Go Deacs!

With Forbush having a bye last week, Boomer had a rare Friday night off from football. It was so nice to start the weekend with a family dinner and then an early evening at home. For dinner we went out for some barbecue at Little Richard's. Our favorite memory of this restaurant is when I told Boomer I thought I might be pregnant over three years ago now. I think of his surprised, BBQ-smeared face every time that we eat there. Since it is not often that we have a Friday night together in the fall, it was worth documenting. Doesn't Emmy look so grown up in this photo?!

Although there was no Forbush game on Friday night, our weekend was not completely football-free! On Saturday, Boomer and I went to the Wake Forest vs. Elon game for a fun date. Several months ago when the Wake Forest schedule was released, Boomer and I looked carefully at our calendars to pick a game to go to, opting for an earlier game in the season so as to stay away from November and the pending baby-watch. The game we picked happened to be Homecoming, which was a nice coincidence. We snapped a quick photo with Emmy as we were dropping her off with Grammy, and then Boomer and I headed to the stadium. We splurged once again for our now yearly tradition of tickets in the Touchdown Club. The all-you-can-eat buffet, easy bathroom access, and option for air-conditioning were ideal for this pregnant momma! Since it was a noon game with temps in the upper 80s, we were a bit sunburned and very sweaty at the end. Thank goodness it was an easy win for Wake, 49-7. I also got my picture with two celebrities: the Deac and a contestant from the Bachelorette, who was a former Wake football player. Boomer had no idea who Tyler Cameron was, but all the females between the ages of 15 and 40 surely did :) Saturday also marked Baby Kennedy's first Wake game. Earlier in the week, Facebook reminded me that almost exactly three years ago was Emmy's first Wake game too. It is fun to see the comparison of my baby bumps. I am now 32 weeks; Baby Kennedy #2 is the size of a cantaloupe! I had a doctor's appointment today, and baby's heartbeat was 135. My weight and blood pressure looked good; overall, a quick in-and-out appointment. I will go every two weeks for the next month and then every week in October. Whew the time is passing so fast!

Almost exactly 3 years ago with Emmy!

While Emmy was with Grammy on Saturday, she tagged along with her cousins and Aunt Megan to the park. Since Megan is on-call to watch Emmy when Baby Kennedy #2 arrives, it is reassuring that all three kids can fit into her car and were all kept alive after their park adventure. Megan is a pro at wrangling her two boys plus Emmy. I have no worries at all for November in that regard!

On Sunday after church, we celebrated Great Grandma Nancy's 88th birthday with lunch at The Loop and cupcakes. The Kennedys and Houstons staggered our arrivals, with everyone getting out of church at slightly different times, but we were all together to sing and blow out the candles. Grandma had a lot of extra helpers. I'm still not quite sure how Emmy's shirt escaped stains from the red icing -- a small miracle I suppose! There have been several September birthdays, with one more party coming up next weekend (for Grandpa's 70th!) Emmy has loved singing and especially eating all the sweet treats. Later on Sunday afternoon, I caught her playing "birthday party" with all of her stuffed animals. During playtime, she shows a lot of her creativity and imagination. 

Work, Fun, Rest, Repeat

We have been enjoying all the September activities, including football, birthday parties, and time with family. On Friday, there were two very big football games for the Kennedys - Wake Forest vs. UNC Chapel Hill and Forbush vs. Starmount. The college game was not originally supposed to be played on Friday night. Boomer was especially bummed when the schedule changed, because it meant a conflict with the Forbush game. Emmy and Boomer were sporting both of their teams' gear on Friday in anticipation of the evening's games. Before kickoff in East Bend, we managed to watch a little bit of the Wake game in Boomer's office. The Forbush/Starmount rivalry is one that brings an equal amount of excitement and stress to the football season. The week leading up to the game is usually Spirit Week, and then the game, whether home or away, brings a huge crowd. The energy and tension always mean a bit of stress on Boomer's part, but I know he loves the rivalry of small town football. Emmy and I stayed through the 1st Quarter, and Emmy had fun playing with Levi, the son of a teacher at Boomer's school. Michelle and I had Levi and Emmy within days of each other and have had a few play dates over the last two years. I couldn't help putting together a side-by-side comparison from Friday night's game and from Summer 2018 - they are getting so big! The Falcons had a strong second half, but sadly they lost 35-29. Wake Forest, quite the opposite, actually had a pretty poor second half but luckily still won 24-18. We are proud of both of our teams - Go Deacs, Go Falcons!  

