Saturday, March 30, 2013

Charlotte has some business to share


She's going to be a big sister!


And this little wee one is due mid-August and is a GIRL!
I was not-so-secretly hoping for another girl so Charlotte would have a sister. 
We'll get to the boys in the next few years...


  We are so thrilled (obviously)! We waited for this little one for awhile (back story below if you're interested) and feel so blessed to be welcoming her this August. I'm 20 weeks along (can't believe halfway...). I'd thought I'd "announce" it awhile back, but kept putting it off and then decided to just wait until we knew if it was a boy or girl and do it in one big shabam. 

Obviously if you saw me this wouldn't be a surprise. I started showing at about 16/17 weeks. So a few weeks earlier than last time. I've felt slightly more tired and nauseous, but still never got sick. My mornings are my best times so I've been able to keep up going to the gym 4-5 days a week - which I know will help in the end. I've felt her move for weeks now, but just tonight I was able to see and feel her kick on the outside. She is one strong mama.

Charlotte's only known for a few weeks.  We waited until I was really showing and were finding out the gender soon. Now she thinks she's pregnant too. We have a handheld doppler at home to hear the heart and she likes to put it on her belly to hear her baby (which is really her own heartbeat). She kept saying that she was having the girl baby and I was having the boy. When I told her we were having a girl she got ticked that I "stole" the girl baby away. Once we explained it a little further she reluctantly said it was okay and that she'd just have to have the boy. She wants to name her "Shoshie" which is how she used to say lotion when she was tiny.



Here is our little alien-looking baby waving hi and looking straight at you. Our ultrasound was yesterday. One of Ben's patients was laboring but he dashed over for our ultrasound then rushed back for the delivery. It was perfect timing.
 She was just like Charlotte and was constantly moving and grooving. The tech had a hard time taking any pictures because they kept coming out blurry from her movements.

I'm excited to have a summer baby and be able to get out and about in nice weather. Although having the last few months of my pregnancy in humid-hot-Chicago weather is going to be harsh...
There are 3 other friends having babies within 3 weeks of each other and another one due next month. Future playgroups are going to be hilarious with so many new babies (one of those friends is having twins).

We are SO grateful for our family. Charlotte (which I need to do an update on soon) has been a huge blessing and a tiny best friend for when Ben is working. She is hilarious, affectionate, sassy, and sensitive. 
She's my home. 
We're grateful for our Heavenly Father's continued blessing with our little addition coming soon. 

God is oh so good.


The back story... hopefully the short version...
It took us 2 months to get pregnant with Charlotte four years ago. So this time around Ben and I tried for about 10 months with no results (she was about 18 mths old at this time). I got frustrated. Ben said up to a year was fine so he wasn't too stressed. Once 12 months hit, I headed to the doctor for tests. They ran some blood tests and found that my prolactin was ridiculously high which made my progesterone next to nil. They couldn't come up with a reason. Only that after my year of pumping milk, the prolactin (that produces said milk) levels didn't naturally drop. They prescribed a tiny pill that would normalize these levels. It took about 6 weeks or so to become "normal" again. Then 2 months later we were pregnant with this little peanut. Thank heavens for modern medicine. I'm thinking/hoping our next pregnancy will be a little easier once we check my levels again.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

being 30 ... and other tidbits

Today I turned 30. 
The big 3-0.
Like. I'm in my thirties now... so weird.


I started out my day at the gym.
The sun was finally shining, btw.
Then I went out to eat with some girlfriends while Ben (he's had a few days off recently) watched Charlotte, cleaned the house, went shopping, and decorated the house for me (with balloons, flowers, a banner).

 He wrote the above message in pencil and Charlotte traced it with paint all on her own.
 Thanks for the reminder of how old I'm getting, Ben. Pretty sure the neighbors know as well.
These balloons were a good 3 ft tall.
(assembling the cake)
 He makes his cakes from scratch. This one was a cinnamon chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.
Need I say more?
 I had 3 different friends offer to watch Charlotte while Ben and I went out to the movies in the afternoon.
I have the best friends here. It's going to be so tough to move next year.
We got home about an hour ago and are about to have our cake and open presents. 
Charlotte is helping Ben decorate it as I'm quickly blogging.

It honestly was a perfect day.

......

Over the weekend...
 Went to a local park to play soccer (with a ladybug ball) and played on the big toys.

 She had a great straight kick, but runs so daintily.
 Those rough soccer chicks would just demolish her.


 Then we headed to Crumbs and shared a cupcake and tea.
 We were walking back to our car and she wasn't next to me.
I turned around and saw her leaning casually against a building waiting for me to notice.

 Whoops! More park pictures.


.....
About every other night I find her in some odd position before I head to bed.

.....
St. Patrick's Day! She had a big party with our playgroup and at preschool.
Her Nana and Grandad sent her the tattoos and thuggish necklace below.


 Just playing the part...

......

A few weeks ago she and I flew out to Washington for a visit and my oldest sister was having her FIFTH child. Finally, a boy.

 Charlotte loves loves loves babies.

Alexander Wesley Coleman
 Below is just a few hours after he was born.



Love sleeping kids.
 We also went to a hockey game while we were out there.

 She loves watching sports.








And that was all of the pictures I took of our visit.
Pretty pathetic. I know


Okay, I'm going to go enjoy some cake.