Hello Asher!

Ok, so once a month, not exactly how I planned to bounce back into posting. I mean it is not like we do nothing, and I have nothing to write about. I just don’t find the creative juices flowing, so I choose to not write. Ugh, what an excuse.

Next Sunday my little baby will be two years old. Time has flown by so quickly. I have great plans for a bday post but thought in a spare moment I would write for some sort of anticipation and accountability to actually do it. He has been making huge strides towards growing up in the last month.

1) We are at 90% with out potty training(#2 is giving us issues), any moms with helpful hints would be appreciated.

2) He gave up his “nu-nu” (pacifier) about 2 weeks ago. Never really even cried for it just had to adjust to falling asleep without the comfort of it. Naps were the worst, he’d play in there for 1 to 2 hours before dozing off.

3) For mommies of boys, you’ll appreciate this…we are potty trained and also mastering standing. It makes going in public bathrooms so much easier.

I just can’t get over how independent he is becoming. His favorite phrase right now is “Do it” translation: I want to accomplish that task by myself. I said to my mom the other day, he is just needing less and less help. My mom teased me by saying, “You had him getting you a diaper and his clothes by age 1.” Now that is an exaggeration he was barely walking then. However, I guess I did instill it; developing his desire to “help” mommy with the little things. I can’t complain other than to bemoan how fast he has grown-up. He will be a huge helper when little sister gets here. 3+ months away…..AAAAHHH!!!!

We headed out this morning to see my Dr. She confirmed what Lance and I have been feeling all along. It’s a girl! We are so excited to be having one of each…even though we now need to go out and go shopping to get her dressed. I’ll post some pics later, but I’ll warn you she was not in the mood to be photographed, kind of looks like Skeletor.

In two months, my doctor will do another ultrasound for she is a tad concerned with the placement on my placenta. Hopefully then our little girl will be more agreeable to have her photo taken and confirm to 100% that she is a she. Dr. only would say 95% today. So excited to share my news with my blogging friends. Thanks for you prayers.

Just thought I would feature a quick pic of my sisters and I. We had family friends up from Florida. They are Florida gator fans….we are not, can you tell? Quite the rivalry but it is a fun one…so when we all got together for a BBQ my sisters and I dressed up in our FSU wear to torture them. It turned out to be a good picture, so I thought I would put it up. (I should clarify that FSU is my Dad’s alma mater).

I realize I should have posted this forever ago, but here is Baby #2’s first photo.

This is about 7 weeks, and I am now over 4 months.

Yea, I have felt good for two days in a row now. I’m not sure what that means for this blog, but so much has gone on this summer with lots of cutie pics. I really hope to start posting soon. I’m not even sure anyone is still checking back, since I have been so lax for so long. I saw my OB on Monday and told her all of my issues. She recommended a change in one med, but after we listened to my sweet baby’s heartbeat, she smiled at me and said, “Sorry honey, you are just having a lousy second pregnancy.” A lot of people tell me that means it is a girl. We will find out next month. My OB is awesome, she also turned therapist on me for a second after I told her how guilty I was feeling for not loving every moment of this pregnancy like I did with my first, and she gently stated, “It is okay to say you hate this pregnancy; it means nothing to how you feel toward the little one growing inside you. ” That was so nice to hear..cuz up to this point I have just felt fat and tired not pregnant. This may be a little bit more soul bearing then I intended but to all of those who read this I know I can be real. I’d love your prayers for a continued path of feeling better.

I have so much to write here. I have so much to share. I have so many pictures to upload. BUT I have so little energy. First trimester should end in about 2 weeks. Maybe then my energy will return and I will overwhelm you with all I have. June was a VERY busy month. Thanks to all of you for your well wishes…things are going well, saw the heartbeat back at the beginning of June and now I’m just dealing with a lot of all day yuck and nausea. Soon, I will have some good stuff soon.

My hubbie has had this truck since he was 16. Well not always in his possession. Sometime after highschool, he got a red chevy blazer. His dad held onto the truck and used it for hauling wood. His Dad was an amazing wood worker, always creating something. We have a patio set, adirondack chairs, and a bird house, built for us by him. Six months into marriage, we got into an accident and the blazer was totaled. OH I loved that vehicle. Anyway his dad handed lance the keys to the truck once more while we went car hunting. Before we found one, his dad passed away, and we inherited the truck. It had no power steering and was very scary to drive in any winter conditions. It was also a manual, so I never had the pleasure of driving it. Since that point, 4 and a half years ago, we have had 3 vehicles. The truck never really got driven, and at its latest inspection we were told it needed some major brake work. This week we decided it was time to open up the space in the garage, so we donated the truck to charity. Sad to say goodbye for Lance, it was his first car. Exciting for Lance, for the first time in 4 1/2 years he gets to park in the garage.

…..to all of you who are and to all of you who will be. I love being a mommy. Every moment of every day he makes me smile. He has recently started running and hugging me so hard around the neck it is like a choke hold. Then there are the moments he walks up and plants a slobbery wet kiss right on my lips. I love to hear him run though the house yelling ma-ma-ma or his arms raised high in the air “up(u) up(u)”. (Not sure why he adds the short u sound.)

There is just something amazing as I see him grow to think that 18+ months ago he was this tiny little bundle wrapped in a blanket, wrinkly, and red. 9 months before that he was a little bitty dot on an ultrasound machine. Pretty sure the first time I saw him he was a speck of dust on the screen, but when the doctor printed out the picture it was still there.

Please walk down memory lane with me.

Only time I was okay with a big belly

My mom and I looking down at my little man

First Cardinal’s game

Trip to Disney World

1st trip to the beach/1st trip w/o Daddy

Halloween 1 yr and 5 days old

Easter…Mommy’s little man