This past week, my grandparents were visiting from Florida, and we were able to see them several times after work and on the weekend. Our whole crew had dinner together on Tuesday evening at the Loop. On other days, Zander, Maddox, and Emmy provided extra entertainment as Mom and Grandma Harriet picked them up from school. 

Emmy spent extra time with my parents and grandparents on Saturday while Boomer and I enjoyed a fun day with friends. We planned a winery double-date with Jared and Ashley, an annual back-to-school outing that has now been a tradition for the last 5 years. This year we went to Cellar 4201 in East Bend and Medaloni Cellars in Lewisville. Of course I wasn't able to sample any of the wine, but regardless, we always have so much fun with the Joneses. It is neat to be in such a similar season of life with these sweet friends. After our two winery stops, we ended with dinner at 4th Street Filling Station, where Jared had planned a special surprise party for Ashley's 30th birthday. She was completely surprised and was shocked that we had been so sneaky all day. It was so fun to be in on the surprise with Jared and to spend an evening with our other mutual friends.

Here are a few of the photos we received throughout the day during our winery adventures. My mom 'restored' a pink dress that was mine growing up, and Emmy loved playing princess in it. Emmy spent the night at Grammy and Grandpa's, and then we met for brunch (played hooky from church!) to pick her up. It was a little strange to have a quiet, kid-free house this morning, but the little bit of extra sleep was nice. I'm hoping there are more sleepovers at Grammy's in the future! :)

The rest of the days of the week have settled into a nice routine. We continue to visit Grandma Nancy most Sundays after church. Emmy loves running ahead down the hallway to knock on Gma's door, and she especially loves the peanut M&Ms that Gma keeps in a candy dish. On the weekdays when Boomer has school events, I try to get to Emmy's daycare as soon as I can. With the summer heat still sending temps into the 80s and 90s, Emmy is usually a bit of a mess from being outside and playing with her classmates. Over the last few days, I have had to mend several holes in the knees of her pants, and she is quickly wearing out her tennis shoes. I try to look on the positive - that her general state of dishevelment is a sign of how much fun she has during a day at school! After I pick her up, Emmy and I use the short evening hours for dinner, errands, bath, and play time. The hours go by quickly, and I find that I am ready for 8PM when I get to put my feet up for the night. I continue to feel good during my pregnancy, but rest and downtime are rare. It was nice to have a bit more of both this weekend. 

A Sprinkle for Baby Kennedy

It was such a special weekend celebrating Baby Kennedy! I will admit that my attention is divided these days between my active, playful toddler and the kicking, growing baby inside of me. Right now, Emmy of course wins out. Besides a growing belly and some discomfort when I am sleeping, it is easy to forget that I am even pregnant! I know it will be quite a juggling act when I will soon have to really split my attention and affection between two little ones. On Saturday through, it was special to take some time to focus on Baby Kennedy #2. My best friends hosted a 'sprinkle' for us in Morganton, and we had a beautiful sunny day as Mom, Emmy, Grandma Harriet, and I made the daytrip there and back. I will always love that first view of the mountains driving west on I-40. It was a quick trip, but I enjoyed the few hours we got to spend in my hometown. Since Boomer and I are once again waiting to find out the gender, the girls and their moms were so sweet to shower us with the essentials - diapers and wipes! I got quite a haul! And that's not all - there were also a few gifts for Emmy, too. The girls were sweet to include her; they gave her a couple of books, a box for her trinkets, and two adorable shirts embroidered with "Big Sister Emerson." I can't wait for her to wear one of the shirts to the hospital when she meets her sibling for the first time. Emmy had fun playing with her buddies Brooks, Hadley, and Adelia. (We missed Wyatt and Sawyer, who were hanging out with their daddies.) Besides the gifts, the delicious food, and the beautiful weather, the sweetest thing of all was being together with this special group of women. It is so neat to see how high school friendships have grown to an unbelievable bond between three generations. What a rare and precious thing! I am so thankful for these girls, their mommas, and now their children, too!

 

On the drive back to Kernersville, Emmy and Grammy had fun in the backseat putting a few of the diapers on her babies and reading her new books to them. Perhaps she is getting in some practice for her new role as big sister!

You'll notice in these photos that Emmy has her Bobbie(s) back! Once the original Bobbie went missing, Boomer, feeling guilty that it happened on his watch, searched the Internet to find a replacement. Unfortunately it was not an identical match, and Emmy picked up on it right away. There is no fooling her! She started calling it "Big Bobbie" and even "Daddy Bobbie" since this new one was a little larger and could sit up on its own. So Boomer went back to Amazon again and found the exact Bobbie, a smaller Carter's Made for You lamb with a rattle inside and crinkly ears. Now Emmy has TWO Bobbies that often go with us in the car and with her to bed at night. She continues to love red Teddy Bear and Purple Baby, too, but Bobbie is usually a favorite and the only one of her animals with an actual name. The original Bobbie was looking a bit ragged at the time it went missing, so here is hoping that the new Bobbies stay white for awhile!

