{Somewhat} Wordless Wednesday!

With selling the house, buying a house, taking a trip to MO & IN and Johnny being gone we are beyond ready for a Christmas break!! And we are really ecstatic about it!!!!! Mellany is kind of catching on to the presents and Santa and Jesus' birth concept so it will be really special this year! I cannot wait to see what this year's rounds of Christmas celebration will bring! 

Here's what we've been up to lately!

Fun at the big apple

Modeling one of her first Christmas presents

Playing outside on a BEAUTIFUL December day. As usual it was quite the task getting her back inside the house....screaming, crying....you get the picture.

14 & 16 Weeks!

Things are going great with Barrett Baby #2. Pregnancy is progressing well and overall I'm feeling much better than I have been!! 

How far along: 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  +1

Belly button in or out:  In

Symptoms: Still gagging and tired at times, but thankfully the symptoms from 1st trimester are mostly over!

Maternity Clothes:  Pants and a few of my smaller maternity shirts if I'm feeling really bloated

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well

Movement:  None

Food cravings:  Soups...especially Olive Garden's chicken soup....soooo good!!

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: None

Best moment:  Letting everyone we know that we are expecting and no longer keeping it to ourselves!

Emotions: I am still pretty emotional....crying at a commercial, video posted on facebook...etc. etc.

What I miss:  I am already missing some of my normal pants. I'm also really missing my normal workout clothes. 

What I'm looking forward to: Still looking forward to our next dr appointment and the 20 week ultrasound!

What I'm most nervous about: I'm starting to get really nervous about moving. We bought a house this past week so it is definitely getting real. 

Wisdom at this point in time:  (Continued from week 12) Trust in God's plan!! 

How far along: 16 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  "0"--Same as 14 week weight

Belly button in or out:  In and hoping it stays that way for the duration

Symptoms: I am feeling really well and taking full advantage! I have even been able to get back on the treadmill and do some running in addition to the hour long workout classes I've been consistently doing. It feels SO good to get back at it!  

Maternity Clothes:  Pants and a few of my smaller maternity shirts if I'm feeling really bloated

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well

Movement:  None but getting really anxious to feel the little one

Food cravings: Long John Silvers sounded sooooo good this past week. Luckily, I was able to refrain.

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: None

Best moment:  Hearing Baby's heartbeat again at my 16 week appointment. It is a sound I could listen to every single day! The doctor had a hard time trying to find it at first but thankfully she found it and it was nice and strong! 

Emotions: Just depends on the "issue" at hand. I haven't done any crying in a while, so they must be in check pretty well. 

What I miss:  I am still really missing some of my normal pants and workout clothes....and yes, even my normal bras... 

What I'm looking forward to: I am really looking forward to feeling the baby move around and still really excited for the 20 week ultrasound! January 2nd cannot come soon enough!!!!!

What I'm most nervous about: Traveling safely over the Christmas holiday and then getting things in order for the big move.  

Wisdom at this point in time: For myself, it is really taking in the moments with Mellany as an only child. Those days are numbered and I want to make every single one count! 

Our Thanksgiving Holiday

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! The time off was much needed and it was great to spend time together as a family. As usual, I did a really poor job of taking pictures; guess I was just more focused on enjoying the amazing food. :) 

Daxton, Nicholaus and Mellany (and Elmo) have so much fun together!

Johnny and I got to attend the Chiefs vs. Broncos game the weekend after Thanksgiving. It was so much fun; even though the Chiefs did lose. On the plus side we had a great time with Johnny's coworkers and who doesn't love to watch a football legend such as Peyton Manning play?! Did I mention that the weather was perfect?!

The week after Thanksgiving, Johnny and I traveled to Lafayette, IN to look for a home. Mellany spent the week with family and enjoyed every minute! And thankfully, we found a house....a house that we LOVE! While we are still not excited to be further away from family and friends, having a wonderful house waiting for us makes it a little easier. 

{{Somewhat}} Wordless Wednesday on Sunday!

