summer livin'

even though the weather hasn't really cooperated

this summer, brette and i have got our routine down.

mondays are with mimi and papa while i work.

tuesdays my mom watches brian's girls,

so we normally spend the morning with them.

wednesdays we do laundry and go grocery shopping.

thursday we clean and run any other errands i have.

friday i'm at work and she goes to a sitter.

and in some ways, i feel like MY summer is about to be over.

B and i are on the run a lot.

we go.

we do.

we see.

we rarely spend a whole day at home.

time seems slow when there's not a lot to do,

so i like to keep busy

and i think brette likes it too.

with a new baby on board, i'm probably

going to have to get a lot better at coming

up with fun things to do at home.

i recently bought a bubble machine,

sidewalk chalk, play doh, finger paint and a magna-doodle.

hopefully these things will entertain brette on

the days that i don't feel like loading up both

girls just to get out of the house.

if you have fun suggestions,

send them my way.

i'm going to need them.

 

here's a little look back into our summer...

lots of neighborhood walks.

 

hiding in my bathroom cabinets.

because, she's always had a thing for bathroom cabinets.

 

swimming with her cousins.

 

field trip days when my dad, my mom

and i all have off.

three on three is totally easy.

out to lunch after deanna rose.

 

running errands with one toy.

she chose conduit.

ronnie was proud.

royals game for the 4th

and more swimming with madeline and eden.

 

we've had fun.

and i've loved my last few months with just one kiddo.

i'm definitely going to miss that freedom.

i can pack B up and take her anywhere,

and i know we'll get back to that,

but for awhile,

i'm going to have to learn a new normal.

 

 

 

home stretch

we will be seeing big changes in the next few weeks

and i'm a little shocked that we're already done with the first week of july.

i feel like i wait and wait and wait for my due date to come,

and then all of a sudden i'm almost out of time.

probably because i'm getting nervous.

and with only 19 days left,

i have a few more things to check off my list.

1 - i'm packing my bag for the hospital this week and i need to pack one for brette too.
ronnie's sister has offered to take her for us so ronnie and i can focus on our newest little one.  i volunteered my parents to watch our dogs, so i guess i better pack their bag too.  just in case i end up going in early.

2 - i need to buy a baby book.  i can't believe i forgot one, but i have a few keepsakes from the shower and it reminded me to add this to my list of "must haves."  along with that, i need to charge up our camcorder.  i really want to record brette meeting her sister and some of our "first" moments together.

3 - i'm going to try to make a few freezer meals.  nothing extreme like a did with brette, but something to have on hand just in case i'm too tired to care about food. and that means, i also need to get ronnie to plug in our deep freeze.  its still sitting down in the basement, not being used, but i need that bad boy up and running.

4 - i'm really proud of myself because last week i organized her closet and washed all of her clothes, blankets, and burp cloths.  i also ordered her monitor with a sa-weet gift card from my aunt and cousin, but i need to grab a few diaper genie refills, baby clothes hangers and a sound machine.  easy. easy.  my cousin also ordered me another round of my triangle decals for the changing table, so that's on my list to finish too. that only leaves me with curtains to find, but i'm in no big rush. that's more for my enjoyment.

5 - come up with clever thank yous for the hospital.  i LOVE people visiting me in the hospital.  it was one of my favorite things when i had brette.  getting to show off this beautiful new baby? i can't wait. and if you remember, i made little peanut m&m thank you's so i didn't have to worry about it when i got back home. it was such a relief to check that off my list before i ever got there and i want to come up with something just as cute this time around.  time to search pinterest.

6 - and last is the house. not much i can do, but i have a list for ronaldo. i really thought we would be done by the time this baby came, but i should know better.  ronnie pace does not match my expectations.  i'm heading down to my parent's this weekend to give him and a friend some uninterrupted time to get a least a little more checked off.  i'm really hoping that all the trim will be finished and the walls will be primed. and if i get really lucky, i'd also like the pendant lights to be hung over the kitchen island, but i won't get greedy.

and that's it. 

if i can get that done,

then i think i'll actually be ready.

 

well, as ready as you can be.

taco 'bout a party!

an inside look at super cute

birthday party over the weekend.

 

since my family lives close,

but not s u p e r  close i wanted to make

things a little bit simpler for them

by having my baby sprinkle and

madeline's and brette's birthday parties all in one day.

that way they're not traveling 2 or 3 weekends in june

with back to back parties.

plus since madeline's and brette's birthdays are only

11 days apart, my brother and i decided to combine

them from here on out.

it's easier, its cheaper and its super cute.

(we plan on doing this with eden and baby #2 too.)

and we only invited family,

because that put the party count over 20 already.

whew.

 

this year's theme was a

fiesta!

 

i picked it because both girls eat

mexican food so well and a

taco/nacho bar sounded easy.

we hung balloons, streamers, a few

piñatas, i busted out my sombreros from

kassie's wedding and called it a day.

it was bright, colorful and really easy.

when we were in mexico last year

i bought brette a little dress and

my friend let me borrow one that she bought her daughter,

so both brette and madeline had dresses on from mexico.

so cute.

 

we set the time for later in the day to give me

some extra time in between my baby shower and the party,

plus i wanted to give the girls a chance to nap so

they wouldn't be grumpy.

it worked out really well from 4-8.

we served up our mexican feast,

opened gifts,

had dessert,

busted the piñata

and hung out with family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for dessert i went back to what both girls eat the best which is

ice cream!

i had my dad make some of his famous homemade ice cream,

bought a bunch of toppings and brownies.

then i added a few boxes of popsicles, push-up pops,

ice cream sandwiches and drumsticks just

to make it extra hard to choose what to eat.

i think i went a little overboard,

but you really shouldn't send a pregnant lady

down the ice cream aisle to "pick up a few things."

