One Week

Happy One Week Francis Scott!!

Can't believe our little scooter is already a week old :)

He is still such a good, content baby and we love him to pieces.

Since his birth, he has grown another 1/2 inch as well as reached his birth weight again of 9 lbs.

A Merry Merry Christmas

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I know our family has been blessed beyond measure this year. Our house was full of joy, laughter, and happiness! What more could our family ask for than to have Brandon home this year as well as our precious newborn son. Santa Claus must have thought P and Henry were really GOOD this year because they both made out like a bandit on Christmas morning :) We were thrilled to have Mimi and Papa at our house this year but will miss not being in SC at any this holiday season. Here are some pictures from our Christmas celebration...

Our Newest Addition

He is HERE!!!

Francis Scott Doggette

Born on Thursday, December 22 at 0155 in the morning

Weighed 9 pounds

21.5 inches long

After waiting 4 days past his due date to make his entrance into the world, his delivery was quick, fast and easy. He was born 3 hours after arriving at the hospital. Thankfully we were released only 36 hours after delivery, just in time for the holidays. Scott is the biggest of the 3 and Brandon & I think he looks a lot like P did when she was a baby. My own recovery went well and am feeling better & better everyday. Scott is such a sweet, relaxed baby and content most of the time. We are beyond blessed to have such a precious newborn. He is going to make such a great addition to our little family.

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 8

This is from Christmas 2006. Wow seems like such a long time ago! This was our second Christmas as a married couple and our first Christmas away from family as we were stationed at Fort Irwin, CA. We bought this tree at Target the week before Thanksgiving and couldn't wait to put it up... we ended up putting it up and decorating it before Thanksgiving, ha! It was a small, simple holiday but great memories nonetheless. I was pregnant with P (only had like 6 weeks to go) and we included a trip to near by Big Bear, CA as part of our Christmas to each other. It was a great vacation to round out the holiday!

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 7

This pictures is from P's 2nd Christmas (December 2008). We were at my parents' house. It seems Christmas morning had yet to begun. We were probably waiting on everyone else to get there before opening presents so P and I used that time to play with one of her Santa presents. Her first version of an art easel and did it get some use!

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 6

I love this picture of Henry. Can't believe that was only a year ago. It seems he has grown a ton since then. He was so excited to see his Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Car under the tree left from Santa. He wanted to get right in it and drive. Its amazing how much more fun is at Christmastime with little ones :)

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 5

This is could be titled the aftermath of Christmas morning, ha! This was Christmas 2009 and it was a whirlwind of a holiday. We had bought our house on December 9 and did what renovations we could before moving in around December 20. Thus, we decided to spend Christmas day at our house then head to SC the next day. P must have been very good that year :) And of course, Brandon had to get sick the night before and stayed sick most of Christmas day. It wasn't the perfect holiday, but we won't be forgetting it either!

39 weeks 5 days

Well another week has come and gone since my last OB update and no news means no news :( I had my OB check up yesterday morning and left there feeling frustrated and depressed. Hence, why I had not written this post yesterday. Its still hard to handle that I am two days away from my due date and still nothing. I guess for others this is normal and technically I am not late until after Sunday but nonetheless this is very NEW territory for me. Both P and Henry were over a week early so I have no idea what its like to literally be waiting. And with Henry it seemed to happen so much faster... I went to the doctor on that Monday for a check up was at 3 centimeters and had him that Friday night. However, I have been dilated at 3 centimeters for three OB checkups in a row. It is beyond frustrating that my body is not following suit and showing the same pattern as with the first two labors. I like to be in control, I like to have a plan and know what to expect and this is completely taken me out of my comfort zone. I have no idea when he will come and this is not going in any of the directions I had planned or thought about. There's so much pressure and anxiety that I am experiencing; and most of it is coming from me. I've tried just about everything that supposedly helps induce labor and nothing is changing the current situation. I thought I'd have a Christmas baby and slowly I am coming to grips with the fact that may not happen. After my doctor's appointment I was in tears.. a little meltdown might have occurred. BACH policy is induction after 41 weeks so I have another appointment scheduled for next Thursday, December 22 in the afternoon. If I make this appointment because there is still no baby, we will set up our induction day for the following week probably on that Tuesday. So that would mean a total change of plans.. for all of us! Its a little scary on my end as well. I've never been induced before and don't know what to expect and then there's always that risk that with inductions there's a possibly that a C section might have to happen in the end... which is not at all in the plans or plan of action. I am trying to stay positive and know that he will come when he is ready and that this is all in God's timing and there is honestly nothing I can do about it. Prayers and good thoughts would be greatly appreciated for our family right now. If there was ever a lesson in learning patience and that life doesn't always happen on my schedule, the time is now. Stay tuned on this ever rolling roller coaster and maybe one of these days baby will make his arrival and I'll be sharing the birth story on here :)

