bags, have the Jeep detailed and install the car seat which will all be done this week!

Then it's onto the fun things! I'm getting my hair washed and styled weekly by a good friend until our little guy arrives, made appointments to have a couple mani and pedis and then we wait!

My favorite is when Kate tells me "mommy, no more necking" (nesting).
Wonder who taught her that one..
Can't believe it's almost baby time!

35 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:31:00 +0000

Weeks: 35

Cravings: Chocolate. Chocolate. Did I mention that I'm eating every piece of chocolate in sight?

Food Aversions: None!

Heartbeat: high 140's

Gender: precious baby BOY!

Extras: I think it's safe to say that we're like 85% ready for this little guy. We are pretty much physically ready for him as far as his room being ready, all the clothes and accessories are washed, his moses basket is set up, the swing has been washed and is ready, the diaper bag is packed...that other 15% is me not being mentally prepared. The thought of having a newborn and a very busy 2 year old is daunting at times but I know it will end up being great. We already took the big leap of going from 0 kids to 1, so what's another one? I wish I could say that I'm feeling great but truth is, I feel like a fat pig who waddles around. I love being pregnant but I think the cuteness of having a belly has worn off and I'm over all of my maternity clothes. My mom said it best last night, I'm just a grumpy pregnant lady. I blame the dude and his testosterone. :) My weight is not pretty, I think this is the last check in where I will be sharing these numbers with y'all. 35 weeks and I'm up 26 whopping pounds of lard! I try to make myself feel better by reminding myself that Will is around 5.5 pounds right now and add another 5 pounds with all the other things in there and that's at least 10 pounds of baby. Whatever, it's all for a great cause and I know once I get to hold our boy I won't care how large I am. Next up on the things to do list is pack our hospital bag next week along with Kate's bag for the grandparents houses, get the cars detailed and install the infant car seat. Crazy!

The little dude is now about 5 pounds, the size of a honeydew!

You should feel better about yourself after reading this, don't you?

Belly Pic Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:15:00 +0000