Baby Bump #2: 18 Weeks

How Far Along?:  18 weeks and 2 days.
Size of Baby:  About 5 1/2 inches, the size of a sweet, sweet potato!
Gender:  We find out TWO WEEKS from Wednesday and I cannot WAIT!
Weight Gain:  I'm up only about 5 pounds so far.
Maternity Clothes:  Oh man, I'm already there. I'm much bigger this time around than I was at this time with Jackson, so goodbye, regular pants.
Stretch Marks:  Just some oldies coming out to play.
Movement:  Feeling little bubble kicks here and there! :) With the occasional jab. Nothing consistent yet.
Symptoms:  H-U-N-G-R-Y. I seriously could eat a whole cow. Okay, maybe not (gross) but still... my appetite has certainly been noticeably different.
Sleep:  Sleeping well! Still with crazy dreams I don't seem to remember when I wake up. Matt finally agreed to trade me sides of the bed this weekend... which means this mama is closer to the bathroom. :)
Cravings:  Ahhh, food. I just had my Mexican fix over the weekend. Staple cravings seem to be cake, mac and cheese, Mexican, pasta, ya know... carbs.
Nursery:  Is currently a guest room that needs a MAJOR overhaul! As soon as we find out the gender, it's game on.
Belly Button in or out?:  In!
Wedding rings on or off?:  On!
Mood:  Happy as can be. We are beyond *blessed* to be going through this journey again with another little angel babe. I can't wait to meet this little one and I love growing my family.
What I Miss:  A glass of wine does sound good every now and then...
Best Moment This Week:  Hearing little one's heartbeat again at my appointment last week. Matt took the morning off work to be there with me, so he got to hear it for the first time. Such a sweet, sweet sound.

Love, 
S

Jackson's First Birthday

My little Jackson boy,

My oh my, it seems impossible that you are already one year old. Time really does fly even faster when you become a parent. And although it's been emotional for your mama to think about you growing up, it has been one of the greatest joys of my life to be right next to you while you do. Happy first birthday, my boy.

One year ago today, mommy, daddy, and Gammy rushed to the hospital, even though you wouldn't officially be born for another 12 hours. It was a long, hard day, with a long, hard recovery, but oh, how perfect you were... in every single way... and still are. You were the most perfect newborn. Really, we heard it from so many people! You had the most glowing, beautiful skin and looked identical to daddy. And so many members of our family were there to see you right after you came into the world.

Those first few weeks home with you were so bittersweet. Daddy and I tried so hard to figure out what we were doing! Oh, what a precious, precious time it was for us... endlessly counting your little fingers and toes, caressing your cheeks, marveling over the one million photos we took of you, daily. You fit into our lives seamlessly, and we can never imagine life without you in it.

Being your mommy has been such an adventure. I love watching you learn new things. Nowadays, you love to stand up against furniture, all by yourself! You love being in the walker and flying around the house, screaming and squealing while you do it, sometimes chasing after Bella. And forget sitting around playing with toys on the floor... you want to constantly walk around the house with the help of mommy or daddy holding on. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ("MeMe Mouse") is your jam, especially when that dang Hot Dog song comes on. That's an instant pleaser to you, along with any kind of food. You love cheerios, Gerber puffs, peas, carrots, yogurt, pasta, and literally anything we give you. There's nothing you won't eat!

You have the greatest personality... so gentle, yet so boyish. You love to laugh and play with mommy and daddy, and you're starting to mimic words... Bella (your current favorite), more, and bye. You really love music, and it warms my heart that I can still soothe you by singing to you. You love the Itsy Bitsy Spider, You Are My Sunshine, and I've Been Working on the Railroad. You could listen to music and singing all day long.

Big boy, pretty soon you'll be a big brother, and mommy is going to need you to be my right-hand man! I can't wait to watch you with your little brother or sister. I just know you'll be incredible. 

Mommy and daddy love you more than you'll ever know, our little Jackson boy. Happiest first birthday to you, my sweetheart.

Love,
Mommy

Baby Bump #2: 15 Weeks

Just a fun little bumpdate on baby number two!

How Far Along?:  15 weeks and 2 days.
Size of Baby:  About 4 inches, the size of a sweet little pear.
Gender:  Don't know yet! Doctor is making me wait until I'm 20 weeks along, so our ultrasound is scheduled for March 1st! Worst waiting game ever.
Weight Gain:  I was down about 7 pounds at my last appointment. Haven't weighed myself recently but my hunch is that I've gained at least a couple of pounds!
Maternity Clothes:  I've busted out a few maternity shirts this week. :)
Stretch Marks:  Just oldies making a comeback. Yay.
Movement:  Not yet! Patiently waiting for this. I love the constant reassurance that little babe is doing well. Praying every day.
Symptoms:  The hunger has hit me hard. I feel like I'm eating so much all the time and if I don't, I feel starving! But hey, that's part of the beauty of pregnancy. ;)
Sleep:  Sleeping really well, with vivid dreams, and nightly trips to the bathroom.
Cravings:  Pretty much anything... sweets, pizza, mac and cheese, pasta in general, Chipotle, I could go on forever!
Nursery:  Is currently a guest room that needs a MAJOR overhaul!
Belly Button in or out?:  In!
Wedding rings on or off?:  On!
Mood:  Generally happy, with a touch of worry. I'm ready to feel this little one move around in my belly! Also, trying to come to terms mentally and emotionally that my baby Jackson will be one this coming weekend. :(
What I Miss:  Nothing at all right now!
Best Moment This Week:  Matt giving my belly a little rub goodbye on his way to work this morning. Love that man.

