The Loftis Family

It’s so weird to say it, but we have girls…two of them!  Dustin has always hoped to have two little girls and while I always hoped and prayed that I would be blessed with one, I have to admit that having two is like the greatest ice cream sundae with lots of whipped cream and cherries on top.

My girls have a sister and that is an awesome thing.  Amelia just adores her little sister and I think Juliet already knows that Amelia is the best big sister in the world.  We spent lots of time letting Amelia feel Juliet kick and wiggle in my belly and flurberting (blowing raspberries) my tummy to wake her up and I think that time together forged a bond that will grow and grow in time.

I am so thankful and so very happy.  Here are a few pictures of our girls…

Do they look alike?  I think so!

Amelia

Tonight I tucked Amelia in for the last time as an only child.  It’s so strange, surreal and scary that it’s really the last time.  Amelia and I are joined at the hip and while I am insanely excited to meet the Bean I am filled with conflicting emotions – trepidation and excitement for the days ahead.

I know things will be ok and I know that it might just take some getting used to.  It’s not the balancing of two kids that scares me (ok, not much) it’s the loss of that individual relationship with Amelia.  I am her’s and she is mine.  I am keeping her home from school tomorrow so I can spend the day with her.  I thought I’d want her to go to school these last few weeks, I thought I’d be overly exhausted and need the break.  Honestly I haven’t wanted her to go and I regret signing her up this week.  She went today and she’ll go on Thursday, but tomorrow she is mine and I am her’s for one last day.

Thankfully I feel great, even better than I ever imagined I’d feel at almost 39 weeks.  I feel better than I felt with Amelia at this stage and if I could I would stay pregnant for a while longer…if only it worked that way.  We’re choosing to induce to ensure that I make it to the hospital to deliver.  I was already about 1-2cm dilated last week and with all of the moving, cleaning and nesting I’ve been doing I’m surely farther along now.  We’re hoping and praying for a smooth induction and a happy and healthy mommy and baby on Thursday.

I simply cannot wait to introduce the Bean to Amelia.  As I tucked Amelia in tonight she wanted to lay on my tummy over and over to feel the Bean kick…almost as though she knew it was the last time she’d feel the Bean inside my tummy.  I think she knows what’s coming…probably better than I do.

The one thing that has kept me together emotionally this week is thinking about the moment that Amelia will meet the baby, when we become a family of four.  We are giving Amelia the greatest present we could possibly give her -  a playmate, a sibling and maybe a best friend.  I am so thrilled about having another child and I cannot wait to love the Bean the way I love Amelia.  I look forward to nursing, to snuggling and watching those I love love on the baby.  I cannot wait to see the Bean’s personality grow, to see how similar and different my children are.  I know that I am supremely blessed to have the opportunity to love another child as I love my Amelia.

I’ve been taking Amelia out a few times a week to do something fun, something that the two of us will enjoy.  Yes, I’m all sappy and stuff because my time as a mommy of one is coming to a close.  I’m thrilled for Amelia to have a sibling, but it’s bittersweet because we’re both so used to spending time alone.  I fear that the transition will be a bit tough…on both of us.

I had a doctor’s appointment in the Med Center yesterday so after our appointment we went to Discovery Green to play in the water and on the playground.  We shared an apple together (hence the funny face in the first picture), Amelia splashed in the water and played on the playground.  We had a blast!

I know I’m massively biased, but I think my Amelia is gorgeous.

I always tell Amelia that’s she’s my favorite and she says “no, no I’m not” or something silly in response.  It’s a bit of a running joke with us.

She earned the title favorite again this evening.  We were tucking her into bed laying with her and she accidentally bounced into my stomach.  She knows to be gentle so she immediately lifted up my shirt and kissed my belly, said sorry to the baby and said “good night baby jelly bean” (she calls the baby “baby jelly bean”).  She then pulled down my shirt and smoothed it out.  I giggled and said “are you making it nice and dark for baby jelly bean” and she said “yes, she (she doesn’t know the difference between he/she usage so everyone is a she) doesn’t have curtains.”

