Welcome to the world Walt...umm 6 months ago!

It's true, the first 6 months of motherhood have officially kicked my blogging butt (my real one too)! This results in what is sure to earn me the "mom of the year award" for neglecting to document the first half year of my precious son's life. Apart from an exorbitant amount of pictures and a notarized birth certificate, there is no written record of the past 6 months of Walt's life. So I will attempt to sum up in a few (or a lot) of words the incredible life changes that we have experienced since October 14th, 2011. (side note- do any other new moms forget their child's birthday?!? There is still something so unnatural about reciting that date at the excessive amount of pediatrician appointments I have attended)

Let's start with the obvious miracle of our son. After 29 hours of labor (that story is for another day/post), our little man, Walters James Kizziah, made his grand entrance into this world...and it was love at first sight!! All the cliche mommyisims about "not understanding blah blah until you become a parent" are actually true...as difficult of a pill that is for me to swallow. I never could have prepared for the overwhelming life change that would occur that day and every day since, (though goodness knows I tried) but I am convinced to my core that we serve a miraculous God that uses each middle of the night feeding, each yellow rain shower flowing from the oh-so-unfamiliar boy regions, each projectile vomit, and each sweet smile to draw us closer to himself and teach us humility and selflessness in an unparalleled way.

Walters, in his few short months in this world, has brought me more joy and more gratitude than I ever thought possible to experience this side of Heaven! We love you "doodle bug" and I am so honored to be your mommy!!

It's amazing how all my hopes and dreams have shifted from myself to my little guy. There aren't words to describe the love I feel for that sweet little boy sleeping soundly (for now) across the house. And I stand in awe of our great big God who loves each of us infinitely more than I could ever love Walters.

I also must mention that my amazing hubby is now a proud employee of CSX railroad. He started his new position in January and it has been a whirlwind. He is working in a position that requires him to be gone Monday-Thursday EVERY week :( We are adjusting daily to what has proven to be a gut wrenching transition for our new family. As difficult as it has been and is for us, I am thrilled that Adam is loving what he is doing and is, for the first time in quite a while, energetic and optimistic about the future and his career. I would welcome advice from anyone whose husband travels a lot on how to keep it all together as a semi-single parent during the week. I am so far from the "have it all together" exterior I often show (hence the lack of blogging for half the year), so we would appreciate any prayers as we navigate this new season of our lives.

On a happier note, we decided I would be staying home with Walters!! Well mostly...I am teaching for our county's virtual school which allows me to contribute a little bit to our income while still being able to be home with our baby. This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. One I didn't believe would ever be a possibility for me. But God has given me the desire of my heart even though it came in unexpected ways with Adam's new career path.

I would be lying if I told you I was 100% thrilled with the stay at home mom lifestyle all the time...it has been a big transition for me and my VERY type-A personality. I live in a constant state of second guessing the every day parenting decisions from sleeping to eating to shots and wardrobe (remember this whole boy thing is quite new for me) which leaves me part exhausted an part insecure. Which, combined with sleep deprivation, doesn't always result in the best version of Taylor. Needless to say this is a huge departure from the feeling of commanding a classroom full of students and feeling 100% confident in my abilities I have been quite the awful friend and wife some days as a result, and there has been more than 1 occasion where I was totally convinced I was going to screw him up in some way :(

I can say without a doubt though that I can't imagine my life any other way. I can't imagine missing his first smile or his morning snuggles. His new skill of laughing or his ridiculous tummy troubles. The first time he rolled over and even the dreaded teething have added infinite joy to my life. I never even knew how selfish I was before spending my days 100% consumed with a 16 pound miniature human. And even though there are days I long for adult interaction that involves normal pitched conversations, or to be able to get in the car and go without adding an extra 30-45 minutes to the getting ready process, I feel so blessed to watch and nurture my son as he grows into the man God has created him to be. Ask me on a good day...I love being home with Walt!!

Oh and finally we have put our house on the market in hopes of moving Adam closer to an airport because of his travel schedule. We are not exactly sure where that will lead us, but we would be quite appreciative of any prayers in this tough housing market!