 

 

 

 

both senoritas had so much fun

and i know they felt super special to

have so many people come help them celebrate turning

five and two.

 

 

 

i can't believe they're already

that old.

isn't cousin-love the sweetest?

 

 

 

sprinkled with love

my bff's threw me a sweet little baby sprinkle

over the weekend.

(haven't heard of a sprinkle?

its the mini version of a baby shower)

less people, less fuss and

way perfect for your second child.

especially since our new little lady

will mostly be using what we had for brette.
(don't tell her though, we don't want her getting
second child syndrome.)

 

i left b-money with ron-dog and hit

the road to miss dana's house.

she did an amazing job with so

many cute touches!

 

 

and most of my favorite people were under one roof,

just for me and this sweet baby on the way.

love.

 

ps- dana is NOT pregnant.  i'm just

jealous of her super skinny body.

 

 

 

we played a game of who knew me the best.

(my mom beat kass by a point)

ate lots of breakfast food... and cupcakes.

opened gifts where stuffed foxes were a big hit.

(the perfect finishing touch to the nursery.)

and just enjoyed the morning with my peeps.

couldn't ask for more.

 

thanks girlies!

 

 

that evening we celebrated birthdays at my house...

but that's a story for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

update: 36 weeks

we're getting down to the nitty gritty

and thank god this is almost over.

i'll get to meet my newest addition in one month.

another little peanut that is the

cutest, sweetest, most darling darn thing that ever walked the earth.

attitude pending.

 

i'm thirty-six weeks.

weight? so last time i had only gained 14 lbs. at 30 weeks.  as of yesterday i have gained 25 lbs.  still on track to gain 30 lbs total.  that's what i gained with brette and i figured i'd carry about the same.  and for some ungodly reason i've got it in my head that it will just fall off after the baby is born.  i know the first 20 lbs did after i had brette.  it's going to be those pesky last 10 lbs that i'll have to work on.  i'm thinking the constant running around with a two year old and newborn will help me not stuff my face with whatever i please.

cravings?  my cravings don't change - - sweets, cereal, anything covered in gravy.  my mom made this killer cheesecake and i am bound and determined to get my hands on another one before i have to go back to being "healthy."  i'm pretty much the poster child for what not to do.

side effects? i'm in the phase of "shit is starting to move and that hurts."  so fun.  i remember it well from two years ago.  it's where my hips, my ribs, my back will get this sharp pain - like don't move, you have a knife in you somewhere. the hips are the worst just because it happens more. i'm also restricted from traveling now.  gotta stay close to home, just in case, but i'm pretty sure that this little lady doesn't have any plans to make an entrance anytime soon. 

baby? the baby should be about 5.5 lbs by now - - technically, i've only gained 20 lbs.  so there.  she is about the size of a honeydew melon and all of her major organs should be complete.  she will gain about a 1/2 lb each week from here on out. i'm anxious to see another sonogram to get her actual measurements, but i don't have one scheduled as of yet.  should be soon though.

preparations? i go to the doctor on the 8th of july and then weekly after that, so i'll be in and out of their office a lot in the next month.  i also preregistered at the hospital, so they know i'm coming and it helps cut down on paperwork when we get there.  my OB and i decided on date to schedule an induction (just in case) - - the 29th.  if little miss doesn't show up by then, we're going to force her out. (my OB said that just because i was induced with brette doesn't mean i'll have to do it with her too, but i have a feeling that's what will happen.  i have my baby sprinkle this weekend, which i'm super excited for.  my friends/family are seriously the best. i haven't done the finishing touches to the nursery, but nothing i'm missing is a big deal. besides that, i'd say we're ready.  as ready as we can be.

the best thing? the best thing right now is how far along i am and that time is flying.  where did may and june go??! it means i'm almost done and it means that ronnie (or whoever is around me) has to give me lots of help with brette.  i literally can't carry her around for very long, i try to avoid taking her up the stairs or put her in her highchair.  it's not a "best" but its nice to have the help.

the worst thing? the worst thing right now besides the stabbing pains mention earlier, is i have horrible acid reflux.  its doesn't really matter what i eat, i get it.  its uncomfortable and there's not much i can do about it.  i heard it means that the baby will have lots of hair, so we shall see.

 

 

i think the next time i check in,

i'll either be preparing to get induced or i'll have had her.

wahoo!

let's get this family of four started.

 

 

the dark side

i wrote about b turning 2 last week

and i didn't want to make it seem all sunshine and roses over here.

is brette the cutest, sweetest, most darling darn thing that ever walked the earth?

well, of course.

just look at that face.

but if you think my kid is sitting around smiling

and playing quietly in the corner,

then you have another thing coming.

she's got swagger.

and attitude.

 

and a big mouth.

two weeks ago i had to put her in time-out for telling me to shut up.

oh that sweet child of mine.

she's not difficult per say

but she tests the limits.

and believe me when i say that i literally can't help her with anything.

"i do it"

i hear that constantly. 

it's fun to watch her become independent and

want to do things for herself,

but sometimes it would be so much easier if

she would just let me help.

or (gasp) just do it for her.

but i know that's not how this is going to go.

i've been reading up on different ways to

parent through all of this.

 

sharing...

empathy...

manners...

respect for adults...

i want her to master it all.

 

 

 

anyone have any brilliant suggestions?

something that worked for your kids?

heck. i'll even take less than brilliant.