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 4

Ha! I love this picture of P. This was taken at our house at Fort Irwin, CA before Christmas (December 2007). We were flying to SC a few days later and wanted to do Christmas just the three of us. She opened her gifts from us and was actually quite into it. I love her facial expression because she still makes this face/expression even 4 years later :)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Around the House

Well since there is no baby still (so frustrating), I am trying to find ways to keep myself busy and blogging is one way. Today's post is some of my favorite things for around the house. If I could make a wish list of just home things this would be it. I'd love to have them all eventually and they all make great gifts as well. So without further a due, here we go!

Le Creuset

This is my new obsession in cookware. I love this stuff. I know quite a few people who swear by this stuff. Its beyond durable and comes in some fabulous colors. I wouldn't mind having all the pieces but I love these 3 in particular. They'd all get some use in my kitchen. I love the loaf pans as well... too many to pick from :)

Willow Tree Figurines

I have loved and collected these for years now. I received my first one from my best friend on mine and Brandon's wedding day. I've received all the ones I now have as gifts for various occasions. These two pictured are a few of my current covets and I would love to add these to my collection. I like to display mine on our armoire and bookcases. They are simple and natural and go well with our house decor.

Apple Products

We are an Apple family. I love their products and have yet to be disappointed with them! We recently purchased a new Macbook Pro laptop on Black Friday and scored a free Apple TV with it. Both have become fast favorites of ours and make us want an iPad even more, maybe next Christmas?!?!

Keurig Coffee Maker

I hear this product!! We received this last Christmas from my parents. My dad had one and I fell in love with it and was happy to get one as well! I purchased the k cup carousel afterwards to hold all our k cups in it. Its such a great invention! I love that there are so many different k cups that you can buy as well as how many stores carry them now.

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 3

This is a fun picture, ha! Its from last Christmas (December 2010) at the Doggette Christmas Party. I love when we all get together.. it doesn't get to happen often so its such a great time when it does. We have a lot of fun together and now that all the grand kids have kids its even more special. We played Twister last time and it was quite comedic :) We are bummed that we will miss the Christmas party this year and the chance to get to see everyone!

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 2

This picture is from Peighton's First Christmas (December 2007). She was almost 11 months old. It was such a magical Christmas for my whole family. She was the first grand baby and it was so much fun celebrating her first Christmas that year. I love this picture of Papa (my dad) and P. My family has a tradition on Christmas Eve that my dad would always read to my brother and me The Night Before Christmas. I have the copy of the book my dad read from when we were little. My mom bought P her own copy of the book and my dad has continued the tradition with her and now Henry. He reads the book to them every Christmas Eve.

12 Days of Christmases Past in Pictures: Day 1

This picture is from last Christmas (2010). It was Henry's first Christmas and Brandon was deployed. We were all at my parents' house that morning. I believe I took this in the midst of the opening of all the gifts. Henry was 10 months old and every time I see this it makes me laugh. He was such a typical boy at that age and had no desire to keep opening presents. He found the paper, envelopes, and bows much more fascinating than the toys themselves, ha! Flash forward a year I can't wait to see how he reacts to Christmas this year :)

Weekend Recap

Well another weekend came and went and its Monday morning and still no baby! I am trying to stay positive but my patience is wearing thin. It seems everyday is up in the air just in case, but then nothing happens. Oh well, we had a good weekend anyways. My mom has been here for a full week now. We have enjoyed having her SO much especially the kiddos! We don't get to see Mimi often or for extended periods of time so this is a blessing. The baby doesn't know what he is missing out on, ha!

