Bella Sherry

We welcomed our beautiful daughter, Bella Sherry Harvell, into this world on Tuesday, August 18th, 2015 at 8:05am.  She weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long.  Bella has a full head of gorgeous dark hair just like her big sister did and the most precious blue eyes, which Daddy is thrilled about!  We are head over heels in love with our beautiful Bella and she is the perfect addition to our family.

Bella's Birth Story

Bella's arrival into this world was night and day compared to her sister's.  I was a repeat c-section because Addie was breech and Bella was too for the majority of my pregnancy, although she did end of flipping in the end.  Since I was a repeat c-section, we have had our date set for over 2 months, the only thing that we needed was for Bella to be patient and stay put until August 18th.

Grandma, Pap, and Aunt Kristen arrived Monday late afternoon just in time for dinner.  We all went out for a nice Italian dinner before heading home to relax and watch some reality TV before our big day.  Eric and I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 so we got to bed early with our alarms set and ready to go.  As soon as I laid down I figured I would be right back up.  When I was pregnant with Addie my water broke and I went into labor the night before I was scheduled.  I thought for sure Bella would follow in her big sisters step and it would be a long night.  Luckily, she didn't.  Our alarms went off and we got ready, grabbed our bags, and we were off to meet our Bella!

We arrived at the hospital very calm, like I said this was night and day compared to Addie's birth story.  We walked into labor and delivery where we were greeted by a very nice nurse, "Amy Harvell?" she said.  Yes, that's us!  It was like we were checking into a hotel.  We completed some paperwork, put our bags in our room (Room 30 - which was right next door to our room for Addie), and we went to the triage room where I was hooked up to some monitors and given an IV with some fluids and antibiotics, and drank a very disgusting anti-nausea medicine.  Then we just waited.  Eric and I had CMT music videos on and were just hanging out while a bunch of nurses and doctors came in and out.  One of our favorite night nurses from when Addie was born walked in at one point and it just put my mind at ease.  It was nice to see a familiar face and we even shared a few laughs.  I wasn't necessarily nervous, at least not nearly nervous as I thought I would be.  We were very calm, very relaxed, and very anxious and excited to meet our daughter.  My mom arrived around 6:30 and she joined in on the fun for a little.  Dr. Pirkle stopped in shortly after that.  Around 7:15 we were ready to walk to the OR and have our baby.

Last picture of the baby bump!  See you soon Bella!

Daddy relaxing before the big show.

It's time!

Daddy taking a silly selfie in his scrubs.

I walked into the OR and Eric waited outside while I got my spinal.  This part was all a blur last time because I was in a lot of pain.  This time around I felt great and it was at this point that I got a little nervous.  Luckily, the team of doctors and nurses were amazing.  They walked me through the whole thing and before I knew it Eric joined me in the operating room.  He sat up near my head and did a good job talking to me and taking my mind off of what was happening.  A few minutes later it was time and at exactly 8:05 am our beautiful Bella was born.  Eric peeked over the curtain and his face lit up.  Bella instantly let out a loud cry and it brought a smile to my face.  They took her aside for a minute and then brought her to me and let me do skin-to-skin.  It was very special.  Eric and I were on cloud 9 and could not believe how much she looked like her big sister.  Bella means "beautiful" in Italian and her name could not be more fitting.  She was absolutely perfect in every single way and we were head over heels in love with our new daughter.  

Happy Birthday Bella!  We love you to the moon and back!

Baby Bump - Month 9

How far along?  39 weeks (technically 38 weeks 5 days)- the big day is on Tuesday and we are beyond excited!  I for one cannot wait for her to get out, but we also cannot wait meet our beautiful daughter.  See you soon Bella, we love you to the moon and back already!

Gender:  It's a girl - Bella Sherry Harvell!

Feeling:   I am so over being pregnant!  I'm extremely uncomfortable, exhausted, and swollen.  I am having a difficult time even typing this post because the carpal tunnel I get in my hands is very painful.  I know that's a lot of complaining, but too bad, I'm 9 months pregnant in the middle of the summer - it is what it is!

Maternity Clothes: I'm at that point where I only have a few shirts that still fit, which makes getting dressed very frustrating!  I pretty much live in leggings and Eric's t-shirts except for the few hours we leave the house for the day and I have to look presentable.  The second I walk back in the door though...it's back to the t-shirts...

Sleep: Sleep?? What's that? 

Favorite Moments:

-Spending lots of one on one time with Addie.  We've had a blast going on walks, having play dates, exploring various parks near us, playing every week at the Little Gym, and having donut-coffee dates together.  I've really cherished our time together this summer, we've made some great memories before her little sister arrives.

