Update on Eva!

I didn't get any pictures of our little girl uploaded last time I updated!  Everything looked great in the ultrasound.  Eva is a little on the small side (40th percentile) but that's okay with me - hopefully that means she will be easier to deliver!  I finally gained a pound at this last check-up, not much but at least its something!  My apatite has also started increasing so hopefully next time I will be more on track for weight gain.  I feel her wiggles more and more every day, though she still feels differently than Eb did at that age.  She is more fluttery with jabbing movements than rolls or stretching.  So excited to how she's grown at our next appointment!

Stop and smell the flowers!

I just couldn't resist the hyacinth flowers at Kroger this week! I'm so excited for spring this year and can't wait to see our OWN bulbs bloom in our OWN yard!

Eb discovered the flowers while climbing up and down the kitchen chairs and decided they smelled too good to pass up! He was so funny wrinkling his nose and making deep sighing noises after sniffing!

It's a...

GIRL!!!

We are so surprised and pleased to announce that Evelyn Hope will be coming into the world on (hopefully) July 17, 2013!!!

Her ultrasound went wonderfully!  We got to see her tiny heart beat, her wiggles and confirm that everything looks just like it should.  She its right on target for her due date and, unlike her brother, she is a little on the small side (40th percentile) - which explains why she's been a little harder to feel, hopefully that also means she will be a successful VBAC!

I'm not sure why, but I'm so surprised we are having a girl!  I knew it was possible and was even kind of hoping for a girl this time, but I just had myself convinced this one was a boy.  I find myself telling Chris in awe over and over, "we're having a girl!".  I can't wait to see her pretty little face in a few short months!

We are so excited to start planning for our little girl!

Pregnancy update!

Our announcement!

We are 19 weeks today and I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown!

Shortly after Eb started solids my fertility began to return, albeit sporadically. We found out in November we were expecting again and right after Christmas we had our first ultrasound to determine the due date. We were surprised to discover that we were two weeks further along than we thought (12 weeks instead of 10). It was amazing to see first hand how much development happens in those two weeks! Eb's first ultrasound was right at ten weeks and he really resembled a gummy bear. Just two weeks further along this little one looked just like a miniature baby! Fully developed arms and legs, which were really moving around, and a distinct profile. I can't express how wonderful it was to hear that fast little heart beat!

Surprise!

It was difficult to decide where to deliver this baby. We didn't have much faith in King's Daughters, the closest hospital to us, and Clark Memorial, which has a wonderful reputation and great midwives, is an hour and a half away. To be honest, I wasn't excited about being in a hospital again anyway. I love my son and am thrilled he arrived safely, but memories of his birth still throw me into an emotional mess of fear and frustration - most of it centered on the hospital setting. Because of this we were seriously considering a home birth, especially after discovering a midwife close by who practiced home births and had experience with VBAC's. After further research on the risks associated with VBAC's though, we decided Clark would be our safest option.

12 weeks and 2 days!

It has been a lesson in maneuverability working with Samaritan Ministries instead of insurance. But the folks at both Clark and Samaritan have been super helpful and flexible. While it requires a little more financial planning, we have yet to regret our move to Samaritan.

We have our ultrasound this Friday to find out the gender of our newest little one and I can't wait!!! I'm so excited to give this little one a name and to see if we need to delve into Eb's old baby clothes or start on a girl wardrobe! Chris is still pretty convinced that it is a boy, I'm still on the fence since we didn't actually get pregnant when we thought. I'm also looking forward to finding out if we get to use our girl name (Evelyn Hope) or if we need to work on another boy name (we have lots of names we like, we just have't found 'the one' we want to use yet).

I have yet to really gain any weight with this pregnancy. This has been strange to me because I started gaining steadily with Eb early on. The midwife assures me that this is mostly a result of still nursing and chasing a toddler (Eeek! Eb is a toddler!). As long as I'm getting enough protein (60 grams instead of 40 since I'm nursing) and trying to eat a balanced diet the baby will get everything it needs. Still a strange sensation to be almost half way through, with an expanding middle, but not the associated weight.

19 weeks!

I finally started to feel a few wiggles and bumps last week! It took a few days to be sure that's what I was feeling because they were so sporadic and light (another reason I'm not sure this is a boy), but I'm sure that's what they are now. While they have remained light and rather sporadic (more like popping or bumps versus Eb's drum rolls and extended acrobatics at this stage), I do notice them at least once a day (mostly at bedtime, or after I have ice cream!).

I can't wait to update soon about whether this little Lima Bean is a boy it girl!

You might be a Momma if...

... You can crack and peel a boiled egg one handed while the other hand is occupied by keeping the teething baby on your hip.

Snow Day and Grilled Cheese

We have had a weird winter this year.  It has fluctuated from balmy Spring temps to biting arctic winds, yesterday we had both in the same day!  It started off cold and we got a bunch of snow in a hurry (1 and 1/2 inch in about four hours), then by evening it was all gone and a relatively warm 40 something degrees!

Well all the snow seemed like a perfect time for Eb to have his first toasted cheese!  As you know cheese is one of his favorite foods, with bread being right up there too, so this seemed perfect - and he loved it!

After his snack we went out to explore what would possibly be the last snow of the season.

You might be a Momma if...

.... You have accepted that between the baby and the cat you may never visit the bathroom alone again.

We have a walker!!!

The last couple weeks Eb has experimented with standing and taking a step or two, but never any distance. Well all that has changed the last three days! It all started with three or four steps between Chris and I. The next day it was a few more, then yesterday he walked all the way across the kitchen! I've started clapping for him whenever he stands alone or walks and he LOVES it. He even has this new smug smile for whenever he does something he thinks I should clap for.

He really doesn't want any help. Most of the time he starts out pulling himself up on our legs or a chair then shuffling for his destination. Whenever you try to hold his hands he gets all jelly legged and wants to plop back down. During this time he is also mastering getting into a standing position without holding on to anything. It works best when he gets himself in a squat and uses his hands for balance to stand up. Of course this is one of the moves that he thinks requires applause, and we are more than happy to oblige!

Eb's room: After

I don't have any pictures of Eb's room before, but it was pretty basic. His is the smallest of the bedrooms on the southeast corner of the house. It was white either tan trim, and until we got around to painting it we used it mostly for storage.

Since it was the last room to be painted, and we wanted it to be cheerful, we combined leftover colors from the rest of the house for an accent wall. We decided to use our old dresser for Eb since we bought my sister's old bedroom suite and don't need the extra dresser any longer. I'm really excited about how it turned out and how everything fit. It would need some modification if we ever wanted to make it a girl's room, but it's a great boys nursery for now! All we are missing is a rocker and some verses we want to paint on the wall soon!

Who wants to walk when you can climb?!

Went searching for Eb after a suspicious stretch of silence - and found him standing in a chair! He has discovered a love for climbing recently and we went through several climbs up and down the chair until I felt confident that next time (and, yes, I'm sure there will be a next time whether I'm okay with it or not!) he could get down safely even if I wasn't around.

You might be a Momma if...

It melts your heart that your son pats you while he is falling asleep.

Flowers from my Hubby!

One of my favorite combinations is tulips and roses! I love the contrasting colors and textures you can achieve with them. Tulips also make me think of spring, gentle warmth and beauty. I've also been itching to use my case and mug from Boonesburough die ages and this was tge perfect excuse! Ahhh, flower bliss thanks to my thoughtful husband!

New Silly Faces!