Friday we took it easy most of the day. I worked on cleaning up around the house that morning and catching up on some laundry. My nesting instinct is still there and I fear I won't be on top of things when D day finally arrives. It was finally a sunny day, but still quite cool. Brandon went outside to piddle in the garage and we bundled up the kids and let them play outside as well. Mimi took them for a walk in their wagon and they enjoyed getting to run out some of their energy. Brandon went to McDonald's to pick up lunch for us. Then it was time for Henry's nap. Mom and I decided to roam a bit in town.. we both needed to go to Target. P stayed at home with Brandon so it was nice to spend some time with just my mom. I finished my Christmas shopping for Brandon by picking up the stuff I wanted to put in his stocking. We also went into TJ Maxx and that place was a zoo. The closer it gets to Christmas, the more busy places are going to get. Thank goodness I am done! Back at home, we found Brandon and P doing some arts & crafts. She made some pretty pictures. For dinner that night we made homemade pizza biscuits and watched Frosty the Snowman & Frosty Returns on TV.

Saturday morning we got up and started getting ready for the day. We had our company Christmas party to attend at 11 that morning. We had a good time.. the kids enjoyed themselves and there were lots of activities for them. I already posted about Henry's experience with Santa and that was a nice surprise! All in all, it was a good event and everyone seemed to enjoy it! We headed back to the house around 1 and Henry laid down for his nap. We watched the Army v. Navy football game. I also rested some. P and Mimi played :) We went out to eat for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, El Bracero. It was yummy and both kids ate well. On the way back home, we drove through a few neighborhoods to look at their Christmas lights. This is one of our favorite traditions and Brandon & I have been doing this since before we even had kids. But P and Henry both really enjoy it as well. By the time we got home it was time to get ready for bed and go downstairs and watch Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer on TV. We love watching all the Christmas specials!

Sunday morning was quite around the house. We eventually got ready for the day and decided to head downtown Clarksville for some lunch and to take the kids to the museum. We ate a very yummy lunch at the Blackhorse. That place never disappoints! Then it was time to go to the museum. I know I've raved about it before but its really a fantastic place and worth every penny of our $30 annual membership. My mom had never been before and was quite impressed with it and had a good time playing with the kids in the various activities. Henry of course loved the trains! P always has a good time playing in the pretend grocery store. We stayed for over an hour. Henry didn't fall asleep on the way home but I laid him down for about an hour when we got back to the house. Brandon and I took Murray for a long walk around the neighborhood. I fixed dinner that night and all ate well. My mom and I gave the kids their baths and we played upstairs some.

It was a good weekend! Too bad baby didn't want to come out! Hopefully it will be sometime soon :/ This is going to be LONG week and I have another doctor's appointment on Thursday morning I am hoping to be able to skip since baby will already be here (but I won't hold my breath). Not sure what his lateness is showing about his personality, ha! All I can say is stay tuned.. just never know!

Christmas Decor

With only 14 days till Christmas, I thought I'd share some pictures of our house all decorated for Christmas. Sadly our outside was just about finished the week before Thanksgiving and our inside has been complete since that weekend, ha! :) That's what happens when your hubby was deployed all of last year and missed the holiday season! He worked very hard on the outside and it shows! Its beautiful and exactly what we wanted! I love all the wreaths on the windows and the white lights. It definitely stands out from the rest of the neighborhood :) We have a total of 3 trees.. the most ever for us and I kind of like it. I just love this time of year!

the kids' tree on the upstairs landing

our family tree downstairs in the living room.

its the new one we just bought and i am quite impressed with it!

our old tree that is now the outside tree. i love the look it gives the porch.

i think our porch looks so pretty.

Love it!

Santa Pics

I have to share these adorable photos of Henry with Santa Claus from earlier today. Bravo Company, 3 STB had their Christmas party today and Santa made a short visit for the kiddos. My kids especially P don't typically like Santa and have never had their picture taken with him. The closest we get to him is waving by as we pass Santa at the mall. However, today Henry surprised us! He had been running around the room and doing his own thing and the next thing Brandon notices is that Henry is sitting on Santa's lap. Thank goodness for iPhones and he was able to snap some shots of that moment. Of course when Henry realized that his daddy was standing there, he started acting nervous and unsure and wanted down. P was able to talk to Santa when he was at the cookie table. So a milestone for her as well!

