She's 18 Months Old; Where is the time going?

To get her to smile we have to say, "Show me your teeth!"

Our sweet girl, 18 months old. It's hard to believe that time is going by so quickly. I feel like I was just holding her in my arms for the first time and now she is running, talking, climbing, mimicking; all the things that make our lives so much more exciting. The amount of joy she brings to our lives is like nothing we ever expected and the challenges, although they seem daunting, have done nothing, but help us grow closer as a couple and as a family. She's a beautiful little girl who in less than 2 1/2 months will be a big sister. So, with that in mind we are soaking up having just her. Watching her closely as she explores and learns. Loving life with just the three of us and anticipating all that is to come when baby #2 makes his/her big debut; something we couldn't be more excited for!

Making a splash in her pool. 

Likes: Music. This girl doesn't just like music, she loves music. She loves to listen to it, sign along with it and dance. Hence while she had such a good time at the Opry; after we found her a spot that she could stand and dance around in that is. Sitting still is not her favorite. She loves to read books and some of my favorite little moments are just before bed time when she sits in my lap and lets me read to her. She loves to pretend, and we have tea parties and doctor check-ups almost daily. Dobby, Goofy, Minnie Mouse and now Donald are her favorite toys/babies to carry around. And speaking of babies, she loves to check on the baby and give the baby hugs and kisses. Her vocabulary is expanding and she loves to make animal noises. My favorite is her monkey impression. Tossing balls back and forth, blowing bubbles, playing in her car, climbing the playground and swimming are her favorite outdoor activities. She still likes having her pacifier, which we haven't decided when we are going to take away and she loves to snuggle, especially on the couch after bath time watching Disney with Dad. And last but not least, this girl likes testing the limits. She has this way of pushing to do what she wants, that is so sassy it's sweet. For instance, holding her food off her tray and looking me in the eye before she drops it and says. "uh oh!" All of course while having a look of shock on her face, like the food just jumped out of her hand! She definitely makes it hard for us to stay mad.

As far as sleep, teeth and food; she sleeps consistently from 7p-6a and takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, most days. She has 15 teeth and is working on her 16th; all she needs now are her 2nd set of molars. She's an eater, for the most part, although she has trouble with sauces because we just haven't given them to her. Some of her favorites are yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, most fruits really, green beans, corn, waffles, bread and fish. While we were in TN she had her first encounter with wild game, and she demolished alligator. We try and expose her to new tastes and flavors, but she still has her stable favorites.

Demolishing gator in TN!

Dislikes: She is not a fan of diaper changes. I'm not sure where we went wrong here, but she is always rolling or kicking her legs when we try to change her. You'd think she'd like having a clean bum. Being told no, having to come inside and getting in the car seat are also times that we can expect some act of disapproval.

Height: 32 1/2 inches

Weight: 24 pounds 7 ounces

Diapers: Size 4

Clothes: 18-24 month or 2T

Our girl is a ball of energy. She's a lover and a fighter, something that I think will serve her well, and I am so proud to call her my baby girl.

Snacking and watching Disney.

 

Weeks 26 & 27 - Round TWO!

Along: We'll be 27 Weeks on Thursday. I'm going for a mid-week post since I have the time to write today!

I thought it was time for a comparison shot...
From what I can tell I am a bit bigger and much more round with Luda Bean...or I could blame it on the lightening and the fact that I am wearing white. But seriously, who am I kidding, there's a healthy growing baby in there!

26 weeks, 6 days with Luda Bean

26 and 27 Weeks with EPL

Size: Over the last two weeks baby has been growing and so have I! During our last I was measuring right on track at 26 weeks which makes me feel like baby is going to be bigger than his/her Big Sister, since she consistently measured a week behind. The nerves in Baby's ears are better developed and becoming more sensitive to sound, so Bean is not only hearing my voice, but he or she may be able to pick up on the voices of those I am having conversation with, like Daddy's and Big sisters. Which is a good thing, because they both love talking to the Baby. Sweet baby's lungs are also becoming more and more developed as practice breathing is occurring with Bean breathing amniotic fluid in and out. By the end of the week Bean will be weighing roughly 2 pounds and measuring about 14 1/2 inches long. Our sweet baby's eyes are starting to open and shut and sleep is starting to occur at regular intervals...lets just hope those cycles are occurring as they should, awake during the day and sleeping at night. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I came in at about 20 pounds last Thursday. The pounds have definitely been rising, but I just keep telling myself that I am having a big baby. ;)

Gender: We're still having a lot of people that are guessing boy. At my last OB appointment Baby's heart rate was 137, which is lower than with Em's, so maybe that's a sign that we are having a boy, maybe not. Either way my guess is still girl. I think it would be so fun to have sisters growing up close in age, but I also think that having a baby boy would be whole new adventure for us. Either way, we are just so, so excited to give Em a sibling. Luda Bean we are so excited to meet you!

