Onion Baby

We're headed to the West Coast, so this is coming a day early!

Along: 17 weeks

Size: This week Luda Bean is measuring 5.1 inches and weighing roughly 5.9 ounces, the size of an Onion. Sweet baby is mastering skills like swallowing, sucking and blinking and may even have a spell of the hiccups. Our Little Lady had the hiccups ALL the time, it was such a funny feeling, but we of course loved every movement, so maybe Luda Bean will be the same way...we shall see. Fat is also starting to form under sweet baby's skin. This helps with the temperature change from inside my womb to the outside world, but also with Luda Bean having chunky cheeks and thighs to squeeze once he or she arrives. I love me a chunky baby!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I'm going to say around 8 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: I started wearing some maternity shirts because I am in that middle stage of, "Is she pregnant or still working loosing the baby weight from the first go around." They are also more flattering than trying to wear a shirt that just isn't made to cover a baby bump. So far so good on the bottoms, but I definitely packed some maternity pants for the end of our trip. 

Gender: I don't have a definite feeling one way or the other. Maybe after our 20 week ultrasound I"ll be more decisive!

Movement: I'm starting to feel the early flutters, which is so fun. I'm definitely looking forward to when Luda Bean is really moving and Shawn and our Little Lady can feel it too!

Sleep:  Still sleeping great. I started getting cramps in my legs a couple nights ago, which happened the first go around too, so I'm just trying to make sure I drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, especially as we head into summer! 

Exercise: We got in a few runs this week, but I'm really hoping to get to run and explore CA at some point. Maybe it will just be from the comfort of our hotel gym. 

Cravings: I'm really loving bacon, carrots and chips. Really anything crunchy. 

Symptoms: I honestly can't complain and other than the growing belly (which I love), I feel pretty much the same!

Best Moment of the Week: We've packed our bags and are headed to the west coast! I can hardly believe it, but I am so excited to be in the warmth and to have another #LudaFamilyVaca! Be prepared for picture overload once we get back!

Avocado Baby

One of my favorites! And it used to be one of Big Sister's favorites until she developed the ability to really chew and now she loves anything with a crunch! I feel like this pregnancy is going by a bit faster than when I was pregnant with Em. I know we still have a while to do, 24 weeks to be exact, but since we are heading into summer and there are so many vacations and fun things to look forward to, I feel like time is going to fly!

Along: 16 weeks

Size: This week our Luda Bean's extremities are becoming more defined and he or she is getting better at controlling movements; all to prepare for kicking and punching Mommy! I can't wait for that! Sweet baby's skeletal system is also becoming more developed and he or she will double in weight over the next couple weeks, so I guess I should be prepared for more weight gain!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  About 7 or 8 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: My Mom and I have been a doing a little shopping here and there and I have started to collect a pretty good summer maternity wardrobe. Something that I found really important when I was pregnant was Em was feeling like I looked cute, by wearing clothes that faltered the bump, so that is the plan this time around too!

Gender: Shawn is officially on the boy train. He says he just has a feeling. I think I am still on the girl train, but at our last appointment Luda Bean's heart rate was hanging out at 150, so it has been getting slower since the start. I also feel like I am carrying a bit different, but that may just be because I am showing sooner than what I did with Em. Either way, only time will tell!

Movement: Still waiting. I have a had a few bad cases of the bubbles that could have been mistaken as movement, but I'm pretty sure I will know the difference. I mean I've done this before, so I'm an expert, right?!?! 

Sleep:  Can't complain about sleep at the moment. Now that I am getting along into my second trimester, my energy is returning and I am feeling pretty peppy. I won't deny myself the occasional nap though. 

Exercise: Another week of beautiful weather, meant lots of outdoor time. Or as much as possible. Staying active was key with my first pregnancy, so I'm planning on keeping my legs moving as long as is safe and healthy for me and Luda Bean. 

Cravings: I have been eating an abnormal amount of BLTs lately. I guess I should make an Avocado BLT to represent our Luda Bean

Symptoms: Another week of feeling pretty great. I've had evening heartburn more frequently this week, but again it hasn't been too unbearable. 

Best Moment of the Week: On Monday we had a beautiful day. I was able to go for a run and then met up with Shawn and Em at the park. It was beautiful out and we loved getting to see our girl play outside in the sun. We got slurpees, grilled out and I even had to wash big girl's hands before dinner because they were so dirty from playing outside. It was a perfect day. 