Flashback Friday

Since baby #3 is due in about a week and can come any day now, I thought I'd share Peighton and Henry's birth pictures. I love my munchkins and feel beyond blessed to have the privilege of being a mommy!!

Peighton Elisabeth Doggette

January 29, 2007

Monday at 1148 in the morning

8 pounds 12.5 ounces

20 inches long

Henry Clay Doggette

February 12, 2010

Friday at 808 in the evening

8 pounds 15 ounces

21 inches long

I cannot wait to meet little Francis Scott and hopefully it will be sooner than later :) He will be such a wonderful addition to our family and our hearts.

A Few of My Favorite Things: For Me

This next post in the series of a few of my favorite things is all about MY Christmas wish list. I can be very picky as well as hard to buy for. I do not have a lot of my list this year. I feel more than blessed with having my husband home this for the Holidays as well as expecting our third child right before Christmas. Plus, Brandon and I are the type of people who if we want or need something and we have the money we typically go ahead and buy it then. Also, clothes are out of the picture on gifts to get me this year since I will still more than likely be wearing maternity clothes for a few more weeks after giving birth and by the time I am feeling like getting new clothes it will be spring time or close to it. So here are a few things on my list...

Vera Bradley E Reader Sleeve

I love my Kindle and read from it daily. I received the Kindle leather case with light last year for Christmas when I received my Kindle. However, I think this is a fun, bright case to keep it in for travel or times when having the built in light isn't necessary.

Kindle Gift Card

I would love to have one of these as well... in any amount too. I love reading from my Kindle and get so use to it that its different reading from "real" books. Plus, most of the e Books are cheaper than the actual book by usually 50%. Some older and less popular books can be found for around $5. This is a great gift for me because I can upload the card to my amazon account and not feel so guilty about the books I purchase :)

Mommy Necklace

I have wanted one of these for a long time even more so now that I am about to be a mommy of 3. This one in particular is from The Vintage Pearl. I love how simple yet elegant it is. I love that its available in gold and with a pearl (my favorite gem to wear). Maybe if not for Christmas, it would make a great Mother's Day present ;)

A Peacoat

This is a mix of a need/want. I haven't had a peacoat in a few years because my old one had gotten way too small (had it since before P) and the other one I own is a bit more dressy and only 3/4 length sleeves. I love this one from Old Navy. I wear a lot of brown and the colors of the jacket are also light and bright so it can worn into spring if need be as well.

Electronic Yahtzee Flash

This is just for fun. I think it would be a blast to play and a shake up on the old classic which I am an absolute fan of (even have the app on my iPhone). Its always fun to get something like this on Christmas morning and then break it out later on the day when we all need something to do.

Nikon 1 J1 Camera

I am in love with this camera. We are fans of Nikon and have had our old one for a few years now. It takes great pictures but this new one is superb! It has the power of a huge Nikon in compact form. It contains one of the fastest auto focuses out there. And it has an interchangeable lens system. This is not a cheap item on my wish list and its really just a want for now as it sells from around $650 and up. Maybe if Santa thought I was really good this year there might be a chance :)

38 weeks 4 days

So I was hoping I would not have to write this post, but alas there is still no baby and I had to go to my doctor's appointment this morning. Since my appointment last week, I have been showing more signs of impending labor including a few nights of hours of contractions. However, a week later there is no news to report. My OB checkup was rather disappointing. I've had no progression... my cervix has thinned out a little more but still stuck at 3 centimeters dilated. Its becoming very frustrating for me. I have never experienced so much obvious false labor with either P or Henry. I am one week and three days away from my due date and becoming increasingly over this! Contractions on and off during the day and night are getting old especially when they aren't regulating towards D day. A good night's sleep is also a rarity. I have crazy, weird dreams and then the contractions start up or the lower back pain. I know I should just be thankful that I am having a healthy pregnancy and I am blessed but just growing tired. I am not a patient person and this is definitely testing that area. I even feel more aggravated now that my mom is here and Brandon is on paternity leave... we are just waiting around. I'm also starting to fear the unknown... I've never carried past 38 weeks and I will be 39 weeks on Sunday. Both P and H were born during their 38th week and look at how big they still were! I have my last OB check up next Thursday and I seriously hope I do not make it to that one... but that's what I said about this one so who knows. I just need to stay positive and know he will come when's he ready and there really is nothing I can do about it. Now we wait... and wait and wait and wait, ha! :)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Kids' Edition

