"where is she?"

Growing Baby:

Only 3 months left to wait. Plus a few days, or not if she decides to come early. Both kids are confused by Mommy's "big" belly and Shea and I always talking about baby, without any baby here to see. Either way baby (and Mommy) are growing. 

Bella has no idea what is coming! She loves babies and it seems her love for them has grown even more lately. I can't wait to see her with her baby sister. For now I just have this big round belly that Bella likes to lean her head on and pull up my shirt (as if to make sure it is really that big), and then rub and lay skin to skin on it. Then if baby moves she smacks it! It kinda makes me laugh as if she thinks its a bug or something.

Bella helped me try on the new car seat fabric the other day and when we put it all together I told her about how it was baby's and how baby would sleep and play and ride in the car in it. She got excited and came running over asking "Where baby? Where is she?" I told her how baby has to grow still in Mommy's belly for a while. So she decided she would be a baby instead.

Connor has had mixed feelings about baby coming, he's had a hard time wrapping his head around my growing belly and the fact that new baby is growing inside of it. He worries about my belly popping. Especially since my belly button sticks out now. And Connor has had a couple nightmares about a ghost baby coming out and eating him. Poor kid it is no wonder considering the only pictures of baby he's seen are ultrasound pictures which look pretty ghostly. We are trying to point out other babies now and talk about how that will be what our new baby looks like when baby comes. Hopefully that's helping his baby fears ;)

Here are a few of his recent thoughts on new baby:

M: Do you want to feel baby? Baby's foot is right here, feel!
(He feels baby kick. And looks up at me with WIDE eyes.)
C: I like your belly mom.
C: But lets close it.
(Pulls the blanket over my belly.)
C: I don't want to see it. It's kinda creepy.

Connor also likes to pretend that he has a baby in his belly just like Mommy.

C: "My baby is kicking the ribs. Ugg my stomach hurts."

C: Am I making it?
(As he stirs and slurps at the spoon)
M: Yes, you're making red kool-aid for Daddy, is it yummy.
C: Yes. And am I going to make this for the new baby?
M: Sure when the new baby comes.
C: So there is a new baby in my belly maybe I can make it for him when he comes out like now?

Baby Update:
I am 26 weeks, and 3 days today. Which makes me 6 1/2 months.
Time is passing very quickly which is nice. I've got two toddlers keeping me busy so it is no surprise.
It is amazing how fast you forget what it is like to be pregnant or how it feels, I am always asking Shea questions like "Do you remember this? Do you think this is normal?" He is such a support to me, encouraging and reassuring me every step of the way. And I kinda love him worrying about me and baby, it makes me smile. If I am in pain he can't handle it, he is bombarding me with techniques to help me feel better or calling my doctor in hopes to get some advice on how to help me. I kinda love it :)
Side Note: Shea has already told me I can never do labor without an epidural, because he selfishly can't take me in pain. It drives him insane! SO if I ever have to go through natural labor I think it will kill Shea. But I will likely survive ;)

Baby's Movement: Constant! I don't remember ever feeling a baby so much. It is consistent reassurance that baby is doing well, but also can be too much. She especially seems to like my right ride, my lowest right rib in particular, so pain there is becoming normal. Sometimes she will pull at that rib making it move out of place. I am literally praying that as baby gets bigger she finds a new position or my ribs hold out despite her acrobatics.

Symptoms: Occasionally I have a burst of morning sickness. But it is pretty rare. My stomach just recently has started getting sore and my back has off and on soreness, especially when I get up from a sitting position. (I may go see a physical therapist -Doctor Recommended- for the back pain if it continues or gets worse.) I also have had some weird stretching pains and apparently these stitch-like pains down the sides of my abdomen are the stretching of the uterine muscle.

WEBMD tells me how baby is developing:
Baby: Your baby's hearing is fully developed. As the baby reacts to sounds, its pulse increases.Your baby will even move in rhythm to music. Lungs are still growing but are not yet mature. Patterns of your baby's brain waves appear like a full-term newborn. He or she also has patterns of sleeping and waking. By the end of the sixth month, your baby is about 12 inches long and weighs about 2 pounds. His or her skin is reddish in color, wrinkled, and veins are visible through the baby's translucent skin. Baby's finger and toe prints are visible. The eyelids begin to part and the eyes open.

that's what he said

Most mornings I wake to ...
C: MOM! There are germs in my mouth. They're bugging me.
I think it's his way of getting me out of bed. Either way we start off the day with brushed teeth.

C: I want low fat milk. My stomach is rumbly.
M: Okay. Do you want a cucumber?
C: Nah... That's okay. Oh wait! But thanks!
Just love hearing that little unprompted "thanks".

(Chewing on a piece of gum.)
C: I'm blowing a balloon. Watch...
(Proceeds to blow while biting his gum between his front teeth.)
C: It's not working. Can't do it.

C: It just bite my finger.
M: Oh no. What bit you?
C: Un alien. Has flying wings so that's why. Because they flap.
M: So an alien bit you because it was flying?
C: Yeah that's why.

Talking to Daddy in the car while Mommy is in the bank.
C: Leave mommy.
D: What?
C: Leave mommy ... Please.
D: Okay. (Starts to drive around the bank)
C: NOOOO.
D: You told me to leave mommy. Poor mommy.
C: Oh great its all my fault. (With head hanging down)
(Daddy drives in a circle and picks Mommy up)
C: Daddy left you. But it's ALL my fault. Do I get gum?
The attention span of a 3 yr old :)


C: Are you my Mommy?
M: Yes.
C: And am I Mommy?
M: No your my little boy.
C: Oh. So when I am bigger...
M: When you grow up you will be a Daddy.
C: A kid Daddy?