As I always say, we have been so busy lately! Johnny's done a lot of traveling and Mellany and I are staying busy going to the gym and getting things done for MOPS (I was in charge of our fundraiser this past weekend so there's has been a lot of "to-do's" for it). And like I said in my previous post, we are moving, so the planning/prepping process for that has begun. It's gonna be a crazy couple of months. Here's a few shots of what we've been up to over the past couple of weeks.

In order to get the house ready to sell, Bo went to the Barrett farm. He loves it there because of the space and it gives him a chance to just run! Mellany asks for him every time we leave or come back to the house and it breaks my heart to say he's at Nana's. It's a good thing she usually finds something else to give her attention to shortly after that. :) 

A new morning ritual! Mellany loves coming in to lay in our bed, snuggling into my pregnancy pillow with her cow, blanket, cheerios and juice and watches Mickey. It really is the cutest thing (and gives me a little extra time to get ready before she is super hungry for breakfast).

On this particular morning, Miss M didn't feel so good. She did NOT want to go to Kids Club at the gym and refused to get down off the bed. So, we snuggled at home for a while before I headed off to my MOPS fundraiser. 

(this just broke my heart...)

Daddy & Mellany had a horse riding lesson while mommy was at her fundraiser

Mellany has discovered dress up!

Ballocity with the Quin-dals! :)

A Tuesday selfie...

DISNEY ON ICE!!!! I had been looking forward to this for weeks and only hoped that Mellany would love it as much as I thought she would. AND SHE DID!! She sat for the entire 2 hours (a serious miracle!) and loved every minute!! We definitely have to plan a trip to Disney very soon!

(She spotted the cotton candy!)

We've moved the rocker/glider out of Mel's room to make some more space for the house to be shown. So this has become the nightly ritual. Reading "Biscuit" before bed. 

"If you wanna hear God laugh, tell him your plans!"

Yep, that's right, we're moving! We are heading back to Indiana....Lafayette, IN to be exact!

Johnny has received a promotion at work and I couldn't be more proud of him. He will have a larger territory with more responsibility. I am constantly amazed at him and his work ethic and am so happy to see it paying off.

With that said.....I am pretty much devastated to have to leave Kearney. We absolutely love it here. While we talked about only being here for about 5-7 years, I secretly hoped that we might be here forever. Kearney is such a great town with great people, great schools, great family events, great parks, etc. I can't even hardly talk about leaving without tearing up.

The move will take place in mid-January with a home finding trip somewhere between now and then. On the plus side, we have heard great things about Lafayette: the people are great, there is great shopping, there are excellent doctors and hospitals (which is super important because we are pregnant on this move...just like we were when we moved to Kearney!) and the cost of living is super low!!

Lots of updates to come I'm sure, as a lot will be happening between now and January 15.

It's so funny to us...and you can't help but laugh at it, but just as soon as we think things are smooth and settled and falling into place, God throws us a curveball (and a BIG one at that!) After many nights of crying, I have just come to the realization that all you can do is trust in Him and His plans for us. There is a reason that we are moving (and moving farther away from family and friends), and though we may not see it now, someday we will!

Here's to a safe and smooth transition!

And baby makes 4...

We are beyond ecstatic to announce that Baby Barrett #2 will be arriving around June 1!!! As with Mellany, it happened just as we hoped it would....a nice surprise! Here's the story:

I was getting ready for a MOPS meeting and I started getting really, really hot and sweaty. I figured maybe it was just my straightener....so I blew it off. Then I started not feeling well and thought that maybe it was just because I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. But once I did get some breakfast, I still didn't feel right. Then like a ton of bricks, it dawned on me...."could I be pregnant?" On a whim, I decided to take a pregnancy test. The first line showed up right away and I thought to myself that I was completely crazy, making things up in my head....totally not pregnant, yada yada yada. But then sure enough, about a minute later, that second line came across the test and I just started laughing! 

Johnny was out of town and I decided that I would wait till he got home the next day to tell him. That lasted about 2 minutes and I called him. He didn't answer, so I called again. He still didn't answer. So I texted him and said "everyone is fine, but call me when you can". He called right back and asked what was up....I began with 20 questions: Are you driving? "No" Are you in a meeting? "No" Are you alone? "Hang on a sec....ok, what's up? Are you sitting? "No, why" Well you probably should be, because I'm pregnant. His response was perfect....he was ecstatic. I made a dr appointment later that afternoon and the phone calls began! 