Love, 
S

Hello 2017

No better time than now to finally write a post in 2017! So many incredible things are in store for this year, and I'm very excited, and also nervous, but mostly excited. A new year is so refreshing... I get hopeful and optimistic, which is nice after the post-holiday slump.

In a little over a week, my sweet baby Jackson will be turning ONE! What? Huh? How? I'm feeling ALL of the emotions over here. Someone help me out. I can't handle it! I am telling you... the first year of your baby's life flies at lightning speed... and I'm constantly trailing behind, trying to soak in every single moment before he hits another milestone, grows another inch, becomes more and more independent. I just love that boy so much. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with Matt that only consist of how much we love Jackson. Or how many times we just sit and look at his pictures. GAH, that babe. Melts my heart every day.

And now, the next little babe SURE to steal our hearts this year... baby K number two! I'm just about 15 weeks along with this sweet one. And I admit, I feel as though I'm not giving my belly the attention it had when it held J man. Life is just so hectic and busy... sure to get 20 times worse when I have two babies under the age of two!

I've been feeling great so far in this pregnancy. Absolutely no complaints! Had to dig out the old floogle (Snoogle) pregnancy pillow... haha... because I already think my hip and pelvic bones are breaking at night! Other than that, no sickness, fatigue is (almost) gone, and my appetite is back. Bring on the carbs, baby! Last week, we got to hear the sweetest sound on earth... baby's heartbeat. Just beating away. It is incredibly reassuring that everything will be okay, that we're doing well and will have an angel in our arms come July!

I do find myself getting more and more excited about having a wee little newborn again. They are just so snuggly and delicious! We'll get to find out the gender of the little babe on March 1st, which seems sooooo far away right now. :( Matt wants a little girl! Well, the entire family does, ha! I'd be lying if I said I didn't, but if Jackson ends up with a baby brother first, I will be just as happy. They'll be two peas in a pod, just 18 months apart. Keep on growing, little one. Mommy and Daddy already love you WAY more than you'll ever know.

My babies just fill my heart so full. Having a family with Matt has been the greatest blessing and privilege of my life. I will try so hard not to EVER take this for granted, even during the tough times.

Cheers to a wonderful 2017, despite the political climate! YAY.

Love,

S

Reflecting on 2016

Hey there, friends. As 2016 comes near to closing, I've felt the need to reflect on and write about all the amazing things we've gotten to experience this year. I honestly cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. Sure, everyone says that, right? No, but seriously. It's like... when you have a child, you basically age 12 times faster than normal. It must be a thing. Must be.

This year has brought SO much change to my life, it's incredible to think about. I finished out my previous job in mid January, just 11 days before little baby boy was born. January 29, 2016... what a day. Matt had left early in the morning to go to class, and the whole night before I had been having slight contractions. But what the hell did I know? I'd never been pregnant before! Soon enough, we'd be rocking and rolling to the hospital.

My contractions were pretty strong by about 9 AM, and Matt, ironically enough, got out of class early and rushed home. I brought myself to shower and look presentable, ha. That's funny. Mom FLEW over to the house in a flurry and out the door we went.

We got to the hospital about 10:30 and YES this was happening!! Got my epidural midday, and of course, my dosage wasn't high enough so the pain was extraordinary. But who even cares, at this point? By 9:27 PM, after almost 12 hours of labor and less than two hours pushing, Jackson Matthew came into the world and was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Just like that, I became a mother. It was a Friday, and by Sunday evening, we were on our way back home.

Motherhood brought all kinds of new challenges... learning how to take care of a sweet, tiny human, how to still manage being happily married, how to breastfeed, how to not breastfeed, figuring out a sleep schedule, the list goes on. We learned, with time. And it was absolutely the most precious time of my entire life. My maternity leave was a dream... hanging out with my sweet babe all day long and learning each other. Baby boy has grown so much this year and it has been incredible watching him become his own little person. He does new things every day and is constantly surprising me. Being his mama is one of my greatest joys. I love him more than I could ever put into words.

By May, I started a new job and met some new people. And later in the summer, Matt FINALLY got off of the dreaded night shift and started his new job... which has been an absolute blessing. Even with all of the political bull crap that came about this year, 2016 was still one of the best years of my life.

And, as if we deserve it, we found out in November that we're expecting our second little bundle of joy and love in July! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or scared, but I'm beyond excited and way too happy to be blessed in this way. I never thought I'd become pregnant without really trying. This next little one is certainly the next little miracle.

Happy New Year, friends! And I hope you remember all the greatness 2016 brought you. I know I always will.

Love,
S