foto friday

Meet my sweet children...

Caitlin is always up to something. yesterday it was climbing into the washer while i was doing laundry and moving side to side to make it spin with her in it. (Does it make me a bad mom that i let this happen for 5+ minutes AND took pictures and video because i thought it was funny?? Wait don't answer that.)

And little Nolan apparently has a wild streak too. My mother-in-law took this picture with her camera phone and she said he was making the sweetest face and then she took the picture and there is a delay so by the time it took she got this:

 I laughed so hard. But he isn't really like that, so I have to redeem him by posting this cute one of him smiling:

grandma Dickson visit

Lorraine was able to come out for a few days to meet Nolan! We had lots of fun while she was here. I really wanted to get out and do some fun things and see what it's like with two kids, but still having backup help. I've definitely decided there are things i will be able to handle no problem and there are things that will be hard. But anyways it was nice to have Lorraine along for the ride. 
-On Monday we went to the Hogle Zoo. I have been wanting to take Caitlin to the zoo for a while now because she is obsessed with animals. I knew she would love it. It was a hot day but we all did fine. Caitlin was so good about staying in the stroller and Nolan was an angel and slept in his sweaty car seat the whole time. Caitlin especially loved seeing the elephants, the tiger and the polar bear. It kept swimming right up to the glass in the same spot then diving back and coming up again. It did this for like 10 minutes and so many kids were so scared but Caitlin didn't care at all. Another funny thing was when everyone was watching the seals swim around. They were underwater and there were risers to sit on and watch and there was a park employee doing a little speech about seals so Caitlin and Lorraine were sitting on about the 3rd row and then moved down to the front row and then Caitlin decided that was good enough so she went and sat on the ledge front and center. (middle picture) She just does her own thing. 
We were also able to meet up with Paul's aunts Merrilee and her kids and Shelly and her kids while we were there and it was fun for all the little cousins to play together.

-Tuesday we hung out at home, took Caitlin to the park, and I got to run some errands. That night we had pizzas and watched The Bachelorette.

-Wednesday morning we went to the sprinkler park in Highland. Lorraine stayed with Nolan in the shade and Caitlin and I played in the water and went back and forth to see grandma and get snacks. We stopped at "our" snow cone place on the way home and enjoyed our treat then came home and put Caitlin down for her nap. Then we had to take Grandma to the airport.

It was a short trip but fun to have Lorraine, and so glad that she was able to come spend time with us and especially with Nolan! Can't wait for the rest of the family to meet him too!  

wordy wednesday

lovin' my little boy...

weekend review

Thursday and Friday we went to the Utah Valley Parade of homes. Saw some fun houses. Thursday my mom was able to come with Whitney and I, and Friday was Whitney's birthday! Bless her for wanting to spend part of her birthday helping me wrangle Caitlin around show homes!

Friday my mom left us to go back to Texas. I am so thankful that she was able to come and help out and be a part of Nolan's birth and transition into our new life. She was so helpful with Caitlin and she is already missed by everyone!

Friday night we went to check out the Pleasant Grove "Strawberry Days" carnival. It was fun! There were a bunch of rides and tons of food. We enjoyed just walking around in the summer weather and looking at everything. We HAD to get the strawberries and cream and they were delicious. We also took Caitlin on the carousel and she LOVED it. We went three times and after each time she wanted more and was in tears about having to get off. We also tried to see if she would go on a little car ride but she had to ride alone and we didn't know if she would stay strapped in because the seat belt looked a little loose. Last minute, Paul leaned over the fencing to get her out and he had undone her seat belt when the ride started! Paul jumped on the track to make sure she didn't fall out of her car and tried to grab her out really fast. The operator stopped the ride while we all composed ourselves. Caitlin probably would have been fine to ride it but after all that worry we pulled her off and went back to the carousel. It was pretty hilarious to see Paul jump the fence and try to chase the little car around. Luckily no one was harmed during the incident.  

Saturday we ran some errands and then that night Whitney and Morgan came over to make a special dinner with us! We made chik-fil-a nuggets and sauce, fries, grilled corn, watermelon, and homemade cherry ice cream with hot fudge sauce for dessert. Everything was SO delicious. Whitney never disappoints when it comes to food creations and this was no exception. She even brought up her fryer and her ice cream maker. I really don't know what we will do without Morgan and Whitney when they move, and not just when it comes to assigning who has to bring the dessert. They are such great friends. We can talk to them about anything and laugh with them about everything. I haven't ever known Provo life without Whitney around and this place will definitely not be the same without them. Good thing they are moving to a fun place and i don't care how small their apartment is... I'm visiting. With all my kids.

