A Trip to the Farm!

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
The weather was nice this morning, so I decided we'd take a trip to the teaching farm at Tradewinds Park. They have pony rides, a nice playground, and a guided farm tour. This is Lydia getting ready for her first pony ride!

And here's the video:

Then we went on a guided farm tour. Lydia was so excited to see the sheep and goats!

 So toward the end of the guided tour, Lydia decided to do her own thing. She started clucking and moving her arms like a chicken while chasing the rooster. I probably should've stopped her sooner than I did, but it was too hysterical! I couldn't stop laughing.

My Loves

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Bryce Cody Wells born 9/17/2011 @1:24 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz, 21.5 inches long.

Lydia loves her new baby brother

Oops...I skipped a day. Time to be thankful! (Day 19 of 30)

This entry is to make up for not writing yesterday. I'm not sure how I completely forgot to post, but, it happens! Maybe I'll make this a "thankful" post. Here are some of the things that I am so thankful to have:
1. Richard, the world's most amazing husband, even though I tend to give him a hard time.
2. A beautiful, healthy, happy, loving daughter. Lydia is my world, my heart.
3. A very healthy pregnancy - with a baby boy who seems to be developing perfectly.
4. A mother, father, and sister who love me endlessly, even if they have a strange way of showing it sometimes. Whenever I need them, they are always there for me. I hope I am able to do the same for them.
5. Friends - I don't need a million of them, but I definitely appreciate the friends who have stuck by me over the years.
6. A nice house. It's not a mansion, it doesn't have the most modern kitchen or high-end furniture, but it is just enough for a family of four to live comfortably.
7. Enough income to live a nice life.
8. My education - I am glad that I have been able to find a passion and make a career out of it that allows me to contribute positively to my community. 
9. Food. I am so very thankful for food.
10. Electricity, especially during the summer in Florida.

Falling in Love (Day 6 of 30)

I am one of those rare people who gets to fall in love again everyday. Not like in 50 First Dates. Well, I don't know...maybe it is kinda like that. My husband has a zillion quirky behaviors that drive me insane. Snoring, passing gas, watching sports more than I care to watch, repeating the same line from a song 100 times over, picking his nose, scratching his butt... You get the idea.

But there's also something so incredibly amazing about him. Something I can't really describe. It's so far beyond just a sense of security or stability or love. I am IN LOVE everyday. I fall in love watching him play with my daughter. I fall in love watching him randomly bring me a cup of water because he knows I'm thirsty. I fall in love with him when he puts my feet on his lap and rubs them. I fall in love with him when he comes to bed at night. I fall in love with him when he licks his plate clean after I cook him dinner. I fall in love with him when he accomplishes something important at work. I fall in love with him when I see him speak in front of an audience. I fall in love with him when it's just the two of us in a restaurant together. I fall in love with him in the car, on the couch, in the kitchen...Hell, in the bathroom.

It saddens me to think that some people may never experience this, because I think it's one of the few benefits to being humans (besides the whole being able to communicate, get dressed, have sex for pleasure, think rationally, live in homes, etc.). I hope my daughter and my son learn from us. I hope they learn how to love purely and be loved thoroughly and completely. I hope they learn to give themselves honestly and expect and respect the same in return. To make sacrifices, but only because they love endlessly. All I can do is lead by example and remember to love my wonderful husband the same way.

I am still so in love with you.

April 30th, 2005

Updates on My Family

Being a mother is amazing. I'm reminded of this every single day. Today, Lydia has been pointing to my belly, saying "ba ba", and kissing it repeatedly. She's 19 months old now, and while we talk about the baby coming a lot, I am not sure what she actually understands. She's so good with my friends' babies. She wants to hug them and kiss them and bring them toys and food. So very sweet!

So I had my 16-week midwife appointment today. Baby's heartbeat was 153 bpm. At my first visit, I was 140, second visit, I was 138, and today I was 141. She said that looked good. I told her that I'm really trying to watch what I eat so I don't gain too much weight, and she said that was a really good idea. I asked her if there are any exercises I should be practicing, and she said she'll show me when we get closer. She reminded me to eat lean proteins and try to keep my carb intake low.

One month until we find out the sex! So exciting!

How Lydia Changed My Sister's Life

My sister Jamie is 3 1/2 years younger than me. We live about 15 minutes away from each other and probably hang out an average of twice a week. She got married a little over a year ago to one of my husband's oldest friends who happens to have two beautiful girls, ages 7 and 9, making her a stepmother. Unfortunately, we live in Florida and the girls live in Ohio, so we only get to see them a few times a year. She sent me the following email a few days ago, and I asked if I could share it with my readers...

I was driving today, and as I often do, I thought about the girls and how much I miss them. I cried a little, as I've been doing the past year upon confirmation that the girls are never moving... And then I thought about Lydia and how just going 3 days without seeing her makes me wanna cry.

With the girls, I never ever thought I'd be able to love any child as much as them. They have grown up with me. They're a huge part of what makes me who I am. But Lydia has taught me that there's a lot of love in my heart...more than I knew. I've fallen in love with her just as much as I did for the girls.

This is what was holding me back, truly, so long from avoiding the idea of kids. That's why I said I don't want babies. I was afraid I'd have a baby and torment it to be just like the girls (especially if it was a girl...kind of why I want a boy real bad). But I don't feel that way anymore. Lydia's got her own agenda. And one day maybe I'll have a baby with its own agenda too. That's what Lydia has taught me. I will miss her terribly this weekend when I go out of town, but I will bring her back a present :)

*This email definitely brought a tear to my eye!! What has the birth of your baby taught your family? Has anyone changed? Has it inspired anyone else in your family to have a baby?

Lydia and her aunt Jamie at the Girl's Strawberry Patch a few weekends ago :-)