-Our date night to the Florida Georgia Line concert - we ended up sitting super close with some friends and it was a blast!

-It's been a lot of fun preparing Addie to be a big sister.  She loves to put her baby doll in the swing and says "shhh...", she's also tested out the bouncer herself quite a few times to make sure it's perfect for Bella.  We feed her baby doll, give her hugs and kisses, and have even put a diaper on her.  I hope all of our practice makes the transition a little easier on Addie, she's going to be my little helper and will give her little sister the best hugs and kisses.

-We are officially baby ready!  Car seats are filling up my back seat, the house is spotless because Eric hired a cleaning lady to help me out, and the baby gear is only missing one thing - the baby!

Missing anything? sleep, having energy and being able to get around easily and keep up with Addie, my normal body - I feel like Bella has completely taken over and I'm ready to have my body back

Movement:  All the time!

Cravings:  I cannot get enough fruit, especially watermelon.  I could eat it at every meal, all day long!  I'm also still loving iced coffee and anything Italian.

Looking forward to:

-TUESDAY!  I can't wait to meet our sweet girl and celebrate her birthday!

-I'm also looking forward to watching Bella and Eric together  Addie has such a special bond with her Daddy and has had him wrapped around her little finger since the day she was born and I can't wait to see the same with Bella.

-I can't wait to see Addie as a big sister and how she interacts with Bella.  Yes, Addie's life is about to change, but Addie is so sweet and I know that she is going to love her baby sister to death.  They are going to be best friends and I'm so happy they'll always have each other.

-I'm excited to introduce Bella to the rest of our family in friends.  We are lucky that even though our family lives out of town, many of them are making the trip just for Bella's birthday.  My parents, Bella's Grandma & Pap, and Aunt Kristen are making the trip from Pittsburgh.  Uncle Brian and Carla are hoping to be able to sneak away from work for the day to meet Bella.  Aunt Kristie and Samantha are coming from Raleigh for the evening as well.  We also have lots of friends in the area that are very excited to meet Bella!  Bella, you are one lucky girl and already have so many people who love you to death and can't wait to meet you.

Happy 1/2 birthday Addie Girl!

On August 10th, Addie turned 18 months old!  It's crazy to think she is already half way to being 2!  I feel like it was just yesterday that we were in the hospital meeting her for the very first time and now we are getting ready to welcome her little sister into our family in less than a week.  Here are a few things about our crazy Addie girl at 18 months:

-She is a monkey!  All of a sudden she LOVES to climb on any and everything she can find...and she has a few bumps and bruises on her face to show for it.

-Addie is obsessed with her belly button!  No matter where we are or who we are with, she has to make sure that everyone has seen her belly button!

-Mommy and Daddy are her favorite people in the world.  She hates when one of us leaves, but her face lights up the second we get back.  Cooper is probably up there too, although I'm not sure the feeling is mutual as sometimes she thinks he is her own personal trampoline and jumps all over him.  He's a trooper though!

-BALL!  This girl is obsessed with balls and she's gotten pretty good at throwing it to us.  We are still working on the catching part :)

-Blocks are her other favorite toy.  She loves when Mommy helps her build towers or something to keep her pacifier in, she thinks it's hilarious.

-Addie is a Daddy's girl for sure.  Daddy is her favorite person to cuddle with on the couch, favorite person to chase around the house, and favorite person to watch for out the window when he comes home from work.  I'm not sure she's going to be willing to share him with Bella, but I guess she doesn't have a choice.

-Addie HATES to do anything that requires her to stay still - get her diaper changed, get dressed, get her face wiped...but I think getting her hair done is by far at the top of her list of things that she dislikes.  She does not make it easy on mommy at all, she shakes her head, runs her fingers through her hair, and throws an all out fit.  We get through it though....most days :)

-She loves to read books, her favorites right now are any book that involves farm animals - she loves to make the noises - and her Minnie Mouse mini-book set that she got for her birthday.

-Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse are still her favorite shows, she dances the second she hears the music come on the TV.

-I know that she is going to be a great big sister to Bella.  We have been practicing putting her baby doll into the swing and bouncer and Addie says "shhhh" while she sleeps.  She also likes to feed her baby her bottle and give her lots of hugs and kisses.  I cannot wait to see Addie and Bella together for the very first times very, very soon!

