Braids & Crew

Today I am working from home while Kate celebrates the fourth of July holiday with her class.  Brian typically gets her ready in the morning, including doing her hair, so since I was home and had the opportunity to experiment, we got a bit creative and went with two french braids!

I can't wait to do her hair more!

She didn't care to turn around for me to get a picture from the front but she said she had two braids, "Like Anna."  Clearly, Frozen runs deep in our house!

She also insisted on bringing her crew with her on the way to school.

From left to right we have: Sofia, Lucky, and Charlie.

She was pretty adamant that I only take a picture of her guys.  I noted this when I asked her to smile and she clearly said, "Only my guys."  Don't tell her I still included her in the first couple.  She's just too stinkin' cute not too, ok?!

And for the record, I did take several pictures of "just her guys" to show her.

A Letter to Little Sister

Little Sister -

We have entered your birth month, and today, on July 1st, I became overwhelmed with the excitement about meeting you.

Your due on July 16th, though we know that you will grace us with your presence when you are ready.  For the first time during this entire pregnancy, I finally feel ready to become a Mommy to two.  It has been a fear that I have struggled with for nine months.  Will I be able to be just as good of a Mommy to two as I am to one?  Will I have more love to share, for I feel as though my tank of love is full?  Will we adjust as a family of four?

The answers are yes.  Yes, yes, and yes.  Yes, I will be able to be a wonderful Mommy to both you AND your Big Sister, Kate.  Yes, I will have more love to share for you and any other future siblings should we be so blessed.  Yes, we will adjust as a family of four.

I recently heard a quote from a doula that I spoke with.  She said, "The first child gains from your attention.  The second gains from your experience."  This struck a serious chord with me and awoke my confidence deep inside.  It assured me that, yes, everything is going to be alright.  More than alright. It is so true for I already feel like I know what to do.  I've been down this road once before with Kate and now we are going down this road again with you.  As a family of four.  And we'll be walking down it together - you, me, Kate, and Daddy.

Even though we still haven't settled on a name for you, I am thrilled at the idea of holding you in my arms very soon.  I know that you are going to be the most wonderfully perfect addition to our family.  I promise to love you, laugh with you, cry with you, hold your hand, hug you tight, and hold you forever.  There won't be a day that goes by that you won't be in my heart.  You've already claimed your spot and I am keeping it nice and warm for you.

I can't wait to meet you, little one.  My darling girl.  My second darling girl.  We are one lucky bunch!

I love you.  I love you.

Mommy

Pregnancy Update: The "I Think She's Coming Early" Edition

Ok, deep breaths.  DEEP BREATHS, people.

I had another check-up today.  We are just over 2.5 weeks away from our due date and I've had lots of pressure and cramping over this past weekend.

My internal exam revealed that we are 2 centimeters dilated, 75% effaced, and Little Sis has moved to a -2/-3 station and she is still head down!!!

Did you hear that?!?!  We made some SERIOUS progress over the last week and I am shocked by these calculations!  Just to put this into a little perspective, when I was just over 1.5 weeks away from my due date with Kate, I was NOT dilated and NOT effaced.  We are just over 2.5 weeks away from July 16th and I AM dilated and I AM effaced.

This is why I think Little Sis may be joining us early.  Oh, and the fact that I am still running, chasing, tossing, playing and picking up her Big Sis as normal!

My current doctor informed me that most babies in subsequent pregnancies (the ones after your first) don't "drop" until labor.  Apparently your body just knows what to do when baby becomes engaged so it's not uncommon for the baby to hang at a higher station until labor.  For a quick station reference, doctors start counting stations from -4 to +4 once the baby starts engaging in your pelvic bone.  At -4, baby has just entered the birth canal.  At 0, many hear that the baby has "dropped".  At +4, the baby is crowning.

Not only are all systems a go again, but it appears that things are progressing rather quickly!

I'm excited and nervous.  I'm very hesitant about getting another epidural, based on getting the spinal headaches after the last time, but at the same time I'm very hesitant to say that I won't get one.  I'm hoping to be able to get to labor and be coherent enough to make a decision based on the situation we are in when we're in it.

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!  Won't be long now, Little Sister!

We cannot WAIT to meet you!!!

Freakin' Weekend

People, it's the weekend.  Can I get an amen?

We have been working diligently in Little Sis's room for the last few weeks.  We've been putting things together, like the bassinet, and hanging the paper flowers we moved from Kate's room and hanging wall art and getting the crib set up, etc.  Therefore we have been spending a lot of our free time in this room.  Kate has a collection of toys up here that normally are in her play room downstairs so we can at least all be together while we are working on things.

