Andrew Nicholas Crawford

Whitley had her baby!!! :) I figured I would write as much of her birth story as I knew and get her pictures somewhere that she could see them and post if she wants.

She had super short, intense labor that lasted about 5 hours total. She went from "almost a two" at her appointment Wednesday morning, to a 4 by 7:30 (7 hours after she took castor oil) and a 10 and ready to push by about 10:00! The doctor got in around 10:30 and Andrew was born at 11:32 pm. It was all so fast but exciting! Whitley and baby both did great and everyone is healthy and happy and I am finally an AUNT!! It was such a huge honor to be there with her and take her pictures! I think that being there when this sweet boy was born was almost as great as when my own daughter was born! There is just something amazing about a newborn.

Here are some pictures!

Post epidural. She was much happier, but she was freezing! She was in an igloo of blankets!

Once Whitley got her epidural, her contractions got farther and farther apart and so pushing didn't go as quickly as it could! As you can see by daddy's face :)

 But once baby was born, it was all smiles :) *side note: I really wanted to get dad's first reactions when he was born, but the space to stand was very limited and next to dad was the only place I wasn't in the way!*

He was such a swollen thing. Little swollen lips, hands, head. But so sweet!

Mommy and baby boy

The happy family!!! :)

Dad got to cut the cord! 

 My sweet little nephew!! He always has his hands up by his face :)

This is my favorite picture I got of him! 

 He makes the saddest little pouty face! Whitley is in trouble for sure!!

 His gums look like he almost already had buck teeth! And when he cries he flashes them to the world. So funny!

 Mommy loving on her boy :) She is already such a good mom!

Me and mom finally cleared out so Nick could see his son! They had some time as a family with Andrew while they took in his new sweet self!

They took a long time to clean him up and get him weighed because they wanted to leave him ON mom for at least an hour after he was born! We all anxiously awaited the number on that scale and were so shocked to see that the chubby baby we all thought was big was actually only a tiny little 6 lb 7 oz and 19 inches long!

I love that you can see the reflection of his face in the plastic. So much baby love going on right now!

 This kid mellowed out like crazy once they got him under that light. He sucked on his hand, closed his eyes, and just laid there. I think he liked being warm :)

Had to sneak in a picture with my new little nephew! He looks like ET :)

Nick took pictures of his first bath in the hospital this morning. What a cute little towel Eskimo!! :)

I am so in love with this baby! He makes the funnies expressions, has got the Elvis lip down, and smells SO GOOD!! I could kiss his little (red/blonde/brown) head all day!!! I'm so glad I got to share this day with Whitley and I cannot wait to go back again and again to see him! 

Brynlee loved meeting her first and favorite baby cousin! She would unwrap him, look at his fingers and face, and they bundle him back up (face and all!) and say, "No want him". She sure loves babies!

And I kinda like him too!! :) I am and forever will be his favorite aunt!

21 Weeks

                            21 Weeks with Baby girl #2                21 weeks with Brynlee

It's hard for me to really compare them because I'm facing the wrong way and for some reason my eyes can't decide how they compare. I feel bigger though! And I definitely feel baby more and can already see her wiggling around in there! I am feeling pretty good so far but I have been super light headed whether I eat and drink or not. It's weird. Still trying to figure that out and how to fix it! I also have had TONS of Braxton Hicks contractions which is something new with this pregnancy. I only had them the last few weeks or so and the ones I am getting now are so strong they take my breath away. Those aren't so fun! I am also growing out of some of my pants. They still fit, but I don't need my belt as much :) I am loving being pregnant though and I am SO excited to meet this baby girl! I want her RIGHT NOW. I don't know how I am going to make it all the way to December. :(

Also, just a side note! Baby Andrew is going to be born ANY DAY! I can't wait to meet him and snuggle him!

Brynlee. Turns. Two.

TWO.

I don't think I have ever been so sad to say this word than when I am talking about my kid.

I don't really know where the last two years have gone. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital...she was so tiny, so helpless, and so perfect. She learned so many things. She went from laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling, to running around, pushing strollers, and talking. She is able to do so many things now that she almost doesn't even seem like a toddler anymore. She is a big girl. And I'm so sad. But so happy!

As of right now she puts 5-6 words together into sentences together pretty regularly. She knows more words than I can even believe! Every day she says a few new words that I had no idea were even in her vocabulary. And she can comprehend so much too. She understands the concept of time and order, she understands feelings and emotions, she understand the concept of families, she understands how lots of things work, and she understands almost all instructions. 

