Quick Update

It's been a while since I've posted. It's been real busy around here with Christmas and travels back and forth to Oklahoma. But I thought I would post a few pictures to show how my girl is growing! I've been journaling my travels and the new things miss Ella is doing these days. I promise when we get back to normal I will get them out here for the blog-world to see!!

Merry Christmastime!!

So, it is almost Christmas and I am just now updating this here blog. I'm sorry for that, but you will have to forgive me. I have been a little bit busy!

That's right!! My baby girl is here!! Meet Ella Mackenzie Powell! She was born October 24, 2010, at 9:39 p.m., weighing 7 lb. 11 oz. and coming out at 21 in. long! Isn't she a cutie patootie!!

I don't know where the month of November went. These past 6 1/2 weeks have been a complete blur.

Most all of our family was able to be with us when little miss was born. It was really nice to have everyone together. Honey-do and I are so blessed with a great family. We even had someone with us for the first two weeks of miss Ella's life. My mom stayed a week. Perry's mom came back the weekend after she was born. Perry's sister Erica came and stayed a while the next week. Then it was ALL me and Perry... for three days! :)

We also had visits from Great-Uncle Steve and Great-Aunt Cindy; friend

s from college: Larry and Sarah Mattox and their little girl, Willow Jo; and Great-Nana and Great-Papa Campbell!!

Since then, our little family of three went back to Oklahoma over Thanksgiving break. It was a little bit of a challenge to travel with a newborn. I mean she slept the whole way, but our car was LOADED with her stuff. You never realize how much stuff you actually use on a day-to-day basis. :)

Life with a newborn is definitely interesting, but so much fun! She is such a good baby. We are on a good schedule and she even sleeps almost all the way through the night. (Almost.)

We are getting ready for Ella's first Christmas! I'm so excited to go back to OK for Christmas and be with all the family again. Babies definitely brighten up the holidays.

In fact, we are traveling this weekend to Okemah, OK, for Perry's mother's side of the family's reunion, "Palmer Dinner." It will be a treat to see his grandpa's sisters and their families meet Ella Mack.

I promise I will try to post more often. Here is one more photo to hold you over until then!

Belly Button

My belly button is poking out... :( This stomach can't get any bigger now. haha

Headache. Heartburn. Backache. Stomach cramps. Swollen ankles. Sore feet. Outie belly button.

All things you get to experience in your 35th week of pregnancy. Am I complaining??? Not really.

I can't wait to meet my little miracle: Ella Mackenzie!! It's getting so close!!!!

TRAUMA

Ella, Sadie and I just had the most traumatic experience ever!!!

EVERY (3) fire alarm on the top floor went off this morning at 10. I was sort of freaking out that our house was struck by lightning and on fire. As I slowly made my way up the stairs to check it out, I didn't see any flames, smoke, etc. I checked the doors to the bedrooms for heat before opening them. Nothing. So, then the attempt was to turn off the annoying, high-pitched alarms that would NOT stop.

I had to go back downstairs and get a broom to see if I could use it to push the button on the alarm... that didn't work. These three alarms were connected by wires strung through the attic. So, to turn off the annoying, high-pitched alarms that would NOT stop, one would have to physically pull the wires out of them.

I cannot do this. We have 10 ft. ceilings. I would have to have gone and gotten the step ladder. Which is NOT allowed in your 8th month of pregnancy. WONDERFUL!!!

By now, I have tears streaming down my face because I CAN'T get them to stop making that awful noise! I end up having to call Perry to come home and help me. Not to mention I'm like heaving with tears. Now, I can't stop crying.

Perry came home, got the ladder and stopped the awful noise. He climbed into the attic space so he could make sure the roof didn't get hit and flames weren't hiding in our attic space. But thankfully they aren't.

We are now pretty sure that one of the alarms is dying and since they are all on the same circuit it made them all go off.

Sadie was whinning and being a big baby... I was crying and being an extremely big baby and Ella was being completely still, so I know she was probably freaked out because I was so freaked out.

After Perry got the noise to stop we sat and did our "relaxation breathing." It helped a little. We had lunch and I had a big glass of water. Now Ella is back to bouncing around, Sadie is napping peacefully and I feel SO much better.

Quite comical. Quite traumatic.

Just another day in the life of the Powells! :)

pamper yourself

Pregnant women are always told to pamper themselves with massages, pedicures, etc.

Before my last baby shower I treated myself to a pedicure. The paint job has lasted this long, so this week before my shower I am getting myself a much needed haircut.

Prenatal vitamins make my hair grow REALLY fast. I feel as though I just got a haircut. Well, I did. But I didn't really get a style. It was summer and I wanted it to be long enough for a great pony tail.

Today, I am venturing out and getting some extra layers. It will be just as long as it is now, but it will look much shorter because of the layers.

Anytime I tell my nana or papa I am getting a haircut they moan and groan, "But your hair is so pretty long." or "Don't cut your beautiful hair." LISTEN HERE PEOPLE. I'm sick and tired of getting out of the shower — all nice and clean — only to sweat my butt off while I am bent over trying to dry this big ol' mess of thick hair. Thanks for the compliments of saying it's so pretty, but until you want to be here at my ever-loving call to blow dry it for me... I'm cutting it!! haha

Sorry for the vent.

I'm excited to see what my hairdresser, Ashley, from the Bird Cage, comes up with today!!!

I'll post pictures later!

Wake-up Call

So today, I just realized that the husband and I won't get too many more weekends of just being together, him and I. We will soon be overwhelmed with a newborn. There won't be many more times when we can just go to our friends' house to watch movies, unless they don't mind us bringing along baby. We won't get to enjoy a restaurant just the two of us. Grocery shopping won't be an easy task anymore. Running to Wal-Greens to pick up toothpaste won't be an easy task anymore.

In fact, the husband asked me how I will find time to shower or even go pee. Cooking dinner will be an interesting task... unless the hubby is home.

Our lives are about to change... FOREVER.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am super excited about our little girl coming. And I can't wait for the next 8 weeks to come and go so she can get here!!

But right now, I am praying to God that I have what it takes to be a full-time stay-at-home mommy.

One Hot Mama

Finally it is September and the weather is cooling... I have had one hot summer.

Our little bundle is growing super fast!! She's kicking and moving and squirming around inside the belly. Next weekend my super great friend Sarah of SJA Photography is going to do some

maternity pictures of me and the hubs and the belly!! :) I'm getting excited about it.

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping the blog up-to-date with my pregnancy, but there really hasn't been much going on. We are just waiting now. We have already painted the nursery and the hubs put up some wainscoting. It looks great!

The hubs mother is making the crib bedding... so those pictures will have to come later.

We had a baby shower last weekend and it went great! My cousins did a great job putting it on and little Ella got some wonderful items! I can't wait to see the hub's side of the family at the shower hosted by the sister-in-law and cousin-in-law next weekend!