We have a limited number of days left as a family of 3, so we thought her 1/2 birthday was the perfect opportunity to have a family fun day...we even stole Daddy away from work for the morning, which Addie loved.  We started our morning going out to breakfast at one of our favorite spots, followed by an adventure at the Children's Museum.   We have never been there before, but Addie absolutely loved it and we will go back again for sure.  Her favorite things were the train room and make believe grocery store.  There was also an oversized cushioned couch looking thing in the under 3 room that Addie turned into a trampoline!  She was even happy just running up and down the hallway watching the other kids.  This girl had a smile on her face from the second we walked in the door until the second we left, it was so much fun! After our adventure, it was time for lunch and nap time.  Then, at dinner Addie had one of her favorites - macaroni and cheese - followed by a cookie to end our 1/2 birthday celebration!  Happy half birthday sweet Addie girl, Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

A Day in the Life - Just the 3 of Us

As we are patiently waiting for Bella's arrival, I thought I would dedicate a post to what a typical day looks like in our house with just the 3 of us.  I know once Bella is here schedules will probably go out the window for a while and life will get a little chaotic with 2 children under 2, but we will adjust like everyone else and find our new normal.  I will probably look back at this post years from now and laugh at how "busy" I thought I was - just like I do now when I think about life before children.  With that being said, here it is...A day in the Life in the Harvell household.......

7:30am - Addie wakes up - sometimes she's up a little before 7 or even a little after, but she hangs out in her crib until 7:30.  Occasionally, she will sleep till 8 or 8:30, but 7:30 is usually her norm.  We get up, Addie gets her juice and mommy has her coffee, then it's time for breakfast.  Some of Addie's favorites are yogurt, bananas, waffles, and lately she has been on a scrambled egg kick.

8:00-9:00am  Morning playtime - In order to get Addie ready to have a little sister, we have been working on her playing independently.  She loves her play room and there is so much to do in there.  I'm always near by and I love watching her play.  While she is playing I am usually either on my computer, blogging or working on a photo book or doing things around the house such as cleaning, laundry, making a grocery list, etc.

9:00-12pm Around 9:00 we usually get ready for the day.  In order to keep my sanity, we try to leave the house every morning for a few hours.  We either schedule a playdate, go to our class at the Little Gym, go for a walk and to the park, or run some errands.  It's nice to change up the environment for Addie and leaving the house always results in a much better nap for her, which makes for a happy mommy.

12:30pm  Lunch time - Some of Addie's favorites are mac & cheese, applesauce, peanut butter & jelly, string cheese, yogurt, and spaghetti.  After lunch, we usually go up to her room and read some books before she lays down.

1:00-3:00pm  Nap time...one of my favorite parts of the day!  While Addie is napping I usually get some things done around the house, lately it's been things on my list of to-do's to get done before Bella's arrival.   I'm not going to lie though, being super pregnant these days, sometimes I take this time to relax and recharge while Addie is napping.  Most of my mornings are pretty busy and chasing around an active 18 month old in the heat is pretty exhausting!

3:00-5:00pm  Addie is usually up around 3 and she has a snack.  Then, we play and hang out until Daddy gets home.  Since it's summer time, sometimes Daddy leaves work early and we go to the pool or he takes Addie for a walk.  It all depends on the day.

5:00pm  Daddy gets home from work and Addie sprints around the corner to see him!  She gets so excited!  Eric usually plays with Addie while I work on getting dinner ready.

6:00pm  Dinner - then more play time or an evening walk.  Since it's been super hot out the early morning or late evening are our only chances for a walk.  Sometimes it's even in the mid-90s at that point though and we either skip the walk or Eric takes Addie by himself.

7:00pm  Bath and pajama time.  Addie gets a bath usually every other day or so, unless we go to the beach or she's extra messy from dinner or being outside.  Once she is ready for bed, we usually lay on the couch (Cooper included) and Addie watches an episode of Doc McStuffins before bed time.

7:30pm  Bed time....another day down, time to relax the rest of the night until we see what tomorrow brings....

Addie & Mommy date at Dunkin Donuts after running some errands in the morning.

Some of our favorite friends to have play dates with, Addy & Hudson!

Some afternoon jumping on couch cushions for our little monkey.

Edible finger painting fun!

Playing with...

Daddy at..

the Y pool, so much fun!

Happy August!

Dear Bella,

Happy August!  It is officially your birth month and I cannot believe that it is already here!  I am 37 weeks - FULL TERM - today, which just blows my mind.  It seems like just yesterday your dad and I found out that we were expecting and we were eagerly sharing our big news with friends and family.  This pregnancy has flown by in the blink of an eye and now we are only 2 weeks away from meeting you for the very first time!  I could not be more excited!

We have had a very busy summer preparing for your arrival!  Your dad and I have been busy getting the house ready -  your clothes are all washed and put away, all of the baby gear is set up and ready for you, my hospital bag is packed, and your big sister has been practicing giving hugs and kisses and being nice to her baby doll.  