It has been so hard to hold off from saying anything this time around not only because we are beyond excited, but because by the end of the day, I am so bloated that I look about 20 weeks pregnant.....Everyone always says that you show faster after your first baby, but man! This is crazy! 

I've decided to keep a little bit of a journal since finding out....so that I can post with each picture, certain details about each couple of weeks. 

How far along: 4 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  None at this point
Belly button in or out:  In, like normal
Symptoms: Exhaustion, bloody nose in the morning, acne breakouts
Maternity Clothes:  Not yet
Sleep: Ugh....not getting much
Movement:  None yet
Food cravings:  No food cravings yet...give it time, I'm sure I'll have some 
Aversions:  Haven't had any yet thank goodness
Labor signs: Nope
Best moment: Finding out we were pregnant! So exciting! 
Emotions:  Hanging in there....handling them pretty well
What I miss:  A good night's sleep
What I'm looking forward to: Our first doctor's appointment
What I'm most nervous about: Not miscarrying
Wisdom at this point in time:  From Samantha: Whatever is meant to happen, will happen! 

How far along: 6 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  0
Belly button in or out:  In...but the bloating is in full force in the evenings. 
Symptoms: Exhaustion, Nausea
Maternity Clothes:  No....I can imagine they will come soon!
Sleep: Much better than in the previous couple of weeks
Movement:  No...I am so excited for this though! 
Food cravings:  I had a pretty intense craving for potato soup during week 5, Arby's on the way home to KC
Aversions:  Mellany's yogurt, Bo's "droppings", Bo's breath (lol)
Labor signs: No

Best moment: Telling friends and family the good news and Mellany's response to "What's in mommy's belly?" which is (with a huge smile) "baby!"

Emotions:  Peaked over the last week....I got really upset at Bo for eating Mellany's crayons while I was trying to get her to potty (which she was refusing to do)....it was horrible....I cried....I'm still a little upset about it. 
What I miss:  Working out like I was. Not "pushing" myself is hard to do. 
What I'm looking forward to: Still really looking forward to our first doctor appointment 

What I'm most nervous about: The cramping and spotting; which I know is completely normal.....but I still don't like it!
Wisdom at this point in time:  From my husband: It's in God's hands!

How far along: 8 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  
Belly button in or out:  In
Symptoms: Definitely nausea. I haven't had any vomiting thank goodness, but the gag reflex is in full swing. And exhaustion. I feel like I could sleep all day, every day. 
Maternity Clothes:  Um, yes. At my MOPS conference this last week, we did a lot of sitting and stretchy maternity pants were a requirement. The tightness of my regular pants could not be tolerated. My regular shirts, sweats, etc. all still fit and should for a while. 
Sleep: Sleeping very well, even throughout the day. :) 
Movement:  None
Food cravings:  While at the MOPS conference, I really wanted a donut and couldn't find one in the vicinity (not the kind I wanted anyway). Once I got home, I got what I wanted. I've also been craving a lot of water and pepperoni...(just plain, out of the fridge....not like on a pizza or anything...) 
Aversions:  I don't think I really had any over the past couple weeks. 
Labor signs: None
Best moment:  Mellany's response to: "What's in mommy's belly?"...she says "baby!" so loud and proud! It is the best thing!

Emotions: I've still got them all....crying at the drop of a hat....getting mad instantly. I like to think I'm handling them well lol...They just seem to kind of come out of nowhere. 
What I miss:  Brushing my teeth without gagging. 
What I'm looking forward to: Still looking forward to our dr appt this week!! Can't wait to see the little peanut!

What I'm most nervous about: Our dr appt. We are so excited about it, but it's a little nerve-wracking at the same time. 
Wisdom at this point in time:  From our MOPS convention and meetings: Embrace your beautiful mess! 