I had my follow-up ultrasound today to check on the "low lying placenta" that was noticed during the 20-week ultrasound, and great news: everything has moved apart as it should! Thank you to everyone who was sending up prayers! The placenta has spread from the wall of the cervix, and there is no chance of it moving back together before delivery. At this point, there is no need to consider a c-section. After hearing this wonderful news, it was exciting to get a few other updates on baby: the baby has had a recent growth spurt and is measuring around 4 pounds - wow! The heart beat was around 148, and there was even some noticeable peach fuzz on the head. The baby's growth spurt does not necessarily mean it will be really big since babies grow at different rates all throughout pregnancy. There is no change in due date, and I am still on track for November 17th. Even though there was the slight scare of the placenta, it was a blessing in disguise because it meant getting an extra peek at Baby Kennedy!

 My appointment this afternoon allowed me to pick up Emmy a little earlier than usual, so we headed to the library. It's one of Emmy's favorite places. In addition to playing in the kitchen, she has recently discovered the computers, which have a kid-friendly keyboard and interactive programs for her age. She was so excited to check out two new Fancy Nancy books, too!

Labor Day Weekend

It's time for Friday night lights once again! Even though NFL games won't officially start until later this week, the high school season is already underway. This past Friday, our whole crew went to East Bend to cheer on the Forbush Falcons. Emmy, my parents, and I rode together, getting dinner beforehand at Alex's Grill in Lewisville, and then Megan, Zack, and the boys met us at the game just before kickoff. Emmy got to see her friend Lyla, and they loved watching the band and the mascot. Boomer had administrative duties during the game, but he came up in the stands just long enough for us to take a family photo and for Emmy to take a nosedive off the bleachers. Luckily no major injuries! She dried up her tears when Daddy offered to take her down to the field to ride on the golf cart. She loves sitting in the drivers seat and pretending to drive. The Bakewells, Kennedys, and Houstons left shortly after the marching band performance at halftime. Forbush kept the lead in the second half and is now 2-0 for the season. Go Falcons! 

On Saturday, we went to the lake to celebrate Boomer's dad's 61st birthday. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, we rotated family in and out but always kept the house full of kiddos and adults. Goosie and Darby's crew was there on Saturday during the day, and then Carlin and Kyle arrived later that night; we were all there to sing "Happy birthday" to Paw Paw on Saturday evening. During the day, the grandkids played in the water and on the dock. Emmy still mostly played in the baby pool with all of her little figurines, but later in the afternoon, she ventured out onto the large floatable mat that is tethered to the dock. She even climbed out of the ladder by herself. I was glad to see her getting more and more brave. The three littlest girls - Emmy, Ellison, and Whitlee - loved going for a wagon ride in the yard. Perhaps Boomer is destined to be surrounded by all girls - he is such a natural! On Sunday, Emmy enjoyed only-grandchild status, riding on the boat with Granny and playing captain with Paw Paw. Uncle Kyle also took some sweet photos with his fancy camera. I love the one of Boomer and Emmy! As we headed home that evening, I was a little sad, as I always am with summer's end. We make so many wonderful memories at the lake. It is hard to imagine what next year's lake trips will look like with Emmy and her sibling!

On Labor Day, it was nice to wake up to no alarm and no plans. Boomer, Emmy, and I spent a couple of hours at the YMCA pool - Boomer's first pool day of the summer! After swimming in the big pool, splashing around in the kiddie pool, and then having sandwiches poolside, we came home for afternoon naps. Even Boomer took a nap! He was feeling a little under the weather for most of the day and was fighting a headache and nausea. We are still not sure what bug might have been going through his system. We are thinking it may be general exhaustion from the start of the new school year. Luckily with some rest, he was feeling better this morning to head back to work. On the plus side, it's a short work week ahead!

This week marks 29 weeks with Baby Kennedy #2. According to the website I check each week, the baby is the size of a head of cauliflower! I have gained right at 20 pounds so far, and my doctor's appointments are starting to become more frequent. Last week, I had the glucose test. Luckily I passed, meaning that I do not have symptoms of gestational diabetes. My next appointment is next Monday, September 9th. At this appointment, I will have another ultrasound to check on the "low lying placenta" that they noticed in my 20-week ultrasound. I am praying that everything is spreading out as it should. Cheers to the 3rd Trimester!