So you have now officially "kept up with the Kizziahs" in a whirlwind blog post which I am confidant was a tangled stream of consciousness and may or may not have been coherent in any way. I promise to finally post pictures of Walt's finished nursery, update you all on his stats more often, and just be a little (i cant promise a miracle) more regular in the blogging department.
Love,
Taylor

We're Ready For You Baby Walters!!

     Well today is the big day!! We are headed to the hospital in about an hour to begin the induction process. The doctors assure me that he is both big enough and mature enough to enter the world in the next 24-48 hours...so here goes nothing!! My next post will probably take me a while, and I promise to be sharing all the nursery details as soon as possible.

Baby Walters:

We have been praying for your safe arrival for many months now, and pretty soon we will go from a family of 2 to a family of 3.  I have never been so proud to complete any "job" more than carrying you safely for the past 9 months. Your daddy and I can't wait to meet you and know you. We already love you so much, that it's hard to imagine how much more joy and love we will feel in just few short hours. You are so worth all the not-so-fun pregnancy stuff, little man. Your daddy and I are ready for you to turn our world upside down!! 

Love your Mommy and Daddy!! 

And here's one more look at you inside mamma's belly...

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks

I wish I could say this has been a normal past few weeks and I have just been too tired/busy to blog, but unfortunately things haven't gone as planned. I have been diagnosed with mild preeclampsia, excess fluid around the baby, and placed on modified bed rest for the past 3 weeks. As of right now, my condition is stable, and baby Walters is responding wonderfully to all of his biophysical profile tests...but still all a little bit scary. I have been admitted as an out patient work-up 3 times at this point and am having to go to the doctor 2x a week for ultrasounds, blood pressure testing, and urine analysis. They have scheduled an induction for next Wednesday, October 12th at 37 weeks pregnant. I am, of course, uneasy about the whole process, as I would love for him to come when he is ready, but I am trusting the doctors and trusting that God has a plan in all of this. 

With all that being said, here is the preggo update thus far!!

 

How Far Along: I'm 36 weeks along

Due Date: November 2nd, 2011 Turns out baby Walters will be joining the world on October 12th or 13th!!

Size of Baby: Baby Walt is almost 6 pounds and about 18 inches long. We should find out more details tomorrow.

Maternity Clothes: I've been placed on bed rest for the past 3 weeks, so I basically live in night gowns and pj pants, but maternity clothes are definitely the way to go out in public.

 

Gender: It's a boy!! He is DEFINITELY still a boy. I get to see him twice a week via ultrasound now, and he is never shy about showing his boy parts!!

Movement: He is a full on alien in the belly these days. He kicks and wiggles incessantly, so much so that he "runs" from the doppler machine which tries to locate his heart beat. I have learned to love this feeling since it lets me know he is alive and well.

 

Sleep: Well, when I actually do sleep, it's pretty deep slumber thanks to the wonderful invention of a pregnancy wedge pillow..like wake up in a coma kind of sleep. I have been told by a certain someone that I have developed a little snore these last few days, but I deny it to the death!!

 

What I miss: I miss having a "normal" pregnancy. It's amazing what you take for granted before things go wrong. I used to get annoyed having to go in for an appointment that lasted 5 minutes and they said everything is fine after I had waited an hour...but now I long for those days.

 

Cravings: Cinnamon flavored things...toast, rolls, candy, etc.

 

Symptoms: still having carple tunnel, elevated blood pressure, ginormous legs due to swelling and increased fluid, and a general inability to use my stomach muscles at all. I hope they still exist after all of this :)

 

Best moment: getting to attend my twin sister's wedding this past weekend!! Even though I looked like a giant blueberry. Isn't she beautiful...

 

 The wonderful Abbey Lindsay of Dylan Blue Photography (also my wedding photographer) captured the big day. We can't wait to see more photos!!

Pregnancy Update: 31 Weeks

I'm officially in countdown stage which is code for miserable stage.  31 weeks pregnant + a 26th, I'm officially closer to 30 than 20 birthday = not such a happy mama..but here goes nothing:
 

How Far Along: I'm 31 weeks along (about 7 months)

Due Date: November 2nd, 2011

Size of Baby: Baby Kizziah is about 16 inces long and he weights about 3.3 pound now, and he now has eye lashes on eyes he can blink. He is adding to his (and mama's) baby fat every day...just not in the cheeks please ;)

Maternity Clothes: I'm back to teaching, so living in dresses that are still not too scandalous to wear to work. Unfortunately we aren't allowed to wear sleeveless tops/dresses which has resulted in my portable becoming Antarctic during the day. Poor kiddos...nah, they'll survive.

