Today is the DAY!!!

We found out tonight whether my little alien is a HE or SHE. I am sitting on pins and needles today and 6pm cannot come fast enough! I have been working on minimal decorations the last few days, but cannot wait to go pick up the balloons this afternoon. You think I could convince the place to just tell me :-) I kid I kid…sort of. We, I mean me, are so excited and cannot wait. I just want to know so bad. It is killing me. I cannot believe I made it 9 months last time without knowing. I am nervous but ready for this information. I am ready to come up with a name and stop referring to it as an IT! I am hoping for namesake that it is a girl. Michael and I can come up with girl names all day long that we both love…for boys we fight tooth and nail, so we have talked about names but do not have one picked out for either. Ideas, but nothing more. I even created a name suggestion box for tonight to help us out.

I am going to put these into the cupcakes that I made yesterday. I am slightly proud of my baking and decorating of the cupcakes. I am not big on doing it myself. They usually look bad. Don’t worry I have 12 of each. I just could not fit all of them in the container together. The rest of the blue ones can be found in a separate less attractive or see through container. Lemonade for tonight….chilling in the fridge getting cold. The blue is really more Aqua…I had pink lemonade and yellow lemonade…yellow became Aqua Blue.

Old Wives Tales

I decided to do the old wives tales tests. You never know if these are true or whatever. Obviously I added a few tidbits about my pregnancy with Mason to compare.

Carrying High or Low……Middle to low……BOY! (Mason was low, even though everyone said he was high)

Body clue…..Stealing my beauty…..GIRL!

String Test……Side to Side…..GIRL!

Heartbeat…..Under 140…..BOY! (Mason was always 160s)

Cravings Sweet or Salty……Sweet……GIRL!

Chinese Calendar…………………..GIRL!

Mayan Calendar…………………GIRL!

Morning Sickness……………GIRL! (I was also sick with Mason, but longer)

Dreams…………………None.

Hair…………….Thin and Dull…………GIRL!

Cold Feet………..Normal…………GIRL!

Sleeping Side……Left……………BOY!

Belly Shape……….Basketball………….BOY!

 

2 DAYS until the BIG REVEAL!!!

And No we won’t know before the party.

Week 27-Baby #2

How far along? 27 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs. according to doctor’s scale. .
Maternity clothes? Oh yes, but I did discover I could still button a pre-pregnancy jeans. Yay! They are low jeans but still. It is exciting.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness and applying lotion like it is going out of style.
Sleep: When I look at this point each week, I glance over my Fitbit results to really see how good/bad it is. Even though, I am sleeping 8-9 hours a night. It is restless sleep. I wake up earlier and earlier each morning, causing me to fall asleep so early in the evening.
Best moment this week: Planning our Gender Reveal. Yes you saw that right! Michael made the agreement and he is carrying it out. I cannot wait until Friday. I might be counting down the seconds until Friday.
Miss Anything? Yet again Beer. Michael had some the other night that I smelled and it smelled yummy. I am not a beer drinker but you know what if it smells good then this lady wants some!
Movement: I love movement, but man this baby kicks hard. Every once in awhile it hurts and I will say ouch out loud. Mason also comes over and tells me he is sorry, but when I tell him it wasn’t him it was the baby. He tries to pull up my shirt and talk to the baby. Adorable!
Food cravings: Sweets. LOTS of Sweets.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new this week.
Feelings: I am tired. I can’t believe the third trimester is next week! We picked out date and time for our c-section last week. WOW. It is really really getting real! Scary real! Now I can have a countdown on my phone for the end.            
Gender: Well this one changed. If you didn’t get a chance to read why we are now going to know check out our friend’s gender reveal post HERE!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Looking forward to: FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!! Finding out what I am having. I am nervous and excited, but seriously just am ready to find out. It is so different from the last time and I am excited to make it special in its own way. Check back this week for updates along with a list of old wives tales to see what this baby might be. Give a guess and let me know what you think it might be.

Book Themed Baby Shower

Today has been a crazy day. Work is crazy, but I wanted to share about a baby shower we hosted on Sunday. My Mom and I talked about what kind of theme to have for our friend Rachel. I wanted to do a book theme. I love the idea of a book theme shower for a first time mom. New Moms can never have too many books. Plus sometimes it is the last thing people buy a new Mom. We asked the guest to each bring a book and I was honestly surprised that she did not end up with two of the same book.