How far along: 10 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  Loss of 2
Belly button in or out:  In
Symptoms: Complete exhaustion, Nausea, Vomiting (once), and a very sensitive gag reflex
Maternity Clothes:  At time, yes....Mainly when I know I'm going to be sitting for a long period of time, I will bust out the stretchy pants. 
Sleep: Depends on the night. I have pulled out the pregnancy pillow and that has helped a lot. (Now if Bo could just hold his bladder through the night, I would sleep even more.) I am also sleeping during just about every nap time and even then, I'm still tired. I am very ready to be sleeping good again. 
Movement:  None
Food cravings:  Poptarts, Ramen Noodles, Tea/Pop, Pepperoni....you know, mostly things that aren't good for you at all. But at this point, I will do whatever it takes to keep the nausea away. 
Aversions:  Brushing my teeth; it puts my gagging in full effect. 
Labor signs: None
Best moment:  Mellany saying she's going to be a "see-ster" :) And hearing our peanut's heartbeat at the doctor visit!!! Such an amazing sound. Baby looked great, measured right on track and we go back right before Thanksgiving!

Emotions: Lots of crying
What I miss:  Energy! I'm continuing to work out, so I like to think that helps, but some days I just don't feel like it. I am ready to feel like my non-zombie self again! 
What I'm looking forward to: Feeling rested!

What I'm most nervous about: Believe it or not, I don't really have anything I'm nervous about at this point. 
Wisdom at this point in time:  God's plan isn't always our plan! 

How far along: 12 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  Loss of 2
Belly button in or out:  In
Symptoms: Exhaustion & nausea with some gagging....but hoping I'm on the downhill as it seems to slowly get better!
Maternity Clothes:  Pants; still no shirts
Sleep: Sleeping pretty well
Movement:  None
Food cravings:  No new cravings over the past couple of weeks. Just craving the same horrible things that I have been. haha! 
Aversions:  No new aversions
Labor signs: None
Best moment:  Hearing our little one's heartbeat again (at our 12 week dr appt). Baby is still growing great! (Heartbeat measured around 170. My blood pressure is great and there isn't a single concern at this point. Next appointment is at 16 weeks.)

Emotions: I am super emotional....Like crying during the Kenny Rogers award and George Strait's entertainer of the year win on the CMA's crying.....I am pretty sure I'll cry over just about anything lately. 
What I miss:  Making meals. I have been so exhausted over the past 10 or so weeks that making meals is a little scarce at our house. I'm getting by with the bare minimum. I can't wait to get back into the swing of cooking again! 
What I'm looking forward to: At this point I'm starting to really look forward to finding out if our peanut is a boy or girl! 

What I'm most nervous about: I am getting pretty nervous about our move to IN and not being close to family and friends. I know its beyond my control but it still gets me nervous! 
Wisdom at this point in time:  Trust in God's plan!! 

We are so excited to experience this next chapter of our lives! LOTS more to come on Baby B #2!

{{Somewhat}} Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

It has been another crazy week here in the Barrett house. With that said, we've been doing lots of FUN things! We've had Halloween, played with friends and are slowly but surely seeing Johnny more often in the evening as harvest winds down!! We are super excited about the weeks coming up...visits to KC for the holidays, Disney on Ice, The Polar Express, Breakfast with Santa and a PBR date night!!! I can hardly stand the wait for all these fun things!!! 

Here's what has happened over the past week....

Mellany hung out with our friends Morgan and Kim while I had a dentist appointment. They had so much fun....lunch and a movie and lots of playing! 

Happy Halloween from our little Angel. It was a bit of a fight getting the costume on and she wasn't really that interested in passing out candy (mainly just wanted to eat it)...but darn it she looks so cute!

A nice, relaxing Saturday on the iPad in our jammies! (Cinderella jammies to be exact! Her favorite!!)

 Lunch picnic on a rainy day with Keagan and Avery. 

A date at the Children's Museum with Quinn & Kyndall. Mellany's favorite this time was the train set. She played on it for a good 15 minutes!

Morning ritual...Cheerios, Juice, Cow & Mickey. I even get a few snuggles on occasion!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!