Since its Christmastime I thought I'd share some of my favorite things in a series of blog posts. This week I'll share some of my favorites off the kids' Christmas wish list. I am happy to say that not only have I been done shopping for them for a week or so but everything is wrapped and ready to put under the tree on Christmas Eve. I can't wait to see P and Henry's faces Christmas morning and I know they will enjoy playing with everything that Santa brought them. Its so hard not to over buy for them especially when I found a lot of good deals and sales on most of the items I picked up for them. So even though they both got a lot of presents (and it will certainly look like it once its all under the tree) I did not go over my budget :)

Peighton's Favorites:

LeapFrog Tag Reading System

I am excited for her to receive this. She loves to read and is doing very well with her sight words but could use some practice in phonetically reading and learn to pronounce words she doesn't recognize. I scored this at our PX for only $25 on sale one random day and its originally $40. I also found two books for her... The Little Mermaid and Cat in the Hat.

Melissa and Doug Activity Sets

This is a great toy brand that I love for both of the kids. Some of their items can be expensive but I picked up all of the Melissa and Doug stuff I bought for both of them at TJ Maxx for typically half price. I especially like these particular activities for P because they are great for her to do on her own and can entertain herself.

LeapFrog Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder

LeapFrog is another favorite brand for the kids. P already has the Fridge Phonics Alphabet Set but now that she knows her letters she finds it more challenging to build words together so I thought this would be a great toy for her. And another plus is this can be passed on down to the boys when P gets older.

Sing Along Disney Princess CD Player

I am excited about this one. I know P is going to love it. I put a CD player on her wish list list from the beginning because she has many Cd's of her own and loves to listen them. She also owns quite a bit of books on CD that she also loves to listen to. My aunt found her this one on Toys R Us website and picked it up for her as well as a few new Cd's. I picked up her a pink CD case holder so she can keep all her Cd's in one spot.

Henry's Favorites:

Mega Bloks Thomas' Mountain Adventure Playset

One of Henry's favorite things is trains and more namely Thomas and Friends. He has a wooden Thomas set that sits on his train table. He loves to play with it. We found this in a Toys R Us sale ad back in August for half price. It was only originally $100 and had it on sale for $50. This is his big Santa present and I can't wait to see his face when he opens it up!

Little Tikes Craftsman Workshop

The boy loves to tinker and build and I know he is going to fall in love with this. This is a great toy for him at this stage and something he can grow into. I can see him just piddling up in his room playing with this. My aunt purchased this for him and we will put it together and have it sitting out by the tree from Santa :)

LeapFrog My Own Laptop

He is very into doing things he sees others doing especially his big sister. He loves computers... our laptop as well as the toy one P has. So this was a good purchase and I know its going to get a lot of use as well as teach him a thing or two as well.

Melissa and Doug Puzzle Sets

I love these toys for Henry as well. He is into all things that go and loves puzzles & putting things together. Again, I found these at TJ Maxx for a really decent price. I also found a 4 pack set of stacking vehicle blocks in the Walmart line of toys Granimals. He is also getting the My First Lego Duplo set. He loves tinkering and building/tearing down so I feel these toys will provide lots of fun & entertainment for him.

Again, these are just a few of my favorites for each kiddo. I really like all that they are getting for Christmas but these are just a few highlights. The two of them are getting more than enough for Christmas but I think there is a good mix and variety of the toys.. some are just for fun, some are educational and most of them they will still be enthralled with six months from now (hopefully). Of course, their birthdays are right after Christmas so its always a bit challenging find great birthday gifts.