Isn’t she the cutest?  It’s clear why she’s my favorite.

Not much new this week, just needed/wanted to ramble about pregnancy, motherhood and becoming a mother of two. I’m feeling great today, tired as always…sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, contractions and late pregnancy do that to you.  Today I feel good mentally, I am clear and happy.

Amelia gives me joy…

She’s just so stinking funny.  She’s watching Little Bear (a kid cartoon) and they’re playing a flute and she said she can too so she picked up her imaginary flute and held it to her mouth and started to toot it.  She just makes a bunch of high pitch noises, but it’s the best sounding flute I’ve ever heard.  Moments like that make me giggle and beam with pride.  She’s so smart and so creative.  The fact that I get to do this awesome parenting gig with another child just fills me with more joy.

I get asked at least 2-3 times a week if I want another girl or if I want a boy.  My answer is now and always will be, I want another baby.  I have never cared what sex our children were and neither has Dustin.  I hope and pray for healthy children, for happy children and their sex has nothing to do with health or happiness.

We also get asked “are you going to have another if this one is a girl.”  I take that to mean that people think you should have one of each or you can’t be happy and for us that’s simply not true.  That answer is the same regardless of this little one’s sex.  We’ll have a third kiddo if we (get all crazy and decide that we) want a third kiddo, but we won’t “try” for a specific sex.

I’m a firm believer in receiving the blessings that are coming to me with grace and joy.  I simply cannot imagine life without Amelia.  She’s crazy, silly, giggly, affectionate, a little manic at times, but she’s the greatest joy I’ve ever known and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. I can say with absolute certainty that I will feel exactly the same about the Bean.

Something happened over night.  I went from scared and anxious about being a mother of two to being overjoyed, excited and antsy.  I am so thrilled that I have the opportunity to give birth again.  I am so thankful that this child has been given to us and that we’ll be meeting the bean in about 6ish weeks.

I cannot wait to hold my sweet new baby; to see who the Bean looks like, to kiss the Bean’s face, to nurse my new baby and share those same joys that I’ve experienced with Amelia for the last 2.5 years.  I am so blessed and so joyful.

My poor child has the worst allergies and reactions to bug bites (thanks daddy!).  We dealt with this a year or so ago and it happened again yesterday.  Amelia was bitten close to her eye by a bug (likely a mosquito) and her eye(s) swelled.

Here’s a quick snapshot I took with my iphone this morning.  Poor little cyclops kid…

This is what happens when daddy dresses Amelia for bed.  I must admit that those were some of his best options because I hadn’t put Amelia’s clean clothes away.

Last Thursday on our way home from school Amelia asked me to paint her toes.  I asked her what color she wanted and she said brown…I said try again (brown should never be on toe nails in my opinion).  She then picked purple.  I agreed to do it and said we’d buy some nail polish soon.

I have to admit that I thought Amelia was far too young to ask for her toes to be painted, but I’m hesitantly accepting the fact that she’s growing up.  We bought the nail polish yesterday, a nice light shade of purple…perfect for a little princess.  Amelia asked this morning if we could paint her toes and I said yes, let’s do it.  She sat in a kitchen chair and I sat on our cold, hard tile floor (at 30 weeks pregnant mind you).  She sat mostly still…I only had to repaint her big toes 3 times each.  I blew her nails dry and before she got down out of the chair she said “I don’t like this purple, I want another purple.”  When I explained that it’s the only purple we have she then said “I don’t want this purple on, take it off” so Amelia’s first pedicure officially lasted 5 minutes.

It was good while it lasted…

Grandma treated Amelia, Taryn and Keira to a fun day at the Houston Zoo and a ride on the train that surrounds Herman Park.  We have an awesome time enjoying the fish, the food and the fun train ride.  Here are a few snapshots from our day…