 

Gender: It's a boy!!

Movement: Still going strong in the kicking department! He has gotten the hiccups several times which is quite strange to feel (and may or may not have resulted in a frantic call to my OB insisting that something must be wrong with my child).

 

Sleep: What's sleep?!? It's not all that terrible...I can even sometimes make it 2 WHOLE hours without having to get up!! Finding a comfortable position has become the biggest challenge, and I am still finding that I wake up on my belly...a miracle to my OB.

 

What I miss: being able to stand for long periods of time without elephantitis sinking in on my ankles, aka. effective teaching. I have already begun the teaching from my desk business and I have certainly used the fat, waddling, pregnant lady card on my students multiple times. I also, unfortunately have developed carpal tunnel in my right hand, making typing, writing, and teaching in general a little bit painful.

 

Cravings: Orange juice!! I can't seem to get enough of it...maybe I need some vitamin c?

 

Symptoms: miserably swollen legs and ankles, full-on waddle walk, an always present need to clarify that I am indeed pregnant and not just fat to all my oh-so-politically correct high school students.

Best moment: the reaction of my students when I showed them Walt's ultrasound picture on my "Welcome to Mrs. Kizziah's Class" powerpoint. Priceless!! See below for examples...

"Holy crap what is that?"

"Eww...why are you showing us that?"

"I'm just not sure that's normal for us to be seeing!"

"I feel like we're violating you somehow!!" 

Oh how I love high school!!!

And here is the latest edition of the growing belly. It's certainly getting large and in charge, and I am beginning to dread these weekly photos more and more. All for memories sake I guess/ motivation to hit the gym post-delivery...

 

Blogiversary!!

 Today marks one calendar year of blogging here on Keeping Up With The Kizziahs!! I have really enjoyed having an a place to share my thoughts on life, projects, and general ramblings of my oh-so-amusing life as a teacher. Thank you for all your wonderful comments and for reading this here old blog...you make a girl feel good :) 

In honor of the momentous occasion have I decided to re-cap the amazing year this blog has captured! Here's to another fantabulous year of blogging!!

{1} I survived a major eye infection and near blindness...okay I exaggerate...a little.  

{2} Recorded the Amazing and entertaining lives of our adorable pooches (here, here, here, here, and here) 

{3} Shared my favorite You Tube videos (see YouTube Tuesday)

{4} Learned all about Florida's unique insect population

{5} Began the massive task of turning a house into a home through various projects from headboards, to lamps, to new tiles in the kitchen (see Home renovation and decor)

{6} Decorated our casa for all the holiday seasons (fall, Halloween X2, & Christmas)

{7} Attempted my first furniture redo's (a sewing table, and a night stand)

{8} Shared with the blogging world all the non-English hilarious sayings of my husband (That's What He Said Label)

{9} Celebrated one year of wedded bliss to my favorite man!!

{10} Announced and tracked my first pregnancy with our little boy, Walters! 

Whew!! Seems like A-Lot happened this year!! Can't wait to see what next year holds when our family of 2 becomes a family of 3 :) Thanks for reading yall!!

Walters in 3D!!!

Today was one of the most exciting days of pregnancy thus far...our 3D/4D ultrasound!! We went to an amazing place called Discovery Ultrasound in Jacksonville. Allison, the owner and technician, was wonderful and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone! My mom and grandmother were even able to watch live from their computers at home.

I was first of all simply amazed at modern technology, and also beyond excited to have a glimpse at what our son will look like in a few months. Not to mention the fact that it was super exciting to have a mental picture of him in my mind in a non-alien form. Makes those side-splitting kicks worth while for sure!! We think he is just perfect and we can't wait to meet him more than ever!

Here's what we found out about our little man today...

{1} He is in a head-down position!! His feet are up under my right rib cage and head down and to the left. 

{2} He is no doubt Adam's child! Take a look at the face below...all his daddy! Especially those cheeks!!  Kind of unfair considering I'm doing all the work here people!

