Let's Go Fly a Kite

Since I have SO much blogging to catch up on...why not start with a completely random post that's not at all baby related ;-)

 Last week we had a gorgeous sunny and windy day. So naturally we decided it was time for Emma Claire to fly her first kite. We headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few kites.

As Daddy was putting the kite together Emma Claire ripped off the tail so the kite didn't work exactly as it should have but she had a blast regardless. It was so cute watching her run around with it flying behind her.

The string got caught in her hair. Thankfully daddy was able to untangle it from her bow. 

I love this picture. 

The kite wasn't really doing what she wanted. So she threw it, naturally. And that was the end to our kite flying adventure. 

 I have just been so busy lately that blogging really hit the back burner. Is tomorrow really JUNE?! HOW! Life is zooming by and I really do want to start up blogging again to keep up with everything going on. I'm already 22 weeks pregnant and haven't done a single bump blog post! So sorry, little man. Speaking of...he also doesn't have a name yet! 

Finding Out About Baby #2

 *** Written January 24th, 2014 ***

I don't even really know where to start. Today I found out some pretty life changing news. Our little family of three is expanding! I'm just going to dive in with the details. We decided last month that we should start trying for baby #2. I was CONVINCED that we would get pregnant right off the bat. That obviously didn't happen. After going through four pregnancy tests before I was even late I decided that the next month I would make myself wait until I was one day late. Surprisingly I was able to do that! I was supposed to start my period yesterday so since my period still hadn't shown up, I decided I would buy a test this afternoon if I STILL hadn't started. 

We met a bunch of friends at Chick-Fil-A for lunch because MOPS was canceled, and I was calm throughout our entire lunch. Then Emma Claire and I drove to Target to pick up a few tests. We popped those in our cart first and then browsed the store. At this point I was still thinking to myself  "there's no way I'm actually pregnant". 

When we got home I started to get a little anxious so I unloaded our car, took EC's' jacket and shoes off and ripped into the box of pregnancy tests. I didn't even bother taking it out of the Target bag! ha! I just grabbed the box, pulled out a test, and ripped it open. Then after I took the test Emma Claire kept trying to take it from me and since I wanted it to read correctly I had to put it on the kitchen counter. It wasn't a digital test so I was amazed that as I watched the test progress I could literally see the positive sign show up before the entire test was finished. I instantly told Emma Claire that there was a baby in Mommy's' belly. Her response? "No momma, there's a baby in MY belly!". Okay, Emma Claire..whatever you say ;-) 

Once she went down for her nap I still couldn't believe it so I took another test. I bought two kinds because I'm not pregnant, remember? ha! And I could have sworn I grabbed a digital test but once I opened it I realized I hadn't. But since I broke the packaging and already opened the test I took it anyways. Hey, couldn't hurt right? That test did the exact same thing the other one did, turning positive even before it finished "loading". 

I am still in shock! I have to admit that this month wasn't our best month of "trying" due to the hubs and I being sick at alternate times there was ONE chance that we were pregnant. ONE. I just cannot believe God timed everything so perfectly. After Emma Claire's pregnancy I always said I would love to know exactly what day the conception journey started...and now I do! I just can't believe it. As I nursed Emma Claire and rocked her before her nap I just kept praising God and thanking him for his blessings. He has now blessed our family with the gift of children not once, but TWICE. I just can't believe it. This sweet blessing is due to make his/her arrival in the beginning of October! Another little pumpkin!

And if you're wondering...I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Immediately after laying Emma Claire down for her nap I called Allie to tell her. Before I even said anything she said, "Did you test?! Are you pregnant?!" And then a lot of squealing ensued. She knew I was late and was planning to test today. Then I instantly called and texted a few other friends who also knew I was late. 

Finally I decided I need to figure out how to tell the husband since he is all part of this too! ;-) So I got to work making Emma Claire a big sister shirt!

Oh and one more thing...I became an AUNT today! Hub's brother Marcus and his wife Melissa welcomed their first son this morning at 12:35am! He is 7lbs of perfection and is so cute! 

What. A. Day. Even after typing all of this out I am STILL in disbelief that we are actually going to have another sweet baby in about nine months!

Some BIG News!

It's no secret that I've not been the best blogger lately. Between the cold and gloomy winter we had and staying busy, blogging just got left behind it seems. However there IS another little reason that I fell behind on blogging....

We are thrilled to announce that baby number two will be joining our family in late September or early October! My due date is October 1st. Emma Claire and this babe will be just under three years apart. 

Emma Claire is SO excited to be a big sister. People keep asking me if she "gets" it and she really does. She loves to talk to the baby, kiss my belly, and she is 100% convinced that it's a sister. ;-)

 So far this pregnancy has been almost identical to my pregnancy with Emma Claire. Morning sickness was rough, and I think it seemed worse because our winter was so cold and LONG this year. But like with Emma Claire I never had any issues with throwing up. Food aversions and the nose of a bloodhound were my worst symptoms.

We are just over the moon about this baby and can't wait to find out the gender soon! I have a couple of posts in draft about this pregnancy and will be posting them soon. 