I wanted a simple and elegant invite. I wanted to ensure it wasn’t too wording, so I added the information about the books of the back of the invites. I spent hours trying to think of books I already had and food options for this party. I love the idea of the book themed with food. Since, my friend is having a girl we had some Pinkalicious Pink Lemonade. Easy Easy and fun. The cake, which was done by Shelby Lynn’s in Springdale. She has won awards and is awesome. The cake looked like what I wanted. A simple cute little sign. I made her a bow board for all the millions of hair bows this little will receive. The baby’s room’s colors are Coral and Mint Green. We used it as decoration with some bows and socks to go with our Fox in Socks book. Green Eggs and Ham. Green deviled eggs and ham roll ups. Super yummy. The Velveteen Rabbit. Veggies! Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. Meatballs from Sam’s Club with a fun sauce my Mom found online. These were super yummy. Goodnight Moon. Moonpies. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. Fish Gummies. Easy to find and use. The blue ones are actually sharks.

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear. Strawberries, of course! If you give a Mouse a Cookie. Milk and Cookies. Homemade that day to make sure the house smelled super yummy for us pregnant women. Like I said, this theme was super fun and it was a lot easier to put together than I thought. The books add to the decoration and the centerpiece becomes the yummy snacks. My friend received lots of wonderful books and presents from all of her guests. I cannot wait until Miss Nora decides to join us in a few months. I think we will be spending lots of weekends at the lake this summer with two adorable babies.

Gender Reveal for a Friend

Last Friday night, we hosted a gender reveal party for some close friends. I really should say I host, since Michael was in Salt Lake City. I was so excited for these friends. They already have two girls and with the third baby on the way I was hoping they would get a boy. The husband is great with his girls, but he would be great with a boy too. I should know I have seen his interaction with Mason. They didn’t know what they were having, and I think that is the best way to have a Gender Reveal. I think it is more fun seeing their reactions to the news. Surprised and Excited would be an understatement to their faces. They did balloons in the box and when those balloons came out BLUE the entire room screamed. It was so much fun. Love this shot. Excitement. Mason’s face makes me laugh. He was confused why everyone was yelling.  

Now for the really exciting news…

When we first found out that Rachel and Tyler were expecting #3, we were all having dinner together one night. Rachel and I were talking about how if we were having opposite sexes then we could just do a clothes swap. I have been dying to know what we are growing in there, so I played lets make a deal…Michael’s FAVORITE game. I knew the Eikenberrys would find out what they were having as soon as possible, so I asked Michael if they have a boy then we could find out. He AGREED!!! I think at first he agreed thinking they already have 2 girls, chances are the 3rd will be another girl. He agreed and the Eikenberrys witnessed the agreement. So, next Friday we are going to have our friends and family over and do a similar party!!! We are not going to know until everyone knows. I am a little nervous. I am worried about crying over a boy or a girl. Not sure my face will be as priceless as Rachel’s is above, no matter what this little bundle actually is, but it will be fun and exciting to do things a different way with this pregnancy.

I think it will be more fun to find out with everyone, as apposed to texting everyone once the baby is born and telling them. We can actually see their faces. It will be nice for me, since I will be having a c-section to enjoy a little more of the finding out process. I will get to see the reactions and won’t be in a drug induce state when everyone knows. Stayed tuned for the big reveal.