Brynlee loves to sing and dance. She always has, but lately it feels like she likes it more and I kind of love it a lot. She has started making up songs while she does things, dancing in the car, and singing every song she knows all of the time. A couple favorites: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift and Shut UP Get Up and Dance With Me by Walk the Moon. It's so stinking cute.

Brynlee loves her friends. She always wants to play and is such a good little playmate and sharer. She loves to share her toys and her snacks with anybody that wants some. She is so kind and compassionate and always trying to make other people happy. If she sees someone who is sad, she runs right over, gives them a hug, and says, "It's ok". It's 'adorbador' as Brynlee would say. :)

Brynlee is so independent. There is almost nothing she lets us help her with anymore. If we try she says, "No! That's mines!" She puts on her shoes (always on the wrong feet), she brushes her teeth, she reads books, she picks out her clothes, she goes potty, and so many other things. But even though she likes to do lots of things by herself, there is just something about hearing, "Mommy! Help! I'm stuck!" or "Mommy! Help! I can't do it!" that just makes you feel loved and needed.....no matter HOW many times a day you hear it.

Some cute things Brynlee does/says these days:

Every morning when I get Brynlee out of her bed, she says, "Is daddy here?" I love it. She says it like such a big girl!

She has started saying, "Sure!" about things. I ask her if she wants water, if she wants to play, or if she can do something for me and I get a "SURE!" 

She ends all of her sentences in "Kay?" She says, "I go get my dolly kay?" or "I eat breakfast first kay?" It seriously cracks me up!!

She loves reading her "criptures" and saying prayers.

She hates nursery again...not sure why. But she always says, "No nursery, just church"

When I ask her who is in my belly she says, "Baby sisser" :) *cue heart melt*

She loves going to the movies and says, "Popcorn? Yemayems? (m&ms) Soda?" She knows what going to the movies is all about!

Everything is something "time". Like she yells, "Eat time!!" or "Swimming time!" or anything else that she is going to do.

When she is cooking on her play oven she is always making "eggs, kay?" And they are always, "Mmmm so yummy!" or "Mmmm, so good!"

She always makes every doll or baby that she plays with go to sleep. She always says, "Shhhh, baby seeping!" And they always need blankets.

She is too in love with her binky. Every time she gets tired she exclaims, "I need a BANKY!" And it's so cute. But it will be disappearing soon. (pray for me)

On that note, she always needs everything. She says, "I need a water." "I need a popcorn." "I need a toys" and so on. It's stinking cute.

If you ask if her if she wants something, half the time she says, "Yes. I do."

She calls the bumbo the bum bum. 

If we ask Brynlee if she is crazy/weird/nuts she says "NO, I'm Brynlee." But if we ask if she is cute or pretty it's "Yes." hahahahha!

When you brush her hair she stands like a statue and almost falls asleep!

She does stuff "so hard" like "I'm coughing, so hard" or "I go potty, so hard".

She loves and likes everything. She says, "I love babies, I love em!" or "I like cereal, I like em!"

If I ask her where her babies/barbies/dollies are going, they are always going to nursery.
If she wants you to come she says, "Come on mamma, come on!" and waves her hand around.
She says thank you more than any kid I know, but she always says it at the funniest times. I told her that her fruit snacks were yummy and she says, "THANK you."
If she leaves a room, she yells, "I come back!" once she walks back in.
If you ask her who characters are and there are two, she always says one, then the other, then repeats the first one. For example, "It's Elsa and Anna and Elsa!"
She loves playing computer games with Spencer. She always says, "I need a bear on the 'puter!" and waits for Spencer to come play with her. He loves it. She also knows all of his wii games and begs to play Mario and Link. Even though Spencer hasn't had his boy yet, he is definitely training his little girl.

I always tell her to say, "Come on Daddy-O" But she says it, "Come on Daddy Lo!" It's the best.

Brynlee, we love you so much. You have brought sunshine to our days ever since the day you were born. You are kind. You are helpful. You are smart. You are beautiful. You are funny. You are amazing. And you are OURS. Being your Mom (and Dad) is the best thing in the world. You bring more joy and love than we ever could have imagined and we can't believe what an amazing big sister you are going to be to our next little princess. She has some big tiny shoes to fill and we are so grateful that you are going to be her example and teach her how to be the best she can be. 

I hope you never stop giving loves.

I hope you always know how much we love you.

I hope you always love as unconditionally.

I hope you always call me Mommy.

I hope you never stop being a friend. 

I hope you never stop being yourself.

I hope you know that you are a daughter of God.

You will always be our little baby princess and that will never change!

Happy Birthday baby girl.