On Sunday Lorraine arrived! We were all so excited for her to come and see baby Nolan and stay for a few days. We relaxed, played, talked and spent time outside during the day and also had a visit from Paul's Aunt and Uncle and their family that night.

foto friday

(taken 6.17)

Typical "loves"... She likes to come sit by me and just put her arms out for him.

 (wish all of my pictures weren't from my phone but better than nothing)

week 2

Quality of life has improved in week two.
-Unfortunately, there was a continuation of "the stomach bug attack" from week one... once my mom was done with it, Caitlin got it Friday and threw up for the first time ever (and 2nd-4th times) so that was super sad and then Paul and I got it in a diluted version (no throwing up but bad stomach and headaches) So that made for quite the weekend as we quarantined the brand new baby, and used clorox wipes and washed hands like it was going out of style. Luckily we were pretty much over it by Monday and ready to move on and be healthy.
-Nolan is still an angel. He still loves his sleep. He has never had a problem mixing up days and nights.. he just sleeps through it all. It's a novelty to see him awake but we love it when he is! Everyday he has more awake time so this will continue to increase.
-Caitlin is learning to be softer and she can now be trusted to be by him without me next to her for very small increments of time. She just really really loves him so it's definitely more cute than problematic.

-Nolan's size "nb" clothes are already getting a little snug, and he is able to wear some size 0-3 months things.
-Nolan is horrible at burping! I can barely ever get a decent burp out of him! what kind of boy is this!? however i will say that the opposite end is DEFINITELY in fine working condition.. and stinky too!
-He loves his binky. He likes to fall asleep with it and it also helps for when he gets hiccups (which is a lot.. because of the whole bad at burping thing) We've learned that the trick is he has to be asleep enough so that you can take his binky out and he stays asleep and that is when to put him down otherwise he will wake up and want it every 10 minutes.
-Tuesday we had our first big time outing and we went to City Creek Center in Salt Lake. I wanted to take my mom there since she had never been. It was fun! We used my new sit-n-stand and it worked like a champ, and both kids were overall well behaved and we even got a little shopping in! I'd say it was a success! Although i don't think i could have managed it on my own, VERY glad my mom was with me to help.

-Nolan's hair is AWESOME. That's what we get the most comments on and one of the things we love the most. I'm a little obsessed. It is so long and thick and it looks so cute parted and to the side or it makes the perfect faux-hawk. He also gets some pretty intense bed head.
 
 -Paul always jokes about how dads have "old man strength" because no matter how old, dads can somehow win at arm wrestling or lift really heavy things or accomplish things that you wouldn't think they could or should just because they are your dad, so Paul attributes it to the old man strength. I had decided that mom's have "grandma energy". As I have watched Caitlin be grammie's little shadow over the past couple of weeks and want to do everything with her and watched my mom have endless tea parties and take her outside and go on walks and feed her meals, and then come and hold Nolan and love on him, I don't know where she gets the energy sometimes.... "grandma energy". And I sure am grateful for it, and grateful that Caitlin has such a good Grammie that she loves so much.

 -Wednesday we took Nolan to his first doctor's appointment. Good news all around! He is perfectly healthy and growing... he weighed in at 9 pounds! Such a chunk. Other good news was that now that he is over his jaundice problems and packing on the weight, i don't have to be as regimented with his feedings. The doctor said it would be fine to go up to 4 hours during the day and up to 6 at night, meaning i will only have to wake up once during the night to feed him which is MUCH more my style. His stats: weight: 9 lbs (64%) length: 20.8 inches (63%) head circumference: 14 inches (51%)

Happy Father's Day

I am very lucky to be married to one of the best fathers ever. I am also very lucky to have another one of the best as my dad, and as my father-in-law.

For actual Father's Day I will admit I was not completely on my "A" game due to feeling sick and having a brand new baby, but we did manage to get Paul a yummy breakfast and dinner and even let him sleep in and have a nap (it's the little things). We also got him a few little gifts and treats.