Week 26-Baby #2

 How far along? 26 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs. according to home scale. Gained 2lbs this week…might be from eating several slices of birthday cake and leftover pizza. Oops.
Maternity clothes? Yet again legging are a pregnant girl’s best friend or at least during winter. Thankfully I have several and trade off between them throughout the week. I am not liking anything tight on the belly, so the legging help.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness and applying lotion like it is going out of style.
Sleep: I slept good this week. The baby wakes me every morning between 6 & 6:30 with her(his) aerobic workout. It usually last 30 minutes and then I could go back to sleep, if I didn’t have a toddler who is then awake. I slept hard this week, because Michael was gone and chasing a toddler is exhausting.
Best moment this week: Honestly the best moment this week, was when we found out our friends are having a little BOY. They already have two girls, so it was a shock that they were having a boy, even though my vote was for a boy. Now it makes me want to know what I am having.
Miss Anything? I really have craved beer this week. Who knows why, but man would it taste good.
Movement: We got another mover growing in there. It is mostly in the morning and at night. Mason’s movements were in the same location and they were strong. This baby likes to flip and really likes to hang out in my hip bones.
Food cravings: I haven’t really craved anything this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Why can’t every shower and use soap? That’s all I would like to ask for. Went to dinner the other night to a nice place and the people behind us obviously had not showered in a month. I had to leave without eating/finishing my meal because it was making me SO sick.
Feelings: I am exhausted. We have been busy, plus as my tummy gets larger carrying Mason around gets harder and harder. I am counting down the days until we get to meet this little bundle. I am ready.            
Gender: Not finding out. Yay for surprises!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Looking forward to: Heartbeat check this week! I cannot wait to hear the heartbeat and see how we are measuring up. On time/early/late. It is the beginning of the fun. I believe in 2 weeks we get to do the fun glucose test and then the every two week appointments start.

Best Smile

Last weekend we had a fun filled birthday weekend. On Saturday, we celebrated our friend turning 5 with a pool party! Mason is a fish and LOVES the pool. The pool we went to have a slide. I didn’t know if Mason would like it or hate it…well friends he LOVED it. You know what makes a happy parent…a super happy kiddo. Check out this pictures I got of Mason. He spent the entire time laughing and smiling. I guess we will be going to the water park this summer.

Mason having oh so much fun!! Who is having more fun in this picture? Uncle Tyler or Mason. I love it!

Mason’s Birthday

This little boy had a great birthday and weekend birthday party. We started celebrating on his birthday. I cooked his favorite meal, got him some balloons, and a cupcake! I think dinner and cupcake will be a yearly tradition for the actual day of the birthday. He request juice for his drink instead of milk and we had chicken nuggets. Maybe next year he will have a favorite restaurant or food choice.  Blowing out the candles. Happy face. When you tell Mason to show his happy face he always put his fingers in his cheeks like this and says Happy. On Sunday, we had Mason’s birthday party at our house with all of his friends and family. I think the kids had a blast. Mason had tons of new toys from Christmas and the kids ran up and down the stairs all night playing. Mason was exhausted and hit the hay by 7:00…a whole hour earlier than normal. We didn’t take a lot of pictures at the party. We didn’t even get a family shot. Oh well. The most important thing was that my little man had a blast and he certainly did. We had all of the decoration at our house already. Mason’s room is really decorated for baseball/sports. The bat was a gift from when Mason was born from my cousin. It has his name on it. The hat, ball and glove are from my Uncle. He played baseball and was a pitcher. When he past away my Mom got these and then when I had Mason she gave them to him. When Nana and Papaw arrived they let Mason, who had just woken up from nap, open the present from them. It was a quick hit. I am always amazed that he know what to do with something he hasn’t seen before. He is a jumper/hopper. Check out that smile and the crazy BED HEAD. Closest thing we have to a family shot. Mason patiently waiting to blow out the candles. I was a little worried he was going to stick a hand right in that yummy cake. Stella being a big helper. My sweet niece going to Uncle Michael. He is such a smiley baby. 7 months old and still tiny, which I LOVE! Mason loves his Harper and always wants to hold her and kiss her. She is such an easy going baby that she tolerates his love. I cannot wait to see how he is with his little brother or sister. Aren’t they cute!!!