Our most recent endeavor was putting the bassinet together which, as you will soon see, Kate has diligently claimed as hers.  Completely and totally hers.  She hops on it, fills it with her loves, and plays in it.  I've explained that this is for Little Sister and that we will put it in Mommy and Daddy's room when Little Sis is born.  So far she seems receptive to this idea.  I'm just hoping it's the same when it's a reality...

Getting situated with her peeps.

She looks downright cozy in there!

Ahh, and of course we need the blankie!

We decided to hit the zoo since Kate has been such a trooper while Brian and I work hard in this other room and because in just a few short weeks all our family of three will be expanding to a family of four!  We hope to make the most of these next few weeks knowing that there's a lot of change headed our way!

First stop, a hug to the polar bear just inside!

This guy was so strange!  It literally took me a
hot minute to figure out how this ostrich was
holding him and walking.  I finally realized his
'real' legs were the ones doing the walking.
You got me, Columbus Zoo.  You got me.

Next stop, to feed the giraffes.  Kate did not care
to touch the food - she just wanted me to feed them.  I don't
blame her.  That is a LONG tongue.

Then we played at the polar bear playground for
a little bit.

And headed over to the petting zoo after our
train ride.

Hello, Sunshine!

She was very gentle!

After the zoo and naps, we headed out to dinner to celebrate Brian's Dad and Stepmom's anniversary.  It was great to see this bunch!  And Kate's cousins really do love them some Kate!

Grammie, Pop Pop and 4 out of 6 grands - Gina, Courtney, Kate,
and Wyatt.

We had a productive weekend!  We were able to have some down time, some productive time, some fun time, and some family time.  All in all, I would consider that a win!

Impromptu Picnic at the Pool

Brian had to work a tad later than normal tonight so Kate and I decided to have an impromptu picnic at the pool!

We drove home, packed a quick dinner, put on our bathing suits, and headed over to the pool!

The weather bordered on a thunderstorm.  The ominous clouds were hoovering above for the majority of the late afternoon, but it never rained, and towards the end of the evening the sun was even shining!  This totally worked in our favor because we more or less had the pool to ourselves! There was hardly anyone there.  Sometimes we need a bit of warm up time and when there are a lot of people it can be overwhelming for all of us.

We settled on a couple of lounge chairs near the entrance to the big water slides.  Kate was determined to go on them but we weren't allowed to ride together so she wasn't able to go.  One day, sweet angel girl, and you'll be out of my arms and going down the slides with your friends.  But today you'll be staying by my side.

We decided to play for a bit in the pool and then have dinner.  So we warmed up in the baby pool and then headed to the big pool.  We jumped back and forth between these two pools and then sat together and enjoyed our little picnic of cheese and crackers, carrots, and watermelon.

Selfie at the pool!

Warming up in the little pool!

First whale ride of the season!

Hopefully not the last!

Headed to the big pool.  Does she look so big,
or is it just me?

Playing with a bubbler!

Debating on where to go.  We walked around the
entire pool to check everything out.

Wading through chest deep.  This was about as far as she
wanted to go.

Swinging on the railing.  You see, when there's
hardly anyone at the pool, you can break the rules
a little bit.  (For the record, she did this once and
I asked her not to do it anymore.  I just so happened
to catch a photo of it!)

It's a pic-a-nic time!

Love her.

This cracks me up!

And, at the end of our picnic, I was smothered
with messy face kisses.  I will never say no to
kisses - messy or not!

I loved having the opportunity to be spontaneous tonight.  It was awesome for Kate and I and so rewarding because when we talked about going to the pool and Kate asked if we would be going "right now" I was able to say, "YES"!  How often does that happen?!

Plus the extra special time with my first girlie is always very special.  Hopefully we'll have more of these fun summer nights this season!

One Month Away

Ladies and Gents, we are in the last month of our pregnancy!  I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by.  I mean, it has been crazy fast.

I has the first of my weekly appointments yesterday.  Again, with my new doctor.  I've gained another 5.5 pounds and seem right on target with belly size and week number.  My internal exam revealed that it does not appear that I am near labor - I am not dilated, I am no effaced, Little Sis is not engaged.

(She's not engaged in my pelvis.  She's fully engaged in the world around her.  I have noticed her having hiccups, which I never felt with Kate!  I have also felt her jump a couple times when there was a loud noise outside of the womb.  Both of these instances came from Kate dropping her bath tea pot into the empty bath tub.  Yes, LOUD!  This I also didn't experience with Kate.  I suppose that's what happens to all children beyond the first - it is much louder outside of the womb!)