Too Close to Two and a Half

Next month Emma Claire will be two and a half! HOW?! I feel like some days she is still very much a baby, while other days I hear "I do it MYSELF!" about 100 times and I am reminded that she is very much NOT a baby. Since I apparently decided to take a blog break I haven't gotten to write about Emma Claire's latest antics. I have been keeping notes on my phone of funny little things she does and says. Each day with her is an adventure and she keeps me laughing. 

Emma Claire 2 years 5 months

Eats: Her favorite food right now is macaroni and cheese. Healthy food wise she loves: apples, oranges, cucumber, tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, avocados, pineapple, yogurt, basically any fruit and very few veggies. Toddlers. Some other favorites are noodles, eggs with cheese, sausage, grilled chicken, she loves "tips" aka chips, PBJ sandwiches, popsicles, and of course ice cream.

Sleeps: Bedtime is usually around 8 these days. We try to start bath around 7:30, and then move straight into her room to rock and nurse...YES nurse ;-) we are still going. HA. She naps most days around 2 and it could be anywhere from 1 hour to 3.5. It just depends on how well she sleeps. A funny fact about miss Emma Claire, she HAS to go number 2 before nap time. HAS.TO. or she will only sleep for about 45 minutes. Most days she is done with her business before lunch but some days nap time is pushed back an hour or so just to make sure she is "ready" for nap. Oh toddlers. Such particular little people.

Wears: 2t clothing and size 6 shoes. I've started buying size 7 for spring BUT they seem huge. She's still in diapers, size 5. Potty training is coming, but we just aren't quite there yet. No rush.

Loves: Momma and Daddy, Dixie and Gracie, her "other family" Tis, Baba, and Dacie (aka our friends Chris, Bekah, and their daughter Gracie), anything with ranch on it, Tangled and all Disney princesses, dogs, babies, squirrels, the list goes on and on!

Hates: Going inside after playing outside, if the TV gets turned off (which has led to zero TV most days..a new development and another blog post), when she can't do something herself, having her hair washed.

Says: Oh what this girl says...her speech is getting more conversational each day and it just keeps us laughing. We are constantly saying "WHEN did she learn that?!" 

- She loves to tell people "I'm two in October" 
- Rapunzel= "Miss Punzel" to Emma Claire
- "Calm down, mommy!"
- "Hey! How that get here?"
- "It's not workin so far"
- The other day she almost fell and then said, "Daddy! I saved my life!" 
- "That make me so happy." and the flip side if you don't go along with her plans, "That make me SO upset!"
- "Ohhhh it's beeeeautiful!"
- "that's my favorite"
- "I DO IT MYSELF" I hear this one all day, every day.

I am loving these toddler days. Although, sometimes I want to press fast forward and not stop until bedtime. Most days I just want to hit pause and soak in this stage.

Classic EC face. 

She was convinced this was a "quuuurile" hole. If you don't speak "EC-enese" that's "squirrel hole" 

Sticks+dirt=good times for a toddler. 

Always on the go. 

"I hear somfin, momma!"

 So there you have it. A little update on our almost two and a half year old. I just love her to pieces and can't believe she's so big! 

These Are the Days

Life with a toddler is busy. There's just no way around that. It's also messy, sticky, fun, exciting, and exhausting. Most days I look around my house and can easily count 100 chores to finish, messes to clean up, and projects to be finished. Right now I know I have laundry in the dryer that needs to be put away, dishes in the sink, toys everywhere, and lunch mess on the island to clean up. But in the same breath I know these days are short lived. In the moment they seem never ending, but I can already feel time slipping away from us. Next month Emma Claire will be two and a half. Closer to three than two. THREE. How is that even possible?

 Lately I've been trying to soak up these days. I know one day I will have clean floors, plenty of time to put laundry away, time to read, I will cook gourmet meals more often than macaroni and cheese, showers will not include an audience, and I will ache for these busy days back. So in honor of these busy days here is a little glimpse of what we've been up to. Since apparently I don't blog anymore ;-)

I remember when I first started blogging, I couldn't wait to have a full and busy life to blog about. Now that I have a VERY full and busy life I don't seem to have the time to blog about it. Quite ironic if you ask me. Hopefully I will start blogging again soon. I have so much to share and am constantly starting notes on my phone about funny things Emma Claire says. I need to start regularly blogging about them!

We Love Aunt Paige!

A few tidbits about Paige:

- From Houston, Currently in Dallas

- 3rd Grade Teacher

- Baylor University Graduate x2 (undergrad and masters)

- Lover of Coffee

- Hater of Chocolate, I know, I know....awful, isn't it?

- World Traveler 

- Loves to dance (if you can two step then you get bonus points) ;-) 

I've written about Paige before and this post {HERE} can tell you more about my best friend Paige. 

We met in college (at Baylor, Sic'em Bears!) and were fast friends. Even moving halfway across the country didn't keep us from staying friends. Heck, the woman DROVE WITH ME halfway across the country when I was 8 months pregnant! Best friends for sure. And she's the best Aunt. Ever. :-)

Although I like to say Paige is MY best friend, I'm pretty sure Emma Claire thinks Paige is HER best friend. In fact during her last visit Emma Claire kept saying "Aunt Paige best frand" over and over. It was so cute.

 So there you have it! If anyone knows a swell guy out there...preferably athletic, who speaks with a country twang, and can two step then give me a holler!