{3} He has a really strong heart beat...168 beats per minute!

{4} He's still a boy...once again no shyness from Walt!!

{5} He stays awake, ALOT!! The technician was amazed at how much he kept his eyes open. Hard to tell in the pictures below, but the little black slits on his eyes are actually them open. 

And here are some of the best shot of the day...

Here he is yawning!!

Look at those cheeks...just like Daddy!

Here is a front shot of his chest/sternum. He's still a little scrawny (except for the cheeks), but we're hoping he'll get a little meat on his bones in the next 3 months!

Sweet little sleepy face :)

 We can't wait to meet you baby Walters!! Your mommy and daddy love you very much!!

A gift for my Sissy...

Recently my baby sister, who by the way is definitely not a baby any more which makes me feel sad and old,  sent me a picture of a necklace she liked to get my opinion. So I thought I would suprise her while she was out of town and replicate it for her for half the price :) See what ya think...

The Original...

My Replica...

Cost Break-Down:

Fabric for Rosettes (1/4 yard).............................................$1.50

Chain for Necklace (still plenty left for more creations) ..............$4.00

Clasps for necklace (pack of 90 pieces)...................................$4.00

Buttons for embellishment..................................................$5.00

Hot Glue gun + glue sticks...................................................free; already had

Total ...........................................................................$14.50

Not too shabby, especially considering I still have enough supplies to make a minimum of 5 more necklaces. All I would need are more embellishments! I pretty much love how it turned out!

Hope you LOVE it Annie Bananie!!

P.S. We need to remedy the fact that this is the only "recent" picture I have of you, and it's been over a year since this was taken :(

The big kitchen reveal...

As I mentioned a few posts ago, our new favorite color, comfort gray, ended up elsewhere in our house. It made its big splash in our kitchen. Here is the before shot of our "cookie cutter" kitchen...

Please excuse all the clutter...we were in full project mode at this point!!

 And here is the cabinet alcove with comfort gray paint...

See how the color looks even different than it did in Walt's room? It is really such a versatile color. We decided to only paint the alcove around the cabinets to highlight the dark wood, and to avoid having to paint the entire kitchen, dining room, and hallway that are all connected. But we didn't stop there!! We decided to put up a tile back splash between the cabinets and the counter top! I found the tiles on clearance at home depot for only $4.00 per square foot!! Great deal!! Here's dad and I trying to figure out the placement (quite the tedious, and sometimes jimmy-rigged application).

My grandmother then beautifully decorated the tops of my cabinets, something I simply am not capable of doing. So, big thank you Mema!! And we finished grouting the tiles for this big reveal...

I think it looks A-mazing! I am so happy that it looks more like a custom kitchen and addresses all of my original complaints: too dark in the kitchen, ugly brown cabinets that blend into the wall color, and lack of anything special.

Buuuuuuttttt....we didn't stop there. Can we say OCD? I just can't stop until I have completed all the projects I have running through my head (as if I don't have an entire nursery to finish?!?). Remember these cabinets...

Well here's what they look like now....

So much better don't ya think? I have always loved exposed shelves, but never thought they were all that practical. One set of cabinets on the other hand...very doable. I am still contemplating painting the inside or doing some sort of pattern back there, but for now I am leaving them plain to see how I feel about them as time passes. 

And for all those inquiring minds, here is the price break down for the whole kitchen redo...

Paint for Alcove............already purchased for Walters' room

Tile...........................$56.00

Adhesive.....................$10.00

Grout.........................$10.00

Glass Cabinet Inserts.......$40.00

Decorations..................went shopping in my house, so free

Grand Total..................$126.00 (Not too shabby!!)

Project Nursery {Part One}

Let the fun begin!! We are finally implementing the design plan for Walt's nursery, starting with the paint and bedding. We decided on Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray for the walls. The pictures don't really do the color justice. It's a beautiful shade of green/gray/blue and changes color in the light. It definitely reads boyish without screaming "I'm a baby boy!!" I absolutely love the color choice and feel really lucky that we picked it, as it actually ended up elsewhere in the house....more details to come :)

The bedding actually looks great with the color too!! And though I am certain that the plush fabric of the bumpers will not be the absolute easiest with regards to clean-ability, I really love the soft feel and comfort it will bring to our little man.