I mostly just hope that Paul knows everyday how loved he is as a daddy in our home. Paul's dedication to our family and love for us is amazing to me. I love how much he loves his kids and what a good daddy he is. Somehow he always finds the energy and creativity to keep up with Caitlin and everything truly is more fun when daddy is around. He puts me to shame sometimes but i'm ok with it.

one week old

We survived the first week. And i literally mean survived. I'm not saying that in a super-depressed-post-partum way. Just in a i-forgot-things-about-having-a-newborn-and-its-overwhelming-with-two-kids kind of way. Just keeping it real. There were some highs and some lows. But of course being the over-detailed documenter that i am i want to remember all of it so here goes:

Let's get the "LOWS" out of the way:
-When we left the hospital, Nolan tested a tiny bit high for the bilirubin jaundice test. So they wanted us to take him back two days later to be tested again. I wasn't too worried about it until we got him home and he started acting super lethargic. So we got all nervous about it and put him on a strict schedule of eating every three hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. He was super sleepy and never woke up on his own to eat so it was a long process every time. He just wasn't that interested ever. We also had him take naps and sit by the sunlight through the window and that was basically all we could do. We took him back after 2 days and his levels had increased. Very disheartening. So we kept with the same schedule and tactics and took him back two days later. Luckily by then his levels were going down so he didn't require further testing, and he was getting a lot better about eating.
-I have definitely had LOTS of emotional moments, between feeling super overwhelmed to feeling like I'm not giving Caitlin enough attention. Also just being overly tired and feeling like I need to nap every spare moment i get. I've had a few meltdowns and I have honestly been surprised at just what an emotional transition this has been for me.
-Lastly: the stomach bug attack. Originally Cassie got sick with what we all thought was food poisoning but apparently it was more than that and it was contagious. My mom caught it on Monday and got sick a few days ago which was a bummer for her and us. She went to stay at my sister's to get over it and I got my first real dose of being all alone at home with two kids.

 So here were the "HIGHS":
-My dad showed up on my doorstep and surprised me on Saturday! I was shocked. Chelsea had found him a good deal on flights for the weekend so he came up to see his first grandson and i was so glad that he did. Its so hard being away from family at times like this, it kills me that so many of our family members haven't met Nolan yet! It was fun having my dad here, probably not his most adventure packed trip but he was so nice and even took a night shift for me to help get Nolan back to sleep twice after he ate and after he wet through his pajamas, swaddleme AND blanket so he did get a little excitement in there :) 
-We've had a few other visitors come by, including neighbors and friends and it's been fun to show him off and visit with people.
-In general, Caitlin is being a trooper. She LOVES the baby and always asks where he is and wants to hold him and give him kisses. This is such a blessing because i want her to be excited about him and not be jealous. It's a little rough at times because she still needs to learn to be gentle and not maul him and i can't leave them alone or even close together. She has been super dramatic: if she's happy she is bouncing off the walls and if she is sad she is having a fit. But we will learn. And she is a cute big sister.  
-My recovery has gone well too. Other than the emotional roller-coaster and feeling tired I physically feel really good and I'm excited to keep getting better, and smaller.
-My highest "high" is just this little angel:

He really is such an angel baby. He RARELY cries. Maybe once or twice a day do I hear a real cry out of him. Even when he is being pestered by Caitlin or blown on and wiggled and stripped naked to be woken up to eat. He has such a pleasant and content demeanor and a gentle soul. Everyone who has come to visit has said the same thing. He is just chill and easy going (just like i predicted). Obviously things can and will change but i can feel that he has such a good and happy spirit and I am so grateful. His easy going and ever-pleasing nature has made all his little tests and dramas and the little low spots so much more bearable. He is such a dream.

hospital stay and coming home

Let me just preface this by saying that I should know better. Paul gets SO stir crazy in the hospital that by now I should know better than to expect that we are going to stay the entire 48 hours after the baby is born, especially when we've already been there the whole day before we have him. So naturally Paul was ready to pack up and head home probably even that night but definitely by the next one, yet he didn't want to leave me to go home. Because of my strep-B positive reading they really wanted to monitor Nolan longer so we stayed until Friday morning (about 30 hours after he was born).
I enjoyed the hospital stay. I liked the food and having the option of the nursery and just being in my own little world. I was fine to leave when we did though because I was anxious to get back to Caitlin and my own bed. Everyone at the hospital was great though and luckily the baby and I were looking healthy so we didn't need to stay longer. I was so grateful to my mom and Cassie for helping to watch Caitlin while we were in the hospital and for bringing her by and everything. It was such a relief to know that she was in good hands.