 Emerson wanted in on the Avocado pictures too! She's going to be such a good big sister! :)

Orange Baby

Along: 15 weeks

Size: Baby is the size of a navel orange measuring approximately 4.0 inches and weighing 2.5 ounces. At this point Baby Bean is starting to grow head on his/her head. I'm really hoping for a head full of hair this go around! Baby also still has lanugo covering his or her body for protection from sitting in amniotic fluid. He or She could also be sucking his/her thumb around this time. Maybe we will catch that at the next ultrasound.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Between 5-6 pounds. I figure I will gain roughly a pound a week. 

Maternity Clothes: I had to use the hair tie trick on a pair of jeans the other day, but for the most part, my clothes are still fitting, just differently. 

Gender: I think we are going to have another girl. I'll be happy either way. Of course we would love to have a son and daughter, but the big focus is a healthy baby. I think it will definitely be harder for us to wait this time around, but I know that big delivery day will be so much more sweet with us not knowing the baby's gender.

Movement: None yet, waiting patiently. Or not so patiently.

Sleep:  Sleep has been pretty good this past week. Em had a great week of sleeping, which means Mommy did to and I have even had a few days where I didn't NEED a nap. It's great to feel productive and let me tell you, there is no one more productive than a Mom during nap time!

Exercise: I am so thankful for this beautiful week. I was at home over the weekend, so I was able to get a few runs in on the treadmill and with the great weather Me and Em have been outside for walks multiple times. I even got a solo run in thanks to the Hubs!

Cravings: I still don't feel like I have any true cravings. 

Symptoms: I've felt great this week. I have had few nights with heartburn, but nothing that a few Tums couldn't handle. 

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to enjoy the outdoors again has been so good for me, and Shawn and Em too. We are loving all the fresh air and outdoor family time! 

It's hard for me to believe that we are getting to do this all over again. I feel so blessed to be carrying another tiny human in my belly and am honored that I will get to be the Mommy of another baby boy or girl. These times in my life have been some of the most precious and am beyond grateful to be experiencing them again and for Em to be a Big Sister! God is good. 

15 months

There is something special about our girl. Maybe it's the way she says, "Mum," and looks at me for approval right before she attempts to do something that she knows is off limits. Or maybe it's her repeated kisses when we are leaving and saying good-bye. Whatever the case may be there is something special about our sweet girl and I am so thankful and blessed that she is ours.

Height/Weight: Sweet girl is weighing about 23 pounds and is roughly 31 inches tall. We go to the doctor tomorrow, so we will know her exacts then. She is definitely growing like a weed. The PJ's that used to fall off her are fitting perfectly now.

Sleep: We have struggled BIG TIME, in this area. I blame teething, but who really knows. From about 8 months to 13 months all of Em's teeth came popping through, she has 12 now, so she was waking up multiple times some nights looking for comfort and we of course gave it to her. However, this created a habit of waking up to be rocked, she would immediately fall back to sleep, but having so many interruptions in our sleep didn't make for a happy Mommy and Daddy. With that being said, things are on the mend, and she will usually go down around 7:00 sleep to at least 5:00 and then we'll rock her and put her back in her crib until 6:30/7:00. Every now and then she wakes up after only being asleep for an hour or so. She doesn't completely wake up, so sadly, we think she may be having bad dreams. We've had several nights this week that she has slept from 7:00 to 7:00, so I'm hoping that we are back on our way to good sleeping habits, we shall see! As far as naps go, they are hit or miss still. She sometimes takes  cat nap in the morning, usually in the car when we are running errands and then takes at least a 1 hour and 1/2 nap in the afternoon. It's definitely a work in progress.

Eating: Most days, the girl loves to eat. I can't guarantee that she will eat well for all meals, but for the most part, I am really happy about her eating habits. We try to stay away from snacks and stick to her just eating her 3 meals a day. I find that if she gets a snack between lunch and dinner that she doesn't eat dinner as well, but then again, some days it's like we can't feed her enough. This month Em has taken a real liking to chili, cornbread and spaghetti. Green Beans, Yogurt (which she loves to feed her self), Strawberries, Blueberries, Oatmeal, Sausage, Kix and Cheese all remain to be some of her staple favorites. She gets 2 cups of milk a day, breakfast and dinner, and has water or juice for lunch. It can take her a long time to drink a cup of milk, so sometimes I am lucky if she drinks a full 8 ounces in a day, but again, we're working on it.