A huge thanks to my dad for coming all the way to Green Cove Springs, Florida to paint for us!! The hubs is not a fan of painting, and my preggo belly + paint fumes don't really mix...so it was a HUGE help! Thanks dad!! We love all the stuff you did!!

So there you have it...part one complete. Many, Many more projects to come. Up next, the window treatments...stay tuned!!

Pregnancy Update - 26 Weeks

Here's the next installment of pregnancy updates for those of you keeping up with this belly-growing journey...

How Far Along: I'm 26 weeks along (about 6 months)

Due Date: November 2nd, 2011

Size of Baby: Baby Kizziah is about the length of a Cucumber, or 14 inches. He weights about 1 3/4 pound now, and has fully developed ears. Supposedly he will recognize Adam and my voice when he is born. His boy parts are "developing too!"

Maternity Clothes: Definitely more comfortable in maternity clothes. Living in dresses and skirts these days. I am beginning to worry about the appropriateness of some of my wardrobe for work though :) It's all either too low on the growing chest, or too short due to the baby bump!!

 

Gender: It's a boy!!

Movement: He is kicking hard and seems to be totally spread out from right on top of my bladder to the very top of my rib cage. I actually saw my shirt move for the first time the other day. The "alien in my belly syndrome" has officially begun.

 

Sleep: Sleep is definitely a challenge when you have to use the restroom every 2 hours, on the dot! Still no major complaints, though I do wish he would get his kicks out during the daytime...doesn't he know mama needs her beauty rest?

 

What I miss: the use of ab muscles. Watching me get up from lying position is beyond hysterical. It's like they just disappeared all together.

 

Cravings: Nothing too much these days, just super thirsty. I still don't love eating dinner...sporadic nausea at night time.

 

Symptoms: Definitely feeling achy and moving slower. I am having pretty intense sciatic nerve pain in both hips which is quite debilitating at times. Also a little bit of ankle swelling after long days of standing. Bring on the cankles when I go back to work.

Best moment: Reaching the crucial "25 week mark" where Walters could technically be born at any moment and live!! Sounds crazy to think about, but very relieving at the same time.

Here's a growing belly shot for ya...

Down on the Farm...

 Recently Adam and I had the opportunity to make a 1st birthday cake for our adorable neighbor, Jacob. How can you resist this face...

I promise this is not some form of child abuse...he actually LOVES to get inside of Max's cage and play!!

Jacob's grandparents are potato and corn farmers, not to mention the fact that I have a John Deere-lovin husband, so naturally we decided on a farm theme cake. After a trip to Michael's, Winn-dixie, and an attic dive to find the perfect combine from the hub's tractor stash, here's what we ended up with...

We went with my famous chocolate cake cupcakes for kid-friendly grabbing, and I must confess we used store bought frosting to save some time. Each corn stalk was made from popsicle sticks that we painted green on a piece of Styrofoam. Then we Adam individually tied 2 pieces of green ribbon on each "stalk" and curled the edges to look like the corn leaves.

 Needless to say, this took quite a while. Adam was a dedicated farmer for sure...

Even sporting the Wells family farm shirt!! He so wishes he could be a real-life farmer!!

We then arranged all of the cupcakes in a rectangle shape and added our "dirt" icing. The hubs carefully placed the combine in the corner, then individually lined up each corn stalk to match the blades. Finally I added the Happy Birthday writing (the most imperfect part of the cake) and individually piped "corn" frosting on each stalk. 

Let me just say, this was a VERY precise cake that had to be "just right" to present to the family. I mean, I hate to see what Walt's cakes will look like when this was for a 1 year old that isn't even our own :)  Ha ha!! It was lots of fun though, and kept the hubs occupied for hours.

No more baths!!

Here's a picture account of Max's first bath. No words really needed...

How traumatic!!

**On a sad side-note...My thoughts and prayers go out to my good friend Britt who just lost her precious puppy, Peaches due to a horrible dog attack. They are devastated and my heart breaks for them. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they cope with the loss of their baby. Sure does make me realize just how much my pups are like my first children and just how devastating it would be to lose them, even when they drive me crazy**