Wednesday night Nolan got his first bath and he didn't like it. But the funny part was that afterward when he was all wrapped up and almost done the nurse started brushing his hair and Paul and I just watched as she literally styled it for 5 minutes brushing it and parting it and fluffing and saying "oh you're just so handsome" the whole time. It was really funny. Wednesday night and on Thursday we had some visitors come by (Chelsea, Missy Turnbull, the Taylors, the Barnes and all of our family that had previously been there) and we also had Caitlin come watch a movie in our room with us and Paul even went out and got a red box and we watched it that night. See? It was kinda fun being in the hospital! haha

Friday morning we got all checked out, got Nolan dressed and loaded into the carseat and then into Daddy's big truck and away we went to start our new life as a family of 4! As soon as we got home we were greeted by Caitlin and my mom and i think within about 15 minutes Paul was sitting on the couch with his two babies watching Beauty and the Beast and i was off to take a nap. It was good to be home.

Nolan's birth : in pictures

Jenna took pictures for us at the hospital. I loved having her there not only for her photography abilities but for her support and excitement. I LOVE all the moments she captured and I will treasure them for always. It was so hard for me to only choose a few to share.

Nolan's birth : in words

Nolan's birthday was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better day and outcome. I was nervous about being induced again and having it take a long time or my body not responding well but that was not the case. I'm so glad that everything went so smoothly for both me and the baby. Here are all the details:
-Checked into the hospital at 6:45 AM. Let me just say from the get-go that I delivered at Orem Community hospital and I LOVED it there. All of the nurses were super nice and efficient and knowledgable yet the whole hospital had a casual, relaxed feel and pace. Our room was nice and big and we didn't ever have to switch from it. They also had a snack room open for all the dad/visitors that you could roam in and out of and Paul really enjoyed that. We had a great experience there.
-Got settled into our room and get ready to get everything started. I got my first beginning check at 7:30 and i was dilated to a 3 and 75% effaced going into the day.
-We had nurse Becky for the whole labor and she was great. She gave me my IV and started my first does of antibiotics (i tested strep B positive so i had to have two doses before giving birth).
-I was started on pitocin at 8:45 and went up in dosage every 30 minutes or so.
-I began having contractions that i could feel every 4-5 minutes.
-I was checked again at 10:05 and had progressed to a 4 and thinning out more.
-We were busy texting updates, playing games and hanging out all day. It was nice to have some time just Paul and I and also nice to have the visitors that we did. I had my fair share of juice and jello and Paul had about 10 frozen burritos from the snack room. Letting the day pass and just waiting for things to happen and progress is the hardest part.
-My contractions began to get harder and closer together (about 90 seconds apart). I was having a lot of back pain and feeling every bit of everything. I wanted to feel contractions and labor pains this time because I didn't really get to feel anything with Caitlin. This time, I did. I breathed through the contractions and let them come until I felt like wanted to be done. I know I could have "toughed it out" for longer if I had needed to but I got to the point where I felt like I now had an idea of the pain and since I knew I would be getting the epidural anyways, there was no reason to sit there in pain for any longer.
-I got my epidural at 12:15 and it went well. The numbing shot hurt more than i remembered and i had more back pain after delivery from it, but better than no epidural!
-Got checked again at 1:05 and i was only at a 5. I was dissapointed that my progression was not happening faster, especially after having all those contrations. I wanted to have my water broken but my doctor was busy at his office and not able to come.
-Mike came to visit and stayed for the rest of the day. My mom had been with Caitlin at home and she brought her to the hospital. Caitlin wasn't quite sure what to think of everything. She kind of just ignored me in the bed and played on the rolling stool and peekaboo in the curtains. Cassie met us there and visited for awhile and then Cassie switched with my mom and took Caitlin back to our house for the rest of the day.
-Dr. Judd sent a different doctor to come break my water at 3:15 because he still couldn't get away. I was still at a 5 when he broke it but hoping that was the key for things to pick up.
-Turns out it was indeed! Soon after my water was broken i began feeling pressure and even with the epidural i knew things were happening and that he was getting into position.
-At 4:45 (only an hour and a half later!) the nurse came back and checked me. She said "oh wow!" and i said "so am i progressing?!" and she said "umm yah.. you are complete and at a 10. I'm going to go call the doctor." YAY!
-The doctor wanted me to "rest and descend" for about an hour to get the baby into really god position before i started pushing. We were all so excited for that hour. Frantically calling family and sending out text updates to let everyone know it was happening soon! Jenna got there within the hour and got ready to take all my pictures!
-I started feeling a little shaky because of all the hormones but still felt good and no pain and mostly just excited. I pushed the button once on my epidural for a little extra boost for delivery. But i still had good feeling in my legs.
-Around 5:45 Dr. Judd came in and everyone got everything set up. Besides all the nurses and doctors, I had Paul, my mom and Jenna in the room with me. Dr. Judd was super calm and down to business but still his chatty self just talking through everything. I didn't do any practice pushes.. the baby was ready. He had e give two really big pushes and the baby was out to his ears. Then Dr. Judd worked with me giving a few more little pushes and worked the baby right out. Halfway through he asked me how big my frist baby was and i said "7.8.. what's your guess for this one?" almost jokingly and he said "a lot bigger.. probably 8 or 9 pounds" I was shocked.
-And that he was! Nolan was officially born at 6:06 (which was completely a coincidence because everything was happening so fast that we couldn't have even tried to time it but when time of birth was asked and we all heard everyone was so excited at the timing and all the number combos going on) He was 8 lbs. and 10 oz.... which is way bigger than i though any baby of mine would be. I just didn't think that he would be that big because Caitlin was over a pound smaller and because i myself had felt so much smaller this pregnancy. We were all shocked. He came out and we were all oohing and aahing about his hair and chubbiness and his big hands. He cried a little bit but was mostly super calm through all the clean up and checks.
-My body did well through the delivery and recovery for me physically has been a breeze. When the doctor came to check on me the next day he said out of all the babies he had delivered that day Nolan was the biggest and the hairiest.
-After the checks and everything they wrapped him up and handed him to Paul. Paul held his little boy for the first time and it was such a sweet moment for me to see. Then Paul handed him to me and I got to hold him. The moment when you lock eyes with someone whether it be a spouse or a new baby and you know that you will be with them and connected to them and love them for the rest of your life and theirs, for eternity, is the BEST MOMENT EVER.
 -We spent the rest of the evening just admiring him. Caitlin came a few hours later and her reaction was priceless. As soon as she came in the room she yelled "baby!!!!" She couldn't wait to get over onto the bed and check him out and she just kept saying "baby! oooh! baby!!" She wanted to hold him right way and give him kisses. It was so sweet. She also got to open a present from baby Nolan: a book, tic tacs and finger puppets. It was such a sweet moment to be with our new family of four. 