Movement: We are loving all the movements, a lot of which we can see. Sweet baby even had the hiccups for the first time this week! At least it was the first time I noticed them.

Sleep: Sleep is my favorite and most days I feel like I get a enough, but there have been a few days this week where I was just exhausted and couldn't sleep often or long enough!

Cravings: I think I am going to go with Nutella. I love really like it and have started the habit of putting it on my waffles in the morning, but it is just fine right off the spoon as well!

Symptoms: I've had sore muscles in my legs and feet and a bit of heartburn, but nothing major. 

Best Moment of the Week: These last two weeks have been so busy, we celebrated the holiday with my parents and Em had her first swimming experience in their pool, which she loved despite it's freezing temperatures. I passed my glucose test! YAY! And then over this past weekend I was in North East, Maryland serving as the camp nurse for FCA Leadership Camp. Luke, had asked me a couple weeks ago if I would volunteer and I loved having the opportunity to use my nursing skills for the Lord. We also have so many things that we are looking forward to this week and next, starting with Shawn and I going to a baseball game on Thursday and then next week we have our Anniversary/Maternity photography session with the ever talented Abby Grace Monday, a date night Tuesday,  we leave for Nashville Wednesday and our 5 Year Anniversary is that Friday! Busy, Busy, but so many things to be thankful for. :)

Happy Tuesday!

25 Weeks - 15 to Go!

Along: 25 weeks! 

Size: Bean is measuring about 13 1/2 inches and weighs roughly 1.5 pound. Fat is starting to form on our sweet baby and he or she is starting to grow more hair. I love a baby with rolls and a head full of hair, so bring it on! 

In case you are wondering...the belly button is out! haha

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I go to the doctor next week, so we will have an official number then. I also have my glucose tolerance test. Hoping I pass this thing the first time around, but I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous. I have been a bit of a piggy this pregnancy with sweets being my go to. 

Gender: There are a lot of people thinking boy...only time will tell!

Movement: By far my favorite part of being pregnant. We were trying to get Big Sister to leave her hand on my belly long enough to feel the baby move, but she's a little impatient. If we ask her to feel the baby, she quickly moves her hand from my belly to touch her own and sweetly say, "baby." I reassure her that she of course is my baby, but that only Mommy has another baby in her belly. I don't think she gets it yet, but it still is the sweetest. 

Sleep: Big sister has been sleeping great, so Mommy has been too. The Lord has also been blessing me with energy and I have actually been able to use nap times to have Mommy time rather than just sleep it away. I love feeling productive, so I'm hoping that the energy continues. 

Exercise: I'm still having leg pains, so it's a bit harder to keep the legs moving, but I'm working to get out and have at least 3-4 intentional walks/jogs. 

Cravings:  Food. 

Symptoms: I pee a lot (thankfully not in the middle of the night), have leg cramps/back cramps and heart burn, but I honestly feel pretty darn great. I'm trying to remind myself, that although I may not be having the picture perfect pregnancy with weight gain and being AS active as I want to be, that my body is growing a baby and that's a pretty awesome deal. 

Best Moment of the Week: This week has been pretty darn incredible. We were able to spend time with our friends from Texas, we may or may not be praying that they move to Virginia, and we took Em camping for the first time with Shawn's side of the family. We had one of those weekends that we didn't want to end. Here are a few pictures from our camping adventures. 

Just over 24 weeks pregnant. 

My sleeping beauties. 

Fun at the road side zoo. Em may or may not have eaten some of the goat food...

and then demolished some ice cream.