C: MOM! Handle this! ...PLEASE!
M: What is she doing?
C: Kicking me.
M: Bella stop kicking him it hurts him and he doesn't like it. Say sorry.
B: Saw we Connor
(Kiss)
C: Did you see that Mom? Did you see that, what your dawder just did? Awwww Bella's cuuuute.

D: Come snuggle.
C: Dad. DAD. Your going to squish me like an orange.
D: No I'm not.
C: Okay your going to squish me like an apple. Dad. I feel sick. My belly is full up apple juice.

Connor loves giving compliments to me when I am putting him down for nap or bed. It is one of my favorite moments in the day. Even if he does it in hopes that flattery will get him out of sleeping. 
C: I like your hair Mommy... I like your shirt... Your pretty nails Mommy. Good job. Mommy really good.

Siblings

Sometimes we lounge ...

Sometimes we play ...

Sometimes we fight ...

Sometimes we share ...

Sometimes we laugh ...

Sometimes we're sneaky ...

Sometimes we sleep ... (only sometimes) ...

Sometimes we're rough ...

And sometimes we snuggle (just because) ...

Not a Baby

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this baby lately.

With a new baby on the way it is hard to think that Bella is not going to be the baby anymore.

Lately, she has seemed so much - bigger - to me than she used to be.

Even though she is still on the small side for her age

 (Recent check up 12/13, 26 months: 31 inches, -3rd% for height

 and 23 lbs, 20th% for weight).

And as she grows her personality grows with it ...

She loves to be a big girl and walk on her own wherever we go but when things get rough, she loves to play the innocent card or the baby card in attempts to avoid trouble. We often hear things like "hold me?" "in trouble?" "help baby". She leans on that baby dependence sometimes not wanting to do things for herself so we are trying to show her constantly how capable she really is. 

She loves "ring around the rosie", piggy back rides, and dancing/(singing) to music. 

She hides when she is upset; with a pouty lip and folded arms. Showing off her new found defiance.

She also loves the attention she gets when she hides.

 She is a watcher. Watching everyone around her when things get too busy.

 She is still a determined thumb sucker.

She wrestles around with brother, finally able to join him in his games. Or snuggling up together to watch Magic School Bus on a lazy day.

She has a mischievous streak in her but she is always quick to say "sorry". Often saying "sorry" multiple times a day for things like dropping something or when anyone is hurt or upset. She hates it when others are unhappy.

She makes the silliest faces, and has new ones all the time. She loves making people happy.

She has this sensitive, shy, lovable personality. She loves to say "Hi" to new people (from a distance), she loves to point out babies, and she gets this sweet little shoulder-to-cheek shy grin when someone tells her she is pretty.

Bella was an adorable baby. I remember holding her, a tiny bundle wrapped all up, dependent on my every move.

I watched her roll over, sit up, crawl, cruise, and take her first steps. Each phase passing too quickly...

But this phase; where my heartbeat can still put her to sleep, and my voice still calms her fears, and my touch can tame her cries, and where I am still her universe it is pretty great too.

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

After a grueling airport "adventure", involving:

- 15 min delays that turned into 6 hrs
- A canceled flight
- A change in airlines so we could make it to our destination
- Running across Chicago's airport to make a tight connection with a stroller, a carseat, 3 duffels, 2 backpacks, and two tots in toe
- AND an eventual arrival at Reagan National Airport.

... we finally made it to "Joe's house" as Connor calls it. I cannot begin to express how nice it was to spend the holidays with my family this year. I enjoyed every minute and relished in the fact that hopefully we will live somewhat closer before long. Both Connor and Bella received endless attention and their eternal motors lived up to it all (well Connor's did). There is just something magical about being in your childhood home for Christmas reminiscing in all that magic and seeing your little ones take it all in.

I was more than excited to venture out to see the play the Christmas Carol at our local theater, the Weinberg Center, and loved the whole event of it. I remember seeing the Nutcracker Ballet every year with my Dad as a little girl at the Weinberg Center, a tradition of ours; it was fun going back and picturing that little girl all dressed up and filled with excitement.

With such a short break it wasn't long before we were baking cookies and getting ready for Christmas.
Christmas Eve always consists of the family nativity play, listening to my Dad read The Night Before Christmas and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and watching The Grinch Movie (while the elves work). Uncle Joe taught Connor all about leaving milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. It was a night full of anticipation.





Christmas Morning always seems to go by too fast. I think I was the first one awake just like when I was a girl. There is a saying "I used to think being a kid on Christmas was the best thing ever, but it turns out having kids on Christmas is." I love that and it is so true, especially as my kid's get a little older and start to really feel the magic of it all. We waited for everyone to wake up and it wasn't too long before it was time to have all the kids rush down the stairs to stockings and then the tree. Connor and Bella were smitten with the stockings right off and the presents just didn't seem to compare to all those treats, so it was hard to get the unwrapping done when they were begging for chocolate. It wasn't long until they got the picture tho. And were ready to see what Santa had brought them. 

Bella was more than a little overwhelmed by it all and was consistently obsessed with the stocking treasures, Connor loved unwrapping and discovering his new toys ... along with that of Joseph's. Sufficed to say Christmas morning was accompanied with tantrums and cuddles.

'

I was in love with watching these two play together after all the excitement,

And before long ... Bella was wiped. 

Our Annual Family New Year's Eve Party, was filled with games, , finger foods, watching the ball drop, midnight kisses, sparkling cider, laughter, and sleepy tots. New Year's Day we enjoyed the Rose Parade and started on some not so fun packing.

Our way home was much less hectic but exhausting nonetheless. We were fortunate to have snoozers most of the trip, and movies came in handy for the rest of it. All of us were more than happy to snuggle up in bed and sleep deeply with dreams of all those we already were missing.