This summer hasn't been all work and no play though, we've had a blast doing a lot of fun things as our last summer as a family of 3.  Your big sister is constantly on the go and she loves to be in the water!  It's been extremely hot and humid this summer, so we have spent LOTS of time at the beach and in the pool.  We've explored local parks, gone on vacations, and enjoyed lots of playdates with friends.  These are all things that Addie cannot wait to share with you and we cannot wait to do as a family of 4 next summer!

Now that most of our work is done and we've had plenty of time to play, we are ready for you to make your grand entrance Bella.  We are already so in love with you and we cannot wait to see your sweet face, hold your tiny hands, smell your new baby smell, and just love you to death.  We cannot wait to introduce you to your big sister Addie.  She is spunky, sweet, and hilarious - you are going to love her!  Your dad and I cannot wait to watch the two of you interact and we hope that you are best friends.  Bella, you are already so loved and you have so many people who cannot wait to meet you on your birthday!  Enjoy your last couple of days in mommy's belly and we cannot wait to meet you very soon!

We love you Bella Sherry Harvell!

Love, 

Mommy

Until you make your grand entrance Bella, Addie thinks mommy's belly is the perfect arm rest while she watched Doc McStuffins!  I think it's sweet that she likes to be so close to you already.

OBX - Pontoons, Jet-Skis, Parks, and Golf

Here it is - the LAST of my OBX posts - I promise.  What can I say though, when you have a great time and make so many great memories that your want to share,  a trip is well worth 6 posts...right?!?

This year (unlike years past) we had amazing weather...just ask my dad!  We were able to be outside every single day, spent countless hours at the beach and by the pool, and still had time for some other outdoor activities....

On a Pontoon

On the pontoon

Makin' waves and catchin' rays up on the roof

Jumpin' out the back, don't act like you don't want to

Party in slow motion

Out here in the open

Mmmmmmm...motorboatin'

Ahhh yes the pontoon boat....who wouldn't want to extend their vacation another day and on a boat?!?  Since Saturday was check-out day and the weather looked absolutely beautiful, we decided that we weren't quite ready to leave yet!  Instead, we packed our stuff, loaded up the cars, and rented a boat from 12-4 instead.  That way we could vacay a little longer, miss traffic, and still make it home by dinner (only 1 1/2 hr drive is yet another perk of living in Chesapeake!)  All in all it was the perfect plan....until nap time is considered.  Addie usually naps around 1, right smack in the middle of our boat rental.  We didn't let that hold us back though, we figured we would give it a shot and see what happens.  If she got tired, we would just get dropped off and be on our way so everyone else could enjoy the boat without a screaming toddler to ruin the mood.

  We had a blast on the pontoon boat.  The girls laid out, the boys were fishing, and my mom and I hid in the shade with a very wobbly toddler who wasn't quite sure why she was having a difficult time walking.  Everyone enjoyed the views, their beverages, and good company - and Bryan even caught 2 fish!  Eric and I only made it until about 2pm, which was okay and expected because of the nap thing.  We got dropped off and were on our way, while the rest of the crew enjoyed a few more hours on the water.  All in all, it was a success and a must do on future vacations!

FORE!!!

I can't write a lot about this one, but I still wanted share.  I wasn't there, last year I learned that golf really isn't my thing.  I can handle the driving range and I can even handle golfing at our favorite spot in Pittsburgh, Bob's, but even 9 holes is just too much (and too boring!) for me.  I think even Eric learned that it's best if I just stay home lol.  This year, the boys went twice.  Eric and Brian golfed 18 holes on Tuesday and then my dad and Carla joined them for another 9 holes on Wednesday.  The rest of us hung out by the pool and went to the beach instead.

JET SKIS

The "kids" - Eric, Brian, Carla, Kristen, and Bryan went jet-skiing this year and they had a blast.  Of course I wished I could join, this is yet another fun thing that you miss out on while being preggo.  My mom, dad, Addie, and I did go to watch for a few minutes though and I was able to snap some pictures of (almost) everyone.  Apparently, Eric was having too much fun to come close enough so we could see him!  This was Bryan's first time and he absolutely loved it...he even gave it not one, but two thumbs up when he was finished!

FUN AT THE PARK

Little Miss Addie is obsessed with parks these days!  She loves to run around and will go up and down a slide 1000 times if I let her.  So I was very happy to see that our beach house was very close to a great kids park.  After being stuck in her stroller during jet skiing, we decided that she deserved to have some fun to and we were off to the park.  Grandma, Kristen, and Bryan decided to join us as well.  Addie and Bryan had a lot of fun and ran off some of their energy just in time before a storm rolled in.  It was perfect!

CROWS NEST SELFIE

No further explanation is needed here - it is what it is :)