introducing...

Nolan Paul Dickson

Born on 6.6.2012 

at 6:06 PM

8 lbs. 10 oz.

20 inches long

He is a (BIG) bundle of joy and such an angel baby. We love our handsome little chunk.

Life with two kids is overwhelming and busy but we are sure glad he's here!

in one day...

Today was my last day being pregnant. In one day... my life will completely change. It's so weird how the past 9 months I have been so consumed with this pregnancy and documenting and everyday noticing changes and experiencing things emotionally and physically and then in one day the whole pregnancy seems like just a blink of an eye because I will have my baby and now HE will be the most important thing to document and notice and watch change before my eyes.

In one day... our family will be changed forever. We will welcome another little spirit down from heaven and I can't wait to see what he looks like and the personality he brings. I know that he will be the perfect addition to our family right now and he will teach us new things about parenting and life that maybe we never knew we needed to learn.

We are so blessed. We have been especially blessed through this pregnancy with health and stability and with Paul being such an amazing support and Caitlin being so good and understanding. I always thought I was against inductions but turns out that when faced with the option I'm all about the convenience and planning. I do feel like my body is more ready this time though and I feel like everything is going to go well. Paul gave me a blessing on Sunday and we both felt really good about things and about Nolan and his health. This pregnancy has been so different from Caitlin's: in lots of good ways and some bad ways too but the thing is it doesn't even matter, it's coming to a close and what's important is that by tomorrow night I will be holding my little baby in my arms and regardless of the type of pregnancy I had or how much weight I gained or how sick or sore i was, it's over and it was worth it.

I love knowing that it will be worth it.