Week 25-Baby #2

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 14 lbs. according to home scale
Maternity clothes? I am seriously thinking I might wear leggings the rest of this pregnancy. So comfortable.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness and applying lotion like it is going out of style.
Sleep: This week, sleep has been easy and good. The baby moves a ton when I lay on my back, but on my side I am good. Probably a good thing, since back sleeping is frown upon.
Best moment this week: Not baby related, but Mason’s birthday and party. And taking him to another birthday party at a pool with a slide. Seeing your child’s face that happy makes everything so much better.
Miss Anything? It was a great week, so I am not missing a thing.
Movement: This kid is a mover. He/she might be crazy just like the brother. The kid loves flying too. Or at least takeoff.
Food cravings: I am craving food. I feel constantly hungry.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Any ideas besides eating Tums to relieve HEARTBURN. Sometimes it makes me queasy.
Feelings: The last week and a half has flown by and I think I need a vacation to recover! I am glad that I have next Monday off of work. I will need it. I have been exhausted. My back hurts. After Mason’s birthday party I felt like I was going to crash, but I kept going until everything was cleaned up.           
Gender: Not finding out. Yay for surprises!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: My emotions are completely in check now.
Looking forward to: We have a gender reveal party for a friend this week and a baby shower for another friend, both that I am hosting. I am excited to find out what our friends are having and to see my other friend. Have I mentioned EVERYONE I know is pregnant? I am also looking forward to next week…baby heartbeat and check up!

Happy 2nd Birthday Mason!

Trying to hold up 2 fingers. Don’t quite have it down, but since I can’t show you 2 fingers I will just tell you I am 5.

It is really hard to believe that it has been 2 years since you were born! I feel like it was yesterday. You have the best personality and are such an easy going kiddo.

Weight: We don’t go to the doctor until next Monday. I learned by lesson from last year. Doctor’s visit after birthday party, just in case we have a reaction to the shots. Mason had a little fever after shots last year and wanted to sleep through his party. I am guessing he is still about 30lbs.  

Height: Won’t know for sure, but guessing still around 36” tall. Can’t wait to know for sure.

Clothes: Mason is wearing 2T pants, shirts, and pajamas. He has a few 3T shirts for the length. We have to roll up the sleeves because they are too long, but the length is perfect. I have a feeling by summer we will be wearing all 3T shirts and mostly 2T shorts. 

Eats: Anything. Everything. You love fruits especially oranges and blueberries. You are a little meat eater. If we make chicken you can eat as much as Mama. You don’t really have a problem with dinnertime or lunchtime. If we give you food you will eat it. I am hoping this never changes. Your Daddy and I were both picky as kids.

Sleeps: You are officially in a BIG BOY bed. You go to sleep by 8pm every night. Some nights a little earlier, depending on how hard you played during the day. Most mornings we have to wake you up to go to school around 7am. On the weekends you usually sleep until 7:30 or 8:00am. It is wonderful.

What he is enjoying: You are enjoying life. You are all boy. You love blocks, airplanes, trains, cars, and balls. You love to eat and sleep. You love Frozen the movie and are starting to want to see other movies. If we are watching a movie together you will snuggle up to me and hold my hand. It is something I never want to forget. You love to give us kisses. You new favorite demand is for Mommy and Daddy to hug or kiss. You request and then smile and laugh so hard when we do. I am glad this makes you so happy.

Teeth: All of your teeth are showing!!! 20 Teeth. Your molars FINALLY cut through sometime over Christmas break. All four at one time. It is wonderful. We are glad this has finally occurred as you have been complaining and telling me they hurt and telling me to feel inside your mouth for quite a long time.

Talking: You have a huge vocabulary. I am amazed at the things you say. You repeat anything we ask. You are becoming a very demanding child. Mama do this…Daddy do that. You always say Thank You, Please, and Your Welcome. In the car, if we are stopped at a stop sign or behind another car, you will tell us to GO GO GO. Road Rage at 2 is bad. This morning, like every morning, we were talking to Nana and Mason asked her What are you doing? He also had to tell her he went PeePee in the Potty. He was proud of himself.

You are a wonderful addition to our little family. 2015 is going to allow you to become a Big Brother and I know you will be a huge help. You love to help out and watch everything we are doing. Every morning, you help Daddy make coffee and you know the steps better than I do. I know once we have your brother or sister you are going to insist on helping with everything baby. There are so many things you do that I don’t want to forget. As you get better and better at speaking, I think that I will need to start writing them all down.

Coming up we will hopefully be getting rid of diapers all together!!! YAY! Before the baby arrives! Coming up we will be taking away the pacifier…stay tuned for the excitement of potty training a crazy little boy and how crazy Michael and I might become taking away the pacifier.

When you were born you were so tiny. Now looking at how much you have grown makes me sad and excited to see how you change even more over the next year.