Clothes: Can I just say I love shopping for this girl?! Everything is just too cute. With that, she is in 12-18 month or 18-24 month clothing.

Likes: Sweet girl loves swim class, being outside (these last few days have been great, so I'm just hoping this nicer weather is here to stay!), listening to music and dancing, pushing her shopping cart, watching Disney Channel, taking showers and getting her hair blown dry. She also loves to read, or should I say stack books, and we have started to take trips to the library. We've been twice and every time she runs around looking and wanting to touch all the books. Thankfully they have bins for books that need to be re-shelved. Coloring is another activity we have taken a liking to, although at times it becomes a battle of not eating the markers, and I will say I am thankful for magic markers that only write on the special coloring paper. She has also started to actually put puzzles together, instead of eating them, and I love seeing her learn more and more! And last, but not least, she loves talking. She babbles all day long, but her true words consist of Ma-ma, Da-da, Uh-oh, Dog, No, Yep, Hi, Bye and More. She also tells us what a dog, bear and werewolf say, you can thank Daddy for that last one.

Dislikes: Basically anytime we try to redirect her to something other than what she is trying to do she gets upset. For example, climb the stairs unassisted, crawl in the dishwasher, play with the trashcan, pull the computer off the desk. She also hates having her diaper changed.

Sweet girl is a very smart and as I've said before, very sassy, but we wouldn't have it any other way. I love her personality and I'm trying not to change it, but shape it, if that makes any sense at all.

Here is the Diva herself!

Anyways, we have a big trip coming up to CALIFORNIA at the end of the month! I'll post a trip update and some of my learned dos and don'ts of traveling with a toddler cross country when we get back!

Love, Ash

Lemon Baby

Along: 14 weeks...we think! This pregnancy started off a little different than with Em. At our first doctor's appointment, they though the baby should have measured around 7 weeks on Ultrasound, but Bean was only measuring 5 weeks. This was concerning, but we saw several good signs including the pull of little ones heart, so we went back exactly a week later and little one had grow to 6 weeks, 4 days. At that point we stuck to a 9/10 due date, but at our last ultrasound baby was measuring 13 weeks, 5 days, a week bigger than what my due date would have predicted, so our due date was changed to 9/3 and here we are. Started off, "small," and now we are right back to being on track. 

Size: Baby is the size of a lemon, 3.4 inches long and 1.5 ounces in weight. Baby is starting to have a well defined face and may even start growing hair! Baby's boy or girl parts are also starting to develop this week! It amazing to me that most of the critical parts of baby's organ systems have already developed. The way God created our bodies is beyond amazing to me. Grow baby, grow!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I'm going to guess I'm up about 5 pounds. I gained about 30 pounds with Em, so I'd love to stick around that number again.

Maternity Clothes: None yet, but since my bigger months with be in the summer this go around I am looking forward to doing a little shopping with my Mom this weekend for me and our new little one!

Gender: A big question mark! Like with Em, we aren't going to find out the gender. We have gone back and forth on this, but think that it is going to be just as wonderful as with Em to wait and find out whether we are going to have a Son or Daughter. Either way, we will be beyond excited!

Movement: This is by far one of my favorite things about pregnancy, but I'll have to wait a little longer! We are both hoping that this little one is just as active as Em was in my womb. 

Sleep:  It's definitely harder to catch those naps this time around, but an early bedtime is helping with that. For now my sleep depends on Em, if she sleeps, I sleep, so we're doing good so far. I was beyond exhausted during my first trimester, but I can already feel a difference in my energy levels. 

Exercise: I plan on running just as much with Luda Bean as I did the first time around. It has been harder so far, because of our wonderful winter, so I'm really looking forward to spring weather so me and Em can get back outside. 

Cravings: I wouldn't say I have cravings...yet, but I have been drinking more lemonade and orange juice, so I guess I will say citrus/sour things are my favorites at the moment. 

Symptoms: I'm more likely to get motion sickness in the car and if I let my self get too hungry I get nauseous. Other than that and being way more tired, I feel pretty much the same as I normally would.

Best Moment of the Week: We got to see Bean on Tuesday! Shawn was able to be off work, so all 3 of us went to the ultrasound. It was so fun to look at our sweet baby;s features and 
start guessing whether we are having a boy or girl. Baby even looked right at us while we were having the ultrasound performed. I still can't believe we are in our 2nd trimester!