Can't wait to meet him!

the last days

I've wanted to do really fun things as my last couple of days of my current life situation have rolled around. I haven't always felt like it, but then i would tell myself that pretty soon it's going to be harder to get out of the house with a baby so i better take advantage now. I'm glad that I have. Apparently i haven't taken too many pictures of said fun things but here's a little of what we've done:
-Paul and I had a date night to eat dinner and see "The Avengers". We went to Thanksgiving point and they have really nice theaters there.
-Also went to see "The Lucky One" with Cassie which was also good i thought. And let's be honest who can really complain about a movie with Zac Efron in it. (it's ok Paul knows)
-Went mini-golfing with Mike and Jenna and it was really fun. I actually did decent too which is not normal. That was the day I had cleaned my house and really thought I might go into labor but I was having serious back pains and everyone was so nice the whole time to be watching and picking up Caitlin for me and also someone would always bend down to get my ball for me. They are so good to me.
-Took Caitlin to 7 Peaks Water Park with Tiffany and London Barnes. It was crowded but way fun. It was a HOT day and i got a sunburn that I'm pretty mad about but other than that it was a blast. Caitlin loved the water and even went down a few little slides. That night we went to a neighborhood BBQ, a wedding reception and swimming again and making s'mores at a friend's house.
-Friday night i basically didn't sleep because of contractions all night so I "woke up" Saturday in a bad mood. Paul went for a bike ride in the morning down to Provo and Caitlin and I came down and met him then he took her with Mike and Jenna to a little festival thing while i went and got a very large Diet Dr. Pepper (don't judge) and got a pedicure. It was heavenly. I got the full sha-bang: spa pedicure with hot stone massage and paraffin wax. Seriously it was just what i needed in my life. After that i was in a much better mood. Then i went and met up with everyone and we grilled hot dogs at the park. We came home and hung out for awhile then that night we had dinner at Mike and Jenna's then went and saw "What to Expect when you're expecting" (...getting my movie fix obviously). I of course cried a bunch of times and there was lots of swearing but overall I thought it was cute and funny. And probably more so because it was so poignant for right now. We all had really high hopes that my water would break during the movie and we'd make this big scene and rush out of the theater and people would be talking about the amazing coincidence for years to come but.. didn't happen.
-Sunday we had a nice day at church, then Caitlin played in her crib for an hour (= no nap) I however did take a nice long nap and then we hung out outside for a long time. The Barnes came over and hung out for awhile too. It was a nice relaxing day as a family.
-Monday we had a lazy morning then went to the Sprinkler Park in Highland. We met a few friends and neighbors there but mostly hung out the two of us. Caitlin wanted to wade through the little stream mostly and climb on the rocks. And wanted me there by her for all of it. We packed a picnic lunch and also got a snowcone treat. (P.S. I am LOVING snow cones this summer! i could eat them everyday.) It was really fun. We're buddies. Although i did get another sunburn on my legs.. when will i ever learn?! Curse this sensitive pregnancy skin.

 That night my mom got into town! It will be so nice to have her here for Nolan's birth and to help. Caitlin was so happy to see her and got all riled up in the car that she refused to go to bed when we got home even though it was really late. 
-Tuesday morning i stayed in bed for awhile in the morning just savoring my bed and my rest for one last time. Savoring the fact that Caitlin likes to play in her crib for a good half hour before she wants to get out and savoring that i get to sleep and lay there and having nothing pressing (i.e. a baby that has to be fed). Then i got up and spent my last day as a mother of one. It was a good one! My mom and I took Caitlin to the aquarium in Sandy. It's pretty small but it was fun. It was the perfect thing for today because we needed to stay out of the sun anyway (BLASTED sunburns.. so mad) and the weather was actually kind weird anyways. Caitlin is obsessed with fish right now so she loved going around and looking at everything. Well, not everything. She quickly would decide if she was interested in something or not and move to the next thing if it wasn't a really good fishy. She liked looking at the tropical fish with the bright colors and the sharks and warmed up to the penguins and otters. They also have a little tide pool thing that you can pet some sting rays in and she was dipping her fingers in when one totally came out of the water to touch her with its wing! We all got quite a surprise! We went around the aquarium a few times and had fun seeing things. After that we went to chik-fil-a for lunch and then came home for a nap. That night we went to Olive Garden for dinner and I carbo-loaded for my big day tomorrow! We let Caitlin stay up for awhile when we got back from dinner and i'll admit that i shed a few tears while i was tucking my "baby" into bed. I had some special time with her singing her songs and talking to her about meeting baby Nolan the next day.