6 Months Pregnant - Round 2!

We're 24 weeks! This is a big week medically speaking, because we have reached viability. Not that we would ever want to deliver our sweet baby anytime soon; I'd prefer to wait at least 14 more weeks, but at this point doctors and medical staff have the abilities of saving our baby if anything were to happen. Enough of the sad/scary. This week our sweet Luda Bean is the size of corn on the cob, weighing roughly 1.32 pounds and measuring about 11.81 inches. I feel like Luda Bean is going to be a big baby, but maybe that is just because I am putting on weight faster than I did with my first pregnancy and I am pretty sure that I am going to surpass the weight that I gained with Em. With that being said I am just trying to focus on being as healthy as I can without giving into urge to eat everything in sight. I'm still trying to run/walk at least 3 times a week, but this sweet baby is hanging out very low and is already making exercise a bit uncomfortable. Regardless I have been working as hard as I can, at my own pace and trying to maintain at least 10ish miles a week! So far, so good! As far as what is happening with Bean on the inside. He/She is practicing breathing by taking in amniotic fluid. Strengthen those lungs sweet baby! Baby's inner ear is also developed so being able to tell whether or not she's/he's upside down or right side up is a possibility. Bean's favorite times to move are first thing in the morning and in the evening when I am settling down. This week Shawn was talking to the Baby and asked to feel kicks if the baby was a boy...of course the baby kicked and now Shawn is certain that we are having a boy. If his theory holds true, he will not let me live it down! He tried the next night saying girl and said the baby waited too long to kick for it to be accurate. Boy or girl we just want the baby to keep growing and be a healthy Bean. So grow, baby grow! I'm writing this post as we are getting ready to leave to go camping tomorrow, so nothing fun or exciting in terms of pictures. I promise to have a more adequate post for you next week!

17 Facts About Our 17 Month Old

1. She's a ball of energy. Happy, sad, excited or mad. She does everything with intensity!
2. She loves playing outside. Soccer, her car and anything that involves dirt are her favorites.
3. Her favorite book is, "Dear Zoo."
4. She bows her head when we pray and claps when he say, "Amen." It's the sweetest.
5. She loves to sing, listen to music and play piano. We'd love for her to be musically talented.
6. She always falls asleep in the car and lets you know when she has had enough of driving.
7. I think she prefers to run in the stroller rather than walk...looks like I need to speed it up.
8. She loves chocolate.
9. Her favorite shows are Mickey Mouse, Doc McStuffins and Sofia The First.
10. She loves to give her baby Luda Bean kisses.
11. She plays pretend. Tea parties, check-ups, dancing with her dolls. It's adorable.
12. She has a growing vocabulary of which her favorite word is, "more," and, "no."
13. She really loves swim class (most days). Olympics here we come.
14. She knows she's adorable.
15. When she hears something or wants us to be quiet to holds she her finger and makes this adorable face before saying, "shhhh." (Daddy's favorite little thing that she does.)
16. She loves to hide, although she isn't always that good at it.
17. She is going to be an AMAZING big sister.

Em, you are such a blessing and I am so thankful that God honored me with the gift of being your Mom. Love you sweet girl!

Two of her favorite things. Eating and being outside!

Mango Baby

Along: 23 weeks!

Size: This week baby boy or girl is the size of a large mango, weighing over a pound and coming in at 11 inches long. The best part of this week is that our Luda Bean can feel me dance and I'm he or she likes it because Big Sister loves to dance, listen to music and sing! Blood vessels in our sweet baby's lungs are developing to prepare them for breathing and baby is starting to become familiar with loud noises. Hopeful baby gets used to lots of loud laughter and squealing!

They say a "large" mango, but this is the biggest one I could find. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm going to guess between 15 and 17 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: My maternity bottoms are starting to fit better now. Not sure if that is a good thing or not, but it does mean that I am not constantly pulling my pants up. 

Gender: I'll probably start taking a pole in the next couple weeks. While I was pregnant with our sweet girl we got everyone to guess her gender and Due date. No one got it exactly right, but we had some close guesses. Maybe we'll give out a prize if someone can guess everything exactly right this go around. 

Movement: I am starting to feel tons of movement, yay! But Bean definitely likes to play hide and seek when I am trying to get someone else to feel his/her kicks and rolls. 

Sleep: Still doing pretty good on the sleep. This week has been a little different for us all. Our sweet girl went to stay with her Papa and Granny from Thursday until Tuesday because I was working quite a bit, so on the days that I was at home I was able to sleep in and take naps without having to worry about when she was going to wake me from my slumber. Don't get the wrong idea though. We stayed at my parents all weekend, so I didn't go that long without seeing my girl. 