I've been working with our new doctor.  I've been able to reevaluate the situation, acknowledge that there is nothing I can do but make the best of this situation and get comfortable with my new doc, so I've tried to take that approach.  I do feel like she is getting to know me better and I her, so that is good.

Other than that, not much news here!  I haven't been craving anything out of the ordinary.  I love watermelon, but that is always the case.  As a matter of fact, if I am ever asked that deserted island question, you know the one, "If you were on a deserted island and you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?".  Yeah, that one.  My answer is always watermelon.  So that's not really new.  And I've been feeling good.  I am starting to get really excited to meet our new baby.  It has taken me a while this pregnancy.  I've been tired and it's been tough keeping it all together working, raising a toddler, and making a baby, but I've managed and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I will leave you with some bump pics that I've found on my phone from Kate and one that I took of my shiny, perfectly round belly that I am very proud of!  Warning: nudity ahead - raw and real.

This was 3 weeks ago, while I was making breakfast.

Even I think it's a cute little bump!

And this was just this past Friday!  That
perfectly round belly holds so much of my love.
I can't wait to meet her!
(Oh, and please excuse the fact that my
undergarments are not matching.
#anythingwilldo  at this point in the pregnancy!)

Bookshelf & Bubbles

Since we are still in the process of transitioning Little Sister's room and Kate's room, we decided yesterday would be a good day to set up Kate's new bookshelf.  The dark bookshelf that has been in her room is accompanying the darker furniture in the nursery.  Since we have gone with white furniture for Kate's current room set up, she's getting a white bookshelf!

Helping put the pegs in.

I mean, she is such a good helper!

See all the other pegs she placed?

Girlfriend's got skills!

I wish I had a before and after photo for Kate's room, but I don't, so you will have to trust me when I say the new white bookshelf looks awesome in her room!  She was such a good helper and loved putting herself and her "babies" (Elsa and Belle) in the cubes before they were closed up!  #mylittleengineer

When we put the bookshelf in her room, Kate started rummaging through one of her drawers.  I have one drawer with her bathing suits and a towel in it.  She instantly fell in love with this new bathing suit that she hadn't worn yet.  (I got it on clearance at the end of last year!  #momwin)  So, for the rest of the warm day, she donned it!  See below!

Later that afternoon, we headed outside for dinner and a seriously cute round of giggle bubbles!  Kate blew the bubbles and I tried to pop them.  Daddy took pictures.  She thought this was hilarious!  And we scored some seriously cute photos of our seriously cute little lady!

Master bubble blower!

I must've popped and/or missed some bubbles!

I still do anything to make her smile!

If we're outside, he's outside.
#spoiledrotten

I love this.  I hope she always smiles like this
when she looks up to me.  Always.

Bubbles!!!

Almost, Mommy!

Our silly willy!

Last but not least, your PSA: The Melissa and Doug bubbles with the butterfly top are THE BEST BUBBLES EVER.  Period.

And, you're welcome.

Let It Go & Legos

First and foremost, I have to share the cutest video!  Kate LOVES Frozen, so it's no surprise that she LOVES when it comes on our Toddler Pandora station!  She normally belts this song out a bit more forcefully, but she may have been a bit camera shy with her Mama right behind her documented her every movement!  Still, it is very, VERY cute!

Second, this past weekend I took Kate to Toys R Us because they were given away a free Lego set.  We have never gone to one of these events but we got there a little early, waited in a relatively small line (it was WAY longer when we left!), and went home with a free Jurassic World gate Lego set.  These are the normal small legos and they are a little hard for Kate to manipulate at her age.  Who are we kidding?  They are a little hard for me to manipulate at my age too, but I know she'll grow into them and add them to her collection!

We kept ourselves occupied while waiting in line by reorganizing the bubbles, people watching, looking at the toys around us, and taking selfies!

She fell asleep five minutes before we got there.
She would consider that a nap...

Reorganizing the bubbles!

People watching the patrons in front of us!

My little girl!

Looking at toys!

Taking selfies!

Silly selfie!  I follow Kate's lead!

It would not surprise me one bit if she grew up
to be a dentist.  #imnotkidding

Counting our legos out for our set!

I think it's great that Toys R Us and the Lego brand offer these types of events.  You do need to get to them early but it's a good way to introduce a new line and explore different sets.

We've been talking about dinosaurs at home so I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore some dinosaur legos without a huge investment.  The set didn't come with any dinosaurs, but we had fun together anyway!