So Silly!

In my pre-nesting stages I feel the need to either clean everything in the entire house, clean or organize way before I really need to, or clean or organize things that don't really need to be cleaned or organized. For instance, over the past few months I've reorganized my pantry several times. Mainly because it's become harder and more taxing on my back to bend over for tupperware three times a day, so I moved everything up a shelf.

Last week I decided I needed to wash the Boppy Pillow covers and store it away so it's ready for baby number 2. I was sitting on the floor putting the clean covers back on when Miles decided to attack the pillow like a cat to catnip. It was hilarious! I couldn't tell if he remembered the pillow from millions of nursing sessions and it brought back fond memories or it was just a new fun thing to wrestle with. Who knows, but when dad got home they sure had a blast together.

October Already?

October is halfway over already and so is my pregnancy. I thought this time around it would feel like time was crawling by but it seems to have taken a liking to Miles' speed of crawling; I can hardly catch it! Miles is almost 11 months old and has started taking a few steps. He gets a wild hair every now and again and works really hard to walk, and then gives up and goes back to crawling. It is much faster at this point that taking wobbly steps. I think he knows something is different with his momma because all of the sudden he's become super clingy. I'm not sure if it's a sixth sense sort of thing or that he is going through that detachment phase that babies go through. Ugh, it could be both. Either way, he's super cute and learning something new everyday.

Patrick, Miles and I got to see baby number two yesterday. It was so awesome and a little weird to think that it wasn't Miles in there. He was moving a lot and we even got to see him yawn and smack his lips (could have been drinking the amniotic fluid). I knew all along it was a boy. I felt exactly how I did with Miles. Nothing feels different between the two pregnancies. He's a healthy 11oz and had a heart rate of 134bpm. Pat and I are really looking forward to getting bunkbeds for them eventually, and I'm sure they will be too when the time comes.

Here's a little update of Miles on the changing table. It's more like 10 1/2 months instead to 10. And a few pictures of baby #2 along with a video. I've posted some other videos on youtube as well.

16 wks

20 wks

Oma and Opa Visit

A couple weeks ago Patrick and I got the privilege of having Patrick's Oma and Opa, Bridget and Horst, over for the weekend. They were visiting from Wisconsin for about 2 1/2 weeks. Miles loved spending time with his great grandparents. This was the second time I met his grandparents with the first being a few days before our wedding. We had a blast just hanging out, exploring downtown Olympia, and talking and sharing stories. Bridget taught me how to make some amazing German food. We made Rouladen, Spaetzle, and Plum Cake. It was so yummy and we've officially added it to our dinner routine. Hopefully we'll be able to see them in the midwest sometime soon!

This is a giant dragonfly eating another bug. I almost walked into it and was really grossed out, and then Pat had to get this picture. You can even see the fur on it's back. EW!

7, 8, and 9 Months

I'm finally posting the changing table pictures that I've been too exhausted to post. It's funny how Miles looks totally the same, just bigger.

7 months

8 Months

9 months

Miles has three teeth now, two on the bottom and one on top. We call him our hillbilly baby. He has three more on top coming in at the same time and I felt another one this morning on the bottom just beneath the gum. He's been cruising around the coffee table and crawling everywhere lately! I can hardly keep up. And just over the weekend he started standing for 5 to 10 seconds without holding onto anything. Looks like he'll be walking in no time, then I'll really be exhausted from chasing him around!

Picture Dump

Watermelon Boy

Little brother or sister

Someone got into my stamps

Miles Gets a Promotion

I bet you can guess what a 9 month old baby's promotion could possibly be? BIG BROTHER!

You read that right.

We're expecting our second little one and couldn't be more excited. When the pregnancy test came up positive my heart leapt out of my chest. I was shocked and in disbelief. Thoughts raced through my head about having a newborn and a 16 month old, what will Pat say, and how will we do it? Along with the initial shock was an overwhelming sense of excitement and joy. I was carrying our next baby, a life we created in cooperation with God's plan and love for us and our family. With that I had a realization that although we thought spacing our children a certain amount of years apart would work for our family, God clearly says that spacing them a year and a half is plenty. What a compliment to us that God says we are capable to take on another child. We may not feel completely ready or equipped but if I keep reminding myself of the common saying "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called," I know we will be awesome parents and the blessing of a baby will not be overwhelming in the sense of work but more in the sense of joy. It will be wonderful for Miles to have a brother or sister so close in age.

When pat got home from work I explained how I had been feeling the past few weeks and announced that I was pregnant. He was so excited! I couldn't believe it. I was a little scared to tell him because I thought he would be worried about how soon it is, but he wasn't. Pat had the biggest smile on his face and that made me feel so good and comforted to know that this is going to be great.

I told Miles and he doesn't understand (of course), but it's fun to call him big brother. Wow, this time next year we'll have a 5 month old and a 21 month old. Weird. Yet again I've become a broken record saying "my, how things have changed in a year, and will change even more in another."

We went to my first prenatal appointment. Pat held Miles while we all quietly listened to the little one's quick heart beat at 164bpm. Then we got to see him/her in an ultrasound. It was so cute! I'm 12 weeks along and the baby already has arms, hands, legs, and little tiny feet! It's crazy how I'm barely even showing and it's a full human in there. According to my baby book, it's the size of a large plum. How cute!

Needless to say, I haven't posted over the past month and a half because of how tired I felt. Now that Miles crawls everywhere I have to chase after him and that really has worn me out in addition to the fatigue I feel with the pregnancy. The other day, however, it was as if a switch was flipped and I had all my energy back. I felt like myself again, something I hadn't felt in over three months. I'm so happy to be in the second trimester (well, almost) because I feel like a good mom again. I want to play with Miles, I want to make dinner and clean the house, I want to go on walks. It's good to be back.

Now that I feel human again I'll be posting more and putting up pregnancy pictures. Here's to another belly, another baby, and more happiness than we can ever imagine.

Independence Day at Pearrygin Lake

We spent a long 4th of July weekend at my family's favorite pastime camping park, Pearrygin Lake. I haven't been to Pearrygin since I was 4 and my memory of the time I had spent there almost completely matched how it was when we were there this year. I remember the giant bush with the trail to the rock where we'd climb up to get away from the marmots running in and out of their holes. I remember the yellow buoys outlining the swim area. I remember how green the campgrounds were and how brown the surrounding mountains looked in comparison. And it's all still the same. The only thing that has changed is the size of the trees; which is something my mom mentioned when she went back last year and relayed her melancholy mood about how the trees have grown-- similar to how much us kids have grown. Little did I know, when I was 4, I'd be able to say that '20 years from now, I'll be back with my husband and little boy, adding on to my family's favorite pastime campsite by continuing this tradition with our family.'

Pulled Pork

Aidan

Isaac

Owen

Zach got really into diving for crawdads and ended up catching about 20. What a good appetizer: fresh handpicked crawdads and butter. I've never had them before and they were good! Apparently they taste similar to lobster.

We celebrated Cheri and dad's birthday with pound cake, strawberries, and whipping cream: the epitome of summer desserts.

As dirty as I felt, (you just can't stay clean when you camp, it's almost a requirement to be dirty and walk around barefoot) I loved going to bed with the smell of campfire in my hair and snuggling up in the sheets to get warm. Oh, and I forgot how good s'mores are! How could I forget that?

The hot sand beneath my feet and seeing it sift between Miles' fingers never felt so good. I was surprised that he only tried to eat it a couple times. He was more mesmerized by how it felt and looked than how it tasted.

I already want to go back.

Dad paddling Isaac out to Zach and Aidan in the distance by the buoys.