Exercise: This week I have been pretty active. We ran a 5K on Sunday, it took me a bit longer than normal, about 37 minutes, but I ran the first 1.5, walked .5 and then finished up the rest. It felt great and I love that I have been able to keep moving so far this pregnancy. Slow or  not!

Cravings: No real cravings this week. I've just been trying to have a healthy or at least balanced diet. 

Symptoms: I have a spider vein that is started to show up on my calf. It popped up toward the end of my first pregnancy, but wasn't very visible. It doesn't bother me, but I am going to look into wearing some compression socks, especially when I am running or at work. Other than that, some general aches and pains and heartburn, I am feeling great. 

Best Moment of the Week: This week has been absolutely wonderful. We've had family time with my side of the family, a date night (it had been too long since our last date night) and some time for just the 3 of us. Here are some pictures from our eventful week. 

Toddler wearing while pregnant. :)

Spaghetti Squash Baby

Along: 22 weeks

Size: This week we have a baby that is the size of a spaghetti squash, measuring close to 11 inches and is officially counting for at least a pound of my pregnancy weight gain. Lips, eyelids and eyebrows are all becoming more distinct and tooth buds are developing beneath babies gums. Baby's eyes have also formed, although they iris still lacks pigment. Maybe Luda Bean will have Mommy's green eyes!  I'm pretty sure I said that exact same thing when I was pregnant with Em, but she got the beautiful blue eyes. 

I'm getting bad with taking my fruit and veggie pictures already! Oops!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm coming in close to 15 pounds. My OB doesn't seem concerned and told me that it would be OK if I gained up to 40 pounds. I of course, would like to stick to around 30 or 35, but I also just want a healthy baby and a healthy Mommy, so I'm allowing my body to do what it needs to for this time. 

Maternity Clothes: I am officially 100% in maternity bottoms. It was a sad realization, but I decided that I would save myself the torment of trying on my "regular" pants and just go straight to the stretchy jeans, leggings and running shorts. This baby is riding low already. 

Gender: My initially instinct was girl, but I am feeling pretty wishy-washy. However, because of who my husband is I can not change my vote. He thinks boy, as do my Mom and several other family members. We'll just have to wait and see!

Movement: Just when I thought we were going to have a low-key baby in the womb, he/she is surprising us and being quite the active little one. I of course love this and had to giggle a little today when the baby was kicking big sister while she tried using my belly as a pillow. 

Sleep: As long as Em sleeps, I sleep and that includes naps. 

Exercise: This week has been so much better! I was able to take several walks and even went for a couple short runs. My legs are much more sore this go around, so I'm trying not to over do it, but at the same time trying not to get to unmotivated. 

Cravings: Apples with Peanut Butter, which is a bitter/sweet thing. With Em's peanut allergy I have to wait until she is in bed to pull out the jar. We have had the same small jar since we found out about her allergy and we have slowly been eating it, knowing that we wouldn't buy it anymore once it was finished. Well this week I demolished what was left. Sad day. 

Symptoms: I'm more sore than usually and have had more frequent headaches this week. Heart burn and crazy dreams occur on a daily basis. And my skin is really, really itchy which is why I have been lathering Belli oil on my tummy and lotion on my legs and back!

Best Moment of the Week: We got to see our sweet baby yesterday! He/She is growing beautifully and is measuring right on track, something that Em never did; she was always measuring a bit small, but turned out perfect. Even though Shawn and I have experienced parenthood and pregnancy once already, each ultrasound and doctor's appointment brings us a new wave of excitement. This baby and his or her life is going to change our lives in different ways than bringing home our sweet girl and we are so excited for the challenge. I have to admit it was soooo hard not to peek this go around. I think Shawn and I are more anxious now to find out about the sex of the baby, but we somehow want to have a boy and a girl. I boy so that we can experience having a son and a girl because I know that Em would have an amazing bond, most days, with a sister that close in age with her. Either way, we are over the moon excited for the summer to really kick off and for our sweet baby to make his/her debut in late August/Early September. 

Sneak peek of our little Miss or Mister. Love this sweet baby already.

A BIG hello from our Luda Bean!

My view from the top!

Happy Friday!