Another amazing year...

I can't believe another year is coming to a close.  So many wonderful and challenging things have happened this year.  Saying good-bye to sweet friends out West to come back to family and find out we are having another baby!  The boys have grown up faster this year than the one prior, so many changes, they are little boys now, even though I often call them "the babies".  I am sure that will pass soon.  As happens with most 2nd pregnancies, I have left out lots of details on this little girl growing away inside and I need to update.

All our OB appts have been text book.  They brought me in a little too early for my anatomy scan so I had to go back a couple weeks later.  She was measuring in the 50th percentile and I am hoping she stays there;)  Passed my glucose test last week and we are just about to enter the 3rd trimester so we are in the home stretch.  As with the boys, I am just now starting to feel pregnant.  I have had a little nausea return but that will help keep the christmas cookies at bay. She is pretty active and the boys give her kisses and squeezes every night before bed.  They offer her all types of things through the day by manor of lifting my shirt and trying to put them in my belly button.  All I can say is she is going to totally rock their world once she is actually here.  Its going to be interesting.  We have a list of names going and we will just name her when we meet her.  Other than that, we are totally unprepared.  Her room has a crib, which is all she really needs, I know.  We are just getting done with the boy's room so she is next on the list as soon as the holidays settle and we get some more time.

20 weeks

22 weeks

24 weeks

26 weeks

We are just wrapping up potty training with the boys.  Compared to my last attempt, it was a breeze.  Both boys caught on pretty quickly and we are now freely roaming around the house or outside pretty much accident free.  I am going to take a little more time before we make any trips in the car but so far so good.  They love their new underwear and are pretty proud of themselves.

Last weekend, we decorated our tree and the boys were totally into it this time.  I decorated the top with the fragile ornaments and the boys were in charge of the bottom.  Which means there are 2 different branches that each have about 8 ornaments on them.  But, I love it.  Evidence that they are becoming interactive and involved in what we are doing as a family instead of us revolving around them.

We had a great thanksgiving with Matt's family.  The boys ended up both getting really sick right before we went up so they didn't have the best time but hopefully everyone stays healthy over Christmas and they can redeem themselves.  It was our 1st thanksgiving with family yet so it was nice to have some tradition.

We are so excited for Christmas.  My family flies in on Monday for a couple days then we will spend New years with the Campbell's.  I might be most excited to be reunited with Heidi and Caroline (and their men, of course) while we are in Annapolis.  That will be the best Christmas present ever.

We are going to send out our Christmas picture with a baby announcement once the baby arrives.  

Hope everyone has safe holiday travels and really enjoys family and friends.  As we start to teach our boys about Christ and what Christmas means, its such a good reminder of the "basics".  God's love for us is so intense and so free, He gave us an actual piece of himself to show us who He is.  His actions and the actions of Jesus that followed reveal a God who is about one simple principle, unyielding love and grace for everyone, giving beyond what you think is possible and stretching yourself into someone you might never thought possible.  Its a daily exercise.  Its almost never easy or natural but its good.

Happy Halloween!

Grammie & Grandpop drove down for a quick weekend visit right before Halloween.  Unfortunately, they couldn't stay to trick-or-treat with us but they got to see the boys in their costume, carve some pumpkins and make some treats.  We visited the pumpkin patch again and spent some time snuggled inside playing with the treats they brought down for the boys.  Then before they left, Grandpop and Matt got the "big boy beds" set up and we gave that a whirl.  Much to my surprise, they slept great, staying in their beds until I came to get them in the AM like normal.  Nap time is a different story but we make it work now.  We are now finally going to paint and "do" their room.  Not that they care.

We hosted a Pumpkin Parade for the neighborhood.  We didn't have as great of a turn out as we planned since the weather was forecasted to be all rain.  But, it held out for our parade and a little bit of trick-or-treating.  It was a great time, the boys loved showing off their costumes and even though they only collected 3 pieces of candy each, they had a blast with friends!

3 generations...

I am so blessed to be able to have my Grandparents still around and active.  Matt and I both have & had amazing grandparents in our lives. My grandparents stopped by the other weekend on their annual migration south for the winter.  Luckily for us, they are now only about 2 hours from where my parents live so we will still get to see them.  

We showed them a day in our life- playground, pumpkin patch, etc.  The weather was beautiful!

 

We heart FALL!

Our weather has been beyond perfect.  Sunny, high 60's into the 70's and breezy.  We can't get enough of it and are so thankful it has lasted so long.  Its like summer in the Pac NW.  We try and take every moment to be outside, riding bikes, hunting for bugs and sticks and playing with Chessie.  The boys vocab is getting a little bigger every day.  Mainly, they are words only I understand but they are getting better and better at communicating.  Alex would ride his bike 24/7 if he could.  Evan loves to play with his little figurine toys (animals, etc) and carries them everywhere.  They are both into coloring now, especially Evan.  Its been really fun lately with them, they talk non-stop and are recently very interested in the moon and night time.  

We painted pumpkins the other day, it was so funny to see their separate personalities effect this little craft.  

A couple weeks ago, my parents flew us down to their new home in Orlando.  We swam in their pool and spent a couple days at Sea World.  We fed and touched the dolphins, fed the Sea Lions, saw Penguins, Sting Rays, Shamu, etc.  The best had to be the Dolphin Show.  Alex was physically shaking with excitement through the whole show and when the trainers flew their parrots over our heads, he clapped his hands so hard, I thought he was going to give himself a heart attack.  Evan loved it too, his eyes were as big as saucers.  Definitely something we will be doing again!

This was right after he wound back and slapped my mom in the face with that dead fish.

We went on a walk the other day and stopped to climb some trees.  Our neighbor was driving buy and snapped some pics with her camera.

We are just about to put the boys in twin beds AND potty train.  I am sure there will be some funny stories to share with each of these big milestones.  Its a little sad, every time we take a step like this.  Of course, knowing now that we will be doing it all again is kind of cool.

Happy Fall!!